Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 862

Professor Thunderstride felt foolish. *A wizard should always learn*, he thought.

From now on, if anything seems even slightly suspicious in Einroguard, you’ll be the first one I suspect, without exception.

“Come on, Professor,” Lee Han said, feeling a little unfairly blamed. “Isn’t that a bit much?”

This time, it was Lee Han’s fault. But other problems might have been caused by older students.

Lee Han? Lee Han??

Just then, Professor Thunderstride yelled, “Your Highness! No! Don’t break the wall with your claws!” But it was too late. Jo-Woorin had already heard Lee Han’s voice and, with a happy roar, swung his large paw.

The claws of a dragon with powerful magical energy neatly sliced through the outer wall of the lecture hall. The second-year students cheered.

“Long live the dragon!”

“According to the Einroguard legend, the liberator will defeat the Skull Headmaster and save us. That was the dragon!”

“Silence, you fools!” Thunderstride, realizing the large, young dragon was Jo-Woorin, silenced the students.

It was good he wasn’t a dragon here to fight the Skull Headmaster and save the students, like in the legends.

But this was a troublesome problem.

*Surely the professors refused? The Headmaster must have refused too, right?*

He couldn’t understand *why* the Emperor’s third child was here.

“Your Highness! Why did you come out here!? You were supposed to stay inside!”

“M-my apologies, Wodanaz. I woke up and you were gone…” Jo-Woorin, looking nervous from Lee Han’s shout, glanced around.

He had been dozing in the warm lounge, and when he woke up and found no one there, he had become frightened and come outside.

Like a young animal looking for its parents, Jo-Woorin lumbered along, searching for Lee Han.

Using his dragon senses, it was easy to find that Lee Han and his friends were in the Gaksugwan lecture hall.

“…I shouldn’t have broken the wall, should I?”

“…It’s alright. Just don’t do it again.”

“What do you mean it’s alright?” Professor Thunderstride grumbled from the side.

Of course, he himself would have no choice but to say that it was alright if he were asked such a question…

*The rumors will have spread.*

Lee Han felt worried. His plans were always changing.

He had originally intended to keep him quietly and send him back quietly, but more and more people were finding out.

Besides, Jo-Woorin wouldn’t have been concealing himself while coming all the way here in a fright, so there must have been seniors who saw him.

“Professor, please help me. What if someone attacks His Highness?”

“That would never happen! …I wish I could say that, but sadly, I can’t. More importantly, how did His Highness even visit?”

Lee Han explained to Professor Thunderstride.

The other friends in the lecture hall listened carefully.

He was a legendary member of the Imperial Family with a high succession ranking, whom they had never seen or heard of.

And what’s more, he was even a dragon!

They couldn’t even guess what kind of secret story was hidden.

“…His Highness wanted to come and play, and Professor Begreck was soft-hearted and eventually gave in.”

“……”

“……”

“Who’s soft?”

Professor Thunderstride frowned. *Am I getting old?* he wondered. Lee Han’s words made no sense.

“But Professor Begreck was the only one who received the offer, wasn’t he?”

“…That’s true. Hmm. It’s our professors’ mistake. We should have properly instructed Professor Begreck…”

“Did all the professors know?”

“They would have sent letters to the professors who were likely to agree.”

“Even to Professor Verdus?”

“I said, to the professors who were likely to agree,” Professor Thunderstride snapped at his student for asking a pointless question.

What kind of ridiculous question was that?

*Well, it was a stupid question.* Lee Han immediately understood.

Jo-Woorin was mentally young, but not an idiot.

“Since you’ve come all this way, there’s nothing we can do. Come inside and watch the lecture. Wodanaz will stay by your side.”

“Yay!” While Jo-Woorin excitedly entered the Magic Tower, Professor Thunderstride quickly repaired the damaged outer wall.

Then, he quietly whispered to Lee Han.

“About what we were talking about earlier. Be careful that the other senior fellows don’t target His Highness.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Specifically, His Highness’s claws, scales, tears, blood…” Professor Thunderstride started listing many magical ingredients from dragons – from tendons to teeth – there were 365 in total!

“…and so on. You must be careful of attempts to steal them. Understand?”

“…A-are there that many?” Lee Han was overwhelmed by the larger-than-expected list of ingredients.

At this point, he felt like he could change Jo-Woorin’s name to Walking Magic Ingredient Vault.

Professor Thunderstride said in a testy tone.

“This is a simplified version! So, who told you to call His Highness to a place swarming with crazy wizards?”

“I didn’t call him,” Lee Han grumbled.

And crazy wizards? That was too harsh.

“Making His Highness cry to steal his tears, stabbing him to steal his blood droplets, secretly plucking his scales to steal them… In any case, keep all these actions in mind.”

*Hmm. It seems like it really is a place swarming with crazy wizards…* After hearing the specific examples, Lee Han had no choice but to admit it.

The Einroguard seniors were more than capable of doing that.

Someone secretly stabbing Jo-Woorin and plucking his scales to run away. Just imagining how Jo-Woorin would react was frightening.

“Actually, I had considered the possibility of rumors spreading. I just didn’t expect it to be this fast.”

“How were you planning to prepare?”

“With the help of the seniors and professors, I was going to watch over him directly…”

“Hmm. Keep talking.”

“Seniors like Dirette or Yukbeltire from the 5th year, and understanding people like Professor Garcia or Professor Thunderstride.”

“Not a bad plan. Professor Garcia and I would help. But leave out Yukbeltire.”

“……” When Lee Han was speechless with bewilderment, Professor Thunderstride said seriously again.

