Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 265

“Professor,” Lee Han said, “I don’t know much about the Empire’s laws, but isn’t taking people against their will… kidnapping?”

Professor Voladi answered, “I got permission.”

Lee Han was surprised. “Permission? From whom?”

Lee Han’s eyes widened. ‘Adventurers are known to be wild,’ he thought, ‘but surely not crazy enough to agree to be kidnapped!’ Then he paused. ‘Wait, that’s probably not right.’

From the adventurers’ point of view, caught trying to scam someone, it wouldn’t have been easy to refuse.

Besides, Professor Voladi probably didn’t capture them kindly and gently, so the atmosphere must have been quite oppressive.

‘If you hold a knife to someone’s throat and ask a question, that’s not permission, it’s coercion.’

“But even if you have permission,” Lee Han asked, “why put them in boxes? And carry them like… luggage?”

Professor Voladi said, “If we let strangers wander around freely, they could cause problems.”

“Indeed.”

Lee Han just said “Indeed,” out loud. But inside his head, he was shouting, ‘You call *that* an explanation?!’

In the middle of the lounge, a giant cake stood like a tower. It was so tall, it almost touched the ceiling! Students from the Blue Dragon Tower stared at Lee Han as if he had brought down the moon itself.

“We’ll all eat it together when the final exams are over. Got it?”

“Gosh…”

“Sharkhan, bite anyone who touches it.”

Sharkhan, the magical creature, suddenly nipped Gainan’s ankle. Gainan yelped and jumped back.

“I didn’t touch it!” Gainan cried. “I was just *thinking* about touching it!”

Lee Han, watching Gainan jump up and down, added.

“Those who fail won’t get any.”

“No…!”

Some students were horrified.

How could he impose such cruel conditions?

“Failing isn’t our fault!”

‘Isn’t it?’

Lee Han ignored his friends’ protests and turned around. Yoner said softly, with a surprised expression.

“I thought you brought it for the festival.”

“What festival? Ah, the Phoenix Festival?”

In the Empire, there were festivals for every season.

The Phoenix Festival was to celebrate the coming of summer.

People told stories that long ago, a magical phoenix helped the sun bring warmth and good weather each year.

Lee Han rolled his eyes slightly. ‘What silly stories,’ he thought. ‘If a phoenix controlled the seasons, it must have been napping when it snowed so heavily at the school last time!’ He also thought the Phoenix Festival wasn’t a very big deal anyway.

Furthermore, the final exam period would begin right after next week ended.

There was no way there would be students foolish enough to celebrate the festival in such a situation…

“…What are you doing?”

“Huh? Making decorations?”

The Blue Dragon Tower students, who were making wreaths by weaving together red-painted feathers and crape myrtles, tilted their heads as if to ask why.

Lee Han sighed inwardly.

‘I forgot these guys were fools.’

He knew that when exams were close, even the most boring things suddenly seemed fun. With only studying and exams left, even a small festival like the Phoenix Festival was enough to make the students lose their minds and stop studying.

“Wodanaz, here’s a wreath. If you wear a wreath during the festival, you’ll be more resistant to the heat.”

‘Thank you.’

“Aren’t you going to study?”

“…I, I’m going to now!”

‘Oops.’

He was going to say thank you for the thought, but his true feelings came out the other way around.

Lee Han looked at the backs of his fleeing friends with pity.

‘Wait. What are these guys doing right now…?!’

Looking around, Lee Han belatedly realized the sense of incongruity.

Everyone was sitting at their desks, but not many were actually studying properly.

Asan was scribbling on paper with a quill, so he thought he was doing his homework, but he was drawing decorations to wear during the Phoenix Festival, and Neblen was making a ball to play with instead of working on his magic project – an assignment to create a magical artifact.

Lee Han looked at the last bastion, the Princess. The Princess hurriedly opened a book and placed it on her desk.

“…Perhaps the Headmaster didn’t create the Phoenix Festival, did he?”

