Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 635

Alsicle could only stare, completely shocked by what he had just heard.

“N-no, you must be joking. There’s no way those two would do that. They wouldn’t give in to such ordinary desires and get married…”

“The Head of the Family told me himself, so it’s definitely true,” Yihan said casually.

Whenever Yihan spoke with the Head of the Family, unwanted love stories always came up, which he found annoying.

“So, does true love really make magic stronger? I always thought love made magic weaker, like it took your focus away…”

“You think like the Headmaster, don’t you?”

“H-how can you say that, Wodanaz? What did I do wrong?” Alsicle looked hurt by Yihan’s blunt words.

“…It just came out without thinking. I apologize.”

“I’m not like Gonadaltez. He might have said something similar, but it’s different for me. Even if it’s for the sake of powerful magic, I’ll still make sure the other person wants to marry me first.”

‘Is he indirectly saying the Headmaster would kidnap someone to marry them?’ Yihan wondered.

Seeing Alsicle thinking about marriage more seriously than he expected, Yihan became curious and asked,

“Is there someone you’re thinking of marrying?”

“Yes, there’s someone we’re discussing. Wodanaz, would you like to hear about her? You might have good advice.”

‘Damn it, I need to stop doing this,’ Yihan thought.

He regretted asking the question without thinking.

He kept letting his curiosity get the better of him, blurting things out and making trouble for himself.

He was already tired of the Head of the Family’s love stories, so how much more boring would Alsicle’s fiancée’s story be?

‘And does my advice even matter?’

He could give advice on magic or business, but he couldn’t help Alsicle decide who to marry.

The only question he could think of was, ‘Does she like sardines too?’

“One of the people we’re considering is a daughter from the Arba family, the Albatross beast-kin family. It’s said that penguin and albatross beast-kin are more likely to have talented children, so that’s seen as a good thing.”

Yihan had to stop himself from covering his ears.

‘This is such boring information about biology,’ he thought.

Looking to the side, he saw that Alsicle was already starting to fall asleep.

“I… see.”

“The other person we’re considering is the assistant of the Sebing Magic Tower. Since they study ice magic, it would be good to have someone to talk about magic with.”

“Wow. That sounds incredibly blissful,” Yihan said, his voice flat and uninterested.

Yihan paused, realizing he sounded too insincere.

‘Was I too casual?’

However, Alsicle seemed happy.

“Really? I’m glad you think so.”

Yihan felt strangely guilty.

‘I should think about this more seriously,’ he thought.

“The last person we’re considering is Lord [Name in Spirit Language].”

“…What language was that?”

“Ah, you wouldn’t be able to hear it. It’s a spirit’s name. A spirit connected to our family. I’m thinking about making a contract with this spirit. The good thing is that it’s a spirit of cold, so it would help my magic.”

In the Empire, there were many kinds of contracts with spirits.

There were normal contracts like the ones students at Einroguard made, but sometimes mages made special contracts with powerful spirits.

One of the strangest contracts was a marriage contract.

Jealous spirits wanted to be the only ones for mages, and if a mage was willing to put up with that to use the spirit’s power (or if they fell in love with the spirit)…

…they would make a strong contract this way.

“Spirits are good partners. Oh, did you know I have contracts with spirits? I have a squirrel and a sparrow spirit.”

“Alsicle was a little surprised when Yihan suddenly showed off his spirits.

They were just normal, low-level spirits, not rare or special ones.

‘Uh, what does this mean?’

“Th-they’re very cute and smart, aren’t they?”

“Indeed.”

Yihan looked happier than he had since he arrived. Alsicle didn’t know why, but he felt relieved that he had said the right thing.

“So, who do you think is the best of the three?”

“Hmm, Lord Pengerin. When you met each of them, who made you the happiest?” Yihan asked, following the book.

Honestly, he didn’t even want to ask, but he couldn’t just skip it after hearing everything.

“Huh? I haven’t met them.”

“”?”

“I’ve only heard their names.”

Yihan was very annoyed.

Alsicle was even stranger than he thought.

‘Should I just tell him to use magic to choose?’

The demon, who had left earlier, helped Yihan as he struggled with what to do. The demon came back with the sardines and said to the kitchen in a tired voice,

“-I brought them.”

“Ah, Demon. I’ll be inviting some friends over soon. Can you help out?”

The demon twisted his body, angry that he had rolled a low number.

Why did he have to roll a low number today?

“Lord Pengerin, I’m worried because the food at our parties isn’t very good.”

Alsicle nodded, not noticing that Yihan was changing the subject.

“Is it because there aren’t many people?”

“Yes. Most people are gone, and the knights and servants here don’t really like fancy food…”

The family had enough food, but not many different kinds, and most of it was simple.

If Gainan or a friend like him came, and they served the usual food, he would definitely ask, ‘Is this just the appetizer? Is there a main course?’

