Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 208

“…Should I break his leg or something?”

“…Wouldn’t breaking his arm be better?”

“…Gainan! Seriously? That’s all you’re going to say? I’m really worried about this.”

“…It’s not just Gainan, even Maykin is doing it?!”

Lee Han was finally warm again after fixing the cold problem and rushed back to the dormitory. However, the students in Blue Dragon Tower couldn’t be completely happy.

Their friend was about to be dragged off to a wicked lich at dawn.

“…Still, since it’s a one-on-one meeting with the headmaster, it might be a good opportunity.”

Some students, trying to stay positive, spoke up cautiously.

In fact, under normal circumstances, they would have been right.

The headmaster of this magic school, Einrogard Osu Gonadaltes, was one of the most outstanding archmages in the empire.

If someone didn’t know about the magic school, they might say, ‘What? You get to meet the great Archmage Gonadaltes alone? You’re so lucky to get even a little of his teaching!’

But the freshmen were starting to understand.

Getting personal lessons from a famous archmage wasn’t always good!

Especially when that archmage was the skeletal headmaster.

“Wordanaz is probably going to be tortured, and that’s all you can say? Are you even his friends?”

“I… I don’t think they said anything about torture.”

Asan, feeling angry for Wordanaz, told the other students to be quiet.

Neblen, a princess’s follower from the Kirak family, whispered to her.

“Your Highness, the headmaster is strange and dangerous, but this meeting… maybe he wants to recognize Wordanaz’s talent and teach him something?”

Luckily, the princess nodded.

Neblen’s face lit up.

“Right? It’s not all bad…”

The princess shook her head.

Even if that was true, it was still bad.

“…Is it bad?”

“Yes, Kirak, it is. If you keep this up, you’ll go instead of him. You’ll sacrifice yourself for Wordanaz.”

“Ah… no… sorry. Everyone. Wordanaz. I shouldn’t have spoken like that.”

Lee Han didn’t answer, he just waved his hand as if to say it was okay.

He didn’t have the energy to reply.

‘I need to get some more sleep.’

He was going out with the skeletal headmaster on the weekend, so he couldn’t focus on his friends’ voices.

He had to prepare himself.

“See? You’ve hurt Wordanaz because of you!”

“I don’t think Wordanaz would care…”

Saturday, dawn.

Lee Han carefully walked towards the main gate, making sure there were no traps.

Not letting your guard down. Excellent.

“Thank you.”

The skeletal headmaster pointed to a fancy carriage waiting in front of the gate.

It looked like a normal carriage, except it didn’t have any horses.

Lee Han didn’t ask why there were no horses. Instead, he opened the carriage door and stepped inside.

Lee Han stepped inside and blinked. It wasn’t a carriage interior at all, but a small, antique drawing-room. Velvet curtains hung at the windows, and a soft lamp glowed on a small table in the corner. The space was much bigger than any carriage he had ever imagined, like stepping into a different world.

Departure.

-Yes.

Outside, Lee Han heard a faint, undead groan – the sound of the carriage being magically pulled forward.

The magic school’s big main gate opened to let the carriage pass.

“May I ask where we are going?”

Yes, I can tell you that. We are going to Ogonin’s Tower.

“…?”

For a moment, Lee Han wondered who Ogonin was.

The skeletal headmaster saw this and was surprised.

The illusionist Ogonin. You met him at the festival, did you forget?

“Ah… I’ve just been so busy.”

Lee Han said that, but he usually remembered people who made a strong impression, no matter how busy he was.

But Ogonin was…

‘A pathetic magician who snuck in, got caught by a first-year, and failed to cast his spell’ was the impression he left.

Ogonin was probably so embarrassed that he locked himself in his tower!

Forgetting Ogonin, even when busy, showed Lee Han didn’t think much of him… Anyway, Ogonin did something, so I plan to return the favor.

‘How unfortunate.’

Lee Han felt sorry for Ogonin.

Ogonin didn’t seem like a great magician, but he was about to be punished by the skeletal headmaster.

“I don’t think Ogonin is important enough for the headmaster to take revenge on him personally…”

Of course, Lee Han couldn’t change the headmaster’s mind.

But the skeletal headmaster seemed happier.

That’s the attitude.

“What attitude?”

‘I thought he would be angry that I tried to stop him.’

He should have done that sooner. That’s how it’s done.

The skeletal headmaster nodded, satisfied.

The Wordanaz boy’s biggest problem was that he was too weak.

But now he was looking down on Ogonin, so it seemed like he was getting better.

As a teacher, this made the headmaster very happy.

You know, illusion magicians are often twisted and narrow-minded.

“That’s not always true.”

There’s no need to defend Professor Ku. He’s not even here.

“It’s not just Professor Ku, but also someone like Baldororn…”

Baldororn?

The skeletal headmaster tilted his head.

Besides Professor Kirmin Ku, who taught illusion magic, there were other illusion magicians, but he had never heard of Baldororn.

Who is that? I’ve never heard that name before.

“Really? I met him when I went out last time, and he was very skilled.”

Ah, a reclusive magician, maybe.

Some great magicians in the empire didn’t like being social.

Some magicians stayed hidden in valleys, searching for the truth.

Sometimes even the skeletal headmaster didn’t know about them.

That’s too bad. A magician that skilled would be a great professor. But reclusive magicians are so picky… It will be difficult to get him here.

“Yes. He didn’t seem very interested.”

“Yes, maybe.” The Headmaster waved a bony hand. “Enough about Ogonin. Tell me about your magic. Are you learning well?”

