Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 344

Rowena exclaimed, “That’s right!”

Lee Han stared at her in astonishment.

Rowena, not noticing Lee Han’s gaze, continued happily, “Here at Wodanaz, he is also studying other magic and is receiving the professor’s favor.”

Lee Han thought, ‘Rowena is being very clumsy.’

He lamented inwardly, wondering how she could suddenly call him a disciple when she didn’t even know if Puyo was Professor Verus’s enemy or friend.

“I see,” Puyo responded.

“Puyo, do you also know Professor Verus?” Rowena asked.

“He once tried to cut off my body,” Puyo replied.

The atmosphere turned chilly.

The Princess and Lee Han simultaneously looked at Rowena, their eyes seeming to say, ‘What are we going to do about this atmosphere?’

Unlike Lee Han, who could quickly mediate even among the demons of hell, Rowena didn’t have such talent and eventually blurted out, “Were you… were you cut?”

“…Wow… that’s really not it…” Kleutran muttered.

Kleutran shook his head. Puyo’s words were strange.

Lee Han, unable to watch any longer, intervened, “It’s truly unbelievable. How could anyone try to cut off someone else’s body? Although I am learning under the professor, I have always thought that such actions of his were wrong.”

“Y-yes, that’s right. And Wodanaz isn’t receiving favor because he wants to. What madman would want to work under a professor during vacation?” Kleutran added.

Puyo waved his hand as if to say he understood, “Just because I have a grudge against my teacher doesn’t mean I hold a grudge against his disciple. And it’s not like I don’t understand Professor Verus. I would have wanted to cut you too. The body of a wood spirit hybrid is a precious material.”

He explained that spirit hybrids appeared because there were those who had contracted with spirits among their ancestors, and the power embedded in the bloodline was manifested in later generations, awakening them as hybrids. As such, the body of a spirit hybrid was indeed a precious material.

‘Hmm. He’s a crazy person,’ Lee Han thought.

When Puyo said, ‘I would have wanted to cut you too,’ the students thought Puyo was also a little crazy, like Professor Verus.

‘Are all Buyeo wizards crazy people?’ Lee Han wondered.

“I’m more curious about something else than what happened between me and Professor Verus. You’re receiving Professor Verus’s favor?” Puyo asked.

“There’s some exaggeration in that,” Lee Han replied.

“Have you met him separately outside of class time?”

“Uh… yes.”

“Have you worked together separately?”

“Th-that’s… yes.”

“Did he perhaps let you work in Professor Verus’s workshop?”

“No… that’s…”

“Can’t you just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’?”

“…Yes.”

“You are indeed receiving favor,” Puyo concluded.

Lee Han felt it was unfair, but he didn’t know what to say back.

“Professor Verus doesn’t usually treat his disciples like that. You must be really talented,” Puyo remarked.

“It’s because of my magic power,” Lee Han explained.

He began to explain how he had a lot of magic power, so Professor Verus was trying to exploit that magic power like a gangster.

After hearing the explanation, Puyo nodded in amazement.

“So that was it!”

“Yes. Professor Verus…”

“Ah, that’s not what I meant. I felt a chilling pressure when you came in,” Puyo interrupted.

Lee Han belatedly remembered that Puyo was a spirit hybrid.

‘I thought it was okay since he didn’t say anything….’

“Did you?” Lee Han asked.

“Yes, I did. But don’t worry about it. I’ve met many guests more dangerous than you,” Puyo replied.

“That’s not very comforting,” Lee Han said bitterly.

It wasn’t comforting to say to someone with a ferocious appearance, ‘It’s okay! You’re better than the empire’s top criminals!’

Puyo thought it was strange. Professor Verus, even with his odd personality, would not ask a student with no skill to help him, no matter how much magic power they had.

“He must have needed that much magic power,” Lee Han grumbled cynically, but Puyo didn’t accept it and instead looked curious.

“You said you were a freshman? How many circles of Buyeo magic have you succeeded in?” Puyo asked.

