Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 85

Professor Willow turned and walked away, his robes making a soft *swish* sound. Lee Han hadn’t even opened his mouth to complain, and now it was too late anyway.

*Professors who listen to students don’t give them jobs like this in the first place,* Lee Han thought, sighing to himself.

“Yonel, I’m sorry.”

Lee Han apologized sincerely.

He should have run when he was gathering all that stuff earlier. He was trying to impress the professor, and now he was paying the price.

“Huh? What for?”

Yonel was already digging in the dry soil near the plants, checking to see if they needed water.

“…Isn’t it infuriating to do unfair labor?”

“Taking care of plants is fun, isn’t it? You said you like it too?”

Surprisingly, Yonel didn’t seem dissatisfied at all.

Since he enjoyed taking care of plants, the experience of directly caring for rare plants he had only seen in books was very satisfying.

“I like my plants well enough, but other people’s plants, especially the professor’s plants, are a bit… No, never mind. As long as you’re happy.”

Lee Han stopped himself.

Yonel’s way of thinking was indeed positive.

If you thought about it as the professor ordering you to do it, it was depressing, but if you thought about it as an opportunity to see rare plants that you could only see in books…

‘Still, the gloom doesn’t disappear.’

Lee Han was too much of a materialist to be as positive as Yonel.

Still, Lee Han moved. Feelings were feelings. Work was work.

“Lee Han, the soil is dry. Should we give it water?”

“The leaves are firm… The book said we don’t need to give it much water, so let’s skip it. This one definitely needs water, though…”

“Wait. That plant needs only rainwater, not just any water. I read it somewhere.”

“That’s right. I read it too.”

“Was that too amateur of a comment?”

“No. We have to compare what we know, right?”

The two students smiled at each other. They felt like they understood each other’s passion for plants.

Most students from rich families found plant care hard work. But for Lee Han, it was different.

‘Plants are better than professors.’

Checking the soil condition every day, adjusting the type and temperature of the water, removing bugs or mold, ventilating the air, and providing potions could feel cumbersome and annoying. But plants were taciturn and quiet.

That alone made plants more lovable than professors.

How many hours had passed?

“I think we’re done, right?”

“Yeah.”

The two wiped away sweat and stretched their backs. Plant care was as strenuous as swordsmanship training. Their muscles screamed.

I have been watching you young humans.

“…?!”

“!”

Lee Han immediately drew his wand and aimed it in the direction of the voice.

The voice came from a nearby pond.

With a bubbling sound, a huge mass of water rose from within the pond. Anyone could tell it was a powerful spirit.

“My name is Paarhakis. I am the spirit of this pond. You young humans must be the dwarf’s disciples.”

“…Yes. Do you know the professor?”

“Yes. I made a contract with the dwarf to take care of this garden.”

The spirit seemed to like them.

Among the young humans, there are few who care for plants as diligently and meticulously as you…

‘Ah. Was that why?’

Looking at Paarhakis, Lee Han seemed to know what Professor Willow was thinking when he sent them here.

Professor Willow taught botany.

He must have been impressed by Lee Han and Yonel, who were sincere about taking care of plants.

So he sent them to a spirit who highly valued taking care of the plants here.

If they truly cared for the plants, they would be recognized by the spirit!

‘I’m sorry, Professor.’

Lee Han quickly apologized.

He thought Professor Willow was just making them do his work, but it turned out to have a much deeper meaning than he thought.

“I was moved by that sight. I don’t usually like to show myself to people, but I couldn’t just stand by after seeing such sincerity.”

After finishing speaking, the spirit looked at Lee Han and said with a puzzled expression.

“But you seem like someone spirits would be afraid of. How do you have a tree spirit with you?”

“…”

Lee Han was slightly hurt. Yonel unknowingly stepped up to defend him.

“Even though Lee Han looks like this, he’s a really kind friend.”

“I’m sorry, young human, but weaker spirits can’t really tell what people are like just by looking.”

The weaker and lower the spirit, the lower their intelligence.

To know the contractor’s character, they would have to spend a long time together and get to know each other, but in Lee Han’s case, it was difficult to have such an opportunity.

He was emitting so much magical power from his whole body that it seemed like he would make most spirits run away!

“I received a staff as a gift from the talking oak trees.”

“Ah, so that’s why. Don’t worry too much. The tree spirit in your staff was scared at first, and it’s still a little afraid. But it says you are a good person.”

“…”

Lee Han looked at his staff without realizing it.

It was scared?

Yonel asked, feeling sorry for him.

“Mr. Paarhakis, is there any way for Lee Han to make a contract with a spirit? Even when he tries to contact spirits in the spirit world, they avoid him.”

“Hmm… I’ve never encountered this kind of problem before…”

Paarhakis splashed around, lost in thought.

“How about this?”

“What is it?”

Lee Han was slightly expectant.

As a powerful spirit with a name, he must have a wise method…

“Give up on contracting with spirits and contract with other beings instead? Most would be afraid if you have that much magic power, but that’s not always a disadvantage. There are beings who like that kind of thing.”

“…I still want to contract with a spirit, though.”

“Hmm. I see. Well, if they like that kind of thing, they’re usually evil beings. It wouldn’t suit a human with a kind heart like you.”

“?”

