Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 479

“Don’t worry,” Lee Han soothed the Basilisk egg.

Lee Han spoke calmly. The Basilisk egg trusted his words like magic. It stopped vibrating.

“Don’t worry. Even if other creatures were looking for a strong magical egg, they would be more interested in a Wyvern egg. You are still smaller and less powerful than a Wyvern.”

The egg made a sound again, a worried sound.

“Wodanaz, take these flags,” Professor Thunderfoot placed two flags on top of the Wyvern.

One was a banner with the Einroguard symbol, and the other showed a sword over the Imperial symbol.

Lee Han asked, puzzled:

“I get the Einroguard flag,” Lee Han said, pointing. “But what’s this other one for?”

Professor Thunderfoot puffed out his chest a little. “This one is in the name of the Emperor himself. It shows we are on Imperial business.”

“A sword?” Lee Han asked, noticing the symbol. “Does that mean…?”

Professor Thunderfoot’s eyes twinkled. “It means,” he said, voice low, “anyone who gets in our way will regret it. Immediately.”

“…Oh, are you joking?” Lee Han asked, unsure.

“Not at all,” Professor Thunderfoot said plainly.

It was easy to forget inside the school, but wizards were highly valued, and Einroguard’s wizards were among the most important.

Since danger could come from anywhere outside, it was natural to warn others with a flag: Approach rashly, and you will be attacked immediately!

Professor Volardi also nodded.

“Attack immediately if an enemy approaches.”

“…Me too?”

“Yes.”

“Professor, I’m also a student…”

Lee Han tried to explain, “But Professor, I’m just a student… you’re supposed to be looking after me!” But Professor Volardi just stared at him.

“A student, are you?” The professor’s voice sounded like he was saying, ‘So what?’

Lee Han gave up and sat next to Professor Volardi.

His friends were already gossiping, seeing Lee Han and Professor Volardi sitting not on the spacious back of the Wyvern, but around its narrow neck.

“Is that really that professor?”

“I didn’t know there was a student taking his class. Didn’t everyone drop out?”

“Wodanaz wants to attend all the lectures.”

“Ah, right. Is that why he’s attending?”

‘Oh, come on!’ Lee Han thought, annoyed at his friends for spreading silly rumors.

“Look ahead.”

“Yes…”

Professor Volardi began his lesson right away. “Listen carefully,” he said, his voice serious. “When you ride a Wyvern, remember your weak spots. The areas behind you and below you are hardest to defend. As wizards, we use magic to help, but first, you must see your enemy. In the air, seeing is the start of fighting.”

“Oh, Professor Begreck…” Professor Thunderfoot, passing by, noticed Lee Han being tormented and asked:

“Is it really necessary to have Wodanaz sitting next to you?”

Once they arrived, the students would have chores, and Wodanaz, with his strong magic, would have to do much more work. So, there was no need to bother Wodanaz from the start.

Besides, escorting was Professor Volardi’s job, not the student’s.

Lee Han was slightly moved.

‘Professor Thunderfoot is actually quite kind!’

Professor Volardi answered Professor Thunderfoot calmly with a blank face.

“He said he wanted to learn.”

“Ah. Is that so?”

“……”

Lee Han was so surprised he couldn’t speak.

How could he lie like that without even blinking?

Even the Basilisk’s egg seemed astonished.

‘If I deny it here, will Professor Begreck push me off?’

“If that’s the case, then I understand. Wodanaz, good luck!” Professor Thunderfoot, being a typical Einroguard professor who didn’t interfere too much, simply nodded and walked away.

Lee Han cursed Professor Thunderfoot in his mind.

Screeeech!

With a powerful beat of wings, the Wyverns lifted off, shooting into the sky.

The students screamed with delight.

“It’s my first time riding a Wyvern, Professor!”

“Because they’re precious! Taming them is very difficult. You can’t imagine how much trouble I went through to get this egg!” Professor Thunderfoot, wearing flight goggles, shouted cheerfully, and the students imagined the scene.

The majestic peaks and valleys stretched out towards the sky.

And Professor Thunderfoot, exploring that place alone, stealing a Wyvern’s egg.

“That’s right! How angry was the Count?”

“He’s crazy! He bought it on the black market and then got angry. I saved his life! If it had hatched like that, the Wyvern would have wrecked the mansion!”

The students exchanged confused glances.

“Lee Han, Lee Han. What do you think? Is that okay?”

Lee Han couldn’t answer his friend’s question. Professor Volardi was still bothering him.

“What was that monster that flew by below just now?”

“A ghost… wasn’t it a ghost eagle?”

“Wrong. It’s an eagle ghost. Remember the difference between the two. An eagle ghost is…”

Asan stepped back, looking scared.

The students who were reading and playing cards on the Wyvern’s back were getting bored. Lee Han, who had to watch the sky and name the monsters he saw, was exhausted. Then, Professor Thunderfoot gave a signal.

“That’s it for today! Wyverns need rest. Landing now!” Professor Thunderfoot shouted.

The Wyverns began to descend.

A few villages with lights were visible below, starting to darken.

‘Is that our destination? We’ll arrive before lunch tomorrow.’

In the distance, a port city with bright lights was visible, where the sea met the land.

It was Isran, one of the most beautiful coastal cities in the southern Empire.

Since it was a resort, the students whispered with excitement.

The wyverns swooped down, their leathery wings beating the air as they landed on a grassy hill. Below, nestled in the valley, was a small village. Lee Han leaned closer to Wodanaz, his voice low. “Still, wouldn’t we have some time to wander around the village?”

Wodanaz grinned mischievously. “Or… can’t we just escape? Worst case, we end up in the punishment room, right? You know all about that place, Lee Han.”

