Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 696

“Where’s the Senior student?” Yoner asked, surprised to see Ethan come back alone.

“He was caught,” Ethan said.

“Oh, that’s good! At least *you*, Wodanaz, are safe,” Yoner replied quickly.

“A small good thing, I guess. Let’s go!”

Ethan just stared at his friends. *Didn’t they care about the Senior student at all?* he thought, feeling shocked.

They quickly moved away from the area, still looking around to make sure no one was following.

The three friends quickly scratched off the school symbols painted on the side of the carriage. Dust flew as they worked, trying to hide any sign it belonged to their school.

They went to the place where they were supposed to meet their friends.

“They’re not here…!”

“Ethan, we need to move.”

“I know. Let’s go.”

He couldn’t go looking for the others just because they weren’t there.

It was one of the scenarios they had anticipated when making the plan, wasn’t it?

If they had to leave due to the response, they would meet again in front of the school’s main gate.

As Ethan drove the carriage, constantly looking worried, Yoner comforted him from the side.

“Don’t worry, Ethan,” Yoner said, trying to sound positive. “Maybe our friends just left a bit earlier than planned?”

Ethan frowned.

“Maybe… or maybe they ran into a Death Knight patrol.”

Yoner’s eyes widened.

“A Death Knight patrol? What’s that?”

Ethan looked serious.

“I don’t know for sure if there is one, but it feels like there could be. It felt dangerous going in and out of the school.”

Yoner was quiet, now also feeling a bit worried.

Ratford suddenly stopped, ears twitching.

“Wodanaz, listen! I hear a strange sound.”

A sad, crying sound drifted through the air. – *Hoo hoo…*

“What is that?” Yoner whispered, looking around nervously.

“A monster? Like a ghost?” The sun was up, and the morning light was spreading everywhere, so it was strange to hear such a sound.

They walked over a small hill and then stopped, surprised. It wasn’t a monster making the sad noise. It was their other friends!

They were sitting on the ground, shoulders shaking, crying loudly. Ethan and his friends just stared at them, looking annoyed.

“It’s not a monster,” Ethan said flatly, “It’s just them, going back to school.”

“Hey, guys,” Ethan said, trying to sound normal.

“Wodanaz!” they cried out, still sniffling.

“Stop crying and get up,” Ethan said, a little sharper this time.

“You wouldn’t understand, Wodanaz,” one of them sobbed.

“You *like* being at Einroguard! It’s easy for *you*!”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. He was already tired and stressed from the night. He usually had a good temper, but now, he felt his anger rising.

“Oh, you little…” he growled.

He grabbed his staff tightly.

“If you don’t stop crying *right now* and start walking to school, I’ll give you something real to cry about!”

“Y-you’re mean!” one of them yelled, but they all quickly jumped up and ran towards the school, still wiping their eyes.

How dare they say that? Ethan muttered, watching them run.

Ethan turned to Yoner and Ratford.

“You don’t think what they said is true, do you?”

Yoner shook his head quickly.

“Huh? No, no way! Of course not!”

Ratford hesitated for a moment, then mumbled, “Well… maybe a little bit nonsense.”

As they got closer to the school, familiar faces began to appear.

Ethan spotted Adenart and her group of followers and greeted her.

“Ah, Your Highness,” Ethan said, bowing slightly to Adenart.

“Wodanaz,” Adenart replied.

“I got your letter.”

“Yes,” Ethan said.

“I got yours too…” He paused, thinking. *Her letters are always so long,* he thought to himself. *Should I say something? No, that would be rude.*

One of Adenart’s friends, standing next to her, gasped.

“You got a letter from Her Highness? I’m so jealous!”

“You can write to her too, can’t you?” Ethan asked, confused.

Another friend quickly said, “It’s not right for *you* to be so casual with Her Highness, Wodanaz!”

*Hmm, that’s strange,* Ethan thought. *They all spent the vacation together, but they didn’t write to each other? It’s like they are being polite, but also… excluding me?*

He decided to be polite back.

“Well,” Ethan said with a smile, “you all were together for the whole vacation, so you didn’t need to write letters!”

Adenart nodded, a hint of satisfaction on her otherwise expressionless face.

After finishing their meetings with their respective families, the followers had gathered around Adenart and spent the vacation together.

“We had a wonderful winter vacation,” Adenart said, a small smile appearing on her face. “We went hunting in the snowy forests, explored mountain paths, visited the Wizard’s Guild in the city, learned new things in workshops, and went to lots of parties.”

“We had a great time too!” Ratford said, wanting to sound important.

