Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 546

Lee Han frowned at his friends. “What’s wrong? You’ve all done training trips before. Why are you acting so surprised?”

One of his friends, who came from a long line of knights, shook his head. “No, Wodanaz,” he said, sounding shocked. “We train by camping, yes, but not like *this*.”

Another friend agreed quickly. “Exactly! Ainrogaard is sending us into the mountains with almost nothing! Just our bare hands, it seems.”

Many people wrongly thought that knightly families in the Empire were not very smart or sophisticated. But this was not true.

Knightly families were actually very skilled and organized, especially in things they knew well, like training.

For example, when they trained to live in mountains, they always went in big groups. They brought lots of food and equipment with them.

It was very unusual for a knightly family to train by sending someone alone into the mountains with nothing. That was something only wandering fighters or mercenaries would do. Knights were leaders who had helpers and guards, not people who traveled alone with no supplies.

Lee Han paused, a thought suddenly striking him. *Wait a minute…* he thought. He remembered Alar Rong taking him into the mountains in exactly the same way – with nothing.

“So… you don’t train like *that*?” Lee Han asked, a little unsure.

“No!” one friend insisted. “We told you, we don’t!”

Another friend looked annoyed. “Wodanaz, come on! We know you’re a great swordsman, but we’re from knightly families. Why would you think we’d be scared of a bit of camping?”

“Oh, right. Sorry,” Lee Han mumbled, realizing he might have said too much. He decided to stop talking before his friends got even more confused.

When Lee Han rejoined them, Dergyu and Giselle were already whispering and pointing at a map.

“We should hide some extra food and gear before we go,” Dergyu suggested quietly.

Giselle nodded. “Definitely. Knowing Professor Inguldel, he’ll only let us take the absolute minimum. We need to bury supplies in the mountains secretly, just in case.”

Choi looked worried. “But… isn’t that cheating? Against the rules?”

Moradi scoffed. “Choi, are you serious? This whole school is practically breaking the rules! Hiding a little food is nothing.”

“Moradi’s right,” Lee Han agreed, joining their huddle.

“We should hide supplies in different spots all over the mountains,” Lee Han continued. “And it’s in two weeks. The weather could change quickly. Remember that sudden snowstorm we had last month? What if something even worse happens?” He added, trying to sound worried, “Maybe… maybe even some dangerous magical creatures will appear because of the weather?”

“Like what?” Dergyu asked, looking a little nervous. “Are there really dangerous creatures in these mountains?”

Lee Han shrugged, pretending he didn’t know. “I don’t know for sure. Maybe. But we need to be ready for anything. Let’s build some small shelters in the mountains too, just in case.”

“Shelters are a good idea,” Giselle agreed.

Even though Wodanaz wasn’t always easy to get along with, Giselle had to admit he was smart when it came to planning and being prepared.

“Moradi,” Giselle asked, turning to another friend. “Do you think Professor Inguldel might add extra monsters to the exam?”

“Hmm… possibly…” Moradi replied thoughtfully.

“What’s all this excitement about?”

Professor Inguldel walked over to them, looking curious.

Lee Han answered instantly, putting on a big smile. “Professor! We were just saying how excited we are for the final exam! We can’t wait for it to start!”

“Really?” Professor Inguldel looked surprised, his eyebrows raised. “That excited?”

“Yes, Professor!” Lee Han said even louder, ignoring the glares from his classmates.

Professor Inguldel chuckled, looking pleased. “Well, that’s good to hear! I wasn’t sure if everyone would be happy about it. I was a little worried it might be too challenging, but if you’re all looking forward to it this much, I’ll definitely make sure it’s worth your while!”

“…”

The other students from White Tiger Tower shot angry looks at Lee Han, but he pretended not to notice.

*Even if I told him it was too hard, he’d do it anyway,* Lee Han thought to himself, rolling his eyes slightly. *Professors always do what they want.* He felt no guilt at all.

“And Wodanaz,” Professor Inguldel continued, leaning closer, “your sword movements are different today. Have you had a sudden breakthrough in your training?”

“Ah,” Lee Han replied. “I think I’m getting better at using that ‘absorption trick’ you taught me.”

