Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 23

Lee Han decided to be considerate of Deuregyu.

Well, this is for honor and justice, so the word ‘spy’ doesn’t really fit. Deuregyu, you’re a whistleblower.

Huh… huh?

Deuregyu was surprised by the word he didn’t know.

But it sounded sophisticated and more dignified than ‘spy,’ so he didn’t feel too bad.

Sounds alright, I suppose…?

Right. As a whistleblower, I hope you’ll tell me about the White Tiger Tower students’ plans.

Y-yes, I will.

Yoner, who had been listening with her face resting on her palms, was curious.

How had he managed to get that Orc from the White Tiger Tower to help him like this?

Deuregyu, the real reason I brought you here on a weekend morning is… to figure out a way to escape the school.

…What?!

Deuregyu was startled.

Lee Han stayed calm, as he had expected that reaction.

However, what followed was beyond Lee Han’s expectations.

Lee Han, were you planning to escape too?

…?!

Like all the other Tower students, the White Tiger Tower students were very hungry.

You might wonder if students from knightly families were used to hunger, but even knightly families were still noble families of the Empire. In the Empire, knightly families were important and powerful, but even they were not used to being hungry.

They rarely had to go hungry. In fact, since their job was to eat well and move around, they found it even harder to deal with hunger.

-We have to hunt! I heard Wodanaz of the Blue Dragon Tower caught a wild boar; we can catch one too!

-Let’s form groups and go hunting on the weekend. There’s no one here who hasn’t hunted before. We have the advantage!

-Let’s show those other Tower guys who only know magic a thing or two!

-Alright, alright, everyone quiet down.

It was Giselle, of course, who took control of the noisy room.

Giselle was a natural leader. She quickly calmed the hungry students.

-Hunting? Sounds good. But think about it carefully. Is hunting really that easy?

-The Wodanaz family caught one…

-That was a wild boar the alchemy professor had prepared. Think about it. How deep would we have to go to catch a boar like that? And we’re not familiar with the land around here.

-……

-……

The students nodded in agreement with Giselle’s words without realizing it.

Hunting was definitely not easy, especially in unfamiliar territory.

They might be okay with the small mountain or forest behind the school, but going deeper was frankly frightening.

Who knew what kind of monsters were hiding in that unknown place?

-Then, Moradi, do you have another way?

-Yes.

-What is it?

-A way to escape the school and go to the village outside.

-…!!!

-If we succeed, we won’t have to worry about catching a single animal, will we? We can bring back everything we need for a semester.

-I-is that really true?!

-Haa… but that sounds too hard to believe.

-I already have the steps planned out in my head. You can come along if you want. I don’t plan to keep it to myself. But… if you come, you must follow my orders. I won’t let anyone spoil things or mess up the plan by being childish and refusing to listen.

-Of course, Moradi!

-Who would dare disobey you!

Really? Could I join if I just follow orders well?

…Hey, Lee Han.

Guess not, huh?

Deuregyu stared at Lee Han in disbelief.

Deuregyu didn’t know whether she would accept Lee Han or not, but…

As a member of the Wodanaz family, how could he join with any pride?

Just thinking about what Giselle had tried to do to Lee Han made Deuregyu angry.

Think about what Giselle did.

Yeah, she wouldn’t let me join.

No, that’s not the point.

While Deuregyu was confused, Lee Han was thinking hard.

Giselle’s words had made his thoughts more complicated.

Originally, Lee Han had planned to gather friends like Deuregyu and Nilia to slowly find a way to escape.

He certainly didn’t expect to find it all at once.

Considering what Professor Uregeoreum had said, escaping wouldn’t be that easy.

But surprisingly, Giselle of the White Tiger Tower was confidently saying that she had a method ready.

Was it a bluff?

‘No, she wasn’t the type to bluff. Not like Gainando.’

Lee Han hadn’t had many conversations with Giselle of the Moradi family, but he could guess what kind of person she was.

A cold and bossy personality.

When someone like that made such a statement, she clearly had something to rely on.

I see. She wouldn’t let me join…

No… you’re not serious, are you?

Then I have no choice.

Okay. I’m glad you understand.

I’ll just have to follow her and find out.

……

Deuregyu didn’t know what to say.

Are you serious?

Is there a better way than following her?

Doesn’t it seem a little… dishonorable?

Deuregyu hesitated.

A knight should value honor even in a simple fight.

Moreover, the Wodanaz family was one of the great families of the Empire.

They should value honor as much as Deuregyu did.

Deuregyu, think about it. This is strategy.

Huh?

Knowing the enemy and knowing yourself. It’s strategy.

…Is it?

It is strategy.

Lee Han looked straight at Deuregyu and said in a steady voice.

‘The more nonsense it is, the more confidently you have to say it.’

There was a reason why the loudest person often won in the world.

No matter how strange the sound, if you spoke with sincerity and feeling, it gained a strange power to persuade.

