Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 787

“…I’ll do my best.”

In the end, Lee Han had no choice but to say that. Karnella, who had been listening from the side, said indifferently,

“The person who was supposed to pay got dragged away. Do we really need to do this?”

“Karnella.”

Professor Yonramo spoke in a warning tone.

When a junior wanted to learn, how could a senior interfere with that?

Of course, Professor Yonramo had no ambition to challenge magic far beyond the professor’s own level, but that did not mean there was any need to drag a disciple down on purpose.

“Do not interfere.”

“Understood, Professor. I just feel sorry for him. Even if he practices the magic Senior Jarun left behind right now, I don’t think there’s much he can learn from it.”

The research Jarun was conducting was too difficult and complicated for a student who had just entered the second year to gain much from.

Rather than pouring time into completing <Jarun’s Inelastic Rubber> or <Jarun’s Surface-Membrane Lava>, it would be far more beneficial to learn the relatively easier second- to third-circle spells of the transformation magic school.

“Hasty judgments are forbidden. Lee Han may have decided there is something to learn from it. It isn’t as though Lee Han only has magic he is being forced to learn against his will by other professors…”

Professor!

Lee Han was slightly moved.

As expected, Professor Yonramo was someone who understood him.

“…There must also be magic he actually wants to learn. Like this magic.”

That isn’t it.

Lee Han regretted it.

He should have just said he was skipping lecture and helping because of the gold coins!

Professor Yonramo was clearly mistaken, thinking Lee Han was studying magic by pure choice.

“Indeed… these spells… hmm.”

Karnella thought this junior was slightly insane, but did not bother saying it aloud.

If Lee Han’s mood was provoked for no reason, the chance to befriend rare creatures like griffins or basilisks might disappear.

“Well then, everyone dismissed. Oh, right. Lee Han. Do you have <From Caterpillar to Dragon>?”

“Huh? Yes.”

Lee Han flinched.

After last year’s final exams ended, Professor Yonramo and Lee Han had had this conversation.

“It would be good to study that during the break. It’s quite a good magic book.”

“How much should I study?”

“As much as you can manage?”

From the professor’s perspective, it had been nothing more than a casual book recommendation, but it had not sounded that way to Lee Han.

It had sounded like he was being told to do his absolute best and come back having done as much as possible.

“How far did you read? Did you perhaps read Chapter Three too?”

“I read a little.”

“Is that so? Did you learn any of the magic in Chapter Three?”

“…I learned a little.”

“Then show me one during the next lecture. Everyone really is dismissed now!”

Professor Yonramo waved and left as lightly as the professor had arrived.

POP!

Karnella looked at the junior curiously and asked,

“You have <From Caterpillar to Dragon>? I heard that’s quite difficult. And Chapter Three magic… what did you learn?”

“I didn’t learn any.”

“What?”

“I haven’t learned any yet. What I read over the break only got me through Chapter One.”

“Junior. Why did you lie like that?”

“You’re asking that after watching {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Senior Jarun get swallowed by a cloak?”

That was his own fault, though…

Honestly, from Karnella’s perspective, even if Senior Jarun died after being dragged away, that should probably be considered a natural death.

All he had been asked to do was give one lecture, and he kept ignoring even that. It was only natural that even a good person like Professor Yonramo would resort to such methods.

“Professor Yonramo isn’t the type to scold you for not learning.”

“Ha! Every professor looks benevolent before revealing their true nature.”

“That is true…”

Karnella could not deny the junior’s statement either.

Einroguard professors could never be fully trusted until graduation.

“Let’s say that’s true. Junior. So what are you going to do? You only finished Chapter One.”

“I’ll have to reach Chapter Three by next week and find a spell to learn. Sigh.”

“…”

Isn’t this guy insane?

Karnella shuddered at Lee Han’s way of thinking, which could not possibly be called normal. Perhaps he had gone mad from taking all the schools of magic.

Would a normal person choose to catch up on the curriculum at that point?

“R-right. Junior. I respect you. Don’t forget I said that. Especially later, if there’s a competition or if you let me pet the baby basilisk.”

“Understood, senior. Could you perhaps help me with the casting?”

Lee Han asked while preparing the <Jarun’s Inelastic Rubber> experiment.

“Are you confident about this? It doesn’t seem very advanced yet, so there won’t be much margin.”

“It’s still very incomplete, but I think it can be cast at this level.”

“Really? Did I see it wrong?”

The tall dark elf senior tilted Karnella’s head.

When Karnella had looked at the research on <Jarun’s Inelastic Rubber> earlier, it had not even seemed castable.

There was a world of difference between a level where one could forcibly cast and summon matter, even if it disappeared shortly afterward, and a level where casting itself was impossible.

Even for research, the former was far more convenient. With the latter, one could not even see it with one’s eyes or touch it with one’s hands.

Did I confuse the two?

“!”

Surprisingly, Karnella realized the mistake had indeed been on Karnella’s side.

Looking at the magic formula again, casting itself did seem possible at this level.

The mana consumption would be enormous, and it would put quite a burden on the mage, but at least at this level…

“Senior Jarun is peculiar. How did he prepare this magic intending to cast it? It looks like he’d collapse after using it once.”

“Ah. I modified it for my own use.”

“What? When? You didn’t have time for that.”

“I calculated and modified it after receiving it from Senior Jarun, while the professor was knocking on the door.”

“…”

Karnella felt a chill run down the spine.

…What the hell is this guy?

*****

Lee Han came outside after finishing his work. Naturally, he had recorded every second of working time in the ledger without exception.

“You bastard, get those filthy hands away right now!”