“…4…”

“What? I didn’t hear you correctly.”

“4… circles…”

A moment of silence passed.

From Lee Han’s friend to Puyo, everyone stared intently at Lee Han.

No matter how they thought about it, it wasn’t a level of magic that a freshman could have already succeeded in.

“I see,” Puyo said.

“The thing is…” Lee Han started.

“No. You don’t have to tell me that far,” Puyo cut off Lee Han’s words.

Whether Professor Verus forced him or Lee Han did it out of luck, the important thing was that he succeeded.

That’s all he needed to know, so what was so important about the circumstances involved?

“If you’re working with Professor Verus, you must have made a few simple artifacts. What did you make?” Puyo asked, with genuine interest rising, as he picked up paper and a quill.

Lee Han answered cautiously, “I made magic firecrackers.”

“Magic firecrackers. That must have been difficult for a freshman,” Puyo said.

“??” Kleutran, who was listening, asked with a puzzled expression, “Was there something like that in the lecture?”

“I was called separately to make them,” Lee Han answered.

‘How many times has this Wodanaz been called?’ Kleutran wondered.

Surely everyone’s day was the same 24 hours, but something was strange.

Why did Wodanaz’s day seem to be several times longer than others’?

“Magic firecrackers… was that all?” Puyo asked.

“There’s the shield, isn’t there? Mr. Wodanaz,” Rowena whispered. Lee Han answered gently, “Thanks a lot.”

“…D-did I do something wrong…” Rowena wondered.

“Shield? What shield?” Puyo asked.

“Th-the one with levitation, automatic defense…” Rowena stammered.

“It reflected too, didn’t it?” Kleutran interjected.

“Reflection?!” Lee Han squeezed his eyes shut.

‘I think I know why the Blue Dragon Tower and the White Tiger Tower fight every time,’ Lee Han thought.

“I did the reflection separately…” Lee Han admitted.

“Even reflection attributes… I’m honestly surprised,” Puyo said.

The faster Puyo’s quill moved, the more anxious Lee Han became.

Professors often did things like that, and it rarely ended well for Lee Han.

Puyo persistently continued to pry and then put down the quill with satisfaction.

“Indeed. I see why Professor Verus worked with you,” Puyo said.

“The professor has never said anything nice to me…” Lee Han muttered.

“That’s just Professor Verus’s personality. You have to look at his actions, not his words, to know. I’ve heard a lot about how outstanding Einroguard’s students are, but this is truly amazing. Hmm… would you like to come this way?” Puyo asked, pointing to the inside of the workshop, which he hadn’t allowed earlier.

Seeing that, Lee Han felt a sense of foreboding.

It was a similar feeling to when Professor Verus called Lee Han.

“Puyo, can the Princess come with us here?” Lee Han asked.

?! The Princess, who was thinking that Lee Han was probably going to the workshop alone, was flustered.

“Mr. Wodanaz…!” The Princess exclaimed.

“Wodanaz is so considerate,” Rowena and Kleutran said, impressed by Lee Han’s consideration to share the opportunity to tour Puyo’s workshop with a friend.

However, the Princess thought differently.

She strongly felt that Lee Han didn’t want to be dragged away alone, so he called her.

“Do as you please. I didn’t ask, but you must have some skill,” Puyo said.

“It’s okay. Let’s go,” Lee Han said.

The Princess nodded at Lee Han’s words and reflected slightly, doubting the kindness of a friend who was being kind purely because of a feeling.

It was an arrogant act that was impossible for a member of the royal family.

“…Thank you for inviting me,” she said.

“You’re welcome. Instead, let’s work together if Puyo asks us to do something,” Lee Han replied.

The Princess stared at Lee Han, who was walking ahead with a shocked face.

What…?!

“Try to refine these staffs,” Puyo instructed, handing over the wood along with the paper with the drawings.

Lee Han and the Princess sat on the chairs inside the workshop and silently began working.

