Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 22

Uregeoreum laughed, but it sounded weak. Then, he nodded.

He didn’t want to criticize Lee Han for growing and selling his own vegetables.

“As far as I know, no student has ever done this before. It’s a very creative idea. Really creative.”

“Oh. Thank you. I think business will be good.”

“That wasn’t a compliment!”

Uregeoreum grumbled. But he knew managing money was important for an alchemist.

How else would they buy the expensive ingredients and materials?

They had to earn their own money to get them.

‘Seeing him save money so carefully, he’ll never have money problems later,’ Uregeoreum thought.

“Cabbage and green onions… Hmm. Looks like he likes to make stew.”

Lee Han looked up when he heard that.

The Empire had many kinds of food, not just Western food. Because it was so big, different areas had different cuisines.

In the west, where the Wodanaz family lived, people mostly ate Western food like bread and cheese. But in the east, they ate food like rice and noodles, red pepper paste, and soybean paste, which was more familiar to Lee Han.

“Do you like stew?”

“I like it, but I don’t eat it often.”

“Why not?”

“It’s eastern food. I don’t like the eastern dwarves.”

Uregeoreum frowned. He seemed to remember something bad.

“Did something bad happen?” Lee Han asked.

“Some distant relatives live in the east. Whenever I see them, they give me so much useless advice… They say regeneration potions are expensive, so I should sell those. That’s why I can’t make money. And why don’t I visit more often? And why is a young guy like me using a long tobacco pipe…”

Lee Han was surprised by the very specific complaints.

He had heard that the eastern part of the Empire valued tradition and rules more than the western part, but he didn’t know it was this extreme.

“I see,” Lee Han said.

“I was saying unnecessary things. But the food is not bad. I like it. Let’s eat together when you make stew later.”

Lee Han never said he would give him any stew. But he knew it wasn’t a good idea to say that to a professor in a bad mood.

“It would be an honor to serve you, Professor,” Lee Han said.

Uregeoreum nodded.

‘Wait. The Wodanaz family is from the west. Can I trust him to eat that eastern food?’ Uregeoreum felt a little worried.

He knew Lee Han was good at odd jobs. But it was rare for nobles to be good at cooking.

He wasn’t a terrible cook, judging by how he grilled the steak last time. But eastern food was difficult to make.

“…No, never mind. It doesn’t seem right to get that from you. I’m fine since you grew it,” Uregeoreum said.

“Excuse me? But the pork you ate earlier was hunted by me and my friends…”

“That was pork *I* prepared!” Uregeoreum said, finally getting angry.

After the meal and cleanup, Lee Han got ready to leave.

“By the way, what are you doing on the weekend?” Uregeoreum asked.

“Do I have to come and work?” Lee Han asked.

“…Do I look like I would call a student in on the weekend?” Uregeoreum asked, sounding surprised.

Lee Han was even more surprised.

‘Huh? Aren’t we supposed to be called in on the weekends?’ he wondered.

Wasn’t calling students in on the weekend a basic skill for professors?

“You’ve done a good job, so you don’t need to come on the weekend. Unless you want to take care of your garden… And you’ll be very busy on the weekend anyway,” Uregeoreum said, sounding meaningful.

Lee Han felt a little uneasy when he heard that.

‘Why is he acting so strange again?’ he wondered.

“Is something going on?” Lee Han asked.

“What do you mean? Think about it. What do students who have been starving all week do on the weekend?”

“Do they set the school on fire?”

“…That’s a bit too extreme. I mean they find ways to eat and live.”

The headmaster wanted to push the students into a corner, so they would find a way on their own.

New students usually started to worry when they had free time on the weekends.

-Why is this school so hard? Is it because the headmaster is undead?

-We can’t keep starving like this! We have to find something to eat!

-Let’s work together and do something!

“Well, I’ve heard that the Black Tortoise Tower students search the forest behind the main building for food,” Uregeoreum said.

“Sounds like the Black Tortoise Tower students,” Lee Han replied.

The new students usually acted according to their tower.

The Black Tortoise Tower students included commoners, merchants, and even slaves. They didn’t care about what others thought and acted quickly.

So, it was natural for them to search the forests and mountains for anything to eat.

“Thanks to your hunting, some students will try to hunt too. Usually, no one hunts in the first week,” Uregeoreum said.

“Isn’t it all thanks to your teaching, Professor?” Lee Han asked.

Uregeoreum smiled, feeling pleased. But then he felt uneasy.

‘Why do I feel like I’m being insulted?’ he wondered.

“What were the Blue Dragon Tower students usually like?” Lee Han asked.

“The Blue Dragon Tower students are usually slower to act,” Uregeoreum said. “They take their time to decide.”

Lee Han agreed.

Looking at his tower friends, it didn’t seem like many of them would go to the forest to find food just because it was the weekend.

“But some of them are capable. After starving for a few weeks, they get themselves together and find good ways to get food,” Uregeoreum said, looking at Lee Han.

The Blue Dragon Tower seemed different this year.

The Wodanaz family’s way of thinking was different.

‘He’s a really strange guy,’ Uregeoreum thought.

