Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 953

Damn it. I was too confident.

Lee Han’s mind cleared, and he quickly regretted what he had done.

There was a reason why old fairy tales featured wizards who succumbed to evil powers and self-destructed. Evil power always came with a price.

“What are you talking about…?”

Illendil was taken aback, wondering if his junior was already being influenced by the artifact. Anyone could see he was about to explain, so why close the artifact?

“…You were going to explain?”

“No.”

Just as he said ‘No,’ the Stone of Echoes burst open once more.

And the Mad Doppelganger’s illusion poured out.

“The Royal Family will have to visit in person. Tell me the location.”

“Actually, I think the problem is all sorted out.”

The Mad Doppelganger ignored Lee Han and spoke directly to Illendil.

“Where is it?”

“Y-yes?”

When the skeletal Headmaster in human form spoke to him directly, Illendil froze stiff. Every Einroguard student had an instinctive fear of the skeletal Headmaster etched deep within their soul. Moreover, the human form of the skeletal Headmaster was often even more insane than the basic skeletal form.

The last time Illendil had seen the human form of the skeletal Headmaster, he was tearing apart magical criminals who had tried to contact Einroguard students in the western regions of the Empire… Naturally, Illendil couldn’t help but freeze up.

“I asked where it was.”

“I-i-it’s the Granden City Guard’s Second Barracks…”

“Understood.”

The Mad Doppelganger turned off the Stone of Echoes. Lee Han glared at Illendil.

‘To be a fourth-year and be so weak-hearted!’

If it had been Senior Dirette, she would have held out, saying, ‘You can kill me, but I won’t sell out my juniors!’ But it couldn’t be helped. Not all seniors could be like Dirette.

Lee Han sighed and said,

“You guys should go back.”

“What? Why?”

His friends, who had been cutting up the mercenaries’ coats (the cloth was too good to throw away), were puzzled by Lee Han’s words.

“Another wizard will be coming soon, and it seems dangerous.”

“Wodanaz, what do you take us for?”

His friends spoke, their eyes showing their friendship.

They weren’t weak enough to back down just because a dangerous wizard was coming.

‘Wow. They’re really close.’

Illendil was inwardly amazed at the sight. How could students from different towers have that level of friendship?

“It’s the Headmaster’s Mad Doppelganger. Go back quickly.”

“…But it’s not good to ignore your words and be stubborn. Understood!”

“Wodanaz, it’s not because we’re scared, but because we respect your opinion. Got it?”

His friends immediately changed their attitude. In a dangerous situation, refusing to listen to an expert’s opinion and being stubborn could lead to everyone’s destruction.

Illendil was dumbfounded as he watched his friends scurry away.

“What… are they…?”

“They listen to me well. More importantly, let’s prepare for the Headmaster’s Doppelganger to arrive.”

Illendil nodded at his junior’s words. Even if it was a Doppelganger, facing the Headmaster’s Doppelganger was not a comfortable task. Besides, the opponent wasn’t in their right mind. In some ways, that could be even more dangerous.

Swish-

Dozens of types of branches sprouted from under the ground like vines, covering Illendil. It was shaped like thick armor.

“…What are you doing?”

“Huh? Well… you said we should prepare?”

“……”

Lee Han stared. Illendil was making armor out of branches, as if expecting to be hurt, not taught.

“Not that kind of preparation. He’s coming to teach us magic, and we can’t learn in this ruined basement.”

“Teach us magic???”

Lee Han wondered why his senior was suddenly showing the intelligence of an Einroguard first-year or lower.

“Why else would he come?”

“Punishment… Ah, no. I understand. I’ll prepare!”

Illendil sent the armor back and scurried around. Lee Han thought to himself,

‘Hmm. Senior Illendil is a fourth-year, but his social skills seemed very poor, like someone who never talks to people.’

It was an insult to both sides.

‘Is this really okay?’

Illendil couldn’t stay still in the private room that Daihal Dalcard had lent him, and he kept pacing back and forth.

His junior had said, ‘He’s coming to teach us magic,’ but from Illendil’s perspective, it was hard to believe. Was it really possible that the skeletal Headmaster’s Mad Doppelganger would come for such a reason?

‘Should I run away now?’

Break the Stone of Echoes and run away as far as possible…

Meanwhile, Lee Han was looking at Illendil as if he were pathetic.

‘Why is he so restless?’

Illendil himself didn’t know it, but his reputation within Lee Han was steadily declining due to this request. It had started out decently under Dirette, but now his reputation was lower than Yukbeltire’s.

Bang!

“Have you arrived?”

“Yes.”

The Mad Doppelganger, who had opened the door and entered, looked around the room and called for a servant.

“To give a disciple of the Royal Family a pigsty like this. Tell the owner immediately. If they don’t provide a proper room, I will hold them responsible.” The room was small, dirty, and unfurnished.

“Y-yes!”

As the terrified servant tried to run out, Lee Han, equally terrified, jumped in front of him to stop him.

“Wait, wait! I asked for this place!”

“Have you developed a hobby of living like a beggar in the meantime? Well, seeing how you live at the magic school, it’s not surprising.”

‘It’s your fault!’

Lee Han felt a little wronged. Of course, the Mad Doppelganger wasn’t the real person in charge, so he could feel wronged too, but he couldn’t say he had no responsibility at all.

“I asked for this room in a hurry, so I deliberately rented a place like this.”

Asan’s brother had offered to kick out the Valdrogard wizards staying in the building and rent out the largest private room, but Lee Han had shaken his head. He didn’t want to be featured in the Imperial newspaper with a headline like >The Arrogance of an Einroguard Student, Is This Okay?>.

