Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 370

Lee Han watched his senior, Diret, and felt sorry for him. Diret looked tired, like someone who had lost something important.

Lee Han felt awkward. He held out a box.

“I brought some snacks,” he said quietly. “Chocolate tart. Would you like some?”

The black mages gathered at the main gate of the city and boarded a pre-rented carriage to set off.

It was almost like going on a picnic.

The old carriage bumped along, making a loud ‘creak, groan, creak’ sound. It felt like it might fall to pieces at any moment.

“Cough. I need to recast the magic,” Professor Mortum said.

“Stop for a moment!” Diret ordered.

The senior students stopped the carriage and quickly got out to cast spells on the wheels, axles, and doors.

Seeing this, Lee Han felt a sense of foreboding, as if he had glimpsed an unhappy future with his precognitive magic.

‘I’ve heard that black magic doesn’t receive much support, but to see it like this in person…’

“That should be enough,” one of the seniors said.

“It’s still creaking, though?” Lee Han asked.

“If we cast magic strong enough to completely stop it, it would be too much of a waste of mana. We have no choice but to endure this much,” Diret replied.

“Hehe. If we can dig up some decent mushrooms from the Undead Realm this time, we might be able to replace the carriage. Aren’t you excited?” another senior asked.

“…Yes!” Lee Han responded.

Lee Han resolved to learn magic to eliminate creaking sounds as soon as the second semester started.

As they moved away from the city along the Imperial Road, the number of people gradually decreased, and they saw more forests and fields.

Gainando munched on the tart while looking out of the carriage. Rapardel, who was sitting by the window, pushed Gainando’s head away as if he were annoyed.

“Stop!” a soldier shouted.

Armed soldiers and a knight were visible at the end of the deserted road. They warily stopped the carriage.

A soldier stepped forward, his hand on the sword at his hip.

“Halt! State your business!” he demanded, his voice rough.

Professor Mortum cleared his throat loudly, then coughed.

“Ahem! We are wizards,” he announced, pulling out a rolled-up piece of parchment. “We have permission to study the… unusual phenomenon in this area.” He carefully unrolled the permit and held it out to the knight who now approached.

The knight took the permit, his eyes scanning the official stamps and signatures. Slowly, his stern face softened a little.

“Wizards, you say?” he murmured, handing the paper back to Professor Mortum. “Very well. Pass through.”

Given the vast territory of the Empire, controlling the strange phenomena occurring in various places was not easy.

If they failed to properly control phenomena such as the overlapping of the Undead Realm, undead waves could spread in all directions.

Even if they managed to discover and control it first, they couldn’t be completely relieved.

Because the Empire’s territory was so vast, there were many lunatics who would try to take advantage of the phenomenon.

It was only natural that the knights and soldiers controlling things in such deserted and secluded places were on edge.

“Cough. You all are working hard,” Professor Mortum said.

“Really… I don’t know why it had to be the Undead Dimension that overlapped. We’re just terribly unlucky… It would have been better if it were the Plant Spirit Dimension,” the soldier replied.

“The Plant Spirit Dimension would have caused considerable damage as well,” Professor Mortum countered.

“But wouldn’t it be better than the Undead Dimension?” the soldier asked.

“Well…” Professor Mortum trailed off.

“By the way, which school does the wizard belong to…?” the soldier inquired.

Professor Mortum suddenly coughed as if he had choked.

The disciples next to him patted their teacher on the back.

“Professor, here’s water!” one of them exclaimed.

“His health is not very good…” another muttered.

“Oh dear. I’m sorry. I kept someone who wasn’t feeling well for too long. Alright, let them through,” the knight conceded.

As the soldiers moved aside, the carriage sped off.

Professor Mortum stopped coughing and raised his head.

“Cough. Are they gone?” he asked.

“Yes, they are,” Diret confirmed.

The first-year students who were watching from inside the carriage stared at Diret with shocked eyes.

“…The permit was properly obtained, right?” Lee Han asked, worried.

