Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 271

“The Empire has many beasts. Some are gentle, some are scary. Some are shy, and some are brave. It’s almost impossible for even the best wizard to know everything about them. But a smart wizard knows how to be clever by understanding what the beasts usually do.”

Knowing how one monster acts or what it doesn’t like can help you guess things about similar monsters.

Smart explorers use this to learn about monsters and get ready for them.

‘How am I going to learn what Cerberus likes to do?’

Sometimes, even that doesn’t work.

Especially now.

‘Can I treat Cerberus like other dogs or wolves?’

He was scared he would get bitten if he tried to scratch Cerberus’s chin.

“I don’t think you’ll learn these things right away. There’s an easier way that works for most beasts.”

Professor Lightning-Foot tapped the bottom of the cauldron with his boot.

“You can feed them.”

The students breathed in quickly, looking more confused and worried than happy or like they understood.

‘Feed Cerberus?’

‘Are we going to be the food?’

“Feeding them hasn’t been too hard until now, right?”

“Huh???”

The students remembered being headbutted and spat on by horses at the stables. They were horrified.

But Professor Lightning-Foot didn’t care and kept talking.

“The Empire has more than just horses. If you want to handle the beasts you’ll see next semester, you need to learn how to feed them.”

Lee Han didn’t want to ask what beasts were coming next semester.

“Okay, start! Feed Cerberus in the order you finish your dishes!”

The students hurried to the cauldrons when the professor told them to start.

In the middle of the open space, there were common vegetables like meat, carrots, potatoes, onions, and cabbage. There were also strange fruits, mushrooms, and spices that no one knew.

The students grabbed baskets and wondered what to pick.

“What kind of food does a three-headed dog like? I’ve been making good onion soup lately. Should I make that?”

‘A three-headed dog is still a dog, but is it okay to give it onions?’

Lee Han tilted his head and started picking ingredients.

Lee Han picked things that dogs usually like.

They probably like sweet fruits like apples, and meat or fish.

“Has anyone seen sweet potatoes? Gainan, have you seen any sweet potatoes?”

“Why are you asking me?”

Gainan wondered why he was being asked.

“You like sweet potatoes, right?”

“…Are you asking because you think I took them all?”

Lee Han didn’t answer and walked away. Gainan felt annoyed and followed him.

“Hmm. I guess there aren’t any sweet potatoes.”

“Hey!”

‘I guess I have no choice.’

Lee Han took a sweet potato wrapped in paper from his pocket.

It was a sweet potato from Professor Thunder-Foot’s garden, baked, peeled, sliced, and dried.

Professor Lightning-Foot watched and asked, “Why do you have dried sweet potatoes in your pocket?”

“In case I get lost?”

“……”

Lee Han went to the cauldron while Professor Lightning-Foot was speechless.

He didn’t know what Cerberus liked, so he couldn’t make anything too fancy.

‘I’ll keep it simple and try different foods.’

He wanted to see how Cerberus reacted to different cooked foods.

Lee Han started grinding meat and making it into sticks. Some brave students stepped up.

“Oh, great three-headed dog! I brought you food!”

-Woof!

Cerberus’s left head barked. The students put grilled pork ribs on a plate and walked closer carefully.

“Wait… wait…”

“Are you sure it won’t attack?”

They were scared when six big eyes stared at them.

The students shook as they gave the grilled meat to Cerberus.

Snap!

Cerberus’s left head bit the grilled meat, chewed it, and spat it out.

“?!?”

“Huh?!”

Professor Lightning-Foot chuckled and said, “Don’t think of it as just a wild monster. It only eats the best food, so it’s picky. Plus, it had a snack before coming here, so it’s already full.”

“…So, it won’t eat anything we give it?!”

“A great wizard should be able to feed it anyway.”

“……”

Sssssss-

The students stopped talking, and the sound of meat grilling got louder.

Most of the students thought, ‘If I grill the meat well, it’ll eat it, right?’

‘This is bad. I thought the same thing.’

They couldn’t use seasonings or fancy cooking. If the smell was too strong, it might spit it out.

Shiles, from the Richmond family, called out to Lee Han quietly.

“Wodanaz.”

“What’s wrong?”

Shiles looked around and gave Lee Han a small bottle with colorful powder inside.

“Our family uses this secret powder. Animals love it.”

Shiles’s family had a big business with carriages and animals. So, Shiles knew a lot about animals.

