Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 369

Lee Han knew his question was silly, even as he asked it.

If they had any common sense, they wouldn’t be holding duels in the Duke’s mansion in the first place.

“I will teach you my secret technique, so please compare it with the secret technique you just learned.”

Lee Han was already starting to feel annoyed about how he should respond.

‘I really shouldn’t get involved with knights in the future.’

Lee Han was surprised. Even though he found the knights annoying, their secret techniques were actually useful.

From the technique of quickly drawing a knife hidden inside the coat and stabbing momentarily (not only drawing it quickly but also cleverly hiding it in the coat was important) to the technique of momentarily making the sword elastic like a whip to confuse the opponent.

Of course, a knight like Allarong would lament, ‘There’s no need to learn such tricks!’ but Lee Han had a different way of thinking than Allarong.

Of course, once you reach a certain level, there’s no need to use such trivial techniques, but wouldn’t they be useful before that?

“So, whose secret technique is the most…?”

“Hmm. I would say everyone is a winner.”

“Ooh!”

The knights, who had been nervously awaiting Lee Han’s evaluation, applauded and respected each other.

Seeing that it seemed to be ending on a happy note, Lee Han opened his mouth to finally leave.

“Then, I’ll be going…”

“Ah. Please wait a moment.”

“?”

Lee Han paused as the knights called out again.

He was starting to get scared every time the knights called him.

What are they going to say this time…

“Sir Wodanaz! We’re having a big gathering of knight families soon! We’d be honored if you could come! Everyone would be amazed to hear about today!”

This was the last place he wanted to be.

Lee Han almost made a face.

‘Why would I go there? Knights were loud and bothersome. He preferred quiet and magic books.’

He wasn’t even from a knight family!

Of course, the knights had pure intentions of letting other knights know what happened today, to spread Lee Han’s generosity far and wide, but…

From Lee Han’s perspective, it was a nuisance. Going to a knight gathering? That sounded like a terrible chore.

“Oh dear. That’s a shame. I’ll be inside Einroguard at that time,” Lee Han said quickly, trying to sound disappointed, but his shoulders relaxed with relief.

“Oh dear!”

The knights were genuinely disappointed.

If they heard, other knights from other families would want to see Lee Han in person…

“Ah! I’ll try to get permission directly from Gonadaltes.”

“Haha. Go ahead.”

“What did you just say…?”

“I would be grateful if you did. As a student, I can’t just say I’m going out, but if an outsider recommends it, the headmaster might change his mind.”

“Understood!”

The knights promised to visit and tell him during the second semester.

Finally freed from the knights, Lee Han let out a deep, dark sigh. Giselle, who was watching from the side, asked as if she didn’t understand.

“You don’t want to go to the gathering?”

“…?”

Lee Han stared blankly as if wondering what Giselle was talking about.

Why would he want to go to that gathering?

In the worst-case scenario, the Beech Knights might be ambushing, saying, ‘Heh heh, you still haven’t learned enough at Einroguard to fall for such tricks!’

Lee Han blinked at her. “Seriously? Is there *any* reason I would want to spend my time at a knight party?”

“…It’s an opportunity to build friendships with the families, isn’t it?”

The Beech Knights were a knight order that lacked a bit in strength but had other advantages.

Giselle’s eyes widened. “Lee Han, don’t you understand? These families have power! Friendships with them can open doors, solve problems, and give you influence in the Empire!”

Besides, from what the knights said, it seemed likely that he would be the star of the gathering that day, not just a participant.

If it was a position where she could receive that much spotlight, Giselle would crawl out of the magic school even if both her legs were broken.

“What am I going to do by participating?”

“You can use them if you need something.”

“…Where would I use that?”

If it was a wizard family or even a guild family like construction, transportation, or baking, Lee Han would have been tempted.

-A family famous as bakers… Perhaps there are short-term jobs where a chief magician from Einroguard with a license from the Aphah Order, who is confident in firepower, can work?

But Lee Han really had no business with knight families.

They weren’t rich, and it wasn’t like Lee Han needed more swordsmanship teachers…

Giselle looked surprised and a little annoyed by Lee Han’s question.

It was such a natural question for Giselle that she didn’t understand what he was asking.

“What…? You can politically intervene in imperial matters or when you need certain rights, can’t you?”

“T-to that extent?”

“……”

Giselle was furious when the other person suddenly pretended to be innocent when she thought they were thinking the same thing.

“What are you pretending not to know?”

“…I was just joking.”

Lee Han decided to just move on because it seemed like the other person wouldn’t believe anything he said.

“I knew it.”

‘What did you know?’

Lee Han was returning to the banquet hall with Giselle when he suddenly thought of something and asked.

“By the way, do knight gatherings also give out souvenirs with high cash value like here?”

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard.”

“What do you mean by hard work.”

“We ate well and even received this, what hard work are you talking about.”

“Wodanaz. You… you should start a trading company.”

The Black Tortoise Tower students praised Lee Han with satisfied faces after a long time.

And they each handed over a silver coin.

“Okay. Everyone, take care.”

The Black Tortoise Tower students, who had eaten their fill and even received gold jewelry, happily returned.

“……”

“……”

The Phoenix Tower priests who saw that were flustered and said.

“We don’t have silver coins…”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just invited you?”

“You just received silver coins, didn’t you?”

“You must have seen it wrong.”

“In the silver coin pouch…”

“Didn’t you mistake it for paying back a loan? Here. Go back quickly. The temple will worry if you come back too late.”

