Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 620

“I thought you’d be surprised I didn’t collapse.”

“……”

Giselle looked at him, very surprised, but Balfatan was serious.

Usually, people who talked to Jiklin alone didn’t stay calm.

Most people felt faint, had trouble breathing, or even passed out…

After that, they would be terrified and run away as soon as Jiklin came near.

But this junior from the Wodanaz family was actually talking to Jiklin.

“Could that be…”

“?”

“…are they… having a ‘conversation’?”

Giselle was annoyed that Balfatan talked about a simple chat like it was some amazing magic trick, but she understood why he was acting like that.

Giselle’s sister wasn’t good at talking to people. To be honest, her way of speaking made people feel uncomfortable.

So usually, when she sat someone down in front of her, a deathly silence would hang in the air…

“She looks like she’s having fun, though.”

“What? That’s her idea of fun?”

Balfatan was surprised again.

It was surprising enough that she was talking so much, but that was her having fun?

No matter how he looked at it, she didn’t seem like she was having fun with that expressionless face. Besides, she was even wearing armor, so anyone would think she was questioning a captured wizard.

“She could be a person who has fun!?”

“Is my sister not allowed to have fun?”

“Ah, no… she’s allowed to have fun. It’s good if she has fun…”

Balfatan lowered his tail as Giselle stared at him sharply.

‘I can do this.’

Lee Han clapped as he listened to Jiklin’s story about ‘the Steel Knights’ flanking maneuver and its analysis during the Waterdrop Fortress campaign 17 years ago.’

“Good heavens! Who would have thought such a thing happened!”

“Hmm.”

Jiklin nodded and stopped talking.

Anyone else would have been confused, but Lee Han already understood the situation.

“By the way, how did the Steel Knights get around the hill?”

“They did it very quickly.”

“…Indeed! I knew it was fast. What kind of vehicle did they use? Also, which route on the hill…”

Jiklin was a difficult person, but Lee Han had dealt with difficult people before, and Jiklin wasn’t the first or the last.

And frankly, Jiklin was relatively easy to deal with.

At least she didn’t mean any harm. And she didn’t attack while talking.

‘She just can’t express herself well.’

Jiklin didn’t know how to talk about normal things. Even when she talked about battles, she spoke in a plain, direct way, without any extra words. This made conversations stop quickly.

Lee Han remembered difficult teachers he had dealt with before. He patiently added details to the conversation to keep it going.

“They borrowed fireclaw panthers from a nearby ranch and used them.”

“Oh dear. Didn’t the knights who rode the fireclaw panthers complain?”

“Some of the knights were burned.”

“Oh dear. What happened to the burned knights?”

Eandurde, who was next to Lee Han, had been asleep for a while. Jiklin didn’t pay much attention.

“May we come in for a moment?”

Giselle and Balfatan, who had been in shock outside, realized what was happening and knocked on the door.

Jiklin was happy to see her sister. Although her face didn’t show it, she opened the door herself and told them to come in.

“Giselle. I was talking with your close friend.”

“…Yes… close… friend, indeed…”

As she entered, Giselle gave Lee Han a look that said, ‘What are you doing?’

Lee Han replied with a look that said, ‘I couldn’t help it because of the Skull Headmaster.’

-I can’t say we’re not close.

The most annoying thing about the other person was when they said something you couldn’t argue with. Giselle closed her eyes to calm down.

“Balfatan. I thought you went to make up for your training, why are you back?”

“Yes? Uh, that’s, uh, I was showing the way here…”

Jiklin stared at Balfatan with emotionless eyes.

Balfatan felt like he couldn’t breathe under her gaze.

“…I’ll go back to it!”

“Balfatan. If you skip your training one more time, I will punish you.”

“Yes!! I will remember that!!”

Balfatan shouted with much more energy than before.

While Balfatan was getting scolded, Lee Han whispered to Giselle.

“What’s the punishment here? Is there a disciplinary room or something?”

“My sister’s punishment is different from the family’s prison. The ‘lightest’ punishment was climbing the jagged cliff behind the fortress, using only your bare hands and feet.”

“……”

Lee Han was shocked.

He had thought that Alar Long and Inguldel were very strict and crazy about training, but there was someone even crazier in front of him.

‘I knew she seemed a bit crazy.’

“…Don’t think badly of my sister. She’s not a bad person.”

“What silly things are you saying? Who would think badly of Lady Jiklin of the Moradi family, who defeated the Twinhead Ogre herself?”

‘How much has this guy heard, anyway?’

Usually, Jiklin would only say a few words an hour even if she was in a room, but he had heard about her story of defeating the ogre when she was young in that short time.

Anyone would think he was part of the Moradi family, not the Wodanaz family, because he seemed so close to Jiklin.

“More importantly, Moradi.”

Giselle’s face became serious as Lee Han’s face turned serious.

She knew that when he spoke like that, he was talking about something important.

“Why?”

‘What is it? Is it something about the Headmaster? Something about Einrogaard? Is there a change next year? Or is it the Moradi family? If it’s something about the north, is it the Great Mountains?’

“That, Jiklin. You said she’s your sister, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Not ‘older sister,’ but just ‘sister.’ Right?”

“She’s my sister. What are you talking about?”

“Hmm… I see.”

Lee Han nodded as if he understood.

Giselle was still for a moment, not understanding what he was talking about, but then she suddenly realized and was shocked.

Could this guy be…?!

“Hey, you… could it be…?”

“Lady Jiklin. I have a question about the tactics you used when you defeated the Twinhead Ogre!”

“Hey! You rude—!” Giselle started, pointing a finger at Lee Han.