“You helped me last time, so I’ll help you this time. Take it. It’ll love it if you mix it in.”

“This is precious. Thank you, Shiles.”

Lee Han said it honestly.

He only helped him last time because he was promised silver coins!

Shiles winked, filled his bowl with soup, and stood up. The other students got excited.

“What’s he doing? It just spit everything out!”

“He’s from the Richmond family. He must have something!”

Shiles’s friends watched hopefully.

Shiles put down the bowl. Cerberus came closer and sniffed.

Ptooey!

All three of Cerberus’s heads spat on Shiles’s face.

Shiles’s face was covered in spit. He turned to Lee Han and said, “…Sorry, Wodanaz. I guess it didn’t work.”

“……”

Shiles failed, and no other students stepped up.

But Professor Lightning-Foot was strict. He started pushing the students forward one by one.

“Okay, time’s up. Bring your dishes!”

“W-wait! Professor! Give us more time!”

The students were failing. Cerberus kicked the bowls, blew air to knock them over, and turned its heads away from other dishes.

Lee Han realized it was almost his turn. He wondered why he was doing this.

‘I don’t think this is what wizards do…’

-Woof!

Cerberus’s left head barked. It reacted the same way it did to the other students. Lee Han reached for his wand.

He was going to make a shield if spit came flying.

Munch munch munch munch-

“…?”

Cerberus reacted differently.

It was eating the dried sweet potato that Lee Han had taken out.

The other two heads looked worried because the left head ate first.

“Wait. Share.”

-Grrrr! Woof! Grrr! Woof!

-Woof!

-Woof!

The head that didn’t get any sweet potato was angry, but the other two were happy. Lee Han asked Professor Lightning-Foot, “Was sweet potato the right answer?”

“…No??

Professor Lightning-Foot was confused.

The sweet potato wasn’t even one of the ingredients.

Cerberus doesn’t even like sweet potatoes.

“Did it get hungry while waiting? Okay! Heads up!”

Cerberus’s three heads stopped and stood up straight when Professor Lightning-Foot said that.

Lee Han looked at the bowl. Only the sweet potato was gone.

“Was that from the garden?”

“Yes.”

“It was good, but… this good?”

Professor Lightning-Foot was amazed.

It was his niece’s garden, and he had eaten food made with those vegetables. He thought they were fresh and full of nutrients.

But now that he saw Cerberus, he wondered if there was something else.

“I wonder?”

“The other students must have eaten it too. You would have seen how they reacted, right?”

“Well… they eat anything I give them.”

The students looked embarrassed.

They would eat anything Lee Han cooked without even thinking about it.

They would probably eat buttons and rocks if Lee Han put them in the pot.

“That’s amazing… Okay, let’s check again. After class, dig up some sweet potatoes and dry them.”

“…Professor. I have final exams…”

Lee Han looked sad.

Professor Lightning-Foot felt sorry and apologized, “Sorry. You can’t do it now. Let’s test it next semester.”

“Thank you!”

-Woof! Woof woof!

Cerberus’s three heads barked.

It was like they were complaining about what they would do during vacation.

Night.

Lee Han frowned, feeling tired.

“Is everyone okay?”

“…Ugh.”

“Ughh.”

“Looks like it.”

Lee Han nodded. His friends were scattered around the lounge.

Lee Han poured hot coffee into a tin cup and walked to the tower’s window to clear his head.

Looking at the dark night sky full of stars made the hardship seem like nothing.

‘Not really.’

Lee Han blinked and took a sip. Something was wrong.

‘It’s still the middle of the night?’

It was the middle of the night, but it was getting brighter.

It was like dawn.

His friends noticed the light and turned their heads.

“What’s going on?”

“What is it?”

The students realized what was happening when it was as bright as morning.

The phoenix was in front of the Blue Dragon Tower.

“Wow… Waaaah!”

The students gasped.

The phoenix was making midnight as bright as day!

“I was sleepy, but now I’m awake, right?”

“The phoenix appearing isn’t bad.”

“…Close the windows!”

Lee Han shouted and moved. His friends were confused.

“W-what?! Why!?”

“Close the windows! The phoenix is coming!”

The phoenix saw the students and was coming closer.

Some feathers flew in through the open window, and flames started in the lounge.

“…!!!”

“N-no! My homework! My homework!!”

“Homework isn’t important! Put out the fire!”