Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 718

“You can sleep later, right?” Sebius asked, sounding worried. But Lee Han’s eyes were bright with excitement about the club.

Sebius stepped back slightly. “…I got all the books today,” he said. “But you shouldn’t work too hard. Working too hard causes mistakes.”

“This isn’t overdoing it, though.”

Lee Han started to talk about how long he could stay awake, but Sebius waved his hand, stopping him.

“And if you’re doing this for the reward, don’t be too greedy,” Sebius continued. “You’re talented, you’ll get many chances to earn more later. This is just a small payment from me, because I don’t have much money myself.”

*Nonsense,* Lee Han thought, rolling his eyes inside his head. Sebius was practically swimming in gold, at least compared to him! Only Gainando’s mother seemed richer. Why was Sebius acting like giving away a few gold coins was a huge sacrifice?

“If you want to earn gold coins, I’d suggest joining the Kitchen Club or the Stonemason Club instead,” Sebius said. “They are much more reliable. And you can earn more money there.”

Sebius spoke seriously, worried Lee Han might get addicted to location transfers after this first success. “It’s easy to think it’s always going to be like this,” Sebius explained, “but most location transfers don’t earn you anything. Don’t get your hopes up too high. You need to make a lot of money at once to cover all the costs later.”

The Location Transfer Club was good for finding rare things, but it wasn’t a reliable way to make money. If you wanted to save up gold coins, the Kitchen Club or Stonemason Club were much better.

Lee Han, who was listening, suddenly became curious and asked.

“But, Senior, even if the Kitchen Club is stable, it doesn’t seem like it would make much money.”

“It’s because they sell a lot of things, even if they only make a little bit of money on each sale. Think about it – even if they only get one bronze coin each time…”

“If you get one silver coin…”

“What are you even talking about?” Sebius stared at Lee Han, confused. Lee Han looked up, surprised by Sebius’s reaction.

“?”

“It’s one gold coin,” Sebius said. “One gold coin for each meal, always.”

Lee Han was speechless. One gold coin for a meal? The prices in Einroguard were insane! This was more terrifying than facing the Skeleton Headmaster’s ancient magic.

“I… Is that even real? How can they charge so much? Doesn’t anyone try to stop them?”

Sebius looked even more surprised by Lee Han’s question. “Hey, hey, calm down!” he said, waving his hands. “Wait a minute… I forgot you’re still just a second-year student. One gold coin is actually considered cheap here in Einroguard. The Kitchen Club charges that much because they believe in what they’re doing.”

“What ‘belief’? The belief that they can steal every gold coin in Einroguard?” Lee Han asked, still shocked.

“Do you have something against the Kitchen Club?” Sebius asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sebius sighed. “Look, things are expensive here. Everything is hard to get in Einroguard, especially the stuff we need for magic research. And remember, wizards from Einroguard are the best in the Empire. When they do jobs outside the school, they get paid a lot. So, all of this makes prices here crazy.”

Sebius gave an example. “Imagine someone needs Soul-Frost Ironweed for their… magical creature. They ask, ‘Please! My creature is starving! I need Soul-Frost Ironweed!’ And someone from Einroguard says, ‘Sure, that’ll be twenty gold coins.’ The person might say, ‘Twenty gold coins?! You can buy it outside for only three silver coins!’ And the Einroguard student might reply, ‘Maybe. But the Mistletoe I sold you earlier? That’s even cheaper outside. So, actually, the price is now… twenty-five gold coins.’ Then the person just gives up and pays!”

“Basically, prices here are high because people are willing to pay them. So, the Kitchen Club has to charge a lot to cover their costs too. Some of them even complain they should charge *more*!”

*My whole fortune will vanish like snow in summer if I stay in Einroguard for even a few months!* Lee Han thought, his desire to leave this place burning hotter than ever.

“It’s hard to believe.”

“You’ll get used to it soon. Earn a lot and spend a lot.”

“Do you do any credit transactions? Like paying it back when you go outside…”

Sebius stared at Lee Han like he was completely clueless. “Credit?” Sebius repeated, sounding surprised. “Look, once you leave Einroguard, no one cares about promises you made here.”

“…I asked a pointless question. Sorry.”

“Yeah. I was a bit taken aback too.”

Feeling confused and a little scared, Lee Han walked towards the Blue Dragon Tower. He couldn’t believe how much money the clubs in Einroguard were making. *It’s terrifying to live here,* he thought. Just picturing selling a meal for one gold coin when it used to be one silver coin made his skin crawl. *Even a Demon Duke wouldn’t be this greedy!*

“H-Hello!” a voice called out.

“Oh, hello…” Lee Han started to wave without really looking, but then he stopped. A student from the Blue Dragon Tower was standing in front of him, near the edge of the forest. Lee Han didn’t recognize him at all. A cold feeling went through Lee Han. Something was wrong. *He’s not a senior… and I’d know if he was in my year.* *Then… he must be…?* Lee Han quickly glanced at the other student’s robes. His jaw tightened. First-year. *Damn it!* He’d been so distracted by the crazy prices and club talk that he’d let his guard down.

