Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 937

His friends were very surprised. They looked shocked and confused. Leahan spoke calmly.

“Keep your faces normal. If you want to escape.”

“You… you!”

Ahsan, who had been eager to ask a question, blinked in surprise, but Anglago just glared at Leahan, his eyes narrowed and full of betrayal. He was furious.

“What’s wrong with you now?”

“Stedalle was a fake!”

Anglago, from the drama club, really loved the character of Stedalle.

Being from a knightly family in a coastal region, Stedalle’s story was very important to him.

He had wanted to ask how he stole the pirate treasure map to get rich, but it had all been a lie.

“Is that what’s important right now? It hasn’t even been an hour since you heard it. What are you so hung up on?”

“Shut up! What do you know!”

“Quiet, Alpha. That’s not what’s important right now.”

Salco silenced his friend. Leahan asked, puzzled.

“Were you in the drama club too?”

“Ah, yes. But I don’t particularly like theatre.”

The other students booed at Salco’s words. Nilia even shook her thumb downwards.

But Salco didn’t bat an eye.

“If there are people who like theatre, there are also people who like the palaces, halls, theatres, and stages where theatre is performed. If you want to build something like that later, it’s good to see a lot of them.”

“Yes, that sounds like Salco. Ah, then you probably don’t know much about theatre. Let me teach you a few basics. The lovers of the Alkarmata and Ilhon families…”

“I know that. Wodanaz… I said I don’t particularly like theatre, not that I’m stupid and know nothing.”

Salco looked at Leahan as if he were absurd. But Leahan was even more surprised.

‘This bloke. He loves theatre, what’s with the denial?’

Vowing never to trust the words of anyone who said they didn’t like theatre, Leahan opened his mouth.

“Right then. Listen up, everyone. As I just said, I’m here to get you out of here.”

“But, but sneaking out without telling the seniors is a bit…”

“The seniors asked me to do it.”

The second-year friends suddenly understood.

There really wasn’t anyone to trust in Einrogard!

The seniors said they were here to watch the play, and not escape. But secretly, they wanted to escape!

‘We need to learn from this.’

“Stedalle! What are you doing! Come back here!”

While they were talking, the nobles called out to Leahan. They welcomed him like a very old friend.

Yoner asked with a bewildered look.

“Why did you get so close to them?”

“While I was talking about how I escaped from the pirates, people suddenly came over. I’ll be back. You lot, share the information with the club members who haven’t heard yet. Don’t make it obvious. If there’s any commotion, be ready to leave immediately.”

Leahan, or rather Stedalle, left those words and ran back to the nobles.

The remaining friends stared at each other with blank faces.

“…What kind of commotion is he going to cause?”

“Perhaps, perhaps he won’t cause an explosion, will he? Even so, he’s Wodanaz, isn’t he?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring up the name of the family known for bad magic in the Empire right now…”

“The pirates, you ask? It wasn’t very pleasant. Hard bread or rice balls were all there was to eat, and sometimes they would dig traps or raid our lodgings.”

“Oh dear!”

“There was a punishm, no, a prison, and if you resisted or did something wrong, you were locked in there.”

“Good heavens!”

“There were henchmen of the pirate captain, and these henchmen went around and kept watch…”

Stedalle was not quiet or fancy, and he was new to the city, but he was popular for a simple reason.

His story was very important to the nobles.

At first, the nobles who doubted, ‘What kind of nonsense is this! Is he a con artist?’ shed tears and were moved when they heard Stedalle’s story directly.

To escape from such a harsh environment and even find treasure.

Maybe fate really exists.

“Stedalle! Stedalle!”

“Stedalle, could you possibly come to my mansion next month? Give my family and me the opportunity to treat you!”

Once a person gains favour, even minor flaws tend to be seen as charming.

The rough and quiet Stedalle became known as a wildly noble with a fascinating and tragic past.

‘Hmm. I should have made it a more ordinary past next time.’

Leahan regretted it as he slipped through the people grabbing him.

It was good that he had prepared diligently so as not to be suspected, but he had never imagined that he would be so popular.

He deliberately answered briefly and acted a bit rude, but why?

‘Hmm. The back gate of the palace wouldn’t be a very good place to escape. It’s wide open on all sides, so I’ll be spotted right away. There needs to be plenty of places to hide around. I should consider using a flying vehicle. Can I dig a tunnel now and escape? Salco is good at it, though.’

Leahan, who was checking the roads near the palace as if taking a walk, stopped.

Among the nobles gathered in groups of three or five in the distance, chatting lightly, there was someone who felt out of place.

‘What is it?’

A very alien trace was rooted like a twig in the other person’s soul.

Looking around, it seemed that Leahan was the only one who felt out of place.

Well, it wasn’t strange. Originally, detecting a soul was much more difficult than detecting magic power, and there weren’t many among wizards either.

Besides, the trace the other person had was very faint and blurry. It was not easy to notice this unless you explored it deeply.

Just distinguishing the colour of the soul is difficult, but going deeper from there and detecting the inside in detail…

However, Leahan’s ability to detect souls had greatly improved since Youngrak.

