Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 601

Even among the people who can turn into animals, some families looked even more animal-like than others. These were special families.

People said these families had ‘strong animal blood’.

And if that animal was cute and likeable, they could become more popular than even the most handsome men and beautiful women in the empire.

-Like Professor Verdus.

Professor Verdus looked like a beaver, with big front teeth and a flat nose. But somehow, it was cute, like a friendly cartoon beaver.

Maybe Professor Verdus stayed safe because he was cute and good at magic.

“Wait, why not just ask Professor Verdus for help?” Lee Han asked, thinking aloud.

The Skull Headmaster stared at him, eyes wide. “Are you completely mad?!”

Lee Han jumped back, surprised. “Oh! Sorry, just a thought.”

Lee Han quickly apologized. The Skull Headmaster spoke with a softened expression.

“Compared to Professor Verdus, Peng Erin is the shining star of the social club.”

“I don’t want to go to the social club…” Alsicle said cautiously.

Alsicle was born with amazing magic talent and believed he should spend his life on magic.

A wizard like that shouldn’t waste time on silly social club activities but should focus on magic.

“Oh dear. I don’t want to be the headmaster of a magic school either, Peng Erin. That’s life. If you get caught trespassing, you end up doing things you don’t want to do. Now, let’s go.”

The Skull Headmaster dragged them both up to the surface.

Suddenly remembering another intruder, Lee Han asked,

“What happened to the intruder who was turned into a statue?”

“Ah. That spy. The Duke sent him.”

“Which Duke?”

“Duke Icardoren.”

“!”

Lee Han was startled.

It was a Duke from the great nobility of the empire, whom he had met a few times.

“That unpredictable, strange, and cheap Duke? I can’t believe he would do something like this!”

“…?”

The Skull Headmaster was confused by Lee Han’s words. Alsicle was also confused.

‘He’s not cheap, is he?’

‘Isn’t he a cold and careful person?’

“Isn’t Duke Icardoren not cheap? He’s not one to keep all his gold.”

“That’s right. I know a few magic towers that Duke Icardoren helps, and he’s not a picky helper. And his personality is a bit strange; I heard he’s so cold that you wouldn’t get a drop of blood even if you pricked him with a needle…”

Lee Han tilted his head at their words.

Was he?

“Isn’t the rumor exaggerated? He was a bit of an odd person.”

If Duke Icardoren had heard this, he would have been furious, saying, ‘It’s because of you that I was flustered!’ but unfortunately, the Duke was not present.

The Skull Headmaster and Alsicle took Lee Han’s opinion seriously.

“A person’s personality can change.”

“Well, that’s true. Maybe his personality became strange and unpredictable, so he sent a spy.”

Duke Icardoren had suddenly become a strange, unpredictable miser.

“There are few people to trust in the empire. Still, for a Duke to do something like this…”

“You understand now. How many people truly care about this empire? There’s probably only me.”

“……”

“…Ah, yes,” Alsicle nodded slowly, “I suppose you are right.”

Alsicle and Lee Han were a bit slow to respond, but the Skull Headmaster didn’t care.

“Then, are we going to meet the Duke on the way?”

“No. I have no intention of changing my plans because of such a nobody.”

The Skull Headmaster waved his hand as if Duke Icardoren’s matter was not important.

Even if he was a famous Duke of the empire, the Skull Headmaster saw him as just a lucky brat born into a good family.

Making a name for oneself in the imperial political scene or gaining fame in social circles was simply laughable.

He had no intention of changing his schedule because of such people.

Like eating a dessert placed on the table when he remembered it, the Duke’s matter also belonged to that category.

“I’ll have to deal with it later when I remember.”

“Oh, I thought you were angry because of the intruder.”

“I was angry when I couldn’t catch him. At the incompetence, that is.”

The Death Knights driving the carriage in front flinched.

“But now that I’ve caught him, there’s no reason to be angry.”

The Skull Headmaster’s face was truly indifferent.

It sounded as if he was more angry about not catching the intruder than about the fact that he had intruded.

“The brat probably thinks he’s special. But there’s one of those guys every year in Einrogard. Guys who think they’re special and are convinced they can take something from Einrogard.”

After speaking, the Skull Headmaster looked at Alsicle.

Alsicle, feeling guilty, quickly made excuses.

“I didn’t go in to take anything, but to teach magic…”

“Quiet. Stealing is stealing.”

Lee Han, who had been listening to the conversation, became curious and asked,

“What was the Duke trying to take?”

“Probably small things. Treasures related to eternal life or immortality.”

‘It doesn’t seem small.’

Lee Han thought so, but he held back because he thought the Skull Headmaster would look at him with disrespect if he said it out loud.

Silence.

A quiet silence stayed in the carriage after the conversation ended. Only the sound of the Death Knights driving the carriage outside could be faintly heard.

Whether he was bored or couldn’t stand the silence, Alsicle opened his mouth.

“Have you learned much ice magic?”

“Oh! Guess what? I got a pet ice spirit! A little one, but still!” Lee Han, who had been writing letters to send to his friends in advance, answered proudly to Alsicle’s question.

“?”

“?”

Of course, Alsicle and the Skull Headmaster gave Lee Han a look that said, ‘What is this guy talking about?’