“…Hello,” Lee Han said, trying to sound casual. “I’m… uh… Gainando, from the Black Tortoise Tower. Freshman, like you.” Years of surviving in tough situations meant Lee Han didn’t panic easily. In a split second, he decided to pretend to be a first-year. *If this kid buys it, maybe I can get away with it. Even the Skeleton Headmaster might not realize!*

“Black Tortoise Tower!” the freshman exclaimed.

“What about it?” Lee Han snapped back, pretending to be offended. “You looking down on me because I’m from the Black Tortoise Tower?”

“Ah, no, no! Not at all!” The Blue Dragon Tower student looked flustered and waved his hands quickly. Lee Han nodded to himself. *Perfect. He’s buying it.*

“Actually… I thought I recognized you,” the freshman said, squinting. “You just… you don’t look like you’re from the Blue Dragon Tower.”

“R-Really?” Lee Han stammered, his heart sinking. “But… you seem so calm. It’s nighttime…” *Oh no.* Lee Han suddenly understood his mistake. He’d been so focused on the crazy prices that he’d forgotten something important about Einroguard at night.

“Relaxed?” Lee Han forced a laugh, even though his palms were sweating. “Inside, I’m terrified! But in the Black Tortoise Tower, we’re taught never to show fear. It’s… dangerous.”

Lee Han stopped in surprise. Standing before him was a younger student, looking lost and a little worried. “Wait,” Lee Han said, his eyes widening slightly. “Are you… related to Asan?”

The younger student looked up, startled. “Who’s asking?” he replied, a hint of nervousness in his voice. “And… which family are *you* from?”

“Oh, sorry,” Lee Han chuckled softly. “I’m Lee Han. And you remind me of someone. Are you by any chance from the Dalcard family?”

The younger student’s eyes widened. “Yes! I am. I’m Arman of the Dalcard family.” He seemed a little relieved to finally answer.

Lee Han realized with a jolt – this first-year student was related to Asan! He leaned forward slightly and asked, “Do you know Asan Dalcard?”

Arman’s face lit up. “Asan? Yes, he’s my cousin!” Then his expression changed to confusion. “But… why didn’t he tell me what Einroguard is really like?”

Arman frowned, looking disappointed and a little tricked. “It must be because of the Headmaster’s rules,” he mumbled. “You saw the Headmaster’s magic at the entrance ceremony, right?”

“Yeah,” Arman replied, his voice a little shaky. “He… he did that thing with the shadow. It looked like he swallowed someone whole.”

Lee Han felt a chill run down his spine just thinking about the Headmaster. Every year, the Headmaster put on a terrifying show for the new students. Trying to sound casual, Lee Han said, “Right, the Headmaster. So, you think he’d let older students leave without making them promise something?”

“If the Headmaster does *that*,” Lee Han continued, “do you think he’d just let the older students leave without making them promise to keep secrets?”

“Hmm,” Arman considered this. “Maybe… maybe they have to swear some kind of oath.”

“Exactly,” Lee Han nodded. “So, when Asan told you all those wonderful things about Einroguard… like how it’s amazing, with delicious food and comfy beds…” Lee Han trailed off, raising an eyebrow. “Do you think *that* might be because of the Headmaster too?”

Arman’s face fell. “…Maybe,” he admitted quietly, starting to understand.

Lee Han made a mental note to have a serious talk with Asan later. Protecting his friend’s reputation was one thing, but this was going too far. He changed the subject. “By the way,” Lee Han said, trying to sound casual again, “you wouldn’t happen to know where the Blue Dragon Tower is, would you? I, uh, took a little walk and got completely turned around.”

“The Blue Dragon Tower?” Arman looked surprised. “Yes, I know where it is. I can show you. But… why were you wandering around? Did you get lost?”

“Well,” Lee Han admitted with a sheepish grin, “I was hungry. I was hoping to find something to eat.”

Arman’s eyes widened. “I heard a rumour… that students here are so hungry, they boil and eat their leather boots!”

Lee Han chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. “Leather boots, huh? Almost makes you want to try it, doesn’t it?” He meant it as a joke, but a sudden thought struck him. *Leather boots? Have things really gotten that bad here?* He hadn’t even been at Einroguard for a full week. What was he getting into?

“It wasn’t very tasty, anyway,” Lee Han continued, still thinking about the boot rumor. “Actually, I ran into Alhis earlier. He told me to forget about food and study, or I’d fail my first year.”

Arman blinked. “Fail first year? That hardly ever happens… Wait, did you say *Alhis*? Alhis Pengaerin?”

“Yeah, you know him?” Lee Han asked, surprised.

“Know *of* him,” Arman corrected. “Everyone knows the Pengaerin family. I just… memorize noble family names, it’s a bit of a hobby.”