Lee Han sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. Professor Voladi’s lecture had been long and draining. “Don’t even joke about that.”

As the wyverns settled, villagers poured out of their houses. They carried flickering torches, their flames dancing in the twilight. When they saw the flags of Einroguard and the Empire fluttering on the wyverns’ harnesses, they gasped.

“Magicians!” one villager shouted. “The magicians have come!”

“That’s right, we are,” Professor Thunderfoot said politely to the village chief.

Inside their school, Einroguard, he could shout and swear at important people. Headmaster Skull would deal with any problems later. But here, in front of villagers, he had to be a gentleman.

“We have come here on urgent official business, riding these wyverns. These wyverns are fully trained and will not pose any threat. I promise this on the honor of Einroguard and the magicians.”

Lee Han quickly tried to hide Professor Thunderfoot punching the snorting wyvern on its nose.

“Of… of course. We trust the magicians. Naturally!” The village chief was both respectful and scared. His voice sounded tight. He tried too hard to act brave, waving his hands around in a way that looked unnatural.

“Please, come into the village! We have prepared a place for you to rest! You can bring the wyverns too!”

The students got ready to move immediately.

People sometimes wrongly thought Einroguard students *liked* sleeping outside in the cold. Of course, this was not true at all.

Sleeping in a warm inn, on a soft and smooth bed, was obviously…

“No, thank you. We will camp outside,” Professor Thunderfoot said firmly.

“We have already made all the preparations. We do not wish to inconvenience the villagers.”

“Ah, no. It’s no inconvenience at all! More than anything…”

“No. With this many people, and even wyverns, it’s impossible not to be concerned.”

Professor Thunderfoot had several reasons for this.

Even though the magicians of Einroguard were respected by all the people of the Empire, the villagers who didn’t know them well might be frightened.

And even more so by the wyverns. If they accidentally caused a ruckus, Professor Thunderfoot would have to take responsibility.

Lastly…

Professor Thunderfoot remembered Headmaster Skull’s strict instructions: ‘Don’t go around bothering people on the way. Don’t call the villagers and do things like, ‘We’re from Einroguard, could you give us some warm bread and drinks…’

‘-Don’t worry. It’s not like I’m doing this for the first time.’

Headmaster Skull didn’t really like contacting ordinary people of the Empire on the way.

“Hmph.”

“I thought we were staying in the village.”

The students sadly prepared for camping.

When they had just entered the academy, they might have said, ‘How can people sleep outside?’ But now, even the students of the Blue Dragon Tower weren’t surprised by the idea of sleeping outside.

“Put some more blankets here.”

“Wait. Let’s get rid of the bugs first.”

“Spray this potion. It will help keep the bugs away.”

“Priestess Siana…! Thank you. Wow, it’s incredibly effective! It killed all the grass at once!”

“Wait. I gave you the wrong one. Spray this one.”

“……”

Lee Han emptied the travel rations his friends had brought into a pot and boiled them.

There was hard, dark bread that smelled faintly of smoke, crumbly cheese, jerky so salty it made your mouth water, and surprisingly fresh carrots, onions, and potatoes, still damp from the earth.

“Thanks.”

“You have to pay me back later for what you eat.”

“……”

Professor Thunderfoot was surprised but nodded.

Professor Thunderfoot thought, ‘These simple rations are probably very valuable to a student from Einroguard.’

‘But where did they get the vegetables when the vegetable garden was washed away by the flood?’

Professor Thunderfoot wondered as he poured the mixed soup into his mouth.

It seemed quite fresh, so it didn’t seem like they brought it from outside…

Lee Han set aside a separate soup with only vegetables for Professor Voladi and asked Professor Thunderfoot.

“But Professor, weren’t we invited by the Maykin family?”

“That’s right.”

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just go with the Maykin family’s procession?”

“That would have been too slow. We also have lectures to attend.”

The students were very disappointed.

If they had moved with the Maykin family, they might have been able to play for a week or two!

Lee Han tilted his head and asked again.

“Still, shouldn’t the Maykin family provide at least the supplies needed for the journey?”

“Oh, a family like the Maykins doesn’t take care of such trivial things. You take care of it yourself with the compensation you receive later.”

“I see. Do we receive the compensation as soon as we finish?”

“Yes. But it’s best not to expect too much.”

“Is the compensation small?”

“No. There are such requests, but the Maykin family is generous. However, you won’t be able to live extravagantly with it. Even if you save it all, you’ll still be short of funds for next year’s experiments and research.”

Einroguard took a lot of money from the Emperor and even pressured the Imperial Treasurer for more. But it was never enough for the magicians. They were always greedy.

Magicians were the kind of people who would demand more to experiment with even if they were given all the gold in the Empire.

In the end, in order to freely practice and experiment with the magic they wanted, they had to attract investment, extort sponsorship, and earn gold coins themselves.

‘How awful.’

Lee Han felt a heart-wrenching pain at the fact that the compensation he would receive from this job would become a jewel that would disappear meaninglessly through experimentation.

What a waste!

* * * * *

Morning.

As soon as they woke up, the Maykin family’s people came out to greet the group who had arrived at the port city on wyverns.

“I apologize for calling you so urgently, students. Did you sleep well last night?”

“You don’t have to worry!”

“Camping is nothing…”

The students tried to act brave in front of outsiders.

It was something all Einroguard students did.

“…You camped?”

“Yes? Yes.”

“……”

The Maykin family’s people looked at each other, very embarrassed.

Then they opened their mouths.

“We earnestly asked the nearby villages where the wyverns could land, since you were coming on wyverns, but did they not say anything to you?”

“We paid them all the compensation and asked them to treat the students well if they happened to stop by…”

“……”

“……”

The students all turned their heads and glared at Professor Thunderfoot.