Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 38

Lee Han stopped walking. Someone else was in the hallway. He watched from the shadows as a student crept along the wall. The student was a Therian, a person with animal features, and this one looked like a rat. He was short and hunched over, and his feet barely made a sound on the stone floor. Lee Han could barely hear him at all.

Footsteps tell stories, old Knight Alar Rong had taught him. A knight’s boots ring on the stone. A wizard’s robes whisper as they glide. A thief… a thief tries to be silent. And these footsteps were definitely trying to be silent.

Rat Therians aren’t really liked in the Empire.

Even though they say everyone in the Empire is equal, it’s hard for that to be true.

Some races are always going to be more popular than others.

And rat Therians are not popular.

Because many of them are thieves, homeless, pickpockets, or people who collect rubbish, they are always viewed with suspicion by the people of the Empire.

That’s just how it is for rat Therians.

That’s just my prejudice. Not all rat Therians go around stealing.

Lee Han thought he was judging too quickly.

Not every rat Therian has been trained to be a thief, right?

Click—

The other student took out a simple, fake key from his waist and carefully tried to unlock the door.

It was obvious what he was trying to do.

Well, I’m not really in a position to judge others.

Lee Han was also breaking school rules to sneak out, so he couldn’t really criticize anyone else.

Maybe it would be better to work together.

Since he even made a key and brought it, it was clear he had done this before.

Lee Han couldn’t be the only student trying to sneak out of school.

Lee Han carefully approached.

If the other student got scared and screamed, Lee Han would also be in trouble.

Swish—

Lee Han quietly stopped behind the rat Therian boy, who was very focused. He pointed his wand at the boy’s neck and whispered in a low voice.

“Quiet. Don’t make a sound, or you’ll regret it.”

Ratford had been a professional thief with the Thieves’ Guild, White Raven, even before he came to the school.

Ratford couldn’t believe it when he was offered a place at the magic school.

He couldn’t believe they would accept a thief as a student, even if he was talented.

Luckily, the students in the Black Turtle Tower didn’t ignore Ratford.

But Ratford still felt like he didn’t belong.

Ratford had learned to be a thief in the back alleys at night. He was very different from the boys and girls who were born into rich families.

Ratford wanted to show them what he could do.

Just like Nilia, who came from a hunter family (Ratford couldn’t imagine anyone else like him), he wanted his friends in the tower to recognize his abilities!

So Ratford prepared carefully.

Since the school is so big, there must be kitchens and warehouses. If I can find them and raid them, I can get plenty of food and other things to eat!

While other students were walking through the hallways to get to class, Ratford was carefully looking at the keyholes behind the central staircase, making sure no one saw him.

Examining the inside of a keyhole with just his fingertips, and then making a key to unlock the door, was something that even most thieves couldn’t do.

But Ratford had spent all his free time practicing, and he finally did it.

He thought he was about to be successful, but then he was ambushed.

Wh-who…?

It was obvious who it was.

It must be a guard protecting the school.

Professional thieves are always ready for things like this.

Ratford carefully raised both hands above his shoulders and said as politely as possible.

“P-please don’t hit me. I surrender.”

Even among thieves, you get beaten less if you admit what you did instead of denying it and fighting back.

If you’ve already been caught, it’s better to admit it.

“Shhh. I snuck out just like you.”

…?!

Ratford turned around.

A strong boy in a priest’s robe was taking the wand away from Ratford’s neck and looking around.

He’s a freshman too!?

Ratford was shocked.

He had been so scared that he thought it was a guard.

How could another freshman threaten someone like that, saying ‘Make a sound and you’re dead’…

“What is this…”

“I told you to be quiet.”

“Who are you?”

Even as he asked, Ratford could guess who it was.

Tall and strong, and he knew how to use a wand like a weapon.

He must be a student from the White Tiger Tower.

I don’t know how he got a priest’s robe, but he’s clever.

Wearing a priest’s robe would make people less suspicious.

To think that a knight, who is supposed to be all muscles, would think of that.

“Lee Han. Blue Dragon.”

Ratford was speechless.

Ratford accepted the situation faster than he expected.

Actually, he wasn’t completely sure.

Why is a member of the Wodanaz family out here at this hour… doing… wait, how did he get a priest’s robe…

But the situation was so urgent that he decided to just accept it and move on.

More than anything, he was shocked by what the Wodanaz family boy said.

“You want to work together?”

“Things are easier with two people. Wouldn’t it be better to work together than to go alone?”

“Can’t you see I’m a thief?”

Ratford asked, surprised. Lee Han paused.