“I told you we did!? Junior! Of course, that just now was a bit unsightly, but we’re not so reckless as to handle something like this without permission or with forgery!” Diret said defensively.

Diret began to explain the situation.

He said that when such a strange phenomenon occurs, these nearby passages are controlled with troops deployed to block approaching lunatics.

It was highly likely that they were forming a siege to prevent access by utilizing nearby military camps or a few small villages.

Lee Han frowned, confused. “But what does that mean?” he asked, tilting his head.

Dirett sighed. “Just hear me out.”

Lee Han looked around again at the bustling village. Soldiers were everywhere, but now he noticed something else. People were helping them. This meant there were more people than just soldiers here!

It wasn’t just soldiers standing guard. Villagers were busy everywhere. Some carried steaming pots of food to the soldiers. Others offered cool drinks. Lee Han even saw a merchant selling colorful packs of Wizarding Cards – little pictures of famous wizards, like the ones kids collected back at school. It was like a small town had sprung up just to support these soldiers, a whole little world built around them.

Lee Han blinked, his eyebrows furrowed. “I still don’t get it,” he said slowly. “What does being a ‘dark wizard’ have to do with anything?” He thought back to what Dirett had said earlier, trying to connect the pieces.

Dirett leaned in, speaking quietly. “Look, if people here find out we’re from the Dark Arts house…” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “In a situation like this, where things are already tense, we’ll be the first ones blamed if anything goes wrong. That’s why I didn’t want to say it directly.”

Lee Han’s eyes widened slightly as he started to understand. He nodded slowly.

The older students looked nervously at the younger ones, their voices tight with worry.

“Hey, we didn’t trick you!” one upperclassman said quickly. “Professor Mortuum just coughed a little! It’s nothing!”

“Yeah,” another added, “We have permission to be here! Everything is official!”

A third one, looking especially worried, blurted out, “You’re not going to… to leave the Dark Arts house because of this, are you? Please don’t!” He looked pleadingly at the first-years.

Lee Han thought to himself, a wry smile touching his lips. ‘Maybe I should just tell everyone I’m a plant wizard instead.’ He glanced down at his wand, the Staff of the Tree Spirit, its wooden surface warm in his hand. It was known for its power over nature magic. In a village surrounded by forests, maybe that would sound less scary than ‘dark wizard’. Who knew this old wand might actually be useful for something other than potions class!

The students from the Dark Arts house climbed down from the carriage, stretching their legs after the long journey. Professor Mortuum led them towards a cozy-looking inn, its wooden sign creaking gently in the breeze. Inside, the common room was already bustling. Just like Dirett said, the villagers barely glanced at them, used to strangers arriving in droves. Lee Han scanned the room, taking in the strange mix of people. He saw groups huddled in corners, whispering and pointing – probably gossipers eager for news. Near the fireplace, burly men with swords and hard eyes sat drinking – mercenaries, no doubt, here for some job. And then there were the wizards. Lee Han spotted a group dressed in bright red robes, their wands sparking with faint flickers of light – fire wizards, he guessed. The air buzzed with a strange mix of curiosity and tension.

Professor Mortuum cleared his throat, a slight cough escaping him. “Right then,” he said, his voice a little raspy. “Everyone’s worked hard today. Get some rest. We start work properly tomorrow. Explore the village a little, but don’t wander too far.” He turned to the innkeeper, who stood waiting patiently. “And please, some hot green tea would be excellent.”

“Of course, Wizard,” the innkeeper replied, bowing his head slightly. He quickly disappeared into the kitchen. Lee Han noticed the way the innkeeper addressed Professor Mortuum – with a clear respect that seemed common in the Empire. Soon, the innkeeper returned with a steaming cup, carefully placing it in Professor Mortuum’s hands.

“How is it, Wizard?” the innkeeper asked, watching Professor Mortuum take a sip.

“It’s… acceptable,” Professor Mortuum said, with a small nod.

