Surviving As A Mage In A Magic Academy [EN]: Chapter 981

The Alchemy lesson finished abruptly, the professor simply announcing it was over and leaving the room. Lee Han walked out of the lecture hall, the air thick with the lingering smell of sulfur and something faintly sweet, like burnt sugar. In his hand, he held the recipe for [Thunderous Steps of 침수향]. For a moment, he thought about setting it alight, watching the strange symbols curl and blacken in the flame. But then he stopped himself.

“Hold on,” he thought. “This might be useful later.”

Knowledge was power, after all. This strange recipe, even from a professor he disliked, could be valuable one day.

Still, Lee Han made a silent promise to himself: he wouldn’t learn it now. It was a matter of pride. He refused to be tricked by Professor Thunderous Steps!

“Master, are you alright?” Lee Han asked, looking at the Mad Doppelganger following behind him.

“Not bad, but there’s something wrong with the wizard in the role of professor,” the Mad Doppelganger replied.

“Ah.”

Lee Han nodded. Professor Thunderous Steps did seem to have a problem.

It wasn’t just that he didn’t answer his student’s questions; he even mocked him with extra assignments. A very spiteful personality indeed.

“Professor Thunderous Steps has a bit of a…” Lee Han started.

“Weakness,” the Mad Doppelganger finished.

“Pardon?”

“I said weakness. A master must possess not only generosity but also strictness.”

Professor Thunderous Steps was trying to be nice because of Professor Verdus’s example, but his kindness backfired. He was branded as a weak wizard by the Mad Doppelganger.

‘Oh dear,’ Lee Han thought.

Lee Han felt sorry for the absurd misunderstanding. Professor Thunderous Steps could have been ranked among the most spiteful wizards, yet he was receiving such unfair judgment…

“Still, Professor Thunderous Steps is usually stricter,” Lee Han said.

“Then that means he was acting with the royal family in mind. That’s not something a great wizard should do either.”

‘That’s true, I suppose,’ Lee Han thought. Professor Thunderous Steps was being a bit too eager to please. Even after Professor Verdus was attacked, Professor Thunderous Steps seemed too eager to please, which felt pathetic for a professor at Einroguard.

Nilia called out, “Wodanaz, you okay?” from behind.

“Yeah, fine,” Lee Han replied, but he didn’t look at them. “Just… stay back, okay?”

Yoner frowned. “Really fine? You look terrible.”

“……”

Nilia and Yoner were dumbfounded. What kind of person who was fine would tell others to stay away?

The friends grumbled, cursing the absent Headmaster at such a crucial time. Wasn’t it because the person who should be leading the Death Knights and strictly punishing outsiders to enforce Einroguard’s rules was missing, that things were in such a mess? He was so good at catching students who tried to run away, but he couldn’t do anything at times like this.

“Should the wizard who kidnapped Wodanaz be allowed to walk around so openly in the first place?” one friend asked.

“Because the Headmaster isn’t here…” another replied.

“Isn’t now the time to write a complaint?”

“Everyone, think carefully,” Maykin said.

“Indeed. If we send a complaint, the Headmaster might punish us later. We might be stuck in the punishment room until graduation…”

“No. I wasn’t talking about that, but about the content of the complaint. We need to write the complaint accurately and specifically so that the Headmaster gets in trouble too.”

“That’s Maykin for you,” someone said.

The second-year students were impressed by their friend’s seasoned advice. Strictly speaking, the Headmaster had more power than the students over imperial officials. Also, the Headmaster had been in charge of Einroguard for many years. Complaints like ‘The Headmaster doesn’t give us bread and starves us’ would surely be anticipated and prepared for.

The students were no longer mere freshmen and had gained a broader perspective.

“Everyone, let’s each record any dangerous actions that doppelganger takes,” Maykin suggested.

“Indeed! Wodanaz attends almost every lecture, so dividing the roles will be easy. Lucky us.”

“…Please don’t say that in front of Wodanaz…”

The friends were firmly resolved. They would closely monitor the evil wizard’s even more evil doppelganger for Wodanaz’s sake!

“But isn’t Wodanaz being too calm?” one asked.

“Actually, when I first heard about Professor Verdus’s lecture, I thought Wodanaz had brought him on purpose. But surely that’s not the case, right?”

“…No. I asked, and Lee Han definitely didn’t bring him on purpose,” Yoner said.

At Yoner’s words, the friends breathed a slight sigh of relief. They didn’t show it, but honestly, in the back of their minds, they all had a little thought: ‘Surely Wodanaz isn’t bringing him around on purpose.’

Unkillable: Trying to use this wizard seems like a very bad idea. Not casting magic with uncontrollable power is a very basic rule.

Iaktus: I heard Professor Verdus got beaten up? Do you think we can beat up Professor Vendozol too?

Unkillable: Is anyone listening to me? The opponent is a dangerous wizard. Don’t try to use him; leave it to the professors to deal with. The Headmaster will be back soon too.

Bakwantalana: Punishing professors is the most unimportant and worthless thing you can do with that wizard. If possible, we should take his magic.

Unkillable: Can you not see my words?

Iffeldrem: I can see them!

Unkillable: Thank you so much… Iaktus. Even if you ignore me, I’ll keep writing! Ignore me if you dare.

Iaktus: Alright, alright, Unkillable. I didn’t ignore you on purpose. But you always have a knack for ruining fun things.

Unkillable: What an absurd insult… I can’t accept that at all! Apologize!

‘That makes sense, I suppose,’ Lee Han thought.

The Einroguard Watchers Club members were having a lively discussion for once. Naturally, the topic of conversation was ‘How can we use the infamous Mad Archmage?’

