Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 14

‘Too bad.’

Lee Han was disappointed.

His dormitory friends hadn’t agreed with Lee Han’s clever plan.

“-You’re… you’re deliberately taking an unpopular class? Why? Is taking a class no one else attends somehow noble?”

“-? Ah. Sorry. I already have a class scheduled for that time. Really, I do. No lie.”

“-Wodanaz. Why on earth would you want to waste your time like that? I don’t understand. From what I learned in the Dalcard family…”

But what could he do?

The path of the smart was a lonely one.

Later, when midterms came, then finals, and then lots of homework, Lee Han’s friends would remember his smart idea.

Professors, no matter the school, are all strict.

Students might be taking other classes, but the professors only care about their own—a selfish thing!

So, to really focus on the classes they liked, students needed to add some easy classes to their schedules.

It’s called ‘selection and concentration’: focus on what matters by picking easy things as well.

The way things worked was the same in every school in the world.

‘Is this it?’

Lee Han entered the main building through the front doors and looked for the underground staircase.

The classroom for Repetitive Learning of Basic Magic Combat was on the first basement level.

“…Spooky.”

Lee Han said quietly to himself.

After the main doors, Lee Han saw a grand staircase. It was made of dark stone and went down into the basement. It wasn’t fancy like a palace, but it wasn’t ugly either. It was old, in a style called Gothic, with pointed arches and shadows in the corners. It looked normal, but Lee Han still felt uneasy. He knew what people said about wizard towers.

‘I was told not to wander around carelessly in a wizard’s tower.’

Everyone in the Empire knew: be careful in a wizard’s tower. They were places of old magic, full of secrets and hidden dangers, like ancient castles in stories.

“-You mustn’t wander around carelessly in a wizard’s tower.

Even if it looks ordinary on the outside, you never know what kind of magic might be at play. You might go up, wondering, ‘What’s on the second floor?’ only to become trapped in an eternal maze, never to return.”

Many of the fairy tales Lee Han had read as a kid were about young children trapped in wicked wizards’ towers who barely managed to escape.

Lee Han, who wasn’t used to this world yet, asked innocently:

“-Is this fairy tale an exaggeration?”

“-It’s a bit of an exaggeration, young master.”

“-Right? Even so, disappearing after going to the second floor…”

“-Yes. Someone who doesn’t know magic who enters a wizard’s tower can never escape. Here, children would likely grow old and die trapped inside if it were real.”

“-……”

The idea that disappearing after going to the second floor was common had shocked the young Lee Han.

The wizard’s tower, full of mysteries, was that kind of magical place.

…And this magic school, Einroguard, was like many wizard’s towers combined.

Its danger was hard to guess.

In fact, very few of the new students explored the school.

Even though they should be curious after just arriving!

Everyone knew, either from their families or from rumors, that wandering around exploring the building just because you were new could lead to being found dead.

‘Eh. Still, the first basement level should be fine, right…?’

Lee Han tried to shake off his fear.

Really, the bad reputation of wizard’s towers was too much.

Wandering around the first floor of the main building or the dorms hadn’t led to anything strange, had it?

Just then, he heard the familiar sound of bones clattering.

Clatter, clatter—

“Oh. What’s this? Going to the first basement level? Hope you’re not found dead tomorrow?”

“……”

Lee Han was speechless at the kind words from Headmaster Lich.

‘Oops.’

“Respected Headmaster! It’s an honor to see you!”

Lee Han bowed deeply.

A graduate student could smile even when they were angry inside.

Lee Han’s very polite greeting was perfect for a noble.

Headmaster Lich nodded, pleased.

He knew a thing or two.

“Yes. I’m planning to go to the first basement level. Do you perhaps have any advice for me?”

“None. If you’re found dead tomorrow, I’ll put a flower on you.”

‘You bastard.’

For all the fear he had caused, the first basement level was normal.

There were classrooms on both sides of the wide hallway, and no dangerous monsters like corpses or undead were visible.

It was a bit dark, gloomy, and chilly. Shadows stretched from the corners, making it hard to see clearly. The air smelled like old stone and something a little bit like dust. But Lee Han decided it was just because the school was built on a bad place.

‘Thank goodness.’

Whoosh-

Just then, two students walked past Lee Han.

Lee Han was surprised.

Had these two also come to take ?

‘So I wasn’t the only one who thought of it.’

With talented people from all over the Empire, Lee Han knew he wouldn’t be the only one with this idea.

Competitors had appeared, but Lee Han didn’t care.

‘Two people are fine. Listening alone is also boring.’

“Oh. This isn’t the classroom. I almost went in the wrong place.”

“What kind of classroom is this?”

“.”

“What? There was even a class like that? Are there people who want to take something like that?”

“I heard the White Tiger Tower kids took it and came out cursing.”

“If even they couldn’t handle it, it doesn’t seem like a class anyone can take?”

“……”

The two students talked as they went to another classroom.

Lee Han suddenly felt a little uneasy.

Creak-

Even so, three students were already sitting inside the classroom.

But Lee Han could tell they weren’t as sure about this class as he was.

