Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 808

Silence. Lee Han called again, and again. He knew his Mad Doppelganger was there, somewhere in the hazy space between worlds. It was always like this – waiting for the grumpy teacher to finally answer.

A voice, like dry leaves rustling, finally broke the silence. ‘…What?’ A figure shimmered into view – the Mad Doppelganger. His face was still and cold, like stone, but a deep line cut between his eyebrows. He was clearly annoyed.

‘Greetings, Master,’ Lee Han said politely. The Doppelganger grunted. ‘So, you finished it, I see.’ He threw a heavy sack to the ground. It landed with a dull thud. Lee Han frowned. ‘What’s that?’ Then, a muffled voice, full of pain and anger, came from inside the sack. ‘Don’t be so smug! Let me out of here, you… you little monster!’

Lee Han pretended not to hear the muffled cries. He couldn’t help Antagon-dals, even if the voice sounded desperate. *What if that happened to me?* No. He pushed the thought away. ‘Ah, Master,’ Lee Han said, changing the subject quickly. ‘I called because I have a question.’ The Mad Doppelganger narrowed his eyes. ‘So, little pest, did you just call to brag about your magic?’

Lee Han ignored the accusation. ‘Actually, Master, I need your help with something.’ He quickly asked about finding replacements for juniper, perilla, and pyrophyllite in Dobruk’s Elusive Shadow Potion. The Mad Doppelganger’s eyes flashed with anger. ‘I told you to focus on lightning magic! Not to waste time with potion ingredients!’

‘I’m so sorry, Master,’ Lee Han said, putting on a pitiful voice. ‘Your student is just… well, a bit lost. When I get stuck, you’re the only one who can help. *Sniff, sniff.*’ As long as the Doppelganger wasn’t actually attacking him, Lee Han was happy to play the helpless student.

The Mad Doppelganger grumbled, but finally spoke. ‘Didn’t I hear you were getting distracted by other kinds of magic? Instead of focusing on what you’re supposed to be learning?’ He was annoyed that Lee Han wasn’t making faster progress with lightning magic. But, it *was* a magic question, after all. ‘It’s just a simple little potion,’ he muttered dismissively.

‘Yes?’ Lee Han asked, pretending to be confused. The Doppelganger sighed heavily. ‘You little idiot. Do I have to spell everything out for you?’ ‘Yes, please, Master,’ Lee Han said sweetly. *You haven’t explained a single thing,* he thought angrily. The Mad Doppelganger clearly thought he had explained everything already. He clenched his fists, fighting back the urge to… well, to do something unpleasant to Lee Han, even through the illusion. With a strained look on his face, he began to explain.

Dobruk’s Elusive Shadow Potion – it had a different, older name when the Mad Doppelganger was alive – was a potion that did something amazing. It could, for a short time, separate your soul from your body. Like sending your spirit out to wander while your body stayed behind. The recipe had changed over the years, but as soon as the Mad Doppelganger heard the ingredients, he knew exactly what kind of potion it was and why someone would change the recipe.

‘In potion-making like this,’ the Doppelganger explained, ‘some people might say you can swap juniper for pagoda tree, and perilla for… for another herb with a long name. But it’s pointless.’ He scoffed. ‘When *I* made this potion, I never used juniper or perilla. I wanted the astral projection to be stronger, even if it made the potion a bit risky. But *this* recipe… this is for people who want a safe potion, even if it’s not as powerful.’ He paused, looking annoyed. ‘So, if you swap ingredients like pagoda tree and that other herb, it might seem better for a moment, but it actually makes the potion less stable again. It’s not a real replacement. A true potion maker doesn’t just settle for ‘close enough.’’ He glared at Lee Han. ‘The real answer is: there are *no* ingredients that can truly replace them.’

‘*What kind of pointless trick question is that?*’ Lee Han thought, annoyed by the wizard from Valdrogard. He hadn’t even been polite, just barged in and started asking questions. Lee Han should have known from the way the Valdrogard students acted – they were all rude and arrogant.

‘Thank you, Master,’ Lee Han said, barely hiding his irritation. *What a waste of time!* He quickly ended the connection with the Mad Doppelganger. Turning back to Garal, he said firmly, ‘There are no ingredients that can completely replace them.’ Garal’s eyes widened in surprise.

This was a clever trick question, Garal realized. Even experienced potion makers could get it wrong. The more you knew about ingredients, the more likely you were to fall into the trap! You might think you knew a similar ingredient, but this potion was so delicate, so strangely balanced, that even a small change could ruin it. You had to know *everything* about potions to see the real answer.

