Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 167

It was a pity.

Lee Han had only conveyed the message because he wanted the White Tiger Tower students to have the right to take the exam fairly…

The White Tiger Tower students, still drunk, failed to understand his sincerity. They simply saw him as a madman!

Professor Thunderstride walked along, humming a merry tune. In truth, exams weren’t only hard on the students. Professors also had to create the questions and grade them. It would have been better if he could find joy in that aspect like Headmaster Skull, but for professors who couldn’t, exams were just a painful task. That was the case for Professor Thunderstride as well.

‘Heh heh. Finally, it’s over,’ Professor Thunderstride opened his treasured bottle of honey mead. He felt good now that he had finished setting the exam questions.

He caught sight of the new students, rolling and tumbling on the lawn, very drunk. ‘Those were the days. Those were the days.’

Getting drunk was a normal thing for any magic school freshman. The Headmaster’s mid-term celebration banquet!

Once they woke up and faced the exam with throbbing heads, they would surely correct their bad habit of indulging before exams. ‘It’s an easy lesson, really. Yes, indeed.’ Professor Thunderstride nodded to himself, thinking so.

Just then, a familiar protégé ran through the lawn.

“Wodanaz?”

“Ah, Professor.”

“Haven’t you heard the news yet? You can’t not have a drink on a fine day like this! This is my treasured mead, but I’ll give you a glass especially.” Professor Thunderstride held out the bottle of honey mead to Lee Han.

Lee Han looked at Professor Thunderstride with a look of contempt.

“…Could he have realised?”

“Yes.”

“Is that so?” Professor Thunderstride, feeling awkward, took back the bottle of honey mead.

‘That lad. He’s very perceptive.’ For a freshman, hungry and thirsty, not to fall for such a trap… He was quite something.

“I have to go to the 4th floor of the main building now. Isn’t the Headmaster really going too far?”

“He is a bit much.” Professor Thunderstride agreed. Whatever else, he fully sympathised with any complaints about Headmaster Skull.

“To have it completed and submitted by Friday. What an absurd…”

“Oh… my exam also has to be completed and submitted by Friday?”

“!” Lee Han looked at Professor Thunderstride with surprised eyes. The dwarf professor unconsciously made excuses.

“It’s not wrong to give a generous deadline! Besides, there are many alchemy creations that are hard to make in an hour or two!” It wasn’t like Headmaster Skull, who deliberately set a generous deadline until Friday to make them suffer with false hope.

Alchemy takes some time, so make and submit the potions with plenty of time next week! That was Professor Thunderstride’s deep intention.

“I see…” Lee Han was somewhat convinced.

“And you need time to gather the ingredients too.”

“……” Lee Han cancelled what he had just accepted. ‘They’re all the same kind of people.’

“Understood.”

“I thought your eyes just now looked like they were despising me, but I must have imagined it?”

“Why would I give you such a look?”

“Alright. I’ll believe you. Don’t drink, don’t do anything dangerous, and don’t try to rob the professor’s workshop.”

“?” Lee Han paused at the last words. ‘Did the seniors rob the professor’s workshop?’

While they were talking, a few students appeared from the opposite side. He expected them to be drunk, but surprisingly, they were fine. They were students from the Black Tortoise Tower.

Lee Han said in a surprised voice, “Salco? How did you not drink? You’re a Dw…”

“Dw?”

“Rarely dislike alcohol, I suppose.” Lee Han quickly stopped himself from saying dwarf. Salco looked like a dwarf, but he was clearly an elf.

“Hmph. Wodanaz. What do you take us for? Did you think we would get drunk carelessly like the others? We’ve kept all the alcohol we received.”

“Hey… be quiet, it’s embarrassing.” One of Salco’s gang stopped his friend from speaking triumphantly.

Thinking about it coldly, bringing the alcohol that Headmaster Skull released at the banquet and storing it separately… It was a bit pathetic. However, Lee Han was impressed.

“Indeed. I didn’t think of that. Excellent. To receive it and store it away.”

“……”

“……”

“Why is everyone like this?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing.” The Black Tortoise Tower students suddenly felt the shame they had lost when they heard Lee Han’s praise. ‘Aren’t we being too pathetic?’ ‘Was storing it a bit much?’

Salco spoke, unconcerned with the reactions his friends were showing behind him. “The Headmaster said the exam would be on the 4th floor of the main building. Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

“We’re about to go now, would you like to join us? Wodanaz?”

“!?” The other Black Tortoise Tower students were more surprised than Lee Han.

“Are you sure? Tutantha?”

“There’s no reason not to. You all know Wodanaz’s abilities well.”

“We know well.” Several Black Tortoise Tower students nodded.

It was thanks to Wodanaz that they were able to save their lives on the outing yesterday. But apart from that…

“Wodanaz is a bit scary.”

“If there’s a section that requires a sacrifice, he might sacrifice us…” ‘I can hear you.’

“But still, Wodanaz’s abilities are undeniable…”

“Yes. The exam comes first now.” The friends, having finished their conversation, opened their mouths. “Let’s go together, Wodanaz!”

‘If a sacrifice section comes out, I’ll definitely sacrifice these guys.’

“What are you all doing gathered here?” Nilia walked from the forest, looking puzzled. In one hand, she held a bow, and in the other, a few rabbits.

Lee Han was puzzled by her sober appearance, showing no signs of intoxication.

“Didn’t you drink?”

“Drink? Where was there any alcohol to drink?”

“…Wait. Since when have you been in the forest?”

