Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 735

Lee Han sighed, finally stopping his escape attempt. A tall Death Knight, who had been about to march off with a scroll in hand – probably the complaint – paused at the doorway. He turned his helmeted head slowly, looking around the room with glowing red eyes. Then, with a heavy step, he returned.

The skeletal headmaster’s skull turned towards the Death Knight. Blue light flared in the empty sockets where eyes should be. A dry, clicking sound came from his jaw as he spoke.

“You were really going to leave? Just like that? Because *I* told you to? Huh?” The headmaster’s voice echoed slightly in the room.

“Master,” the Death Knight replied, his voice deep and rumbling. “I apologize. As a knight, even a former one, I was simply worried…”

The skeletal headmaster scoffed. “To think you’d trust such a greenhorn wizard over the Imperial Magic Officer!”

The Death Knight remained silent.

Even if they conveniently brought up their Imperial title only when it suited them, the experienced Death Knights weren’t fooled.

Frankly, if the skeletal headmaster and his student were to fight, justice would probably be on the student’s side…

The skeletal headmaster turned his deep blue gaze to Lee Han and began to speak. “Yes. One of my crazy copies has entered the territory.”

“That crazy copy almost killed me!” Lee Han exclaimed.

The skeletal headmaster looked puzzled. “What? You encountered it?”

If Lee Han had made contact, there was no way the skeletal headmaster wouldn’t have noticed.

At that reaction, Lee Han grumbled and recounted what had happened. “…If it weren’t for Dirett, I would have been in real danger.”

One of the Death Knights listening nearby spoke up. “By the way, Lord Wodanaz.”

The skeletal headmaster responded, “Yes?”

“Why didn’t you use the ring to summon Master?” the Death Knight asked.

The other Death Knights who heard the question nodded in agreement. Shouldn’t Lee Han usually call the skeletal headmaster in such situations?

“Oh. I didn’t think of it,” Lee Han admitted.

The Death Knights were silent.

The skeletal headmaster unexpectedly took Lee Han’s side. “Why is everyone like that? Such self-reliance is a good thing.”

Lee Han, who had been feeling awkward, asked with a change of expression. “Is that so?”

“Yes, haha. You’re the one who calls me over professor squabbles,” the skeletal headmaster said.

Lee Han cursed inwardly at the skeletal headmaster’s pettiness. ‘Even though he told me to use it.’

That was probably a test left behind by the crazy copy. ‘Did he misunderstand the meaning of the trap?’

Lee Han suspected that the skeletal headmaster might be misunderstanding the meaning of the test.

If that were the case, it would explain the difficulty of Einrogaard’s tests.

It must have been left for the same purpose as the illusion.

The skeletal headmaster explained in a calm voice. “As the crazy copy was once a part of myself in the distant past, I am well aware of its operational principles.”

“Just as I allowed qualified individuals to access the afterimage of memories, he must have set it up so that a mass of magical power would attack after viewing the afterimage of memories.”

“So, if a qualified person approaches, they see an illusion, and after seeing the illusion, they are attacked to test them?” Lee Han asked.

“Yes,” the skeletal headmaster confirmed.

Lee Han was shocked. “Is your crazy copy not in their right mind? That wasn’t a trap, but a test.”

“It is a crazy copy, but in ancient times, that was a normal test,” the skeletal headmaster said.

“Yes…” Lee Han answered with a reluctant expression, then suddenly became curious and asked, “But Headmaster, you said it was left for qualified people to see, but what is that qualification? I didn’t do anything.”

The skeletal headmaster spoke with a nonchalant attitude, as if he couldn’t believe it. “Didn’t do anything, my foot…”

The Death Knights burst into laughter, agreeing.

One of the Death Knight said, “There’s no way you didn’t do anything! You must have done something!”

Lee Han thought, ‘Should I really send the complaint?’

The skeletal headmaster continued, “Even if you didn’t do anything, there are several ways for a grand mage who has reached a certain level to judge qualifications. He would have judged somehow.”

“Did he check my magic power?” Lee Han asked.

“Maybe. He might have,” the skeletal headmaster replied.

“Perhaps it’s because I’m taking courses from all the schools?” Lee Han suggested.

“Maybe so,” the skeletal headmaster said.

“Or is it because I made a contract with a powerful being from another dimension?” Lee Han asked.

The skeletal headmaster retorted, “You said you didn’t do anything?”

Lee Han was silent.

