Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 456

Midterm exams were generally expected.

If there were special reasons, or if the professor had an idea, the midterm could be replaced with another assignment or added to the final exam.

Headmaster Skull wouldn’t allow that easily.

Professors at Einrogaard were known to be unpredictable. If they could, they might even make up exams like, ‘I’m too lazy to grade, so whoever my wand lands near gets a top grade!’

But in this situation, what could they do?

The dungeon they had prepared was flooded!

“This is really bad luck, Professor,” Lee Han said, trying to sound sad.

Professor Voladi sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Yes, it is unfortunate.” He didn’t sound angry, just… tired.

*’Unfortunate? Is that all he’s going to say?’* Lee Han thought, hiding a small smile. He wasn’t upset about the flooded dungeon at all. In fact, it was perfect. But he knew better than to look pleased when his professor was clearly not. Looking happy when your teacher was miserable? That was just asking for trouble. So, Lee Han made his face droop, hoping he looked suitably disappointed.

‘Imagine losing my top grade. Headmaster Skull would be laughing at me.’

“How is the Basilisk?”

Clatter!

The Basilisk egg in Lee Han’s backpack trembled, making a clattering sound. He had been carrying it around lately because he needed to take care of it, which was why he had run into the crazy wizard.

“…Wouldn’t it take a bit longer to hatch?”

“I asked Professor Lightning-Step for advice. Apparently, there’s a potion that makes it grow faster.”

“Doesn’t it have side effects, like making it violent and angry?”

Lee Han had heard about it, since he knew Professor Lightning-Step well.

-You are good with animals and skilled in alchemy, so you might have this thought later.

-Am I good with animals?

-You are good at scaring animals and skilled in alchemy, so you might have this thought later.

-……

-Buying rare animal cubs cheaply, making them grow with potions, and then selling them…

-That’s a method! Magic is truly amazing!

-…Listen to the end. Magic is about changing the rules of the world. If you do that carelessly, it won’t end well.

Professor Lightning-Step told him about a foolish dwarf alchemist who had tried to raise Manticores on a farm and sell them to knights.

Giving growth potions to monsters that were already wild was very dangerous.

If the monsters exploded, who would they be angry at?

-Are you perhaps Professor Thunder-Step?

-…No! Is that what you thought of Thunder-Step!?

Anyway, it was too dangerous, so Lee Han didn’t plan to give the Basilisk the potion.

The Basilisk egg clung tightly to Lee Han. It knew who would protect it.

“Wouldn’t it be better if it became violent and angry?”

Professor Voladi tilted his head.

They were going to fight anyway, weren’t they?

“……”

Lee Han felt like the egg was glaring at Professor Voladi.

He wasn’t sure, but it felt that way.

“Shouldn’t they be calm to be a stronger enemy?”

“Indeed… Do you like those kinds of battles?”

“It’s not that I like them… Damn it. I do like them.”

Lee Han couldn’t leave the Basilisk egg, so he admitted it.

The egg was too scared.

‘I need to change the subject.’

“Don’t be too sad, Professor. There are other ways. Cast a water breathing spell and go down, or…”

“I have thought about it.”

Lee Han’s heart sank at Professor Voladi’s reply.

He had just made a careless joke!

‘If I can’t control my tongue, I’ll curse myself.’

Lee Han regretted it.

“But the damage is bad.”

“Oh dear.”

Lee Han thanked the water spirit again.

If it hadn’t been for the flood, he would have had to do it himself.

“Then is today’s class over?”

Lee Han asked, hoping it was. If it ended early, he wanted to catch up on his studies.

Headmaster Skull and the White Tiger Tower students were saying, ‘You don’t need to study,’ but Lee Han wasn’t fooled.

They were trying to lower his grades.

“If it’s over, I’ll leave…”

Professor Voladi shook his head. Then he walked on the water and got into Lee Han’s rowboat.

Lee Han was shocked that his boat was stolen, but he couldn’t say anything.

‘Good heavens, he just stole my boat!’

Professor Voladi waved his wand.

Then, as if someone invisible was pushing from behind, the rowboat began to move quickly.

Swoosh-

Lee Han was surprised as the rowboat moved further from the school.

‘What is this?’

If they kept going north, they would reach the Hell Mountains (just a mountain range, but Lee Han and his friends called them that).

Since the dungeon had flooded, he thought they would just do some practice and be done…

Thud-

Even with the flood, the mountains hadn’t sunk. As they got closer, dry land and forests appeared.

Professor Voladi looked at Lee Han, telling him to get off.

“Professor, I have a ques…”

The professor raised a finger, telling him to be quiet.

