Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 164

Amur grew up in a tough place. He was tough. He got up quickly.

“I showed a shameful side… getting startled by a horse’s name.”

Amur brushed brown dust and bits of yellow straw from his rough, brown clothes as he spoke.

He thought, ‘Even Einrogaard probably couldn’t catch a griffin.’

It must be that the horse’s name was Griffin.

Giving a horse the name of a terrifying monster was quite common…

“No. It’s a real griffin, though.”

“……”

Amur started to stand up. Then he heard the words again. ‘A real griffin?’ He stopped moving. He felt like he might fall again. He swayed on his feet.

“Are you alright?”

Amur took a breath. “No, I’m not alright! Where did you get *that* thing? And the wizards! What are they *doing*?!” His voice was louder now, and you could hear he was really angry.

It was surprising enough that a student had caught a griffin, but even more amazing was that the wizards had just watched.

What were they doing as teachers if not protecting their students!

The wizards of Einrogaard were known to have strange ideas, but this was too much…

“Well… that is…”

“The professor brought it.”

Yoner spoke up instead. Amur just stared, his face blank.

“…Really?”

“There’s a story behind this. You’ll understand if you hear it.”

“I doubt I will…”

Amur decided to wait for Ethan’s explanation.

Ethan explained that the griffin wasn’t a real griffin, but a griffin cursed and turned into a horse.

The professor had done this to get the students used to monsters…

Ethan finished explaining. “So, it’s not *that* weird, right?” he asked, hoping Amur would agree.

Amur looked at him straight in the eye. “Weird? Ethan, it’s very strange.” He said it clearly, no doubt at all.

“!”

W-was it?

While Ethan was slightly flustered, Amur continued.

“I’ve heard many rumors about the strange ideas of Einrogaard’s wizards, but I never imagined it would be this extreme…”

“No, this is actually quite mild.”

“Ethan… I think it’s best if you stop talking…”

Yoner stopped Ethan.

The more he talked, the more strange misunderstandings Amur would have.

And the most important thing here was that it wasn’t even a misunderstanding.

After thinking about the strange ideas the wizards of Einrogaard had shown for a long time, Amur barely understood.

“Still, it’s good that you found a ride that can fly.”

“Yes. I haven’t found the way to the Spire Stables yet, but I’ll find it soon.”

“Take your time. Rushing will only make things worse. When escaping, not getting caught is more important than getting out.”

‘This conversation is strange.’

Yoner thought as he listened to their conversation.

“What does the griffin like?”

“Hmm. It likes fresh horse meat.”

“…Is there anything else besides that?”

“It also likes less fresh horse meat…”

Setting aside the horse meat, Ethan packed snacks that the griffin might like.

Canned meats and sugars were neatly stacked in his backpack.

“Oh, Igor came to the village. Have you met him?”

“Who is Igor?”

Ethan asked, puzzled, and Amur realized his mistake.

He was so natural that he didn’t realize Ethan wasn’t a villager or an adventurer. He was a student inside that magic school.

“He’s my cousin. He sells rare animals to adventurers in this village.”

Just like wizards raised summoned beasts, well-trained animals were always good companions for adventurers.

As such, rare and powerful animals were so popular that they were worth whatever price was asked.

“He’s usually away, so you probably missed him.”

“Thank you. But wouldn’t such animals be too expensive for me to buy?”

Ethan was working hard to earn money from the students. He wasn’t rich, but he could buy things in the village.

He could afford to buy various groceries and books in the village, but not expensive animals.

“Not all of them are expensive, so take a look around. I’ll tell him to take good care of you. Bring your other friends too.”

‘Why?’

Ethan wondered if he really had to bring those guys from the Black Turtle Tower or the White Tiger Tower, but he kept quiet.

He wanted to look like a kind and diligent student in front of Amur.

* * *

“Are you the student who tamed that griffin?!”

“……”

Igor whispered urgently as soon as he met Ethan.

His voice was so quiet that the other students couldn’t hear him.

“I didn’t tame it, but…”

“You didn’t?”

