Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 1038
“Let’s leave right away. Oh, and keep it a secret that you left because of me.”
“You don’t really think those Petroguard people would blame Lee Han, do you?”
His friends asked as if the idea was absurd.
They had called him in to get rid of suspicious outsiders, and he had done exactly that. Would they really hold a grudge instead of being grateful?
That was something even Valdrogard would not do.
“They’ll probably ask questions.”
“Right. There’s a high chance they will. Let’s ask the professors to keep it quiet and leave quickly. It would be better to pin the blame on the knight.”
Lee Han looked at Professor Garcia with deep respect for that scheme.
Indeed, the wisdom of a senior who had graduated from Einroguard first was extraordinary. The speed with which Professor Garcia found the optimal scapegoat in the current situation was five or six times faster than anyone else’s.
“Oh, right. Is there anyone who wants to stay longer at Petroguard?”
Lee Han was about to leave when his friends suddenly occurred to him, and he asked.
He had only been thinking of himself, but now that he thought about it, some of his friends might want to spend more time with the students from the magic school they had met for the second time.
“Second time?”
Professor Garcia looked puzzled and counted on the fingers.
Kalarogard, Valdrogard, Petroguard. Wasn’t this the third time?
“What about you, Wardanaz? Are you going straight back to the villa after this?”
“No. I think I should visit the auction house soon.”
Lee Han, who had splendidly cultivated a mandragon last semester, had been permitted to participate in the internal auction of the 【Imperial Gardeners Club】 through Professor Willow’s recommendation.
Being allowed to participate in the internal auction meant that he was also allowed to join the club.
As a new member, it would only be polite to visit first and pay his respects.
If I look polite, the mandragon might sell for a higher price too.
He usually disliked showing off his specialty, but this time was an exception.
Lee Han was seriously considering whether to visit the club wearing a cloak embroidered with the Ghoul King or the Frost Giant King.
“If it’s an auction house in the capital… is it being held at the Golden Hall?”
“Yes.”
Since auctions, by their nature, gathered expensive items and invited distinguished guests, they could not be held just anywhere.
Of course, there were Einroguard-style auctions where people fought over sacks of potatoes on dirt floors, but generally speaking, Imperial auctions guaranteed a minimum level of dignity.
In that regard, if an auction was being held near the capital of the Empire, it was most likely to take place at the Golden Hall.
It was a sacred place where blessings of luck and wealth had been layered since before the Empire.
Not only the gardeners club’s auction, but various other auctions were held together in that hall. The eyes of the students who had items they wanted began to sparkle.
Would they mingle further with outstanding mages from other Imperial magic schools, or would they mix with greedy lovers of luxury who knew nothing about magic?
“It’s unfortunate, but it can’t be helped. We’ll respect your schedule, Wardanaz.”
“We’ll have another chance to meet the Petroguard friends someday. Or maybe not.”
His friends answered at once.
Honestly, it did not seem as if staying longer at Petroguard would be all that fun anyway.
The most entertaining thing here had been Gainando spraying poison in the knight’s face…
“I’d like to draw a little more… mmph.”
Siana hurriedly covered Priest Tiziling’s mouth. Lee Han turned his head.
“What did you just say?”
“Nothing! Nothing at all! Priest Tiziling is looking forward to it too!”
The other priests quickly helped Siana. Seeing that, Professor Garcia thought inwardly.
…Is it all right for Phoenix Tower to be like this?!
It was good that the students from priestly backgrounds had become lively and proactive, but sometimes one could not help wondering if this was really all right.
***
“Hmm. Hmmmm.”
“Mmmmm.”
The students, who had left in carriages with the professors, carefully drew lines on paper with quill pens.
They were currently looking for auctions they could participate in.
“Here! This auction might be one we can enter…”
A White Tiger Tower student handed the paper to Giselle.
【Beech Tree Auction】
Weapon sales of knights, by knights, for knights.
Only honorable knights may attend.
Instead of Giselle, Lee Han spoke without even looking.
“We can’t participate there. If you read further down, it says only current members of knight orders may enter.”
Those who do not belong to an Imperial knight order may not attend…
“…”
The disappointed White Tiger Tower student suddenly failed to understand and asked.
“Wardanaz, how do you know that?”
“I wanted to participate before, so I looked through the conditions. It didn’t work out.”
“…”
But you’re from a great noble house!
All of the White Tiger Tower students were inwardly dumbfounded.
There were quite a few places among the Empire’s auctions that restricted customer qualifications.
Even the internal auction of the 【Imperial Gardeners Club】 that Lee Han was participating in was impossible to enter without membership, so qualifications such as knight-order membership or club membership were quite common.
“It really is regrettable. I don’t understand why they put on such restrictions. Don’t they think auctions would become more active with free participation? There are people who want to enter but can’t…”
“S-sorry, Wardanaz. I was wrong.”
When Lee Han suddenly began grumbling and complaining like a waterfall, the White Tiger Tower student was terrified.
This was when Wardanaz was at his most frightening.
Just get angry and curse instead!
“I suppose only the mage auctions are possible after all.”
“We should be grateful that even those are possible.”
The students checked the list of auctions they could enter and grumbled.
As Einroguard students, they could participate in quite a few mage auctions, but that was not enough to satisfy the students’ greed.
I need an artifact that will draw star charts during next semester.
If I think about research, I should secure at least one relic.
Isn’t there an artifact I can use to cheat on exams?
The rarer and more expensive relics or artifacts were, the more often they appeared in secret at closed auctions.
