Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 489

The hunters looked at Ethan, wondering what he was talking about.

Ethan quickly changed the subject.

“It’s nothing. More importantly, a Sea Serpent? What’s going on?”

The Shadow Patrol hunters explained what had happened.

Professor Thunderfoot and his team had found signs of the Sea Serpent, so the sailors and Shadow Patrol hunters were watching its movements closely.

These huge monsters could seriously damage the city if they went the wrong way.

If it came near the harbor, they had to catch it before it got too close. If it attacked near the harbor, many ships…

“And it seems to be getting closer.”

“Damn it.”

“Nothing. So… is it definitely coming?”

Ethan tried not to sigh.

Now that things were getting serious, he had to call Professor Volardi, tell the harbor, evacuate people, and call the city guard.

He didn’t want to call Professor Volardi.

“It’s not certain yet. We need to watch it more to be sure…”

“Even so, we need to get ready.”

A good hunter always finishes getting ready before the hunt starts.

The Shadow Patrol hunters wanted to be ready for the Sea Serpent.

“So, cast some magic on our gear.”

“…It would be better to get it from other wizards in the city than from me…”

For things related to the Sea Serpent, other wizards in the city would help.

But the Shadow Patrol didn’t listen to Ethan.

“Yes, yes. You’re saying other wizards’ magic is better?”

“Understood. Wizard, please cast some magic on our gear.”

“…It’s true, though…”

Ethan felt bad but couldn’t change their minds.

It was normal, really.

Trying to explain to someone who didn’t know magic, ‘This magic works better and is easier, but it’s worse magic,’ would just make them think, ‘Are all wizards crazy?’

After Ethan put magic on the equipment, the Shadow Patrol hunters jumped off the terrace.

After they left, Ethan thought about something.

‘Couldn’t they have used the stairs?’

Looking down, people walking by didn’t seem to care about the Shadow Patrol hunters.

Ethan respected the people of this port city.

‘How many strange things must happen for them to be so calm…?’

“Are they gone?”

“Yeah. Come out.”

Nilia crawled out from under the table.

“Why don’t they ever use the stairs…”

“They must have been in a hurry. Nilia, the Shadow Patrol hunters are doing their best to keep the city safe.”

“Oh, really?”

Ethan was also thinking, ‘Why don’t they use the stairs?’, but he wanted to support his friend.

Nilia seemed interested, pausing before tilting her head.

“But what does that have to do with not using the stai…”

“Oh! The bread is here.”

Ethan quickly changed the subject, taking the bread from the waiter.

“Wodanaz.”

“?”

When the Princess spoke quietly, Ethan wondered what was wrong.

“Ah, would you like some of this?”

“…Let’s talk for a moment.”

Adenarte wanted to clear up the misunderstanding.

She wondered why Ethan misunderstood her, but it must be because of Gainando.

Since Gainando spent the most time with Ethan, Ethan probably thought, ‘Are all royals obsessed with food?’

Adenarte explained quietly.

Gainando liked food, but she didn’t.

There seemed to be a misunderstanding.

So, she hoped he would clear it up in the future!

“Ah… I’m sorry about this.”

‘It wasn’t really because of Gainando, though.’

Ethan thought, but didn’t say it.

He was afraid of the Princess’s power.

“Th-there’s no need to be sorry.”

“Then, in the future, don’t call me even when food comes out…”

“……”

Adenarte looked confused. She didn’t want Ethan to stop calling her for food. But she also didn’t want to seem like Gainando, who was always thinking about food. It was a tricky situation.

Ethan nodded like he understood.

“Princess, I think you’re misunderstanding.”

“Yes?”

Adenarte’s eyes widened.

Ethan’s words surprised her.

“I call all my friends when there’s food. Isn’t everyone in Einrogard hungry? I don’t think you’re particularly obsessed with food.”

“I didn’t say it like tha…”

She said she liked food, but she didn’t say she was obsessed…

“I think you might be misunderstanding because of Gainando. Gainando is a bit obsessed, isn’t he?”

Is he…

Is he?

Adenarte was confused.

Ethan was just being a good friend, but was she being too careful because of Gainando?

“…I’m sorry, Wodanaz.”

“Haha. It’s nothing.”

‘Hehe. Easy.’

Ethan felt like he had won.

He had never lost an argument with the royals he had met, so he felt confident.

“Then, rest comfortably.”

Seeing the waiter walking by with a tray, Ethan spoke.

It was a panini sandwich with salami, cheese, lettuce, and olive oil.

“Oh, give that to that side. We’ve already eaten enough here.”

At Ethan’s words, the waiter nodded and put the tray in front of Adenarte.

Adenarte looked at the empty cake plates in front of her and the ones in front of Ethan.

Ethan had eaten less.

…Shouldn’t Ethan get the sandwich?

‘Why me?’

While Adenarte looked at Ethan with suspicion and doubt, the White Tiger Tower students spoke to Ethan.

“Wodanaz… We… We support you.”

The students from White Tiger Tower were whispering, watching Lee Han as he drank his coffee. One of them, bolder than the rest, finally spoke up.

“It’s true, isn’t it? Being skilled is more important than who your family is!”

Another student chimed in, a little nervously, “But Wodanaz *is* from a noble family, right?”

Lee Han frowned, looking up from his coffee. “What are you talking about?” he asked, confused.

