Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 52

“Is it really that dangerous?” Lee Han asked, looking up at the dark mountains.

Professor Ingardel sighed, his eyes fixed on the peaks. “Dangerous? That’s putting it lightly. Those mountains are full of monsters. Deep inside, there are creatures so strange, even the professors here don’t know what they are. And now it’s spring,” he added, his voice dropping, “they’ll all be waking up, hungrier and stronger every day.”

Professor Ingardel shivered slightly, even though the spring air was mild. He stared at the mountain range, his face etched with worry, as if he could already hear the monsters growling from within the shadows of the trees.

As Einroguard, this magic school, was located in a place abundant with magical power, it was sure to have many monsters around it.

In particular, the mountain range behind the school was, in Ingardel’s view, a dangerous zone where just about any monster could exist.

The deep regions of the mountain range seemed suitable for powerful, giant monster beasts, starting with ogres, mountain giants, trolls, and wyverns…

With these monsters present, even powerful monsters that would not normally live on the outskirts of the mountain range were pushed to the edges, avoiding the central areas.

“No matter how full of energy the students may be, entering such a mountain range is not a wise choice. Only a madman would make such a choice.”

“It’s not that I want to go in; it’s that the assignment is to enter the mountain range and retrieve materials.”

“……”

Professor Ingardel coughed awkwardly, looking rather sheepish.

He hadn’t known it was another professor’s assignment.

“Was that so? Then the story might be a little different.”

“Doesn’t sound much better…”

Strictly speaking, Professor Ingardel was a swordsman, not a wizard.

As such, there was bound to be some difference in his way of thinking compared to the professors at this school.

In particular, the professors’ cool way of thinking, like, ‘If you’re learning magic, people might die,’ horrified Ingardel.

However, just because he didn’t agree didn’t mean he could badmouth a fellow professor in front of the students.

Professor Ingardel hid his true feelings and spoke as indirectly as possible.

“If another professor told you to go into the mountain range to retrieve materials, they must have something in mind.”

“Do you really think so?”

Lee Han was already looking at Professor Ingardel with distrustful eyes.

Just a moment ago, he was saying, ‘Only a madman would do that,’ but as soon as he heard the professor’s name, he reacted like that…

He strongly suspected that he was taking sides with a fellow professor.

Professor Ingardel cleared his throat once more and changed the subject.

“By the way, your breathing has returned. Excellent. Have you completed the circulation?”

Professor Ingardel was pleased when Lee Han, who had been breathing heavily, suddenly seemed to be at ease.

This effect only occurred when the magic circulation was completed within the body.

“Yes? Ah, that’s…”

Lee Han wore an awkward expression.

“Sorry. My focus scattered, so I just released the magic.”

The normal way to use magic is to gather it inside your body and then move it around smoothly, like blood flowing.

The key here was a smooth circulation that didn’t stop or stutter!

…However, when Lee Han found it difficult to maintain the circulation because his concentration was broken, he simply didn’t circulate the magic and instead sent it to various parts of his body before releasing it.

After all, he could just gather more magic.

“……???”

Professor Ingardel stared blankly at Lee Han, not understanding what this student from the Wodanaz family was saying.

“Hmm.”

Professor Ingardel, after hearing a detailed explanation from Lee Han and even about the events when he fought the anti-magic activists, thought deeply.

Originally, he should have stopped him, saying it was something that could lead to death.

To fight by wasting magic like that was like scattering one’s own blood on the floor.

However, Professor Ingardel had a flexible way of thinking.

If there were a hundred swordsmen, there would be a hundred sword techniques.

Considering the amount of magic the boy from the Wodanaz family had (though he didn’t know if it could be described as innate), such waste could be one method.

After much thought, Professor Ingardel made up his mind and said,

“I will not tell you to stop that method. However, it would be best not to use it as much as possible in normal times and to focus on completing the circulation.”

“Understood.”

Lee Han nodded obediently.

In fact, Lee Han wasn’t having any crazy thoughts like, ‘Heh heh… the most important virtue of a swordsman is strength… even if a forbidden technique burns my life, I will gain powerful strength…’ for the sake of some glory.

If it was dangerous, he would just think, ‘Ah, I guess it’s dangerous,’ and not do it.

“And if you have that much magic, it will be even more difficult to complete the circle of circulation inside.”

“……”

Where had he heard that story before?

“Therefore, the Wodanaz student will increase the amount of training.”

“…Oh, ooh…”

Lee Han was able to manage his expression with an iron will.

He had to pretend to be happy!

‘Don’t show it. Don’t show it.’

Professor Ingardel, who still had a human heart compared to the other professors here, was overjoyed at the reaction.

“Is that so? I was worried you might dislike it, but I’m glad it turned out well.”

“Yes… I’m so happy… As you know, I’m serious about swordsmanship…”

At Lee Han’s words, Professor Ingardel smiled broadly, his scarred face lighting up.

“I’ve known for a long time that the Wodanaz student is serious about swordsmanship.”

“……”

“Ah, right. When you go to the mountain range to find materials, I will come with you.”

“…Didn’t you say it would be okay since Professor Uregeoreum had something in mind?”

“Yes. But I like taking walks.”

It didn’t seem likely that Professor Ingardel, whose one leg and one arm were both prosthetic, would enjoy steep mountain walks, but Lee Han had no choice but to nod.

To be honest, Lee Han was seriously worried about what might come out of the mountain range if Professor Ingardel was going to that extent.

Evening.