Thanks to that, he was able to see through traces that he would have missed if he wasn’t careful.

‘It feels evil.’

Leahan pondered for a moment.

In fact, if he just ignored it, he wouldn’t have to worry about it.

It was possible for such strange traces to remain in the soul for more diverse reasons than he thought.

It could have been the aftermath of investing in suspicious magic experiments or research, or the noble himself could have been taking some kind of magic or potion.

Besides, Leahan himself was hiding something right now, wasn’t he? There was no point in making a fuss.

‘Why is that bloke staring?’

Madph felt uncomfortable with the gaze of a noble he had never seen before.

From what he heard, he seemed to be a noble from the southern part of the Empire.

He thought it was something about the Nago family…

If Madph was an ordinary noble, he would have just ignored it, but unfortunately, Madph was not an ordinary noble.

‘I need to let Prahgal know his name. I hope it doesn’t get in the way.’

Because he had bad plans, it was difficult to simply ignore even minor glances.

“Are you Nago? Greetings. My name is Madph. Is this your first time in Granden City?”

“Greetings.”

Stedalle’s voice was rough and his attitude was stiff.

Originally, he should have been unpleasant, but Madph was rather relieved.

If the other person was a rude person, there was a high possibility that there was no intention in staring earlier.

“Do you know much about theatre?”

“I know it to some extent.”

“Indeed. I don’t know much about it. Do you have a favourite play?”

“…You probably know the story about the Alkarmata family and the Ilhon family.”

“I don’t know much about it. Please tell me!”

Of course, he knew it well, but Madph deliberately acted modestly to deceive the other person.

Everyone liked to explain things that everyone knew. If he talked excitedly, he would gain goodwill towards Madph.

“I’m not good at talking, so that would be difficult.”

“Oh dear. That’s a shame.”

However, Stedalle answered as if he was too lazy to talk for long and turned away.

This was also a rude attitude, but Madph was completely relieved by this.

‘I must have been mistaken. He’s not the type to make a fuss.’

“He’s very suspicious and evil. We need to increase security.”

The Death Knights were greatly surprised.

The noble, who was the talk of the theatre gathering today, came to accuse another person.

“But without proof, we can’t just search or question the guests. Was there anything else suspicious?”

“I felt an evil trace in his soul.”

‘He’s quite an excellent wizard.’

The Death Knights realized that this noble named Stedalle was quite an excellent wizard.

To notice something strange in another person’s soul in this crowded and chaotic place.

“I understand. We should call the knights outside to raise the alert and check the guests.”

“Please call some of the knights who are protecting the wizards of Einrogard.”

“That’s a bit… We need escorts to protect the students.”

The Death Knights made weak excuses. Leahan cursed inwardly.

Guards my foot!

“I’m not saying to deploy everyone. You should leave an appropriate number and have the rest check the surroundings.”

“…Alright. If there’s a suspicious person, we should prioritize that. But, Sir Nago. I have a question. Even if it’s an evil trace in the soul, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s suspicious, what makes you feel this person is suspicious?”

Leahan pondered for a moment.

If he answered that he didn’t know about theatre, the Death Knights might immediately handcuff him and say, ‘Isn’t this bloke a fake?’

“…I felt it the moment I saw him.”

The Death Knights talked among themselves as Leahan, who had finished reporting, turned around and left.

“Indeed! I’ve heard rumours, but he’s an amazing person. Besides, he has the instincts of a beast. Did you see his eyes?”

“I heard he escaped from the southern pirates. He’s no ordinary person. He may have sensed the other person’s suspicion with such instincts. We need to be even more careful.”

I’ve only heard about him, but seeing his magical abilities and wild instincts in person, he was no ordinary person.

Where did such a person come from?

“But strangely, the name isn’t unfamiliar?”

“That’s right. I think I’ve heard it somewhere…”

“The Death Knights are decreasing!”

“Shhh. Control your expression!”

As the Death Knights approached, the students pretended not to know anything and looked away.

Adenarte tried hard to whistle, which he wasn’t good at. Rowena, who had come as an escort, looked at him with pity and quietly told him not to.

“Students of Einrogard. We trust you, so we are going to reduce surveillance a little. Surely you won’t betray this trust?”

“Of course!”

The students pretended to agree.

And as soon as the Death Knights who were monitoring the surroundings disappeared, they whispered.

“Did Wodanaz set a fire? An explosion? I don’t think I heard an explosion?”

“He might have caused a flood in another area.”

“A toxic cloud…”

“…Leahan wouldn’t have done that.”

Fortunately, Yoner defended Leahan. Nilia was about to say, ‘He might have summoned a giant monster!’ but she noticed her friend’s reaction and hesitated.

“Did you pass on the story?”

“Woah… Stedalle!”

When Stedalle, or rather Leahan, returned, his friends greeted him happily.

“What happened? Why the Death Knights?”

“It’s a long story. I’m glad you passed on the story. I’ve checked the escape routes. Now we need to divide up the roles. Anglago, Ahsan. You two, make the potions before the play.”

“Poison?”

“A monster summoning potion?”

“…I meant a calming potion.”