Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 248

“Why? Do you have something to tell Wodanaz?”

“No… it’s nothing.”

Salco shook his head.

He had certainly heard the name Ogonin, but it was likely just a coincidence.

That Ogonin would probably be at the Magic Tower, teaching students.

Surely, such a person wouldn’t waste their time teaching a first-year student.

“By the way, this Baldor Oren…” Salco started, trying to sound casual.

“Ah, Baldor Oren. I met him when I went out last time, and he was truly wise,” a Black Tortoise Tower student answered as he passed by. He had met Baldor Oren with Lee Han last time they went to town.

“Indeed. Impressive.” Another friend chimed in.

Seeing his friends’ reactions, Salco had no choice but to believe it.

He must be a truly great wizard!

A barrier made with illusion magic was like a kind of lock. Some locks are weak, and some are strong. Some locks have simple structures, and some are complex.

A barrier set up by an excellent illusionist was like layering several complex and sturdy locks on top of each other.

To get past this barrier, someone must understand each lock and open it.

This kind of unlocking always needed the attacker to be more skilled than the defender.

Of course, Lee Han was not more skilled than the wizards of the famous magic school, but…

Bang!

‘Lucky me,’ Lee Han thought.

Lee Han had a method he learned from Baldor Oren.

A method of smashing the lock itself by using a lot of magical power!

Of course, some barriers were made so that they couldn’t be broken by force, but many barriers were not so strong.

Wizards usually think it’s silly to break a barrier with force. They think it’s better to understand how it works and open it carefully.

So, they don’t usually defend against such a rough unlocking method. In a way, it was a waste.

With the sound of tearing fabric, the barrier opened.

Luckily, Lee Han was able to break through the barrier.

Lee Han thanked Baldor Oren once again.

…Of course, Baldor Oren hadn’t taught him to go around unlocking things so roughly!

‘By the way, the stairs are quite long,’ Lee Han thought.

The spiral staircase appeared after breaking the barrier. It twisted upwards like a snake, made of dark stone, and seemed to go on forever.

It seemed like he had climbed quite a bit, but the end was not in sight.

For now, it seemed alright since the path wasn’t blocked or any other obstacles appeared…

Rattle, rattle!

A door at the end of the spiral staircase, connected to a hallway, came into view.

Quite a loud noise leaked out from the open door. It seemed like something was happening in the hallway.

‘A magic experiment?’ Lee Han wondered.

Lee Han approached the door and scanned the hallway.

The hallway was a mess. Magic circles, glowing faintly blue, were drawn on the walls and floor, some half-finished. Bottles of bubbling liquids, stacks of scrolls tied with string, and strange, metallic tools were scattered everywhere.

Whether they were wizards or not, the sight of students struggling with assignments was the same everywhere.

“Hello?” Lee Han called out cautiously.

No matter what grade level was around the hallway, it seemed better to speak first rather than stepping in without saying anything.

Besides, the seniors wouldn’t be visible to Lee Han…

Crash! Bang!

Before Lee Han could finish speaking, material containers fell over and wooden boxes tumbled around from all directions.

And a piece of paper floated into the air.

-How did you get here, junior?

A first-year student and a fourth-year student at the magic school were not fundamentally different.

Of course, fourth-year students were better at getting food than first-year students, knew more about the magic school, and could use more magic…

But basically, there was no significant difference in that they had to do assignments when assignments were given and prepare for exams when exams were approaching.

The same was true for Dirette and Cohorti, who were among the few black magic majors in the fourth grade.

“Isn’t it not good to wander around during the reallocation period?” Dirette asked, sounding grumpy.

“Yeah. Originally, it wouldn’t be. If some annoying people hadn’t released a Frost Giant King in the hallway, wasting a whole week,” Cohorti replied nervously.

“……”

Cohorti had nothing to say, even if he had ten mouths.

An accident where another dimension overlapped the upper hallway due to a failed magic experiment with friends.

The first-year students may have had a happy time with the white snow that came in the spring, but Cohorti and his friends were busy cleaning up.

Even if the Frost Giant King returned, the aftermath of the overlapping dimension didn’t disappear immediately, so they had to install various magic circles around to prepare, periodically check the situation, and write reports…

And all of this had to be done while preparing for assignments and final exams.