‘But is that what’s important right now?’

Alsicle thought, looking at the empty scene outside the mansion.

Instead of planning a party for his friends, he felt like he should worry about something else first…

“Just go to the village and find anything useful. I saw that the village was pretty big on the way here.”

“-Damn penguin…” the demon muttered as he got ready to leave.

If you’re going to order, order everything at once, instead of making me go back and forth!

Alsicle was confused and said,

“No, I didn’t mean to order you to do that.”

“More importantly, aren’t you being too mean! He’s still a guest!” Yihan shouted.

The demon completely shrank back.

“-I was wrong, Lord Wodanaz. Please don’t make my punishment longer.”

“Be careful next time. Anyway, Lord Pengerin, I’ll go to the village and buy something useful, like you said. Junior, keep studying until I get back. There will be a test when I get back.”

“I, I can go shopping too…”

“No way.”

The demon didn’t have a face, but he looked at Eandurde with a desperate expression.

He felt like he would trade his soul to be that little kid.

“Wait, Wodanaz,” Alsicle said.

“Are you taking that demon to the village?”

“Yes. It’s okay. He has a contract, so he can’t cause any trouble.”

‘That’s not the problem,’ Alsicle thought.

Even if the demon had a contract, you shouldn’t use him as a baggage carrier when going to the market.

How scared would the villagers be if they saw that?

Alsicle was about to say something but stopped.

He was a guest, and he shouldn’t interfere too much with the family’s customs.

“Um… okay… have a good trip.”

“Yes.”

Yihan left the main gate with the demon.

As they walked in silence, Yihan suddenly remembered their earlier conversation and asked,

“Demon, which would be better to marry: someone who can have talented children, someone who is good at magic research, or someone who can give you great power?”

“-I don’t know much about mages, but the best person to marry is someone who makes your heart race and who you love.”

“…!?”

Alsicle waited for Yihan to come back while watching Eandurde study (the gorgon-mixed child kept trying to run away and do other things).

‘Is the Head of the Family coming?’

Looking at the main gate, he saw no one coming. He must be busy exploring other worlds.

Alsicle thought it was a shame, but there was nothing he could do. It was already great that he had met Lady Rayana Wodanaz, even though he had visited so suddenly.

Creak-

Someone came in as the door on the first floor of the mansion opened.

Alsicle peeked out, thinking Yihan had returned. Eandurde quickly crawled under the table to hide.

“An unfamiliar person was walking into the entrance on the first floor. Alsicle blinked in surprise and then realized what was happening.

‘No, that’s not a spirit!?’

At first, he thought it was a spirit because he felt such a strong connection to nature, but he realized it was a living person.

Earth spirits were tangled in every strand of his hair, and small thunder spirits were playing on his nose and eyebrows.

Alsicle was shocked that the picky thunder spirits were playing without hurting the person.

Not even a good spirit mage could have such a strong connection with spirits.

The person put down the large leather backpack he was carrying. The old backpack was so full that it looked like it would burst.

Alsicle was nervous about what he would take out.

“…?”

He took out old trinkets.

A chipped ceramic cup with faded flowers, an old stone tablet with scratched letters, an arrow with a rusty tip and a broken shaft…

The person carefully put them down one by one and began to take care of them. Dozens of spirits were helping with all their might.

Alsicle was surprised again.

He was surprised that he had taken out trinkets, but it was amazing that the spirits were working so hard without complaining.

Without any magic or orders!

‘How is that possible? It can’t be just a connection with spirits. There must be an artifact or something…’

Eandurde, who had been slowly sneaking away behind Alsicle, knocked over a chair.

Thud!

“The unfamiliar guest looked up at Alsicle. Alsicle stopped moving when he made eye contact.

“Uh… um… I’m Alsicle of the Pengerin family. Who are you?”

The other person didn’t answer and looked down. Then, he started taking care of the trinkets again.

“I’m back, Lord Pengerin.”

When he heard Yihan’s voice, Alsicle shouted,

“Wodanaz! There! There’s someone I’ve never seen before! He looks like a spirit disguised as a person…”

“Oh, Brother?”

Arsil Wodanaz, the second of the Wodanaz family, happily greeted Yihan.

“What brings you here… Ah, you’re saying you came to congratulate me on finishing my first year at Einroguard? No, you didn’t have to come all this way… I’m sorry you came such a long way.”

Alsicle was confused as he watched Yihan talking to himself.

Yihan was the only one talking while talking to his brother.

“Wo, Wodanaz. Is Lord Arsil really talking? I can’t hear him?”

“It’s close to spirit language, so you won’t be able to hear it well. I can hear it because we’re related.”

“Wait. Can a human speak spirit language?”

“My brother always has…”

Alsicle realized whose territory he was on as he watched Wodanaz casually say things that spirit mages and linguists would be shocked to hear.