“N-no, isn’t that unlikely?”

Yoner, who was next to him, was embarrassed by the absurd conspiracy theory.

No matter how he thought about it, it didn’t seem likely that the Skull Headmaster had created a festival celebrated throughout the Empire.

“Lee Han, you can concentrate better if you play when it’s time to play.”

Gainan said cautiously. He seemed afraid that Lee Han would slap the back of his head, glancing at Lee Han’s hand.

“Gainan, what are you holding right now?”

“…A top?”

“Is it an assignment?”

“No… um… maybe it could be used for an assignment…?”

Gainan scrubbed and erased the phoenix pattern drawn on the top.

Monday of the new week.

Lee Han had hoped that only the Blue Dragon Tower students were particularly foolish, but the reality was a little different.

Roll roll-

“Wodanaz! Kick the ball to me!”

When a leather ball with a phoenix pattern flew over, Lee Han kicked the ball in the opposite direction.

The White Tiger Tower students pounded the ground and cursed.

“What are you doing!”

“How dare you! Don’t you know it’s the Phoenix Festival?!”

“Study instead.”

The students were making all sorts of excuses to play.

Playing ball to commemorate the Phoenix Festival.

Playing tops to commemorate the Phoenix Festival.

Playing card games to commemorate the Phoenix Festival…

‘Is that guy really shameless for playing card games?’

“I put a phoenix card in the deck.”

“……”

“I, I won’t do it.”

When Lee Han glared at him, Gainan slipped the deck into his pocket.

The Phoenix Festival was a festival where students played with objects decorated with phoenixes instead of preparing something fancy or grand, so it was a very good festival for students to make excuses.

>Basic Magic Personality Education> It seemed that the Skull Headmaster, who had entered the lecture hall, thought so too.

Are you celebrating the Phoenix Festival?

“H-Headmaster!”

The students who were playing chess with phoenix pieces looked at the Skull Headmaster.

However, the Skull Headmaster said kindly.

You can keep playing.

“R-really?”

“Yes,” the Headmaster said, a hint of a smile in his voice. “Go ahead and play. But if you act like fools and fail your exams, *you* will be the ones in trouble, not me.”

“……”

The students quietly cleared the chessboard. The Skull Headmaster was pleased.

As you all know, I didn’t give you any extra assignments out of consideration for you. Even though you have plenty of time to spare.

“No! We’re so busy…”

Take off the phoenix decorations before you say that, you pathetic fool.

The student who spoke turned red and removed the phoenix epaulette attached to his shoulder.

“We were busy in our own way, Headmaster.”

Who dares to say that after seeing your friend just now?

The Skull Headmaster turned his head to find the arrogant speaker. Then he stopped when he saw Lee Han.

…Well. So. Exams are next week.

“……”

The Skull Headmaster couldn’t bring himself to say that Lee Han had plenty of time to spare.

I know you doubt me, but the final exam won’t be that difficult.

“Ha!”

“Sure!”

The Skull Headmaster’s eyes flashed, and the students who had just scoffed were hanging upside down from the ceiling.

You should keep your insults to yourself, you fools. And it’s really not difficult. I can even tell you in advance.

“What is it?”

One student asked with a voice full of disbelief.

An official from the Empire will come and examine your character.

“……”

“……”

The students were more embarrassed than when their friend was hanging upside down.

“We… haven’t really learned anything about character, Headmaster.”

What are you talking about? Even if you didn’t realize it, it’s been accumulating inside you. You better answer well. If you get on the official’s bad side, your life will be tough.

‘This is a bit scary.’

Lee Han was still calm even though he had to fear the final exam several times more than the other students.

But this character examination was frightening.

Who is coming, and what are they going to ask?

‘Is it possible to report the school’s current situation? No. That’s strange. If it were possible to report, it wouldn’t make sense that the Skull Headmaster is still in his position.’

There’s no need to be too afraid.

