Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 572

Lee Han looked at the giant, Icurusa, his eyes wide. “Was that all? Just make them invisible?”

Icurusa snorted, a sound like rocks grinding together. “Of course not, little wizard. Did you really think I’d tell a first-year to make giants vanish and drag them to the main building?” *Honestly*, he thought, *the ideas these young wizards have!*

“Oh, good!” Lee Han sighed, a real weight lifting from his shoulders. “For a second, I thought I’d have to start practicing *now*.”

Icurusa peered down at him, his ancient eyes like dark pools. “Well,” he rumbled, “I may not be a wizard myself, but I’m starting to think there might be something a little… *odd* about you.”

“???”

Lee Han didn’t understand Icurusa’s words.

Something wrong with him?

‘Are you talking about the mistake of enrolling in Einroguard, the famous magic school?’

Icurusa continued, “Anyway, as I was saying, I also know a way to get them into the main building. I know a secret passage. It’s connected to the main building.”

“!”

Lee Han was surprised by the unexpected method.

‘That’s right!’

Now that he thought about it, Einroguard’s main building had as many hidden side paths as it had history.

The Spiderweb Lake in the deepest part of the main building’s basement, where Bulgasari resided, was connected to several places, and the professors often used it as a shortcut.

It wasn’t surprising that a giant who had lived as long as Icurusa would know one or two underground side paths connected to the main building.

“There’s such a way…! You’re amazing!” Lee Han exclaimed.

Icurusa cautioned, “It’s too early to be happy. There are obstacles in this method too.”

Icurusa began to explain, drawing the underground passage connected to the mountain range’s cave in the dirt. The cave walls were damp, and the air hung heavy with the smell of earth. The light was dim, casting long shadows as Icurusa scratched the dirt with a thick finger.

“If you go down along the hidden cave, you’ll find a fairly old passage, and if you follow this passage, you’ll find the main building’s underground warehouse…”

‘Perfect?’

Lee Han, who was listening, tilted his head.

He didn’t feel any particular difficulty.

“What’s the obstacle?” Lee Han asked.

Icurusa said, “The passage here is quite dangerous.”

“Ah. I see…” Lee Han asked, lightly tensing up.

“Is there a hydra or something?”

Icurusa looked at Lee Han as if rebuking him. “…It’s not *that* dangerous…”

Bringing up strange examples when they were having a serious conversation.

“I was asking seriously…” Lee Han protested.

Icurusa explained, “Then it’s more of a problem. Anyway, there are swamps and lakes around the passage, so you might see some ferocious creatures. It’s been a while since I used it, so I need to check.”

