Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 632

Rough hands had dragged Duke Icardoren from his carriage and stuffed a cloth in his mouth. He spoke with difficulty because of the gag in his mouth.

Even as he was being dragged away, the Duke tried to maintain his usual dignity and authority, snapping, “What… what is the meaning of this!”

The three of them stopped their chatter and stared at the Duke.

Duke Icardoren, thinking it would be far more possible to persuade the other two than the Skull Headmaster, shifted his gaze.

Who should he ask for help? The Skull Headmaster’s student or Alsicle?

“Alsicle of the Pengaerin family!”

Lee Han felt a little hurt that Duke Icardoren called for Alsicle instead of him.

In this situation, wasn’t he more trustworthy than Alsicle?

‘He’s even spoken to me before.’

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

Alsicle pretended not to know, not wanting to get involved in this. Alsicle shuffled his feet nervously, his penguin feet making soft sounds on the stone floor.

However, there weren’t many penguin beast-people in the Empire, especially one with blood as thick as Alsicle’s.

“Aren’t you Alsicle of the Pengaerin family! Are you just going to stand by and watch this unlawful act?”

“No. Gonadaltes, sir. If you’re going to use a gag, you should use it properly.”

Alsicle grumbled.

Wasn’t it because he hadn’t tightened the gag enough that he had to hear such words?

Now that he had spoken, Alsicle felt he had to get involved, even if he didn’t want to.

Despite Alsicle’s cold reaction, the Duke didn’t give in. Instead, he shouted even more sternly and forcefully.

“Think of the Pengaerin family’s reputation. Do you think it’s right to stand by? Are you just going to watch these two’s misdeeds!”

“…Uh, wait a minute. Why two of us, Your Highness?”

Lee Han protested, dumbfounded.

The Skull Headmaster was the one who kidnapped him; Lee Han had nothing to do with it!

Of course, the Duke ignored Lee Han’s words, pretending not to hear.

In the Duke’s mind, Lee Han was already firmly branded as the Skull Headmaster’s disciple and an accomplice in this kidnapping.

“Even if you are a great wizard, there are imperial laws. You absolutely have no authority to commit such acts…”

“Ah, stop whining, you little brat.”

The Skull Headmaster spat out, as if annoyed.

“Did you think I kidnapped you without a reason? Of course, I kidnapped you because I was allowed to.”

“What… that’s absurd…”

Even as he spoke, the Duke felt fear rising within him.

There was only one reason why the Skull Headmaster could act so arbitrarily in this situation.

“About your subordinate who entered Einrogard. Did you really think he wasn’t caught? He was already captured when he entered.”

‘Wow. How brazen.’

Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly.

After not finding him for nearly a year (it was indeed difficult to find him when he was turned into a statue), he found him right before vacation and was now acting as if he knew all along.

However, the bluff was very effective. The Duke felt as if he had been struck in the back of the head with a hammer.

‘He knew from the beginning…?!’

He had thought that his subordinate’s contact had been cut off and that he might have gone missing or died, but to think he had been captured.

Then what were the actions of the Skull Headmaster or the boy from the Wodanaz family afterwards?

“Th-then why did you just…”

“I waited to see how you would act. You were amusing to watch.”

“!!!!”

The Duke’s body went rigid, like a statue suddenly turned to ice. It was a shock that felt like the sky was falling.

He, who had wielded great influence in the Empire’s political and social circles through schemes and plots his entire life, was being mocked without noticing anything.

He couldn’t believe it.

“No… it can’t be…! Was it all an act? Was that boy testing me too?”

“Oh, that wasn’t an act…”

“Indeed, Your Highness, it was all a bit of fun for him.”

“……”

Lee Han had nothing to say, so he just nodded. He couldn’t ruin the Skull Headmaster’s plan here.

Despair washed over the Duke. His shoulders slumped, and the fight seemed to drain out of him. He looked like a puppet with its strings cut, all his arrogance and anger gone, replaced by a hollow fear.

The man who had been so dignified when wearing dozens of artifacts now looked as pathetic as a sick old man.

Seeing this, the Skull Headmaster patted the Duke’s shoulder.

“Cheer up. It’s not that you’re lacking. It’s just that I’m great.”

“Eternal life… is it right for you to keep the secret of eternal life to yourself!”

The Duke shouted desperately, unlike before.

“You, the most cunning and insidious of the Empire’s wizards, must surely have it. The secret of eternal life! To keep it to yourself. It should rightfully be given to the nobles of the Empire!”

“Not to the nobles of the Empire, but to you.”

The Skull Headmaster was indifferent.

Old nobles always came to the Skull Headmaster as if they had entrusted him with the secret of eternal life.

He had seen it so many times that he no longer felt anything.

“You’d throw a fit if I said I’d spread the secret to the lower nobles, so don’t speak as if you represent the nobles.”

“The most noble nobles should be the first to manage that secret!”

“My definition of noble is a little different from yours.”

The Skull Headmaster replied nonchalantly.

“You probably think you’re a great pillar of the Empire, don’t you? You have many titles and many responsibilities, so you must have worried about how chaotic the Empire would be if you disappeared.”

The Duke didn’t answer, but a faint sense of agreement could be felt on his face.

