Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 851

Seviuse was usually very strict with younger students. But today, even though he should be angry, he couldn’t be.

“…Let’s stop for now,” Seviuse said. “If you only look for easy answers, you won’t learn what you need to. Later, when you face harder problems, you’ll get stuck, and it will be much worse.”

“With all their money, they could just pay a powerful wizard to fix this,” the younger student mumbled.

“Quiet,” Seviuse said, his voice firm. He didn’t know what else to say. He saw the student look sad and felt a little bad. He wanted to talk about something else.

“The best part is,” Seviuse said, trying to sound positive, “Garal thought you were a sixth-year student! You’re doing a great job confusing them. The more they don’t know who you are, the better.”

He was annoyed that they knew Lee Han was from the Wodanaz family, but at least they were wrong about his year. This might even hide who Seviuse really was too.

“But Senior,” Lee Han said, “I told him I was a second-year.”

“What?” Seviuse asked, surprised.

“Yes, I told them last time we met.” Lee Han explained easily about meeting the Valdrogard students and Garal before. He even mentioned summoning the Black Emperor’s Seal by accident. ‘If I say it like it’s no big deal, maybe he won’t be too shocked?’ Lee Han thought. But it didn’t work. Seviuse stared at him like he was mad. Last time, Lee Han had said, “I showed them some magic.” Seviuse thought “some” meant a small spell, not *that*. ‘If he messes up two more times like this, he’ll get Einrogard in serious trouble,’ Seviuse thought, worried.

“Anyway,” Lee Han continued, “I told them clearly I was a second-year when they asked. So, I don’t understand why they keep saying sixth-year. Wait… are you helping me?” Lee Han looked at Seviuse with wide eyes, pretending to be touched. “Are you saying Garal is calling me a sixth-year to protect me from the Valdrogard students? Because they might want revenge?”

“Are you crazy?” Seviuse asked, rolling his eyes. “Why would I lie for someone who tried to steal from me?”

“…Well, Valdrogard students are a little sad, so maybe you feel sorry for them…” Lee Han mumbled.

“No way!” Seviuse said firmly.

“Then what is it?” Lee Han asked, his voice getting sharper as Seviuse kept arguing.

Seviuse sighed and explained simply, “They probably think you’re a crazy sixth-year who *says* he’s a second-year. Einrogard has a lot of weird older students.”

Lee Han was speechless.

“What? How can you think that?!”

“Well, they still think you’re a sixth-year even after you told them you’re a second-year. What else could it be? Just accept it. It’s a little bit crazy, but not too bad.”

“Accept what?!” Lee Han was getting angry. He didn’t like being called a sixth-year, but a *crazy* sixth-year pretending to be younger was even worse.

“Like I said,” Seviuse continued, “it’s not bad, right? It’s good if people are confused about who you are. Look at me. I’m even acting rude on purpose.”

“I’d rather be called Gainando,” Lee Han grumbled.

“No. Using the name of someone nearby as a fake name can get you found out.”

While they argued, Zandanni asked Garal, “What are they talking about?”

“Probably about using the jewels,” Garal whispered back.

“Why wouldn’t they use them?” Zandanni asked, confused.

“Well,” Garal said carefully, “they are very expensive. Wizards from Einrogard really hate wasting things.”

Garal almost said “luxury” or “waste,” but stopped himself because of Zandanni. Zandanni still didn’t understand.

“But isn’t this a good way to use them? It’s not like they can’t afford it.”

Garal’s eyes widened. He leaned closer to Zandanni and whispered urgently, “…Please, just be quiet. Please.”

Zandanni blinked, surprised. Garal thought, ‘Making the Einrogard students angry is a bad idea, especially if one of them is a crazy sixth-year!’

The two returned, Lee Han looking like he had given up arguing. Garal asked carefully, “So? Are we using them?”

“Using what?” Lee Han asked, pretending to forget.

“The jewels, here…” Garal pointed.

“Oh, right,” Lee Han said, nodding as if he just remembered. Garal was surprised. Wasn’t that the whole point of their talk?

“Yes, we’ll use them,” Lee Han said. “I look forward to working with you, Mr. Zandanni.”

