Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 503

Before the terrified Basilisk could bite Siana the Priest, Ethan spoke quickly.

“I didn’t raise it to extract venom.”

“Pardon? Then what is its purpose?” Siana the Priest tilted her head.

Siana the Priest was raised in the Plemian Order. There, she learned that animals were always raised for a reason. Cows gave milk, and chickens laid eggs. So, there could only be one reason to raise a dangerous animal like a Basilisk: to harvest its precious venom.

Ethan’s voice was quick, a little shaky. “I didn’t raise it for venom, but because the professor was going to attack me… um.”

Ethan stopped, realizing it sounded too insane to say. He thought saying he wanted venom sounded less strange than the real reason.

“Yes?” Siana asked.

“…Anyway, I didn’t raise it to extract venom, so could you please put the syringe away?” Ethan asked.

“Understood.” Siana the Priest didn’t understand, but she put the syringe away when Ethan asked.

The baby Basilisk finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t scare it too much. It’s still a young hatchling, and if you scare it like that, who knows what it might do,” Ethan said.

“Shouldn’t it get used to it?” Siana asked.

Ethan paused. People often think priests are kind and good. But being kind and good does not always mean being gentle. Kind and devout people could become quite mad when necessary. Siana the Priest spoke with a very serious attitude.

“Other professors will be extracting venom anyway, so does it really change anything if we just leave it alone? It needs to get used to it so it won’t be scared,” Siana said.

“Huh?” Ethan asked.

“Professor Thunderstride mentioned it once before. He said that if a Basilisk really hatched, he would need to extract some venom,” Siana said.

The baby Basilisk trembled again and tried to burrow into Ethan’s arms. Ethan stroked it soothingly.

“Wait. Other professors? Are there others?” Ethan asked.

“Professor Garcia was there at the time, and she asked if she could receive some venom if the Basilisk really hatched,” Siana said.

Ethan was greatly shocked. He didn’t mind Professor Thunderstride or the other professors doing that, but he never expected even the kind Professor Garcia to say such a thing.

‘Indeed, wizards are ruthless when it comes to magic!’ It seemed that even the kindest wizard would have their eyes turn over anything related to magic. Ethan learned a great lesson once again.

“Oh, and Professor Verdus…” Siana continued.

“Ah. I’m not curious about that professor. He would have asked for it,” Ethan said.

Professor Verdus wasn’t surprising. Given his personality, he was the type to ask if he could skin the Basilisk once it hatched.

‘This is a problem.’ Ethan stroked the Basilisk and fell into thought. The professors were more interested in the Basilisk than he had thought.

Of course, he might be able to lend out the venom later once the Basilisk had grown strong. But sticking a syringe into it and extracting venom while it was still not fully grown was a bit…

‘It might even create wickedness that wasn’t there before.’ Even a kind monster would become a wicked monster trying to wipe out all life if it was subjected to such treatment. Ethan had to live with the Basilisk anyway. He didn’t want to create that kind of personality for the Basilisk.

“Siana the Priest, an outstanding talent of the Plemian Order who is always excellent and upholds faith, could you perhaps keep the Basilisk’s birth a secret?” Ethan asked.

“Oh, my. Of course,” Siana the Priest readily nodded at Ethan’s flattery.

“But won’t the professors notice?” Siana asked.

“It woke up much earlier than expected, so they won’t know if we don’t tell them… except for one person,” Ethan said.

Professor Voladi was so interested in the Basilisk egg that he asked about it periodically, so it was impossible to easily deceive him like the other professors.

Ethan stared intently at the Basilisk. ‘Will it really be alright?’

Professor Voladi wasn’t interested in extracting the Basilisk’s venom, but he was interested in other aspects. And perhaps that interest was more dangerous. He had raised it to use it diligently as Ethan’s rival for a semester…

“Can you fight with me?” Ethan asked.

The Basilisk, upon receiving the question, showed the most violent reaction it had displayed today. It trembled and burrowed in as if it absolutely couldn’t, which amazed Siana the Priest.

“Are baby Basilisks usually docile? I heard they were evil and violent from the time they were hatchlings,” Siana asked.

“Well, if you point a syringe at it like that… never mind,” Ethan said.

Ethan calmed the Basilisk for now. If he left it like this, it felt like it would burrow into Ethan’s neck like the rope of a gallows.

“I’ll talk to him well, so don’t worry too much,” Ethan said.

Siana the Priest spoke as if she didn’t expect much. “Oh, and Mr. Wodanaz. If you ever need to extract venom, please call me. I’ll help you.”

Ethan felt a slight fear of the Plemian Order sprout from the priest’s calm madness.

“Professor,” Ethan said.

Monday morning. While others were basking in the sunlight and melting their stiff bodies with the chilly air, Ethan was going down to the main building’s basement to face Professor Voladi. The professor was sitting at the table, assembling a mechanical trap of a form he had never seen before. Ethan tried his best to remember the shape of the trap. Someday, that trap might target Ethan.

“You’ve come,” Professor Voladi said.

“I have something to tell you,” Ethan said.

Professor Voladi nodded. It was a nod as if a benevolent teacher was accepting the whims of a naive student.

“What magic do you want to learn?” Professor Voladi asked.

“…Professor. Do I look like someone who’s so crazy about new magic?” Ethan asked.

Professor Voladi stared silently at Ethan. It would have been less annoying if he had just answered ‘yes.’ Ethan gave up and changed the subject.

