Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 1055

I need to block any information related to evil deities. I absolutely have to make him shut up.

“Toman.”

“?”

The dwarven mage, who had been paralyzed with fear, turned his head at the call.

The Einroguard-born mage with sculpted features was secretly speaking to him.

“You stupid fool. I almost lost my achievement because of you. You should have told only me in secret.”

“…!”

Toman’s eyes widened.

So right now…?

“If you want to make a deal, never tell the others. Got it?”

“I-I understand. I get it…! But you people are Einroguard mages, aren’t you? You come from the same place, so why on earth are you secretly…?”

Toman had naturally heard of Einroguard before.

Was it not one of the magic schools that led the Empire like one of a pair of twin horses?

“What’s with this bastard?”

“Huh? What? Is it not?”

“…That’s not what’s important. Never mind.”

Lee Han was about to ask something else, but stopped.

Not only was it unimportant, but even if he heard the answer, it would probably only make him angry.

“I-I thought you were close colleagues from the same magic school…”

Toman had definitely thought they were close colleagues, but to think they were competing like this. Toman could not understand it.

Lee Han said coldly.

“Hmph. They’re just competitors I’ll have to trample and climb over someday.”

Scary!

Toman got goosebumps at those words.

To think those friendly-looking mages were actually hiding knives behind their backs and competing with one another.

Even inside a magic school, all sorts of schemes and plots were rampant.

All magic schools might really be like this.

“Keke. I’m from a great noble family. If you break your promise, I’ll destroy you.”

“Ah… I understand. I get it!”

Toman surrendered completely to the threat of the evil great noble. Lee Han felt deeply exhausted.

Damn evil deity worshippers. I’ll never forgive them.

Lee Han first sent a paper bird to Professor Garcia. Its contents said that an evil deity worshipper had been discovered.

Unless the opponent was an idiot, the worshipper would have seen the commotion in Toman’s room and fled immediately, but Lee Han still had to report it.

Then he called Professor Voladi, who was waiting downstairs.

“Professor! We caught him!”

“Ah, can’t I tell the person downstairs either?”

“I said no, you bastard. Do you want to taste the cruel revenge of a great noble family? Huh?”

“Ah, I understand! I said I understand!”

Toman trembled.

To think this mage was secretly competing even against the master who had taught him.

Einroguard was truly a terrifying place.

***

Professor Voladi Bagreg was waiting on the street below the inn window.

Rough mercenaries passing by spotted the mage, whose attire was clearly different from the rest, and tried to pick a fight, but as soon as they made eye contact, they quickly lowered their heads.

Strange.

The original plan was as follows.

But Professor Voladi was not too worried.

With the disciple’s skills, Lee Han could subdue everyone staying in a place like this with one hand, and with the other hand, he could even call for support.

But the situation flowed toward the most unexpected possibility.

Bewitched by something, Toman obediently opened the door and was subdued without a fight.

Although there was quite a difference in height and distance, Professor Voladi was checking the situation inside the room with echolocation magic.

Why isn’t he reporting?

Professor Voladi wondered whether there had been an accident inside.

If someone had been hurt…

It would be the prince.

Lee Han and Giselle were not students who would get hurt, so it could only be Gainando. Professor Voladi thought there might have been a mistake during the subduing that caused an injury.

—Professor! We caught him!

Pop!

Professor Voladi flew through the air and entered through the window. Toman, gagged, was sprawled among the students.

“Toman. I arrest you for the crime of stealing corpses from the western cemetery and the crime of stealing fourteen horses from a ranch. The Empire’s court will judge you.”

“Mmph mmph mmph.”

“?”

Professor Voladi felt puzzled once again.

The captured Toman’s reaction was strange.

Normally, he should have shown regret or fear, but the man kept glancing at Wardanaz as if trying to gauge something.

A deal?

It was not easy to fool a battle mage who had been through countless trials. Professor Voladi suspected that Lee Han and this dwarven mage had made some kind of deal in that brief span of time.

It was not particularly surprising. This fearless disciple always wanted trials and hardships of a higher difficulty than what was given.

Just look at how he had secretly participated in the expedition chasing monsters from the void beyond dimensions last time. This was something that could not be stopped even if someone tried.

If Lee Han had secretly heard information about a dangerous criminal because he wanted to catch that criminal himself…

Professor Voladi glanced at Lee Han. It seemed the disciple would need to be watched for a while.

