Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 202

Everyone in the room knew this was rare. A first-year student getting such high praise…

At this magic school, students could leave anytime. No one cared if they quit to run a family business or do something else entirely.

So, to hear ‘key talent to lead the magic school’ was amazing. It was the highest praise a young wizard could get.

This talent wouldn’t just graduate and leave. They would stay at the school, even after finishing their studies. They would explore the mysteries of magic with the empire’s smartest wizards!

If I had gotten praise like this when I was young, maybe I would have stayed a wizard, not become a school worker.

‘I should remember this,’ she thought. ‘I might be watching a future great wizard right now.’

Professor Alpen Knighton was different. He came from an important family and felt it was his duty to train wizards. But Professor Rogaine? She was just called in quickly to teach. She didn’t feel any duty like that.

She just wanted to do her job and get paid! Gold was gold, after all.

So, unlike some professors who pushed students hard, she didn’t plan to do that.

She thought, ‘These students might become important later. Why make them angry now?’

Making enemies was just too much trouble for her.

She would teach well, give praise when needed, and listen to their problems. That was enough.

It would be rewarding enough if the students came back later and said, ‘I was grateful back then, Professor.’

Of course, she didn’t expect thanks from Ihan Wodanaz. He was the boy who had found all the mistakes in her contract, right in front of her!

He seemed to be doing perfectly fine without her help.

‘I see why he receives so much praise.’

While other students stammered, Ihan read on without hesitation, his eyes shining with excitement.

He looked so excited.

It wasn’t just that he was smart. He really loved learning and finding new things.

She thought, ‘Maybe the ones who love learning are the strongest wizards.’

That boy clearly loved studying.

“Well done. Everyone, applause!”

Ihan felt proud as he received the applause.

This was the first time school felt truly rewarding.

‘I need to make an impression little by little like this, then seek an opportunity to ask for advice. How does one become a bureaucrat?’

‘I need to be careful,’ she thought. ‘If I talk to Ihan too much, other professors might get the wrong idea.’

The school was open-minded, but the professors? They were very protective of their students.

Especially when it came to students from important families who might become government workers.

-A government worker in my lab? Unbelievable!

-But they give us money, so they can check on us!

-They want to steal my best student for the government! Never!

-That happened once, years ago! And that student wanted to work for them anyway!

-Quiet! You money-lover! Stay out of our magic tower!

The moment a professor’s cherished student was taken to a government position, that bureaucrat became the enemy of the professor, as well as all the wizards they were friendly with.

Forever!

It was such a messy fight that even the government workers usually avoided taking students the professors really liked.

Professor Rogaine, who hated causing trouble, naturally had no intention of doing so.

Taking any student would cause problems. But taking a star student, someone everyone expected to be great? That was impossible.

‘There’s absolutely no way that would happen in the first place!’

Why would a boy who loved learning so much be interested in a government position?

Professor Rogaine was sure of it. The other professors had nothing to worry about.

“Ihan. You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Does it seem that way?”

It was Friday morning. Students were heading to swordsmanship class, shivering in the cold. Theurgh looked at Ihan. “You seem in a good mood,” he said, surprised.

The weekend was almost here, but no one looked happy. The cold weather just wouldn’t stop. Everyone felt tired and frozen.

Theurgh himself felt like his stomach was sticking to his back and his bones were freezing…

Angaro walked past and grinned. “I know why,” he said.

“What is it?” Ihan was planning to punch Angaro if he said something stupid like ‘because Ihan will soon step up to solve this cold’.

He couldn’t forgive that, whether he was in a good mood or not.

“Because he’s looking forward to the snowball fight, right?”

“…What?”

“Snowball fight.”

Angaro pointed behind him.

Professor Ingardel was walking towards them, and behind him, the White Tiger Tower students were already making snowballs.

“…Professor. Is today’s class perhaps?”

“Yes. It’s a snowball fight.”

“…” Ihan was dumbfounded.

A snowball fight, of all things?

Professor Ingardel’s face was serious, though.

“It’s important to learn how to fight when things are thrown at you from far away,” Professor Ingardel said seriously. “Especially in big battles.”

“I, I see…” Ihan nodded slowly, pretending to understand.

Ihan thought, ‘Well, that’s kind of true.’

A rock thrown from the side could be more dangerous than a knight charging at you.

Of course, seeing the White Tiger Tower students throwing snowballs at each other from behind, he couldn’t help but think, ‘Doesn’t he just like snowball fights?’

‘Wait a minute.’

Ihan sensed an ominous atmosphere.

Ihan saw the White Tiger Tower students whispering and glancing at him, snowballs ready in their hands. He knew what they were planning.

‘These guys…’

Ihan immediately reached for his wand.

He could freeze water and throw it – it would be just like a snowball, but magic.

“Wait. Wodanaz. Don’t use magic. It will be too easy if you use magic.”

“But… Professor. I’m not very good at magic!”

Ihan put on his most innocent face. “But Professor,” he said, “I’m not very good at magic!”

However, Professor Ingardel didn’t fall for it in the slightest.

The White Tiger Tower students behind him glared as if they were dumbfounded.

‘If Wodanaz isn’t skilled in magic, are we snails?’

‘Does he think we’re stupid?’

“Still, no. Since it’s a swordsmanship class, please learn to fight without relying on magic.”

