Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 571

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but the words were still there.

Thinking about it now, Professor Voladi had been talking about this for some time.

He mentioned asking the giants for help in preparing for the final exams.

‘I didn’t know it would be a fight…’

Exams with giants were always surprising.

Sometimes it was doing chores for them, other times it was answering their riddles, and once, it was even having tea with them!

Out of all those things, it had to be a fight.

This very simple exam method was just like Professor Voladi.

“Is that really true?”

Lee Han asked once, just to politely deny reality.

“Are you talking about how much giants love to dance! Of course, they love it! Who in the Empire doesn’t love to dance! Anyone who doesn’t is culturally inept!”

‘I don’t…’

Lee Han felt awkward, suddenly feeling less cultured than a giant.

“Besides that, didn’t the giants say something strange?”

“Suggesting they’d dance a humorous piece instead of a waltz is a bit much, but not exactly strange…”

“I’m talking about them saying they’d fight me.”

“Ah!”

Professor Krinval, who had been chattering about what dances the giants liked and what dances suited them, belatedly remembered and nodded.

“It’s true! I confirmed it several times!”

“Did they also tell you what weapons they’d use and what strategies they’d employ?”

“Well, not that far…”

Professor Krinval was usually cheerful and energetic, but this time he was surprised.

The first-year student’s question sounded very worried.

“The giants didn’t want to fight, so I gave them some advice!”

“What advice…?”

Lee Han felt a little scared.

Just because it was the professor’s advice didn’t necessarily mean it would be good for Lee Han.

What if the advice was something like, ‘Use a sharp weapon to reduce the student’s suffering’…

“Hide!”

“Pardon?”

“If they don’t want to fight, shouldn’t they just hide? If they hide only during the final exam period, everything will be resolved!”

“No, Professor. Such a temporary measure won’t… will it?”

Lee Han was thrown into confusion by Professor Krinval’s words.

Strangely, it sounded like a good idea.

Or maybe it just seemed good because he had to fight giants.

‘But it’s a good idea.’

Giants hide -> Professor Voladi can’t find them -> The final exam is automatically passed -> He gets a perfect score.

Everyone could be happy.

Of course, Professor Voladi might be a little sad, but Lee Han trusted the professor. He was sure he could overcome it.

“Thank you! Professor. For giving me such advice.”

“Ah! It’s not over yet!”

“??”

“Take this!”

Professor Krinval handed over a letter from the giants. It was titled: ‘Even though we’re hiding – The Strong Ones.’

Apparently, the giants were not a race accustomed to hiding, especially not from the mad killer of Einrogaard.

“What did you just say?”

“Excuse me? I said the professor of Einrogaard?”

“Is… is that so? I must have misheard!”

Professor Krinval wondered if he had misheard.

‘Can I hide the giants?’

Lee Han was lost in thought.

Tomorrow was the weekend, and after the weekend, the final week of Einrogaard, the final exam week, would arrive.

Of course, the weekend had to be spent preparing for the final exams.

Would it be possible to hide the giants and study for the final exams at the same time?

‘Hmm. But come to think of it, I think I’m okay with what I’ve studied for the final exams so far.’

Lee Han calmly made a statement that would be the envy of other top students.

Those who had thoroughly previewed and reviewed their lessons didn’t need to cram the night before the exam.

‘If I clash with the giants, I’ll be bedridden for a week, exams or no exams…’

“Thank you, Professor. I’ll go hide the giants.”

“Good luck! Student Wodanaz! I’ll keep it a secret from the Headmaster!”

Lee Han belatedly tried to say, ‘It’s not the Headmaster’s exam,’ but the professor was already far away.

‘It doesn’t matter, I suppose.’

The Skull Headmaster originally liked being scolded, so this much would be fine.

Even in Einrogaard, a very dangerous school, Friday afternoons were a little relaxed.

It was a time when students who had finished their lectures took a leisurely rest, looking forward to the weekend.

Some sat on the lawn in front of the main building playing wizard cards or chess, while others played bare-handed tag in the open space next to it.

One student brought a chair and read ‘Toberitz, Unraveling the Plots of the Evil Dark Wizard,’ a very thick and mysterious book, while another struggled to write a letter, somehow breaking through Einrogaard’s curse.

But this week was different.

The faces of the students facing the final exams were filled with determination. Even students who usually showed no interest in studying were carrying several books.

“Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

As the students of the Blue Dragon Tower walked over with determined faces, Tiziling, who was simply praying, asked in bewilderment.

“What brings you here?”

“Priest, could you call Wodanaz out for us?”

“Ah, yes. What message should I leave for him?”

“To help us study…”

“…Ah, yes.”

The priest’s eyes changed slightly, looking at them as if they were pathetic.

The students of the Blue Dragon Tower blushed at the look.

‘Isn’t he looking down on us?’

‘It must be my imagination. There’s no way the priests would do that.’

Of course, the students of the Blue Dragon Tower had excuses.

It wasn’t that they hadn’t studied at all, or that they were trying to get carried by Wodanaz without any preparation.

They had studied to some extent, but they were just trying to ask the top student of the year to ask about anything they might have missed or misunderstood.

“So, we have nothing to be ashamed of. Got it?”

“That’s right. Well said.”