The skeletal headmaster, having gotten one over on his student, slowly continued his explanation. “The reason I leave my crazy copies alone is that the effort required to catch them is greater than the reason to do so.”

The skeletal headmaster’s crazy copies were basically bodies released from the main body, so they had many restrictions.

Like beings from other dimensions, it was difficult for them to maintain their form in the mortal realm for a long time, and they were strongly bound by the desires and emotions they each carried.

Rather than unnecessarily clashing with magic to completely eliminate each other, it was most efficient to simply wait for them to naturally disappear from the mortal realm.

Moreover, there was no reason to cause such a fight within Einrogaard’s territory.

“What could be his purpose?” Lee Han asked.

“I have a few guesses, but they’re just guesses for now. Nothing is certain,” the skeletal headmaster replied.

“Hmm. But isn’t this a bit different this time? He even came in with a magical criminal. If that magical criminal corrupts or uses your crazy copy…” Lee Han trailed off.

“Maybe. I don’t know if he’ll be capable of that,” the skeletal headmaster said.

The skeletal headmaster scorned Antagon-Dals with an arrogant and cold attitude. Despite being a well-known figure among the Empire’s magical criminals, he despised his abilities.

“Didn’t that guy beg in the illusion you saw? To pick up even a scrap of magic?” the skeletal headmaster asked.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Lee Han said.

“Leave him be. There have been none who tried to presumptuously use my crazy copy who didn’t meet a tragic end,” the skeletal headmaster stated.

Lee Han actually wanted to ignore it, but with a magical criminal and an even more dangerous crazy copy in Einrogaard’s territory, it wasn’t easy to ignore.

“Can’t we just deal with the magical criminal?” Lee Han asked.

“It would be easy if he showed himself, but he’s being quite careful. I asked if you had met him earlier, didn’t I?” the skeletal headmaster replied.

From the moment he sensed that the crazy copy had entered Einrogaard’s territory with a servant, the skeletal headmaster had woven a dense web of surveillance.

Of course, both the crazy copy and the magical criminal knew this well, so instead of approaching near the main building, they continued to move around the most remote outskirts of the territory.

“If you’re interested, lure him out. If you just lure him out, I can catch him right away,” the skeletal headmaster suggested.

“I don’t think that’s something I can do,” Lee Han said.

“Don’t underestimate yourself. You’re originally a bit… no, never mind,” the skeletal headmaster said, stopping mid-sentence.

Lee Han was silent.

The skeletal headmaster stopping mid-sentence was far more frightening than if he had said it. Lee Han couldn’t even guess what he was going to say.

“…Anyway, thank you for the explanation, Headmaster. Actually, since I’m still a student, I thought you might not tell me,” Lee Han said.

The skeletal headmaster was genuinely puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Usually, isn’t this something only professors know? To prevent students from getting scared…” Lee Han explained.

“What’s the point of only professors knowing? And fear is always a good stimulus,” the skeletal headmaster retorted.

“…You didn’t tell the upperclassmen,” Lee Han pointed out.

“Because they didn’t ask,” the skeletal headmaster replied.

Lee Han was speechless at the confident answer.

The skeletal headmaster continued, “Looking at your expression, it seems like you want to tell the upperclassmen, but there won’t be much of a reaction even if you tell them. They’ll have more important things to do.”

“Yes… thank you,” Lee Han said.

“You should also dedicate yourself to magic instead of being interested in a petty magical criminal. Your senior Dirett is already implementing a microcosm,” the skeletal headmaster said.

Lee Han was dumbfounded by the skeletal headmaster comparing him to the top student of the Black Tortoise Tower in his fifth year. ‘I’ll do my best.’

“What nonsense are you talking about?” the skeletal headmaster muttered.

“Ah. I almost forgot,” the skeletal headmaster said.

Lee Han asked, “?”

“Before coming here, don’t forget to retrieve the complaint you left with someone else. Don’t forget it and send it to His Majesty,” the skeletal headmaster said.

Lee Han thought, ‘No. How did he know?’

Alde of the Marcan family was spending his first week at Einrogaard in the punishment room. He wasn’t lonely. There were several other students locked up besides Alde.

They were students who had failed to smuggle something in or had been caught causing trouble from the first day.

“Hey. I don’t think I saw you during the smuggling attempt. How did you end up here?” one student asked.

Another student replied, “Parga of the Ukim family tried to escape, and I was caught next to him. I played dumb during the interrogation, so they sent me to the punishment room.”

“What about you in the next room?”