“Please, call me Zandanni,” Zandanni said, smiling brightly. “All my friends call me Zandanni.”

“Yes. Mr. Zandanni,” Lee Han repeated, not smiling back. Garal sighed to himself. Zandanni really wanted to be friends with this sixth-year from the Wodanaz family. But Garal didn’t think it was a good idea. Especially since Lee Han seemed to want nothing to do with him.

“Let’s start,” Lee Han said, getting straight to the point.

“Okay! Here we go!” Zandanni took out a jewel shaped like a scarab beetle. He said a spell and threw it into the bag. *Whoosh* – a soft magical sound, and a part of the maze inside the bag disappeared. Lee Han frowned. Even though it wasn’t his jewel, he felt a little sad to see something so expensive used so quickly.

“It’s working!” Zandanni said happily.

“…Yes,” Lee Han said. “Let’s do the next one.”

Zandanni took out another jewel and threw it in. Again and again, he just threw the jewels. Lee Han watched for a moment, then said, “Maybe… maybe it would be better to control them a little, instead of just throwing them?”

“Control them?” Zandanni asked.

“Like this,” Lee Han said. He didn’t say any magic words, but held out his hand. A jewel brooch, sparkling with light, floated up and moved like a butterfly in the air. Garal and Seviuse watched, amazed. Moving small things with magic was easy, even for wizards who weren’t very good. But to move something like that, so smoothly and carefully, was very impressive. ‘He must be a very powerful wizard,’ Garal thought.

“Oh,” Zandanni said, “I can’t do telekinesis magic.”

“…Haha,” Lee Han said, a little surprised. “I don’t mean without magic words. Just normal telekinesis magic. Even the simplest spell is enough.”

“I haven’t learned that either,” Zandanni said.

“…Why not?” Lee Han asked, confused.

Zandanni looked back, equally confused. “Because I don’t need to?”

“…”

“…”

Garal thought maybe he should step in before things got worse. But Lee Han took a deep breath. ‘Think of him as Gainando’s little brother. He’s Gainando’s little brother,’ Lee Han repeated in his head.

“Okay, then let’s learn it now,” Lee Han said, trying to sound cheerful.

“Now? But Wodanaz,” Zandanni said, “I’m an alchemist. Do I really need this kind of magic?”

“Haha,” Lee Han said, forcing a laugh. “Of course. You silly boy.”

“Excuse me?” Zandanni asked, surprised.

“Ah, sorry, Mr. Zandanni,” Lee Han corrected himself quickly. “Anyway, even if you study alchemy, it’s good to learn this. Trust me. Haha.”

Garal felt even more scared as Lee Han laughed again. A crazy wizard laughing was never a good sign. But surprisingly, Lee Han didn’t get angry. He started to teach Zandanni telekinesis magic patiently.

“Okay,” Lee Han said. “Try to float it up like this.”

“Wow, this is fun!” Zandanni said, excited. “We never did this in Valdrogard.”

“They don’t teach it in class?” Lee Han asked.

“I only take alchemy classes,” Zandanni explained.

“…Haha. Okay,” Lee Han said. “Let’s practice moving this spirit stone ball around. Okay, try to turn it… okay… good… okay!”

*Whack!*

“Ow! Ow! It hurts!” Zandanni cried out.

“Oh dear, sorry!” Lee Han said, sounding not very sorry at all. “In Einrogard, sometimes these balls fight back.”

Zandanni looked confused. Seviuse frowned. ‘Professor Garcia doesn’t teach like that, does he?’ he thought. Garal whispered to Seviuse, “Does Professor Garcia really teach like this now?”

“Hmm,” Seviuse said, “Professors are still people. Maybe they get annoyed sometimes…”

Zandanni got hit by the spirit stone ball a few more times, but he was having too much fun to care. In Valdrogard, education was supposed to be elegant and free. In his first two years, Zandanni had studied things like travel, books, art, parties, music, plays, thinking, arguing, dancing, and riding horses. In his third year, he started learning about jewel alchemy. But now, learning telekinesis magic from this wizard was more exciting than anything he had learned before. Even getting hit was fun and new.

