Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 717

“Where did you get that?”

“I got it from Professor Verdus.”

“What?!?!”

Sebius was even more shocked than before.

Lee Han’s senior stared at him like he was a spy, so Lee Han quickly tried to explain.

“I can explain,” Lee Han said.

“I don’t like to chat when we are location shifting, but I need to hear this,” Sebius said.

Sebius crossed his arms and stared stubbornly at Lee Han.

He couldn’t guess why Professor Verdus would give him a key.

Professor Verdus was known to be very stingy. He wouldn’t even give reagents to his own students!

It was even harder to believe because Lee Han was just a freshman last year.

“Actually…” Lee Han started to explain what happened last year.

He explained that last year, Professor Verdus overworked him. Then, a graduate student in the Punishment Room saw this and helped him get some rights.

‘What am I even listening to?’ Sebius thought, trying to focus.

He couldn’t tell if this was a story about a freshman or a legend about an ancient student wandering through Einroguard.

“…That’s what happened. I got this key as payment for my work last year.”

“Hmm. I see. Amazing.”

Sebius knew it was pointless to ask too many questions at once, or Lee Han might stop talking.

There wasn’t much time, but there were many things to ask.

“You were lucky. I can’t believe you had the key.”

‘Has his tone become a bit strange?’ Lee Han wondered, noticing Sebius’s stiff reply, as if he had been hit by a paralysis curse.

“I’m sorry. It would have been easier if I had come straight here.”

“That’s not true. We had to move around to get all the books anyway. It would have been the same, just a different entrance.”

“Thank you for saying that. Should we go in then?”

Sebius quickly checked the time and decided to ask only the one thing he was most curious about.

“…But what did you do to end up in the Deep Punishment Room?”

The door opened, revealing Professor Verdus’s official underground warehouse.

It wasn’t the thoroughly managed space one might expect. Like the other warehouses, it was a mess. Junk was strewn everywhere, and reagents were mixed up in crates.

But there was a difference.

‘This must be where the professor works,’ Lee Han thought.

The forgotten warehouses had mostly broken or useless trash due to poor management. But everything in this official underground warehouse connected to the Holy Engraving Hall was immediately usable.

Sebius glanced at Lee Han and said, “You can take anything you want.”

“!”

“I don’t usually allow stealing during work… but you were the only reason we could get in here. You can take anything you want.”

“I’m alright,” Lee Han replied.

“…I see why Ratford thinks so highly of you. Controlling your greed is a great talent. Don’t you think so?”

“Actually, I was planning to bring my friends and sweep through here later when I need something, since I can come in anytime.”

“……”

Sebius grumbled to himself.

Sebius thought he was used to the strange things in Einroguard. But Lee Han made him doubt that.

Einroguard was always an amazing place. He felt like he would never get used to it.

“I’m worried that the Location Shift Club members will feel bad because of you,” Sebius said.

“?”

“If you rely on others too much, you’ll forget how to take care of yourself. How are you getting along with the students from the Blue Dragon Tower?”

“Don’t worry. I always help them within reasonable limits.”

“Well, I doubt someone like you would just give things away without thinking.”

Sebius didn’t know that Lee Han was giving things away to the Blue Dragon Tower students without a second thought. He moved on without noticing.

If he had known the truth, he would have grabbed him by the collar and shouted, ‘Is that what you call helping within reasonable limits?’

“Do you know why I only take books?” Sebius asked.

“It’s probably because other valuable items have alarms or defense magic on them. Disarming that magic would take time, mana, and focus, which increases the risk of getting caught, right?” Lee Han answered.

Sebius stared, surprised by the professional answer.

‘Is this guy really not from a thieves’ guild?’ he wondered.

“…That’s also true, but there’s another reason. It’s because of Senior Illeg.”

Lee Han was surprised to hear the library club president’s name.

“Did Senior Illeg threaten to kill you if you stole anything??” Lee Han asked.

“Hey. What do you think of Senior Illeg?” Sebius asked, slightly taken aback.

Senior Illeg had great power, but he wasn’t someone who beat people up…

…well, he was someone who beat people up, but he didn’t just beat up anyone.

“I’m sorry. Then why?” Lee Han asked.

“It was when I was actively using location shifts in Einroguard. I happened to enter a place where Senior Illeg was staying,” Sebius said, remembering the event.

Illeg discovered Sebius raiding the warehouse, but instead of hitting him, he gave him a book he was holding.

“He gave you a book?” Lee Han asked.

“Yeah.”

“Ah. Was it a magic book with a tracking device? To wipe out your colleagues as well?”

“…It was just a book, you brat. Senior Illeg said, ‘It’s good to take treasures, but you’ve forgotten the real treasure here.’”

Sebius left that place thinking he was a strange guy, as expected of a Phoenix Tower priest.

‘To give a book to a thief, no matter how virtuous,’ he thought.

Then, out of curiosity, Sebius opened the book. He was curious about what kind of content would make him give it away.

“What kind of book was it? A classic? A fable?” Lee Han asked.

“It was just a popular novel. It was about a thief who was falsely accused and trapped on a remote island in the vast ocean. He escapes and takes revenge on those who framed him. It strangely brought tears to my eyes.”

‘I think I know why,’ Lee Han thought.

Lee Han seemed to know why Senior Illeg gave him that novel.

It was clearly given for practical reasons.

