Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 462

“…Are you perhaps using the word ‘persuasion’ in a different sense?” Ogoltos whispered.

In Einroguard, words often had strange meanings. For example, saying ‘Let’s borrow’ usually meant ‘Let’s steal’. It was true that in Einroguard, many words were used in rather peculiar ways.

“There’s a possibility.” Cohort nodded. Ogoltos was very clever to notice that.

“Hey, junior. Did you perhaps assault the professor…”

Dirette came back without anyone seeing her. She swung her reagent pouch and hit Cohort on the head.

Cohort screamed and fell into the pit.

“How could you say that? How could you even think that? To the junior who went around collecting reagents for you?”

“I… that guy also suspected…”

“That’s not true!” Ogoltos desperately denied it, but Dirette swung the reagent pouch again.

With a dull thud, Ogoltos also fell next to Cohort.

Lee Han realized the truth after seeing his seniors in the pit. ‘Ah. So that’s why they were in the pit.’

He thought to himself, ‘I must not relax, even when breathing, in front of Dirette-sunbae.’

Dirette, unaware that he considered her the most terrifying senior in the Black Magic Department, looked at Lee Han with a very apologetic expression. “…Sorry you had to hear such nonsense. I mean it.”

“Not at all. I always think of my seniors’ words as very important.”

The two in the pit wore pleased expressions, marveling at how someone could make even the same words sound so beautiful.

“There are also words like trash pebbles, so don’t value them too much… So, you persuaded them to give you this? Did the professors make any unreasonable demands?” Dirette was worried about Lee Han.

As everyone knew, the professors of Einroguard were not kind enough to bestow favors on students with just persuasion and no compensation. ‘Did they at least draw blood?’ Considering the magical power of the junior in front of her, it wouldn’t be surprising if some crazy professor had done something insane.

“Yes. Well, I am learning under Professor Woolegeoreum, after all.”

“Ah.” Dirette then realized she had been so comfortable talking to the seniors of the Black Magic Department that she had forgotten. ‘He was taking several of his classes.’

It was understandable that a professor would grant a favor to a disciple of this caliber. Professors might not care much about their disciples, but that depended on the disciple. How heartbroken would they be if they didn’t grant a single favor and the disciple went to another department?

“I see…”

“And this is from Professor Garcia, this is from Professor Knighton, this is from Professor Pflugwerk, this is from Professor Milly, this is from Professor Ku, this is from Professor Kraer, this is from Professor Lezh, and this is from Professor Lagrinde.”

Dirette covered her face with both hands, trying to accept reality, but her head spun.

“And this one I borrowed from Professor Verdus.”

Cohort, who was in the pit, sensed something was amiss. ‘Didn’t they say Professor Verdus went to the disciplinary chamber?’

“Are you alright?” Lee Han asked in a worried voice when Dirette silently hung her head.

“Did I make some kind of mistake…”

“No… no. What mistake? Junior, you really, truly, I swear on all the meals and outings of the students learning in the Black Magic Department, you did an amazing job. So amazing that I feel sorry.” Dirette perked up and raised her head.

She felt she had already been very rude as a senior, but now she had to do her job as a senior. She couldn’t let a junior who had accomplished such a feat worry.

“Thank you so much.”

“It was nothing, really.”

“And this, we can’t accept…”

“No!”

“Please reconsider!” As screams erupted from inside the pit, Dirette poured dirt over the pit. She was trying to shut them up.

Lee Han unknowingly took a step away from Dirette, who didn’t notice.

“…Uh. How can we accept something you worked so hard for?”

“But sunbae, now that I’ve received it like this, I can’t return it to the professors, and I can’t use it myself.”

“That’s right. He’s saying all this, Dirette.”

“Please reconsider just once.”

Dirette sighed and kicked Cohort and Ogoltos, who had dug their way out from another side. “…Thank you. Really. I’ve never been so ashamed since I started learning Black Magic. I mean it.”

“Hey. Weren’t you more embarrassed when you caused that zombie incident in the capital the year before last?”

Dirette covered the pit where she had thrown the two of them again, summoned a familiar on top of it to completely block it, and then said to Lee Han, “I’m really glad you joined the Black Magic Department. And…”

Dirette hesitated and then said cautiously, “If it’s too hard or you don’t think it’s right for you, you don’t have to join. I mean it.”

“I understand. Thank you.”

“…Don’t tell the professor I said that.”

“The professor wouldn’t withdraw his trust in you for something like that.”

“That’s not true.” Dirette said very firmly.

Professor Mortuum might trust Dirette, but Lee Han’s decision was a serious matter that could not be forgiven, no matter how skilled his disciple was.

“Oh, I see.” Lee Han was slightly taken aback by Dirette’s sharp reply.

Lee Han, carrying the heavy snack basket, walked back towards the library. As he got closer, he could hear raised voices and a strange tension in the air. Something was definitely wrong.

The students who found Lee Han rushed over, their faces as white as chalk. “Why are you so late! Something terrible has happened!”

“The Black Magic Depar… No. Never mind, what’s wrong?”

“There are definitely monsters outside the barricade. A student from the Black Turtle Tower has been kidnapped.”

Lee Han was startled and turned his gaze.

The makeshift camp at the library entrance was now quite fortified, with a deeply dug moat, a palisade, and temporary towers.

Moreover, students—or rather, mostly Lee Han—had strategically placed lights all around, casting beams into the darkness surrounding the library.

It was a situation where infiltration or even approach seemed impossible, yet someone had managed to break through and abduct students.

“Kidnapping? Are we certain? Maybe they just… wandered off?” A priest wrung his hands, his voice trembling slightly.

