Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 830
At Perkuntra’s comment, which felt worse than outright profanity, Lee Han replied curtly.
Perkuntra asked back, confused.
You mean the Pride Duke hasn’t sent you a letter?
“Why would a demon send me a letter?”
Don’t be absurd. A lesser demon might be one thing, but a demon of the Pride Duke’s caliber does not attack without warning. Especially not an opponent he has acknowledged.
“Oh… So if I never receive the letter, he’ll just keep not attacking?”
…
Perkuntra looked at Lee Han as if he were pathetic.
The thunder suddenly died down. Only dark clouds circled mournfully near the ceiling, leaving the students bewildered.
What? Did Wardanaz tell some kind of sad story?
He said he’s taking every school, didn’t he? If I were a spirit, I’d pity him too.
If the Pride Duke knew you were scheming like this, the look on his face would be something to see.
A mage he had acknowledged as a rival was asking whether he could avoid fighting forever by simply not receiving any letters.
If the Pride Duke ever found out, he might tremble at the sheer sordidness of it.
“No. The other party is a devil duke, and I’m just a mage. Isn’t it strange to send me that kind of proposal in the first place? If I were a magic duke and the other party was a lesser demon, I’d accept proposals too.”
From Lee Han’s perspective, it was completely absurd.
He didn’t care whether the Pride Duke wanted revenge or had acknowledged him as a rival.
If the other party was a devil duke, then the other party should pick fights with other devil dukes. Or at least Imperial dukes. Why pick a fight with an Einroguard student?
And then he thinks it’s dishonorable if I refuse. Shameless, brazen bastard. Just like a demon.
…Do you not know the old tales? Mages who defeat demons in duels receive precious treasures and powers as compensation… You’re not listening.
“I am listening.”
Your eyes show no interest whatsoever.
The mage who usually became sharp-eyed and attentive whenever anything useful came up was now listening with half an ear. Naturally, Perkuntra noticed.
Perkuntra couldn’t understand it.
Becoming the nemesis of a powerful demon was both an opportunity and an honor for a mage.
Of course, defeat might bring some unspeakable fate, but anyone who made those calculations had no business being a mage in the first place.
Naturally, one should feel grateful for the opportunity and plan to seize new power after victory in the next duel.
And it wasn’t as though the boy before Perkuntra was weak.
Fine. If no letter came, then no letter came. Why are you here?
“I’d like you to introduce me to a spirit.”
The dark clouds circling mournfully near the ceiling grew even darker and began to drizzle.
The White Tiger Tower students became convinced Lee Han had definitely mentioned taking every school.
Or maybe he said he has to babysit those tower pests too.
Ragesa, watching from behind, asked curiously.
“What in the world are you saying to make the spirit pity you that much?”
Isn’t it time you gave up? The fact that lesser spirits flee at the sight of you is not something that can be solved by force. You might as well subjugate them by force and capture them. Though that would spread terrible rumors among spirits…
“…Not that kind of spirit.”
Lee Han glared, then explained.
He was trying to make a new staff. He intended to use black magnetite, and the material that could endure such black magnetite would naturally have to be wood. And that wood…
“Ah. Could you perhaps solve this directly, Lord Perkuntra?”
I command thunder and lightning and rule over fear. I do not craft staffs like an artisan.
“…”
He hadn’t expected much after Princess Yukbeltire’s explanation, but hearing it directly was still disappointing.
Why had he met the Thunder King instead of a Forest King or Sacred Tree King?
If it had been a wood-aspect Spirit King, resolving the spirit dwelling would have been much easier.
The powers of spirits are not ranked by superiority. Just as I wield destructive power that connects heaven and earth, wood spirits cannot wield this power…
“I see.”
…
An awkward silence lingered.
Lee Han quickly changed the subject.
“So could you introduce me to one?”
Hmm. A spirit who wields the power of wood… The Ancient Pine Duke comes to mind. He was once the master of a truly beautiful forest.
Duke!
At least it was duke-class.
Lee Han asked in an expectant voice. Even if it wasn’t a king, that level should still be useful.
“What kind of spirit is he?”
A fellow who once challenged me and was soundly defeated. He fled underground where my lightning could not reach him.
“…What about another spirit?”