“I did, but that’s…”

“He did!”

Several adventurers, with rough beards and clothes dusty from the road, hurried over to Ethan. One had a scar across his cheek, and another carried a large axe on his back.

“Did you really tame a griffin?”

“How on earth?”

“Shhh. Keep your voices down. We agreed to keep it a secret.”

“O-okay. So how did you tame the griffin?”

Igor looked similar to Amur and dressed similarly, but there was one difference.

He was very curious about how to tame a griffin.

In fact, Amur was curious too. He just didn’t want to bother the poor Einrogaard student…

“It was really a matter of luck. I saved its life once…”

“You saved its life? Indeed!”

“That makes sense!”

Ethan was relieved when the bearded and dusty adventurers seemed convinced.

But he was mistaken.

“But even so, griffins don’t readily acknowledge a master…”

“No matter how I think about it, it must be innate.”

“Can’t we go with you next time we hunt a gorgon? If we could get some help…”

Skilled adventurers were valuable and welcomed everywhere.

But even more valuable were those who were liked by monsters.

The adventurers really wanted Ethan, wondering if they could somehow bring him along.

“Everyone, calm down. This student is from Einrogaard.”

“Oh…”

“If he’s from Einrogaard, then there’s nothing we can do.”

Igor’s friends quickly gave up.

If he was a student from Einrogaard, there was nothing they could do. The wizards might come after them and turn them into beasts.

“But we can wait a few years. If you think of us after you graduate, be sure to contact us here.”

“Our work is full of danger, pain, and romance. It will be enough to do together.”

“…?”

Ethan was slightly taken aback by the adventurers’ proud words.

Were they seriously making a proposal right now?

‘I’ve heard there are many crazy people among adventurers, and it’s true!’

To think they were making a serious proposal right now…

“Come on. Follow me. Sorry for taking up your time.”

Igor apologized and led him inside the store.

Since he spent most of his time traveling around the Empire, finding and catching rare animals, the inside of the store was a mess.

But he didn’t care about that at all. The newly brought-in animals were just as eye-catching.

Whoosh!

In a small cage, a bird with bright blue feathers suddenly erupted in orange flames. The fire danced around it for a moment, then vanished as quickly as it came. Now, the bird was frozen solid, like a statue made of ice. Its blue feathers were coated in frost.

Igor, the shop owner, smiled. “That’s a spirit bird,” he explained. “A very rare creature. It only eats jewels filled with spirit power.”

Lee Han stared at the frozen bird. *A bird that burns and freezes? That’s insane,* he thought, astonished.

Keeping it for just a week would cost too much money. Keeping it for a month would mean he owed a lot of money.

“I’m sorry, but someone has already decided to buy that. I’ve agreed to sell it to a nobleman nearby.”

“It’s alright.”

Lee Han wouldn’t want it even if it were free.

“If you’re a magic school student… pigeons or rats might be useful.”

Trained pigeons could fly around and secretly deliver letters, and trained rats could navigate places difficult for people to enter, disarming traps.

Lee Han nodded.

*Having one of each might not be a bad idea.*

“How much are they?”

“Free. You asked about the griffin earlier, so you have to pay the price.”

“Oh no. Thank you.”

Lee Han decided not to refuse too much and accepted gratefully.

…Should I have taken some griffin feathers at least?

-How much is that deer?

-Ugh. Impossible. I definitely can’t afford that.

-Can’t we borrow more money from Wodanaz to buy it?

-No matter how generous Wodanaz is, he’d probably kill you if you asked to borrow money to buy that…

-Forget it. We’re going to learn summoning magic later anyway.

Lee Han frowned.

‘These students are rude,’ he thought. Saying ‘We can do it with magic’ in a shop is not polite.

Is that why people think wizards are rude?

However, Igor, who was listening to the students’ conversation, didn’t seem to mind.

Instead, he nodded with an intrigued expression.

“Actually, wizards can also summon creatures through direct contracts. It’s difficult, but more importantly, it doesn’t cost anything… What about you?”

“Lee Han already has a contract with a spirit.”

