Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 261

Lee Han almost lost his balance on the Griffin’s back. “Professor!” he gasped, surprised. He hadn’t seen him there at all.

Professor Voladi stood with his arms crossed, a serious look on his face. “You are not very observant, Lee Han,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “A good combat mage must always be aware of their surroundings.”

Lee Han decided to remember Professor Voladi’s advice.

At magic school, you needed to be very observant. It was important for staying safe!

“But if you were there, why didn’t you say something?”

Lee Han wondered why he hadn’t spoken earlier, instead of waiting until he was on the Griffin.

Professor Voladi’s eyebrows jumped up for a moment, then went back down. The professor spoke slowly.

“One must be quiet inside the stable.”

There were some people at the magic school who were even more annoying when they were right, and Professor Voladi was one of them.

It was absurd that someone who did everything they wanted would talk about etiquette.

“I… I see.”

Lee Han took a deep breath and calmed himself.

Professor Voladi’s appearance was shocking, but after sorting through his thoughts, it wasn’t the worst situation.

Unlike other professors, Professor Voladi didn’t seem to care much about Lee Han’s rule-breaking.

“Professor, could you perhaps keep my being outside a secret?”

“I will.”

Professor Voladi answered immediately without hesitation. Lee Han was deeply moved.

Amur, who was flying ahead, noticed their conversation and asked cautiously.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, Amur. He’s a close professor who will keep the secret.”

“Is that so? You’ve met a wonderful teacher.”

Amur was relieved at Lee Han’s words.

Even in Einroguard, where only grim and brutal rumors were heard, there seemed to be a glimmer of warm affection. Amur wiped under his nose with a pleased expression.

“Even if they are not a wizard, meeting a great teacher is fortunate for a student.”

Amur praised Professor Voladi. Professor Voladi nodded calmly.

Lee Han had to try to stop his eyes from widening.

Lee Han could praise Professor Voladi, but for Professor Voladi to nod after hearing that praise…

He would rather it be the skeletal headmaster; Professor Voladi was likely genuinely thinking that way.

“May I ask what brings you out here, Wizard?”

“Preparing for the final exam.”

“Ah.”

“Ah…?”

Lee Han, who had been nodding along, stopped.

“Indeed, professors must worry not only about magic but also about teaching students. It must be very difficult.”

“Hmm.”

Professor Voladi nodded again.

Lee Han had to resist the urge to shout.

“What do you need? It’s fate that we’ve met like this, so if it’s alright, I’d like to help.”

Professor Voladi frowned. He seemed to be pondering something for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Immune to fire, water, and lightning, with strong magic resistance, and a speed of over 60 km/h…”

“Wait, hold on.”

Amur, flustered, forgot his manners and interrupted Professor Voladi.

“Why do you need such a monster?”

“For sparring.”

“…Just a moment… Didn’t you say you were preparing for the final exam?”

Professor Voladi nodded.

Amur was silent for a moment. Silence fell. Amur’s eyes went wide.

Then, realizing the truth, he looked at Professor Voladi with a terrified expression.

“Cou… Could it be…”

“You’re probably thinking what’s right.”

Lee Han whispered.

Amur asked again as if he couldn’t believe it.

“Ah. Perhaps for the upperclassmen’s…”

“No.”

“…No…”

Lee Han could understand Amur’s bewildered feelings.

And in fact, Lee Han was the one who should be most shocked right now.

He shouldn’t have been happy when Professor Voladi canceled class.

He was preparing to go out and bring back a monster to fight Lee Han…

He had to stop it. He absolutely had to!

Lee Han whispered to Amur again.

“Would it be alright to invite one more guest to your house?”

“Of course.”

Amur had previously given Lee Han permission to stay at his house if he managed to escape.

Having received additional permission, Lee Han said with a glint in his eyes.

“Professor.”

“?”

“Where will you be staying when we arrive at the village?”

“An inn.”

“If you don’t mind, why don’t you stay with us at Amur’s house? It’s too much trouble to go all the way to an inn.”

Professor Voladi’s strength was that he nodded well. The professor nodded.

Lee Han made up his mind. He would never let Professor Voladi go.

…Anyone listening might think he was planning to poison him, but it was closer to just keeping him there, not poisoning him.

Amur said, “I suppose we should focus on flying soon.”

Amur pointed ahead, and Lee Han stared in astonishment at the obstacles before them.

Burning rings of fire dotted the sky.

Lee Han asked, “What on earth are those?”

Amur explained, “They’re traps to stop people who are not allowed to enter. Today, we need to pass through the leftmost ring.”

Lee Han replied, “I see,” though he felt strangely uneasy as they flew through the fiery hoop.

Lee Han said, “I think I’ve dreamt something like this before?”

Amur’s house was near the enormous stables. It wasn’t large, but it was sturdy and comfortable.

The problem was the lack of food.

“Well, there’s plenty of feed for the animals here, but…”

Lee Han interrupted, “That won’t do.”

For a moment, Lee Han considered cooking the feed and serving it to the professor, but he stopped himself. He wasn’t that crazy yet.

Lee Han asked, “I’ll gather the necessary ingredients from nearby. Do you perhaps keep chickens?”

Amur asked, puzzled, “If you need groceries, can’t you just go and buy them?”

