Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 1003
“Were there no creditors you didn’t threaten roughly?”
“There were a few I threatened gently.”
“…Were there no creditors you didn’t threaten at all?”
At those words, the Skull Principal slowly shrugged.
“Your magic has improved quite a bit, but you’re still asking foolish questions. In that situation, who would willingly hand over gold and cooperate?”
The people of the Empire were not fools. No matter how much the Skull Principal was the Empire’s Imperial Mage Marshal and the guardian of the magical barrier protecting the Empire, they would not simply offer up gold.
Especially when the Skull Principal’s projection had appeared in Einroguard territory, and the purpose was not to reverse-summon the projection but to permanently confine it in another dimension, support was bound to be difficult to obtain.
It would have been easier to find people willing to invest in Professor Bivle’s new artifacts…
“That’s absurd! How could that be!”
“It’s true. Bivle, regardless of personality, is a highly renowned artifact craftsman in the Empire. For people who want masterpieces, what does it matter if the craftsman’s personality is eccentric? If anything, it only increases their value.”
“Gah! Those stupid people!”
When his disciple became °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° angry at the foolishness of the people of the Empire, the Skull Principal felt satisfied for once.
Any outstanding mage was bound to feel indignation toward the people of the Empire.
Right now, the boy of House Wardanaz was passing through a path he naturally had to traverse.
“I’ll create printing type and distribute books. Warning people not to be deceived by Professor Bivle!”
“…Do that on your own later. For now, think about the creditors first.”
“Ah. Right.”
Lee Han returned to his senses.
Hmm. I wonder if there’s some way to handle the noble families.
There was a reason the term “school connections” existed.
Fortunately, Einroguard had various students from noble families who were on friendly terms with Lee Han.
Of course, those families had refused the Skull Principal’s request.
But Lee Han felt he would have done the same.
I probably would have refused a request like that too.
If the Skull Principal, who usually made suspicious requests for sponsorship and investment, suddenly flew over asking for gold coins to permanently confine a projection, Lee Han would have felt reluctant as well.
But what they were trying to do now was not ask for additional gold coins. It was to extend the deadline.
That made it a much more persuasive situation.
…Though the Skull Principal had threatened them roughly.
“I’m counting on your ability to persuade the noble families.”
“!”
At the Skull Principal’s words, Lee Han realized they were thinking the same thing.
“Do you think I can do it?”
“Haha.”
The master smiled at his disciple’s question.
Then, with a serious expression, he answered.
“It is not a matter of whether you can or cannot. You must. Otherwise, your upperclassmen will have to conduct magical research next semester using only mud, stones, and tree branches.”
“…”
Lee Han felt the heavy weight of responsibility press down on his shoulders.
Then he hesitated.
“Uh, but why aren’t any of the other upperclassmen…?”
Originally, at Einroguard, the higher the year, the greater the responsibility.
So why was only Lee Han, a second-year, bearing this burden?
The Skull Principal kindly answered.
“Should I call Princess Yukbeltire, or should I call Caten? Tell me which upperclassman you want. I’ll summon that person if needed.”
“…At least Senior Diret or Ileg…”
Lee Han grumbled at the Skull Principal’s attitude of spitefully mentioning only the unhelpful upperclassmen.
However, the Skull Principal shook his head.
“Those two are not well suited for persuasion because of their good natures.”
“I see… Wait a moment.”
Lee Han felt something was off.
Then what about me?
“And those two are needed to clean up this situation.”
“That’s true. All the professors must be busy too.”
Indeed, once he thought about it, there really was no one to call.
The professors and fifth-years were either busy or unhelpful, and the fourth-year upperclassmen were currently the busiest grade…
“I’ll try persuading the noble families… but how should I persuade the officials?”
“I’m counting on your ability to persuade the officials.”
“…”
Lee Han wondered if he had misheard.
But the Skull Principal was serious.
“No matter how iron-blooded those bastards are, they will not be cold-hearted when a young pillar who will support the Empire comes to ask.”
“…I understand for now.”
It was somewhat absurd, but not completely incomprehensible.
Had Lee Han not been the one to deal with officials just last year?
Basically, the Empire’s officials did not particularly like the Skull Principal.
How could they like an archmage who would not hesitate to uproot the Empire’s very foundations for Einroguard’s sake?
There were several officials who would foam at the mouth and collapse just from seeing him, even without being threatened.
However, surprisingly enough, those officials were generous toward students.
Unlike the wicked Skull Principal, Einroguard students were talents who would be active throughout the Empire after graduation.
“Persuading the noble families… I’ll do. Persuading the officials… I’ll do. Who else did you threaten?”
“I think I went around to a few more magic towers and mage guilds. I needed manpower.”
Great magic was not completed with gold alone. Even if all the necessary reagents were prepared, it required more manpower than expected.
It was not for nothing that mages gathered together to build magic towers and establish guilds to refine their skills.
“The ones I gathered that way prepared magic separately. Among them, I selected the skilled ones and brought them to Einroguard.”
“Huh. I never saw them.”
“They were waiting below. There was no reason to make them directly confront the projection.”
“Ah. They must have returned while I was unconscious.”
“That is not entirely wrong.”
The Death Knight glanced at the master.
More precisely, after the battle ended, when the mages kept asking, “Why didn’t you use the magic we prepared?” the Skull Principal had told them to get lost and chased them away.
How could that be packaged like this?
“…Wait. ‘Not entirely wrong.’ Something’s strange. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
As expected of the disciple.
The knight was inwardly pleased.
A mage should know how to find clues even in disorderly chaos!
