Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 256

“Is saying the number 4 really that hard!? Hey! That’s 1!”

“Guinan, that’s not 1, that’s a middle finger… never mind.”

Lee Han stopped himself from giving Guinan advice.

Being friends with Guinan would probably make things easier in the long run, even if Guinan was annoying right now.

It was just too much trouble right now.

Having finished submitting his assignment, Lee Han quickly turned away. The next assignments were still piled up like mountains.

“Why do you keep doing 1… if you keep acting like this, my terrifying archmage friend won’t let you off the hook! Lee Han! Hey, wait!”

Lee Han pretended not to hear and ran off.

“…What’s going on?”

Lee Han, having left Guinan behind and rushed to the alchemy lecture room, stopped at the sight before him.

A long line of students waited outside the alchemy room, each hoping for a little help from Siana the Priestess. In front of Siana the Priestess, leading the Phoenix Tower students, other students taking the alchemy lecture were lined up, waiting.

“Here it is.”

“Sniff sniff. Priestess. Thank you. You’re the only one for me.”

“N-no, you really don’t have to go that far.”

“No! You’re the only one for me! So, if it’s not too much to ask, could you give me just a little more…”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“Please! Could you spare a bit more, please!”

Jeers erupted from the students at the back of the line.

“Hey, some of us have been waiting for ages!”

“Can’t you just get lost?! You pathetic wretch!”

“…????”

Yoner appeared from behind the bewildered Lee Han.

“It’s because of the assignment.”

“Because of the assignment?”

“Yeah.”

Yoner appeared, his eyes red-rimmed and his shoulders slumped. Lee Han looked at his friend with a pitiful expression.

“The alchemy pre-final assignment is more difficult than we thought, isn’t it?”

“It’s just very difficult.”

The kind Professor Swiftfoot had instructed them to create a potion of appropriate difficulty as a pre-final assignment.

The Golden Potion sounded simple, but it was made by mixing many other complicated potions together. One mistake meant starting all over again, making it a nightmare for first-year students.

Of course, the students weren’t fooled.

No matter how low the difficulty itself was, it was natural for first-year students to make mistakes a few times, but if you made even one mistake, you had to prepare a new potion from the beginning.

Professor Swiftfoot said, ‘If you know how to make something like the Golden Potion of Aurum, you will make fewer mistakes and be able to make other potions skillfully,’ but the students were already plotting to drop Professor Swiftfoot into a cauldron.

“I heard that the Phoenix Tower priests have a lot of Lesser Mental Enhancement Potions.”

“!”

Most of the denominations in the Empire valued virtues such as frugality, thrift, and dedication.

As such, the Phoenix Tower students were adapting to Einroguard faster than anyone else.

Not only that, but they even gave to their other friends.

Phoenix Tower students were very resourceful, almost as good as the Black Tortoise Tower students at finding things. Growing up in temples, they knew how to make the most of what they had.

And the place where this resourcefulness was most evident was potion making.

Since they all grew up in temples, they had heard and helped a lot about potion making, even if they didn’t major in alchemy.

While the White Tiger Tower students searched the mountains and forests for prey, and the Black Tortoise Tower students scraped together all sorts of junk and turned the black market, the Phoenix Tower priests would gather ingredients and make potions when they had spare time.

As such, they had quite a lot of Lesser Mental Enhancement Potions stacked up…

As the situation became like this, they decided to share it with their friends without any conditions.

“Oh, dear!”

Lee Han exclaimed after hearing Yoner’s explanation.

“I should have gone to the Phoenix Tower… Ah. Sorry, Yoner. It’s not that I’m dissatisfied with the Blue Dragon Tower.”

“Honestly, seeing what you do, I don’t think anyone would say anything even if you were dissatisfied…”

Yoner thought that the Blue Dragon Tower students should shut their mouths if they had any conscience.

“And I’m very sorry too.”

“Right?”

Lee Han and Yoner sighed together.

If there was surplus material, they should exchange it efficiently to increase capital, not give it away for free.

The seedy students from other towers were taking advantage of the Phoenix Tower priests’ kindness.

‘If I were there, I would have taken the lead.’

Having finished sighing, Lee Han stood in line with Yoner.

Feeling sorry was one thing, but if they were giving out potions, he had to receive them.

“How many Lesser Mental Enhancement Potions should I have to be comfortable?”

“Twenty… no, honestly, even twenty might not be enough.”

“The final will be similar, right?”

“Yeah…”

Yoner’s face darkened.

The pre-final assignment was so terrible, he was worried about how difficult the final exam potion would be… no, how difficult it would be.

However, Lee Han had not yet despaired.

‘There is a way.’

Lee Han had plans to go out this weekend.

If he went out and bought all the useful alchemy ingredients and potions and brought them in…

It was like solving half of whatever difficult problem Professor Swiftfoot presented.

Lee Han grinned. He had a plan, and this weekend, things were going to get much easier.

“Heh heh heh…”

“Lee Han from the Wodanaz family?”

The Phoenix Tower priests tilted their heads when Lee Han didn’t answer even when they called him.

Yoner was also slightly embarrassed and called Lee Han by tapping him on the shoulder.

“What’s wrong? Are you shocked because of the assignment?”

“Ah. It’s not that…”

A White Tiger Tower student standing behind Lee Han grumbled. When Lee Han stared at him, the student avoided his gaze.

“Siana the Priestess, a dazzling rising star of the Flemming Order. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope these potions will help.”

“Oh, Lee Han! It’s nice to see you. I’ve heard you’re doing well in alchemy.”

Priestess Siana greeted him happily and began to put potion bottles one by one into the basket.

In an instant, the basket was full…

And one more in another basket…?

“?”

“??”

Lee Han and Yoner looked at each other.

‘I think she’s giving us more?’

‘She’s definitely giving us more.’

Siana smiled knowingly and says, “I have a feeling you’ll need these more than most, Lee Han.”

“Here. Take it.”

“Oh… thank you.”

Lee Han hesitated whether to say ‘You gave me too much by mistake’ or just take it.

But even before that, the first student who went up cried out, looking bewildered.

“Professor! Wodanaz got like, way more potion than me! Is that fair?”

‘Feels more like three times as much.’

In fact, even twice as much seemed like an understatement.

“Ah, well, you got *my* potion. Wodanaz got Siana’s. Siana is amazing, you know?”

“……”

“Do you have any complaints? I can take it back…”

“Ah, no, never mind.”

The student who complained quickly understood and stepped back.

“Siana, the Venus of the Fremen Order…”

“Too late now. Next!”

Lee Han smirked to himself. ‘I knew it! Being nice to teachers always pays off. These guys are too slow.’

Seeing them trying to do it so belatedly only reinforced that.

“Wodanaz…! He even has the professor wrapped around his little finger…!”

“Are you blind?”

Lee Han was very surprised by the other student’s reaction.

How could anyone see this as Lee Han controlling Siana?

They should have done it in advance themselves!

Professor Rosine bounced into the classroom, a bright, sunny room with tall windows. Dust motes danced in the sunbeams. She praised the students as soon as she entered.

“Wow! Shiles! Professor Lightning-Steps was praising the excellent condition of the horse you’re taking care of!”

“Th-thank you.”

“Asan! I heard you brought a wonderful spirit. Excellent!”

“I was lucky. Thank you!”

“Lee Han! Lee Han…”

Professor Rosine stopped at Lee Han’s name. She had so many good things to say, she didn’t know where to start.

“…Anyway, you’re doing well!”

“?!”

Lee Han was taken aback.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“W-well?”

The students started to relax, thinking this class would be easy. They smiled at each other, relieved.