Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 300

Lee Han watched the royals. They were already arguing, even before anything interesting had happened. Prince Bogajun tapped the table.

Prince Bogajun tapped the egg. “Heavy,” he said. “Probably not a flyer.”

Princess Judrantas rolled her eyes. “Oh, really? Are you forgetting about those giant birds that can barely get off the ground? Heavy things *can* fly.”

“I know, I know,” Bogajun said, sounding annoyed. “But if we’re guessing, we should guess the most likely thing.”

“And you’re guessing wrong, as usual,” Judrantas shot back.

“At least I’m not as wrong as you were about that bribed knight!” Bogajun muttered.

Judrantas sniffed. “Well, you couldn’t even cure that silly village sickness! So, no wonder you can’t figure out a simple egg!”

Lee Han thought, ‘No, this is more fun than I thought.’

Lee Han, who had been listening, understood why nobles followed the royals and joined their gatherings. The royals’ quiet arguments were more entertaining than he expected.

Of course, the nobles didn’t follow them for bad reasons…

Tap tap-

” ? ”

Lee Han turned his head. Princess Adenarte, from the same tower, was standing there.

Adenarte bowed her head slightly in thanks and handed Lee Han a pouch wrapped well.

Lee Han thought, ‘How like a royal to know thanks!’

She remembered him stopping her from being forced into a difficult task by her followers last time. She didn’t forget that and was trying to repay him with silver coins.

Lee Han thought, ‘The future of the empire is bright!’

“Thank you,” Lee Han answered and untied the string.

Then, instead of shiny silver coins, a shiny medal appeared.

“????”

Lee Han was surprised for a moment when a medal came out instead of silver coins.

What is this?

Lee Han thought, ‘Ah, there are limits to how much silver coins can weigh, so she gave me valuable jewelry he could sell instead.’

Lee Han was impressed by the princess’s thoughtfulness. Truly, an outstanding intellect worthy of being the top student… no, the second top student of the year. To give him jewelry that he could sell right away.

“Wodanaz-nim. That is a Token of Gratitude,” a follower said.

Lee Han’s face fell at the follower’s kind explanation.

Token of Gratitude. It was a gift given by a family as a sign of thanks when a member of the family owed someone a favor. If you showed this token when you needed help, you could get help from that family anytime, anywhere. Adenarte’s mother’s family was also quite powerful, so the Token of Gratitude was also worth a lot…

Lee Han thought, ‘…Just give me silver coins.’

However, it wasn’t very useful to Lee Han. He wasn’t going to get support from the royals and enter politics, or enter high society…

Besides, it was hard to trade this kind of Token of Gratitude for silver coins. If he was unlucky and made a mistake, it would look like he was ignoring the family’s kindness.

Lee Han hid his disappointment and replied insincerely, “To receive something like this… I feel like it’s too much.”

“Haha. Not at all. The princess is very grateful for Wodanaz-nim’s help.”

“Do you really think I deserve to receive something like this?”

“Yes! Of course.”

The princess nodded, staring as if asking him to accept it.

Lee Han, having failed to get something else, tried not to look upset and put the medal away.

“Thank you.”

“Wait. What are you giving away without permission?” Bogajun said firmly to Adenarte’s follower.

While Bogajun and Judrantas were arguing, Adenarte was trying to take away talent without permission.

Judrantas stopped arguing and joined in. “Trying to force a Token of Gratitude on him. Don’t you know that even good things are annoying if you push them on people?”

Bogajun thought, ‘Surprisingly, he can say something right too.’

However, Adenarte’s followers were not easy to deal with. “Giving away without permission? Bogajun-nim. Adenarte-nim gave this to a friend as a sign of gratitude. The two of them are studying together at Einroguard.”

“Tch…”

“Tch.”

Bogajun and Judrantas groaned and were annoyed.

There was no better excuse to create a friendship than the fact that they were learning at the same school.

Bogajun thought, ‘Such a cowardly move…’

Judrantas thought, ‘To use the fact that they are enrolled in Einroguard like this.’

When the two royals were at a loss for words, the follower continued proudly, “Do you understand? Wodanaz-nim is the princess’s close friend.”

” ? ”

Lee Han tilted his head. Was he?

Lee Han thought, ‘That close… are we that close?’

Of course, she had prepared a meal for him, and they had done things together as they were in the same tower, but he was a little doubtful whether that made them close friends. Even if they were friends…

“Hee hee! Hee hee! Hee hee!”

Gainando seemed to think so too, and was about to protest strongly. ‘If they’re close, I’m closer!’

Of course, there was no effect as the other words were sealed.

“Be quiet. There are many eyes watching,” Yonel poked Gainando in the side.

Lee Han had tried hard to look good in front of the nobles who had come to today’s meeting, but he was trying to ruin it. This cousin needed to learn to be grateful.

“Hmph. Friendships at school are like a game. Just because you learned together doesn’t mean you’ll help each other.”

“You’re rarely right. That’s right. Isn’t it silly to think that you’ll help someone just because you have a little friendship?” The two royals changed their direction and tried to shake their friendship.

Of course, neither Lee Han nor Adenarte were shaken. Adenarte was calm, and Lee Han didn’t really have any thoughts.

Lee Han thought, ‘It’s not wrong though.’

It was silly to say that you would help someone just because you went to the same school. By that logic, Gainando would already be a follower…

“By the way. How about we try to guess the identity of that egg?”

“I think you can do it well enough,” Bogajun and Judrantas suggested a riddle to win Lee Han’s favor.

Of course, that was not an act of winning Lee Han’s favor at all.