“I went to Wodanaz’s family’s big house and saw all their lands!”

Adenart stopped talking about her vacation and looked at Ratford, surprised. A hint of envy flashed in her eyes. Everyone knew Wodanaz’s family’s lands were famous for magic.

“Really?” Adenart asked, her voice a little higher.

“Wodanaz’s family’s lands, you say? What’s it like?”

“It’s amazing!” Ratford said proudly.

“Is it like Einroguard?” one of Adenart’s friends asked, sounding very interested.

“Oh, come on, guys, don’t exaggerate,” Ethan said, a little embarrassed.

But Adenart was thinking. *Maybe next vacation…* she thought.

“Why didn’t you all come with us to Wodanaz’s place?” she asked her friends.

“Oh, Your Highness, we can’t,” one friend said quickly.

“If you visit another noble’s land, people will start talking.”

“Yes,” another friend added. “It’s important for the Empire’s politics. If you visit one family, you have to visit another kind of family next time.”

“Our family is neutral, remember?” Adenart said, a little sadly.

“Even so, it’s not allowed. You are very careful, Your Highness,” a friend finished.

Adenart’s shoulders slumped slightly.

“What else did you do?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“We went to Flaherty and visited Lord Gainan’s house,” Yoner said.

“Oh,” Adenart said, sounding bored.

“I’m not really jealous of that.”

“Sounds boring,” one of her friends agreed.

“Your Highness’s house would have been much better,” another friend said quickly.

Adenart just shrugged, pretending she didn’t care.

Adenart suddenly remembered something.

“Oh!” she said, poking her friend’s arm.

“I think we can do it now.”

“Do what, Your Highness?” her friend asked, looking curious.

Lee Han frowned, trying to recall the conversation. “About what I said last time. Don’t you remember?”

The student in front of him blinked, then his eyes widened. “…What? Ah! Aaaah!”

Remembering, the students cried out,

“Wodanaz!”

“Huh?” Lee Han responded.

A student stepped forward. “We need to clear up a misunderstanding. It’s about the bread and Her Highness the Princess.”

“It wasn’t quite that…” Adenart mumbled.

Another student interjected, “It’s all wrong! It’s a misunderstanding! They took our bread first, and Her Highness just got it back for us!”

“That’s right. Her Highness would never take it first,” another added.

Yoner and Raetford looked at each other, feeling a little sorry for Adenart. These followers, while loyal, weren’t helping at all. If they are so obvious, won’t they make things worse?

Lee Han nodded slowly, “Well, I did think something was strange.”

Yoner, bouncing on his heels, immediately chimed in, “I said it was strange from the beginning!”

“That’s right. I remember saying that not just anyone can be a bread thief. Haha!” Raetford added.

Adenart and his followers, very satisfied with the trio’s answers, departed.

Then, a new friend appeared.

It was Asan from the Dalcard family.

“Asan! Good to see you. Vacation good? Did you get my letter?” Lee Han asked.

“I’ve been well. It was a good vacation. My brother and sister were happy to receive the letter,” Asan replied.

“That’s a relief,” Lee Han said.

“They said they wished you were their younger brother,” Asan continued.

“Haha. It feels good, even as a joke,” Lee Han chuckled.

“It seemed like they meant it? They asked when you, Wodanaz, would be visiting next,” Asan said with a smile.

Lee Han chuckled, but a small worry flickered in his mind. He really didn’t need to get involved with another strange family. Lee Han decided to be a little more careful when visiting the Dalcard family in the future.

Yoner grabbed Lee Han’s arm, whispering excitedly, “Lee Han, look!” Down the path, Nilia and the others were walking towards them. Relief washed over Yoner’s face. “Everyone’s safe!”

“I’m so glad!” Raetford exclaimed.

“…Why does Gainan look like that?” Lee Han muttered, feeling puzzled.

Gainan’s face was shockingly pale, almost grey, like he hadn’t seen sunlight in years. Unlike the other friends, only Gainan’s complexion was pale, as if he were half-undead.

“Wasn’t he always like that?” Yoner asked.

“I think he was,” Raetford agreed.

At their reactions, Lee Han wondered if he had momentarily misseen, but he hadn’t. “He’s definitely pale!”

“Could it be because he learned black magic?” Nilia wondered.

“That doesn’t have that effect, does it? Is everyone alright?” Lee Han asked, checking their condition as his friends approached. Fortunately, there were no other problems except for Gainan’s pale complexion.