“Yes. I understand.” Ihan agreed for now, but his true feelings were different.

‘I’ll crush them the moment the professor isn’t looking.’

Ihan remembered Professor Volardy’s lessons about speed in magic fights. They would be useful now.

“Oh, and I brought a gift for the students.”

“Yes?” The students tilted their heads at Professor Ingardel’s words. What gift?

Professor Ingardel smiled. ‘And I have a gift for the winning team.’ He pointed to something behind him. It was the huge, scary pig they had seen in alchemy class, tied to a tree!

“I’ll give it as a gift to the students who win today’s snowball fight.”

“Th, thank you.”

Actually, a pig was a great prize in this cold weather. They could eat the meat, use the fat – nothing would be wasted.

‘But where did he get that?’

“Alright. Take care of me.”

Giselle Moradi, a White Tiger Tower student with golden hair, looked at Ihan, smirking.

It was a nasty smile. Ihan knew she was planning something.

How could she not be happy at the opportunity to legally throw snowballs at Ihan’s face?

“Professor. Moradi is plotting with her friends to bully me.”

Ihan responded immediately.

Giselle looked at Ihan with a shocked expression, caught off guard.

‘That little…’

Students from noble families were too proud to tattle. But Ihan? He had no problem with it.

“There must have been some misunderstanding.”

“No, Professor.”

“It’s a misunderstanding, I tell you.”

“?” Ihan was puzzled when Professor Ingardel didn’t budge.

What’s going on?

Professor Ingardel wasn’t a stubborn person. For such a person not to listen at all…

…Could it be that Ihan’s tricks have been found out?

“Ihan.”

Theurgh said in a small voice from the side.

“Why are you calling me?”

“You, Moradi, and I… are on the same team.”

“…” “…” Ihan and Giselle looked at each other with shocked expressions.

That’s right…!

Ratatatatat!

“Does Moradi not have any friends?” Ihan asked as if he was puzzled by the snowballs flying everywhere.

Snowballs flew from all directions. Ihan, Giselle, and Theurgh ran as fast as they could. Even though they were good fighters, there were just too many enemies.

Everyone else was throwing snowballs at them. They couldn’t fight back directly – they had to run.

“Moradi has friends,” Theurgh said, out of breath. “It’s just… we’re the best team. Everyone wants to beat us first.”

“Choi. I told you not to answer to such nonsense one by one.”

Giselle snapped sharply.

Giselle was trying to ignore Ihan’s teasing, but Theurgh kept answering him!

Pow pow pow!

“I see. So many were flying that I wondered if that was the case.”

“Aren’t you thinking about the grudges you’ve built up?”

“Honestly, isn’t it time to be forgotten? What do you think? Theurgh?”

“…” “…” Giselle and Theurgh were silent.

Giselle and Theurgh didn’t answer. They knew Ihan was wrong, but what could they say?

‘It seems like people are still angry…’

“Wodanaz, die!” It seemed they had tried to ambush them by going around the hill.

Students popped out from behind the trees.

Ihan skillfully dodged the magic, no, the snowballs, and threw the snow he was holding.

Thwack!

“Wait. Theurgh. Isn’t it over if you get hit once?” Ihan paused at the sight of the student, who didn’t give up even after being hit and was scraping snow again.

“No? It’s until they declare surrender.”

“…” It was a simpler rule than he expected.

Ihan thought, ‘This is unfair!’ If getting hit didn’t stop them, and they had to make people surrender, they were in trouble.

A White Tiger Tower student hiding behind a tree shouted.

“Wodanaz!!”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m going to defeat you today for sure!”

“Is it necessary to do that when today isn’t the only opportunity?”

“There won’t be another chance if I miss it today!”

‘That idiot is embarrassing the White Tiger Tower.’ Giselle thought to herself.

Giselle knew it was hard to beat Ihan, especially when he couldn’t use magic. But she wouldn’t say that out loud.

“Should we just surrender?”

“Ah. No. That’s a bit… Ihan. You should still try a little more.”

“It seems like a loss to recklessly endure when everyone is targeting us.”

He heard a sound of someone creeping up from behind. Ihan leaned over the rock and threw the snow he was holding.

Wham!

The White Tiger Tower student who was approaching fell straight down. Ihan didn’t stop and threw another snowball he had made.

“Ack! Surrender! Surrender! Wodanaz! It really hurts!”

“What? You haven’t been hit many times. Anyway, thanks.”

“You put a rock in it!!”

“No, I didn’t.”

Ihan split the snowball he was holding. There really wasn’t anything like a rock.

Ihan thought, ‘Putting rocks in snowballs is too obvious. Anyone would notice.’

The White Tiger Tower student, whose face was red, tilted his head.

‘What? It really hurt, though?’ He felt a hard weight, not a soft snowball.

“You really didn’t put a rock in it? Tell me honestly,” Giselle whispered in disbelief.

“I told you I didn’t. Why would I use such an obvious trick…” Whoosh! Ihan threw a snowball at the student who was approaching once again. He unconsciously used magic as much as the distance allowed.

Ihan remembered practicing throwing marbles with Professor Volardy. It was paying off now.

He had learned to throw things hard and fast.

Crack-”

“…?” Ihan clearly felt it at that moment.

The snowball that was about to fly froze solid with cold energy in his hand!