“Since yesterday dawn?” Nilia tilted her head, not understanding why Lee Han was asking.

She had been preparing to hunt in the forest since yesterday dawn to get some meat and leather. It was quite a satisfactory hunt. Hunting was such that no matter how skilled the hunter was, if the prey didn’t appear, it would be a waste, so some luck had to follow… Four rabbits were satisfactory enough.

“Look. I caught rabbits? Want one?” At Nilia’s kindness, Lee Han looked at the Black Tortoise Tower students as if they were trash. ‘Leaving their own tower friend behind and going to the banquet by themselves?’

The Black Tortoise Tower students unconsciously made excuses. “It’s not like we hid it on purpose…!”

“She had already gone hunting when we woke up!”

“What are you talking about?” Nilia still hadn’t grasped the situation.

Lee Han briefly summarised the situation. “Those guys didn’t tell you about the banquet and went by themselves…”

“That’s not it!”

“We’ve saved the alcohol and cake, so we’ll definitely give it to you after it’s over! Trust us!” The Black Tortoise Tower students beat their chests in frustration. Why would they leave Nilia out!

“Ah. That’s what it was.” After the confusion, Nilia nodded.

“Couldn’t that happen?”

“?!” Lee Han was flustered. ‘When I and my friends went separately, she was so shocked…’

“I’m glad I didn’t drink. I should drink after the exam.”

“Of course. Nilia. We’re always grateful for your hard work!” The Black Tortoise Tower students spoke several times more exaggeratedly than usual. They were originally grateful, but saying it in this situation made it sound strangely like a lie.

“Nilia. Tell me if those guys seem to be using you.”

“That’s not it…!”

“Have you been to the 4th floor of the main building?”

“Not yet. The 3rd floor of the main building is so tricky.” Salco nodded at Lee Han’s words.

Brave freshmen were constantly trying to familiarise themselves with the geography of the main building. Of course, apart from such efforts, the magic school’s buildings harshly tested the students.

“Up to the 2nd floor is fine, but from the 3rd floor…”

“The 3rd floor is definitely like that.” Up to the 2nd floor, it was more or less fine no matter which stairs you took. However, from the 3rd floor, strange things appeared.

Didn’t they meet the Forgotten Beast Statue and the Polymorph Forest on the 3rd floor?

“Fortunately, I know one path on the 3rd floor that you can pass through. Going up to the 4th floor that way seems like the easiest way.”

“What path is it?” Salco was slightly surprised.

Salco and his friends hadn’t been able to break through the 3rd floor yet. Difficult obstacles blocked the way wherever they went. But Wodanaz had broken through one path on the 3rd floor. It was truly amazing.

“You gave me a map to the Spire Stables last time, didn’t you? It’s that way.”

“Hmm? That’s strange. Isn’t there the Polymorph Forest there?” Salco was puzzled.

Since he was sharing information with Lee Han, Salco and his friends had also tried to pass through the Polymorph Forest several times. However, every time they did, they transformed into animals and couldn’t pass through. Could it be that Wodanaz knew the time when the Polymorph Forest disappeared?

“Ah. I found a way to get through it.”

“Oh… amazing.” Salco was honestly impressed.

He had jumped into the Polymorph Forest several times but couldn’t find a way, but Wodanaz had found it. Certainly, Wodanaz’s magical abilities were undeniable. A genius counted among the best even in Einroguard, which had gathered numerous talented individuals!

‘But that’s why he’s even scarier.’ If he was just a genius with outstanding magical abilities, he wouldn’t be so wary. In Salco’s view, Wodanaz was the kind of guy who could become the boss even if he joined a thieves’ guild or a criminal guild.

“But can I ask how you get through it?” One of the Black Tortoise Tower students asked.

“By persuading them.”

“By persuading them?! It was a place where you could persuade them.”

“I am the Headmaster!” Squeak squeak!

The mouse guarding the Polymorph Forest hurriedly opened the way. The mist of illusion disappeared, and a straight path was created in the middle of the forest.

“……”

“……”

“The path is open. Let’s go.” Lee Han took Ratford and Nilia and strode ahead.

The Black Tortoise Tower students stared at Lee Han’s back with their mouths wide open and shocked expressions. Just… What the heck is that guy???

“Wodanaz, did you just say you were the Headmaster?”

“Ah. That’s just a trick.”

“……” How is that even possible…?

“No… Wodanaz. Can you explain it in a bit more detail?” One of the Black Tortoise Tower students couldn’t help but open his mouth.

Then Nilia scolded him. “Is that important now? If you think about it, it’s obvious.”

Ratford also scolded him. “It’s easy if you think about it.”

“……” Salco, who was also curious and about to ask, closed his mouth. But he was still curious. ‘How did he do it?’ What on earth do you have to do for the Polymorph Forest to see Wodanaz as the Headmaster…

-Stop. Student. I am the Labyrinth Statue.

“!” Lee Han stopped walking at the voice that came through telepathy.

It was an empty corridor, but Lee Han could feel the magic in front of him.

-The moment you enter, you will be challenged by the labyrinth.

Lee Han didn’t bother to argue why there was a labyrinth on the 3rd floor of the school.

-I see.

-But there is a way to pass through the labyrinth. Sacrifice one of your friends. If you send your friend to the underground punishment room, I will send you to the other side of the labyrinth.

Lee Han looked at the Black Tortoise Tower students without meaning to.

The Black Tortoise Tower students, who didn’t know anything, looked at Lee Han with innocent eyes. Why is he like that?