Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 259

It was morning. Lee Han pushed open the heavy wooden door of the lecture hall and stopped so suddenly he almost tripped. He blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. He stumbled, his foot catching on a chair leg. It crashed to the stone floor with a loud *clatter!*

A deep voice rumbled from behind him. “Is something the matter, student?”

Lee Han turned to see one of the Death Knights standing in the doorway. These older students, known for their strict discipline, always seemed to be watching. He quickly straightened up, trying to appear calm. “It’s nothing,” he mumbled.

The Death Knight’s gaze lingered for a moment, then he nodded curtly. “Alright. Study hard.” He and his companion turned and disappeared back into the dimly lit hallway.

Lee Han regained his composure and reread the writing on the lecture hall chalkboard.

“Class Cancelled Due to Professor’s Circumstances

-Voladi Begreck”

‘Professor…’

Lee Han was deeply touched by Professor Voladi’s consideration. It showed how kind he was to cancel class when the students were busy with other assignments and exams.

Had Professor Voladi always been this considerate? Of course, it would have been nice if he had just told them instead of writing it on the chalkboard…

‘But I’ll take what I can get.’ Lee Han had a conscience. He didn’t want to push his luck too far to get free time like this.

“Why are you coming out again?”

“The professor said class is cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. Is there something wrong with Professor Begreck, perhaps?” Lee Han asked, just in case.

Professor Voladi didn’t seem like someone who would be hurt, but in this magic school, strange things happened to everyone, even professors.

“Hmm? I haven’t heard anything.”

“It must be nothing, since it’s quiet. It’s touching to see you worry about your teacher.”

“…Haha. I’m embarrassed.” Lee Han nodded, managing his expression.

“Oh, were you also taking Professor Verdus’s class?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Professor Verdus was looking for Wodanaz.”

Lee Han checked the time. It was morning. There were still at least six hours until Professor Verdus’s extra class.

“Are you sure you’re not mistaken about the time?”

“I don’t think so? When I asked, he said the class time didn’t matter.”

‘I need to stay inside the tower until class starts.’ Lee Han resolved not to go anywhere near the Hall of Enchantments until class time.

“Why are you so late?!” Professor Verdus cried out as soon as he saw Lee Han. His voice was loud, but held a hint of warmth.

Lee Han spoke with an innocent expression. “No? I definitely came on time, though?”

“What does class time matter? If I were you, I’d just stay here all the time!” Professor Verdus loved enchantment magic more than anything, so he couldn’t understand why Lee Han wasn’t as excited.

If Professor Verdus were Lee Han, he would abandon all his other classes and just do research here in the Hall of Enchantments!

“That’s not what’s important, Professor. I brought the assignment here.” Lee Han held out the magic-infused shield he had brought.

The other students cursed inwardly when they saw that. ‘Wodanaz, that bastard. If you finished something like that, you should have turned it in last!’ ‘Does he have no conscience!’

“Oh…” Professor Verdus, who was always indifferent to whether students slept or danced in front of him, showed an interested look for the first time.

“So this is that crude and clumsy shield, is it?”

“Your compliments always make me happy, Professor,” Lee Han said with a hint of sarcasm.

Professor Verdus examined the shield, ignoring Lee Han’s grumbling. He had wanted to see it ever since the Death Knights spread the rumors, but Gonaltes, who enjoyed tormenting students, had gotten in the way, so he was only seeing it now.

“Wow…” Professor Verdus stroked the shield, tapped it, and nodded. The magic circles and structure were still clumsy in his eyes, but the amount of magic power used to overcome these shortcomings was very interesting.

Dozens of artifacts flashed through Professor Verdus’s mind. If he could overcharge magic power in this way, he could make enough of the artifacts he had been putting off until now.

“What year are you in?”

“I’m a first-year.”

“Ah, why?!”

Lee Han wasn’t flustered. He already knew very well that Professor Verdus was a bit crazy. In comparison, the students behind Lee Han stared at Professor Verdus with a mixture of fear and shock.

“Why are you in such a low grade… then you can’t make a spirit sword either… and the lens artifact isn’t ready yet… should I just teach you directly?” Professor Verdus muttered to himself, lost in thought.

Lee Han felt a sense of foreboding. “Alright! I really don’t want to, but I’ll teach you directly… huh? Where did he go?”