“Professor, what about the other towers?” Lee Han asked.

“The Phoenix Tower… Well, they don’t really struggle. They don’t get upset just because they’re hungry,” Uregeoreum said.

The Phoenix Tower was made up of apprentice priests sent by the Empire’s clergy.

They were used to being simple and frugal, so they adapted to the magic school quickly.

While the other tower students were looking for food, the Phoenix Tower students prayed.

It was the power of faith.

‘Amazing. How can they keep going with just that?’ Lee Han wondered.

Lee Han paused.

He had also survived for years during graduate school.

‘People can handle more than you think,’ he realized.

“By the way, Wodanaz, are you planning to hunt on the weekend?” Uregeoreum asked.

“Yes,” Lee Han answered confidently.

“Then be careful of the White Tiger Tower guys. They often go hunting too. They’re usually careful in the first week, but someone must have told them about your successful hunt. They won’t stay still,” Uregeoreum said.

“Isn’t it all thanks to your teaching, Professor?” Lee Han asked.

“…Good that you know. The White Tiger Tower guys cause a lot of trouble, so be careful. They’re from knight families, so they have a lot of energy,” Uregeoreum said.

“Yes. If we fight, I’ll make sure we have more people than them,” Lee Han said.

“That’s not what I meant!” Uregeoreum wanted to say, but he stopped.

He thought Lee Han would be able to handle things on his own.

“You might not even see them. The forest and mountains are big. The White Tiger Tower guys might do something else besides hunting… No, never mind. Not in the first week,” Uregeoreum said.

“What else is there besides hunting?” Lee Han asked.

Uregeoreum wished he hadn’t said anything.

He had a feeling that if he told Lee Han, Lee Han would try it himself.

“Running away,” Uregeoreum said.

Lee Han’s eyes lit up.

Running away.

The school was surrounded by high walls with magic on them.

But people still tried to break through.

There were villages outside the school where they could get things.

So, it was natural that people would try to run away.

‘A new coat, a new shirt, a new belt, new pants, new boots, bread and butter, cheese and jam, dried foods, needles and thread, paper and pens, soap and perfume… There’s so much!’ Lee Han thought.

If he could get those things, he could live like a king in the dormitory.

“See! That’s why I didn’t want to tell you!” Uregeoreum said.

“What are you talking about?” Lee Han asked.

“I know you’re thinking about what you can get from going outside!” Uregeoreum said.

“Really? Is that magic?” Lee Han asked.

“Don’t be silly! Don’t do anything stupid. The White Tiger Tower guys try to run away first because they’re the dumbest,” Uregeoreum said.

“Has anyone succeeded?” Lee Han asked.

“…It’s not that no one has, but!”

“Oh…”

“You’ll regret it!” Uregeoreum shouted, then stopped.

He didn’t need to stop him.

It was normal to do stupid things when you were young.

“Fine. Do what you want,” Uregeoreum said.

“No, Professor. I would never do that,” Lee Han said.

“Make sure you mean it!” Uregeoreum said.

A dark room.

Three people with angry faces were threatening an orc in a room lit by one candle.

Lee Han leaned in close to Gainan Do, trying to look serious. “Right, Choi,” he said, voice low. “You know why you’re here, yeah? Only way out of this is to help us out.”

Gainan Do blinked, looking more confused than scared. “Lee Han? Seriously? You guys dragged me in here for *this*? If you just wanted to ask me something, you could have just asked!”

Deuregyu stared at Gainan Do, mouth open. He nudged Yoner. “Did he just… not get it?”

Gainan Do threw his hands up. “One minute I’m walking to the library, next thing, *bam*! Three guys jump me and drag me to a dark room! I thought I was being kidnapped! And it’s just… this?” He gestured around the empty lecture hall, looking utterly bewildered.

“Hmm. Was that not very effective?” Lee Han asked.

Lee Han opened the curtains. Sunlight came into the empty lecture hall. Yoner blew out the candle.

Gainan Do looked at Lee Han and Deuregyu, confused.

“You said we had to threaten Choi?! You knew each other?!” Deuregyu asked.

“Yeah,” Lee Han said.

“Then why did we prepare this?!”

“I brought him here pretending to be friendly so the other White Tiger Tower students wouldn’t see,” Lee Han said.

Deuregyu was surprised.

Lee Han was right. They couldn’t be misunderstood.

“Thanks, Lee Han. You’re right. I might have been misunderstood if we had come in talking friendly,” Deuregyu said.

“Don’t mention it. I can do this for you. You’ll be a spy in the future,” Lee Han said.

“…Wait. I’m a spy?” Deuregyu asked.

Deuregyu didn’t like being called a spy.

Lee Han looked confused. “Didn’t you say you would tell me if that Moradi family guy was planning something?”

“I did,” Deuregyu said.

“Then you’re a spy, aren’t you?” Lee Han asked.

“…There’s a better word than spy, isn’t there?” Deuregyu asked.

He was telling them for honor and justice. Why was he a spy?

“I think I’m a spy,” Gainan Do said.

Deuregyu glared at Gainan Do. Gainan Do looked away and stuttered.

“Actually, I don’t think I’m a spy.”