Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 284

Lee Han, Yoner, and Ratford were whispering in the classroom before their potions exam.

“Even if we allow the former, the latter… surely not,” Lee Han started.

No matter how strict Professor Einroguard was, he wouldn’t feed students a potion that would drive the Hydra mad in an examination hall, would he?

…Probably!

“A potion to suppress the Hydra’s regeneration? A potion to detoxify the Hydra’s venom?”

Yoner asked, his voice shaky, “He wouldn’t go that far, surely…”

“Rather, wouldn’t he have brought it as a material? Maybe the potion he’s aiming for requires something like Hydra’s fresh blood as an ingredient,” Lee Han continued.

“Indeed. That makes sense,” Ratford agreed.

However, Lee Han couldn’t easily accept it.

Lee Han said, frowning, “Professor Uregeoreum said he would raise the difficulty of the exam anyway, but isn’t this too simple?”

“It’s not easy.”

“It isn’t easy.”

“No. That seems a bit easy.”

Yoner and Ratford looked at each other, worry in their eyes.

“Wait,” Lee Han said.

Thanks to his hearing, sharpened by enhancement magic, Lee Han noticed the sound of footsteps in the distance. He went into the classroom next door and held his breath. The Death Knights passed by in the hallway, chatting again.

“Whoever it was, they managed to escape. It seems they split in half and were waiting outside? These freshmen are very clever.”

“I don’t think they’re freshmen. Even if they were waiting outside, the moment they touched the sealed door, all their magic would have been sucked away.”

“True. Seeing them pour magic into the seal until it was released, it’s not something a freshman would do. I should go see what the upperclassmen are doing.”

Lee Han vowed inwardly, he would be very careful from now on.

“I believe in you, Marronier,” Yoner whispered, hugging the neck of a chestnut-haired horse.

“Let’s do our best. We can do this, Marronier.”

“Just do as you practiced. Got it?”

Other students also spoke to the horses they had been taking care of for a semester, one by one. As they faced the exam, their voices were filled with determination.

“Phoneg.”

Puh-heung!

When Lee Han spoke to him, Phoneg’s eyes sparkled as if he had been expecting it. Although his master was stingy with praise, this time, surely…

“Don’t attack the other horses.”

…Phee-hee-hee-hee-heeng!!

Phoneg flared up and began to kick up dirt with his hooves. A Gainan Do passing by ate a handful of dirt and spat it out.

“See? You’re acting up like this, that’s why I’m worried.”

Puh-heeng! Puh-hee-heeng! Puh-hee-hee-heeng!

Phoneg cried out in a voice full of injustice. In the first place, the griffin was a noble beast. Since the noble beast was cursed and had the appearance of a horse, wouldn’t it naturally be stressed?

And above all, wouldn’t it naturally be angry that its master was suspicious!

“Alright, alright. I was wrong. Anyway, don’t attack the other horses before I tell you to. Got it?”

‘Before I tell you to?’ Yoner tilted his head and brushed the horse’s fur.

Meanwhile, Professor Lightning-Stride, a jokey, friendly teacher, who had finished working on the spacious vacant lot, appeared, dusting off his hands.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard for a semester. I hope you’ve learned a lot while getting to know your horses. Animals that help wizards like horses are rare. Once you become friends, they won’t betray you and will be the most reliable friends who will help you no matter what. Take them with you after the lecture and spend time together.”

The faces of the students who received the horses they had befriended brightened. Lee Han looked at Phoneg. Phoneg looked back with gentle eyes, as if asking why.

‘Isn’t he not a horse?’

While he was thinking such thoughts, Professor Lightning-Stride looked at Lee Han and asked.

“How about coming to the stable during the vacation?”

Lee Han was horrified.

“Excuse me???????!!?”

“Don’t be so serious, I was just joking.”

‘Ah, shoot.’ Lee Han reflected. He had failed to control his emotions at the absurd remark.

“Of course, telling you to come to the stable during the vacation was a joke, but as long as you take care of Phoneg, you’ll need a little help even during the vacation. Griffins are quite troublesome animals.”

Phoneg neighed as if telling him not to worry. Lee Han was worried about something else in that appearance.

“He’s not going to be uncursed during the vacation, is he?”

“That won’t happen. …Probably. Anyway, if you need help or a spacious place for Phoneg to play, come to the Einroguard stable. I’ll be at the school this vacation.”

“Thank you.”

Of course, Lee Han was planning never to go near Einroguard during the vacation. He wouldn’t even breathe in the direction of Einroguard.

The next day, the tension from the hallway was replaced by the nervous excitement of the Basic Mount Training final exam.

“Now. Shall we start slowly?” Professor Lightning-Stride pointed to the wide-open field with his riding crop, so wide that the end could not be seen. Obstacles installed everywhere.

If the midterm was just a sprint, the final exam required jumping over these obstacles as well. The difficulty seemed quite high, but the students were surprisingly calm.

After taking other final exams for a week, they now found this level of exam trivial.

“This is just a change of pace.”

“That’s right.”

Moreover, there were many students who were confident in the >Basic Mount Training> course, if not in other lectures. Having ridden horses since they were young, everyone had a sense of pride in their hearts that ‘I’m better than the other guys.’

“Yoner. It might be better not to rush ahead when the starting signal comes,” Lee Han said.

“Why?”

Before Lee Han could answer, Professor Lightning-Stride sent the starting signal. Then, the students waiting at the starting line spurred their horses forward like lightning.

Clatter clatter-

Suddenly – WHAM!

One of the students running in the front was hit by a stream of water flying from the side and fell off.

“……”

“That’s why,” Lee Han finished.