“Wodanaz? He went out to get something he left in the tower.”

He had hoped that if he gave it some time, Professor Verdus would become interested in the other students’ assignments and forget about it, but Professor Verdus’s concentration was more impressive than he thought.

As he was grading the other students’ assignments one by one, he shouted as soon as Lee Han returned to the lecture hall.

“80 points.”

“Oh. Did I do well?”

“Huh? No. You did terribly.”

“…Isn’t 80 out of 100 pretty good?”

“No. It’s just that the other guys did even worse. Ah! Wodanaz!”

‘Damn it.’ Lee Han raised his head.

“Did you hear what I said earlier?”

“I didn’t hear you well.”

“I’ll teach you a few basic enchantment spells you need to know.” Professor Verdus wasn’t one to hold your hand. He’d just give you the task and expect you to figure it out yourself. He basically never did anything that wasn’t fun for him, so he naturally didn’t teach students one-on-one.

But this time was different. In order to get Lee Han to help with artifact creation, even if it was just a little bit, he needed to know at least a few basic spells (according to Professor Verdus’s standards).

In Professor Verdus’s memory, his disciples used those basic spells around their third year, so he calculated that he would have to wait two years.

“During class time?”

“No. You have to learn other things during class time. We’ll have to set aside separate time.”

“You said they were basic, though?”

“Yeah, basic.”

“If they’re basic, can’t we learn them during class time?”

“Ah.” Professor Verdus seemed to realize what Lee Han was saying belatedly.

“They’re basic, but they’re not spells you’re supposed to learn now.”

‘Then they’re not basic…’ Lee Han held back from cursing. Does he not know the meaning of basic?

“Professor.”

“Professor, I appreciate the offer,” Lee Han said, trying to sound polite, “but I really can’t take your class.”

Professor Verdus stared at him, completely stunned. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes, magnified by thick glasses, seemed to bulge. “What?” he finally choked out. “Why not?”

“It’s just…” Lee Han hesitated for a moment, then continued, “I already have so many classes. My schedule is completely full. I really don’t have any free time.”

Professor Verdus’s face went red. He threw his hands up in the air. “But… but why?!” he exclaimed, his voice rising. “Is Enchantment Magic not… interesting enough for you?”

*Was I not clear enough?* Lee Han thought, frowning slightly. *Is it really so hard to understand? I’m busy!* He quickly went over his words in his head. He thought he had explained it plainly enough.

“Isn’t Enchantment Magic more fun?!” Professor Verdus asked, his voice rising.

“I don’t know,” Lee Han said again.

“But it *is*! Everyone knows Enchantment Magic is the most exciting!” Professor Verdus insisted, looking more and more upset.

Professor Verdus muttered with a look of great shock. He looked as if he had never imagined Lee Han would refuse.

“Why is Wodanaz acting like that?” Professor Verdus asked, grabbing Dergyu, who was passing by with a box of materials.

“Yes?” Dergyu responded, confused.

“I’m offering to teach him, but he says he can’t spare the time because of other classes,” Professor Verdus explained, his voice laced with disbelief.

“Well… yes? He said he’s busy with other classes, didn’t he?” Dergyu said, wondering why the professor couldn’t understand such a simple statement.

“Can’t he just skip the other classes?” Professor Verdus asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Wouldn’t the professors of those classes be upset?” Dergyu countered, tilting his head.

“Does it matter if the professors are upset?” Professor Verdus scoffed, waving his hand dismissively.

“…Wouldn’t those professors potentially attack Lee Han?” Dergyu mumbled, a hint of worry in his voice.

As the other person kept saying silly things, Dergyu also started saying silly things. And in truth, it wasn’t really nonsense. Even the headmaster attacked students, so there was no reason why professors couldn’t…

“That’s too much!” Dergyu exclaimed, his eyes widening.

“Yes, that’s right,” Professor Verdus agreed, nodding sagely.

“How can we make more time?” Professor Verdus pondered aloud, tapping his chin.

“Yes…” Dergyu echoed, giving Lee Han a pleading look. He needed to quickly get the materials and study magic, but this crazy professor was holding him back and wouldn’t let him go.

Lee Han spoke to Professor Verdus. “I have a good idea, Professor.”