The elven professor, who was a master swordsman himself, beamed as if he had achieved it himself. “Is that so! Wonderful! That’s truly excellent progress. It’s not easy to master.”

Lee Han almost mentioned that he’d figured it out while trying to survive a giant wrestling match, but it sounded too strange, so he kept quiet.

“How many forms of the Byeokam Sword are you using now, Wodanaz?” Professor Inguldel asked. “Five forms?”

“Yes, that’s right,” Lee Han confirmed.

Professor Inguldel seemed to know a lot about the swordsmanship Lee Han was learning, which wasn’t surprising. Professor Inguldel was a close friend of Alar Rong, Lee Han’s teacher, and probably knew every sword style in the Empire.

“When you first learned the Byeokam Sword,” Professor Inguldel asked thoughtfully, “didn’t you think it was… unusual?”

“Unusual?” Lee Han repeated, confused. What was unusual about it?

He just remembered Alar Rong using the sword to chop down trees like they were butter, smash rocks to pieces, and generally be incredibly strong. Lee Han had learned it because he didn’t want to get on Alar Rong’s bad side!

“Doesn’t the Byeokam Sword seem… simple, at first glance?” Professor Inguldel clarified.

“Oh,” Lee Han said, understanding now.

The Byeokam Sword was known as a powerful, heavy style of swordsmanship in the Empire, using a large sword. Each strike was meant to be like a falling boulder – strong and crushing.

Because of this, the movements of the Byeokam Sword weren’t fancy or complicated. They were actually quite basic.

Someone who loved flashy, beautiful sword styles might mistake the Byeokam Sword for a weak, low-level style.

But Lee Han wasn’t like that.

*I just wanted to learn to defend myself,* he thought.

He was learning it to get stronger and protect himself when he had free time. He wasn’t looking for something fancy or deep. That would be ridiculous.

“I just… practiced it,” Lee Han said simply.

“Exactly!” Professor Inguldel exclaimed, looking even more impressed. “Excellent!”

“?” Lee Han blinked, feeling a little awkward at the professor’s strong reaction. Had he said something really insightful without realizing it?

“There’s a saying that a swordsman chooses swordsmanship, but I actually think that swordsmanship chooses the swordsman. Wodanaz. It’s like Ainrogaard chose Wodanaz.”

‘To make such a terrible analogy with such an emotional expression.’

Lee Han was disgusted, but Professor Inguldel didn’t notice.

“The Byeokam Sword looks simple, but the more you learn it, the more profound it becomes. However, that level cannot be seen if you only pursue flashy or beautiful swordsmanship. Only those who can silently shed sweat can see it.”

Lee Han, who had been learning and wielding it without much thought, became increasingly embarrassed.

‘I don’t intend to do that much…’

Professor Inguldel pointed to a distant cliff with his finger.

It was a steep cliff that seemed to be dozens of meters high.

“The reason why Sir Alar Rong only taught you the first five forms of the first half is probably because your preparation wasn’t enough yet, Wodanaz. The next step requires you to use Aura. But looking at your growth rate, I’m convinced that it’s not that far off.”

“You flatter me.”

“I should have somehow captured the enlightenment on the ship last time. I should have forced it one more time…”

“…”

Lee Han felt a chill down his spine and changed the subject.

“Looking at that cliff, I realize how far I have to go. I will continue to work hard in the future.”

“Ah. It’s a good attitude, but that’s not why I pointed it out. Wodanaz. I wanted to tell you the story of how Sir Alar Rong cut off the head of a monster that size with a single blow using the Byeokam Sword.”

“I, I see.”

“You will surely be able to reach it too, Wodanaz.”

“Yes…”

At first, he was scared, but as he listened, it sounded like a typical blessing, so Lee Han relaxed a little.

“Now. I will explain in detail how you can reach it.”

“?”

“It was very fortunate that you realized the mysteries of absorption even further this time.”

Professor Inguldel sat Lee Han down and spoke very specifically and seriously.

It wasn’t a joke, he felt a seriousness that he was really trying to break through the wall of Aura within a few years.

“As I said on the ship last time, I think your path lies in that direction, Wodanaz.”