“Giselle,” Jicklin said firmly. “That’s enough.” Her voice was low, but sharp, like ice cracking.

Jicklin looked at her sister, her dark eyes steady and serious. Even though they were sisters and usually joked around, Jicklin knew Giselle was going too far. She had to stop her now.

“But, Sister, he’s being a—!” Giselle protested, her face red.

Jicklin’s gaze didn’t soften. “Since when do we speak to guests like that in our home?”

Giselle mumbled, “But we’re friends! It’s just… joking!”

Before things got worse, Lee Han stepped in quickly, a nervous smile on his face. “It’s okay, really! In Einrogard, we talk like this all the time. It’s normal for us, haha. Right?”

“…Right. Haha. Hahaha.”

“Hahahaha. Hahahahaha.”

Lee Han and Giselle looked at each other and laughed dryly.

Seeing that, Jicklin’s face softened. Her eyebrows, which had been tight, relaxed, and a small smile touched the corners of her lips, like the first hint of sunlight in the morning.

She was happy that her sister had made a trustworthy friend after entering magic school.

“Giselle. Friendship is a wonderful thing.”

“Yes…”

The conversation died down. Lee Han quickly tried to start it again.

“Jicklin, I’d love to hear a good story about friendship.”

“Wodanaz seems to enjoy talking too much.”

“Haha.”

At Jicklin’s joke, Giselle stomped on Lee Han’s foot. Lee Han didn’t understand and whispered.

“Why just now?”

“Hey. Don’t joke around with my sister without permission.”

“……”

He was very confused. He thought it was strange she stepped on his foot now, and not before when he actually made a mistake.

After the junior student, who had been sleeping deeply, woke up (Giselle was very interested to hear that Eandurde was a junior), and the informal gathering was about to end, Lee Han breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, all that was left was to return to the dorm.

‘Honestly, Alsicle should eat about ten sardines in front of me.’

Lee Han was still annoyed. He felt he had suffered enough.

While Lee Han was resolving to watch Alsicle’s sardine performance regardless of how full he was, Jicklin opened her mouth.

“Wodanaz, I would like to invite you to hunt tomorrow.”

“…Wait, hold on!”

Before Lee Han could answer, Giselle exclaimed in shock.

Besides the fact that she didn’t want an outsider to join her outing with her sister, Jicklin’s hunting was by no means easy.

You shouldn’t think of it as a noble-style hunt where the gamekeepers and beaters drive all the prey and the hunter sits comfortably.

Jicklin’s hunting was literally closer to training to experience and grow one’s limits as a knight.

The knights of the Moradi family can be dragged to such places because they can collapse from exhaustion, but isn’t Wodanaz an outsider?

If there’s a problem or a complaint…

“I, I think it might be dangerous…”

“Please specify what you mean, Giselle.”

“First of all, he’s a wizard. There will be physical problems.”

“I heard Wodanaz was the top of his class in swordsmanship.”

Giselle turned her head and looked at Lee Han.

Her eyes seemed to say, ‘Did you have to say that in such a short time?’

Lee Han explained with his eyes, ‘Balpatan, that senior, said it.’

‘That useless jerk!’

Giselle regretted not pushing this relative over the cliff.

“Moradi. Cheer up. I want to rest tomorrow too.”

“Tsk…”

Giselle gritted her teeth at Lee Han, who was whispering from behind.

“He may be good at swordsmanship, but you should also consider his own wishes. Wodanaz is a natural-born wizard, so he likes to research in his room, not challenge trials.”

Giselle desperately tried to come up with a reason because she really didn’t want to take Lee Han.

Jicklin nodded silently as if she understood.

And then she answered.

“Giselle. Wodanaz showed interest first when we were talking earlier.”

“…Are you kidding me?!”

Giselle couldn’t stand it and shouted at Lee Han, who was behind her.

What on earth did this guy talk about when they were talking earlier?!

“Ugh. I should have brought Alsicle…”

Lee Han regretted his actions yesterday and got on his horse.

He definitely wanted to bring Alsicle, but the wizard of the Pengaerin family was not such an easy opponent.

-You’ve really been through a lot. Is everything settled with that knight?

-Haha. It was fun, Alsicle.

-I’m sorry I had to leave first. I wish I could do something for you.

-Then I have a request, Alsicle. Tomorrow…

-Don’t tell me you’re going hunting with the knights? I’m never going to the knights’ hunt. You might as well throw me over that cliff.

……

Alsicle, being an imperial nobleman who had lived longer than Lee Han, knew very well how annoying hunting was.

At least the nobles’ hunts were a little easier, but the knights’ hunts were very uncomfortable.

They make it hard for other people who are invited to improve their skills.

There is no gamekeeper or beater in the rough terrain without roads, and there are no servants or porters to carry luggage…

It would have been better if everyone was uncomfortable. But in this situation, the most uncomfortable person was the wizard.

The knights were subtly pressuring him, looking at him with eyes that wanted him to use magic.

If that’s the case, just bring all the servants and porters!

-I’m not going to go to those guys who take wizards to show off and harass them! I can’t go!

-…I understand. Please eat all the sardines here instead.

-…You’re not mad, are you?

Lee Han, who had come to play but ended up working like he did in Einrogard, sighed and packed his bags.

Giselle, who was watching from the side, said.

“That’s why you should have told my sister appropriately. Do you know how excited Jicklin is because of you? She kept talking about where to go hunting.”

At those words, Lee Han tried to imagine Jicklin being excited.

It was hard to imagine.

“Hey. More than that, that crazy question yesterday, don’t tell me…”

“Jicklin. I’ll cast a spell on the saddle for you!”