The innkeeper beamed. “Good! Best green tea leaves I have. It’s an honor to serve a wizard like yourself, instead of some of these other… *characters* who’ve come to the village because of… well, *this whole mess*.” He lowered his voice, leaning closer. “The Empire promises compensation after it’s all over, but… it’s a gloomy time for the village. It would be much better if only kind wizards like you were here.”

Professor Mortuum coughed again, a little more forcefully this time. “Yes, well…”

Professor Mortuum’s cough turned into a fit, and the students, used to his sudden illnesses, quickly grabbed their bags and shuffled out of the inn. It was always awkward when Professor Mortuum had a coughing spell in front of non-wizards. People got nervous, and then they started asking questions – questions the Dark Arts students preferred to avoid.

Outside, the upperclassmen started giving instructions, their voices low and serious.

“There’s probably not much to see here,” one said, “but don’t wander off too far. We need to stick together.”

“Definitely no drinking tonight,” another warned. “Magic needs a clear head, especially tomorrow.”

“And be careful who you talk to,” a third added, glancing around at the other people in the village. “Lots of strange types here. Don’t get drawn into long conversations with anyone you don’t know.”

“Actually,” the first one said with a sigh, “the truth is, *we* probably look the most suspicious of all. Try not to talk about magic at all, if you can help it. Villages like this, gossip spreads faster than wildfire.” They spoke with the weary tone of people who had been through this kind of thing before. Even dressed in simple clothes, their wands, tucked into their belts, were a dead giveaway. People would be curious.

“Where are you going, Senior?” Lee Han asked one of the older students.

“Gotta find the merchants,” the upperclassman replied, adjusting his bag. “Need to figure out what kind of magical materials they’re buying and selling around here. Knowing the market prices will be useful.”

“I’m heading to find the knights,” another said, striding off in a different direction. “Maybe they can tell us more about who these ‘suspicious guys’ are. And maybe they can even scare them off.”

Lee Han watched them go, impressed. He hadn’t expected the upperclassmen to be so organized and proactive. “Maybe I can help too,” he said to Dirett. “You can go and look around.”

“No, I’ll help,” Lee Han insisted.

At this, Gainan, who had been bouncing on the balls of his feet, eager to explore, grabbed Lee Han’s sleeve and tugged. His face was a picture of disappointment. He clearly wanted to wander off and have fun, not help with boring merchant stuff.

“It’s really okay, Gainan,” Lee Han said, gently prying Gainan’s fingers off his sleeve.

“Yeah, go on,” Dirett added, giving Gainan a slight push. “Lee Han’s right. We don’t need you for this.”

“But… but…” Gainan stammered, still looking longingly at the village streets.

“Go on!” Lee Han chuckled, waving him away. Reluctantly, Gainan shuffled off, and Lee Han turned to Dirett. “Let’s go find those merchants then.” He followed Dirett towards the sounds of bartering and shouting coming from the village square.

“It’s not too complicated,” Dirett explained as they walked towards the bustling marketplace. “Some merchants are here to sell supplies to all these people who’ve arrived. But others are here for the *materials*.”

“Materials?” Lee Han asked, confused.

“Yeah,” Dirett nodded. “See, when this ‘overlapping phenomenon’ happens…” He gestured vaguely towards the direction of the village center. “…it’s like… like two places kind of crash into each other. And sometimes, strange things, *materials*, get pushed out from the other side.”

“Like what kind of materials?”

“Magical plants, strange ores, sometimes even magical creature parts. Adventurers go in to find them, but they can’t carry everything. That’s where the merchants come in. Smart ones rushed here as soon as they heard about it, waiting to buy up whatever the adventurers bring back.”

“So we need to know what’s valuable?” Lee Han guessed.

“Exactly. Which materials are worth the most, which ones have big rewards – *bounties* – on them from the Empire. Knowing that will help us decide what to look for.”

“And the merchants will just tell us?”