Every time the students saw text saying that it was some club’s internal auction and outsiders could not participate, they felt profound regret.
“Good. I’m done.”
Meanwhile, Gainando neatly put down the quill pen. The nearby friends looked puzzled and checked the paper.
Western Mage Card Auction — Participate
Eastern Mage Card Auction — Participate
Southern Mage Card Auction — Participate
…
I looked for nothing.
His friends ignored it and turned their gazes away. Yonair asked worriedly.
“What are you going to do later if you only participate in things like that?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? If you waste all your gold coins on cards…”
As Gainando’s cousin, Yonair subtly pointed at Lee Han instead of raising a voice.
If Gainando spent all the gold coins that had been painstakingly saved on cards, he might genuinely have to sleep outside the tower next semester.
“You’re participating to sell cards?”
“…What?!!”
Not only Yonair, but the other friends were shocked as well. Lee Han looked at his Blue Dragon Tower friends and warned them.
“Shh. Everyone is making plans.”
“B-but Wardanaz. Gainando is participating in the auction to sell cards.”
“What?!?!!?!”
“…”
Gainando became sullen at his friends’ reaction. Lee Han consoled him and asked.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize. But selling cards? Have any magical criminals or worshippers of evil gods been threatening you recently?”
“…No?! If there’s something I want to buy at the auction house, I need gold coins.”
An auction could be entered not only as a buyer, but also as a seller.
Of course, someone could sell owned items in order to prepare gold coins, but…
How surprising!
If it was Gainando and Mage Cards, that was a different matter. Even the students from the other towers were surprised and began whispering.
“Should we prepare more gold coins too?”
“Maybe we should have taken more commissions…”
“That only starts in earnest during the second semester. We didn’t have time during vacation.”
“There’s the money I earned with Wardanaz last time, but I’m not sure whether it’ll be enough.”
“…How did you earn it??”
As the students whispered, Professor Garcia gave a small cough and offered advice as a senior.
“Everyone. It is good that all of you are taking an interest in the auction. However, you seem to have forgotten one thing because of greed.”
Is this going to be advice about moderation?
“There are more jobs requiring mages at the auction house than you might think. Appraisal, curse removal, potion brewing, and so on. If you are from Einroguard, you can definitely receive commissions.”
That wasn’t it!
At the sight of Professor Garcia passing on the know-how used to earn gold coins during school days, all the students looked at Professor Garcia with respect.
If there was a true master at Einroguard, it was the professor right before their eyes.
“Professor! What kind of commissions…”
“Are there any particularly good commissions for White Tiger Tower?”
“Should we reveal that we’re from the dark magic school or not?”
While his friends bombarded Professor Garcia with questions, Lee Han, who had been looking over auctions worth participating in besides the gardening club’s, suddenly remembered something and spoke up.
“Professor. Professor.”
“?”
Professor Voladi, who had been sitting quietly, turned a gaze toward the disciple who had called.
“How did you earn gold coins during your school days, Professor?”
“Bounties and duels.”
Professor Voladi, who had kindly answered, waited for the disciple’s follow-up questions.
Just as Professor Garcia was receiving all kinds of questions, it was obvious that the disciple before Professor Voladi would interrogate the professor in the same way.
Considering Lee Han’s curiosity and inquisitive spirit, even more so…
“I see.”
Lee Han nodded and turned his gaze back to the paper.
It seemed he would have to earn money through other methods after all.
“…”
***
The Golden Hall, covered in brilliant light and reminiscent of an old-style palace, was bustling with countless people.
Lee Han could feel the strange magical power flowing throughout the entire hall.
It was a power so strong and ancient that ordinary methods would not be able to disturb it.
“It is a historic place. Student Lee Han. Can you feel it?”
Professor Garcia explained from beside him, as if understanding why Lee Han was looking around.
This Golden Hall had been a place where blessings of fortune and wealth had accumulated layer upon layer since before the Empire.
That was not a simple metaphor. It meant that large-scale divine magic had actually been consecrated several times here.
Thanks to that, several rules were enforced inside, as if this were a small world.
For example, one could not pickpocket, and one could not disguise an item as a different item…
Oops. I was calculating the weight of the gold.
Lee Han quickly came to his senses and spoke about the flow of magical power.
“These magical powers seem to be creating separate rules inside.”
“That’s right. It is an interesting place. There are quite a few mages who come not only for the treasures, but to observe this magic.”
Professor Garcia explained that this Golden Hall probably had not been created intentionally.
Various priests and mages had cast magic here, creating unexpected effects, and those effects had flowed together in a way that preserved them.
“Student Lee Han said he would visit the gardening club first, correct?”
“Yes. What kind of gifts do gardening club members like?”
“…You will be fine just going, so just go.”
Lee Han grumbled inwardly.
Professor Garcia was too upright to be of much help in matters like this.
“The professor and I will wait here, so everyone, feel free to look around. If you have any questions, come find… Aaah!”
“???!”
Lee Han was startled.
Professor Garcia had screamed as if discovering a painting of the young Skull Principal.
There had to be tremendous danger nearby. Indeed, Professor Voladi was also showing wariness while emanating magical power.
“…Student Lee Han. Do you see? Over there?”
“Are you talking about the elf wearing a sapphire-studded turban? The one with Zenbaya’s magic cast on it? The gold decorations would probably lower the price instead…”
“How did you see all of that? Not that! Next to it! Next to it!”
“??”
“It’s my senior.”
“…”
Lee Han was dumbfounded at the sight of the Great Artist, who had fled first, wandering around the hall.
