Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 34

“I can’t just give anything to the Thunderstep’s prized pupil.”

“…I’m truly delighted.”

Lee Han tried hard not to show his feelings.

Even though Lee Han didn’t really like the professor being nice, he had to pretend to be happy.

A professor in a bad mood was scarier than any demon.

Thunderstep walked slowly and stopped in front of a horse.

The horse was a beautiful white, like fresh snow.

It wasn’t huge, but strong, with muscles that moved under its smooth coat.

The white horse stared at Lee Han and blinked. It didn’t seem dangerous at all.

If Lee Han were younger, he might have thought, ‘Did the professor really give me a good horse?’

But Lee Han was experienced.

He wasn’t easily fooled.

‘Could this be a demon disguised as a white horse?’

Something was definitely suspicious!

“Now, this horse is a really good one. But it has the wildest and most difficult personality in this stable. If you can tame this horse, you can easily tame other monsters,” Thunderstep said, looking very pleased.

“Of course, it might be too difficult for someone just starting out.”

“If you think it’s too—” Lee Han started to say.

“But you, Wodanaz, tamed those Thunderbirds so skillfully! I believe you can do it!”

‘Damn it.’

My reward is a harder challenge!

How could things be so unreasonable and silly…

While Lee Han and Professor Thunderstep were talking, the other students tried to get close to the horses and talk to them.

“Be nice, be ni… Ack! It bit me!”

“Stop spitting! I said stop spitting!”

“It’s headbutting me!?”

The horses were not easy to handle.

As things got chaotic, Nilia carefully spoke to her friends.

“Shouldn’t we try to get to know the horses first?”

“We’re trying to get to know them, aren’t we?”

“I mean, instead of just rushing in and trying to pet them, we could do other things. Like coming early to brush them, clean their stalls, or feed them…”

Nilia didn’t think she was saying anything strange.

Even when she worked for the Shadow Patrol, she had to work hard to tame unfamiliar beasts.

Without time and effort, they wouldn’t trust you.

“Why do we have to do that?”

“Do we have to come to the stables early every morning?”

Nilia was surprised by the negative reaction from the other students.

Even the Black Tortoise Tower had many students from rich families.

They thought servants or slaves should care for horses, not them.

‘Are they all idiots!?’

Nilia almost said, ‘Do you still think you’re outside the school?’ but she stopped herself.

If she said that, she would be seen as strange.

She had to keep it to herself.

‘I’ll just come out here alone. If the horses listen to me, maybe others will listen to me too.’

Lee Han and Yoner walked up to Nilia, who looked sad.

“Nilia, have you chosen a horse?”

“We’re planning to come out every morning to take care of the horses, do you want to join us?”

“…Yes!!”

Nilia hugged Lee Han and Yoner, tears in her eyes.

True friends didn’t care about which tower they were in.

Lee Han and Yoner looked confused.

‘Why is she like this?’

‘I don’t know…?’

After the mount training lecture, Lee Han went to Professor Thunderstep’s cabin with Professor Lightningstep.

Actually, it was more like being dragged along. Lee Han couldn’t say no to Professor Thunderstep.

“You came… no.”

Lee Han saw Professor Thunderstep’s eyes widen and his face turn pale when he saw his older relative!

“…What are you doing here?”

“Do I need a reason to see my nephew! Move aside. Oh my! You’re still living in a cabin in such a remote place. And it’s not even clean! Look at all this dust!”

“I, it is somewhat tidy.”

Thunderstep tried to argue.

The cabin had become tidy since Lee Han arrived.

“Tidy, you say! What kind of tidiness is this! Alchemy is good, but you should find a partner and have children. How long are you going to live alone! The elders are worried about you…”

Thunderstep looked at Lee Han, asking for help. Lee Han couldn’t refuse.

“Um, Professor. Should I make a meal?”

“Ah, yes. I should feed my student. You stay here, Thunderstep. Your cooking is terrible. I’ll make something delicious in the Eastern style.”

“But I don’t really like Eastern style…”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing at all.”

Thunderstep mumbled and closed his mouth. Then, he looked at Lee Han and said desperately.

“Did anything happen to you?”

He wanted to change the subject.

Lee Han thought about what to say.

Should he tell him about joining the Freisinga Order?

“Wait. That staff…”

Thunderstep noticed Lee Han’s staff, which he hadn’t seen before.

“Where did you get that staff?”

“Ah, this?”

Lee Han hesitated.

Then he asked, “You’ll keep it a secret, right?”

Thunderstep was surprised.