And considering the Mad Doppelganger’s identity, causing a commotion wasn’t a good idea. If the skeletal Headmaster had nowhere to complain later, who would he complain to? He might get scolded for not doing anything while his reputation was being damaged by a fake.

The Mad Doppelganger sighed in dismay at Lee Han’s words, as if he didn’t know where to begin explaining.

“I didn’t know you were this stupid. Should I have entrusted Intarendals with manners lessons separately? What do you think?”

“…Huh?”

Illendil, who had been hiding in the corner, jumped in fright when the Mad Doppelganger suddenly pointed at him. In fact, he had been hiding in the corner since he came in. His junior had been babbling something, but Illendil was too scared to hear anything.

“I asked what you think. About this state of affairs where a disciple of the Royal Family refuses the proper protocol and tries to learn magic in a pigsty.”

“I-is it… bad?”

“Yes.”

The Mad Doppelganger nodded as if he had given a proper answer. Illendil sighed in relief at the sight.

But Illendil didn’t realize it. That Lee Han’s eyes showed even more disapproval.

‘Is that person really a senior?’

Taking the side of an outsider out of fear.

Lee Han grumbled inwardly and opened his mouth.

“Hmph. I like it here. Maybe it’s because I lived like a beggar at Einroguard, but this place feels familiar.”

“Nonsense.”

Plop!

Lee Han threw himself onto the nearby sofa. Illendil trembled even more in fear at the sight, which clearly showed he was going to be difficult. The other party was a great wizard who could really cut open his stomach!

“S-stop… get up…”

“…Understood. Get up.”

In the end, it was the Mad Doppelganger who yielded first. He couldn’t waste time on useless things when he should be talking about magic.

“Is that the artifact you showed me earlier?”

“Yes, it is.”

Lee Han nodded, pointing to the artifact in the middle of the private room. Currently, the >Echo of a Demigod> was floating in the air, bound by three layers of makeshift sealing artifacts. As if that wasn’t enough, additional magic circles were suppressing the possible influence of the evil god.

Pop!

When the Mad Doppelganger waved his hand, all the surrounding seals disappeared at once. Illendil tensed up without realizing it. Even if he was a great wizard, to release all the safety devices on such an artifact…

As if that wasn’t enough, the Mad Doppelganger didn’t hesitate to grab the artifact and lift it up with his hand.

“It’s contaminated.”

“Y-yes?!!!”

Whoosh!

After finishing the check, the Mad Doppelganger threw the artifact to Lee Han with a light motion. As his junior calmly caught the artifact, Illendil screamed and collapsed.

‘What…?!’

“??”

“Why is he like that?”

“My senior isn’t feeling well.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

Illendil focused on the conversation between the master and disciple, holding onto his fading consciousness with a calm voice.

“A-are you… okay?”

“Yes? I’m fine. I have a strong resistance… Besides, my teacher wouldn’t give me something I couldn’t handle.”

“……”

Illendil felt his consciousness fading again as he watched the Mad Doppelganger nod as if it were obvious. He realized once again just how much of a monster his junior was.

“I can hear the voice of the evil god, but it can’t interfere more than necessary.”

“Of course. Gods can’t do anything unless you get rid of their worshippers. Sit down. I’ll explain.”

Lee Han sat down in front of the Mad Doppelganger. Then he called to Illendil.

“Senior, please sit down too.”

“……”

Illendil glared at his junior resentfully and sat down quietly. Sitting in front of the Mad Doppelganger was extremely uncomfortable for him.

‘Sniff.’

“You remember the Black Emperor’s Seal, right?”

“Yes.”

“?”

“Ah. The Black Emperor’s Seal is…”

Lee Han explained to Illendil instead. It was a magic that ancient wizards created to imprison artificial demigods, and the name of that magic was…

“…How do you know that?”

“I happened to help out.”

“……”

The distance in Illendil’s heart grew slightly further. From a kind junior who loved spirits to a junior who was directly receiving magic from the skeletal Headmaster’s Mad Doppelganger.

“The principle of this artifact is not much different from the principle of the Black Emperor’s Seal. If you remove the contamination and sever the connection with the evil god, you can use it as an auxiliary tool. If you do that, your disciple will be able to cast the Black Emperor’s Seal alone.”

“Senior, did you hear that?”

“……”

Illendil wanted to cry because his junior kept acting like a madman. Did his junior want to die together with the Mad Doppelganger?

“Stop talking nonsense and focus…”

-Are you there?

The Mad Doppelganger’s eyebrows shot up when someone knocked on the door of the private room. Illendil trembled inwardly.

“What is it?”

-I would like to hear some stories about the mercenaries you captured.

The Mad Doppelganger answered firmly to the actions of the annoying outsiders.

“Tell them to get lost.”

“Come in!”

“……”

“……”

The Granden City wizards expressed their gratitude and entered. They had already received the report about capturing the remnants of the evil god worshippers, but hearing the details directly was different.

“Who is this…?”

“Oh… it’s Gonadaltes.”

“Gasp!!! It’s an honor! I’ve only witnessed the skeletal state from afar…!”

Lee Han, acting as translator, said, ‘The Headmaster’s Doppelganger says he is glad to see you too.’

The Mad Doppelganger clearly looked uncomfortable, but he didn’t kill the wizards, crush the private room, or, most importantly, swallow Illendil’s junior.

‘Maybe… he went so crazy he became normal again.’

Illendil came up with a brilliant hypothesis with his brilliant mind. The skeletal Headmaster himself was such a madman, so the skeletal Headmaster’s Mad Doppelganger might be relatively sane. If that wasn’t the case, that patience couldn’t be explained!