“No wandering,” Giselle said sharply. “Confirmed. Guard duty. Gone. Next shift found empty posts.” Her voice was cold, factual.

Salco’s brow furrowed, deepening the lines of worry etched there.

*Before the exams even finished?* He imagined the Black Tortoise students, already anxious about their scores, now paralyzed by fear. This could ruin everything.

Giselle felt similarly.

The White Tiger Tower students, already lacking focus, were muttering about forming search parties and hunting down the culprit, subtly closing their books. She felt more inclined to hunt them than any monster.

“We need to organize a search party, Wodanaz.”

“A search party? This isn’t some game in the backyard. This is the library, it’s dangerous,” Giselle said with clear sarcasm.

Giselle cut Salco off coldly.

The students might be forgetting, thanks to a stroke of luck, but the library was a labyrinth.

Stirring things up with a search could lead to unforeseen consequences.

“Are you White Tiger Tower trying to sabotage things because you didn’t disappear, Moradi?”

Salco growled, but Giselle didn’t even blink. Instead, she glared back icily.

“I’d say the same even if White Tiger Tower students had disappeared. Though, of course, they haven’t.”

“Moradi, I might have to tell you I suspect you.”

“What nonsense are you spouting with such confidence?”

“It’ll sound convincing once you hear it. You White Tiger Tower students aren’t known for being the smartest. There’s only one thing you lot can think of, isn’t there? Dragging everyone else down with you.”

“Ah, so you’re saying our tower is behind this?”

Giselle answered as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Salco nodded.

“Who benefits from the Black Tortoise Tower students disappearing?”

“If that’s the logic, why isn’t Blue Dragon Tower a suspect?”

“Two reasons, Moradi. One, the Blue Dragon Tower students can’t do anything without Wodanaz.”

“……”

Lee Han was so dumbfounded that he stared at Salco.

“No…”

“What if Wodanaz orchestrated it?”

“Look at Wodanaz’s daily schedule.”

Giselle, who usually wanted to mess with Lee Han, had to admit this was a strong, undeniable point.

“That’s certainly true. What’s the second reason?”

“The Blue Dragon Tower students have better grades than the Black Tortoise Tower students. No one bothers to keep an eye on those beneath them.”

“Aha, I see. Why? Keep getting in the way, Moradi, and you’ll regret it. I’m trying to find our missing students, not play games with you.”

“I might just do that if you keep obstructing the search party.”

As the representatives of each tower glared at each other, radiating palpable hostility, the priests wrung their hands, their faces pale with worry.

“Wo, Wodanaz, can’t you do something to stop this?”

“Well, wouldn’t it be easier to let the winner decide?”

Lee Han was pondering who would win when he became puzzled by the priests’ words.

Honestly, wasn’t it intriguing?

However, the priests didn’t seem interested in such a trial by combat.

“Please!”

“It’s not like they listen to me anyway…”

Lee Han muttered, but surprisingly, both of them called out to him.

“Wodanaz, you decide.”

“Wodanaz, what do you think?”

“…Since when have you two respected my opinion enough to ask me?”

Lee Han glared at them, annoyed.

Why were these two, who usually bickered with him, asking him to be the judge in this situation?

They could just fight it out and hate each other…

“If we don’t send out a search party now, the remaining students will become even more anxious. The next students to disappear could be from Blue Dragon Tower.”

“Raising the defenses would be better. Why push more people into a place where we don’t even know where we are? Do you know what they call that in the North?”

“A brave and noble act?”

“That’s a foolish and reckless idea. Call it whatever you want. Shall we call it the nobility of the Brave Family from now on?”

‘If I leave them be, will they fight and come to a decision?’

“Wodanaz, answer quickly.”

“What are you doing? Answer.”

Lee Han didn’t want to get involved in their fight.

It was easier to clean up after they fought.

The winner would be satisfied, and the loser could be appeased separately, directing their resentment towards the victor. Lee Han could remain the good guy.

But if Lee Han made the decision here, the responsibility and resentment would fall on him.

He didn’t want to go through the trouble of dealing with the other towers, who already didn’t listen and grumbled.

‘Stall for time. Let those two make the decision themselves.’

“I think you’re both wrong.”

“?”

“??”

They both stared at Lee Han in surprise.

It was an entirely unexpected answer.

“Why, Wodanaz?”

“Is there a better way?”

“Think about it. A monster that kidnapped friends through such thorough defenses. What does that mean?”

Of course, Lee Han didn’t really know what it meant.

How could he know what kind of monster it was with just these clues?

He wasn’t even sure if it was a real monster.

However, Salco and Giselle stopped and pondered, seeing Lee Han speaking with such gravity.

Lee Han wasn’t one to make empty statements in these matters.

“Hmm, difficult. Wodanaz.”

“Why don’t you just say it directly?”

“No. Think about it some more, both of you.”

Boom!!!!

Suddenly, a low growl echoed from outside the camp, making everyone freeze. The outer gate of the fortress splintered and exploded inwards, showering splinters of wood everywhere.

And the student on guard duty screamed.

“An attack!! It’s a monster attack!!”

“…!?”

“Th-that’s right! Monsters are generally arrogant. Having succeeded so easily, it must be underestimating us and attacking again!”

“…Exactly. That’s what I meant.”

“?”

Giselle, sensing something was off, asked.

“But why didn’t you just say that and instead told us to think abou…”

“Everyone, gather at the main gate!! It’s a monster attack!!”

Lee Han shouted, gathering the students as he ran towards the main gate, cutting off her question.