‘Ha! Wrong!’ one of the Valdrogard students crowed, jumping up and down. ‘Juniper can be replaced with pagoda tree, and perilla with Agrimony! Too bad for you!’ The other Valdrogard students patted him on the back, impressed. ‘Wow, you really know your stuff!’ one said. ‘You’re the best in potion class for a reason!’

*You’re all wrong, you fools!* Garal thought, his face burning with embarrassment. The student’s answer was completely wrong. Agrimony wouldn’t work at all! It would make the potion do the opposite – it would trap the soul in the body, not release it.

An Einrogard student spoke up, sounding confused. ‘Wait, isn’t it Saururus chinensis, not Agrimony?’ Garal’s face burned even hotter. ‘Saururus… um… wait a minute,’ the Valdrogard student stammered. ‘Was it Saururus chinensis?’ ‘If you use Agrimony,’ the Einrogard student explained patiently, ‘it makes the soul cling to the body, not separate.’ ‘Oh… Saururus chinensis, right!’ the Valdrogard student said quickly, pretending he’d known all along. His friends immediately cheered him on. ‘Wow, you’re so honest!’ one said. ‘Yeah, admitting you were almost wrong is as good as being right!’ another added.

*What is *right* about that?* Lee Han thought, staring at the Valdrogard students in disbelief. *Those herbs are completely different! Are they seriously saying it’s okay because he got *one* ingredient right?* Lee Han felt like he was in a strange dream. He suddenly understood why the older students at Einrogard avoided Valdrogard students whenever possible. Talking to them made your brain feel like it was turning to soup.

‘That’s not the point!’ the Valdrogard student insisted. ‘The point is, *you* got it wrong!’ Garal sighed heavily, stepping forward. ‘Actually,’ he said, sounding tired, ‘this student was right.’

‘What?!’ Zandanni, from the Alzadk family, stared at Garal in disbelief. ‘What are you saying? Juniper *can* be replaced with pagoda tree, everyone knows that!’ He was sure he was right. Had this wizard from Valdrogard learned magic all wrong?

‘If you replace it,’ Garal explained patiently, ‘the potion will do something different. It won’t be stable anymore. The Elusive Shadow Potion is so finely balanced that changing even one thing makes it a completely new potion.’ ‘But… isn’t it *almost* the same?’ Zandanni argued, confused. ‘Not to a potion maker,’ Garal said firmly. ‘That’s… unbelievable,’ Zandanni muttered, shocked. He and his friends had come here to prove they were better than Einrogard students. Instead, they felt completely defeated.

Lee Han saw that the Valdrogard students were getting more and more upset. He decided to step in and try to calm things down. They were guests, after all, even if they were annoying. ‘This is a really tricky question,’ Lee Han said smoothly, putting on a friendly smile. ‘It’s designed to test even the best potion makers. Anyone could make a mistake. You all clearly know a lot about potions.’ ‘…Thank you,’ Zandanni said, looking a little relieved. ‘You’re very kind!’ ‘Honestly,’ Lee Han continued, ‘it’s amazing that a second-year student at Einrogard even knows that juniper *can* be replaced with pagoda tree.’ He meant it. The Elusive Shadow Potion was a really advanced potion, something students usually learned about much later. Lee Han had only memorized it because he memorized *everything*.

‘Actually,’ one of the Valdrogard students said, ‘we’re not second-year students.’ ‘Oh,’ Lee Han said, trying to keep his smile. ‘…Are you third-year students, then?’ ‘Nope,’ another student said cheerfully. ‘We’re fourth-year students!’ Lee Han’s smile froze on his face. *Fourth-year students?* He stared at them, speechless. *These are students who are about to graduate! And they’re here… doing *this*?* *Are they completely insane?* No, wait. Even graduating students could travel around. Maybe they were just… very well-prepared for graduation? Taking a deep breath, Lee Han forced himself to stay calm. ‘If you’re fourth-year students,’ he said, his voice a little tight, ‘shouldn’t you be getting ready for graduation? Is it really okay for you to be visiting like this?’

‘Ha! A truly great wizard is always ready for anything!’ one of them declared proudly. *Just stay calm, Lee Han. Stay calm,* he told himself, clenching his fists. ‘But… surely you have things to do?’ he asked, trying to keep his voice even. ‘Are you all completely finished with your graduation preparations?’ ‘Things to do?’ one of them repeated, scratching his head. ‘Not really… Oh! You mean the graduation party!’ Just then, Garal, who had been watching the whole thing with growing impatience, finally stepped forward. He could see that Lee Han was about to lose his temper completely, and things could get messy.