Lee Han’s mind snapped back to reality.

This wasn’t a lawless, frigid wasteland, but a civilized Imperial town with order and rules.

Lee Han said, “I suppose I can just buy them.”

The canned beans that Amur usually ate weren’t exactly suitable for entertaining Professor Voladi.

In truth, Lee Han wasn’t entirely sure what food *would* be suitable for Professor Voladi, but it certainly wasn’t *that*.

“The key is to get him to eat and drink as much as possible.”

If he had a hearty, warm meal with plenty of wine, surely even the professor, being only human, would get tired and want to lie down.

And then, upon waking, another hearty, warm meal with plenty of wine…

Lee Han declared, “Then I’ll go and buy some.”

Amur said, “I think it would be better if I went with you…”

Amur looked at Lee Han with concern. He looked like someone from a rich and important family, likely never having lifted a finger in his life. Would he even know how to pick out the right ingredients?

One hour later.

Amur was even more astonished than when Lee Han had tamed the griffin.

Amur exclaimed, “No, no! This is even more amazing than taming the griffin!”

Lee Han thought to himself, as he busily prepared sherbet, meringue, pies, and biscotti, “I don’t think so.”

Surely, it wasn’t more impressive than taming a griffin…

Lee Han insisted, “Please, both of you, sit down and eat first.”

“But we can’t possibly…”

Lee Han said with a meaningful glance, “It would be helping me if you did.”

Amur sighed, understanding dawning on his face, and nodded. Amur understood. Lee Han was trying to please the mad professor.

“I hope he doesn’t misunderstand, but it’s probably fine.”

Even if he did misunderstand, it wouldn’t be far from the truth.

A professor who brought a powerful monster to pit against his student deserved to be misunderstood.

Lee Han urged, “Magician, please, in consideration of the effort that has been put into this meal, it would be best if you ate first.”

Professor Voladi nodded.

The wide, rectangular table was already full of freshly prepared dishes. There were large, freshly baked white loaves, honey and spices for dipping, steamed vegetables, porridge, and soup to soothe the stomach before the rich food, a whole brisket seasoned and smoked, smoked salmon, and fish stewed with flounder and clams in wine. Lee Han was still making fruits and sweet desserts. But even without them, the meal was already very grand. Amur, who usually ate simple meals, swallowed without thinking.

Amur began, intending to offer Voladi some wine, “Professor, here…” but he stopped, surprised.

The professor was only picking out the greens, vegetables, and fruits from the table.

Amur inquired, “Perhaps you don’t care for meat?”

Voladi replied, “I do not like it.”

Lee Han wasn’t worried at all.

Since he didn’t know Professor Voladi’s preferences, he had intended to try a variety of things.

“I see.”

Amur couldn’t help but admire Lee Han’s ability to change plans so easily. Even the alchemist who had worked in Pylone Village for over a decade couldn’t change plans so easily.

With a cheerful sound, Lee Han cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Then, he quickly fried them lightly in oil.

As the butternut squash and eggplant fried, they sizzled invitingly. Lee Han lightly fried the vegetables and placed them on a plate with sauce.

Lee Han asked, “How is this?”

Voladi replied, “Delicious.”

As Professor Voladi ate with gusto, Lee Han continued to work. He chopped tomatoes and green onions, whisked in eggs, stir-fried the mixture, peeled the asparagus he had bought earlier, blanched it lightly, and fried it lightly with butter.

Seeing Professor Voladi enjoy every dish, Amur felt relieved and began to offer him more wine. Hearing the two of them drinking behind him, Lee Han smiled knowingly.

Thud!

A sound like someone hitting their forehead echoed. Lee Han turned around, carefully hiding his expression.

Lee Han began, “Would you like some wine salad…” but stopped short.

Amur’s face was red, and he was fast asleep, snoring softly, while Professor Voladi continued to sip his wine, his expression unchanged.

Lee Han didn’t blame Amur. Amur had done his best to help. It was just that Professor Voladi was a madman.

Voladi announced, “It seems we have enough food. Let us dine.”

Lee Han replied, “Ah. Yes.”

Hearing the professor’s voice, sounding completely sober, Lee Han sat down with a sigh.

Lee Han cut into the meat. It was so well-prepared that it was moist and tender.

Lee Han thought, “Even in this situation, the meat is delicious…”

Voladi lightly scolded Lee Han, “Skipping meals or eating irregularly is not a good habit.”

Lee Han almost threw his fork down.

Lee Han said, “I will be more careful in the future.”

Voladi stated, “It’s late, so it would be best to sleep as soon as we finish eating. We will depart as soon as we wake.”

Lee Han asked, “Pardon? Depart where?”

Voladi replied, “To trade for monsters,” then asked, as if puzzled, “Was that not why you treated me to this meal?”

Lee Han admitted, “I am ashamed that my shallow intentions have been exposed.”

Voladi said, “A thirst for knowledge and curiosity are virtues of a magician. There is no need to be ashamed. In the future, simply say so.”

He had accepted the meal out of respect for his disciple’s sincerity, but Professor Voladi didn’t usually prefer talking indirectly.

Lee Han thought, “I’m going to sabotage this no matter what.”

Regardless of Professor Voladi’s reputation, Lee Han resolved to become a difficult customer.