Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 876

Ethan brushed black dust from his shirt collar. He still felt uneasy. Something else had happened, he was sure of it, something more than just the explosion.

Ethan held up the broken wand. “Professor,” he said, “about this wand… it’s strange. Ubeltyre wanted to make it first. He even had the idea for it.”

Professor Verdus listened, his eyebrows going up. He scratched his head, looking confused. “That’s… odd,” he said slowly. “Very odd.”

Ethan waited.

“Because,” Professor Verdus continued, “Professor Garcia *made* me build this wand. I even told him Ubeltyre wanted to do it, but Garcia wouldn’t listen at all.”

Ethan remembered the day Professor Verdus had talked about the wand before. *“Didn’t I tell you not to mess around?”* Professor Garcia’s voice boomed in Ethan’s memory.

Professor Verdus had stammered, *“But… but Ubeltyre really wanted to…”*

Then there was a sound like someone being hit, and Professor Verdus yelped, *“Ack! Ack! I’m not messing around! What do you mean Ubeltyre wants to do it? You never listen to what students want!”*

Garcia’s voice was firm, *“This time, Ubeltyre really wanted to… Ack! Ack!”*

Professor Verdus, completely missing Ethan’s worried face, said brightly, “So, it’s Garcia’s fault! I should go tell Ubeltyre right now!”

Ethan blinked. “Professor,” he said slowly, “what are you talking about? You don’t remember saying that?”

Verdus looked confused. “Saying what? Did Professor Garcia say something?” He blinked, looking around as if searching for the memory in the air.

“Ehhh?” Professor Verdus’s face crumpled in confusion.

Professor Bendozol, who had been quietly listening nearby, stepped forward. “Ethan is right, Professor Verdus,” Bendozol said calmly. “Professor Garcia – we call him Kim – would never threaten anyone like that. He’s not that kind of person. If he *was*, why would he be doing small tasks for you all the time? He’s strong enough to do whatever he wants.”

“Professor,” Ethan said quickly, “that’s not important now. Senior Ubeltyre is angry. *That’s* what we need to fix.”

Professor Verdus nodded at once. “Right, right. Ubeltyre. We need to make him happy again.”

“Exactly,” Ethan said. “So, you should apologize.”

Professor Verdus frowned. “Apologize? Do you think *that* will work? He’s very upset.”

From behind them, a small, raspy voice whispered, “Maybe… maybe give him a gift?” Ethan turned to see one of the small demons peeking out from behind Professor Bendozol’s robes.

“Se-!” *THUD!* Something heavy slammed into the ground near Ethan. “-nior-!” *THUD!* Another crash, closer this time. “-nim!” *THUD!* Ethan ducked and weaved, calling out between each impact.

Finally, Ubeltyre stopped whatever he was throwing. He narrowed his eyes at Ethan, looking suspicious. Behind Ubeltyre, other older students whispered to each other.

“Is that Professor Verdus, changed into a student?” one muttered.

“No way,” another replied. “Professor Verdus isn’t clever enough to change shape like that.”

Ubeltyre, now sure it was just a younger student, spoke in a hard voice. “What do you want? Why are you here?”

“Hurry up!” Jowuin nudged Professor Verdus hard with his paw, worried the older students might hurt Ethan. “Just apologize!”

“I’m going, I’m going!” Professor Verdus stumbled forward, pushed by Jowuin. He tripped and suddenly his head popped out of a hole in the ceiling, like a puppet. He shouted down at the surprised students, “LISTEN UP! As your professor, I have not been doing a good job helping you!”

One student stared, mouth open. “Is he… is he crazy?” another whispered.

But Professor Verdus, as if he had learned lines for a play, began to apologize very seriously.

Ethan poked Professor Verdus again. “Quickly, apologize to Senior Ubeltyre about the wand.”

“Right, right!” Professor Verdus nodded quickly. He turned to Ubeltyre. “Ubeltyre, I am sorry! I truly apologize! I made the wand… the wand that you should have made. Without asking you.”

Ubeltyre’s eyes widened slightly. Behind him, the other students murmured amongst themselves.

“He made something Ubeltyre was making?” one whispered.

“But he never helps us when we ask!” another said.

“He probably just made it because it looked fun,” a third grumbled.

Ethan saw the atmosphere getting colder. He poked Professor Verdus harder. “Say more!” he hissed.

Professor Verdus, like a robot following orders, added, “I am very, very sorry!”

Ubeltyre looked at Professor Verdus, then back at Ethan. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ubeltyre said slowly. “I don’t care about any wand.”

Professor Verdus turned to Ethan, looking annoyed. “See! He doesn’t care!”

“Just keep apologizing!” Ethan hissed back, pushing him again.

