Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 706

“Excellent!”

The club seniors were impressed by Lee Han’s words.

The senior students thought the new second-year students from Blue Dragon Tower were already showing they had what it took to survive in Einrogaard.

“Good attitude. The Headmaster will be attacking several times this week anyway.”

“……”

Lee Han and his friends’ faces fell as they heard the news.

The senior students didn’t notice what the younger students were thinking and kept talking.

“The Blue Dragon Tower students this year are extraordinary, aren’t they? Perse, what do you think?”

“Hmph. I won’t deny it. Now, everyone, let’s move.”

Perse pointed towards a door that connected to the common lounge.

They walked down the hill, along the slope, and onto a connecting path until a large village came into view.

It was the Exiles’ Village, the student autonomous zone and a crucial part of life, even on the vast 7th floor.

Lee Han and his friends stopped walking, their jaws dropping. Before them spread the Exiles’ Village. It was a chaotic jumble of buildings unlike anything they’d ever seen, even in strange Einrogaard. Houses made of dark stone sat next to huts built from twisted wood, and structures of shimmering, unknown materials rose like strange mushrooms. It was a village built from dreams and nightmares, all crammed onto this single floor.

“Lee Han! Look!” Gainando yelled, pointing with a shaking finger. “That mansion! It’s walking!”

A huge house, easily three stories tall, lumbered across the village square. Smoke billowed from its chimney like an angry dragon’s breath, and instead of a foundation, it moved on thick, wooden legs that stomped on the uneven ground with a heavy *thump-thump-thump*.

Gainando’s eyes were as big as dinner plates. All the fancy villas he’d ever imagined were nothing compared to *this*. *This* clanking, stomping, smoke-belching mansion was the most amazing thing he’d ever seen.

“These crazy bastards!”

“They’re at it again!”

The seniors guiding the sophomores cursed.

“Moving mansions are definitely forbidden! After causing such an accident last time, they’re still doing it!”

-Those bastards are at it again! Can’t they stop right now?

-You morons who refuse change! You don’t deserve to be wizards… Kraaak!

The mansion that had been moving while spewing smoke suddenly tilted and began to explode.

As the surroundings collapsed due to the explosion, students from other buildings nearby popped out one by one, cursing.

-That cursed bastard!

-I saw your face! I’m really putting a bounty on you this time!

“……”

“……”

As the atmosphere darkened, Lee Han spoke up to change the subject.

“By the way, why is it called the Exiles’ Village?”

“Hmm. As far as I know, the building that a senior who failed to graduate hundreds of years ago built while fleeing from the Headmaster’s pursuit is said to be the beginning of this village…”

‘I should have asked something else.’

It was an answer that seemed to darken the atmosphere even further.

“Then, do you seniors use that village?”

“Yes. You guys can use it as much as you want too. But you’ll have to find a building first. Even though there seem to be so many, there aren’t many usable buildings. You’ll have to subdue or eliminate them.”

“…Subdue, eliminate, you say?”

“Ah. I forgot to explain. Since it’s a place that seniors, seniors of seniors… distant seniors have used, there are many dangerous buildings. I don’t recommend entering empty mansions carelessly.”

The numerous buildings in the 7th-floor village of Einrogaard mostly contained old magic, so you never knew what might pop out when you opened the door.

Even students who had been in Einrogaard for a long time mostly used buildings they knew were safe.

As the atmosphere darkened even further, Lee Han wondered if it could get any darker.

‘I don’t think it can get any darker no matter what story comes out now.’

“Alright. We’re here. Let’s sit down for now.”

Perse, having arrived at the village, guided his juniors to an open space.

Behind the open space were a large tent and a warehouse, and beneath them, more than ten pots were bubbling and steaming.

Several students shouted and waved their wands. Then, the piled-up vegetables were smashed to pieces and plunged into the pots.

It was a fairly familiar sight to Lee Han, who had occasionally prepared meals for the entire grade with the help of other friends.

“This is the kitchen club, or officially, the Iactus Soup Club’s restaurant. You guys will be visiting here often from this year on.”

In the first year, rough and hard meals were provided so that they wouldn’t starve to death, but from the second year on, there was no such thing.

To fill their stomachs, they had to find food themselves or buy it from other places with money.

And the place that secured the most food in Einrogaard was the Iactus Soup Club, also known as the kitchen club.

Whether they liked it or not, all four towers’ students had no choice but to buy food here if they were hungry.

Clatter!

Soup bowls flew in from afar and stopped one by one in front of the students. The soup in the deep bowls smelled delicious.

The seniors gestured for them to eat, as if they understood.

However, the Blue Dragon Tower students, who had already eaten a hearty breakfast, looked at each other.

“We actually ate breakfast…”

“Hey. Be quiet and eat.”

Lee Han gave his friends a serious look, and they started eating the soup. Fortunately, it tasted okay.

‘There aren’t many ingredients and it’s a bit watery, but it’s not bad.’

While the juniors were eating, Perse continued to explain.

“The kitchen club doesn’t usually offer things for free like this. Since you’ve now moved up to the second year, we’re treating you as an exception just this once.”

“Thank you.”

Next to him, Gainando grumbled, ‘It’s not as tasty as what Lee Han makes, but they’re making such a big deal out of it?’ before being pinched on both sides.

“Listen while you eat… This kitchen club, of course, and these friends here are all members of Einrogaard’s official clubs.”

