Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 798

“You said you just boarded,”

“When you wander the sea, you board and disembark. No matter how urgent, you don’t set sail until the ship is fixed.”

‘That’s a bit of a stretch.’

He had thought the analogy was clever earlier, but now it seemed forced.

Leehan spoke with a hint of complaint.

“It’s a shame to put it off just because it’s difficult. We should find a safe way to use what we’ve learned…”

“Who, who broke this?”

A surprised voice echoed from downstairs in the stone hallway.

Lagesa seemed taken aback as well, not having anticipated this.

“How do we fix it?”

“What?”

“The broken part here.”

While Einroguard’s main building could slowly fix itself, like a wound healing over time, they couldn’t just leave it broken.

What trouble would people cause while it was being repaired?

The pirate crone cackled.

“What’s my job?”

“You’re a pirate.”

“That’s right. Not a carpenter, a stonemason, or a blacksmith, am I?”

“No.”

“Then let’s scram!”

Lagesa quickly turned and began running with her chained pirates.

Leehan, stunned for a moment, finally understood and followed after them.

‘…Once this is over, I shouldn’t hang out with pirates.’

No matter how he thought about it, pirates didn’t seem like good people to be around.

Raphaelle, who had joined the Einroguard Duel Club this year, always wondered about one thing.

‘Why is that even there?’

**DO NOT ENTER PROFESSOR BAEGREG!** Tell Professor Ku if he comes in.

This sign was next to the club rules on old bronze.

No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t understand why it was there.

Had Professor Voladi done something?

“Um, senior.”

“Oh. Gral. Ask me anything.”

“Professor Baegreg…”

“Shh, shut your mouth! You rude brat. Where did you learn to ask such things?”

“???”

Even the senior, who had been kind because they were from the same tower, almost had a fit when asked about Professor Voladi.

Because of that, Raphaelle and the other second-year students could only guess what Professor Voladi was like, like trying to guess a shape in the dark.

“Did he borrow money from Professor Baegreg and not pay it back?”

“I don’t think Professor Baegreg is that kind of person. Wasn’t he just a strict wizard who made lectures boring?”

“When I heard it from Wodanaz, it sounded a little different…”

Unfortunately, no student knew anything about Professor Voladi.

There was one person who knew, but that person wasn’t there.

“What did Wodanaz say about Professor Voladi?” Raphaelle asked, leaning closer.

“Something about having a hard time,” another student replied, frowning. “But isn’t that normal with all professors?”

“Yeah,” someone else agreed. “It’s always hard.”

“He also said… too much homework,” a third student added, trying to remember.

“Homework? That’s just school,” a fourth student shrugged.

They all looked at each other, still confused.

They were trying to picture Professor Voladi, but it was like trying to describe something they had never seen, in complete darkness. They had only heard whispers and rumors.

Meanwhile, another senior, Palga of the Ukim family, arrived.

Raphaelle, happy to see a senior from the same White Tiger Tower, bowed.

“Senior.”

“Ah, Gral. Good to see you. Out here practicing?”

“Yes.”

“Perfect timing. Next week is Club Week, isn’t it? I heard we have a guest coming to our club.”

The second-year students’ eyes lit up.

Einroguard students were excited just by the mention of outsiders.

By the time they were upperclassmen, they were excited even by outsiders who had secretly entered the school.

After being in Einroguard for a long time, outsiders seemed like walking treasure chests, bringing news and items from the outside.

And besides that, a guest coming to teach the club was always welcome.

“That’s great!”

“Who is it?”

“But Professor Ku has been so busy lately, hasn’t he? How did he manage to invite someone?”

Palga answered his juniors’ questions one by one, pleased to be seen as knowledgeable.

“It’s a good thing. I don’t know who it is yet, but I heard they’re an excellent dueling wizard. And hmm… is that so?”

Palga himself was puzzled by the last question.

Professor Kirmin had clearly been incredibly busy recently.

“Professor, about inviting a guest during this Club Week…”

“Sorry, sorry! Ukim. I’ve been so out of it lately because of the work the headmaster assigned me. But don’t worry. I’ll definitely invite an external guest.”

“If you’re busy, we’re fine with it.”

“No! I can’t not do this as a professor. I’ll definitely invite someone. Got it?”

Club Week seemed like a fun festival. But behind the scenes, Einroguard wizards worked very hard. It was full of sweat and tears.

Some clubs were popular even if they weren’t very interesting, while other clubs, even good ones, had to work hard to get members.

It was like some magic academies.

One academy had students lining up even if the professor wasn’t very good, while another academy had the kindest fifth-year student in Einroguard, but it was questionable whether any freshmen would come…

So, it was natural for Professor Kirmin to make promises to the Duel Club students.

The Duel Club wasn’t a club that had many external guests visiting.

“Professor Ku knows a lot of people, so I suppose he sent out invitations in his spare time.”

“Indeed… Professor Ku is amazing. Sending out invitations is no easy task, yet he does it in his spare time!”

The new Duel Club members looked at him with respect.

Having a professor interested in the club was quite fortunate in Einroguard.