At Yoner’s words, Igor was impressed.

“Indeed… Well, if you have the affinity to earn the loyalty of a griffin, it’s only natural that you’d be loved by spirits.”

“…That’s not it.”

Lee Han was taken aback by the absurd misunderstanding.

Far from being loved by spirits, he was only met with fear…

However, Igor took Lee Han’s words as modesty.

It was only natural.

Even seasoned and experienced adventurers couldn’t earn the loyalty of a griffin, even if they risked their lives and tried their best, if they were unlucky.

The very fact that he had earned such loyalty meant that it was impossible without innate affinity.

“But may I ask you one thing?”

“Yes.”

“That thing on your belt,” Igor asked, looking at the bone hanging there. “Could it be Sharkan?” He wondered if it was possible.

It was Sharkan, asleep.

“Yes. It is Sharkan.”

“Indeed! I wondered…”

Lee Han quickly tried to clear up any potential misunderstandings.

“He’s undead.”

“I can see that. Even more impressive.”

“…I didn’t make him. I received him as a gift from another dark wizard.”

“Of course, I know. Did you think I’d believe a student made that? An undead monster, and Sharkan at that, with such a foul temper… To keep him asleep and carry him around like this. You truly have great affinity.”

“……”

Lee Han simply nodded with a resigned expression.

“Yes. Thank you.”

“May I ask what you use to create his body when you summon him?”

“I make his body from water.”

“Wow! That must take a lot of water! Does he only come when there’s a river or lake nearby?”

“I summon it with magic.”

“……”

Igor was astonished.

To fill the muscles and flesh of a monster like Sharkan entirely with summoned water…

And this is a student from Einroguard!

*Amazing!*

I knew they were amazing, but to think even a freshman could be this capable…

Igor looked at the students browsing his shop with a renewed sense of wonder.

The best wizards of the Empire are here!

“Why is he like that?”

“D-did we make too much noise without buying anything?”

“I was going to buy a carrier pigeon…”

Igor, oblivious to the students’ whispers and pleased with himself, took out a small green glass bottle and placed it in Lee Han’s hand.

“Take this.”

“What is it?”

“Emerald Beryl solution. It’s a special liquid. If you mix this with water, Sharkan will really like it.”

“Can I… really accept something like this?”

Lee Han hesitated.

A small freebie wouldn’t cause any trouble, but a gift this big might cause some problems down the line.

However, Igor patted Lee Han’s shoulder as if to say it was alright.

“Being kind to someone loved by monsters or spirits is important for an adventurer like me, who needs to be loved by monsters. It brings good luck.”

“…It’s really a misunderstanding.”

Lee Han was genuinely worried about Igor.

Lee Han clicked his tongue as he looked at the Emerald Beryl solution he had received as a gift.

Igor absolutely refused to take it back, no matter how much Lee Han declined.

“Can’t we stay in the village for one night?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Then you stay behind.”

“…Ah, no. I was just asking!”

Originally, they could have left early in the morning and returned to school.

But Lee Han had no intention of doing so.

*I have to stay ahead of the Skull Headmaster’s expectations.*

There was no telling what kind of crazy… no, what kind of trap the Skull Headmaster, who was probably fuming right now, might have set up.

“The priests are all here, right? Let’s go.”

“But Lee Han,” one of the priests asked, “what about the other students from the tower?”

Lee Han acted like he didn’t hear him.

He didn’t want to waste time trying to persuade the other tower students.

“Alright. Let’s go!”

“Did he not hear me?”

While walking along the dark path, Lee Han felt a sense of unease.

Even though it was night, they were using magic to create light as they walked.

But why was it getting darker ahead?

*Magic school students, I presume.*

Along with the sound of armor clashing, a heavily armed knight appeared.

An undead knight, radiating an aura of death from every inch of his being.

One name popped into Lee Han’s head.

*…Death Knight!*

I am guarding this path under the orders of my master. The students of the magic school may pass if they sacrifice one of their own.

Asan unconsciously glanced at Gainando. Gainando tried to poke Asan’s eyes with his finger.