Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 188

Lee Han wondered why Professor Thunderfoot asked him to make water droplets. But he stayed quiet and listened. Professor Thunderfoot must have a reason.

“Usually, a wizard who is good with water is also likely to be good with ice. But that doesn’t mean ice magic is easy to practice.”

Some magic elements are easier to use than others. Fire, water, and earth are usually easier (though fire can still be hard for some). Lightning, darkness, and ice are known to be difficult.

“Lightning is hard to control, darkness is hard to create, and ice is hard to keep stable.”

With those words, Professor Thunderfoot made a snowflake in the air.

The snowflake, made inside the warm cabin, quickly turned into a water droplet.

“Unlike water or earth, ice loses its power and disappears unless the wizard keeps focusing. You have to keep putting magic into it.”

“I see. Like how it’s hard to make dozens of water orbs and float them in the air, ice is also…”

“…No, not quite that hard.”

Professor Thunderfoot looked surprised.

Ice magic was hard, but not that hard.

“But in this weather, ice magic is much easier to keep stable. Don’t you think it’s a good time for new wizards to train and improve their skills?”

“You have a point.”

Lee Han nodded, then stopped.

‘Oops. I almost thought I was lucky for a second.’

This thought quickly passed, but it was a little scary.

‘This is definitely not luck!’ he thought firmly.

“And like I said, because the spirit realm is closer, ice spirits will be everywhere… You’ll have chances to meet them and learn or get blessings.”

“When I went to the spirit realm last time, the spirits avoided me. Is there any chance they won’t be scared and will be friendly this time?”

“No, there’s no chance of that.”

“……”

Lee Han looked a little sad.

So, impossible is impossible?

“Thank you for the advice, Professor.”

“Alright. Be careful. It probably won’t last too long.”

“A day?”

“It will last longer than a day.”

“Two days?”

“I shouldn’t have said anything. Just pretend you don’t know when it will end.”

Professor Thunderfoot shook his head at his persistent student, took out a crate, and handed it over.

Round glass bottles were filled with brown liquid, sloshing gently.

“This is a gift. It will help with the cold.”

“Is it a potion?”

“No. It’s brandy.”

“…Thank you anyway.”

Lee Han picked up the crate and left the cabin.

Then, he tilted his head.

“Wait,” Lee Han thought as he left the cabin, “why did he even make the water droplets?” He pondered this question for a moment as he stepped out into the howling blizzard.

*WHOOSH!* The blizzard howled, a furious white chaos that stung their faces.

“Set it on fire again!” yelled one student, his voice barely audible above the wind.

“We’re out of oil!” came the desperate reply.

“Push it away before it freezes solid!” another shouted, straining against a heavy shovel of snow.

“I’m trying to build an earth wall, but it keeps collapsing!”

The Black Tortoise Tower students were fighting a losing battle against the relentless snow in front of their tower. Their faces were red with cold and exhaustion as they desperately tried to clear a path.

The Blue Dragon Tower had someone who could use magic without stopping, clearing the way with flames, but the other towers couldn’t do that.

Instead, the Black Tortoise Tower students cleared the snow bit by bit, using different tricks.

They were using all sorts of methods.

“Imirgue, push harder! I’ll make a wall!”

“Wait. Someone’s coming!”

“Is it the professor?”

“No way…”

The Black Tortoise Tower students knew it too.

The professor would not help them!

Of course, it was Lee Han who had come.

“Wodanaz!? How did he manage to get through this blizzard…”

“Wodanaz! How did you get here!”

The Black Tortoise Tower students shouted loudly.

Because the blizzard was raging, they had to strain their voices to be heard.

*WHOOSH!*

“…Came to do!”

“What?”

“…Came to do!”

“Came to help?”

“No! Came to trade!”

*Thud!*

Lee Han put down the crate.

The crate was full of thick fabrics.

He had bought so much that even after making winter supplies, he still had plenty left over.

“Where did you get this?!”

“There’s a way. So… will you trade?”

“We’ll freeze to death if we talk here. Come this way! Let’s talk this way!”

In the place where the black market used to be in front of the tower, there were now several makeshift snow shelters.

They were temporary shelters made by the Black Tortoise Tower students to clear the snow outside.

The students checked the fabrics Lee Han had brought and looked surprised.

‘How did he get this stuff?’

‘How is Wodanaz more resourceful than someone from the Thieves’ Guild?’

“I… I want to trade, Wodanaz.”

“Alright. That’s why I came.”

Lee Han looked at his friends with slightly expectant eyes.

“How much food do you have left?”

“……”

“……”

The Black Tortoise Tower students hesitated and looked at each other. Then, someone spoke.

“None.”

“What are you talking about? I know you guys have been steadily collecting.”

The Blue Dragon Tower was only not starving because Lee Han was bringing in supplies; if they were left alone, they would likely starve.

In comparison, many of the Black Tortoise Tower students could take care of themselves even if they were in the mountains.

If the Blue Dragon Tower was about purchasing…

If the White Tiger Tower was about hunting…

The Black Tortoise Tower was using all sorts of methods, including gathering, farming, trading, and hunting!

Even if they didn’t have luxury goods like the Blue Dragon Tower, shouldn’t they have more food coming in?