Surely Professor Voladi didn’t notice.

Lee Han felt uneasy inside.

Professor Voladi’s gaze felt subtly different from usual, creating a strange sense of unease.

“Take him down.”

“Yes. Understood.”

The professor sent Lee Han down first, then questioned the weakest link—Gainando.

“What happened?”

Gainando explained exactly what had occurred.

The door opened, and Lee Han and Giselle beat up the poor dwarven mage…

“He kept chattering, so Lee Han got angry and told him to shut up.”

“I see.”

Professor Voladi felt the hypothesis gaining strength.

If Lee Han had acted out of a desire to monopolize information, that reaction made sense too.

“Didn’t you think it was strange?”

“It was a bit strange.”

“Not strange at all? Lee Han was always like that.”

Giselle’s and Gainando’s reactions split.

At those reactions, Professor Voladi hesitated. It seemed Gainando was closer to the disciple after all.

“Is that so.”

“…Professor. You’re not listening to the prince, are you? Wardanaz was strange. It’s obvious.”

“Moradi. What did you whisper?”

“I said your words were persuasive.”

“Thanks!”

Gainando grinned broadly.

His friends had said various things about this northern elf friend who led the White Tiger Tower, but it seemed there had been some misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, Lee Han returned. Professor Voladi stared intently at the disciple and said,

“Wardanaz.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t do anything dangerous.”

“…???!”

Lee Han was completely bewildered.

What was this about?

***

This is not good news.

The Skull Principal sighed after checking the dwarven mage Professor Garcia had captured and the nearby inn employees. In truth, “captured” was not quite accurate. It was closer to them trembling and surrendering even though Professor Garcia had only asked them questions.

It was quite a coincidence, but even accounting for that, it was clear that Sanguilos’s followers were rapidly increasing.

“P-please spare me. Just spare my life! Please!”

Seems like it’s your first time seeing a floating skull. It’s not necessarily a sign of death. Sometimes it’s a symbol of good fortune too.

The Skull Principal comforted the young servant.

If someone lacked experience with undead monsters, it would not be strange to be frightened at the sight of the Skull Principal’s smooth skull.

“N-no. Lord Imperial Mage Marshal! I saw Lord Imperial Mage Marshal entering the capital two years ago! Please don’t feed me to that troll monster over there!”

“…”

Professor Garcia felt wronged.

Professor Garcia had clearly asked nicely!

Hey.

Oops.

As the Skull Principal’s voice turned cold, Professor Garcia felt a chill for the first time in a while.

That was truly a sign of danger.

If you want to survive in this manor, watch your tongue. If you babble like that one more time, I’ll tear your soul to shreds and feed it to the hounds of hell.

“Eh, hey. Why are you being like this, Principal?”

Carve letters on that bastard’s forehead and tongue. So the capital folk can see. I should have hung that count bastard longer last time. These idiots have already forgotten and are acting like this.

“Really, don’t do that. He’s still young.”

The servant looked at Professor Garcia with moved eyes.

At first, he had thought Professor Garcia was a frightening monster, but it turned out the professor was the kindest person in this eerie mage’s manor.

Young, my ass. Old enough to kill people means old enough to die too.

“So, so that old stable keeper disappeared, right?”

“Y-yes!”

“If he appears again, don’t hesitate to call us. He is a very dangerous and suspicious criminal. He is qualitatively different from the mercenaries staying at the inn.”

“Y-yes!”

The Skull Principal, still not having calmed his irritation, swept a blue gaze over everyone from the innkeeper to the employees and declared,

Call the guards. Lock them all up.

“Oh, oh my. Please! From now on, I’ll only accept people whose identities have been confirmed!”

“Principal. This isn’t our manor, so don’t go too far… Strange rumors will spread in the capital.”

Professor Garcia spoke while thinking of the disciple’s reputation.

The disciple already carried dangerous and suspicious rumors, so nothing good would come from doing such things at that disciple’s villa.

Rumors of a terrifying manor might already be spreading…

It’s the Wardanaz manor anyway, so what? What is Wardanaz doing?

“He is accompanying Professor Voladi Bagreg on the remaining hunt.”

Good grief. How much does he love bounty hunting?

“…You told him to follow, Principal…!”