When Lee Han of the Wodanaz family spoke seriously with his cold, handsome face, Deuregyu unknowingly began to get confused, thinking, ‘Oh? Is that so?’

Come to think of it, it might be strategy…

It… it might be strategy.

Yes, it’s strategy. We need to know what plans the enemy is making. That’s how we prepare.

It wasn’t like Giselle was planning to do anything bad to Lee Han with her school escape plan…

Lee Han cleverly made it sound like they needed to understand the escape plan to prevent Giselle’s evil plans that would happen in the future.

Deuregyu, your role is important. You have to tell me about that Moradi family’s escape plan.

Alright. I’ll try.

Great! Excellent. You’re an honorable whistleblower. Even if others don’t know, I know how honorable you are!

Thank you, Lee Han.

Yes, yes.

Lee Han patted Deuregyu on the shoulder, cheering him on, and sent him back.

Hoo. I was originally going to think about an escape plan, but the plan has changed. …Why are you all looking at me like that?

Yoner and Gainando were looking at Lee Han with strange eyes.

Gainando asked seriously.

Did you perhaps learn brainwashing magic before coming to school?

……

Saturday evening, around sunset.

It was the time when Giselle of the Moradi family had decided to lead the White Tiger Tower students in an attempt to escape.

Lee Han, who had heard the time from Deuregyu, also began to move.

‘I need to check the escape route this time if possible.’

Giselle would never tell others the escape method.

Moreover, once she succeeded, she would carefully check who was following her from then on.

Because Lee Han would have done the same!

The best chance to check the escape route without being caught was today, the first try.

The White Tiger Tower students would be nervous because it was their first try. They would not be paying attention to see if anyone was following.

Deuregyu, Gainando, Yoner, Nilia.

Lee Han said, looking at the friends gathered in the room.

These friends gathered here would be his companions in today’s pursuit.

Thank you all for coming to today’s meeting to find a way out of the school.

…????

The dark elf Nilia was startled and perked up her ears.

It was the first time she had heard of it.

She had been called and came happily, thinking, ‘Oh, are we going hunting?’…

W-what!? Go outside the school!?

Yes.

…Are you crazy?!?

At Nilia’s cry, Gainando felt relieved.

‘At least there was one more sane person in this group besides Gainando himself.’

‘That’s right! It’s crazy!’

Gainando also wanted to go to the village if he could get out.

But it couldn’t be that easy.

He had followed along because Wodanaz seemed to have something in mind, but he was also afraid.

No, Nilia. We’re not just trying to escape without a plan. There’s a plan.

!

Nilia’s eyes widened in surprise at Lee Han’s serious words.

There was a plan.

It had only been a week since she entered the school, and already?

Judging by his expression, it didn’t seem like a lie.

‘The Wodanaz family is really… amazing…!’

Nilia swallowed her admiration.

She had only heard stories about the Wodanaz family, but seeing Lee Han’s actions now, she understood why those stories had spread.

The feeling he gave off was different from other freshmen.

Nilia asked with a slightly hopeful voice.

What’s the plan?

There’s a student in the White Tiger Tower who knows how to escape, and we’re going to follow her and copy it.

……

The method Lee Han mentioned was definitely not what Nilia expected.

It was so far from what she expected that it was a problem.

Chasing after another student to copy their method was not the romantic school life Nilia had imagined.

She thought for a moment, then sighed.

But Nilia finally decided to join.

-Lee Han. I don’t think Nilia wants to join.

-But Yoner, we need Nilia’s help. Nilia is the best tracker here.

-But forcing her to join…

-Is that so? If she doesn’t want to join that much, there’s nothing we can do…

-…There’s nothing I can do! If I’m the only one who can help, I have to!

-Nilia!!

Hearing Lee Han and Yoner’s conversation, she couldn’t refuse.

Leaving a friend because she was scared was not the way of the Shadow Patrol.

And…

To be honest, she was happy that they valued her skills as a hunter.

It was funny that Wodanaz from another Tower, not her own Tower students, valued her skills as a hunter the most.

Deuregyu didn’t understand and quietly mumbled.

Why did that dark elf join when I thought she would refuse?

I think I know.

Gainando said confidently.

At those words, Deuregyu let out a small ‘ah.’

I see.

Everyone had things they didn’t want to do.

There were many reasons.

Fear.

Worry.

Selfishness.

The good qualities that allowed people to overcome those reasons and take action were called honor and friendship.

There was only one reason why that dark elf joined even though she didn’t want to.

Because of friendship between friends.

‘I saw something good.’

Deuregyu smiled secretly.

As Deuregyu himself had joined for honor, he felt good to see friends who had built friendships no matter what family they were from.

What? Choi, did you notice too?

Yeah.

She must want to go to the village that much. I really want to go to the village too. As soon as I get to the village, I’m going to sleep in a soft bed or… no, never mind. First, food. I’m going to eat all the sweets in the village. Candy, chocolate, pancakes, syrup…

……

Deuregyu stared at Gainando with a blank look.

‘Why is this guy here?’