“Yes, Headmaster. I am doing my best.”

Lee Han looked up at the ceiling. He felt confident.

Truly, among the new students, no one was trying harder than Lee Han.

“What else are you studying, apart from your classes?”

“…Headmaster, it’s hard enough just keeping up with the lectures.”

Lee Han was surprised.

The Headmaster asked as if it was obvious, ‘What else are you studying, apart from your classes?’

He was already struggling to keep up with the current lectures, so what on earth did the Headmaster expect from a new student…

“Promising ones find magic to study on their own, even when it’s difficult. It’s always been that way. So, are you not studying anything separately from the lectures?”

“I am, but…”

The skeletal Headmaster nodded as if he expected that answer.

Lee Han felt a little annoyed.

It wasn’t his fault he was studying extra! It just happened.

“It’s just… a coincidence,” Lee Han said.

“I didn’t ask. Just tell me what you’re studying.”

The skeletal Headmaster showed curiosity about what field Lee Han was interested in.

The Headmaster often said Lee Han was not strong-willed. But, the Headmaster was very interested in this young man from the Wardanaz family. He was watching him closely because Lee Han was talented.

As a potential student who might one day inherit his vision, he couldn’t help but be curious.

“First, I am studying the book that the Headmaster gave me.”

“Your best skill is knowing what is important and what is not.”

Lee Han flattered him, and the skeletal Headmaster was satisfied.

And it wasn’t a lie either.

Sometimes, the black book appeared in Lee Han’s dreams and taught him magic, whether he wanted it or not!

“And blood magic…”

“Blood magic?” The Headmaster’s voice was dry. “Isn’t that a bit… old? And not very useful for you.”

“…I am studying magic that is good to use with it.”

At Lee Han’s answer, the skeletal Headmaster cast an interested gaze.

Blood magic was difficult to use and unpopular these days, but magic linked to blood magic was a different story.

Blood magic was a technique that amplified magical power by using blood as a catalyst.

Magic linked to such blood magic had certain characteristics: massive magical power consumption, relatively little control required, and so on.

It would certainly suit that Wardanaz family boy well.

“Clever.”

“Thank you.”

“What book are you studying with? There aren’t many useful blood magic books.”

Lee Han took a book out of his bag. It was >About Basic Blood Magic and Its Applications>.

The Headmaster quickly flipped through the book. Reading the pages, the skeletal Headmaster asked again.

“What else are you studying besides blood magic?”

‘What I’m doing now seems like enough though…’

Frankly, he was already doing more than enough, studying the skeletal Headmaster’s magic and even blood magic.

The problem was that Lee Han was indeed studying something else as well.

As he took out the book, Lee Han thought to himself.

‘This is really unfair. It’s not like I deliberately sought out to study it.’

Upon seeing the book >About Basic Lightning Elemental Magic and Its Applications>, the skeletal Headmaster floated that book as well.

Then, he read both books at a rapid pace.

“It seems you learn well from Professor Beggrec. But don’t only learn from one teacher.”

‘It really is surprising.’

Lee Han straightened his back. He almost nodded without thinking.

Even if everyone in the world cursed their advisor, it was best for the disciple learning under them to keep their mouth shut.

“No. I am always learning a lot.”

Well, if you have to endure that torment, you’re bound to learn a lot. It’s like going into a dragon’s lair and coming out alive; you’re left with a lot.

Anyway, he never really thought he would get a disciple. He wondered if there would be anyone who would listen to such unreasonable lectures.

Lee Han felt like he would fail to control his emotions if he talked any more.

‘I need to change the subject.’

“By the way, why are you suddenly mentioning Professor Beggrec?”

“Isn’t this a book written by Professor Beggrec?”

“…!”

Lee Han was startled.

The two grimoires, written with such unusual detail, were books written by Professor Beggrec?

He was surprised, but more than that…

‘How can someone who can explain things in such detail be so bad at it verbally?’

Lee Han struggled not to show his anger on his face.

“Didn’t you know?”

“It’s just… it’s written in so much detail…”

Those who aren’t good with words tend to ramble when they grab a quill. Where did you get them? Did Professor Beggrec give them to you directly?

“He gave me the lightning magic one, and my friends picked up the blood magic one.”

“It seems like he wrote this during his school days, but you managed to pick it up. You’re lucky.”

“It wasn’t me who picked it up, but my friends.”

“But it’s in your hands now. That’s fate.”

‘I don’t want to be fated to the blood magic grimoire.’

Two out of the three books you’re studying separately are Professor Beggrec’s books?

Lee Han vowed to search the library for three or four more useful grimoires as soon as he returned to school.

People say there is one truth in magic, but many ways to find it. If a student only follows their teacher, they might not find their own way.

“Yes.”

A student must be ready to go beyond their teacher and make their own path.

“Yes… Yes?”

Lee Han paused. For a moment, he thought his inner thoughts had been exposed.

However, the skeletal Headmaster wasn’t exactly asking a trick question.

The skeletal Headmaster, true to his ancient origins, genuinely believed that ‘a wizard must have the guts to stab their master in the back in order to go their own way.’

Lee Han stared at the Headmaster’s skull. The skeletal Headmaster said sternly.

“Not now. I’m talking about after you’ve learned everything.”

“I think you’ve misunderstood. I wasn’t thinking anything.”

“Alright. Anyway, I guess it was an unnecessary worry.”

The skeletal Headmaster, who had been slightly worried, was now certain that the boy from the Wardanaz family would not lose his way, no matter which wizard he received teachings from.

It was a truly important virtue for a wizard.