***
By the time they arrived at the Empire’s capital, Lee Han had perfectly grasped the information about the creditors involved in this incident.
First, the Imperial officials.
Thanks to the Skull Principal’s rough threats, the treasurer and subordinate officials had eventually opened the treasury and handed over gold coins.
These were people Lee Han had to persuade.
Next were various noble families.
Thanks to the Skull Principal’s rough threats, the heads of those families had eventually opened their treasuries and provided the necessary reagents.
These, too, were people Lee Han had to persuade.
Finally, the magic towers and mage guilds throughout the Empire.
Thanks to the Skull Principal’s rough threats, they had stopped their ongoing research and magic and all come to help.
These, too, were people Lee Han had to persuade…
“…”
After finishing the summary in his head, Lee Han stared intently at the Skull Principal.
Isn’t the work distribution a bit strange?
He thought the Skull Principal should handle at least one of the three tasks.
“What’s wrong?”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you persuaded the mages yourself, Principal?”
To Einroguard students, the Skull Principal might be a lord of terror and brutality, but to outside mages, he was the most respected archmage.
Among the archmages currently called so in the Empire, he was the wisest and most wicked—no, the most sagacious.
For people like that, it might be better for the Skull Principal to approach them and persuade them with his authority.
“How?”
“You could teach them lost secrets from the past, or give advice on magic that has made no progress…”
“Those are methods I’ve already used before, so they no longer work.”
“…”
Just as the Skull Principal had a long history, the methods he had used had also run dry.
Now the magic towers and guilds were too experienced to be swayed by respectful admiration for the archmage’s wise counsel.
“Rather than that, introducing outstanding mages is much more effective. I’ve taken Professor Garcia with me before.”
The Skull Principal recalled the old days.
When mages from the Accumulated Rain Mage Tower, the Daylily Mage Tower, the Olivine Mage Tower, and others saw the young Professor Garcia, their eyes had gleamed like Einroguard students discovering candy.
A magic-tower mage who did not covet a genius attending every school was not qualified to be a magic-tower mage.
—Your Excellency! Please, when Student Kim graduates, send Student Kim to our tower…! You do not even have to force the issue. Just say a few good words about our Accumulated Rain Mage Tower!
—Lord Gonadaltes! If you send Student Kim to our tower, we’ll give you the full amount of gold coins the Empire supports this year!
The Skull Principal’s eyes softened with fond memories.
“Thanks to that, I received quite a generous amount back then…”
“…Wait. Professor Garcia came to Einroguard, didn’t she? Did she perhaps help other towers before coming here?”
“No. She came straight here. Because she’s smart.”
Professor Garcia was a mage who had walked the path of a pure-blood Einroguard mage.
Admission to Einroguard, advancement to the fifth year instead of graduation, promotion to professor instead of graduation…
For some reason, Lee Han felt a heaviness in his chest.
“Then didn’t the other tower mages protest?”
“They did. But what could they do? Professor Garcia had made the choice.”
The Skull Principal lightly shrugged.
Even an archmage could not change a person’s will.
Various towers had sent gifts to curry favor, but that had been their choice.
When they failed, the responsibility naturally belonged to them as well.
“…”
Lee Han sent the Skull Principal a look of contempt, but the Principal ignored it and said,
“It will work a second time. I think it will work up to three times.”
“I’m a bit worried about whether I can do as well as Professor Garcia. As you know, I am much more lacking than the professor.”
—?
“?”
From the Death Knights to the Skull Principal, everyone looked puzzled.
Was there anything that bastard Wardanaz was much more lacking in compared to the young Professor Garcia?
Arrogance?
Rudeness, perhaps? But he’s already rude enough.
“I’m not a troll hybrid, so my physical strength…”
“…Don’t worry about that.”
The Skull Principal was dumbfounded by the disciple worrying about the most useless aspect.
What use was physical strength when visiting magic towers?
“Then let’s go knock dow— I mean, persuade the bureaucrats first.”
Passing through the castle gate, the Skull Principal gave instructions to the knights serving as coachmen. Lee Han suddenly remembered something and asked,
“Oh, right. Could I meet Prince Jowurin?”
“That won’t do.”
“Ah. Prince Jowurin must be under house arrest.”
Come to think of it, Jowurin had accomplished the unprecedented feat of deceiving both the Emperor and the Skull Principal and escaping.
Given that, it would not have been strange if Prince Jowurin were under house arrest.
“No, Prince Jowurin is not.”
“Pardon?”
“House arrest? What house arrest? Prince Jowurin rarely goes out anyway unless something special happens. Do not judge His Majesty’s pure-blood children by the Empire’s laws.”
“Then why can’t I meet Prince Jowurin?”
“Because if you visit, Prince Jowurin will hold onto you and not let you go until vacation ends.”
“…”
“Perhaps even after vacation ends.”
“Come now. His Majesty is not the type to be that wickedly stubborn.”
“Haha. Look who has become a dragon expert. Anyway, if you’re going to meet Prince Jowurin, do it after everything is finished. I have clearly warned you. Turn right. The front is blocked.”
—Would you rather fly there?
“No. This month, I need to show a humble and reflective attitude. I cut through the castle walls last time because I was in a hurry.”
At those words, Lee Han unconsciously turned his gaze outside the carriage.
One corner of the capital’s castle wall had been cut in a straight line, as if sliced by a sharp blade.
He was truly curious about what had happened, but Lee Han endured it with superhuman patience.
Let’s not ask. Nothing good will come from hearing about it.
Lee Han reorganized what he would say when meeting the bureaucrats.
It would start with, “I’m truly sorry about our Principal.”