“The storage was blown away by the blizzard…”

“……”

Unlike Lee Han, who could store most of his small-volume preserved foods, seasonings, and spices in the lounge, the Black Tortoise Tower students used external storage a lot.

They couldn’t do things like smoking and pickling inside the lounge.

Of course, such storage was vulnerable in these situations.

“You should have prepared for this situation.”

‘How could we have prepared for that…’

“Anyway, I understand.”

Lee Han picked up the crate again and got up.

Coming all the way here had been a waste, but there was nothing he could do.

“Wait! Wait! Wodanaz!”

“Don’t go!”

The Black Tortoise Tower students grabbed Lee Han’s sleeve and clung to him.

They needed winter supplies more than anyone else right now.

“Why are you being so pathetic?”

Lee Han spoke colder than the blizzard outside.

“C… Can’t we get it on credit? We’ll pay you back with silver coins when we go outside later…”

“Hey. Don’t say silly things. Do you think that would work? No matter how much money your family has, the other party is the Wodanaz family. Why would they accept such an offer?”

The student who seemed to be in charge of the Black Tortoise Tower, the one who was with Salco before, told off his friend.

Lee Han paused.

“Which family are you from?”

“I’m from the Richmond family…”

Shiles from the Richmond family said with a rather embarrassed look.

It was a family that had made a lot of money in the empire’s carriage business, but a family’s worth was based on its history, not its money.

The Wodanaz family, one of the empire’s top noble families and a magical lineage, had a reputation that Shiles couldn’t compare with.

‘What is this guy doing?’

Lee Han was confused.

‘If your family is rich, shouldn’t you just say so?’ he thought. ‘Why be embarrassed about it?’

“You come from a very distinguished family.”

“Are you kidding me right now, Wodanaz?”

“Does my face look like it’s joking?”

Lee Han’s cold face made him look intimidating even when he was still.

Shiles was a little flustered.

“I’ll give it to you on credit. Pay me back during the vacation later.”

“What? Really? Is that okay?”

“Of course. I can trust the Richmond family.”

“Wodanaz…”

Shiles looked at Lee Han with an impressed expression.

Lee Han, from the Wodanaz family, wouldn’t care about silver coins; he was clearly being considerate of Shiles’ feelings.

Such warm respect shown in front of other friends.

Is this the dignity that only great nobles have?

“Thank you so much…”

“Just sign here.”

“Ah, okay.”

Lee Han handed over the crate.

He felt good inside as he sold it at such a high price, even though he couldn’t get food.

“Wodanaz, are you here?”

Nilia peeked her head out from outside the snow shelter.

“Help me convince them!”

“Nilia… it’s impossible. It’s dangerous.”

“No, it’s really not dangerous!”

“?”

Nilia came in, hitting her chest as if she was frustrated.

Wearing thick furs of rabbit and fox to protect against the cold, and with snowshoes made from vines and branches, Nilia looked like an expert.

“What are you trying to convince them of?”

“I’m trying to go hunting now, but everyone’s stopping me.”

“Nilia… even so, going hunting in this weather…”

“Sounds like a good idea. Let’s go.”

“See? Wodanaz understands! He agrees it’s the right thing to do.”

“……”

The friends looked at Lee Han with shocked eyes.

You’re supposed to stop her, what are you doing!?

“Food doesn’t fall from the sky if you just stay still.”

“That’s what I’m saying, Wodanaz. Hunters know meat doesn’t just appear! By the way, Wodanaz. Can you move the fire a bit to the side?”

“Ah. Sorry.”

Nilia felt the heat and moved away. The flames that Lee Han had floating around were too intense.

Lee Han was impressed by Nilia’s ability to move easily over the thick snow.

There was a reason she was from the Shadow Patrol.

“This blizzard must be nothing for the Shadow Patrol, right?”

“No. It is something. This kind of storm is rare.”

“I see. And you’re clearing the way like this. In a tough situation without other Shadow Patrol members.”

Lee Han was impressed.

Nilia was doing her job as a guide, as a skilled hunter and ranger.

The snow-covered mountain was completely different from usual, and if you lost focus, you wouldn’t know where you were.

However, Nilia found and made a path without hesitation.

Truly amazing skill…

“No. It’s much easier.”

Nilia looked at Lee Han like he was talking nonsense.

He was walking around with flames to light the way and keep warm, so what tough situation was he talking about?

If other hunters heard that, they would say, ‘Wow, he’s hunting easily.’

“By the way, I thought you would stop me, Wodanaz.”

“Ah. Of course, I also wanted to go after the snow had stopped, but I can’t.”

“?”

“I have lectures from tomorrow. I need to stock up on the weekend.”

“……”

Nilia flinched.

She had been thinking that since the midterm exams were over and there was a blizzard, she could skip a lecture or two.

“Lectures… shouldn’t we be able to skip one in this kind of emergency?”

“What kind of joke are you making, Nilia?”

“……”

Nilia turned her head and pouted without being seen.

That’s why he’s the top student!

Suddenly, Nilia’s long ears perked up.

“There’s something. Either a spirit or a monster…”

“Can you tell the difference?”

“It’s not easy.”

With the blizzard shortening visibility and the natural magic running wild, it wasn’t easy to tell spirits and monsters apart.

*Pat!*

“Huh? Why are you running away?!”

“…It’s a spirit.”