The three students looked anxious, nervous, confused, and worried.

In short, they looked like they were thinking, ‘Ah, did I come to the wrong class?’

“It’s time. Take your seats.”

“!”

Lee Han was surprised again.

He hadn’t seen the professor sitting in the corner of the classroom. The professor sat in the corner, so still he almost seemed part of the shadows. He hadn’t made a sound, and Lee Han hadn’t noticed him at all.

‘Is he a vampire?’

Pale skin, like bone. Long fangs. Eyes like dark pools.

If there was a troll professor, it wasn’t strange to have a vampire professor.

“Aargh!”

“Gasp…!”

“……”

Lee Han looked at the other students, very surprised.

Even if Lee Han hadn’t seen him, didn’t the three students who arrived earlier know the professor was there?

“I am Voladi Begrek. I am the professor in charge of teaching Repetitive Learning of Basic Magic Combat. I look forward to working with you all.”

“We look forward to working with you!”

The students greeted together. Lee Han greeted them too.

Professor Voladi pointed forward without even taking out his wand.

There was a bead the size of a palm on each of the classroom tables.

“Those beads are made of Spirit Stone.”

Spirit Stone.

Lee Han had heard of it.

‘Wasn’t it a mineral that reacted to magic power?’

When the stars were in a certain place, they sent out a divine power, and it was a mineral that had changed by receiving that power.

That was Spirit Stone.

It reacted to magic power, so it was used for finding things or for barriers…

“Everyone, grab the bead and try to pour magic power into it.”

The students were nervous, but they grabbed the beads.

The students here were all new.

They hadn’t even been here for a month.

They had talent, but they weren’t sure if they could pour magic power in well.

Fwoosh!

“Ugh!”

“Kyaa!”

But, the beads vibrated and floated into the air.

Professor Voladi said without changing his face.

“The bead is now connected to your will.”

‘An artifact!’

Lee Han knew that this bead wasn’t just a bead carved from Spirit Stone, but an artifact that the professor had made himself.

‘I heard that well-made artifacts make a lot of money.’

Artifacts were always wanted.

A wizard who made artifacts could be rich!

Lee Han was also interested in artifacts.

But, artifacts also had to be interested in Lee Han, so that was that.

“Aaaargh!”

“!”

The bead next to him flew to the ceiling. It looked like it would break the ceiling. Luckily, the bead stopped just below the ceiling.

Even so, Professor Voladi’s face didn’t change. It was like his face was frozen.

“Being connected to your will means that you can control it. But, the bead can’t destroy this classroom.”

“Th-thank goodness.”

Before those words were done, the bead hit the student’s stomach.

Thud!

“Ugh…!?”

“It can’t destroy the classroom, but it can hurt you. Be careful not to break the bead.”

“……”

Usually, it would be ‘Be careful not to get hurt,’ but he was telling them to be careful so that the bead wouldn’t break from hitting people.

Lee Han thought this vampire professor was crazy.

The students still had some hope, so they waited for the professor’s next words.

“What should we do now?”

“Float the bead and draw a circle.”

The students carefully focused and floated the beads.

Lee Han floated his bead too.

Everyone moved their beads and tried to draw a circle. It was very crooked, but some students drew something like a circle.

“I drew it!”

The student shouted happily.

Professor Voladi said, “That is not a circle. Draw it again.”

“…Ah, yes.”

The students began to draw circles with the beads again.

Then they drew circles again.

And then they drew circles again…

One of the students asked carefully.

“Um, how long do we have to draw circles?”

“?”

Professor Voladi looked confused, like he was thinking, ‘What are you talking about?’

“Of course, until you draw it perfectly.”

“……”

“…Professor. May I go to the restroom for a moment?”

“You don’t need to ask.”

One student left.

Another student, who had been watching, also stood up and left.

One of the remaining students, except for Lee Han, thought for a while before falling forward.

“???”

Lee Han was surprised.

Was he pretending to leave the classroom?

‘This guy. He’s something else?’

Lee Han helped the student.

But, the student’s face was pale.

It wasn’t an act.

“Are you okay?”

“My… magic power…”

“Professor! He has used up his magic power and collapsed.”

Lee Han said, looking at the professor.

As Professor Garcia had taught, beginners often couldn’t control their magic power well.

So, they would waste their magic power and collapse when it was gone.

It was clear that this student was like that too.

“I see.”

“What should we do?”

“When his magic power comes back, he should grab the bead again and draw a circle.”

“……”

Lee Han felt the student he was helping get angry.

He knew that this student would not come back to the classroom.

‘I’ll be taking the class alone.’

And that’s what happened.

Lee Han, who was alone, asked, “Professor. How is the grade for this class decided?”

“According to the rules, points are given in order from first place.”

“Indeed…”

Lee Han nodded.

Then he grabbed the bead again.

“Do I just draw a circle?”

“That is correct.”

Lee Han moved the bead and began to draw a circle in the air.

The students who left grumbled, ‘What a waste of time!’, but Lee Han didn’t care.

‘Even better.’

Just sitting there until the end of the semester would guarantee a good grade.

This was the real class.