Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 790

“Professor. Actually…”

Filled with indignation, Lee Han reported what had happened to Professor Willow.

The wood spirit inside this wand was truly an insufferable fellow.

Fine. He could accept that it was an excellent spirit with various powers.

But if it lived inside a wand, shouldn’t it show some consideration for the mage using it?

Even after Lee Han fought the Frost Giant King and the Ghoul King, it still grumbled that it was “not enough yet.”

At this point, it should be called a Destruction Spirit rather than a wood spirit. It seemed as if it would not be satisfied until Lee Han met his doom.

“I-I see.”

Professor Willow was flustered when the boy of House Wardanaz put his wand on trial and filed a complaint against it.

He had only asked a simple question because the spirit in the wand was still complaining about not being awakened, but he had not expected such a lengthy grievance in return.

“Of course, maintaining friendships with spirits is difficult… Even I, with spirit blood flowing through me, sometimes find it overwhelming. But if you listen carefully, you can understand a spirit’s thoughts.”

“For example, the master’s destruction?”

“…Usually, it does not go that far. Hmm. I think… this spirit was likely quite high-ranking.”

Professor Willow spoke while carefully examining Lee Han’s wand.

Multiple powers and a strong desire to prove its own abilities.

That was typically the sort of behavior shown by high-ranking spirits.

“But Professor, I don’t quite understand. High-ranking spirits aren’t usually like this, are they?”

Lee Han asked back, unable to understand.

Though Lee Han was unpopular with low- and mid-ranking spirits, he had connections with powerful high-ranking spirits, so he knew the difference between them well.

The stronger a spirit became, the more not only its power, but also its ego and intelligence increased, and its very existence ascended to a higher level.

Just look at Perkuntra.

Unlike other spirits, didn’t it have a true name, titles, spirits under its command, territory, and powers?

By contrast, the spirit in Lee Han’s wand had never spoken a single word or shown any distinct powers.

And yet it was high-ranking?

That sounded like calling Gainando an archmage of the dark magic school.

“That’s right. It isn’t typical.”

Professor Willow continued the explanation while tapping the leaves hanging like a beard.

“But there are occasional exceptions. High-ranking spirits that have been sealed or imprisoned and lost their power. Such spirits have lost their strength, but they retain their dignity.”

“!”

Lee Han was surprised by the professor’s explanation.

The spirit of the wooden wand, which he had casually assumed was low-ranking, was actually a high-ranking spirit with a true name.

“Its request to awaken its powers may also be for that reason. It can recover its strength through resonance with its master.”

There were various ways for a spirit that had suffered great damage and lost its power to recover, and one of them was receiving help from the mage it had contracted with.

As the mage borrowed and used the spirit’s remaining weak powers, that strength would gradually be amplified.

Though it would be a long, long road, once it crossed a critical threshold, the spirit could regain its original power through powerful resonance.

Oh. Hearing it that way makes me feel a little sorry.

Lee Han reflected on Professor Willow’s words.

It had not been intentional, and he might not have been able to use it properly anyway, but he had thought the wand had a truly stubborn and nasty personality. From the other party’s perspective, however, that might not have been the case.

As the master, he was supposed to repeatedly use and strengthen the powers so the spirit could gradually recover its own strength. Since he had not done that, how frustrated must it have been?

“Wait a moment, Professor. I don’t know about the other powers, but in the case of the Authority of Resilience, the spirit told me to use stronger magic, not to replace it with my mana. If it wants to recover, shouldn’t it use its powers little by little, even if they’re weak?”

“If it could use its powers that flexibly, it would not be a sealed spirit. For a high-ranking spirit to recover an existence worthy of its dignity, the mage must also display corresponding ability.”

The wood spirit’s powers were highly difficult to use.

Instead of compromising and using the Authority of Resilience weakly, Lee Han had to learn stronger magic and encounter stronger enemies to awaken that authority.

Hmm. I take back feeling sorry.

Lee Han immediately withdrew his sympathy.

This was not Lee Han’s fault. It was the spirit’s fault.

What was that lunatic expecting from a second-year Einroguard student?

At this point, it really seems more like a Destruction Spirit than a wood spirit.

“I see. Thank you, Professor.”

“It would be best not to rush this awakening.”

“Haha. Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Since Lee Han had no intention of rushing, he immediately agreed with Professor Willow.

“Sealed spirits like this are particularly violent and vicious.”

“I see… Wait a moment, Professor. Aren’t all high-ranking spirits violent and vicious?”

As an example, there was a certain Pe- spirit.

Spirits with power were basically arrogant and violent.

“That isn’t true. Spirits have all sorts of temperaments. For example, the Thunder King contracted with you, young one, is quite refined, isn’t he?”

“…?!”

Lee Han was shocked by the claim that Perkuntra was refined.

Among spirits, Perkuntra counted as refined?

That makes no sense. What exactly are spirits?

“The Oak Trees gave you this gift, didn’t they? If the Oak Trees were managing it, then this spirit was sealed by other spirits.”

Sealed spirits were usually divided into two types.

Spirits sealed while fighting evil enemies, and spirits sealed by their fellow spirits.

The former often included decent spirits, but the latter were mostly violent and vicious spirits.

How much chaos and trouble must they have caused for fellow spirits to seal them away?

“De… Destruction Spirit!”

“?”

Professor Willow tilted his head at Lee Han’s words.

It was a spirit he had never heard of.

“No, giving me something like this. What grudge do those Oak Trees have against me?”

