Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 293

Lee Han paused. Instead of Asan, another elder from the Asan family appeared. He wondered, “Is this a trap?”

Was Asan trying to avoid repaying the money?

No, Asan didn’t seem like someone who would do that. But Lee Han couldn’t relax.

Even if Asan was honest, his family members might not be. Some nobles were honest, but others were not.

Some nobles valued honor, but others, like Lee Han, saw it as just a way to save face.

Nobles had many ways to avoid paying debts while still looking honorable. For example, they could say Lee Han was being rude and kick him out before he could ask for his money.

That would be a problem. Since Lee Han was from the Wodanaz family, he couldn’t just shout outside the mansion, “The Dalcard family must repay what they owe!”

For big debts, nobles could be harsh. But for smaller debts, like Lee Han’s, they might try to ruin your name. They would spread bad stories to hurt your honor.

Whether the Dalcard family was disgraced or not, Lee Han wouldn’t get his money back. That was unacceptable.

The best way was to avoid giving them any reason to complain.

“Hello,” Lee Han said clearly. “I am Lee Han, from the Wodanaz family.”

He bowed politely, making sure to do everything exactly right.

Daihal and Haidan watched him closely. For a moment, their hard faces seemed to soften, just a little. Then, they were stern again. Most people would not have noticed the change, but Lee Han was different.

He was very good at seeing small changes in people’s faces. Even the headmaster, who was like a skeleton, knew this! Lee Han could even tell what the strange professors at Einroguard were feeling.

*Good,* Lee Han thought. *First step done.*

Even though they seemed happy, Lee Han stayed alert. He still didn’t know what they really wanted.

“It’s an honor to meet a wizard from the Wodanaz family,” said Daihal. “I am Daihal from the Dalcard family.”

“I am Haidan from the Dalcard family,” said Haidan.

Lee Han shook hands with the twins. Their hands were cold and dry.

“As someone from the Wodanaz family, you must be doing well at Einroguard,” said Daihal.

“Oh, I’m not that special. Einroguard has lots of amazing students,” Lee Han replied.

The twins’ faces became serious again. They didn’t expect someone from the famous Wodanaz family to be so modest. They wondered if he wasn’t very good.

“Really?” Daihal asked. “Who are these students who are better than a wizard from the Wodanaz family? Who are they?”

“Uh…” Lee Han didn’t know what to say. He was the best student in his year. He had been too modest!

*Damn it. Did I make a mistake?* he thought.

The twins frowned when Lee Han didn’t answer. Asan whispered to them, “Brothers, Wodanaz is the top student in his year.”

“Is that true?” Haidan asked.

“Asan, you’ve found a good friend. Good. Learn from him, both of you,” Daihal said. Their faces softened.

Asan was surprised to see his strict siblings acting this way. “Wait, you’re happy about this? You’re never usually happy about anything I do!” he exclaimed.

“What are you talking about? We’re happy you’ve made a good friend,” Daihal replied.

“You usually make so many mistakes that there’s nothing to be happy about. You should have done better in the first place,” Haidan added.

Lee Han thought, *Hmm. They’re quite mad.* They seemed a bit strange, scolding their younger brother like that. He guessed they were there to see what kind of person their brother’s friend was.

*I’m really glad I came before Gainan,* Lee Han thought, agreeing with Asan.

“And who is this?” Daihal asked, looking at Raetford.

Raetford hesitated, overwhelmed. Before he could speak, Lee Han said, “This is Raetford. The top student in the Tower.”

Daihal and Haidan’s faces softened again. “You’ve made excellent friends,” Daihal said.

“Learn from him, both of you,” Haidan added. “The first reception room is free. If you need anything, just ask.”

The twins greeted Lee Han and Raetford politely and left, looking pleased.

Raetford was confused. “I’m not the top student in the Tower?” he asked.

“It meant the top thief. Let’s go,” Lee Han said.

Raetford and Asan stared at Lee Han in disbelief, but Lee Han didn’t care.

“So that’s why they’re like that,” Lee Han said after Asan explained everything.

“Oh dear,” Raetford responded.

Lee Han felt sorry for Asan. *Wait a minute. This isn’t the right time to ask for money,* he thought. He couldn’t bring it up while Asan was complaining about his talented siblings.

“I’m sorry, Wodanaz,” Asan said. “I’m probably not the only one with this problem. You must be the same, right?”

Not everyone in a noble family was happy. The family’s honor and responsibilities were a heavy burden, and the children had to compete with each other.

