Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 171

“You have?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Han told them that Professor Volardy had moved his lectures from the classroom to the cold, stone dungeon under the school.

He said it was for better teaching.

“You’re kidding… You’re not kidding, are you?” Nilia asked.

Nilia did not believe him. But then she saw Lee Han’s sad eyes. She knew he was serious.

“Why the dungeon? Seriously, why are lectures *underground*?”

Lee Han sighed, a puff of air escaping his lips. “Professor Volardy… it’s a mess. A long, messy story.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking towards the dark stone buildings of the school. “Telling you now won’t help us get those flowers, though.”

“Let’s plan our trip to the dungeon first. We need bone-flesh flowers. If we make mistakes, we’ll need about six per person.”

“What kind of monsters are in the dungeon? Slimes? Skeletons?”

“Rakshasa ogres,” Lee Han said.

Nilia tilted her head. She wasn’t sure if Lee Han was joking.

But Lee Han looked very serious.

“If Rakshasa ogres are there, shouldn’t we find another dungeon?” Nilia asked, worry in her voice. She fidgeted with her hands, a sign of her anxiety.

“Finding another dungeon takes time,” Lee Han replied.

“That’s true, but…” Nilia trailed off.

“Is it normal to go into a dangerous dungeon just because it’s faster?” she thought.

Nilia felt like something bad was spreading through the school, like a sickness. She worried about Lee Han wanting to go to the dungeon with Rakshasa ogres, just because it was the closest one.

He seemed more careful when they first met.

“We should bring the others when they wake up,” Lee Han said. “At least the headmaster’s exam is over.”

“Lucky you. I have to retake it,” Nilia said.

“Really?” Lee Han looked surprised.

“What score do you need to retake it?” he asked.

“…I just want to pass,” Nilia admitted.

“Really? Then you don’t need to retake it, right?” Lee Han asked, confused.

Nilia’s voice turned sharp. “What do you think my score is right now?”

‘That’s why friends who are good at studying are…!’ she thought.

Lee Han promised to help Nilia study for Basic Magic Personality Education to calm her down.

‘I don’t understand. The questions weren’t that hard,’ he thought.

“Theurgy.” Lee Han called out.

“Lee Han,” Theurgy replied.

Their orc friend, looking tired, walked towards them. Lee Han asked, “Have you been drinking?”

“…A little…” Theurgy admitted.

“Theurgy, you shouldn’t just drink everything the school gives you,” Lee Han warned. “You need to think about what you’re doing.”

“I know. I regret it, Lee Han,” Theurgy said.

It was a strange conversation for first-year students, but no one seemed to notice.

“Are the White Tiger Tower students studying hard?” Lee Han asked.

“Not really?” Theurgy replied, not embarrassed at all.

For the White Tiger Tower students, grades weren’t that important. They were learning magic to become knights.

Learning the magic they needed and graduating was what mattered to them, not getting good grades.

‘What fearsome fellows,’ Lee Han thought.

Lee Han shivered, thinking about how the White Tiger Tower students didn’t care about studying.

The Blue Dragon Tower students from rich families tried to keep up appearances because they cared about their family’s honor (except for Gainando). But the White Tiger Tower students were like wild animals.

‘I’m a little jealous!’ Lee Han thought.

‘Maybe they are so confident because they already have jobs after school,’ he thought.

‘Still, it’s good to have guys like that supporting from below,’ Lee Han thought, nodding.

“Studying isn’t everything,” Lee Han said.

“Lee Han, that’s strange coming from you,” Theurgy said.

He seemed like the most hardworking student in the school.

“Hat! Haaat! Haaaargh!”

“Huh! Hooo! Hup!”

As they walked, they saw White Tiger Tower students swinging wooden swords and sweating.

“Are they doing that because they don’t want to study?” Lee Han asked.

“Ah… no. The swordsmanship exam is coming up soon…” Theurgy said, defending his friends.

It was also true that the White Tiger Tower students were escaping into swordsmanship because of the exam.

Usually, students from knight families would swing their swords to clear their minds when something bothered them.

“I guess so,” Lee Han said.

“Theurgy! Come swing a sword! You need to sober up!” one of the White Tiger Tower students shouted.

“Swinging a sword feels good after reading books!” another shouted.

Lee Han stared at Theurgy as the White Tiger Tower students shouted. Theurgy quickly walked forward.

“Moradi,” Lee Han said.

“Wodanaise,” Giselle replied.

Giselle frowned when she saw Lee Han. Lee Han also frowned when he saw Giselle.

They both thought, ‘I wish that guy would disappear.’

“You haven’t been drinking?” Lee Han asked.

“Only fools drink that. Why didn’t you drink it, Wodanaise?” Giselle asked.

“I don’t like anything the headmaster gives out,” Lee Han said.

Giselle was shocked. She didn’t expect that reason.

‘What is he even saying?’ she wondered.

“Everyone else is doing swordsmanship training. Don’t you need to do it?” Lee Han asked.

The other White Tiger Tower students were swinging their swords because they didn’t want to study, or to prepare for the swordsmanship exam.

But Giselle was sitting alone, reading a book.

“Studying is something you do all the time,” Giselle said.

‘Seriously, she sounds like Gainando?’ Lee Han thought.

Of course, Gainando and Moradi were very different. It was almost insulting to Moradi to compare them.

“Still, preparing right before is important,” Lee Han said.

“What are you trying to say?” Giselle asked, sounding annoyed.

Lee Han got straight to the point. “You’re very calm before the midterm exam. Do you know something?”

Giselle closed her book with a ‘thud.’ The title was visible: Osu Gonadaltes’ Dedication to the Magic School.