‘Surely, it was to be used as a reference when escaping Einroguard…’

“I stayed up all night reading it and then went to see Senior Illeg. I returned the book and thanked him. Then the senior gave me the next book. I read the next book, and then the next… That’s how I ended up joining the library club. From then on, I stopped using location shifts for other things.”

“That’s amazing,” Lee Han said.

Lee Han looked at Sebius with a hint of respect.

Lee Han was the type to get angry if someone told him what to do, especially about the Skull Headmaster’s vault.

But the senior before him was free from such greed.

“Greatness? What greatness… Blast it, I don’t know why I’m telling this to a junior who’s just joined. Maybe… maybe I’m telling you this because you look like someone who will join one of the clubs. The library club, or… or location shifting. I won’t be here from next year, but you’ll still be around.”

Sebius kept emphasizing that he wouldn’t be around from next year, and Lee Han felt strangely uneasy.

‘Surely he will be here next year, right?’

“Location shifting is good, but don’t be too greedy and forget why we do this. I’ve seen plenty of guys who kept going until they ended up in the punishment room.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“There it is.”

Sebius spotted >Introduction to Gemmology> on the bookshelf and pointed to it.

The thick, purple-bound book had several bookmarks stuck in it. It was spotless, as if it had been read recently.

“……”

“Is something wrong?”

“Looks like Professor Verdus was reading it.”

“Even better. Let’s take it.”

Lee Han thought that if he could inflict some pain on Professor Verdus at the end of the job, he would consider it a small bonus.

“…No. If Professor Verdus was reading it, we can’t take it.”

“Senior. Don’t you remember the other books? There was even one trapped in slime, wasn’t there? This book could end up like that at any time.”

“I know. I know. Blast it.”

Even though Lee Han made sense, Sebius sighed deeply and shook his head.

“I’m really sorry. But I can’t take it.”

“No… It’s your job, Senior, so it’s fine. You make the decision.”

Sebius felt even more apologetic when his junior comforted him.

He had brought him all the way here, only to back down.

“Blast it. What wind blew that guy to read a book he never reads…”

Lee Han’s eyes scanned the shelves quickly.

“It’s right to back down if taking that book could get us caught. Instead, Senior, let’s take this.”

Lee Han pointed to the books on another part of the bookshelf. They were covered in a thick layer of dust, as if they hadn’t been touched in a long time.

Sebius chuckled when he saw them.

“You’re better than me. Alright. We should take those.”

The hamster beast-man senior skillfully swept the remaining books into his backpack.

They had entered through the back gate, but since they had a key, they could just leave through the main gate.

The two headed to the main gate of the vault…

“Who’s there?”

With a rustling sound, piles of old books and scrolls behind them tumbled down, and a wizard stood up.

It was Professor Verdus.

“……”

“……”

Lee Han could clearly see the color draining from his senior’s face, turning it pale.

“It’s me, Professor.”

“Oh, what is the meaning of this? How did you get in here?”

Professor Verdus recognized Lee Han and looked puzzled.

“You gave me this key last year.”

“How did you get that key?!”

Professor Verdus was clearly pretending he didn’t remember giving Lee Han the key, so Lee Han explained with a straight face.

“Didn’t I receive it last year as a reward for helping you last year?”

“Can’t you give it back?”

“Are you serious?”

Professor Verdus grumbled at his student’s response.

He had rightfully received it, but he wouldn’t return his vault key because of his own greed.

He was indeed greedy.

“But who’s that next to you?”

“He’s my senior.”

“Why is he with you?”

“He came to help me take reagents from the vault.”

“…How much are you going to take?”

Professor Verdus looked at Lee Han imploringly.

Professor Verdus blinked his watery beaver eyes and pushed out his buck teeth in a pleading smile.

Of course, Lee Han had long lost any sense of cuteness towards all beavers ever since he met Professor Verdus.

“I’ll take as much as I need.”

“What kind of magic are you going to do? Tell me. I’ll help you. If you design the magic well, you can reduce reagent consumption.”

“I’m planning to attack the Headmaster…”

Lee Han gestured to Sebius. It was a signal to get out while he could.

Thrilled by the sight of his junior toying with Professor Verdus, Sebius headed outside.

‘No one will believe what happened today.’

That he was able to persuade Professor Verdus through conversation!

Even the students who had overcome all sorts of riddles and obstacles in Einroguard would not believe this!

“Are you alright?!”

“Yes.”

Sebius, who had been waiting outside, rushed over when Lee Han came out.

He had come out much later than expected.

“What happened…”

“Ah. Professor Verdus kept trying to recommend cheap magic, so I was delayed. Nothing else happened.”

“…Take this.”

Sebius took out a small pouch and held it out. Lee Han took it, puzzled. It was heavy, and he heard a clinking sound as he received it.

“Imperial gold coins. Twelve? Is that right?”

“…How did you know?!”

“Why are you giving me this?”

“Why am I giving it to you? Because you did the job, of course. That’s how we settle accounts after location shifting. If you had brought out more expensive treasures, I might have given you more… And, don’t worry too much about what I said earlier. If you’re not interested in the library club or the location shifting club, feel free to say so. I can take responsibility for getting you out of both clubs.”

‘I should at least do this much.’

Because Lee Han had worked so hard today, Sebius thought that even this much reward was not enough.

He could be sentenced to the bookshelf or have the location shifting club members grab his trouser legs, but this was something he had to do.

However, his junior replied with a straight face.

“What are you talking about? Let’s go retrieve the next book.”

“Don’t you ever sleep?”