Lee Han thought, ‘I said I don’t want to, why do these guys keep doing this.’

It would be nice for them to fight among themselves, but they were trying to include Lee Han, so it was annoying. Just as he was about to refuse, something flashed through Lee Han’s mind.

‘!’

An egg that was strangely familiar. He felt like he had seen it somewhere…

Lee Han thought, ‘A Basilisk’s egg!!’

He clearly remembered Professor Volardi receiving it and being disappointed. He wondered why he had only remembered it now.

“Isn’t that a Basilisk’s egg?” Lee Han asked in a surprised voice.

Of course, as long as it didn’t hatch, it didn’t matter much whether it was a Basilisk’s egg or a Dragon’s egg… Isn’t it a little dangerous?

Lee Han thought, ‘Do the royals usually do this kind of riddle when they gather? Even though it’s not Einroguard?’

The noble who brought the egg, Brodon, laughed as if he was wrong. “It’s not a Basilisk’s egg. Wodanaz-nim.”

“Is that… so?” Lee Han paused when the other person answered surely. He wondered if he had seen it wrong.

“Yes. Please believe me. There’s no way I would bring such a dangerous egg to this gathering.”

“Where did you get it?”

“I bought it from a merchant, but?”

“……”

Lee Han’s face hardened as he tried to believe him. It wasn’t an egg that he raised or obtained himself, but an egg that he bought from a merchant. He suddenly felt worried.

Lee Han thought, ‘…It’ll be okay.’

When he thought about it, it didn’t seem like it would be a big problem whether it was a Basilisk’s egg or a Dragon’s egg, as long as there was no sign of it hatching. He’ll take it back after the meeting…

Crack!

As something was about to come out from inside with the sound of the egg cracking, Lee Han reacted immediately.

“Everyone, get down!”

The time Lee Han had spent being trained hard at Einroguard didn’t fail him. Because of that, he was able to draw his wand and cast a spell faster than anyone else.

“Spring forth. Unfold!”

A huge mass of water sprang up from the air and turned into a barrier, surrounding the glass case. One of the most dangerous things when dealing with a Basilisk is its Evil Eye. The Basilisk’s eyes, which cast a curse that turns you to stone the moment you meet them, were dangerous even for a newborn hatchling.

“I’m going to… Ack!”

“Stay still!”

“No, I’m going to…”

“You too!”

Lee Han grabbed the royals by the back of their necks and shoved them behind the table, then shouted to his friends. “Remember what we did last time? Move like that time! Keep your heads down and look through the mirror! Move!”

Lee Han set up the table and pushed the nobles behind it. He did it so that they wouldn’t accidentally stick their heads out and meet the Evil Eye.

Crash! Thud!

The sound of glass breaking was heard, and then a dull sound came from the water barrier. Lee Han was surprised by the impact that felt like it would break through at any moment.

“How can it be this strong when it’s just a hatchling?”

“Ah! Wodanaz-nim!” Zolbabden, who was hiding under the table next to him, shouted as if he understood. “Brodon-nim often gives growth potions to the eggs to take good care of them!”

“……”

Zolbabden was excellent at information, as expected of a source of information in high society. Of course, it wasn’t very helpful information now!

Brodon, who had not yet understood the situation, shouted as if he was denying reality. “It might not be a Basilisk, might it?”

“Whatever it is, a guy who’s rampaging like that must be vicious! Everyone, don’t come out from behind the table! Sharkan, come out! Pergunta, I need your strength!”

Lee Han, realizing that the situation was unusual, tried to take the lead with his strongest card. If he foolishly tried to save it, the situation could only get worse. However, when Lee Han had summoned Pergunta halfway, the water barrier was finally torn.

Sssssss!

Surprisingly, a burning sound was heard from the water barrier. The monster inside had torn the water barrier with poison because it couldn’t break through with force. The monster’s appearance flashed from within the torn gap. A vicious monster born from the souls of a snake and a rooster, a Basilisk!

Pat!

The Basilisk, sensing who was the most threatening wizard, immediately cast the Evil Eye at Lee Han. The vertically long eyes flashed and sent out a curse that turns you to stone.

“…The one who contracted with you calls you with due qualification!”

-?????-

However, Lee Han wasn’t shaken even after being hit by the curse that turns you to stone. In fact, he was so focused on casting the spell that he didn’t even notice that the Basilisk had cast the curse.

Pat, pat, pat!

The curse was cast again and again, but Lee Han deflected it all. And Pergunta was summoned.

Rumble, crash!

Thunder and lightning struck in the room, and a huge lightning spirit began to take shape above Lee Han. What a mess?! He really brings trouble wherever he goes!

“…I’ll explain that later! The Basilisk is trying to escape! Stop it!”

Pergunta understood quickly at Lee Han’s urgent cry. If there was a Basilisk trapped inside that water barrier, it was very serious. There were quite a few people who were not wizards, so it could lead to a terrible problem.

Pergunta thought, ‘Of the many mistakes you’ve made today, the best choice you’ve made is summoning me!’

Pergunta’s body swelled greatly and shot out like lightning, and rushed into the water barrier.

Pergunta thought, ‘Whether it’s a Basilisk or whatever, stop it now…’

…It fainted?

“Yes?”

It fainted. It looks like it’s exhausted. Pergunta removed the water barrier and showed the fallen Basilisk. It was lying there as if it were dead. Sharkan also poked the Basilisk. But even then, the Basilisk didn’t get up.

“Is that… so?”

Yeah.

A moment of awkward silence passed between Lee Han and Pergunta. Lee Han said awkwardly, “Anyway, thank you for coming.”

Pergunta glared at Lee Han.