“Ah. That isn’t it. There is a misunderstanding. After reflecting for so long, its temper would have cooled somewhat, so they probably gave it to you in the hope that it would follow a young mage, help him, and atone.”

“…”

Even after hearing the explanation, Lee Han did not feel much better.

The troublemaker spirit’s rehabilitation should be handled among spirits, so why drag Lee Han into it?

“From what I can see, with your abilities, you should be able to persuade this spirit and become friends with it. Haha…”

“Haha, haha, hahahaha.”

Lee Han laughed artificially while making a firm resolution.

When I make a new wand, I’ll have to ignore this spirit’s opinion…

*****

“Wardanaz. This is a red maple.”

“I see.”

“This is a blue maple. This is a black maple. This is a jade maple…”

“…There’s no need to distinguish and memorize maple trees that precisely…”

Excited to explain the greenhouse, Nillia ignored Lee Han’s words.

“What surprised me is that this greenhouse has trees I used to see in the Northern Mountains. Over there. Let’s go to the cold, dry climate zone!”

I should have come with someone other than Nillia.

After thoroughly showing him around her favorite plants, Nillia finally seemed satisfied and began giving him a proper explanation.

“During the last lecture, each of us took charge of a section of this vegetable garden. We’ll be growing them throughout the semester. Last week, your friends divided up your section and took care of it for you, Wardanaz.”

“Nillia!”

Lee Han was slightly moved by his friends’ consideration.

Even in the bleak wasteland of Einroguard, such friendship existed.

Friendship like that always moved people…

“…Wait. Isn’t this a mandrake seedling?”

Lee Han, worthy of being the top student of the year, identified the plant just from the shape of the leaves in the vegetable garden.

Nillia was impressed by that ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) ability.

“That’s amazing! How did you get it right?”

“…”

Despite her admiration, Lee Han glared at Nillia with a sense of betrayal rather than joy.

“How could you plant mandrakes in my vegetable garden while I was away? Isn’t that too much?”

Even though Lee Han took lectures one step more difficult than the others, he had never expected his friends to start acting like professors too.

This really felt like betrayal.

“What? No, no! I planted mandrakes too!”

Nillia jumped and denied the absurd misunderstanding.

All the other friends had planted mandrakes in their vegetable gardens too.

The seedlings Professor Willow had given them in the first place were mandrake seedlings…

“Ah. So the semester assignment was just mandrakes. Wait. Nillia. Earlier, you said it wasn’t much.”

It wasn’t much. Since it was the first lecture, the professor explained what kind of class it was and showed us rare and interesting plants…

Lee Han asked, remembering what Nillia had said earlier.

Nillia answered in confusion.

“It wasn’t much, was it? We just received seedlings and planted them.”

“…Nillia, you’ve gotten pretty used to Einroguard too. Calling the planting of mandrake seedlings ‘nothing much.’”

“…!!!”

When Lee Han sighed and spoke as though he pitied her, Nillia nearly collapsed from injustice and anger.

Hey! If you say something like that…!

It was truly unfair for a friend who ended with “I should be careful” even when an insane duplicate was targeting the outskirts of the estate to say something like that.

“Grrrgh…!”

“What’s wrong?”

“…Nothing. Look. I’ll teach you how to take care of mandrake seedlings.”

Lee Han nodded and listened attentively.

Though he had learned from books, it would be much better to hear from Nillia, who had learned directly from Professor Willow.

“First, water them like this.”

Nillia poured water from the bucket into a watering can and began sprinkling it over the mandrake seedlings.

“Water… them.”

Lee Han, who was taking notes, suddenly felt puzzled.

Couldn’t she just use water magic?

Unlike Gainando, who was not good at water magic, Nillia had spirits and knew how to use basic water magic.

Then why was she moving around manually like that?

“I see. Mandrakes prefer pure water rather than water touched by magic. I didn’t know that.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Nillia’s ears perked up, as if she did not understand what her friend was saying.

“Since you didn’t summon water with magic and instead scooped stream water with a bucket…”

“Ah. That.”

Nillia, who had already emptied the watering can, stretched her back once and then refilled it.

“I have to give them five buckets’ worth, so I’m saving mana. They drink too much water. It’s a waste to use magic.”

“…I’ll just summon the water.”

When Lee Han summoned water, Nillia looked at her friend with eyes that seemed to say he was precious beyond words.

As always, the boy of House Wardanaz had the greatest presence during simple, repetitive labor like this.

SPLASH!

A mass of water summoned from the air continuously filled the bucket. The work progressed quickly.

“Huff, huff. Good. This should be enough to quench the mandrakes’ thirst.”

Nillia spoke while sweating profusely.

The mandrake leaves had grown moist, but Nillia seemed to have dried out a little in the meantime.

“Why don’t you drink some water first?”

“Ah. I’ll drink after I’m done. I don’t have time for that. Now. Next, we need to catch the mana aphids. They appear once the mandrakes finish drinking water. These guys are transparent, you see? So we need to make this potion to reveal their forms.”

Nillia put the prepared potion into the watering can and began searching for pests hidden near the seedlings.

Seeing Nillia move without rest in the hot, humid greenhouse air, Lee Han shook his head.

“This lecture must be quite difficult.”

“What are you talking about? This is an easy lecture.”

“You’re saying that while working nonstop before the lecture has even started?”

“But Wardanaz, you take lectures way harder than this. Last year, you managed the vegetable garden and the stables every dawn. This year, you even joined multiple clubs…”

“…”

Hit by his friend’s words, Lee Han turned the watering can toward Nillia.