‘Official clubs?’ Lee Han wondered.

‘Does that mean there are unofficial clubs too?’

“Einrogaard clubs are divided into official and unofficial clubs. Official clubs are those that have submitted honorable purposes and outstanding achievements and have been granted permission by the school. Unofficial clubs are…”

“Trash.”

One of the seniors interjected and explained instead.

“……”

The sophomores gave bewildered looks at the absurd explanation.

“Hey. Don’t interrupt.”

“What interruption? I explained it properly.”

“Unofficial clubs aren’t exactly trash… You can think of them as clubs that haven’t received permission from the school. After all, to become an official club, you need honorable purposes and outstanding achievements.”

“Which club are you in, senior?”

“I’m a member of the Einrogaard Quidditch Club.”

Perse smiled as if it was a good question. His smile contained pride.

“But didn’t the Einrogaard Quidditch Club not have very good results last year? The professor was scolding you…”

“……”

Perse’s smile disappeared, and his face clouded over.

The other seniors next to him criticized Gainando.

“It wasn’t that bad, you impudent brat!”

“We were just unlucky in the finals! What do you know!”

“Eek.”

Gainando quickly hid behind Lee Han. Perse stopped his friends.

“Everyone, calm down. It’s true that we lost in the finals.”

“That nasty guy! I’ve memorized your face!”

To save Gainando as well, Lee Han raised his hand and asked a question.

“By the way, senior. Are there any advantages to being in an official club?”

From what he could see, official clubs had quite a few bothersome restrictions, from their purpose to their achievements.

There must be a reason why Einrogaard students, who lived well without laws, would endure such restrictions.

“Good question. That’s right. There are a few privileges. Things like the Headmaster’s subsidy or the authority to go out in certain situations, but… the most important thing is the invitation authority.”

“?”

The sophomores were puzzled by the words ‘invitation authority’.

“What is invitation authority?”

“Official clubs don’t have students request to join, but rather, the club can request and forcibly enroll students.”

“…?!”

“!!!”

The sophomores stirred at the unexpected words.

And the most troubled among them was Lee Han.

‘…So that’s what it was!’

He now understood why Dirett had told him to act dumb.

Official clubs would naturally try to enroll only outstanding students into their clubs, so…

In the worst case, Lee Han could be double or triple-enrolled in several clubs.

Gainando seemed to have sensed that too, as he protested to the seniors.

“This isn’t right!”

“Aren’t you the guy who just dissed Perse for being bad at Quidditch?”

“No, I’m not? More than that, official clubs shouldn’t be able to enroll students arbitrarily! If several clubs enroll one student, how difficult would that student’s life be!”

The sophomores nodded in agreement with Gainando’s protest.

It was because there was one person everyone had in mind.

Of course, from Perse and the seniors’ perspective, it was just absurd.

“Junior. That sounds ridiculous.”

“Hey, hey… are you serious? I think you’re overestimating yourselves too much. Clubs have standards, you know.”

The club seniors looked at their juniors with dumbfounded eyes.

It was extremely rare for a student to belong to more than two official clubs.

It was because most students were only good at a few things and interested in a few clubs.

That invitation authority wasn’t there to torment a junior, but to give a junior who was suited to the club a chance to learn, even if it was forced.

“Then, if there’s a student who’s suited for both here and there, you won’t pick them?”

“That… how outstanding are they?”

“Hmm… how outstanding would they have to be?”

The club seniors pondered at Gainando’s question.

If their aptitude was truly outstanding, they couldn’t back down even if another club had picked them.

“Hey! That junior is messing with you guys. He’s trying to drive a wedge between us!”

“Ah, oops.”

“You little rascal. You’re quite the troublemaker.”

The seniors gave Gainando wary looks.

Originally, every year there was a cunning and quick-witted troublemaker who denied authority.

This year’s sophomore was probably that blond boy.

“I was just asking because I was curious!”

“Everyone, quiet. Anyway, I think that’s enough of an overall explanation about the clubs. You can hear the rest of the explanation by having each club come to you, or by going to them yourselves? There are many clubs in Einrogaard that I don’t even know about.”

“Yes.”

“Then… it’s all over! You can start now.”

-Is that so?

As Perse spoke, a student from the warehouse behind him opened the door and walked out. He was probably a member of the kitchen club.

Thud, thud, thud-

With each step the student took, the sophomores’ faces turned blue.

Gainando muttered.

“O… Ogre hybrid?!”

The senior’s size was so enormous that it was suspicious whether he had monster blood mixed in. The senior waddled, his generous belly bulging even over his baggy priestly robes, and stopped.

“Puh. Greetings, everyone. I’m Falcrius, a fourth-year from the Phoenix Tower. I belong to the Iactus Soup Club.”

“Y-you’re a priest from the Phoenix Tower?”

“That’s right! Hahaha! Surprised that an ogre hybrid is a priest?”

“Yes!”

“Puh! I’m actually human. So many people mistake me for an ogre hybrid. They always fall for it when I tell them!”

“……”

Gainando, who had fallen for the leading question, turned pale.

“S-save me! I was wrong!”

“Hahaha, I won’t eat you, I won’t eat you! What would I get from eating a junior like you?”

Falcrius burst into a hearty laugh.

The sophomores’ tension eased a little at that friendly laugh.

Although blood was dripping from the huge kitchen knife and ladle he held in both hands…