Iaktus wanted to defeat a professor. Bakwantalana wanted to take his vision. Unkillable was saying that professors and visions were dangerous, and they should keep their distance as much as possible. It was the least fun and least popular argument.

Iaktus: And in the first place, isn’t Wodanaz’s junior from the family walking around with the Headmaster’s doppelganger? Just seeing that makes me think he’s not that dangerous.

Unkillable: That’s wrong! Wodanaz’s junior from the family was even kidnapped!

Iffeldrem: K-Kidnapped? Does kidnapping happen at Einroguard? And the one who was kidnapped was that Wodanaz?!

Unkillable: …It happens very rarely. Usually, it doesn’t happen.

When the Valdrogard student who had recently joined showed his face, the other members realized their mistake. They had been chattering away, thinking that only Einroguard students were present, and hadn’t imagined how it would look to outsiders.

Lee Han moved his quill to calm the new member. Even so, he couldn’t reveal all the club’s flaws in front of a Valdrogard student.

Gonadaltez: That’s right. It’s called kidnapping, but there must be some exaggeration. It’s probably just a slightly aggressive magic transfer. That Wodanaz guy is a bit of a braggart…

Iffeldrem: How can you talk about being kidnapped like it’s nothing? Gonadaltez, you’ve been rude before, and you’re really rude now!

“……”

First impressions were more important than people thought. The Valdrogard student, who had tried to use the fake name ‘Wodanaz’ in the Watchers Club before and had received direct criticism from Lee Han, was now showing full caution.

Ignoring Wodanaz, who was also an Einroguard student, and dismissing being kidnapped as nothing, how could he be so rude? He wanted to see who it was in person.

Gonadaltez: …Iaktus. Explain it for me.

Iaktus: Well, kidnapping isn’t a common thing, but aren’t geniuses like that? You have to have crazy wizards flocking to transfer their magic to you to be a real genius. There will be more in the future, so don’t be too surprised already.

Gonadaltez: What nonsense are you talking about? Where does that happen these days? Don’t talk about old times.

Iaktus: What, why are you angry?

Gonadaltez: I’m not angry.

Lee Han quickly gathered his emotions. If he reacted immediately to the other person’s unpleasant words, he might be discovered.

Iaktus: Anyway, it’s all over, and he’s fine now. That doppelganger is just wandering around the main building’s lecture hall.

Unkillable: That’s right. He’s fine. You don’t have to worry too much.

Iffeldrem: Yes…

Unkillable: You’re not misunderstanding Einroguard, are you? If you are, ask now.

Iffeldrem: Ah, no. I’m not misunderstanding.

‘Everyone’s terrible at comforting people,’ Lee Han thought.

Judging from the atmosphere, it seemed like they had scared the Valdrogard student even more instead of getting rid of his misunderstanding.

Actually, now wasn’t the time to be talking about others. Wasn’t Lee Han the one the other person was most wary of? Since he was currently an outsider who could move around freely, it was right to get rid of any caution if possible.

But how?

‘If I say I’m Wodanaz, they’ll treat me like a madman…’ Lee Han thought.

Revealing it was too risky and could backfire.

Lee Han was lost in thought. The Mad Doppelganger’s company wasn’t a big problem, surprisingly. Listening to the other members’ conversations, all they wanted to do was trick him into attacking a professor or learn magic. No one wanted his body like Jo Ulin from before.

Well, even for an Einroguard student, attacking the Headmaster’s doppelganger was a bit…

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Everyone’s having a hard time because of lectures. Hang in there.

Ilendil left a message in the Watchers Club because of a small wish.

‘Everyone’s forgetting something important,’ she thought.

Einroguard students were so focused on magic and its evaluation that they often forgot something important. But Ilendil didn’t. She knew very well what was most important: The forest.

A magical space where all sorts of spirits and plants lived and breathed. To care for and grow this space, Einroguard lectures were unimportant. In fact, Ilendil was absent from most lectures. It was a boldness rarely seen in a fourth-year student.

But this part-Dryad student had no regrets. Look at those students obsessed with lectures and teachings. Because of that obsession, they were getting caught up in various outside problems and suffering. In comparison, Ilendil could focus solely on her own work in the quiet forest…

“Senior! Are you there?”

Ilendil was horrified by the familiar voice coming from afar. Why?! Why did that junior come to the forest?!!

‘Th, that’s right!’ Ilendil’s memories returned only after seeing the special object installed in the middle of the forest, [Echo of the Demigod].

She received it on the condition that the junior could tame artificial half-gods and practice evil ancient magic in the forest.

‘I forgot about this…!’ Ilendil blamed herself and tried to answer.

“-Don’t call out so loudly; send a paper bird.”

“-Yes. Understood.”

As soon as she realized there was one more person, Ilendil moved immediately, as befitting a senior student at Einroguard. She immediately dug deep into the ground and hid underground.

The skill with which she persuaded the ground and asked the rocks to let her into the underground in that short time was indeed worthy of a senior student at Einroguard.

‘N-No way. Why is this happening to me…!’ she thought.

Was she being punished for laughing at other students who attended lectures? Ilendil deeply regretted it. If they showed her mercy this time, she would never mock other students again…

“Senior! Senior! …Where did you go?”

“Below.”

“Yes?”

“She’s below.”

The Mad Doppelganger tilted his chin, and Lee Han laughed as if it were absurd.

“What, is your senior a dwarf who mines? Why would she be underground in the forest?”

Crack!

The Mad Doppelganger waved his hand, and the ground split open, revealing Ilendil, who had been hiding deep below. The part-Dryad senior quietly stood up from her crouched position.

“H-Hello…”

“……”

“Um… won’t you say something…?”