“…Palga. I was honestly worried about Professor Baegreg.”

A friend of the same year whispered to Palga, who had returned after talking with the juniors.

“What are you saying?”

Palga’s face hardened.

There was a line in jokes that couldn’t be crossed, even with friends.

Why was Professor Baegreg’s name coming up here?

“Think about it. How busy has Professor Ku been lately? Sending out invitations takes quite a bit of time… Professor Ku has a history, you know.”

Professor Kirmin Ku was one of the few popular professors in Einroguard, and the Duel Club students didn’t deny it.

But Professor Kirmin also had a terrible past: inviting Professor Voladi to the Duel Club.

The Duel Club members had to fight Professor Voladi in a sealed space for three days for the sole crime of saying they ‘wanted to get stronger.’

“……”

Recalling that painful past, Palga’s breathing became labored, and his complexion turned pale.

He almost had a relapse of his trauma when they met during winter vacation…

“…No. I checked on Professor Baegreg, and he was in the underground lecture hall. He’s definitely not the guest. And they said it was an external guest.”

“Is that so? Whew. I guess I’ve become too sensitive.”

The friend apologized to Palga.

There was no way Professor Voladi would visit as an external guest.

“No. I understand you. We’ll have to tell the truth to the juniors someday.”

“I… I’m afraid. How will the juniors see Professor Ku if they find out he actually did such a thing?”

“We can’t keep hiding the truth forever…”

Bang!

An old woman burst into the Duel Club, kicking open the door.

The old woman, leading pirates wrapped in chains, entered and looked around, checking the students.

“Is this the Duel Club?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Greetings. I am Lagesa, daughter of Torgeird. A pirate, a captain, and an admiral.”

“?”

Palga tilted his head.

Wasn’t there something strange inserted before captain and admiral?

“Did you just say pirate…?”

“I came here after receiving an invitation. You’re the fools who pretend to duel, aren’t you? Right?”

“No, we’re not! Pretend to duel, you say!”

Palga and several other students bristled.

The Einroguard Duel Club formally acted as duel champions, receiving payment.

They fought more bravely and fiercely than ordinary duelists, as they were paid with other people’s gold.

And yet, pretend to duel?

“If I say it’s pretending, then it’s pretending! Standing face to face, waiting for a signal before fighting. Honestly. I don’t know how such a long and boring fight can be real.”

Flap!

Lagesa took out a bundle of papers from her bosom.

“I’ve brought requests from people who like such pretense as a gift. I heard you like this kind of thing?”

“…!”

The Duel Club students were surprised.

One of the Einroguard Duel Club’s sources of income was the money they received for dueling for others.

For this money to keep coming, requests to participate in duels had to come in all the time.

To think she would bring such a thick stack of requests.

“How did you get so many?”

“There’s a way!”

Lagesa cackled at the students’ question.

When threatened by a pirate, even people who had no intention of dueling would want to hire a champion.

“Anyway. I want to give this to you, but… I can’t just give it away.”

“We were expecting as much. What do we have to do?”

Several students stepped forward as if they knew it was coming.

There was no way such an odd wizard would just give gifts without any conditions.

“There’s a new pirate here. Fight this pirate and win.”

“?????”

Leehan was flustered when he was suddenly dragged out while watching.

However, that fluster was nothing compared to the fluster of the second-year Duel Club students.

“Wodanaz, why are you there??”

“I was asked by the professor to help guide her around the school.”

“Professor Ku?”

“No. P…”

“Quiet! Why are you talking so long before fighting! You should be hurling insults at each other!”

Lagesa grumbled, cutting off their words as if she didn’t like the sight.

“Lady Lagesa, I don’t want to fight the Duel Club members.”

“That’s understandable. Pirates don’t fight without payment. I’ll give this much gold for every person you beat.”

Lagesa spread her fingers wide. Nevertheless, Leehan was unsure.

“There are third-year seniors here, and I’m…”

Lagesa spread her other hand wide as well. Leehan said firmly.

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Hee hee hee. You know how to bargain. Good! Give those guys some enlightenment. Got it?”

While Leehan was talking with Lagesa, the third-year students were discussing with serious expressions.

Even if the opponent was a genius who took all the academy’s courses, he was still a junior.

They had no intention of being intimidated by a junior and backing down, with the Duel Club’s honor at stake.

“He takes all the academies, so he won’t have any weaknesses.”

“We’ll have to fight him with our best skills. I’ll go first. …Palga, what’s wrong?”

“That… that guy is Professor Baegreg’s student.”

“……”

“……”

While the seniors were talking behind him, Raphaelle asked Leehan.

“Wodanaz. Did Professor Ku ask you to do this? To you?”

“No. Professor Baegreg asked me. Professor Baegreg was asked by Professor Ku.”

“I see. Senior. Now that we’re on the topic, may I ask why Professor Baegreg is not allowed to enter…”

Raphaelle was about to turn and ask a question.

But the third-year seniors had already fled out the door and disappeared.

“……”

“……”

“Well, he did learn one thing!”

Lagesa nodded with satisfaction.

Knowing when to run away when things seemed dangerous was also very important for a wizard.