“This is so fun! So fun!” Zandanni shouted.

“Haha,” Lee Han laughed again, but it sounded fake. Inside his head, he was imagining Professor Volardi teaching at Valdrogard.

“I think I can move it like this,” Zandanni said, carefully guiding the jewel.

“Okay, now try to feel the space inside the maze,” Lee Han instructed. “And move the jewel to break it.”

“I don’t think I can do that,” Zandanni said, nervously.

“…Okay, I’ll tell you where to move it,” Lee Han said. “Just follow my directions.”

“Okay, I can do that.” Zandanni focused hard, moving the jewel slowly as Lee Han told him what to do. Then, suddenly, Zandanni had an idea. “Wodanaz,” he said, “don’t you think we work really well together? Like the two friends who made this bag in the first place?”

“…Haha,” Lee Han laughed, a short, sharp sound. “Hahaha. Hahahahaha.”

*Crack!*

“Ow! You’re hurting me!” Zandanni yelped as Lee Han’s hand tightened on his shoulder.

Seviuse quickly said, “Wait! I see something in the maze!”

“Is it the exit?” Zandanni asked, his eyes wide with hope.

“Wait,” Lee Han said, ignoring Zandanni. He closed his eyes, trying to feel the magic of the maze. He knew it was too soon for the exit to appear.

“I’ll try something!” Zandanni said, before anyone could stop him. He took off his fancy cufflink, which was also a small magical tool, and sent it flying into the bag.

*Suddenly*, the maze seemed to wake up. A dark, swirling magic burst out of the bag, like black smoke rushing backwards. It was a trap, meant to attack anyone who tried to break the maze.

*Whoosh!* The dark magic poured out. Lee Han reacted instantly. He grabbed Zandanni by the collar, pulled him back hard, and stepped in front of him, taking the full force of the curse. The black magic slammed into Lee Han, but it was like hitting a stone wall. It bounced back, harmless.

“…” Lee Han stared at Zandanni, his eyes narrowed and angry. Zandanni looked scared.

“I… I’m sorry,” he stammered. “Thank you for saving me.”

“It’s fine,” Lee Han said, his voice tight. “The curse is gone now. Let’s keep going.”

Zandanni carefully put another jewel into the bag, watching Lee Han nervously. After that, there were no more traps. Finally, when they were almost out of jewels, a click sounded.

*Click!*

“It’s open!” Zandanni shouted, jumping up and down. Everyone in the room looked at the bag, their faces tense with excitement. What was inside the sixth room? A voice suddenly spoke, coming from inside the bag.

“Congratulations! If you’re hearing this, you opened it, right? I still remember how bad you were at space mazes. I don’t know why Valdrogard doesn’t teach it properly.”

Lee Han jumped, startled, and looked at Seviuse. Seviuse looked just as surprised.

“I know you didn’t send that letter on purpose. My friends didn’t believe me, of course… How would someone from outside know the Headmaster sometimes steals paper birds? I should have warned you.”

“…”

“…”

“I learned so much from you when we made this together. Please forgive me for thinking I was better than you just because you were from Valdrogard. And for not telling my Einrogard friends about our friendship. Instead, I’m giving you this backpack as a gift, a sign of our friendship. And I’m leaving this message here secretly. If you hear this, stop blaming yourself and come find your friend.”

‘This can’t be real,’ Lee Han thought, his mind racing. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. They really were friends.

“Oh, and never complain to the Skull Headmaster about anything. You’ll just get punished for no reason. And they might take the backpack away too. I stole some of the things for this backpack from the Skull Headmaster, you know. Sorry for lying when you asked where I got them. Actually, I stole some from Professor Verdus too. Don’t show it to Professor Verdus either!”

Zandanni’s face was full of tears. “It’s a miracle!” he whispered. “There really was a friendship!”

“…Yes,” Seviuse said, softly.

“It’s like fate that we opened this…” Zandanni started to say, his voice dreamy.

“That’s not fate,” Lee Han interrupted sharply, giving Zandanni a hard stare. “It’s just luck.”