Is that the best thing he can brag about?

“Th, th, that’s great? Getting an ice spirit is also a wonderful thing!”

Alsicle tried his best to agree, shaking his beak.

The Skull Headmaster was even more shocked.

“Did the punishment room drive you crazy, Peng Erin?”

“Spirit contracts are still a great thing…”

“There’s a limit to being nice.”

“Anything else?” Alsicle changed the subject to change the subject.

“I was so busy that I couldn’t learn much… Oh, right. I made an ice elemental clone.”

“Gasp.”

Alsicle lost his words and staggered at the amazing genius’s words.

The empire’s capital was a place where the title of capital was more familiar than the city’s real name.

The most beautiful city in the empire, the largest city in the empire, the most lively city in the empire…

Even the people of the empire, who were proud of their hometowns in the big empire, had to agree when its name was mentioned.

That was the empire’s capital.

At the city gates, which were more than a dozen, many visitors were already lined up and waiting.

The city walls were ancient and tall, covered in spells that shimmered like moonlight. Wizards stopped just to stare at the magic woven into the stone.

“Is that Lake Anita? The one that gives blessings?”

“People are already gathering there.”

“Look at the top of the walls! Wizards who make illusions are showing off new magic!”

“I swear by His Majesty the Emperor’s grace, it’s truly beautiful!”

In other cities or castles, there would have been people complaining while waiting outside like this, but it was hard to find such people in the capital.

There were so many splendid sights that the eyes couldn’t rest even if they were still…

…but rather, it was because even a small problem would immediately lead to a fight with His Majesty the Emperor’s Royal Knights.

No matter how reckless a person was, they would not cause a problem in the empire’s capital.

Pooooooo!

With a loud trumpet sound, a carriage covered in the gloom of death began to approach.

Experienced wizards and warriors shivered at the strong energy coming from the carriage.

Pooooooo!

-Make way! Make way! It’s Gonadaltes, the Emperor’s Master of Magic and Guardian of the Imperial Magic Defense Barrier!

The Death Knights blew their horns, telling the people at the gate.

The people who heard Gonadaltes’s name were scared and began to make way.

“Hey, move! It’s Lord Gonadaltes! That great wizard!”

“I swear on my beard, I never dreamed I would see the empire’s greatest archmage here!”

“Don’t look at the carriage! Do you want to become a toad!”

People were nervous because of the different rumors and misunderstandings about the archmage.

Fear, respect, curiosity…

Different feelings showed on the faces of the people.

Lee Han, who was watching the scene from inside, was embarrassed and lowered his head.

He knew that the inside of the carriage couldn’t be seen from the outside, but he covered his face without thinking.

“Do we have to enter in such an obvious way?”

“Then should we fly over the walls in the carriage? There’s a way to do everything.”

The Skull Headmaster went out of the carriage and waved his hand.

Then, a loud roar erupted.

“Long live the Archmage!”

“I hope my son becomes a great hero like the Archmage!”

‘Oh dear.’

Lee Han felt really sorry for them.

To have them copy the Skull Headmaster of all people!

It was a sad thing caused by the hidden truth.

“Lord Gonadaltes. Thank you.”

The commander of the knights in charge of the gate area heard the story and rushed over.

Unlike normal guests, Gonadaltes’s visit was a big event that made all the knights of the capital nervous.

“I really thank you for not flying over the walls this time.”

“……”

“……”

Lee Han and Alsicle inside were shocked.

He flew over the walls of the imperial capital??

The Skull Headmaster laughed and replied in a mocking way.

“I’ve been flying over this city for hundreds of years. Since before you were born.”

“You know very well that it wasn’t my order.”

The commander of the knights looked at Gonadaltes with pleading eyes, as if saying, ‘Please don’t cause any trouble.’

The people who stopped the Skull Headmaster from flying in were not the knights but the government people of the empire.

They had worked hard to create the laws and rules of the empire, but how could they not be angry when an ancient archmage came in laughing at them?

The moment the Skull Headmaster flew in, the government people ran to the Emperor and started complaining.

“I know. I know. It’s because those guys are annoying. Can I go in?”

“Yes. Please come in.”

The knights opened the way.

Lee Han was surprised to see the main street that the Skull Headmaster’s carriage entered after passing through the gate.

The empire’s capital had different roads like blood vessels as big as its size, and among them, there were roads that only certain people could use.

And the road that the Skull Headmaster’s carriage had entered was the Emperor’s Road, which only the Emperor could use. Even though there were crowds around, there was not a single person on the road.

“…Are we allowed to use this?”

“Hey. With all the things Lord Gonadaltes has done, he can use this much. …Probably.” Alsicle wanted to look important in front of Lee Han, like a nobleman should.

But he couldn’t help but shake at the tip of his beak.

Fortunately, the Knights did not come running. It seemed that he had really received permission.

“Peng Erin. I’ll take Wodanaz and have a private meeting with His Majesty. You…”

“I have family nearby, so I can stay there.”

“No. Meet with the government people and praise Einrogard a bit.”

“…Yes…”

Alsicle had a lot he wanted to say, but he nodded without arguing.

It was impossible to refuse because the effects of the punishment room had not gone away yet.