“I understand. I’ll check it out.” Lee Han wrote >Check Passage Monsters< on the paper. Icurusa added, “The next thing is when you get out of the passage, if my memory is correct, there are many students walking around there.” “Upperclassmen?” Lee Han’s eyes widened. If they were first-year students, Lee Han would know. And in the first place, none of the first-year students were brave enough to wander around the basement of the main building. Unless they were crazy… ‘Oops. I did wander around.’ Lee Han winced. His own thought reminded him of his own rule-breaking. “Why are the upperclassmen wandering around there? It’s quite a deep underground warehouse.” Icurusa replied, “I don’t know much about the wizards’ affairs… so it’s hard for me to answer.” ‘Hmm.’ Come to think of it, Lee Han didn’t know much about the upperclassmen’s lives. The Skeleton Headmaster had blocked contact, but Lee Han had met quite a few upperclassmen… Should he have pried more at that time? ‘From the second year, you can contact people from other grades, participate in club activities, receive more external requests, and do your own magic research… Is it because of this?’ When you do magic research, you might become a bit gloomy and stay underground. Lee Han started to imagine the upperclassmen's faces if they found out. They would be furious! Icurusa interrupted, “Can I continue the story?” “Yes. Please speak.” Icurusa said, “People say Einroguard students are tough as iron, but they can’t help but be surprised when they meet a giant. You have to keep the nearby students from coming.” “That’s difficult,” Lee Han admitted. Icurusa agreed, “I think so too. This is the most difficult. You can somehow get through the passage by force.” Lee Han, who was worried, nodded and said. “First, please gather the giants in front of the cave. I’ll find a way to keep the upperclassmen from approaching.” “What are you going to do?” Icurusa was surprised that Lee Han acted faster than he thought. He knew very well that first-year students couldn’t contact upperclassmen. But he said it so easily? “I know some upperclassmen. They might refuse, but I’m going to ask them for a favor.” Icurusa began to wonder if he knew Lee Han’s grade wrong at the words that made him doubt his ears. “…Wait. Wait. You’re a first-year, right?” * * * Lee Han returned to the secret base and played with the quill. It was a note connected to Diret. Fortunately, the answer soon came back. Diret wrote: “What’s going on?” Lee Han replied, “I have a question to ask, but if you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to answer. I have nothing to give you either.” Diret responded: “Ten.” Lee Han asked, “Yes?” Diret wrote, “Junior, you can ask about ten questions.” Lee Han protested, “No… I can’t do that. Isn’t that the original rule?” Lee Han knew that last time he heard, the communication artifact deployed in the school was based on one-to-one equivalent exchange. Otherwise, you can’t trust an anonymous person whose face and name you don’t know. Diret wrote, “Considering what you’ve done, you can just ask about ten questions… wait a minute.” Lee Han asked, “Ah. Are you busy?” There was no answer for a while, but soon the letters came up. Diret wrote, “No. I was just preparing for a moment. Tell me.” Lee Han asked, “I don’t know how the upperclassmen are doing, but are there any upperclassmen who stay around the underground warehouse?” Lee Han described the scenery around the warehouse that he had heard from Icurusa in as much detail as possible. After all, there must be more than one or two deep underground warehouses. Diret responded, “Ah. Here. I know.” “!” Lee Han sighed in relief. Diret hesitated, “Here… um…” Lee Han offered, “It’s okay if it’s hard to answer.” Lee Han wondered what this place was like when Diret’s letters trembled as if hesitating. Is it some kind of evil classroom whose name shouldn’t be known? ‘Is the devil made into a classroom?’ It didn’t make sense, but if it was the Skeleton Headmaster, he might have caught the devil and used it as a classroom altogether… Diret finally gave up and told the answer. “It’s not that secret, um… yeah. There’s a small hole connected to the kitchen around there.” “Yes?” Diret explained, “So… it’s going in to eat.” There were dozens of kitchens in the vast Einroguard. Some places were completely abandoned or forgotten. Among them, the kitchen that Diret mentioned had a special boundary magic, which was a magic that sounded an alarm the moment food was taken out. Originally, they had to give up because it was a pie in the sky, but Einroguard’s students were also formidable. Diret continued, “Just go in, eat as much as you want, and come out! …In this way, they succeeded in breaking through the kitchen’s magic and plundering food.” Lee Han asked, “I heard that there are quite a few upperclassmen, but aren’t all of those upperclassmen trying to get into the kitchen?” Diret confirmed, “That’s right, they’re all trying to get into the kitchen.” “……” Lee Han was speechless. Diret also noticed that the junior’s words had disappeared and said urgently. “Just so you know, we from the Black Magic School don't go there much.” Lee Han replied, “Oh, no. It’s okay to use it. Shouldn’t you use everything in the school?” Diret insisted, “I didn’t!” ‘I need to change the subject.’ Lee Han, who had figured out why there were so many students around, asked the next question. “Senior. Is it possible to keep the students around there from approaching for a while?” Diret responded, “Junior. Is it okay to ask why? The method depends on the reason.” “That’s…” This time, Diret soothed Lee Han as he hesitated. “It’s okay if it’s hard to say, Junior. But just know this. The seniors of the Black Magic School will be on your side no matter what strange things you do.” Lee Han confessed, “Thank you, Senior. Actually, I’m trying to bring giants and hide them.” * * * The students of the Black Magic School, Cohorti and Ogoltos, were standing behind while Diret was talking to the junior with a quill. The reason why Diret didn’t answer for a while was because he had called the Black Magic students. “The junior is asking for help, so you guys participate together,” Diret announced. Cohorti asked, “But the Headmaster said that if we get caught contacting freshmen without permission, we’ll be sent to the disciplinary room, right?” “Don’t say anything if you don’t want to,” Diret snapped. At Diret’s words, Cohorti looked at Ogoltos with a contemptuous gaze. “You ungrateful bastard…” Cohorti muttered. Ogoltos retorted, “When did I say I wouldn’t do it!!” He was upset. He just asked once, but was that such a deadly mistake? The two bickered and eventually stood behind Diret. “So what does the junior want us to help with?” Cohorti asked. Diret replied, “I don’t know. I have to listen. First, he’s asking why students gather at that hole kitchen, should I answer this as it is? It’s too embarrassing, right?” Cohorti sighed, “Can’t help it…” “What should I say if the seniors ask why they can’t solve it with magic and crawl in like beggars?” Diret wondered. “Hey. He’s not that kind of junior,” Diret said. Diret thought for a moment and then told the truth. Fortunately, the junior didn’t ask, ‘Why can’t the seniors solve it with magic and crawl in like beggars?’ Diret asked, “None of you go there often, right?” “Uh… no,” Cohorti mumbled. “I… I don’t go often either,” Ogoltos added. “……” Diret regretted asking without much thought. I should have just not asked! “Hmm. I don’t know what he’s trying to ask for,” Diret said. Cohorti reminisced, “That’s how it is when you’re a freshman. I even left a letter in front of the tower saying, ‘Seniors, please give me some leftover food.’ I was so innocent.” Ogoltos was curious at Cohorti’s words. “What happened?” Cohorti replied, “Someone put a stone on it saying, ‘Eat this.’” “……” Ogoltos became sad at the Einroguard-like episode that was more than he thought. “I should tell him to speak comfortably first. The Black Magic School will be on your side no matter what…” Diret muttered. “That’s good, right? Won’t he be touched?” Ogoltos asked. Cohorti questioned, “Wouldn’t it be burdensome?” “Shut up,” Diret snapped. Ignoring the words chattering from behind, Diret moved the quill. Ogoltos and Cohorti also waited for a reply with eyes mixed with anticipation and worry. ‘He’s not going to go to another school because he’s burdened, is he…?’ Ogoltos worried. Lee Han wrote: “Thank you. Senior. Actually, I’m trying to bring giants and hide them.” “……” “……” Silence lingered in the workshop for a while. Cohorti rubbed his eyes and checked again. But the word giant didn’t change. “What… what is it?” Cohorti stammered. Ogoltos asked, “Didn’t he write it wrong?” Cohorti exclaimed, “No, what do you have to do to bring a giant?! More than that, why are you trying to hide it!?” Diret, who was listening to the noisy conversation between his classmate and junior, closed his eyes and pondered. Then he opened his eyes wide and played with the quill. Diret wrote: “It’s not surprising at all.” “…No. No. No…” Cohorti mumbled. “That’s not it! What kind of bluff is that…!” Ogoltos exclaimed. Cohorti and Ogoltos were shocked by Diret’s bluff. Even if you want to maintain your dignity as a senior, how can you just skip over that without asking? “Everyone,” Diret said. “Huh?” “Yes?” Cohorti and Ogoltos responded. “Shut up,” Diret commanded. “……” After shutting them up, Diret continued the last sentence. Diret wrote: “Hiding giants is a common thing.” Lee Han asked: “Is that so??” Diret replied: “Of course. Don’t underestimate the seniors. They’re wizards who are fully adapted to this kind of thing.” Since he’ll have less chance to meet his junior from next year, Diret boldly blurted it out. Lee Han wrote: “Thank you so much! I look forward to working with you!” Diret, who heard the junior’s answer, put the quill in the inkwell. And he said to the other Black Magic students. “Okay. Both of you, suggest one way to keep students from coming to the room where the giants are hiding.” “……” “……”