He just wanted to change the subject, but he didn’t expect that.

And the way he said it made it sound suspicious…

“…I will.”

“My boy. Our family always keeps secrets,” Lightningstep said, washing his hands after chopping at the cutting board.

“Whatever the secret, we don’t share stories from the dinner table. By the way, what ingredients do you have besides bread and meat?”

“Ah. I can take care of myself…!”

“That’s why you’re getting weaker! Eastern food is best for dwarves. You should eat rice, not wheat. I’ll make my delicious stew.”

Thunderstep looked sad.

The dwarf professor, wanting to change the subject, asked Lee Han again.

“So, how did you get that staff? I can feel the energy of life…”

Lee Han told a shorter version of what happened that night.

-I went for a walk in the mountains at night and met a talking oak tree…

“…You went for a walk in those mountains at night???”

“Yes. The best walks are in quiet, remote places.”

Thunderstep and Lightningstep stared at Lee Han, but he didn’t flinch.

‘He was trying to escape.’

‘An escape attempt.’

There was only one reason a freshman would climb a mountain on a weekend night, right?

“But wait. You met a talking oak tree? Did you solve a riddle?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“It’s a famous spirit… Then that staff must be from the talking oak tree.”

Thunderstep nodded, looking at the staff.

Talking oak trees were picky and annoying, but they had great knowledge.

Lee Han’s staff had the energy of a tree spirit. It was unique.

“Does this staff have any special powers?” Lee Han asked, hoping for something good.

The talking oak tree had said it was amazing…

“That staff is good for farming.”

Lightningstep put the pork stew on the wooden table.

He had stir-fried kimchi (he called it Eastern Pickled Cabbage, but Lee Han called it kimchi) and added seasonings and pork, making a smell that made Lee Han’s heart flutter.

Lee Han, who was from Korea, always liked the Imperial Eastern diet, which was Korean style.

Thunderstep looked sad.

Seeing the green onions and peppers, it looked spicy.

‘You shouldn’t cook spicy Eastern food when you have a student…’

“I will enjoy the meal,” Lee Han said.

Thunderstep was surprised to see Lee Han take a spoonful of rice and mix it into his bowl.

He’s eating well!?

‘Isn’t it spicy? Does he like spicy food?!’

“You know how to eat, Wodanaz,” Lightningstep said, satisfied.

The Empire was so big that some people couldn’t eat food from other regions.

Lee Han, who was eating so well, was a delight.

Older dwarves liked that!

“Why are you picking at your food! Eat quickly!”

“Ah, yes!”

Thunderstep was eating slower than his student. Lightningstep continued his story while they ate.

“Since that staff has tree spirits, it will be good for growing things. It’s a living staff. You can’t find a staff like that easily. It’s precious.”

“Um… are there no other powers?”

“Well? That’s the main power.”

Helping crops grow wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what Lee Han wanted.

‘It was for farming…?’

He had hoped it would make him invincible, or help him learn magic, or at least control mana…

“That’s good. You were going to make a garden anyway.”

“That’s true.”

“A garden?”

Lightningstep was interested in Thunderstep and Lee Han’s conversation.

“Wodanaz isn’t from the Wodanaz family?”

“He’s a bit different.”

“He seems so. What are you going to grow in the garden?”

“I’m going to try growing things that I can eat.”

“He likes Eastern food, so he’s going to plant cabbage and green onions.”

“Really?”

Lightningstep seemed happy. He said with excitement, “If you want, I can help you.”

“Oh. Really?”

“Yes. I’ve grown a garden myself.”

Lee Han went outside the cabin with Lightningstep.

Behind it was an empty lot for Lee Han’s garden.

The soil was ready for seeds or seedlings.

“It’s best to plant things that take a long time first. Potatoes and sweet potatoes will be useful.”

Lightningstep knew the freshmen at this school struggled.

Crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes would be helpful.

“It will take at least two months, but if you plant them now, you’ll be glad later.”

“You’re right,” Lee Han said, agreeing with Lightningstep.

He took potato and sweet potato seeds and planted them in one area of the garden.

‘…He’s from the Wodanaz family?’

Lightningstep was surprised by Lee Han’s work.

Anyone who had worked before would admire Lee Han’s skill.

…Is he really from the magical Wodanaz family?

Thunderstep, who came out of the cabin, felt something was strange.

“Did you plant them on the weekend?”

“Yes? I just planted them now.”

“Really?”

Thunderstep tilted his head.

‘He just planted them now?’

But why do sprouts seem to have already grown?