Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 1051
While it was one thing for the Skull Principal to say so, Lee Han felt slightly dejected when even Professor Garcia acted that way.
Are they not both being too harsh?
Of course, both of them had known Professor Voladi Bagreg for far longer.
Especially in the Skull Principal’s case, he would even know what Professor Voladi Bagreg had been like as a student.
From Lee Han’s perspective, it was certainly difficult to understand.
Professor Voladi probably did go through a turbulent adolescence, though.
It would not have been strange at all if Professor Voladi had walked down Einroguard’s corridors spitting, throwing punches whenever students from other towers came into view, and casting magic whenever beaver beastmen appeared.
But everyone could change, could they not?
In fact, Professor Voladi had recently shown a remarkably changed side after the number of disciples in Professor Voladi’s school increased by 100%.
Perhaps the sincere persuasion of Professor Voladi’s disciples could stop Professor Voladi!
This guy. He’s having useless thoughts again.
The Skull Principal looked at his disciple as if he found him pathetic.
This boy from House Wardanaz often had strangely useless idle thoughts.
Because of his statue-like features, with little emotional expression, he only had to stand still to look as though he were worrying about something serious, so the other professors were easily deceived…
…but the Skull Principal was not deceived.
Thwack!
“Don’t have useless thoughts.”
When he was hit with the staff again, Lee Han was startled.
“How did you know?”
Sometimes this master displayed wicked mind-reading abilities.
The Skull Principal himself complained, “If there were magic that could penetrate your mana and read your thoughts, I would build another castle in Einroguard’s territory,” but originally, excellent archmages were also skilled liars, were they not?
Is the Principal really reading them with illusion magic?
Thwack!
The Skull Principal hit him once more, then said,
“Write this down.”
“Yes.”
“The name of the evil god before it fell and disappeared was Sanguiros. Its worshippers called it the ‘Fair Regent.’ The old vampires of the west preferred it…”
Originally, information about such evil gods was not usually shared unless necessary.
Even the Skull Principal, who respected almost infinite freedom, tended to control certain kinds of knowledge, and knowledge about such evil gods was one of them.
According to the theory held by cynical archmages like the Skull Principal or the head of House Wardanaz, divinity was a power formed by the collective unconscious of mortals with souls.
Conversely, that meant that the moment one knew about such a being, one would inevitably become entangled with it.
Most of the time, it would not become a major problem. But very occasionally, when misfortune piled upon misfortune, a person’s life could become twisted.
Even the Prahgal cult, which usually seemed like a bunch of idiots who wanted to transform into disgusting tentacle chimeras…
…could urgently come to mind when a person fell into a desperate situation, because of the power of life and regeneration possessed by the evil god Prahgal.
Especially for Einroguard’s mages, who actively did all sorts of strange things, a bit more caution was necessary.
“But you’ll probably be fine.”
“Student Lee Han has already had so much contact with other evil gods that hiding it won’t change much anyway.”
“…Professor. Did I do something wrong?”
While it was one thing for the Skull Principal to say so, Professor Garcia’s words pierced sharply into his heart.
Such a resigned attitude!
It was hard to believe from Professor Garcia, who loved students.
“You didn’t. You didn’t. I’ve only half given up on Student Lee Han and decided to trust him.”
“Professor…!”
Lee Han was moved again. As expected of Professor Garcia.
“Why are you pretending not to hear the part about giving up?”
The Skull Principal continued the explanation, making sarcastic remarks from the side.
This evil god called Sanguiros uniquely had the title “Fair” attached to it, and the reason lay in the evil god’s characteristics.
When offerings were made, it bestowed power commensurate with them.
A layperson might ask, “What is so special about that?” but it actually was special.
In principle, divinity did not necessarily return favor just because something had been offered.
If such equivalent exchange were established, the Phoenix Tower students would all be using divine magic freely by now.
“That’s true. I was lucky enough to receive some divine magic, but generally, it’s difficult.”
“Student Lee Han, that wasn’t luck, it was just your mana… no. Never mind. Let’s keep listening.”
In any case, Sanguiros’s characteristic of promptly returning rewards gave its worshippers an extremely strong shock.
How attractive it must have felt compared to gods who gave no answer no matter how much they were called upon.
“That’s suspicious. There can’t be such a one-sidedly good deal.”
“Your intuition has improved a lot.”
Naturally, if it had ended there, the term evil god would not have been attached.
Sanguiros basically preferred offerings drenched in blood, and gave greater rewards to those who offered more blood.
Such a system was inevitably structured to bring violence and catastrophe…
“In the end, it was exposed and fell. Originally, bastards like that can’t last long.”
Compared to this Sanguiros, Prahgal or Ksaksarigol were rather well-behaved.
It was impossible not to draw attention when dyeing entire regions in blood.
“There must have been a large-scale subjugation.”
“Large-scale? Hmm… well. Something like that. Anyway, that is roughly the sort of being it was, so even if some unfamiliar stranger comes and tempts you by saying they will give you power through fair trade, don’t be fooled.”
“What kind of idiot do you take me for?”
“Don’t believe them even if they say they’ll teach you magic.”
Does the Principal really see me as an idiot?
Lee Han was slightly suspicious.
Otherwise, why would the Skull Principal worry like this…
“Be careful if anyone who likes blood and seems mysteriously strong is lurking around.”
“There seem to be quite a few people like that at Einroguard.”
“I’m already worried about the second semester, when you’ll have many occasions to go outside.”
The Skull Principal said this while looking at Professor Garcia.