Lee Han thought it sounded like a privileged complaint. It was better to compete in a family than to not compete at all. Besides, Lee Han’s situation was different.

“No,” Lee Han said. “Our family isn’t very interested in each other.”

“Really? Well, the Wodanaz family is a bit unique,” Asan replied. They were known for ignoring politics and focusing only on magic.

“By the way, Asan, about the money…” Lee Han started.

“Ah! What should I do? Wodanaz? I don’t want to disappoint my siblings! Help me! You’re the only one who can give me good advice,” Asan interrupted.

Lee Han changed the subject. “You said there’s a party at the mansion today, right? You can show off your skills there.”

Lee Han didn’t know how good the other magic students were, but he knew they couldn’t be better than the students at Einroguard. Asan’s magic should impress the guests.

Then Asan’s siblings would be happy, and Lee Han could get his money back.

“That’s a good idea,” Asan said. “At the party.”

“Actually, it would be even better to just pretend I don’t exist,” Raetford joked.

“Thanks for the joke, Wodanaz. I feel more confident now,” Asan said.

*It wasn’t a joke,* Lee Han thought.

The party was full of important people, but it wasn’t very exciting. It was like the lounge at the Tower, but with better snacks.

Musicians played music (in the Tower, students sang because they were hungry). Nobles played chess or cards (the same as in the Tower). They talked about interesting things that had happened in the city.

“This is a new jeweled staff,” one noble said. “Three other people wanted it, so it was hard to get, but worth it.”

“I’m worried because the price of Ahmad has gone up,” another said. “I ordered something from the workshop, but they might ask for more money.”

*Familiar,* Lee Han thought. Showing off and talking about their problems was just like the students in the Tower.

“Oh, are you students from Einroguard?” someone asked when Lee Han, Asan, and Raetford appeared.

It was vacation time, and they had heard that a member of the Dalcard family was at Einroguard, so they were curious.

“That’s right,” Lee Han replied.

“It’s an honor to meet you! I am Guun. I work with silk,” a man said.

Guun was being humble. Someone who ran a small fabric business wouldn’t dress like him. He wore patterned silk and had jewelry on his wrist. He was clearly rich.

*Rich,* Lee Han thought. He liked rich people.

“I am Lee Han from the Wodanaz family. I look forward to working with you,” Lee Han said, smiling to make a good impression.

He saw fear in the other man’s eyes.

“Wo… Wodanaz family…! I… I look forward to working with you…” Guun stammered.

Lee Han sighed. He just wanted to be friendly, but the Wodanaz name scared people!

Still, he didn’t give up. “Even though I’m not very strong, if you ever need help with magic…”

It wasn’t a very useful offer. Even a first-year student at Einroguard was better than most wandering wizards. Wizards were rare, and many people claimed to be wizards just by making a small flame.

Someone at this party could easily hire a real wizard. Lee Han wasn’t really offering magic help; he was just trying to start a conversation.

“Yes… I will. Thank you,” Guun replied.

*Damn it. I’m screwed,* Lee Han thought. The man’s reaction wasn’t good. He felt disappointed.

“You’re students from Einroguard?” someone asked.

Lee Han and his friends turned around. The man was clearly a wizard. The magic around him felt different.

“That’s right,” Lee Han said.

“I heard you’re new. Can you show me your skills?” the wizard asked.

Normally, Lee Han would have used his family name to say, “Who do you think you are, testing me? Have you given me money? Are you a professor?” But this was different.

He was already planning to show off his magic. *Thank you,* he thought.

He couldn’t just say, “Ladies and gentlemen, watch us! We’re students from Einroguard!” That would be embarrassing. The other person had to ask first.

“My skills aren’t great, but I’ll do my best,” Lee Han said.

“What’s going on?” someone asked.

“The students from Einroguard are going to show us some magic,” another said.

“We’re lucky today! I never thought I’d see this,” a guest exclaimed.

The guests stopped talking and watched with interest. The situation was perfect.

*But who is this guy?* Lee Han wondered.

“Let me introduce myself. I am Doin from the Valor family. I studied magic at Valdrogard,” the wizard said.

“Ah,” Lee Han responded.

“Hmm,” Raetford added.

One of the guests gasped. “Valdrogard! That’s one of the best magic schools in the Empire!”

*Is this how school spirit is born?* Lee Han almost said. What kind of magic school lets you leave whenever you want?