Lee Han felt uneasy.

Professor Voladi was a crazy wizard, but he usually answered questions.

Why wasn’t he answering now?

‘Is it dangerous to make noise?’

Lee Han thought about the monsters in the mountains.

He had taken the What Comes Out in the Einrogaard Back Mountain? class from Professor Lightning-Step, so he knew many monsters.

‘Damn it. There are too many.’

There were many monsters that were dangerous if you made noise.

Lee Han wondered if he should memorize spells, but chanting them could also be dangerous.

-Have you come?

The sound came from above.

Lee Han looked up. Among the trees, he saw the familiar head of a giant.

His hair was shorter.

It was Ikrusha, the giant who had given up his hair after betting with Lee Han.

“Mr. Ikrusha!”

-It’s good to see you again. But please be quiet.

Ikrusha gestured to be quiet.

-The other giants are helping mountain goats pair up, and it’s a sensitive time for them.

“?”

Lee Han didn’t understand.

What could mountain goats do if they became sensitive?

-Ah. Sorry. Wizards don’t call them mountain goats. The name is different.

“What is it?”

-Was it the Mountain-Destroying Sheep? Mountain-Devouring Sheep? Mountain-Collapsing Sheep?

“……”

Professor Voladi answered, “Mountain-Destroying Sheep.”

-Ah. That’s right.

The Mountain-Destroying Sheep looked like a sheep, but it was a monster the size of a giant that could break through rock.

Calling it a mountain goat was like calling an elephant a mouse.

Ikrusha led Lee Han and Professor Voladi to his new house.

The cave looked like the giants had built it with their fists, but the inside was cozy.

As soon as they sat down, Ikrusha brought out a chessboard.

-Let’s play a game since we haven’t seen each other in a while.

“Ah. Yes.”

Lee Han played, even though he didn’t want to.

The game started with d4 and Bf4. Lee Han defended, castled on the queenside, and pushed on the kingside. Ikrusha made a mistake and lost.

-Oh dear!

“Mr. Ikrusha.”

When Professor Voladi called out, Ikrusha pleaded.

-Can I play one more game? I’ll play quickly.

The professor nodded.

Ikrusha arranged the pieces.

Lee Han realized something.

‘Wait a minute. If I stall for time…!’

Lee Han didn’t know why Professor Voladi had brought him to Ikrusha, but if they played chess until the time was up, they could go back.

Last time, Ikrusha liked the opening that started with e4 Nf3 Bb5 when he had white.

Lee Han could put the knight on f6 and create a black wall.

‘Drag it out and get a draw.’

Ikrusha and Professor Voladi didn’t know Lee Han’s plan.

Ikrusha was trying to break through Lee Han’s wall.

“Mr. Ikrusha.”

-Ah. Sorry. I have to stop.

“……”

Lee Han was shocked that the giant gave up so easily.

Why was he so nice in other ways but not in chess?

‘I played for him. I should have made a bet.’

-As you know, I’ve told the professors about you since our last game.

“Yes???????”

Lee Han shouted.

Why would he do that?

‘Why would he do such an unexpected thing?’

-Why are you surprised?

“…It’s embarrassing to have rumors spread.”

-How modest.

Ikrusha looked at Professor Voladi, who nodded.

-Some professors were interested. Professor Begreck asked for help with the class, so I agreed.

“Oh…”

Lee Han held back the words ‘Why would you do that?’

-I try to listen to the wizards of Einrogaard. Living here, I owe them… Is the Archmage doing well?

“He is.”

-That’s good. Thank you for what happened last time. The giant hunters are cruel, so the damage would have been great if the Archmage hadn’t helped.

The professor nodded.

Lee Han asked, “What kind of help are you giving?”

-I was asked to create situations that a combat wizard might face. I thought that even if the giants are a bit stupid, they could do that.

Boom!!!!!!!

A roar that sounded like the end of the world came from outside.

It sounded like the mountain was collapsing.

-Oh dear. One mountain goat has escaped. I’ll have to catch it today.

“……”

-What were we talking about? Ah. Helping with the class. The giants can do it, but they are a bit stupid… They may not understand things like controlling their strength or exams. So I thought I should call you first.

It might be hard to tell the giants to ‘test that wizard by making it hard but not killing him.’

It was better to befriend the giants first.

If the giants thought of him as their friend, they would control their strength.

-Above all, it would be dangerous to throw a wizard into a crisis without checking first. Shouldn’t we give him time to get used to it?

Ikrusha shrugged.

“It’s alright.”

-Is that so?

“If you don’t believe me, try it now.”

“Professor. Now that I think about it, the flooded dungeon might be good in its own way.”