Professors were kind and gentle to first-year students, but like blades to fourth-year students.

If they failed to do their assignments or failed the exam because of their experimental mistakes, they would never be forgiven.

“Th-that’s right. Whoever it was, they were really bad,” Cohorti stammered.

“Yeah. Right. Whoever it was, I hope they die, right?” Dirette said, sounding even grumpier.

“U-uh, yeah,” Cohorti agreed nervously.

“Shut up and finish the magic circle,” Dirette snapped. “Considering the remaining time, we’d have to work even if it was the Great Demon Week, not the reallocation week.”

The task that Dirette and Cohorti were currently working on was a magic circle to control powerful beings from other dimensions.

Beings summoned from other dimensions were always looking for a chance to stab their master in the back and escape control.

Lower-level summons could be controlled with relatively simple methods, but as the summons became more powerful, their intelligence increased and their will also strengthened.

To control these beings, simple methods were not enough. High-level magic had to be used.

The magic circle that the two were currently attempting was one of those methods.

If completed properly, it would have the effect of weakening the summoned being’s power and breaking their will…

“Did you finish drawing the walls?” Dirette asked.

“I’m done,” Cohorti replied.

“Check it.”

Cohorti rummaged through his pocket and took out a round bell. It was a bell contracted with a low-level demon.

It was naturally impossible to summon a powerful summon to a magic circle that hadn’t been checked yet, so they had to summon a weak monster first to test it.

Bang!

A demon popped out with the smoke.

The demon that popped out seemed to be in pain at first, but after some time, it cautiously tried to run out into the corner.

“The east is the Gate of Life. We have to block it,” Dirette said urgently.

“I’ll block it now!” Cohorti ran hard and blocked it.

Hoping his friend would forget about the Frost Giant King.

“Did you block it?”

“I blocked it.”

“Check it.”

Cohorti summoned the demon again. The demon that popped out was a little distressed at first, like before, but after a while, it immediately adapted and tried to escape.

“This time, the north opened.”

“……”

Kohlti slumped over the glowing magic circles, letting out a long, tired sigh.

Working with high-level magic circles was always frustrating. Fix one problem, and another would pop up somewhere else.

He fixed one part, then another part broke. It was always something.

Kohlti said, “Let’s try again.”

Dirette agreed, then groaned, “Alright… Ugh.”

Kohlti looked up, surprised. “What is it?”

Dirette frowned. “You just groaned. What’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Kohlti mumbled, avoiding her eyes.

Dirette said sharply, “Fine, keep it secret. But if you’re hiding something and get caught, I will *really* curse you!”

Kohlti thought to himself, ‘Ugh. I should have kept it a secret.’

He should have just stayed quiet, instead of letting Dirette push him.

“Actually,” he admitted quietly, “the intruder barrier I put up downstairs… it broke…”

Dirette exploded, “Are you kidding me?!”

Kohlti thought, ‘Ugh. I should have kept it a secret.’

He should have resisted to the end instead of giving in to Dirette’s coaxing…

Dirette asked, “Are you serious right now? Why did it break? Didn’t I tell you to set it up properly?”

Kohlti said, “I… I really did… properly…”

Dirette asked, “Then why did it break?”

Kohlti said, shrinking in on himself, “…I think… I might have made a mistake…”

It was the Main Building Reconfiguration Period, when even shortcuts that didn’t exist before suddenly appeared.

During Reconfiguration, the upper levels were full of unstable magic and dangerous experiments. It was strictly off-limits to first-year students.

During this period, upperclassmen had to be extra careful.

What if a freshman wandered in while they were experimenting in the upper levels and got hurt?

“You’ve been attending this magic school for years; what have you even learned? Letting a junior get hurt in this magic school. Is it even acceptable for injuries to occur in this prestigious school?” Dirette asked.

“Is it accep… No, it isn’t. I’m sorry,” Kohlti replied.

So, Dirette and Kohlti had put up barriers to stop younger students from using the new shortcuts.

They put up barrier spells and signs that warned, ‘Barrier! Turn Back if Unskilled!’