How can a swordsman reach enlightenment?

Unlike wizards who can receive help from the systematic studies built up by their predecessors, the path of a swordsman was a thoroughly personal and solitary one.

As such, the enlightenment for a swordsman to reach enlightenment also had similar aspects.

A swordsman who wields the swordsmanship learned from his master in exactly the same way for the rest of his life could not reach enlightenment.

If you truly want to reach enlightenment, you must evolve the swordsmanship you have learned by incorporating everything you have experienced and realized.

Only at the moment of successfully carrying out that evolution could you reach enlightenment.

And in Professor Inguldel’s view, Wodanaz’s most promising path was the mysteries of absorption.

After delving deeply into the magic property transformation he had realized on his own, his skills had improved to the point where he could maintain balance even in urgent situations.

Moreover, seeing that he had come close to the wall of enlightenment while using the mysteries of absorption frantically on the ship last time, the possibility was even higher.

“Focus on the mysteries of absorption and incorporate what you have newly learned and realized into the Byeokam Sword, Wodanaz.”

“I, indeed.”

Lee Han thought to himself, ‘If I can do that, shouldn’t I go to the Imperial Knights instead of Ainrogaard?’ but pretended to agree for now.

What Lee Han had learned was…

“What comes to mind besides the mysteries of absorption right now? Don’t hesitate, just say it.”

“I remembered the method of loading thoughts you taught me last time?”

“Good. What else?”

“The trick techniques I learned from the knights?”

“Hmm. I’m curious how you can incorporate that, but well…”

Professor Inguldel pushed Lee Han without giving him a break, making him spit out the thoughts he had.

“Now. You have to incorporate this.”

“Uh… is there a way?”

“There is no shortcut, but there are people who can help Wodanaz.”

Professor Inguldel called Giselle and Dergyu.

“Wodanaz, try only defending without attacking.”

When people are forced into unfavorable situations, they tend to develop abilities they didn’t have before.

Professor Inguldel knew very well how to improve his skills as he was an excellent swordsman.

“No. Professor. At least with one person…”

“If it’s one person, the pressure won’t be enough. The Byeokam Sword is especially advantageous for defense.”

Giselle raised her hand and asked politely.

“Professor. What if we blindfold Wodanaz?”

“Good idea. Moradi. If Wodanaz defends well, we’ll try blindfolding him next time.”

Inguldel nodded, pleased with Giselle’s thoughtfulness for her friend.

The sight of them caring for each other was heartwarming, with no trace of the initial rejection of being students from different towers.

* * *

“Hello. Professor Plüwalk.”

“Hello everyone. Nice to see you.”

“Hello. Legal Officer Oriphyulas.”

“Nice to see you all. Young wizards. Be careful not to make contracts rashly. Unless you want to suffer like me.”

The devil, who was following behind Professor Rosine, winked and gave advice.

It was hard to find a textbook as suitable as this for the >Basic Imperial Language and Logic< class, where students learn various dangerous magic contracts. Guinando, who was diligently waving his wand to dye his pants, looked to the side and asked. "Wodanaz. Why do the White Tiger Tower kids look so happy? Did they secretly find some snacks or something?" "No. It’s for a different reason." Lee Han said, rubbing his tingling arm. It seemed like it was the first time this year that he had seen the White Tiger Tower guys looking so happy. They’re like that from getting hit once. ‘If they get hit twice, are those guys going to have a festival?’ "Alright, everyone got them, right?" Professor Rosine waved her wand and gave each student a thick stack of documents. "What is this?" "These are request forms commonly seen in the Empire. I collected and brought actual documents." "!" Lee Han read one with interest. Emergency! Monster hunting, southwestern outskirts of Granden City, compensation negotiable later… "Trash." Lee Han glared at the document with a contemptuous look. The fox-person professor listened to Lee Han’s words and clapped in admiration. "You pointed it out well! As you can see from this, they didn’t specifically reveal information about the monster, nor did they explain the characteristics of the area. This kind of request is very dangerous. Alright, everyone, clap!" While receiving applause from his friends, Lee Han thought to himself. ‘I was cursing because they didn’t specifically tell me the compensation.’