‘…So, we came for this friendly competition,’ the Valdrogard student finished, beaming. ‘Ah,’ Lee Han said, trying to hide his disbelief. He looked at the fourth-year students with open disdain. Not only were they wasting their last year of school, but they were here for something so ridiculous! Lee Han made a silent promise to himself. When the older Einrogard students started making fun of the Valdrogard students later, he would be right there, invisible, enjoying every minute of it.

Garal cleared his throat, trying to regain control of the situation. ‘You have amazing skills,’ he said to Lee Han, his voice a little shaky. ‘Are you… are you a fourth-year student?’ ‘I’m a second-year student,’ Lee Han replied calmly. Garal blinked, then leaned closer, as if he hadn’t heard correctly. ‘…Did you say second year?’ ‘Yes,’ Lee Han confirmed. Garal’s shoulders slumped. ‘…Please,’ he whispered to Lee Han, his voice full of despair, ‘please, don’t tell them your year level.’ Lee Han was surprised to see such a senior wizard looking so defeated. ‘Uh, okay,’ he said, feeling a little sorry for him. ‘It’s not a problem.’ ‘Thank you,’ Garal sighed. ‘Oh dear. I think I’ve made a terrible mistake taking on this challenge. If even a second-year student is this good…’ He shook his head, looking utterly lost. He had come to Einrogard to… well, to show Valdrogard was better, to somehow ‘win’ against them. But how could he do that now? He couldn’t just start a fight out of nowhere. He had thought the potion riddle would be easy, a subtle way to show Einrogard students weren’t as clever as they thought. But Lee Han had answered it instantly, and now Garal’s plan was falling apart.

‘Einrogard students are clearly very skilled,’ Garal admitted, sighing again. While they were talking, Zandanni leaned forward, looking curious. ‘So, what should we call you?’ ‘Just Lee Han,’ Lee Han said quickly, deliberately leaving out his family name. He knew wizards often used their family names, especially noble ones. He hoped they would just assume he wasn’t important. ‘But… what about your *full* name?’ Zandanni pressed, looking puzzled. Lee Han felt a flush of embarrassment. How had they guessed he was hiding something? ‘Wait a minute!’ one of the Valdrogard students suddenly shouted, pointing. ‘Look! It’s those Kalarogard students!’ Everyone turned to see a group of students from Kalarogard school gathering nearby, looking menacing.

‘Disgusting!’ one of the Valdrogard students hissed, pointing at the Kalarogard group. ‘Look at them, just strolling around like they own the place!’ ‘What’s wrong?’ Lee Han asked, pretending to be interested. Luckily, the Valdrogard students were too focused on the newcomers to notice his fake interest. ‘They attacked us last year!’ another Valdrogard student explained angrily. ‘Oh really? How?’ Lee Han asked, trying not to grin. ‘They used… they used undead creatures!’ the student said, as if that was the most terrible thing imaginable. Lee Han had to bite back a laugh. *Undead creatures? What’s cowardly about that?* It was hard to keep a straight face. ‘And they pushed us into a mud pit!’ another student wailed. ‘It’s the Valdrogard students!’ the Kalarogard students shouted, spotting them. ‘Attack!’

‘Stop! Everyone, stop!’ Garal shouted, stepping in front of the Valdrogard students. ‘If you attack us, we’ll have to defend ourselves!’ ‘Tch,’ one of the Kalarogard students sneered. ‘Look at them, hiding behind a bodyguard. Cowards!’ Garal stood his ground, and the Kalarogard students hesitated, seeing a senior wizard. But Lee Han could sense the magic crackling in the air. They weren’t backing down completely. *How long is this going to take?* he wondered impatiently. Suddenly, the Mad Doppelganger’s voice echoed in his mind. ‘What’s happening now?’ ‘Master!’ Lee Han said urgently, ‘Please wait a moment. There’s about to be a fight. Outsiders are attacking!’ ‘Outsiders? Attacking?’ the Doppelganger repeated, sounding intrigued. ‘Yes!’ ‘Do you need my guidance?’ ‘Yes, please, Master! Any advice would be great!’ Lee Han said, remembering how helpful the potion advice had been. The Mad Doppelganger paused for a moment. Then, his voice, cold and sharp, echoed in Lee Han’s mind. ‘Unleash a storm of pure shadow magic. Let darkness consume them.’ ‘…Is there any *other* advice?’ Lee Han asked, a little nervously.