“That’s my line, shameless fool. Go seduce juniors from your own tower!”

“To say something that proves you know nothing of Einroguard club spirit… I absolutely cannot yield to you…”

“?”

Lee Han tilted his head at the sound of people gathering and fighting.

Quite a few students had gathered, and aside from a few, the rest seemed to be watching the fight.

“Senior Sebius.”

“Who… Oh, it was you?”

The hamster beastkin senior, a fourth-year from the Black Turtle Tower, gestured to Lee Han upon seeing him.

“What’s going on?”

“Something that happens often. Clubs are fighting over a junior.”

“Ah. Like what happened with me.”

“Similar. Look over there.”

Sebius pointed at a student in the middle of the fight.

“That one belongs to the Hunters Club. The one in front is from the Statue-Making Club. The one next to that is from the Outing Club.”

“I see.”

Lee Han felt slightly relieved whenever he heard the names of Einroguard’s unofficial clubs.

At least they could not forcibly drag him away.

“Are you also looking for new members, senior?”

“No. I came to retrieve a book.”

Sebius jerked his chin toward the backpack of another student watching the fight.

“That bastard was using the book I lent out as a pillow.”

“…I, I see.”

Lee Han decided not to worry about his senior’s purpose and tried to keep watching the fight.

Students from each club were fighting in all kinds of outfits, and second-year Nillia, caught between them, looked troubled…

…?!!

Lee Han was startled at the sight of his familiar friend.

Why was she there?!

“What?!”

“What’s wrong?”

“My friend is over there?”

“Your friend? Hmm…”

Sebius thought, Your friend would be strange too, wouldn’t they?

“What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all. Your friend is quite popular.”

“If someone from the Northern Mountain Shadow Patrol doesn’t join the Hunters Club, where else would she go?!”

“Is origin the only thing in your head? Look at this statue. Can’t you feel this talent?”

“You’re all wrong. This sociable junior should join the Outing Club. She’s a talent who can blend into any ballroom!”

“Could Nillia get hurt?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. They’re only fighting among themselves.”

Sebius carefully took out a staff, chanted a spell, and extended it toward the backpack of the student absorbed in watching the fight.

Then the staff sank into the backpack as if being sucked into liquid.

SWOOSH!

Sebius carefully pulled out the book and put it in a backpack with a satisfied expression. The other student did not even notice what had happened.

“But they’re fighting too much.”

“Well… talents worth recruiting into clubs aren’t common.”

“What if they all try to recruit her?”

“That’s impossible. Clubs usually don’t go that far.”

“…”

Lee Han looked at his senior with a bitter, sorrowful gaze. Sebius belatedly noticed that look and felt a pang of conscience.

“…You’re a special case. Who told you to be so eye-catching?”

“That’s too harsh.”

“Those are unofficial clubs, so they don’t have the authority to force membership. And even if they did, they wouldn’t force a junior to join unless the case was truly exceptional.”

One had to reach the level where failing to recruit the person would bring lifelong mockery from other clubs and beatings from one’s own club members before forced recruitment became an option.

Originally, Einroguard clubs greatly respected mages’ free will.

“…”

Of course, Lee Han’s mood did not improve much.

Meanwhile, the bewildered Nillia spotted Lee Han.

“…Help me!”

Lee Han was flustered by his friend’s desperate gaze.

“Senior. Could I sneak my friend away?”

“Just tell her to join one club.”

“Do you know what kind of places Einroguard clubs are to say such nonsense?”

“That’s only because you joined difficult, strange clubs. There are plenty of normal clubs too.”

Sebius grumbled irritably, but eventually granted the junior’s request.

“Fine. I’ll draw their attention, so take her away in the meantime.”

“Thank you!”

Lee Han bowed his head. Then he signaled to Nillia.

I’ll approach soon. Prepare to escape.

Wait. But how is he going to draw attention?

“The Skull Principal! The Skull Principal is attacking!!!!”

Screams and chaos erupted.

Lee Han cast invisibility magic and ran through the pandemonium, impressed.

I learned something.

*****

“So what exactly happened?”

“Huff, huff… It’s, it’s a long story.”

Nillia spoke while breathing heavily.

“How long could it be? Tell me.”

“So…”

She had met some Black Turtle Tower upperclassmen, and the upperclassmen had liked Nillia so much that they fought over bringing her into their clubs. When she ran away from that, she accidentally met a Phoenix Tower senior from the alchemy school, and that led to befriending Phoenix Tower upperclassmen. During that, club talk came up again…

“…Hmm. Longer than I expected.”

“I told you it was long! Ugh.”

Nillia put a hand on her stomach, as if merely thinking about the upperclassmen made it hurt.

Having to choose just one out of all those proposals.

“Right. How did you choose one?”

“Nillia. I just got recruited into all of them.”

“…”

An awkward silence lingered between the two friends for a moment. Nillia turned her gaze away with an embarrassed expression and kicked a stone on the roadside.

“Ugh… Ughhh…”

“?!”

“A, a monster!”

Nillia was horrified by the unidentified monster that appeared where the stone had rolled.

The creature had a terrible appearance, like a chimera that had completely melted in a poisonous swamp. Even after seeing all kinds of monsters at Einroguard, this was the first time she had seen one like this.

“Wardanaz! Be careful!”

“Boy from House Wardanaz… do you remember me… I am Antagondals… as the price for luring you away… I became like this…”

“???”

Nillia turned her head in surprise.

She had not known her friend knew this creature.

Lee Han answered shamelessly, without the slightest change in expression.

“Excuse me, but I’m not sure. Who are you?”

“…”