Professor Verdus sighed loudly. “Fine! I’m sorry! It’s just… I’m more skilled than you, okay? So, I couldn’t help myself!”

“???” Ethan stared at Professor Verdus, speechless.

Professor Verdus had completely misunderstood. Ethan had pushed him too much. He was like a machine that had broken down and started saying nonsense. It was Ethan’s fault. He had forced someone who didn’t know how to apologize to apologize.

Professor Verdus, having run out of the words he had been told to say, was now making up his own apology. “Professor!” Ethan tried to stop him, but Professor Verdus, misunderstanding Ethan’s shout as encouragement, kept going.

“You can… you can give me the next wand to make! Yes! And… and you should practice your magic harder until then! So you can be as good as me!”

Ubeltyre’s gaze, already cold, became like ice from a frozen land. Jowuin and Eandurde, standing behind Ethan, whispered to each other.

“We should push him back down now…” Jowuin murmured.

“I think so too,” Eandurde agreed.

Surprisingly, Ubeltyre actually accepted the apology. He still looked annoyed, but he said, “I don’t act like that. I’m not someone who gets overly emotional about small things. Understand?”

“…Yes…” Ethan nodded quickly, glancing at the group of older students and the strange, weapon-like machines behind them. It seemed like a very big reaction for someone who wasn’t emotional, but Ethan decided not to point that out.

“Thank you for accepting it,” Ethan said politely.

“You’re a junior from the Wodanaz family,” Ubeltyre continued, “a junior of Diret, and you’ve agreed to help with research over the holidays. So, I’ll let it go this time.”

Professor Verdus, who had been listening with a confused expression, suddenly spoke up. “Huh? But my research is much more…”

“Shut up. Please,” Professor Bendozol said firmly, grabbing Professor Verdus by the arm and pulling him away. Bendozol dragged Verdus backwards, not relaxing his grip until they were heading towards Professor Passelet’s workshop.

*Amazing,* Ethan thought to himself. *With Professor Bendozol around, Professor Verdus seems almost… normal.* It was like having two mad professors somehow made one of them seem less mad. Ethan made a mental note: *The Two-Professor Sanity Rule.* He’d have to write about that later.

Jowuin trotted alongside Ethan, looking puzzled. “Ethan,” Jowuin said, “Jowuin has a question.”

“Yes, Your Highness?” Ethan replied.

“If the artifact needs to go back to Professor Krauer, shouldn’t Professor Verdus just go and give it back himself?” Jowuin tilted his head. “Why do we all have to come?”

“There are a few reasons,” Ethan explained.

“Ah! I understand!” Jowuin exclaimed, tail wagging. “It’s like… like solving a puzzle! Maybe some students don’t know the reward for catching Professor Verdus is gone!”

*Well, it’s not gone yet, exactly,* Ethan thought. “That’s right, Your Highness,” Ethan said aloud. “And there’s another reason too.”

“What is it?” Jowuin asked.

Ethan lowered his voice slightly. “Professor Verdus… well, he might get lost again if we leave him alone.”

Jowuin giggled, thinking it was a funny joke. But everyone else in the group looked very serious. Even the demons looked worried. …*Wait,* Jowuin thought, looking at their faces. *It’s not a joke?*

“No,” Ethan said simply.

Jowuin stared at Professor Verdus with a new look of worry.

Professor Passelet, from the Krauer family, was a strange being – part banshee, part something else. He had different personalities that changed like the weather, and right now, the stormiest one was in charge. It was no surprise he was angry. Instead of bringing the special object he was supposed to, he had told everyone, “Someone stole it!” – an excuse so bad, even a child at magic school wouldn’t use it. His workshop was filled with strange objects that hummed and glowed, and the air smelled of smoke and old books.

“VERDUS!” Professor Passelet roared, his voice echoing through the workshop. “The Headmaster is away! Don’t think for a moment that means you can do whatever you want and get away with it!”

“…Professor Krauer is *really* angry,” someone whispered nervously.

“My fortune telling this morning… it was terrible!” another student muttered, eyes wide. Students from the Divination School, who had been nearby, quickly turned and hurried away, not wanting to be caught in Professor Passelet’s storm. Usually, Professor Passelet was kind, in his own odd way. But when this angry side came out, everyone knew to disappear.

“Um… Professor…” Ethan began hesitantly.

“WHO DARES?” Professor Passelet snapped, turning around, ready to unleash his fury. But then he stopped, staring. The group in front of him was… unusual. Professor Verdus, naturally. Professor Bendozol, looking grim. Small demons, shuffling their feet. And… was that a dragon? And several students?

Professor Passelet’s angry face softened in surprise. “What,” he asked, his voice still loud but less furious, “is going on here?”