From the second semester of the second year onward, Einroguard students had to secure gold coins through day labor—no, through legitimate and noble commissions.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to handle the insane magic costs that would begin in the third year.
Inevitably, occasions to go outside would increase dramatically, so it was impossible not to worry.
“Professor Bagreg will continue staying at Einroguard anyway, so what is there to worry about?”
Lee Han asked in confusion, but the Skull Principal ignored him and continued speaking with Professor Garcia.
“If we send out the Wardanaz boy alone, mage criminals will swarm like flies. If we attach Professor Bagreg, the remnants of evil god worshippers might swarm like mosquitoes.”
“It truly is a difficult problem.”
Like the problem of safely crossing a river with a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage, this problem was also complex to solve.
If they sent Student Lee Han out alone, mage criminals would attach themselves to him, and if they attached Professor Bagreg, evil god worshippers would attach themselves instead…
“!”
The Skull Principal, who had been pondering various solutions, frowned.
He felt a strange sense of unease from somewhere near the mansion outside the dungeon.
“There’s a mosquito buzzing near the mansion.”
“What? What crazy bastard?”
Lee Han was startled rather than frightened or trembling at the fact that a pursuer was lurking near the mansion.
In principle, this was a dragon’s mansion. Although Jowrin was still immature, her combat power was definitely not weak.
If anything, that makes it more dangerous.
He did not even want to imagine the destructive power of a dragon who could not control herself.
Moreover, were Einroguard’s Doom and the Skull Principal not here right now?
The water spirit seemed to think the same thing, stopping its dungeon maintenance in the corner and looking bewildered.
What insane mortal would be lurking around this area?
“It seems it really has been resurrected. Come out!”
When the Skull Principal gave an irritated command, the intruder who had only been searching for a way to climb over the wall and infiltrate the residence suddenly appeared at the end of the passage.
“!”
The intruder showed a look of surprise for a moment, but soon regained composure.
The opponent looked far too ordinary for someone who had entered the most dangerous place in the capital, and that was surprisingly shocking.
Wearing a worn brown tunic and holding a round workman’s copper plate in one hand, the intruder looked, to anyone’s eyes, like a worker belonging to a city guild.
However, as the intruder came closer, Lee Han was able to notice something out of place.
It was the eyes.
The worker’s eyes gleamed red with murderous intent.
“I-I have come here to pay my respects to the Archmage.”
A voice leaked from within the worker’s throat. It was a completely mismatched, unfamiliar voice that radiated intense power.
The Skull Principal seemed to find this entire situation, in which some worthless worshipper of evil gods had chased after him to pay respects, both humiliating and unpleasant.
He spoke while casting a gaze as if looking at an insect.
“If you came to pay respects, get to the point quickly and die. I don’t want to listen for long.”
“I-I will do so. Archmage, you have a grudge with us.”
“Do you think I have only one or two grudges with you lot?”
“B-But it was you, Archmage, who dealt us a fatal blow. S-So await our revenge.”
“I suppose you can stand at the very back of a long line.”
Even though a minion of the resurrected evil god cult had come to declare war, the Skull Principal remained indifferent.
“Are you done talking? It seems you are. Then…”
“Principal. His Majesty is still here.”
“Good point. Excellent.”
The Skull Principal praised his disciple for once.
There would be nothing good about showing Jowrin how to turn a person into powder.
If she later said, “Jowrin wants to try too!” and picked up the hobby, a summons would immediately fly in from the Imperial Palace.
“I’ll have to drag this one away and dispose of him. Your Majesty. I apologize for bringing such a worthless pest…”
An intruder!
Jowrin shouted belatedly. The Skull Principal and Lee Han looked at the {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} dragon with concern.
Had she perhaps been greatly shocked?
A dun… dungeon finally has an intruder! In Jowrin’s dungeon too!
Jowrin was indeed surprised.
In a slightly different direction from what the two had thought.
Intruders targeting dungeons did not enter just any dungeon. They entered only places that had value as dungeons.
“…Your Majesty. That person is actually a worshipper of evil gods and came chasing after the Principal…”
“Shh. Be quiet.”
The Skull Principal covered his disciple’s mouth.
Not only would there be nothing good about telling Jowrin the details about evil gods…
…but there seemed to be no need to ruin her mood when she was so happy.
***
“You don’t need to worry about it, junior. It was just a crazy worshipper of evil gods.”
“…”
Eandurde looked at his senior with a dubious expression.
After Lee Han had whispered in the corner with the Skull Principal and Professor Garcia for a while, then suddenly disposed of the intruder and said, “It was nothing much, just a crazy worshipper of evil gods,” it was difficult not to feel suspicious.
“…I understand.”
Still, Eandurde showed trust in his senior.
Even if there was something being hidden, he believed it was being hidden because he should not know about it.
Eandurde turned his gaze.
Jowrin had been still since earlier.
Seeing that serious expression, he worried that she might be pondering the sense of unease she had felt from the intruder.
If this dragon were to ask questions tactlessly…
I’ll have to step forward and persuade her.
Lee Han. Lee Han.
“What is it?”
The fact that this manor has been exposed to intruders means Jowrin could be in danger. Then shouldn’t Jowrin also temporarily relocate?
“Where to?”
A safe place would be good! Somewhere with many mages and an Imperial Mage Marshal too. Preferably somewhere that starts with “E” would be even better.
“Indeed.”
“What do you mean, ‘indeed’? Can’t you stop her!?”
The Skull Principal was horrified and scolded his disciple.
Who was she trying to bring along now?!
