Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 762

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Isn’t there another vault?”

Other Dark Arts students whispered. They seemed to agree with Lee Han.

Could it really be possible that the vault of an entire house in Einroguard was this empty?

“Dark Arts magic doesn’t usually make money,” Professor Mortuum said with a cough.

“……”

“……”

Now that they were all in their second year, Professor Mortuum told them the plain truth.

It was generally accepted that the Dark Arts vault was usually empty.

Usually, magic houses get money in their vaults. This is from people who thank them for solving problems. They also get money for good research ideas.

Or from selling magic items within the house.

But the Dark Arts house always missed out on these things.

Requests?

The school’s requests were divided into those that made money and those that didn’t. The Dark Arts house mostly got the ones that didn’t.

‘The good paying jobs are usually from nobles or merchants, which are hard to get.’

These included asking for advice on magic items, requesting education, or needing magic for parties.

These jobs were not hard and paid well.

But the Dark Arts house rarely got these requests.

The Dark Arts house mainly got requests from poor villagers. They wanted help to remove undead from cemeteries or to fix curses in dirty magic swamps.

These jobs were rewarding, but didn’t pay well.

Research grants?

Research ideas from Dark Arts students usually had an unfair chance of getting money.

-I want to make low-level magic that can be used on carriage wheels to help the school’s transportation.

-That’s a good idea.

-I want to study how to predict the weather for farmers in the east who have changing weather.

-It might be dangerous, but it’s worth trying.

-I made a poison that killed a Blade Devil. Now, I want to make a poison that can kill a Bronze Devil.

-Do you think the school treasurer just gives out money when you ask?

‘It’s definitely not helpful.’

Lee Han had met school inspectors with Headmaster Skeleton during winter break. He knew it was hard to get grants.

The people in charge liked magic that helped the school work better. They didn’t care as much about powerful magic or poisons.

Dark Arts items weren’t popular, so they couldn’t sell them.

“Don’t worry,” Professor Mortuum said with a cough.

Lee Han’s friends’ faces lit up with a flicker of hope at Professor Mortuum’s words.

They wondered if there was a source of income.

“Maybe the Headmaster gives money to the Dark Arts house?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You said not to worry…”

“Goodness. I meant it’s okay because Dark Arts can manage even when poor,” Professor Mortuum said. He coughed again. “What nonsense.”

“……”

Professor Mortuum boldly said the plain truth, now that they were in their second year.

The students were all shocked, but only Lee Han stayed calm. He had seen this in his first year.

‘Back then, they were upset because they didn’t have materials.’

The Dark Arts house could handle things even without resources.

In the Enchantment Arts house, the professor would throw materials on the floor if he didn’t like them.

But in the Dark Arts house, even a professor could get beaten up by Senior Dirette if they threw materials on the floor because they didn’t like them.

“Professor, where did you get this gold coin?” Lee Han asked, suddenly curious. Professor Mortuum seemed to be struggling to remember, lost in thought.

“Dirette brought it… Was it a request? A grant? A sale?”

‘I should do something too.’

Lee Han felt a sudden pang of guilt at Professor Mortuum’s words.

He felt he needed to gather more money. He could take on requests to get donations, submit ideas to get grants for the house, or even sell magic items.

Guinan asked, sounding worried.

“Professor, if we’re this poor, won’t future students avoid us? Did any first-years join this year?”

Professor Mortuum made a circle with his finger. Guinan sighed in relief.

“That’s a relief. So, some did join.”

“What are you talking about?” Professor Mortuum asked with a cough.

“Yes?”

“It means there are still zero.”

“……”

“……”

The second-year students felt they had to do something as members of the Dark Arts house.

*
*
“Hello, Professor Taswhan. I’m Lee Han. These are my friends, Guinan, Imirgue, and Raphaelle.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Professor Taswhan said kindly.

Guinan said with a look of concern.

“Has your health gotten worse because of Dark Arts research? Is it the curses or poisons…?”

“…You could say that.”