Lee Han was flustered.

…Was I?

But Yonel showed agreement as if he wasn’t surprised at all.

“That’s right.”

“I don’t necessarily only want to contract with spirits…”

“Hmm… If you really have to contract with a spirit, contracting with violent and ferocious spirits is also one way.”

Paarhakis offered another method.

“Not all lower-level spirits are timid and innocent. Some were violent and ferocious from the time they were lower-level spirits.”

“Especially unstable and destructive elemental spirits tended to have that tendency strongly.”

“That kind of method…! Wait, but the professor didn’t tell me that.”

Lee Han realized something was strange.

Could it be that Professor Thunderfoot deliberately didn’t tell him to mess with him?

It was a likely story.

“Even if a spirit is wild, it’s not foolish. It can still sense danger. So, it’s more likely to run away from you.”

“…”

“…”

Lee Han and Yonel were silent again. Yonel’s pitying gaze made his heart ache for no reason.

“Still, the method I mentioned isn’t entirely wrong. The stronger and higher-level the spirit, the less likely they are to run away immediately after seeing you. And such a spirit might be able to learn about your true character through conversation.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

“Um… No. It’s not just about being strong and high-level, it’s better to contact a violent and ferocious spirit if possible. Of course, it’s not like spirits that aren’t like that will necessarily run away, but since spirits generally don’t like meaningless fights…”

“…”

Lee Han thought Paarhakis was just making excuses and shouldn’t have listened.

After listening, he felt even more hopeless!

Yonel asked pleadingly.

“Could Mr. Paarhakis contract with Lee Han?”

“Yonel. It’s okay. Stop it.”

“No. I’ll definitely help you!”

Yonel was trying to repay Lee Han as much as he had received help.

But Lee Han was starting to feel embarrassed.

He felt like he was the only one who couldn’t find a spirit friend, and the teacher was saying, ‘Is there any spirit who will be friends with Lee Han?’

“It would be impossible for a young human wizard to contract with me. You would collapse immediately…”

Paarhakis, who was speaking, looked at Lee Han and changed his words again.

“…Well, not that you would collapse, but I’m sorry. I’m currently under contract with the dwarf. It would be difficult to follow you around and help you.”

“It’s okay.”

Lee Han thought he should start preparing his mind to become friends with the undead.

“What do you think about this? There’s a spirit I know summoned in this school. If I introduce you, they might at least listen to your story.”

“!”

Lee Han was amazed.

It was a good suggestion he hadn’t even thought of.

“Would that be okay? I feel like I’m causing too much trouble…”

“Seeing you two young horticulturalists, I really want to help you this much. You don’t have to worry too much. And…”

Paarhakis hesitated for a moment whether to say this or not.

Then he finally spoke.

“Don’t be too disappointed if that friend avoids you. Okay?”

“…Yes…”

Lee Han began to wonder how strong a spirit he would have to find to even have a conversation.

Should he go find the Spirit King?

Paarhakis curled up his body, floated up, and emptied the water from the pond. Then, a deep cave was revealed below.

“If you go in here, you can go straight to where that friend is.”

Lee Han was grateful for the spirit’s kindness. But Paarhakis’s kindness wasn’t over yet.

Flash!

Ancient characters resembling the pond were engraved on the backs of Lee Han and Yonel’s hands.

“I’ve imbued a little bit of my power. That symbol will help you young wizards.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you!”

Lee Han and Yonel expressed their gratitude with sincerity.

The spirit in front of them seemed much more benevolent than most of the professors at the school.

“Yes. Don’t forget your love for plants.”

As Lee Han and Yonel walked down below the pond, Paarhakis quickly returned to the original pond. The passage to the underground became quiet in an instant, the air growing cold and damp. Lee Han felt a sense of unease as they descended into the darkness.

“Let there be light.”

Lee Han floated a sphere of light. And he looked at the tree spirit’s staff without realizing it.

He wanted to ask if it was still scared of him, but he held back because it seemed too pathetic.

‘Still, I really want to ask.’

“Lee Han?”

“!”

Lee Han was flustered, thinking his inner thoughts had been exposed.

“What’s wrong?”

“Mr. Paarhakis was in the pond. Where do you think the spirit we’re going to find now is?”

“…Hmm.”

Yonel’s question was definitely sharp. Paarhakis had forgotten to explain what kind of spirit it was.

“Maybe… somewhere under a lake or a river.”

Since Paarhakis was the spirit of the pond, it was likely that his friend was a similar spirit.

Water, river, pond, sea, etc.

‘It’s not connected to the sea, is it?’

In the worst case, the place they arrived at could be an underwater dungeon.

Lee Han knew that this magic school was capable of anything.

“I hope it’s a river spirit. I’ve heard that river spirits are mostly wise and intelligent.”

“If we can contract with a river spirit, we can definitely gain the wisdom needed for this prison… no, this school life.”

Lee Han, who was speaking, paused.

‘But I’ve heard that river spirits mostly have gentle personalities?’

…Then is it going to run away again?

Clang!

With a sharp sound, the two emerged from the passage and came up.

Along with the dark and desolate air, the appearance of a place Lee Han had seen once before came into view.

…This was the school’s punishment room.

“…”

Lee Han thought. That friend is definitely not a river spirit!