“Leave out Yukbeltire.”

“I heard you. But isn’t Senior Yukbeltire alright? He’s a 5th year…”

“How would you feel if I added Professor Verdus to the list of professors who would help?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“That’s right. That’s exactly how Yukbeltire sounds to me.”

“…!” In Professor Thunderstride’s view, Yukbeltire was a student who would not only fail to protect Jo-Woorin, but would also be the first to draw blood, extract tears, pluck scales, and cut off claws before running away.

Lee Han had no choice but to concede. As expected, it was difficult for a student to logically defeat a professor.

*

* Are you Nilia? From the Shadow Patrol? I’ve heard the stories!

“Ugh. Ughhh.”

Tell me about the Northern Mountains! Jo-Woorin wants to hear stories!

“Ughhhhh…?” Nilia, who had suddenly received the dragon’s attention, froze.

She never thought she would ever have a conversation with a dragon in her life…

*Help me, Wodanaz!* Lee Han, who had received her gaze, subtly avoided it, finding it bothersome.

Seeing that, Nilia deeply regretted it.

*I should have trusted my friend’s words!* The price of betraying friendship was so bitter.

“Alright, focus.” The lecture proceeded as usual, except for the fact that a large dragon was sitting at the back of the lecture hall.

Professor Thunderstride threatened the students, warning them about next week’s exam.

“Don’t think you can get away with it as easily as last time! This exam will be challenging!”

Gasp. Wodanaz, the exam seems difficult. Should I take out Jo-Woorin’s Dragon Stone?

“…Your Highness, that would defeat the purpose of the exam,” Professor Thunderstride said in a hollow voice.

The Dragon Stone taken from the dragon’s body was, to exaggerate, a powerful magical substance comparable to the Philosopher’s Stone.

Most alchemy exams could be passed by simply throwing it into water and casting a spell.

Jo-Woorin said with a tearful face.

“But the exam is difficult…”

“…It won’t be too difficult for Wodanaz. Don’t worry.”

“Oh, come on.”

Lee Han flared up.

He had seen him spreading 침수향 and raising Nefertem last time, so where did that lie come from?

Professor Thunderstride ignored the flaring student, took out a few potions, and handed them to Jo-Woorin.

“Your Highness, this is a potion that instantly kills any student who tries to pluck your scales. This one turns your tears into a deadly poison…”

“……” After finishing the detailed instructions, Professor Thunderstride said to Lee Han.

“Call me if you need help. And watch out for Professor Verdus.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

“Also watch out for Professor Bendozol.”

“Come to think of it, why did Professor Bendozol refuse?” Now that he thought about it, it seemed better to send the letter to Professor Bendozol than to Professor Voladi.

Wasn’t he the kind of person who would risk even death if Jo-Woorin ordered it?

Perhaps Jo-Woorin didn’t know of his existence?

“The Death Knights must have stolen the letter. I’m not sure, but probably.”

Lee Han was impressed by the competence of the Death Knights.

He felt like they were the ones protecting Einroguard’s safety.

*I wish they had stolen the letter that flew to Professor Begreck!*

* Professor Bendozol was nagging and complaining while pushing the students hard.

“Hey! The wyvern frowned because of you! Are you going to take responsibility if the wyvern’s lifespan is shortened because of stress! You, you wyvern-slaughtering bastard!”

“Doesn’t the professor seem more manic than usual?”

“That’s what I’m saying.” The Einroguard students whispered.

Professor Bendozol was acting more like a beast than usual.

*I think I’ve been deceived by that guy.* Professor Bendozol’s nerves were on edge because of the second-year student from the Blue Dragon Tower.

Even though the professor himself was doing the chores for him, the unicorns didn’t seem that happy.

Of course, the unicorns were doing reasonably well (they might have been doing better if the professor didn’t come), but it was far from satisfactory in Professor Bendozol’s standards.

*You wicked, swindling bastard! You should be investing 8 days a week, yet you’re treating the unicorns so carelessly.* Having endured to the limit of his patience, Professor Bendozol moved to find Lee Han.

On the way, he heard students whispering.

-He really rides a dragon?

-I heard he was chosen by the dragon?

-I heard he subdued the dragon. That makes more sense logically, doesn’t it?

“…?” Professor Bendozol stopped abruptly and turned around.

The students had already passed by, so he couldn’t ask.

*Did they just say dragon?* Dragon. A word that made his heart race.

Wasn’t it the greatest and most beautiful creature?

*…I must have misheard.*

-There’s a real dragon? Are there any scales left?

-Didn’t you hear? He’s a member of the Imperial Family!

-So what? There are plenty of members of the Imperial Family.

“???” Professor Bendozol’s head turned 180 degrees again.

When their eyes met, the students screamed and ran away.

“It’s Professor Bendozol! Run!”

“Stop! I have something to ask… Ugh, you damn bastards! You’re worse than poachers!” The students were smart.

They knew very well that there was no point in running into Professor Bendozol outside the lecture hall. The professor had no choice but to grumble and return.

*I should go find that guy.* Professor Bendozol decided to ignore the students’ rumors and find Lee Han.

“…Your Highness, can’t we go down?”

“…Am I perhaps making you uncomfortable??”

“Uncomf… No. It’s not that I’m uncomfortable. I’m just worried you’ll get hurt.”

“Jo-Woorin is alright! Now! Wodanaz. Act like a knight!”

“Ugh.” Upon witnessing Jo-Woorin putting Wodanaz on his back and playing dragon knight, Professor Bendozol clutched his chest and knelt down.

It was too shocking.