“…?”

Adenarte, who was with the group, tilted her head.

Her friends had coaxed her to come along, but after hearing what they had to say, it didn’t seem like a very good group.

Could it be that if she stayed here, she would be seen as a student who didn’t study?

“Huh? Did you guys study without me? I haven’t studied yet??”

“Shhh. Shut up, Gainando.”

“You have to maintain your dignity in front of the other tower’s students, you idiot.”

“Even if you haven’t done it, say you’ve done it all. Just say you’re asking for confirmation.”

“……”

“Where are you going, Princess?”

“…I left something in my private room.”

Adenarte was trying to slip away quietly.

She didn’t want to receive strange looks from the other tower’s students, as much as she could study on her own.

Of course, her followers wouldn’t let Adenarte go easily.

“Shall I go get it for you?”

“No…”

“What did you leave behind?”

“That is…”

“It must be snacks.”

Gainando said, stuffing the remaining cookies into his mouth.

He had to eat them in advance because he was sure he would hear, ‘You idiot, you should solve problems and then eat, did you come here to eat?’ when studying started.

Gainando was almost impressed by his own cleverness.

“What are you talking about!”

“Who are you talking to!”

“Snacks, wasn’t it snacks?”

Lee Han came out of the tower with the sound of the door opening.

His friends were happy to see Wodanaz… but then they were embarrassed.

“What are you doing??”

Wodanaz was heavily armed, as if he were going into the mountains.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to the mountains for a bit.”

“Why??”

“I have something to do to prepare for the final exams. Did you all come to study together? That’s commendable. Did you all read the things I told you to study last time?”

“Uh…”

“Uhh…”

“That…”

The students quickly exchanged glances.

“I read… I did. The beginning… though.”

“I, I read it too. ‘While writing this magic book, I dedicate these words to posterity.’”

‘That’s just the preface.’

Lee Han quickly grasped the level of his friends and clicked his tongue.

Adenarte was ashamed and hid behind her followers. She didn’t want to be treated the same way.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can help you this time because I have to go to the mountains. Ah, Princess. Would you help them instead?”

Adenarte, feeling caught, looked up in surprise.

She couldn’t figure out why she had been caught.

‘Was I hiding?’

Lee Han was puzzled by the other person’s reaction.

Since her friends were there, Adenarte would naturally be nearby, so why would she hide?

“The Princess will be able to help the other students sufficiently.”

“Ah. Yes. I’ll try…”

“Then everyone, do your best.”

As Lee Han said goodbye and tried to leave, his friends unconsciously tried to see him off but stopped.

“Wait! Wodanaz!”

“??”

“You can’t just leave us behind. We’ll help you!”

“That’s right. We’re friends!”

As the students of the Blue Dragon Tower shouted their participation, Lee Han looked at them coldly instead of being moved.

“Study.”

“……”

“Okay…”

Gainando quietly put down the backpack he had been carrying.

Lee Han climbed the steep mountain path, his mind racing.

The trees were tall and dark around him, and he could feel his heart beating faster with worry.

Hiding the giants was not an easy task.

It would be nice if he could get help…

‘I don’t know if Mr. Ikurusha will cooperate.’

Unlike the other giants, Ikurusha, a wise and intelligent giant, was quite close to Professor Voladi.

Would such a person betray his promise with Professor Voladi and take Lee Han’s side?

It was hard to be sure.

-I will cooperate.

“Are you having a hard time… Yes!?”

-I said I will cooperate.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

-You ask if it’s okay after asking me. Is that even a question?

Ikurusha burst into a hearty laugh and looked down at Lee Han.

-Are you curious about the reason?

“Yes.”

-Alright. Listen carefully.

Ikurusha lowered his voice as if he were about to tell a secret story.

-Usually, if you make a freshman fight a giant, wise people will stop you.

“……”

That was true.

“Still, I thought it wouldn’t work because you had a promise with the professor.”

-I can’t give direct instructions. But I can cooperate as much as possible. And there’s no good that can come to the giants if the >Giant Slayer> Archmage shows up…

Professor Voladi wanted him to help Lee Han and the giants get along for the exam.

But Ikurusha actually didn’t like the idea of a fight between a giant and a first-year student.

The only person who liked this was a crazy wizard like Gonadaltes Gong. And Ikurusha was sane.

He worried about what would happen if a hurt student held a grudge and wanted revenge on the giants later.

‘What’s the last part about?’

Of course, Lee Han didn’t understand.

-So. Have you thought about how to hide them?

“I was going to check the terrain around here first. Since the professor will be searching for the giants when they disappear, I’m going to check the secret places that are hard to find first.”

-What about inside the school?

“…Yes?”

-I mean inside the school. The main building of Einrogaard. As far as I know, there’s no place like it.

“The main building… it certainly has a lot of places to hide…”

Lee Han was embarrassed by Ikurusha’s words.

Of course, Einrogaard’s main building had an infinite expanse as much as its history.

How could even the Skull Headmaster himself not be able to grasp it?

If he found it well, he could find enough places to hide the giants.

‘Can I move them?’

But moving them was the problem.

Could he really take the giants, who were impulsive but listened to him, down the mountain and into the main building?

“Can I practice invisibility magic from now on and cover all the giants?”