The Skull Headmaster said softly, noticing the students’ anxiety.

I’ll help you with a rehearsal.

A curtain of darkness fell inside the lecture hall, and the students’ vision narrowed to the point where they could only see their toes.

One by one, come forward!

It was Lee Han’s turn. Lee Han took a step towards the blue glowing eyes floating in the darkness.

State your name.

“It’s Lee Han.”

Not mentioning your family name first. I’ll give you 10 points.

“Uh… does the actual official do that too?”

Quiet. I’m asking the questions. Have you ever felt like attacking someone while attending magic school recently?

“……”

Lee Han was speechless.

‘Damn it. There are too many.’

If the Skull Headmaster had the ability to detect lies, he would be caught immediately.

“It would be a lie to say no.”

Honest. I’ll give you 10 more points.

‘Is this for real?’

It seems like points should be deducted if you confess to wanting to attack someone…

What is the reason you learned magic?

“Among the many disciplines of the Empire, it is the most useful and versatile, so I thought if I learned it, I wouldn’t starve for the rest of my life…”

Is that what you call a reason!?

The Skull Headmaster retorted as if he was dumbfounded.

Lee Han was slightly embarrassed.

“Am I not supposed to answer like this in front of the official?”

That doesn’t matter. As long as you’re not trying to kill someone or summon fragments of a forgotten ancient evil god, anything is fine. More importantly, what’s with that spiritless purpose!? If you go any further, you’ll say your dream is to be an Imperial official!

“Being an official seems good…”

Quiet! I don’t want to hear it. Even if you’re trying to flatter me, that’s too much. Even the official would be embarrassed by that level of flattery!

Lee Han grumbled inwardly.

What’s wrong with being an official…

Next, tell me about the magic you are learning and why you chose that magic… I’ll just skip this question.

“……”

Lee Han was slightly hurt.

Are there any students in other towers that you particularly dislike or find annoying?

“Not really.”

That’s a shame. I would have given you 10 points if you had said yes.

“No…”

After that, several more questions came up. Most of them were about what he was going to do with magic, whether he was planning to use evil secret rituals, and whether he would change the magic circle on the path if a runaway magic was covering a village and he could change it to another village with fewer people, and so on.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t that difficult.

“It’s really not difficult?”

That’s right. It’s not difficult as long as you keep your sanity.

The Skull Headmaster grumbled. He seemed very dissatisfied. Lee Han didn’t understand and asked.

“Is there a problem?”

You may not know it, but every year there are fools who say nonsense! And if they do, it’s all my fault.

‘Ah.’

Lee Han immediately understood what he meant.

Well, if you ask a question and get the answer ‘I’m learning fire magic because I want to burn the whole world,’ the Emperor would say ‘Bring Gonadal Tes.’

The students were more innocent than he thought, so they didn’t know how to lie.

“If anyone in your tower looks like they will say something foolish,” the Headmaster warned, “stop them! Otherwise, it will be bad for all of us.”

“I’ll try,” Lee Han said. “But Headmaster, isn’t something else more worrying?”

“What do you mean?” the Headmaster asked.

Lee Han hesitated. “Well… wouldn’t the official be shocked if they heard about all the… incidents… that happened this semester?”

The Headmaster chuckled. “Don’t worry about that,” he said. “The official coming is from Einrogard.”

“……”

Lee Han couldn’t help but admire.

He’s really smart in the bad parts!

In recent weeks, Professor Voladi’s lectures had become quite physically easier.

But mentally, they had become a little harsher.

Professor Voladi was now teaching advanced combat magic, after finishing the basic lessons. He started asking students about what they had learned in other classes.

“Poisons and curses in black magic. Skeletons in summoning magic. Next.”

“I took structure analysis in illusion magic.”

“You would have learned more from Ogonin.”

“…Oh dear. I almost missed that.”

Lee Han muttered under his breath, “Curse that Skull Headmaster.”