Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 804

“…Senior, do you have no pride as a 격구 (a fast-paced team sport played on horseback) player! To accept such tainted gold coins so readily!”

“!?”

Carnella was surprised by the unexpected criticism from her junior.

“What… what? Wait. What does receiving sponsorship have to do with a 격구 player’s pride? What’s this about tainted gold coins? Can gold coins even be tainted?”

“That’s enough. You don’t understand anything, Senior!”

“Wait a minute, Junior! Come back! At least tell me what you’re talking about before you leave! Come back!”

Carnella was confused. She didn’t know what to do because her usually kind and hardworking junior was angry and stormed off.

Was a 격구 player with pride not supposed to receive gold coins?

Lee Han made up his mind.

He didn’t care about the festive and enjoyable club week or anything else.

‘I’ll summon the Death Knights!’

The seniors were excited for club week. They would be very disappointed. Club week was becoming a dangerous mission to capture a magic criminal. But Lee Han could not change that.

Lee Han had to survive, didn’t he?

At first, he thought he could just avoid and endure it, but seeing Intarendals’ skill, that wasn’t going to work.

Look at that ridiculous amount and speed of sponsorship.

If this continued for another day, they might create the >Einrogard Supporter Guild> and come looking for Lee Han.

‘I’ve heard that the wand is stronger than the sword, but I never knew that gold coins could be stronger than the wand.’

-Is that really true?

-Yes, Lord Klgenberg.

-That’s truly astonishing!

“Great Death Knights!”

Seeing the Death Knights patrolling in the distance, Lee Han quickly ran towards them.

-To think there would be someone sponsoring the Dark Magic Department… and during club week, no less? Sponsoring a department, not even a club.

-The Empire is vast, so there must be many eccentric people.

-Indeed, in the old days, the Dark Magic Department was quite prosperous and popular.

-Really? I can’t imagine it!

Lee Han was surprised by what the Death Knights were saying.

Meanwhile, the Death Knights recognized Lee Han and greeted him happily.

-Huk… Student Lee Han of the Wodanaz family, isn’t it!

-Huk… Lord Wodanaz!

Without Lee Han knowing, the Death Knights added a peculiar greeting starting with ‘Huk’ before their words.

Since there was no time to ask about the strange trend among the Skull Headmaster’s subordinates, Lee Han immediately got to the point.

“Something terrible has happened! We need to gather the other knights immediately and surround the school…”

Lee Han was talking loudly, but he stopped.

He remembered what the Death Knights had said. It bothered him.

“…But, everyone. I have a question.”

-Didn’t you say something terrible had happened just now?

“It is terrible, but there’s something even more terrible… I’m curious, what would happen in this kind of situation?”

Lee Han explained the events of the day as indirectly as possible.

A suspicious magic criminal resurrected an ancestor of a great noble family of the Empire. The resurrected ancestor used the family’s hidden wealth to sponsor magicians. If this fact is discovered, what happens to the sponsored wealth?

-?

-??

The Death Knights didn’t understand the question and were puzzled.

-Student Lee Han. Resurrecting someone in a healthy state, not as an undead, is generally impossible.

-And why would someone resurrected like that sponsor magicians? Especially if they were resurrected by a suspicious magic criminal?

“…Ah, just imagine it!”

Lee Han got angry.

If it were another student, they would have been dragged to the disciplinary chamber immediately, but the Death Knights flinched and stepped back.

First of all, dragging Lee Han to a normal disciplinary chamber would be meaningless. Also, considering the knight’s conscience, dragging such a pitiful magician to the disciplinary chamber was excessively dishonorable.

-In that case, wouldn’t the property be confiscated according to Imperial law and not returned to the original family?

“Why? Doesn’t the family’s ancestor have any rights?”

-In a way, that might be the case. But once someone dies, the ownership of the property is as good as transferred. In fact, there was a similar problem in the ancient kingdoms of the past. There was even a rebellion. Hmm. Perhaps His Majesty the Emperor knows about those events, so he clearly codified it in Imperial law?

Lee Han cursed the unnecessarily competent and knowledgeable Imperial Emperor in his mind.

There should be some loopholes in the law to allow for human kindness, but why is he so thorough?

-So, why did you ask this? Wait. Could it be…?

Death Knight, Lord Klgenberg, looked at Lee Han as if he understood.

“No, it’s not.”

-…You’re trying to resurrect an old ancestor of a noble family to embezzle their wealth!

“That’s definitely not it.”

-Isn’t it?

Lord Klgenberg was very embarrassed.

He had naturally thought that there was no other possibility.

Meanwhile, Lee Han was deeply conflicted.

‘If I call the knights now…’

An image of Senior Dirett having his pouch of gold coins snatched away and crying flashed through Lee Han’s mind.

Of course, Dirett was definitely not the kind of person who would cry over having his pouch of gold coins snatched away (Lee Han was closer to being that kind of person), but Dirett, who would be furious at a junior’s insulting imagination, was not by Lee Han’s side right now.

“Great Death Knights.”

-By the way, when our master calls us that, it’s usually when he’s about to ask us to do something difficult and challenging.

“…Death Knights.”

Lee Han immediately changed his words.

As expected of knights who had lived for a long time, their skill in pointing things out indirectly was quite sharp.

“I have a story to tell you from now on, but can you keep it a secret on your honor?”

-…!

-!!