“First, I would like you to keep this story a secret,” Ethan said.

“If it’s reasonable,” Professor Voladi said.

Professor Voladi was very strict. He would not keep secrets unless there was a very good reason.

“…Why would I do such a thing… No. Never mind,” Ethan said.

Ethan tried to argue after hearing the professor’s explanation, but gave up. Come to think of it, he had tried to sneak out in front of Professor Voladi and had secretly fought enemies, so it was his own fault. ‘But it’s really unfair.’

“Um, the Basilisk has hatched,” Ethan said.

Professor Voladi put down the trap he was assembling and immediately stood up. “Congratulations,” he said.

‘What is he congratulating me for?’ Ethan wondered why Professor Voladi was congratulating him, but he didn’t ask. He quickly continued.

“But Professor. It’s a bit different from what you expected. The Basilisk hatched early, so it hasn’t grown as much,” Ethan said.

The professor’s eyebrows furrowed. Then he cast his gaze on Ethan’s arm. The Basilisk, hidden in the long sleeves of his coat, trembled.

“The fangs? It shouldn’t matter about the size,” Professor Voladi said.

“Since it hasn’t fully grown, wouldn’t that mean its power is also weaker?” Ethan asked.

Ethan threw out a rough guess. In fact, whether its power was weak or not could only be known by having the Basilisk petrify something, but that wasn’t important right now.

“The venom? If only the toxicity of the stone venom is maintained…” Professor Voladi said.

“That also seems like it would be weaker since it hasn’t fully grown,” Ethan said.

Professor Voladi glared at the Basilisk in his sleeve. He didn’t say anything and didn’t change his expression, but Ethan somehow felt like Professor Voladi was shouting, ‘You ungrateful snake, how much I was expecting from you.’

But even if he stared like that, the Basilisk’s power wouldn’t suddenly become stronger, and it wouldn’t suddenly become fierce. And looking at its current state, it was doubtful whether the Basilisk would actively attack Ethan even if it grew a little bigger.

“I’ll ask Professor Thunderstride to find a way to make it grow,” Professor Voladi said.

“Professor. The reason I asked you to keep it a secret is because of that,” Ethan said.

Ethan accused the evil professors of coveting the Basilisk’s venom. In particular, Professor Ver was coveting not only the venom but everything else as well.

“If they extract it like that before the Basilisk gets stronger, wouldn’t it have a huge negative impact on its growth?” Ethan asked.

“Indeed,” Professor Voladi said. He understood what Ethan was saying. Considering the greed of the student in front of him, it was natural that he wouldn’t want to allow even the slightest weakening in raising the Basilisk.

“I understand. I will keep it a secret,” Professor Voladi said. He threw the mechanical trap into the basement closet. There was no sound from inside, as if it had been enchanted with space magic.

Then he opened the floor door connected to the basement and went down the stairs. Ethan and the Basilisk trembled together at the sound coming from inside. ‘What is he going to bring out?’

Fortunately, Professor Voladi brought an old book instead of a secret weapon that would kill them both at once. The title of the book was >The Secret Art of Raising Evil Beasts>.

Professor Voladi slowly dusted off the book and placed it on the bookshelf next to the table. He was planning to read it slowly after the lecture and find a way.

Ethan and the Basilisk prayed that the old book would only contain common sense.

“How much of the book have you written?” Professor Voladi asked.

“…I’ve written about 1 and 1/3,” Ethan said.

Ethan made a sly excuse. 1/2 seemed too much, and 1/4 seemed too little. And there were too many other things to do on the weekend. From finding a hidden secret base to guiding a minstrel. ‘Is it too little? Should I have increased it more?’

“The progress is faster than I thought,” Professor Voladi said.

‘Damn it.’ Ethan regretted it. Judging from Professor Voladi’s reaction, he could have done it more slowly. He was needlessly afraid and dug his own grave!

“You’re learning various combat magic, but you’re still not satisfied,” Professor Voladi said.

“I am satisfied…” Ethan said.

“You must have felt it during the Sea Serpent hunt,” Professor Voladi said.

‘Felt what?’ Ethan was puzzled. What he felt during the Sea Serpent hunt was resentment towards the professor who brought Ethan forward while leaving the other friends behind.

“The lack of means of evasion,” Professor Voladi said.

“…Oh, not to that extent…?” Ethan said.

Honestly, with illusion magic, enhancement magic, and even the short-term future prediction magic that Professor Voladi made him learn (by hitting him), his means of evasion were thorough enough for a first-year student. If he added defense with elemental magic now, his balance would be very solid at his current level…

“Have you thought about the reason for that?” Professor Voladi asked.

“Yes? Um…” Ethan responded.

“Yes. It’s because the balance of your magical training is not right,” Professor Voladi said.

Why ask if you’re going to ask and answer by yourself? Ethan thought so, but he patiently endured. Professor Voladi pointed out the imbalance in Ethan’s current magical state. He was gaining experience and growing in skill in some elemental magic, black magic, enchantment magic, and summoning magic, but his skills in fields like transformation magic and healing magic were stagnating.

“But the professors didn’t really say such a thing…” Ethan said.

He meant to say ‘the professor in charge still says it’s OK, so why are you doing this,’ but Professor Voladi ignored him and only said what he wanted to say.

“I asked Professor Lezh to find out that there was an event for students majoring in transformation magic. It will be a good experience if you participate,” Professor Voladi said.

“There was such a thing?” Ethan was puzzled. He had no memory of hearing it from other friends.