“But the reality is that most of the things you do are like children’s games. The Empire wouldn’t care if you didn’t do them. The Empire wouldn’t care if no one did them. Do you know what a truly great pillar of the Empire is? Someone like the head of the Wodanaz family is a truly great pillar. Exploring the outer realms and protecting the Empire from the monsters and demons that come from there is truly important.”

The Skull Headmaster wasn’t angry, nor did he despise him more than necessary.

He was just speaking with a hint of annoyance, as if explaining to someone who didn’t know anything.

That weariness made the Duke even more terrified.

“The reason you can play comfortably with the nobles is because someone like me, the head of the family, or the Emperor is protecting you. Noble? Do you know what your ancestors were doing during the Great Chaos of the past? They locked every gate and buried their heads in the fireplace. Praying for the demons to pass by. What nobility are you claiming when all you’ve ever done is be born to a good father?”

The Skull Headmaster took a step forward. The Duke momentarily squirmed, trying to escape, but there was nowhere to run.

“Do you want to know the secret of eternal life? I’ll tell you. I’ve never hidden the secret of eternal life. You probably think my vault is full of immortal treasures passed down from ancient times, but what lies dormant in my vault are only vicious and cursed artifacts. Things that would bring disaster to the continent the moment someone like you took them out. Even if such a treasure existed, could someone like you handle it? Someone like you who doesn’t even know the basics of magic?”

The Headmaster, thin as bones and with eyes like dark holes, poked the Duke’s head with the tip of his cane.

“The only real secret to living forever is magic. Forget about treasure. Eternal life is not what you imagine.”

The Duke was stunned by the Headmaster’s words, his mouth hanging open, unable to speak.

The Headmaster, sounding bored, turned away from the Duke. “Lock him up in Einrogard for a few years,” he said. “If you see him in the punishment room, keep him there.”

Yihan asked, “Why would I do that?”

The Headmaster replied, “You even let Vible go free. I thought you liked letting bad people out.”

Yihan changed the subject. “But why lock up Duke Icaldoren? You’ve already taken all his valuables, right?”

The Headmaster scoffed. “Taken everything? This is just the start! Young people these days don’t know the old ways. When you catch a noble, you don’t just take what they have on them. You go after their family, their *whole* family! They will pay to get him back.”

Yihan asked, “Pay?”

The Headmaster said, “Yes! They will offer money. The longer he stays locked up, the more money they will find to pay us.”

Yihan and Alsicle looked at each other. Yihan raised his eyebrows, a silent question. Alsicle nodded slightly.

“Shall we go?” Yihan whispered.

“Sounds like a very good idea,” Alsicle replied, his voice low.

“We should go now,” Yihan said.

“Goodbye, Headmaster.”

“Alright,” the Headmaster replied, waving a bony hand. “Be careful. You’ve both done well. See you at school.”

Yihan gently shook his friend awake in the next room. Then, he and Alsicle quickly left the carriage.

Alsicle nervously straightened his clothes. He was unusually tense, not his usual relaxed self.

Eandurde asked, “Going to a fight?”

Alsicle replied, “You’re so lucky you don’t know! You’re relaxed because you don’t know about the Wodanaz family… Ow! What was that for?!”

Eandurde kicked Alsicle in the leg. Alsicle yelped, surprised.

Yihan called from inside the carriage, “Oh, are you taking him to your family?”

Alsicle answered, “Yes. He’s coming back to Einrogard after the holiday anyway, so I thought he could stay with us until then. I don’t want him learning bad things from the Headmaster.”

Eandurde said, “Visiting the Wodanaz family? Wow, that’s a big deal for him.”

Alsicle asked Yihan, “It’s not *that* big, is it? Yihan, if you want to visit, you can too.”

Eandurde exclaimed, “What? Really?”

Yihan confirmed, “Yes. We don’t invite people often because it’s just family, not because of strict rules.”

Eandurde pleaded, “Wait, wait! Let me get some nicer clothes!”

Yihan said, “You really don’t need to…”

The three, having finished their preparations, found a carriage to ride near the village.

The coachman, stretching and yawning, looked down from his seat at the three young wizards.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

Yihan answered, “Please take us to the Wodanaz family mansion.”

The coachman froze, his voice trembling. “Wo… Wodanaz family?”

Alsicle asked, “Yes?”

Eandurde questioned, “?”

Yihan questioned, “??”

Yihan calmly stated, “We are guests.”

The coachman sighed in relief, still nervous. “Ah… guests. I see.” His shoulders relaxed a little, but he still looked worried.

Alsicle asked, surprised, “Why lie?”

Yihan shrugged. “People get too scared when they hear that name. It’s easier this way.”

The carriage wheels crunched on the forest path, moving deeper into the woods. Sunlight dappled through the leaves, making shifting patterns on the ground. Birds sang sweetly, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves. The air smelled fresh and green, making the wizards feel peaceful and calm. Clop clop clop – went the horses’ hooves.

“Oh,” Alsicle said, leaning forward. “Are those… knights? Wodanaz family knights?” He listened to the approaching hoofbeats, wondering what they would be like.

Instead of knights, a terrifying creature blocked the path. It was huge and shadowy, with too many legs moving at once, like a mass of hooves and darkness. A deep voice boomed, -Are you guests?-

The coachman gasped, then started to hiccup uncontrollably, his whole body shaking with fear. Alsicle felt a pang of sympathy for the poor man.