“Ah. Have you decided to listen?” Professor Verdus asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“No… it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that I don’t have enough time. So, we need to make time,” Lee Han explained, his tone reasonable.

“How?” Professor Verdus inquired, leaning forward with interest.

“Right now, we have to get the materials from the merchants,” Lee Han stated, matter-of-factly.

To practice Enchantment Magic, all sorts of materials were needed. Those materials didn’t come for free. The students all had to work and get them from the merchants themselves.

“If you provided them, Professor, we would have more time,” Lee Han suggested, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

“Me?” Professor Verdus asked, surprised.

Professor Verdus pondered for a moment at Lee Han’s words. Studying was something students did for themselves. As such, Professor Verdus’s philosophy was that students should acquire the materials themselves, but…

“I suppose I could do that,” Professor Verdus conceded, shrugging slightly.

That was one thing, and Professor Verdus was perfectly capable of changing his mind if it suited his needs.

“Then we’ve made time, haven’t we?” Lee Han asked, his eyes twinkling.

“It’s still not enough, Professor,” Lee Han continued, pressing his advantage.

“Still?!” Professor Verdus exclaimed, his voice rising in disbelief.

“Yes. Right now, we’re making quite a few mistakes. Why do you think that is?” Lee Han inquired, tilting his head slightly.

“Because you lot are utterly hopeless at magic?” Professor Verdus retorted, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

“……”

“……”

The students passing by with boxes glared at the back of Professor Verdus’s head.

“…While that may be true, wouldn’t it be a great help if you gave us a few words of advice, Professor?” Lee Han suggested, his tone carefully neutral.

“I suppose I could do that,” Professor Verdus agreed, nodding thoughtfully.

“Now we’ve made time, haven’t we?” Lee Han asked, a satisfied smile gracing his lips.

Lee Han was surprised at how obedient Professor Verdus was being.

‘Huh?’

‘At this rate, I could ask for more?’

Lee Han almost asked Professor Verdus to juggle a ball with his head, but stopped himself. Then, a question suddenly occurred to him, and he asked.

“But Professor, you haven’t even suggested reducing our sleeping or resting time?”

“Oh? Ah. Gonadaltez forbade it. Isn’t that just awful?” Professor Verdus said, rolling his eyes.

“…Haha. Yes, that’s right,” Lee Han replied, a wry smile on his face.

With the materials being paid for and the lectures being given directly, the students were all briefly happy.

“Professor, the magic circuit amplification part is blocked here…” a student said, pointing to a diagram.

“Draw a line here,” Professor Verdus instructed casually.

“…????”

The student who asked the question blinked, watching Professor Verdus casually draw a line on the blocked circuit and walk away. Uh… uh oh?

“What does this line mean?” the student asked, bewildered.

“What?” Professor Verdus looked bewildered, as if wondering, ‘How can I explain something so simple?’

The bewildered professor called the culprit of this situation. “This won’t do. You explain it,” he said, gesturing to Lee Han.

“No. Professor. If he’s blocked, then I don’t know either… Ah. Too much magic is concentrated on the top, so you need to distribute it. If you leave it like this, the lines of the magic circle will break due to overload,” Lee Han explained, a hint of reluctance in his voice.

“Oh… I see!” the student exclaimed, his eyes widening in understanding.

Lee Han, who was pleased that his friend understood, paused. ‘Oops.’

He should have pretended not to know…

Professor Verdus was satisfied that the student seemed to understand. And he called Lee Han every time they got stuck.

“Wodanaz.”

“Wodanaz?”

“Wodanaz!”

“……”

Lee Han considered just making Professor Verdus lose interest in the students again.

“Oh, right. I need to tell you about the final exam,” Professor Verdus said, checking the time and addressing the class.

“It’s more than a week away?” a student asked, surprised.

“Artifacts take time. You lot are so hopeless that many of you won’t be able to do it even with this much time,” Professor Verdus said, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Everyone was touched by the professor’s heartwarming words.

“The final exam assignment is simple. You know the assignments you submitted today? Bring them back after upgrading them by one level. That’s how I’ll evaluate you,” Professor Verdus explained, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

“Hmm…”

“Umm…”

The students fell into contemplation about what to do at Professor Verdus’s words.

“……”

And Lee Han felt deeply frustrated for the first time in a while. ‘Damn it.’

What more can I upgrade here?