Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 945

While Lee Han was gathering his friends across the city, Ariyon and a merchant guild employee were inspecting the warehouse near the north gate.

“The roof seems fine. No missing bricks,” Ariyon said.

“Um… Ariyon, are you sure this is alright?” the employee asked cautiously.

He felt uneasy. Putting Einrogard wizards in a simple warehouse? It seemed wrong.

Even ordinary wizards were treated well because they were valued.

And now, they were housing Einrogard wizards in a guild warehouse.

The employee thought it was incredibly rude.

‘Could there be some trouble with the wizards?’ he wondered.

“I wanted to prepare a nice place, but the wizards stubbornly refused,” Ariyon sighed.

The employee was surprised. “The wizards chose the warehouse?”

“Yes,” Ariyon confirmed.

‘So, wizards really are eccentric!’ the employee thought.

He assumed there was a magical reason, like living in a comfortable place would weaken their magic.

“We’re here!” a student announced as they entered the warehouse area.

Seeing the wizards, the employee re-examined the buildings.

‘It’s not that bad. No bugs, no leaks. A bit old, but… there aren’t any beds, servants, baths, reception rooms, or music rooms. Is there too much missing?’

His confidence dropped. Despite his efforts, the warehouse still seemed shabby.

The brick exteriors looked decent, about the size of a two-story house, but inside, they were filled with wooden boxes of goods.

“Gasp!” a student cried out.

The employee quickly apologized, “We had to prepare in a hurry, so it couldn’t be helped…”

“Can we really stay in a place this fancy?” the student asked.

Silence fell.

“Hey, shut that guy up,” one student said.

“He’s embarrassing Einrogard.”

“Uuuugh! Uugh!” A student with goat-like features, carrying a sword, shouted. His friends covered his mouth and dragged him away.

The employee was confused. “Did you just say luxurious?” he asked.

“Sorry. My friend sometimes says strange things because of a magic accident. No! Can we really stay in such a nice place?” Salco said.

“Salco, seriously? Why are you doing this too?” another student asked.

“Sorry…” Salco mumbled.

The students discussed which warehouse to use, trying to maintain their dignity after the earlier mistakes.

“Can we use this palace… no, warehouse for alchemy?” one asked.

“There are plenty of warehouses, so that should be fine. Let’s use that mansion… no, warehouse to store our supplies,” another suggested.

“Wodanaz, there’s a sleeping bag in this warehouse. Is this an inn?”

“There’s no way an inn like that exists…” someone replied.

The second-year Einrogard students, having regained their composure, gathered in the warehouse they had chosen as their dining hall. They showed happiness, comfort, relief, and pride—emotions anyone escaping Einrogard would feel.

Salco, leaning back in a makeshift armchair made of straw, dirt, water, and magic, asked, “So, what are everyone’s plans?”

His friends hesitated, glancing at each other. They hadn’t expected to escape, so they had no plans.

It was exciting, but they felt lost.

Seeing them flounder, Salco called Lee Han, the only one likely to have a plan. “Wodanaz!”

“Hm?” Lee Han turned from organizing the dormitory with summoned undead. “I have something to ask!” Salco said.

“Okay, wait a moment,” Lee Han replied.

Lee Han floated spheres of light throughout the warehouse and finished engraving a fire enchantment on the floor. Then, he cast a spell to add magic power to the warehouse.

He was using advanced magic, usually for important artifacts, just to make their room comfortable. Adenart, who studied enchantment magic, stared in astonishment. ‘He’s using that magic for something like this?’ he thought.

“Coffee? Tea? Cocoa? It’s nice to have so many choices now that we’re outside,” Lee Han said.

“Can I have an ice cream soda?” Anglophone asked.

“Sure. Here you go,” Lee Han said, handing him a tin cup of boiling water.

“…Cocoa, please…” Anglophone requested.

“Good choice,” Lee Han replied.

Anglophone understood. Being too greedy might mean losing out on something good.

After passing around snacks from the guild employee (paid for by Lee Han), Lee Han finally sat down. “Alright, what did you want to ask?”

“I’m curious about your plans. You’re the most skilled at going out of all of us, Wodanaz,” Salco said.

“Someone might misunderstand that. I’m going to help Master Alsicle find a patron first,” Lee Han replied.

The friends tilted their heads, not understanding. “What’s he talking about?” they wondered.

“After that, I’ll buy supplies, artifacts, and books. If I have time, I’ll take on requests,” Lee Han explained.

Silence.

“…Then why did you even come outside?” Anglophone blurted out.

What he’s doing outside isn’t much different from what he does inside Einrogard!

Lee Han looked at his friend with a pathetic gaze. “It’s not easy to get supplies or books inside,” he said.

“Well, that’s true! But you should spend more time just for yourself!” Anglophone insisted.

