Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 483

Even though one student got hurt, they finished the work much faster.

Thunderfoot quickly found the Sangoria flowers. The Shadow Patrol hunters defeated the sea monsters easily, like pulling out weeds.

Professor Volardi and his very skilled apprentice fought the monsters hiding on the islands and rocks near the shore.

Thunderfoot wiped sweat from his brow and looked at the setting sun. ‘Let’s call it a day and head back to rest.’

Professor Thunderfoot spoke to the sailors.

The sailors looked confused for a moment, but then nodded.

‘Understood.’

‘I feel like we could do more…’

‘He’s a wizard, he probably knows best. Maybe he’s tired after traveling so far.’

Because they worked quickly, the sailors weren’t too tired. They could have kept going, but they respected the wizard’s orders. They figured he knew what he was doing, so they turned the ship around without question.

Thunderfoot frowned, looking at the sailors. ‘Are you all right? Are you feeling tired?’

‘Ah, no, sir.’

‘Then why? If we worked a bit longer, we could finish this whole area today, don’t you think?’

‘I just feel sorry for Wodanaz…’

Thunderfoot looked towards Ethan, walking away with Volardi. He saw Ethan limping slightly. Then, Thunderfoot nodded slowly.

‘You’re right. Let’s head back.’

In Isran, there were many strangers. Some of them were very suspicious, and it was hard to know who they really were.

It would be odd if there weren’t suspicious people in a port city like this, where anyone can come and go.

But one suspicious person was different. He was in the ‘Cloudy Fish Eye’ inn, a run-down place that smelled of fish, near the drying yard west of the port.

This man was Ianop. He used to be a wizard, but now he was a magic criminal. The Empire wanted to catch him. He was the most infamous magic criminal a wizard from the Empire could become.

The magic-criminal Ianop sat in a corner of the inn, listening to the rumors.

‘So, the Einrogard people are here… It’s not just a rumor, then?’

‘Oh, Wizard! I wouldn’t dare lie to a wizard like you!’

The retired sailor rubbed his hands together and bowed deeply, trying to please Ianop.

Wizards were respected everywhere in the Empire, even in the shady parts of cities.

Even criminals and shady people respected and feared wizards like Ianop. No one cared that Ianop was suspicious or that they didn’t know who he really was. Most people in this place were suspicious anyway.

‘Indeed. If it’s false, I’ll pluck out your eyes and slice off your tongue.’

Cold sweat trickled down the retired sailor’s spine.

He knew very well that the wizard wasn’t joking.

Remember what happened to those soldiers who tried to steal the wizard’s big bag of gold? They got sick and died, like old trees drying up in the sun.

‘Definitely a black magician.’

The sailor didn’t know much about magic, but he was sure Ianop was a black magician.

How else could he use such evil curses?

‘I knew there was a fuss about the Sangoria flowers… But I didn’t expect the Einrogard people to come. Do you think they called the Shadow Patrol?’

‘Huh? How did you know that?’

At the sailor’s question, Ianop cast a lightly scornful glance.

‘Do you think the guilds in this city would work together to call the Shadow Patrol?’

‘They might…’

The sailor’s voice faded as he thought about it.

Ianop didn’t bother explaining. It was too complicated. The guilds in this city were always fighting each other. They would never agree on something big like calling the Shadow Patrol. Plus, everyone had their own reasons for wanting the Sangoria flowers, so they couldn’t work together.

‘Anyway, will you put a curse on those Einrogard wizards? If you do, I’ll get you anything you want.’

The retired sailor grinned, making the wrinkles on his face deeper. His greedy smile showed he wanted to get a big reward.

‘Curse the Einrogard wizards? Are you crazy? Do you have nine lives? Even if you’re stupid, you should know better than that.’

Ianop laughed. He couldn’t believe the sailor would suggest fighting the Einrogard wizards. Only crazy people who wanted to die would attack them. Ianop was smart and sensible. No smart wizard would ever try to fight Einrogard.

‘You were a sailor, weren’t you? When a storm rolled in while you were catching fish in the distant sea, what did you do?’

‘Well… I avoided the storm…’

‘Exactly. The Einrogard lot are like a storm. It’s not too late to grab a share from what’s left after the storm passes.’

Ianop leaned back, relaxing. The retired sailor looked annoyed that he wouldn’t get any money right away, but he was too scared of the wizard to argue.

‘Don’t look so dissatisfied. Shall I pluck out your eyes?’

‘Ah, no, no, sir!’

‘I have a job for you. If you do it, I’ll pay you very well.’

‘!’

‘Go tell all the fighters and soldiers around here. If any of the Einrogard wizards are students, and if there’s one who is really amazing, tell me.’

‘A standout… you say.’

The retired sailor hesitated.

He wasn’t sure he could tell which wizards were skilled.

Don’t worry. You’ll hear about it from gossip. People always talk about what wizards do, even if it’s not much. I don’t want just okay wizards. If you hear about someone who is so incredible it sounds hard to believe, that’s the one I want to know about. Einrogard sometimes produces really brilliant wizards.

‘Yes… I understand.’

The sailor couldn’t understand what Ianop was planning.

Einrogard was like a storm to avoid, but Ianop wanted to find the best students from there.

Was he going to kidnap them?

‘But… wouldn’t that be the opposite of what he just said?’

Ianop chuckled as he poured cheap liquor into a tin cup.