Lee Han headed to Professor Uregeoreum’s cabin.

All sorts of things had happened today, but the chores the professor ordered didn’t take such circumstances into account.

Of course, Professor Uregeoreum might feel a bit wronged from his perspective.

He had never told him to come every day, and he had said that if he was busy, he didn’t have to come.

And in fact, Lee Han also had another reason for going.

‘I need to find as much information as possible.’

“?”

>I’m away for a while due to some business. Steal appropriately! -Uregeoreum>

“Oh…”

Lee Han was surprised to see the writing on the paper.

Well, Professor Uregeoreum was also a person, so he couldn’t just stay in his cabin like a shut-in all the time. He also needed time to teach other students and do his own work.

Lee Han nodded and tore off the paper.

Then, he immediately returned to the tower, called Yoner, and brought him along.

“You want me to find useful items in this cabin?”

“Yeah. I want to check the potions in the box you found last time.”

The potion box that the professional thief, Raetford, had stolen from the carriage.

Even if he wanted to know what those potions were, it was difficult for a first-year student like Lee Han to find out on his own.

If he could find useful items in Professor Uregeoreum’s cabin, it would be a great help.

A student like Yoner, who knew a lot about alchemy, would be able to recognize them even better.

‘Wait. Isn’t this Professor Uregeoreum’s cabin?’

Yoner quickly recognized the place, as they had grilled meat there before.

‘I guess it’s okay.’

However, Yoner decided to just let it go.

In this crazy school, this much was nothing.

“Wait. What’s that?”

“What? Oh. The vegetable garden?”

When Yoner, who was walking ahead, spoke with a surprised expression, Lee Han replied as if it was nothing.

“I’m growing it, but it’s still a long way off. I’ll have to grow it for a few more months.”

“…Huh? It looks like it’s all grown?”

“?”

This time, it was Lee Han’s turn to be puzzled. Lee Han turned back, wondering what he was talking about.

“…!!”

Yoner’s words were true.

‘No. What is this?’

Lee Han was shocked to see that the vegetables he had planted were already fully grown.

No matter how he thought about it, they had grown too quickly.

“Professor Uregeoreum must have sprinkled something? He’s so impatient.”

Yoner nodded at Lee Han’s explanation.

To use a growth-promoting potion because he wanted to eat them quickly.

‘He really has a big appetite.’

In that way, Uregeoreum, who was not present, was falsely accused.

“Now that it’s come to this, I have to harvest them. Yoner. Can I ask you to check inside the cabin?”

“Leave it to me.”

Lee Han picked up farming tools and began to pull out the vegetables with skilled movements.

Yoner watched him, momentarily mesmerized by his reliable appearance as he dug out the potatoes without a single error.

Perfect movements that only a farmer who had worked for decades would show.

Yoner felt like he knew why Professor Uregeoreum favored Lee Han.

“What are you doing?”

“Ah, it’s nothing. I’ll go find something useful.”

While the vegetables were piling up generously in the basket, Yoner busily searched the cabin.

How much time had passed?

Lee Han’s arms were full of baskets of crops, and Yoner’s arms were full of boxes containing unidentified reagents and alchemical tools.

“Are you done?”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s go!”

The two students from the Blue Dragon Tower turned their backs on the cabin and ran out energetically.

Only the paper that Lee Han had newly attached to the cabin door remained, fluttering in the breeze.

>Thank you, Professor. I’ve left some of the harvested crops behind for you to taste. -Lee Han Wodanaz.>

Lee Han and Yoner greeted the morning sunlight with dark circles under their eyes.

They had been sacrificing sleep to conduct alchemy tests in the freshmen lounge.

“So, this is the Cantus Potion?”

“Yeah.”

The potions they identified were as follows:

>Imperial Western Wine (delicious)>.

>Cantus Potion>-If you drink it, you can sing beautifully like a mermaid for a while.

End.

“……”

Lee Han quickly soothed Yoner as his expression began to turn gloomy.

“This is a good result. You can’t figure everything out on the first try.”

“That’s true, but… what would you use a singing potion for…”

“There will definitely be a use for it.”

Creak-

At that moment, Asan Dalcard entered the lounge. Asan Dalcard was happy to see them.

“Wodanaz. Are you all ready to enter the mountain range today?”

“Pretty much.”

Lee Han had also made plans.

To leave with the other students on Friday, return somehow by Saturday, and on Sunday…

‘Use the outing pass and go out.’

Lee Han tried to remain calm.

It was best to keep expectations low. There might be some traps before he could go out.

“Ah, right. Wodanaz. Before you go into the mountain range, do you want to stop by the black market?”

“…Black market?”

Lee Han was taken aback by Asan’s words.

Black market?

‘What kind of school has a black market?’

No matter what, Asan’s words were unbelievable…

…but it really existed.

‘This is absurd.’

To be precise, it wasn’t a black market, but a small market.

A market set up near their tower by the freshmen of the Black Tortoise Tower!

At first, they gathered to exchange things they needed, but when this turned out to be more convenient than expected, it became a regular event.

Lee Han was speechless.

‘What on earth is this school trying to teach its students?’

“Okay, put down the bread and guess! Find the Emperor! The Emperor is among these three cards. Where is the Emperor? If you guess correctly, you get twice the bread… Ah. Mr. Wodanaz.”

Raetford, who was performing a shell game while moving three cards back and forth skillfully, stood up abruptly when he saw Lee Han.

As all the students who were chatting and talking around him turned their heads to look, Lee Han just wanted to turn around and leave.