‘Moradi is also preparing for the Basic Magic Personality Education exam,’ Lee Han thought.

Two weeks before anyone else, Lee Han closed his textbook with a snap. He knew he was ready.

Lee Han walked up to Moradi. “You know about the midterm exams, right?”

Moradi looked at him, not surprised. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

There was only one reason Lee Han bothered to speak to Moradi.

Lee Han knew students from White Tiger Tower were good at sword fighting.

They came from knight families, so they always heard rumors and knew things first.

They even knew the Poplar Knights were coming last time, before anyone else.

Maybe Moradi knew something about the midterm exams already.

He knew she wouldn’t just tell him for free.

“What do you want?”

“Hmm.”

Moradi crossed her arms, looking arrogant. She knew she was in a superior position.

“What can you do for me?”

“I’ve already taken the >Basic Magic Personality Education> exam. How about exchanging the questions?”

“!”

Moradi’s face, which rarely showed any change in expression, wavered.

Of course, the >Basic Magic Personality Education> exam questions kept changing, but…

Moradi, who hadn’t taken it herself, clearly didn’t know that.

‘It’ll work.’

Moradi was lost in thought.

To be honest, Moradi didn’t really want to trade with Lee Han.

He was so clever and cunning that she couldn’t let her guard down.

And she also wanted to simply reject the offer and see Lee Han’s distorted face.

But…

‘It’s too good of an offer to pass up.’

Moradi wasn’t ashamed of being affiliated with the White Tiger Tower, but objectively, the White Tiger Tower wasn’t a good place to focus on academics.

At White Tiger Tower, even students who liked studying got caught up in the mood. They would stop reading and say, ‘We’re knights! We don’t need books!’

For Moradi, who hated stupidity, it was truly absurd.

There’s no one to study with!

In comparison, Lee Han was one of the top students among the Blue Dragon Tower students, who were already known for their excellence.

He was very smart, which was good. But he was also the kind of person who would trick you and teach you the wrong answers when you studied together.

“…Okay.”

“Good. A deal it is.”

Lee Han nodded with satisfaction.

Of course, Moradi might get angry later when she received the exam paper, but what could he do?

In magic school, the one who gets tricked is at fault.

“Have you two already talked?”

As soon as they finished talking, Deurghyu approached.

“Moradi, did you tell Lee Han about the midterm exam?”

“Why would I tell him that?”

Moradi retorted, as if she found it absurd.

Then Deurghyu was taken aback.

“…Well, we’re in the same group.”

“……”

“……”

Lee Han and Moradi then realized that the three of them were in the same group.

And that they would be taking the midterm exam with this same group, just like last time.

‘…I did something unnecessary.’

If he had just stayed still, Moradi would have told him anyway…

“The deal is already done.”

“Don’t worry, Moradi. I keep my promises.”

When Lee Han said this, Giselle looked surprised.

Then she looked at him with suspicion.

What is it?

“Something’s fishy…”

“Moradi, Lee Han is someone who always keeps his promises.”

“Stop talking nonsense, Choi. That’s why there’s a rumor going around that you’ve been brainwashed by Lee Han.”

“…Did you really have to gather people like this?”

Nilia whispered softly so that only Lee Han could hear.

Lee Han looked around the big table in the library. Students from all the different Towers were there!

Starting with the Blue Dragon Tower students (surprisingly, Gainando was also there), and Black Tortoise Tower students like Nilia and Raetford.

…And even the Phoenix Tower priests and Moradi and Deurghyu from the White Tiger Tower?

“A lot of people are asking me to teach them, but I have to do my own studying too.”

‘It feels like a fight is going to break out.’

Nilia thought so, but didn’t ask any more questions and closed her mouth. She knew that Lee Han had to do his own studying as well, so she couldn’t take up more of his time.

“Okay. Here are the questions I’ve compiled. Memorize them.”

“Um… do we just have to memorize them? Isn’t there any other way?”

Gainando asked a naive question. Lee Han said sternly.

“No. Memorize them.”

“Ugh… okay.”

This exam wasn’t about using magic in hard ways. It was mostly about remembering things. So, Lee Han thought the best way to study was to guess the questions and memorize the answers.

Lee Han threw the papers at his friends.

Lee Han remembered when the headmaster made them learn magic to write better. He had thought it was silly then. But now, it was very useful.

Of course, he didn’t intend to be grateful, but…

‘Anyway, another Poplar Knight is coming.’

Lee Han opened his books to study and read them, while simultaneously thinking about the story he had heard today.

It seemed that the Poplar Knights were coming again for the swordsmanship lecture midterm exam.

He had expected it to some extent, but…

‘They wouldn’t make us fight someone stronger, would they? They wouldn’t do something so unfair to a first-year student.’

To be honest, making them fight the knights last time was also unfair. Lee Han trusted Professor Inguldel.

Lee Han finished one book, closed it, and rested his eyes for a moment before picking up the papers.

Gainando, who was muttering and memorizing, asked curiously.

“What lecture is that?”

“I’m not studying for the exam, I’m just looking at it to take a break.”

At Lee Han’s answer, Gainando nodded as if he agreed.

Gainando was also distracted, looking at magazines while trying to study.

Gainando thought, ‘Lee Han is like me! He also does other things while studying!’

“What are you reading? The new Toberiz series is fun. The new card introduction in the magazine I bought on the weekend…”

“Hmm? Magic spells scribbled by the headmaster.”

“……”

“……”

It wasn’t just Gainando who was shocked.

All the students who were diligently memorizing in other seats simultaneously raised their heads.

And they stared at Lee Han with shocked eyes.

Lee Han shrugged, trying to look casual. ‘It’s nothing much. Just… for fun.’

Nilia shook her head.