There was no way someone who didn’t know about magic could guess Ianop’s thoughts.

‘The more outstanding they are, the easier they are to corrupt.’

Ianop wasn’t from Einrogard, but he had seen magic-criminals who were.

Even after many years, the memory was still clear.

This wizard was a genius. He had amazing Imperial magic, even better than Ianop, who thought he was the best.

Just meeting his eyes felt intimidating.

Every spell he used was clever, and his magic was perfectly structured.

And he was more arrogant than anyone else.

Ianop, confused, asked the great and wicked Archmage Antagondals:

“-Why does he act like that? What is missing from someone from Einrogard?”

“-That’s a silly question. Great wizards can easily become bad. But you wouldn’t know, because you’ve never been great.”

The more skilled someone was in magic, the less important reality seemed, and all the rules and limits felt meaningless.

What did it matter if hundreds of insects died when someone wanted to find the greatest truth and understanding?

No matter how much glory and fame awaited a wizard in the Empire, the greatest temptation for an outstanding wizard was truth itself.

“-Ianop, think about it. That shining… a great magical mind that you can’t even compare to, becoming corrupted.”

“-An… Antagondals.”

“-Have I only spoken unclearly? Very well. Then how about this? If you succeed even once, I will take you as my disciple.”

“-…!!!”

For Ianop, who had reached his limit as a wizard, the chance to become a disciple of a great mage like Antagondals was something he really, really wanted.

Even after many years, that desire had not disappeared.

‘I don’t have high expectations, but…’

Since then, he had a few chances to meet wizards from Einrogard, but sadly, they were not as outstanding as Ianop had hoped.

No matter how talented they were, even if they were from Einrogard, even talented geniuses were not easily tempted by Ianop’s offer.

Only an arrogant genius who would do anything for the truth would fall for such a temptation.

Ianop really hoped that there would be such a genius among these Einrogard fellows.

Evening.

The students at the table in the mansion’s dining hall looked tired and pale.

Leehan was surprised to see the Princess next to him nodding off with a spoon in her hand.

‘Good heavens!’

He had seen something like this before.

Even Gainando, who could eat a lot, had once fallen asleep during a meal because he was so tired.

Gainando was so shocked by this that he tried to stay awake during meals after that, even if he had to poke his leg with a needle.

As you can guess from this, a royal person dozing off during a meal meant they were very tired.

“-Your Highness, please wake up.”

“-…!”

“-You must eat. You will be sorry if you fall asleep and can’t eat.”

“-Thank you…”

The Princess, still half-asleep, was about to thank him when she felt something was wrong.

…No, she wouldn’t be sorry about missing just one meal, would she?

“-Wodanaz…”

She tried to ask for an explanation, but Leehan was already talking to someone else.

“-Wodanaz, I hear you’ve wiped out all the monsters on the island.”

“-…What? How do you know that?”

Bartrec of the Bark family from the White Tiger Tower spoke, and Leehan was taken aback.

How could those guys, who should have been locked up in the mansion’s workshop, know?

“-The servants told me?”

“-…No. No. Wait a minute.”

Leehan couldn’t understand.

“-Could you come here for a moment?”

“-What’s the matter…”

A servant, looking worried, rushed over.

“-Maybe you don’t like the drink? It’s a southern-style drink…”

“-No, it’s not that. It’s just that I wiped out all the monsters… well, I didn’t do it alone, but anyway, where did you hear that rumor?”

“-There’s a fish seller I trade with at the harbor, and I heard it from him.”

“-…Do you know where that fish seller heard it from?”

“-He said he heard it from the fishermen who went out to cast their nets today…? The hunters apparently told the fishermen, or so I heard. Is that not the case?”

The news spread faster than the Einrogard professors’ communication network.

While Leehan was catching monsters on the island, the Shadow Patrol must have been spreading rumors to passing fishermen while catching sea monsters around the area, saying, ‘Hey, I heard that Wodanaz family boy is really good at catching monsters.’

It was amazing multitasking.

‘Indeed, they are not hunting masters for nothing…’

“-Have I made some kind of mistake?”

“-Ah, no. That’s not it. The reason I called you over was because the meal is so delicious. Could you bring the Princess here another plate of woodcock dish?”

“-Understood.”

The servant happily went away.

The Princess, who had woken up and was eating, looked at Leehan again with a surprised and confused look.

No…!

“-What…?!”

Of course, she had been thinking about having another plate, but only in her mind.

Adenarte was about to grab Leehan’s shoulder to argue strongly and properly.

“-…Wodanaz. How was the Shadow Patrol today?”

However, another interruption came.

Nilia asked, looking around with a very worried expression.

She looked very concerned that he might have had an accident.

Leehan didn’t want to say, ‘The hunters keep not believing that I’m close to you and think you threatened them with a bow. And they keep offering me strong liquor, and they don’t listen even when I explain magic, they were as annoying as Gainando.’

And he spoke for his friend’s sake.

“-It was an honor to meet the most outstanding and capable hunters in the Empire. I doubt there will be another chance like this.”

Yoner, who had heard a little about the story from the Meikin family, looked at Leehan with pity, picked up the apple tart plate in front of Bartrec, and slid it in front of Leehan.

Bartrec felt it was unfair but accepted it.

If Wodanaz started arguing based on how much work he did, Bartrec would have nothing to say.