Lee Han asked, “Gainan, why is your face…”

Gainan’s pale face split into a wide grin, as if Lee Han had just asked the perfect question. He puffed out his chest, ready to launch into a story. Even while staggering from the poison, he had been waiting only for a chance to boast.

“That’s…”

“Where did the senior go?” Nilia asked.

“He was captured,” Lee Han answered with a somber expression.

Lee Han, seeing their less-than-sympathetic faces, decided to add a few… dramatic details to the story of Senior Erde’s capture. Afraid that even his other friends would react without pity or tears like Yoner and Raetford, Lee Han quickly explained what had happened with the most wonderful embellishments!

“No way…!” Siana exclaimed.

“Amazing! To think he was that kind of senior!” Another friend added.

Whether it was because of the embellishments or not, his friends reacted differently than before.

Yoner and Raetford, embarrassed, whispered to Lee Han separately.

“I just said I was glad even you came out alive. You know that, right?” Yoner said.

“I thought that senior was caught betraying us,” Raetford admitted.

Siana opened her mouth as if she really couldn’t believe it. “To think he would draw attention using such magic. It’s truly amazing.”

“I really agree. The senior isn’t from a knight family, but it was a knightly sacrifice. I didn’t think he was that kind of person when I first saw him,” another friend said.

“Your actions, Wodanaz, changed the senior’s heart. There are some grumpy people among the hunters of the mountain range, but they’re good people once you get to know them,” Nilia added.

Lee Han and his friends nodded, commemorating the sacrifice of Senior Erde.

After finishing the conversation, Lee Han looked at Gainan again and asked, “So, why is your face like that?”

“Wait a minute. I’ll tell you later. If I tell you now, my story will be a bit…” Gainan replied.

“Why tell me later? Tell me now,” Lee Han insisted.

“No! If I tell you now, it’ll be compared and seem weak!” Gainan protested.

But as Gainan opened his mouth, ready to finally reveal his tale, a strange prickling sensation ran down Lee Han’s spine. It was a feeling he’d learned to trust – a warning. Something was off. He frowned, his eyes scanning the air. ‘What is it?’ he thought, a knot tightening in his stomach. It felt like a wave of magic, powerful and unseen, had just washed over them.

Pop!

Sure enough, that sense of unease was spot on. When he came to his senses, all the second-year students who had been waiting outside the main gate had been moved inside.

Welcome!

“…Yes…”

“Nice to see you…”

The second-year students, grasping the situation, greeted the Skull Headmaster with listless voices. The year spent in Einroguard had taught them well.

Aren’t you happy about the new semester?

“We’re happy…” the students replied.

Of course! You are no longer Ironheads! You’ve spent a valuable year at the school, so you must be at least Bronzeheads!

The students who had earned the qualification of Bronzeheads glared at the Skull Headmaster with eyes wide with barely contained excitement.

That’s not all. Now you are qualified to meet and talk with your seniors! You will meet those who entered before you, studied before you, and are far more competitive and ambitious plunderers than you!

“Are club memberships available?” a student asked.

Of course! But seeing you only care about social activities without asking about magical research or new lectures, your future is clear!

The White Tiger Tower student, who was only scolded for asking a question, grumbled.

Your seniors will explain what lectures you will take, what research you will conduct, how you will secure gold, and how you will do club activities. There’s no need to be too impatient. You’ll see your seniors’ skills during the inspection time later.

“Inspection time?”

“What’s that?”

Some friends who didn’t know yet tilted their heads. Lee Han and his group managed their expressions. There was no point in looking like they knew.

I’ll be on my way, so have a good day… but there’s one thing I have to do before I go.

The Skull Headmaster said, drawing up magic like a waterfall. Now that you are qualified to meet and talk with your seniors, you have a duty not to meet and talk with your juniors. May this geas (some kind of magical rule, probably) protect the good-natured Ironheads from you evil lot!

With the shout, powerful magic created continuous green waves, painting the students like ripples. The geas began for all the second-year students this year. A geas that makes them unrecognizable to the first-year students and unable to directly contact the second-year students!

The students had already experienced the first year, so they accepted it calmly without panicking. Geases, restrictions, and secret oaths were like breathing in Einroguard, weren’t they?

In the meantime, Lee Han tilted his head. No matter how he looked at it, he didn’t feel like he was under a spell.

“Um, Headmaster? I think you left me out,” Lee Han said.

You have too much magic, so it doesn’t work well on you. Avoid it yourself. You can do that much, right?

Lee Han blinked, surprised but also a little amused. ‘Right,’ he thought, a small smile playing on his lips. Being different had its perks, sometimes.