“I said I’d take on requests in my spare time,” Lee Han replied, not understanding Anglophone’s point.

‘Is he acting like this because I didn’t make him ice cream?’ Lee Han wondered.

But this time, his friends sided with Anglophone. “That’s not time for yourself, Wodanaz,” one said.

“It doesn’t seem like it to me either…” another agreed.

“?!” Lee Han was flustered by the criticism.

Salco, Yoner, and Nilian Asan had joined in. Adenart hesitated, thinking it seemed like a good plan.

‘It seems rewarding and fulfilling…’ he thought.

“What? Then let’s hear your plans. How fun they are,” Lee Han challenged.

The friends were flustered. “Ah, no. I was thinking of going to see a polo match,” one said.

“I’m going to buy a new abacus…” another added.

“Not very impressive,” Lee Han scoffed.

Anglophone and Asan protested. “Polo matches are fun!”

“Each workshop has its own differences!”

“Nilia will probably attend noble balls, and Yoner will work in a workshop,” Lee Han said.

“?!” Nilia was horrified. That’s not it!

But because her friend answered first, Nilia couldn’t explain. “Lee Han is right, though. I actually have a few potions I need to finish,” Yoner admitted.

“Hmm. I also need to find the magic tome I need,” another said.

Suddenly, the atmosphere became somber. All the students were aware of their fate. Once you enter Einrogard, you can’t escape it!

“Still, we should take some time for ourselves. Next semester will be busier, and the next year even busier. Think about the seniors. They’re practically slaves!” Anglophone said.

His words struck a chord, especially mentioning the seniors. Thinking about their slave-like existence, a sense of crisis crept in that today might be their last day of leisure.

“Let’s all find something to do…” someone suggested.

“Oh, there are reagents in this discarded box. I should ask if we can use them,” another said.

“What? Really? What kind are they?”

“There doesn’t seem to be any reason to throw away perfectly good reagents…”

Seeing his friends gather around Lee Han and talk about using the discarded reagents, Anglophone looked sad and gave up.

‘I should just find a few magic tomes and go back in…’ he thought.

The withered, red Flame Wood Root was a reagent with strong fire energy, but the ones in the box didn’t feel that way.

“Those reagents were discarded because there was a problem during transportation,” an employee explained.

“If you’re going to throw them away, can we use them?” Lee Han asked.

“Yes, you can use the discarded stock, but they’re useless…” the employee said, puzzled.

Magic items were difficult to handle, so there were many discarded ones in the warehouse, but they were all useless. If they weren’t, the merchants would have used them.

“If you need reagents, why not use the good ones?” the employee suggested.

“No, it’s okay,” Lee Han replied.

Lee Han returned with his friends. Yoner asked, “It’s good you got permission, but can you use them?”

“Indeed!” Asan shouted admiringly.

The others were confused.

“You’re going to disguise them to look like they still have energy and sell them to those stupid Baldrogard guys!” Asan explained.

“Genius!” the friends exclaimed, even Adenart.

The trickery wasn’t good, but it might be okay if the opponent was Baldrogard.

“…No. That’s fraud. What are you talking about?” Yoner protested.

“Wasn’t it?” Asan asked.

“Of course not. I’m going to restore them,” Lee Han said.

“That seems more difficult…” someone commented.

“Wait. Let’s ask first. If it doesn’t work, we’ll give up,” Lee Han said.

The friends were puzzled. Who is he going to ask?

Lee Han walked to the back of the warehouse, held up his staff, and began talking to someone. They seemed to hear cold curses. Yoner made a disgusted face.

After a while, Lee Han returned. “There’s a way!”

“What!? Really?!” The friends forgot to ask who he had been talking to.

What did it matter?

“Alpha, the scratch is wrong. Turn it about 10 degrees,” Lee Han instructed.

“Ugh, I messed up again,” Alpha replied.

The students divided roles and began working. Restoring the Flame Wood Root wasn’t that difficult, just a lot of work.

First, they made patterned cuts to maximize fire energy absorption, then threw it into a cauldron with boiling alchemical oil.

After that, they had to prevent it from being destroyed with precise timing and spells.

“Hmm, Maykin, can you check the oil?” Lee Han asked.

“It seems fine… The viscosity is a bit lacking. We need enhancement magic, about twice,” Maykin replied.

Nilia and Adenart admired the fire spirits they had summoned. ‘Wow, how did they raise them so much? How did they contract with so many spirits?’ they wondered.

Rowena was sweating with a pale face. “Master Wodanaz, is that really how much fire is needed?”

“Of course. We’re restoring a damaged reagent, so we have to do this much,” Lee Han replied.

Lee Han enhanced the fire in the cauldron. As the blue flames poured in, the power became stronger.

Seeing that, Rowena realized why the method of restoring reagents had been lost. No wizard would waste so much magic power to restore a reagent!