‘What is it?’

Lee Han felt like the other man was hiding something, even though he shouldn’t be.

“This is my student, Agdung. A fourth-year student from another school.”

“???”

The Dark Arts student called Agdung politely greeted them.

The skeleton mage took off his hat and bowed. His bones rattled as he moved, and Lee Han’s friends stared in stunned silence, their faces blank with confusion.

‘Why a skeleton??’

“Professor Taswhan, I have a question,” Lee Han said.

“What is it?”

As Lee Han spoke, his friends nodded. They also noticed something strange.

“Where are the other students?”

“They are resting because the poison got worse during the trip. It seems Agdung will have to handle everything here alone.”

“I see. Understood,” Lee Han nodded. The other students were resting.

Long trips were hard for weak mages.

“…Wodanaz!”

“What is it, Raphaelle? What’s wrong?”

“Is that all there is?!”

“??”

Lee Han stared at Raphaelle with a ‘what’s wrong with this guy’ look.

The air in the dimly lit room was thick with the smell of old parchment and something else… something faintly like dried leaves and dust. Raphaël shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the skeleton sitting across the worn wooden table.

“Raphaël cleared his throat. ‘Um, Professor Agdung-sunbae… about the task…’”

But Ethan wasn’t listening. He was staring. He nudged Raphaël and pointed a shaky finger. “That’s not it! Look! Isn’t it strange that Agdung-sunbae is a skeleton?!”

Ethan’s eyes widened. His jaw dropped slightly as he really looked at the figure in front of them. A skeleton. A real, talking skeleton in a long, dark robe.

“Ah,” Raphaël said, finally understanding.

Only then did Ethan truly realize what his friend was trying to point out. He had been so focused on the task Professor Taswhan had given them, he hadn’t properly *seen* their host.

Imirgue whispered to Gainando, “Is this normal?”

Gainando just shrugged, looking pale.

Raphaël tried to explain, though he sounded a little unsure himself. “Well, strange things can happen here. Professor Einroguard, another teacher, can even transform into a golem – a creature made of stone, you know.”

Ethan and his friends exchanged confused glances. Skeletons? Stone creatures? Was this normal for a black magic school?

‘Am I being narrow-minded?’ Ethan wondered.

“Everyone, don’t fight because of me. Haha. I guess you’re confused because I’ve transformed into a skeleton wizard, right?” Agdung interjected to soothe the Einroguard students.

“It’s because of the black magic I’m researching right now, so don’t think strange things.”

“What kind of research are you doing?”

“Um! I’m researching how to turn a person’s body into an undead. Becoming a lich by completely abandoning the mortal flesh has many side effects, so I’m leaving some organs and replaceable parts to be permanently undead…”

“Ah.”

Ethan and his friends quickly came to a conclusion and distanced themselves.

He’s a madman!

Ethan understood now. This was why people were scared of black magic schools.

However, Agdung was a surprisingly sociable and friendly skeleton wizard.

Despite his skeletal appearance, Agdung had a warm smile – or at least, as warm as a skeleton could manage. ‘So,’ he rattled, his bones clicking slightly as he moved, ‘Wizard Cards, eh? Always a good way to pass the time, and much less messy than potion-making, wouldn’t you agree?’ He chuckled, a dry, rustling sound. Soon, with jokes and witty remarks like these, Agdung made the Einroguard students start to relax and even like him, enough to make them forget that he was conducting crazy research.

“You’re playing Wizard Cards? What kind of deck do you like, Gainando?”

“B-Black… Black magic curse deck…”

“Um? What kind of deck did you say?”

“Black, black magic curse deck.”

“Wow, that’s a really good deck! Many people in our Kalarograd are trying to make that deck.”

“Really?! Really?!?” Gainando shouted with wide eyes.

Is there such a good school in the world?

“Of course! Some people who don’t know anything call it a cowardly deck, but where is there cowardice in a match? If that’s the case, there’s no reason to play Wizard Cards. That’s right. We’re going to have a Wizard Card Club exchange match later, would you like to participate?”