But Kohlti must have made a mistake when casting the barrier, because it suddenly broke.

Dirette ordered, “Go back and recast it, quickly!”

Kohlti replied, “Al, alright!”

Kohlti turned to run down the stairs.

But then, someone else arrived.

A familiar first-year student, one they’d seen somewhere before, came up the shortcut stairs and emerged through the door, causing Dirette and Kohlti to gape in astonishment.

Lee Han talked to Dirette, who he couldn’t see, like it was normal.

It wasn’t a particularly surprising sight for a freshman at a magic school.

Lee Han said, “Wodanaz. Thank you so much for last time.”

When a different font appeared, Lee Han was puzzled for a moment before realizing.

Lee Han asked, “Ah. Were you perhaps the one who was there during the Frost Giant King incident?”

Dirette replied, “That’s right. Yes. Thank you so mu—”

Dirette elbowed Kohlti hard.

Dirette said, “Aren’t you just great? Getting help from a junior and then bragging about it now?”

Kohlti protested, “Gah. Gah! Dirette, stop! Even if he can’t see us, hitting is wrong!”

Dirette retorted, “He can’t see us anyway!”

Dirette used the power of magic to slap him.

Lee Han tilted his head, puzzled when his seniors disappeared mid-conversation.

Lee Han asked, “Are you there?”

Dirette replied, “I just dropped my quill for a moment.”

Lee Han thought, ‘Something’s strange here.’

Lee Han thought so, but he didn’t press further. The seniors probably had their own circumstances.

Dirette asked, “How did you get up here? There was a barrier in place, wasn’t there?”

Lee Han replied, “Ah. I tried to dispel it… I got lucky.”

Dirette stared at Kohlti as if dumbfounded. Kohlti’s face turned bright red, and he lowered his head.

Dirette thought, ‘He dispelled it as a first-year?’

If people found out, Kohlti would be known as ‘Kohlti the Barrier Breaker’ – and not in a good way!

Dirette decided to ask how he dispelled it later if the opportunity arose, and asked the important question.

Dirette asked, “Why are you in the upper levels?”

Lee Han replied, “I’m looking for the Spire Stables you mentioned last time.”

Dirette was speechless.

Of course, Dirette was the one who had told him about it, but she never expected a first-year student to seriously try to find a path to the upper level spire.

Dirette thought, ‘…Is he really a first-year??’

Dirette said, “…Since I told you about it, I can’t really say anything. The Spire Stables are close from here. Walk straight down the hallway, then turn to the side and go up the stairs, and you’ll be right there.”

Lee Han was overjoyed. “Really?!”

Who knew such luck would come his way thanks to the Reconfiguration Week.

Lee Han thought, ‘That’s right. I’ve been so unlucky, it’s about time I had some good luck!’

Considering the things that had happened to him during the week and on weekends, it wouldn’t be surprising if a shower of gold coins rained down on him while he was walking.

He had just been too unlucky.

Dirette said, “Wait. You can’t pass through here right now. We’re conducting an experiment.”

Dirette drew an arrow on the paper.

At the end of the hallway, which was covered in complex magic circles, there was a crystal cage.

Inside, there was a large demon, pacing angrily in the cage. Its red eyes glared, and smoke puffed from its nostrils.

Dirette said, “We can’t move that until the experiment is over.”

Dirette briefly explained what kind of experiment they were conducting. Lee Han nodded as he listened.

Lee Han asked, “So, I just need to subdue that demon?”

Dirette replied, “That’s right.”

Lee Han asked, “That cage, can magic pass through it from the outside in?”

Dirette replied, “It can, but why?”

With a shout, Lee Han pointed his hand at the cage. *Crackle-FLASH!* Bolts of bright lightning shot out and hit the demon.

The demon screamed in agony.

Dirette said, “Junior. I appreciate you trying to help, but hitting a demon won’t make it behave.”

Lee Han replied, “Is that so… I’m sorry.”

Dirette thought, ‘Huh?’

Unlike Dirette, who was watching Lee Han as they talked, Kohlti, who was next to him, could clearly see the demon trapped inside the crystal cage.

Kohlti thought, ‘Didn’t the demon just avert its gaze?’