The priests hesitated, wondering if they were the only ones being treated for free, but Lee Han quickly pushed them away.

‘The income is not bad.’

Not only the Black Tortoise Tower students but also the gold souvenirs.

Lee Han slightly raised his evaluation of the Duke.

With the pouch of coins feeling heavy in his pocket, Lee Han turned to see who was next.

‘Maybe I thought too badly of him. Still, he might be a person with basic decency.’

“Mr. Wodanaz.”

“Ah.”

Lee Han, who found Rowena, reached out his hand first.

“???”

The elf with black hair tilted her head and shook his hand.

“You’ve worked hard…?”

“No. Give me the money you received from the Duke.”

“Ah.”

The Duke was offering gold coins to the Princess as a gift for solving the riddle.

He participated because he could divide the gold coins among the followers; otherwise, there was no reason to join.

“But the Princess was wondering why you called her earlier…”

“What? I don’t know. Did that happen?”

“You called her earlier…”

“Wait a moment. Let me check.”

Lee Han focused all his attention on the pouch, like he was facing a dangerous enemy.

‘An amount that relieves anger.’

The amount was enough to respect the riddles and annoying formalities, saying, ‘There is meaning in the customs of the Empire.’

Lee Han put the pouch in his coat and nodded.

“Thank you. You’ve worked hard too.”

“I didn’t do much. But why didn’t you take out this staff…?”

Lee Han lied because he thought the followers would be hurt if he told the truth.

“His Excellency the Duke has developed a phobia of staffs. So I just explained what kind of staff it was.”

“…That’s really hard to believe!”

“That’s right. That’s usually how things are in the world.”

“I thought his complexion looked a little bad earlier… But it’s truly amazing that you finished so calmly even then.”

“Don’t spread the word because His Excellency the Duke is embarrassed. Got it?”

“Of course.”

Rowena nodded, moved by the fact that Lee Han trusted her and told her.

Among the numerous followers of the Princess, the fact that he only told Rowena meant that he thought she was the most trustworthy!

“Do I really have to wear these clothes?”

Gainando asked with a tearful face.

Professor Mortum’s invitation to the Undead Realm overlapping phenomenon.

The seniors were very concerned about the first-year students participating and gave some advice.

-Participate in the following attire. And what else do you need… a backpack and plenty of fresh water.

-(Lee Han) Can’t I summon water?

-It’ll be hard to summon water due to lack of magic power, and it’ll spoil quickly due to the magic power spread throughout the realm. It’ll take several times more magic power to purify it.

-Ah. Then I don’t think I need to bring it.

-Are you rebelling against your senior right now?

-?!

There were several useful pieces of advice, and one of them was about attire.

To be specific…

“You look like a farmer.”

“Not bad,” Dirette grinned. “You look like you could actually do some honest work for once, Gainando.”

In fact, when walking around the city, it was better to dress like a farmer than like a black magician.

If a farmer walks around, people will be pleased, thinking, ‘He must have come to the city with rice and wheat,’ but if a black magician walks around, people will be horrified, thinking, ‘He must have come to the city with corpses.’

“There’s a reason for this attire.”

Dirette walked over from behind, yawning.

Wearing a shabby hat and dragging a cart that was magically moving behind him, he looked like a farmer with twenty years of experience.

“The moment you go in and act like a black magician, the undead will immediately start attacking. I won’t use black magic as much as possible until the necessary moment.”

The undead in the dimension they were about to enter did not like intruders.

As such, it was advantageous for black magicians to hide their identities as much as possible.

The reason for entering the Undead Realm was to collect useful materials and reagents, not to fight the undead to the death.

“But why like a farmer?” Lee Han asked, puzzled.

There seemed to be several other harmless-looking outfits?

“The clothes are cheap. It’s good for carrying heavy things, and it’s okay if they get dirty.”

“Indeed.”

“What do you mean, indeed!”

Gainando grumbled, but Lee Han and Dirette ignored him.

“By the way. This is an exceptional permission, so… only go into Area 1 and collect things. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Originally, first-year students were not taken into the Undead Realm when it opened.

Professor Mortum specially allowed it because it was a rare opportunity, but he still couldn’t take them deep inside.

“How far is Area 1?”

“Well? It’s a bit difficult to explain in words… You’ll know when you go in. You can definitely feel it,” Dirette shivered slightly, even though he was trying to sound casual. ‘The air changes. It gets colder, heavier. You’ll know when you cross the line.’

According to Dirette’s explanation, magicians couldn’t help but feel it.

The changing atmosphere when passing through the outermost area of the dimension and entering the inside.

Black magicians classified it as Area 1 and Area 2 for convenience.

“Aren’t you scared?”

Gainando confidently answered Dirette’s question.

“I have Lee Han, what’s there to be scared of.”

“……”

“…T-that’s right. Wait. This junior is going to enter Area 2 too.”

“Yes?”

Gainando was startled.

“Lee Han is a first-year student? Gasp. Could it be…?”

No wonder he’s so good at magic!

“This junior said he received special permission from Professor Mortum.”

“Then what about us?”

“That’s why I’m telling you to stay in Area 1…”

“……”

As Gainando looked at him with teary eyes, Dirette sighed and said.

“Okay. I’ll watch over you until you leave.”

“Thank you!”

Lee Han, who was watching from the side, handed Dirette a chocolate bar.

“…?”

“Please have some. You’re really doing a lot of hard work.”

“…I’m only doing this this time, so don’t misunderstand.”

‘I don’t think so.’