“…I’m not affiliated with it…”

“Oh, that’s too bad.”

“C-Can’t we do it separately?”

“I can’t do that, Gainando. I can’t use my time arbitrarily for things not in the plan.”

Gainando cursed himself for misidentifying the club name.

It was an opportunity to make friends who could share the philosophy of Wizard Cards!

“Raphaël. Isn’t the Gral family a knight family famous for anti-black magic? You’re learning black magic even though you’re from such a family?”

“…That’s right. To be honest, I’m not learning black magic because I like it, but to know its weaknesses…”

“I respect that attitude, Raphaël! Only a true knight can make such a choice by sacrificing himself.”

“…I-Is that so?” Raphaël’s face lit up. He straightened his shoulders and puffed out his chest a little, a small smile spreading across his face.

Raphaël was delighted to hear praise for the first time among black magicians.

His friends always chided him, saying, ‘You like black magic, just admit it already’…!

“Imirgue. So, Imirgue, what about you? Why are you studying black magic?”

“U-Undead often appear on the outskirts of the city, and I want to stop them…”

“Excellent, Imirgue. Not many black magicians have such a noble purpose as you.”

Imirgue was embarrassed by the compliment.

Since many magicians who entered the black magic school had higher and greater goals, the goal of serving the cities and towns of the Empire seemed a bit trivial.

“Ethan. Now that I think about it, I haven’t asked about your family either. Which family are you from?”

“I’m from the Wodanaz family.”

Clatter clatter clatter!

“?!”

Ethan was startled when the skeleton wizard fell and some bones flew out.

“Are you alright?!”

“I-I’m fine. I tripped over a stone.” Agdung assembled his shinbone and was inwardly horrified.

‘Crazy!’

At first, when Professor Taswhan said, ‘The second-year students will guide us this year,’ Agdung thought, ‘Are there no people in the Einroguard black magic school?’

But it was a boy from the Wodanaz family.

Then it made sense. Wasn’t he a disciple of the Imperial Spirit Master?

‘More than that, he’s a second-year?!’

Last winter, when he heard rumors that Duke Gonadaltez was taking a disciple from the Wodanaz family around, he thought he would be around the fourth or fifth grade, but he was a second-year.

‘I’m going to face the Spirit Master’s disciple…’

He was so nervous and scared that his non-existent heart was pounding.

As you can see from Professor Taswhan, getting involved with Duke Gonadaltez was not a wise choice.

Of course, getting involved with his disciple would be the same.

“Take my hand and get up.”

“Yes! Thank you.”

“…?”

Ethan felt a sense of incongruity in Agdung’s answer.

“What did you just say?”

“I-I said thank you.”

“Do you have any bad memories related to the Wodanaz family…?”

“W-Wodanaz family? Bad memories? No! No bad memories at all! Pillar of the Empire, right?” Agdung said, trying to sound reassuring.

‘This person is hiding something!’ Ethan thought.

There was no way Ethan wouldn’t notice the other person’s reaction.

The other person clearly had bad memories related to the Wodanaz family.

‘Damn it. Did you ever meet a demon while visiting Udamhwa Village? It’s not the territory, is it.’

The other black magic school friends were happily getting to know the guests, but Ethan was being alienated because of his family. This was too unfair.

“B-By the way, Ethan. About the mushroom field, I know the location too. I’ll go and get it myself, so why don’t you and your friends rest here? I’m sorry it’s such a trivial matter!”

“Yes? Quite a bit of time has passed in the meantime, so it will be difficult with the map alone. And I have something to get from the mushroom field too. Let’s just go together?”

“W-Well, how about this?”

“?”

“I’ll get the mushrooms you need.”

“……”

At Ethan’s suspicious gaze, Agdung realized he had made a mistake.

Come to think of it, it was strange that a fourth-year student who came as a guest would do errands for a second-year student.

“I was… I was just joking! Haha.”

“Yes…”