Lee Han pretended not to notice that the Princess seemed to be staring intently from the side.

‘I need to avoid eye contact until we leave,’ he thought.

It was originally good to go with other friends when the professor called.

They could divide the work, and above all, in the worst-case scenario, they could use their friend as a scapegoat and escape themselves.

Of course, there was a minor problem that the friend might resent them.

Puyo led them into the workshop. It smelled of wood and herbs, and shelves lined the walls, filled with strange tools and glowing crystals. Half-finished staffs lay on workbenches, and the air hummed with a faint magical energy.

Puyo gave them pieces of smooth, dark wood and drawings of staffs. Lee Han picked up a small, sharp knife and began to carefully carve, feeling the wood grain under his fingers. He tried to sense the magic within the wood, guiding his cuts to follow its flow.

“Excellent,” Puyo said, satisfied with the work of the two students.

In Lee Han’s case, he had great expectations as Professor Verus had guaranteed him, not to mention what he had just heard, and he did not disappoint those expectations at all.

He was much better than an average new Buyeo wizard.

The same was true for the Princess.

He was worried about whether she would be okay just listening to the words of other followers, but looking at the way she moved her hands, he could feel that she was born with magical talent.

Carving a staff wasn’t just about looking at a picture and copying it.

Each time they carved, they had to grasp the flow of magic around the staff and shape it so as not to go against that flow.

As much as it was something that a wizard lacking in senses couldn’t follow no matter how much they were told, the results of the two were even more satisfactory.

Puyo gave them a few more tasks after that, and they did a great job.

Puyo, who was finally convinced, opened his mouth, “Would you like to learn Buyeo magic in my workshop during the remaining vacation?”

The Princess nodded. “I will do my best.”

Puyo’s offer was not just a job offer.

Puyo was an artifact craftsman recognized not only in Granden City but also in the Empire.

Moreover, Puyo was so picky that he didn’t even accept ordinary wizards as disciples in his workshop.

The very fact that they had received an offer to work under such a Puyo was an act that raised their reputation. Moreover, the two were still freshmen.

Puyo answered as if he was grateful, “I can’t say the work will be easy, but you will definitely learn a lot…”

Puyo, who was talking, realized something strange.

Only the Princess had answered.

“Do you have other plans?” Puyo asked.

Not only Puyo but also the Princess was embarrassed when Lee Han hesitated to answer.

What kind of nonsense was it that he brought her and then he was the only one who was going to leave?

Tap tap tap tap!

Ignoring the Princess hitting him from the side, Lee Han carefully opened his mouth, “Um… I have a question.”

“Ask,” Puyo replied.

“Do I get paid?” Lee Han asked.

It was an important issue for Lee Han.

People like Professor Verus were already exploiting Lee Han without paying a single gold coin.

But no matter how great a Buyeo wizard he was, he didn’t want to increase such exploiters any further.

“Of course. Are you kidding me?” Puyo tilted his head, not understanding Lee Han’s question.

It didn’t make sense for a student like Lee Han to ask such a question.

“Yes. I was kidding. I’m sorry. I want to work too! Please take care of me,” Lee Han said.

“I should be the one saying that. Please take care of me,” Puyo replied.

Lee Han grabbed Puyo’s hand and shook it.

If he got paid, Puyo’s workshop was a really good job.

Above all, the biggest thing was that he could access rare materials to his heart’s content.

Wouldn’t there be one or two of these that were thrown away?

‘If I say I’m going to take them to practice, would they say anything?’ Lee Han wondered.

Lee Han, who was secretly delighted, suddenly thought of something and asked, “But would Professor Verus be unhappy if he knew I was working here?”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Puyo answered immediately.

Lee Han was relieved.

It was certain that Buyeo wizards tacitly overlooked this kind of thing.

“Ah. As expected, Buyeo wizards respect each other in these areas…” Lee Han said.

“Because if you are too trusting, people will take advantage of you,” Puyo replied.