The Death Knights’ eyes became serious.

If the successor was saying something like that, wouldn’t it be quite a serious matter?

-Is it something that attacks our master?

“No, it’s not.”

Lee Han answered and then paused.

‘Is it? In a way, it might be seen that way.’

-Actually, it’s okay even if it’s something that attacks our master. It was just a question. We will keep the secret on our honor.

-I will also protect my honor.

The Death Knights promised so readily. Lee Han was rather taken aback.

“Are you sure it’s okay?”

-Helping someone as pitiful as Student Lee Han is a knight’s duty.

-I agree.

Lee Han realized for the first time that chivalry could hurt people.

Still, he couldn’t refuse this kind of help. Lee Han calmly explained the terrifying events that had happened today.

-……

-……

And the Death Knights were equally horrified.

It was a tenacity they hadn’t dared to anticipate.

-God, what kind of method is that?

-As expected of the master’s leftovers, he’s no ordinary person.

-The nuisance is also extraordinary.

“Um. Are you listening? Is there no way to handle it without leaving the gold coins alone? Even if it’s just the Dark Magic Department’s sponsorship gold coins.”

-Student Lee Han. I understand your feelings very well.

-Lord Wodanaz. I understand too. In the first place, it’s morally wrong for the Dalcard family to claim ownership of these gold coins. Isn’t it the ancestor’s property? Just because the ancestor died, the descendants can use the property as they please? How dare they! Insolent and rude!

The junior Death Knight shouted in anger, and Lord Klgenberg whispered.

-You see, the descendants have squandered the property.

“Ah, yes…”

-Good. Let’s quietly handle it without making a big deal out of it.

Lee Han was touched by the reliable cooperation of the veteran knights.

Unlike the Skull Headmaster, who hadn’t been seen lately, these knights were indeed the pillars supporting Einrogard.

“Then, what should we do?”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The Death Knights used Shadow Leap to surround Intarendals, then stabbed him with dark swords to seal him so that he couldn’t do anything.

Then, they quickly stuffed him into a sack with subspace magic and gestured.

-Move!

Lee Han was amazed by how quickly they subdued the opponent.

If he had been in that position, he would have been subdued as well.

He had heard many times that knights were the natural enemies of magicians, but he had forgotten because he had only seen powerful magicians…

The Death Knights, strengthened by the power of their territory, Einrogard, used extreme power against magicians.

No matter what magic they could use, they would be subdued before they could even use it!

-This way, to the stairs.

-Huk, Student Wodanaz. You can jump out of the window.

-Then, put your foot in this pit!

Lee Han followed the Death Knights through the shortcut in the main building and memorized it.

He might need it someday.

-Is the first room empty?

-No. They say there’s a prisoner.

-The second and third rooms must be full.

-Ah! They say the seventh room is empty. That’s great!

“?”

As Lee Han was puzzled, one of the kind Death Knights explained.

-This is the interrogation room that our master personally designed, >The Truth of Magicians>. Excellent magicians often escape if they are locked up in ordinary rooms.

‘I shouldn’t have asked.’

Lee Han immediately regretted hearing the explanation.

As he opened the door to the seventh room and entered, Lee Han felt a strong headache for a moment.

It was because there were too many complex magics, causing an information overload.

It would have been better if he were a less sensitive magician, but Lee Han, who had unparalleled sharpness in this area, couldn’t avoid the headache.

‘Ugh…! What kind of magic is…’

-Take him out.

Plop!

Intarendals, who came out of the sack, fell to the floor.

Despite having dark swords stuck in various parts of his body and being kidnapped, Intarendals’ expression was as calm as ever.

As expected of someone who had served the Skull Headmaster in the harsh ancient times. The Death Knights were impressed.

-Intarendals. Do you know why you were dragged here?

“I don’t know.”

-Because your master and our master are enemies.

The Death Knights explained the relationship between the Skull Headmaster and the mad doppelganger and said that Intarendals was serving the wrong master.

However, Intarendals did not waver.

“How can you prove that my master is not the main body but a doppelganger?”

-…Uh…

The Death Knights paused.

That’s right?

-He’s much stronger and more evil, so this one is the main body.

“That’s something you can only know by comparing them directly.”

-You’re a being like a thought form that disappears and reappears periodically.

“Even so, you can’t call him a doppelganger…”

As the story flowed into a discussion, Lee Han gave Lord Klgenberg a look.

The veteran Death Knight scolded his subordinates.

-Don’t give him unnecessary answers! Intarendals. You must choose one of two things. Will you leave the gold coins and quietly leave the school? Or will you die at our hands?

“Is there any reason to fear death now? But even if I die, I want to know the reason. Is there a reason why I shouldn’t contact Lee Han of the Wodanaz family? Perhaps your master is deceiving you.”

-Don’t try to deceive us. Because Lee Han of the Wodanaz family said he doesn’t want to meet you.

Intarendals didn’t believe what the Death Knight was saying and smiled.

As a competent worker who had done all sorts of things as the king’s chief secretary, he had found a loophole hidden in the other party’s words.

“That’s a lie. Lee Han of the Wodanaz family wouldn’t know I came. We kept getting crossed due to misfortune.”

“…Actually, I’m Lee Han of the Wodanaz family.”

Lee Han, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward and opened his mouth.

At those words, Intarendals made a surprised expression for the first time today.

“No, it can’t be! How could this happen!”