“We heard… did you fight with the Princess?” the first student blurted out.

Lee Han sighed. “Who told you to ask me that?” he said, annoyed. “Seriously, what nonsense is this?”

The White Tiger Tower students exchanged excited glances. ‘He’s pretending he doesn’t know anything!’ one thought. ‘They definitely fought!’

Another worried, ‘Is this going to cause trouble in Blue Dragon Tower?’

Thinking about this, Lee Han felt conflicted.

He would have normally thought, ‘Haha, Blue Dragon Tower guys, kill each other!’ But he had received so much from Wodanaz recently that he felt a little grateful to him.

‘Even if Wodanaz is royalty, what he taught me is still important…’

“Do you want to get hit with this coffee cup?”

“…Ah, no. I was just asking.”

When Lee Han asked while holding up the coffee cup, the White Tiger Tower students cursed inwardly.

They were just trying to support him!

“Excuse me, Mage.”

“?”

“Could you perhaps take a look at this book?”

The clerk handed Lee Han an old book.

It was a strange book with no cover or title.

Lee Han immediately began to examine it.

‘There’s no particular magic. No, wait. Just in case.’

“Wait. Don’t move. Arise, emotions!”

Not satisfied with that, Lee Han used Ogoni’s Emotion Recognition on the clerk.

The clerk said, confused,

“Did I do something wrong…?”

“Have you ever been involved with the Skull Archmage? The Lich Archmage, the Master of Einrogard, and so on?”

“What are you talking about…?”

‘Hmm. No connection at all.’

Lee Han wondered if the clerk had been sent by the Skull Headmaster to hand him the book.

Knowing the Skull Headmaster’s personality, he might have prepared it to harass the students!

But it didn’t seem to be the case.

“Why this book?”

“The customer said it’s too difficult and wanted to ask the Mage what it is.”

“What kind of person is it? Bring them here.”

The clerk went downstairs and returned with a worried expression.

“The customer is gone, but maybe they just went somewhere for a moment? Uh… Mage, you don’t have to look at it if it’s a bother. I opened it too, and there wasn’t much there…”

‘How fearless.’

Even if she checked that there was no magic, opening it so carelessly wasn’t a good habit.

“Is there perhaps a prophecy written in it?”

Bartrec, curious, opened the book next to him.

“……”

Thwack!

“Ack! Why?!”

“Don’t touch things without asking!”

“Tch…”

While Bartrec was feeling wronged, the clerk cautiously spoke again.

“Um… the customer left some money to ask the Mage for a favor, should I just return it?”

“No. Curiosity is a virtue that a mage should possess.”

Lee Han immediately grabbed the book.

>Where does the true mystery of magic lie?>

A good mage would be frustrated with the Empire’s magic system.

‘Hmm. I guess I’m not talented. I’ve never felt that.’

I did feel it a lot from the Einrogard professors, but does that not count?

The Empire’s magic system kept even foolish mages safe. But it also stopped them from finding powerful, unknown magic. This magic was hidden, beyond what they knew.

“It’s a trash book.”

Lee Han, dumbfounded, returned the book to the clerk.

“When the customer comes back, tell them it’s a trash book and not to believe it. What nonsense…”

The mage who wrote that book probably doesn’t even know what ‘safety regulations’ are.

Complaining that they can’t learn magic because of safety regulations.

That’s ridiculous!

‘Professor Voladi’s blood magic book is better than this.’

Even Professor Voladi, who wrote a radical theoretical book about amplifying magic power by using a mage’s blood as a reagent, started with safety regulations!

The mage who wrote that book was inferior to Professor Voladi.

“Yes. I’m sorry for taking up the Mage’s time. I’ll tell them that.”

Meanwhile, far from the quiet bookstore…

“…That’s what he said.”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

Ianop, abandoning the mysterious and dangerous attitude he usually showed in front of the mercenaries, growled fiercely.

The mercenary screamed as he suddenly felt his collar choking his neck.

“I… I’m really… telling the truth!”

“No mage who read that could call it a trash book! Do you even know who wrote it before you speak!”

Only after the mercenary’s face turned pale did Ianop come to his senses.

Come to think of it, the mercenary seemed genuinely scared. He probably wasn’t lying.

“Say it exactly, without missing a single word! Speak!”

However, no matter how much he lost his temper, nothing changed.

After getting angry, Ianop felt hopeless.

He knew very well that it wasn’t easy for a mediocre person to understand a genius, but today it particularly struck him.

He couldn’t even guess what he was thinking.

‘Still… I can’t give up.’

Having come this far, it was a matter of pride, beyond just seeking Antagondals’ wisdom.

What on earth was that boy seeing that made him regard the magic Ianop had built up as so insignificant?

‘But if I approach any further here, he might find it suspicious. If he feels suspicious before I gain his favor, the Einrogard professors will block me…’

Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine.

“Ianop!”

“What is it?”

Another mercenary came.

“It seems we need to leave the port for a while. A Sea Serpent is approaching. The city guard and nearby adventurers are all gathering here.”

“What a nuisance… Wait a moment.”

Ianop suddenly had an idea.

If it’s a Sea Serpent subjugation, surely the mages of Einrogard will participate.

A young mage would inevitably feel a thirst for power.

What if he witnessed unknown magic at that time?

“I will participate as well.”