Dirett grinned. “Merchants are usually happy to talk to wizards. They know we can be useful. Plus,” he added with a wink, “there’s an old saying in the Empire: ‘Only a fool makes a wizard his enemy.'” He chuckled. “Wizards have ways of… *persuading* people to be helpful. And merchants often need a wizard’s help with magical problems, protection, all sorts of things. It’s good to stay on our good side.” As they approached the market stalls, the air filled with the shouts of vendors, the smell of spices and strange herbs, and the glint of metal and colorful fabrics. Merchants were already calling out to passersby, eager to make a deal.

The merchant was there to do business and didn’t want to fight a wizard.

“I’m sorry, Wizard. I can’t tell you,” the merchant said in a flat voice.

Dirette blinked, surprised. “Huh?”

*Did he know?* Dirette’s heart thumped. *Did the merchant see through his disguise?*

He tried to keep his voice calm. “What’s the reason you can’t tell me?”

The merchant shifted, looking a little uncomfortable. “Well… because you’re a wizard, I’ll be honest. Someone else is already hired. An adventurer. Other merchants are probably doing the same thing.”

‘Oh no!’

Dirette frowned.

If the merchant had already hired an adventurer, that changed things.

He thought about telling the merchant about the materials. But that could be a problem. Someone else might steal the idea.

“Is this what you usually do?” Dirette asked.

“No. Usually, we don’t even hire anyone. It’s hard to find anything by sending one or two people.”

Merchants usually don’t hire adventurers. It’s risky. It’s easier for them to just buy things people find.

If the adventurers came back with nothing, the merchants would waste money.

“It seems like there’s a lot of interest in this material. I didn’t expect them to spend this much.”

“Hmm.”

Leehan wanted to help Dirette. He thought hard, but couldn’t think of a plan.

Leehan knew he could trick knights easily. But merchants were different. They were harder to fool.

‘Wait. That crest…’

Leehan noticed the crest on the merchant’s wagon looked familiar.

It was the Richmond family crest.

The family of Silas Richmond from the Black Tortoise Tower, who ran a big transportation business in the empire.

“Are you from the Richmond family?” Leehan asked.

“Ah, yes,” the merchant replied.

“I’m very close to Silas,” Leehan said confidently.

“…Oh, really? You know Silas…?” The merchant seemed surprised.

“Yes. We’re best friends.”

The merchant was surprised. He was talking to a friend of the Richmond family’s son. He paused, unsure what to do.

Leehan started telling the merchant stories about Silas. He talked about their classes together and how close they were.

“Once, we were stuck in a blizzard. Silas told us to leave him behind. I couldn’t leave Silas, so I gave him my coat. He paid me back, but that’s not important. Silas was so thankful, he cried.”

“I… I see,” the merchant said slowly.

The merchant listened. He felt like something was wrong.

Why would there be a blizzard at school?

“Just like I helped Silas, Silas would do anything to help me with my work,” Leehan continued.

“……”

“He’s a very kind friend.”

“……”

“When you go back, tell Silas that I met a family merchant here…”

“…I’ll tell only you two. You really can’t tell anyone else,” the merchant said, lowering his voice.

“Thank you,” Leehan replied.

Dirette watched, shaking his head in disbelief. *Leehan is so clever!*

Other students should have seen this.

“Why are Sanhwan mushrooms so popular?” Dirette asked, tilting his head.

Sanhwan mushrooms weren’t usually popular.

Usually, popular ingredients were healthy or useful for all wizards in many ways.

But Sanhwan mushrooms were different. Dark wizards used them most.

They used them to make bad magic, like spells or poisons. These could weaken enemies or take away their magic.

“Isn’t the important thing that they’re expensive?” Dirette asked.

“…You’re a first-year, right?”

They saw other dark magic students talking to the knights ahead.

The students with worried faces pleaded with the knights again and again, but the knights shook their heads.

“Looks like they’re not having much luck either,” Dirette observed.

“Senior,” Leehan said.

“Hmm?”

“Among those knights, is anyone related to the Choi, Moradi, Alpha, Gral, or Bark families? Or maybe the Beechwood Knights or the Poplar Knights?” Leehan asked.

“……”