“I was also caught next to Parga of the Ukim family when he tried to escape,” came the reply.

“Oh dear. Did you both come here after insisting you were innocent?”

“No. I just snitched, but they sent me anyway. Damn it,” one student grumbled.

“…What about you in the far right room?”

A voice answered, “I am Parga of the Ukim family.”

A sigh echoed through the hallway.

The students in the punishment room, having finished introducing themselves, soon began to exchange information quickly. Even in the punishment room, they had to attend school.

“Hey. What do you think of this lecture? Will it proceed?”

“Frankly speaking, I don’t think this lecture will be canceled,” one student said.

“Excuse me, Warden! Could you please contact the professor so we can do our homework in advance?” another student called out.

The Death Knight walking down the hallway passed by coldly. The students sighed at the sight.

Staying in the punishment room for a few days was not difficult as they were used to it, but missing the lecture content was quite painful. They would have to make up for it with harsh penalties…

“I knew this would happen, so I brought a book with me when I got caught,” one student boasted.

“Ugh. I envy you,” another replied.

“The lecture I chose doesn’t have a lecture this week, but I still think I should prepare a bit in advance…”

As the students were chattering noisily, someone shouted from another solitary cell. “Is there anyone here who wants to buy a book?”

The other students exclaimed.

“Do you have any books left?! Do you happen to have the >Advanced Application of Fire Element> book?”

The voice replied, “Yes, I do. From introductory books on elemental application to new releases in the Toveriz series, >Monthly Black Magic Trends>, and other magazines.”

“…That guy is from the library club!!” one student realized.

“He deliberately got caught to do business! What a ruthless guy!” another exclaimed.

The students locked in the punishment room were shocked by the madness of the library club member. To think he would get caught with them on purpose to sell books.

The library club member said, “Haha. It’s a service for you all. Won’t you buy anything?”

“Ugh… Give me one >Advanced Application of Fire Element> book. How many times the original price is it?” one student asked.

The skilled Einrogaard students were already expecting it. If he’s going to the punishment room to sell books, the price will probably jump several times.

The library club member replied, “What are you talking about? I’ll give it to you at the original price.”

“Oh? Really?” the student asked, surprised.

“Instead, you must first purchase and read this >The Life and Death of Jundar Dolphram>,” the library club member said.

“…That’s fine…” the student said.

Unlike other clubs, the library club deserved respect just for not taking excessive profits here. Purchasing one additional boring trash book was a fully affordable price.

“Here you go,” the library club member said.

“I have the book. Take it,” the student replied.

“Thank you. Now sell me the >Advanced Application of Fire Element> too,” the student said.

The library club member replied, “What are you talking about? You have to read >The Life and Death of Jundar Dolphram> first.”

“…Uh, I bought it?” the student said.

“Yes. You have to buy it and read it,” the library club member insisted.

The student realized something was wrong and asked in a flustered voice, “I bought it, so it’s my freedom when I read it, right? I’ll read it later, so sell it to me quickly!”

“No, you must read it first. I’ll check,” the library club member said.

The student thought, ‘I was careless!’

Only then did the students realize that they had underestimated the madness of the library club. These guys were trying to force them to read books that they don’t usually read!

“D, do the magazines also have books you have to buy first?” one student asked.

“Yes, there is a book you have to read first. It’s >A Year Sent from the Frost Giant Dimension>,” the library club member replied.

“P, please spare me that one. I’ve seen it before, and it was so boring I almost passed out,” the student begged.

“No, it’s a good book if you read it all,” the library club member insisted.

The students tried to negotiate by offering to raise the price, but the library club member was adamant. In the end, the students in the punishment room had no choice but to read books they didn’t usually read while shedding tears.

“Ugh… I want to read something else,” one student groaned.

“…This is actually kind of fun now that I’m reading it again?” another student said.

“Shut up,” the first student snapped.

After the students bought the books one by one, Alde cautiously whispered. “Hey, hey.”

“Yes?” a student replied.

“I don’t have any gold coins right now. Actually, I’ve secured a huge amount of smuggled goods outside,” Alde said.

The library club member replied, “No credit.”

“I’m telling you, it’s really outside!” Alde shouted with a voice full of injustice. However, none of the students believed him. How could a guy who was caught with them have any smuggled goods?

“Is there a senior here?” a voice called out.

The other students were confused.

“Senior Alde of the Marcan family? Are you perhaps not in this hallway?”

Alde shouted, “Here! It’s me!! It’s me!!!”