“Are you the headmaster’s son?”

Of course, he wasn’t the headmaster’s son.

Ratford didn’t know what to say.

If he had eyes, he could see that Ratford was a rat Therian.

And he was trying to unlock the door with a fake key in the middle of the night.

If he had a brain, he should have realized, ‘He’s a thief!’

“It’s obvious I’m a thief! Are you, a member of the Wodanaz family, really suggesting that we, a thief, work together?”

“Hey. What do you think I’m doing right now?”

Ratford didn’t know what to say.

Come to think of it?

“You want to work together?”

“Yeah. You were looking for the food storage, right? Me too.”

Ratford was shocked for a moment, then he asked.

“Are you really from the Wodanaz family?”

Ratford looked suspicious.

No matter how he thought about it…

“Are you going to work together, or should I knock you down and go on alone?”

“C-calm down. Calm down. Let’s work together. Two people are better than one.”

Ratford quickly waved his hands as Lee Han pointed his wand at him.

Even if he didn’t know anything else, he knew he couldn’t beat the other student in a fight.

“So. You made the key?”

“Yeah.”

“Does it even open the door?”

“It should, but it seems to be protected by magic.”

Ratford nervously touched the keyhole.

If it was protected by magic, Ratford couldn’t open it.

Unless he had a thief’s treasure, but he didn’t have anything with him…

Click!

A key flew out of Lee Han’s pocket and into the keyhole.

Then it turned and opened the door.

W-where did you get that key?

“It’s a key I stole from the headmaster’s office.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No. I’m serious.”

The last time he stayed behind with Asan to clean up, he learned magic and took a key.

He wondered what it was for, and now he knew it opened the door behind the central entrance.

I need to be careful.

If it was a key from the headmaster, he had to be careful.

Lee Han decided to be cautious.

They went through an empty banquet hall, a large hall, and several closed doors…

“Wait.”

Ratford suddenly dropped to the floor.

“I think there are people in the basement? I can hear sounds.”

Lee Han realized where the workers were coming in from.

The basement!

If they used the main gate or the passage in the castle wall, the students would see them and try to use it too.

But if they used the underground passage, it would be hard for the students to find out.

No wonder the students hadn’t seen any workers, even though they had been looking.

Why is this school doing so much?

“It’s definitely chatter from the basement warehouse. Find the way down to the basement!”

“I-indeed…”

Ratford quickly started moving at Lee Han’s words.

Luckily, they found the stairs to the basement soon after.

Creak—

The air changed as they stepped down the stairs.

Upstairs, moonlight was coming in through the windows, but here it was dark and cold.

Lee Han thought about using light magic.

But something told him not to.

The fact that the key from the headmaster’s office had opened the door made Lee Han cautious.

The headmaster might have set up some traps in a place like this.

Ratford rustled beside him. Lee Han said quietly.

“Don’t turn on the light.”

…?

“Someone might be waiting.”

Ratford was startled by Lee Han’s words.

It was an unknown place with unknown dangers. He was about to light a fire because he was nervous.

He almost made a mistake if Lee Han hadn’t stopped him.

What is he really??

Ratford had heard rumors about Lee Han in the Black Turtle Tower.

They say he has no blood or tears? He must be in charge of the Blue Dragon Tower.

Even the prince and princess are scared of him.

I saw him in magic class, and he did it right away when others failed.

They say a Thunderbird attacked him in riding class, but he used magic to make it obey him. Can you believe that?

At first, he thought they were just rumors.

How could they be so extreme when they were all freshmen?

But now Ratford thought the rumors might be true.

The pressure he gives off is real!

Whoosh!

A lamp flickered in the distance, and the area lit up.

Lee Han and Ratford held their breath and crouched down.

The underground space was a huge warehouse.

Shelves and tables were packed with things.

The warehouse keeper slowly walked with the lamp. It was so quiet that they could hear him muttering.

“Cheese… 8. Check. Maple syrup… 5 bottles. Check. White fire paper… 22 sheets. Check. Spirit silver needles… 3. Check.”

He memorized all the numbers!

“The alarm magic has weakened. I need to cast it again.”

He cast magic on the objects.

Lee Han felt a chill.

All the objects were under alarm magic.

If he had touched them, he would have been caught.

“Who’s there?”

Their hearts sank.

The warehouse keeper turned his head and spoke in their direction.

He shouldn’t be able to see us from that angle?

Lee Han tried to stay calm.

How did he know? Was he testing them? Was it too late to use invisibility magic?

Lee Han was shocked to see the warehouse keeper’s face.

He was blind, with bandages around his eyes.