Lee Han remembered Alhis Pengaerin. He’d met him briefly during the winter break. Alhis was incredibly talented, a real prodigy. But Lee Han also recalled how a cruel archmage had used Lee Han to humiliate Alhis, crushing the younger student’s pride. *Poor kid,* Lee Han thought. *He’s probably under a lot of pressure.*

“So,” Lee Han asked, curious, “what’s Alhis like? Is he… you know… like the rumours say?”

Arman looked surprised. “Rumours? Oh, you mean about him being arrogant and rude? No, not at all! Alhis was really… humble. Actually, he was very polite. I think those rumours must be completely wrong.”

Lee Han frowned, puzzled. *Humble? Alhis Pengaerin?* That wasn’t the impression he’d gotten at all. *Maybe there are two Alhis Pengaerins?* he wondered, but that seemed unlikely.

“Apart from being obsessed with studying,” Arman continued, “Alhis seems like a good person.” Just then, Arman’s stomach let out a loud rumble.

Lee Han couldn’t help but smile. He reached into his bag and pulled out a loaf of bread, some cheese, and a piece of ham. The smell of the food filled the air. “Here,” Lee Han said, offering it to Arman. “Take this. You look like you need it.”

Arman stared at the food, eyes wide with disbelief. “W-what? Where did you get this?”

“Let’s just say I know how to find the Black Tortoise Tower kitchen,” Lee Han winked. “Maybe you and your friends should think about doing the same.”

Arman took the food with trembling hands. “Guinando… you’re a lifesaver!” he exclaimed, his voice thick with emotion. “This is… this is incredible!” He imagined sharing it with his hungry friends back at the tower, and his spirits lifted instantly.

Lee Han watched him, a wave of sympathy washing over him. *Life at Einroguard is even tougher than I thought,* he realized.

“Say,” Lee Han asked casually, “did Eandurde happen to raid the kitchen too?”

Arman blinked, confused. “Eandurde? Who’s that?”

“Eandurde,” Lee Han repeated, a little surprised. “You know, the head of the Black Tortoise Tower? The older student in charge?”

Arman’s eyes widened slightly, and he fell silent.

Lee Han realized with a jolt – Arman was the head of the Black Tortoise Tower! *That was fast,* he thought.

Arman finally mumbled, “I… I can’t say anything about that.”

“Right, right,” Lee Han nodded understandingly. “You must be careful around Eandurde. I saw him with some older students from the White Tiger Tower and… well, let’s just say they looked terrified.” *What exactly did Eandurde do to them?* Lee Han wondered.

“Guinando,” Arman said earnestly, “if Eandurde ever… gives you trouble, you can always come to the Blue Dragon Tower. I’ll make sure you get in.”

“…Thank you, Arman,” Lee Han replied, touched by the offer. “But you should be careful about letting just anyone into your tower.”

As they reached the Blue Dragon Tower, Lee Han sighed as he opened the door for Arman.

*Poor kid,* Lee Han thought, watching Arman disappear inside. *He has no idea what he’s in for.* How many more first-years would have to go through this?

Life at Einroguard went on, even with all its strangeness. The next morning, as soon as the sun peeked over the horizon, Lee Han headed to Professor Voladi’s lecture hall. He found the Professor already there, waiting.

Lee Han took a deep breath and said, “Professor Voladi, there’s something important I need to learn.”

Professor Voladi raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Lee Han was usually enthusiastic about combat magic, but this sounded different. *Could he be even more eager to learn than usual?* the Professor wondered. *Has there ever been a student so hungry for knowledge?*

“And what is this important thing?” Professor Voladi asked, his voice calm.

“Professor,” Lee Han said quickly, “I need to learn how to avoid first-year students!”

Professor Voladi’s expression softened. “Ah,” he said, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “I understand.” The Skull Headmaster had made sure all the professors were aware of his new… rule.

– Wodanaz must not interact with first-year students! Punishment for Wodanaz if he does! Punishment!

– *Headmaster,* Professor Plumtree had sighed, *please, we understand.*

“Yes,” Professor Voladi continued, nodding. “Avoiding the first-years is indeed a necessary skill.”

“Thank you, Professor!” Lee Han said, relieved. *Perfect,* he thought. *I can learn how to avoid juniors, and maybe… just maybe… avoid Professor Voladi’s lectures for a week or so at the same time.*

“Perhaps,” Professor Voladi mused, stroking his chin, “we could study the Headmaster’s own magic of… erasing one’s presence from memory…”

“Professor!” Lee Han interrupted quickly. “Isn’t there… something a little simpler? Something less… Headmaster-level?”

Professor Voladi paused, lost in thought. “Hmmmm…”

A cold feeling crept into Lee Han’s stomach. *Maybe asking Professor Voladi wasn’t such a good idea after all,* he thought nervously. *Should I have gone to Professor Plumtree instead?*