There is General Longgrowth. He commanded all vegetation as his servants.
“Did you fight him too, by any chance?”
How did you know?
“…”
Lee Han began to regret this.
He hadn’t realized Perkuntra’s relationships with other spirits were this bad.
I didn’t think it would be this awful. Even demons might be friendlier.
Perkuntra seemed closer to the Pride Duke than to other great spirits.
As if reading his contractor’s impious thoughts, Perkuntra began searching through memory and ability.
Wait a moment.
The corridor, which had gone quiet, grew deafening again.
As the students flinched from the thunder and lightning, Ragesa shouted.
“Stay still, you foolish brats! Can’t you tell the difference between magic meant to attack you and magic that isn’t? Look! When will you ever see something like this again?”
“…!”
At those words, the students lifted their heads and stared at the scene before them.
It’s a spirit!
Cracks connected to the Spirit Realm appeared and vanished throughout the air. Lightning bolts shot through those cracks. They were messages Perkuntra was sending.
Students with spirit contracts and deep affinity could hear explanations of what was happening.
“Wardanaz is using a spirit’s power to find dimensions he can visit!”
“…Uh, is it normally this intense?”
A student from the summoning magic school asked in confusion.
Usually, preparing to find and enter a new dimension wasn’t this noisy.
You calmly detected dimensions according to maps and records, used various spells to establish a connection, and quietly visited the detected dimension.
But the cracks now appearing in the air were strange.
Every time lightning shot through a crack and vanished, wooden spears burst out from within and attacked Perkuntra.
Perkuntra cursed.
Insolent bastards! If you don’t want to answer, simply ignore me! Why respond like this?
“…”
Lee Han almost said, Anyone would be angry if you hurled lightning into their territory to deliver a message, but stopped.
After all, Perkuntra was doing this for him.
“…Wardanaz. I’m not trying to doubt your magic or interfere, but is this really all right?”
Giselle asked cautiously.
She didn’t want to be the idiot who interrupted someone’s concentration during spellcasting, but this looked very strange.
What kind of violent battle was this supposed to be, just to find a dimension to visit through a spirit’s power?
It looked less like finding a dimension and more like finding one to conquer.
“It’s because he’s a lightning spirit. Lightning spirits are naturally this intense even when they’re just sending messages.”
“?”
Ragesa looked at Lee Han as if he had just said something ridiculous.
“What kind of bull—”
“Oh my. Sorry! He’s telling me to concentrate!”
Lee Han pretended Perkuntra had called him and quickly avoided Ragesa’s gaze.
FLASH!
A streak of lightning entered a rift.
This time, a butterfly returned.
Perkuntra answered with joy, practically bouncing.
A reply came back!
“Really?”
Yes. Congratulations. The other party is… er…
Lee Han grew uneasy when Perkuntra, who normally boomed without hesitation, began to falter.
“Is it the Pride Duke?”
…I told you we were communicating with spirits! Why would it be the Pride Duke?!
You’re the one who brought him up first.
Lee Han grumbled inwardly.
Why did it have to be this fellow… Hmm… Agh. Fine, I’ll just tell you. Among the high-ranking wood spirits I know, the one who answered is the Broadcloth King.
“Broadcloth?”
A king of cloth made from cotton.
It sounded like a warm, cozy sort of spirit.
No. The Madwood King.
“…”
Lee Han shuddered at the title.
Perhaps sensing his contractor’s reaction, Perkuntra hurriedly explained.
You don’t have to go. I don’t particularly like the Madwood King either. He is an extremely eccentric and strange fellow. However, he is the only one who invited you to visit. He says he will keep the rift open for a week, and that you may come if you wish.
“If I visit, I won’t get ambushed, attacked, or assassinated, will I?”
In the worst case, he might be captured and forced to become a disciple.
Lee Han regarded the invitation with deep suspicion.
No. Since he invited you, that cannot happen. Guests are protected by the laws of hospitality.
Oh?
Lee Han thought this might actually be useful.
If he was protected, Professor Ingledel’s assignment would be easier to complete, and if he was lucky, he might even obtain material for the staff.
“If I’m protected by the rules, ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) isn’t that completely advantageous for me? Is there any reason not to go?”
As I said, he is extremely eccentric and strange.
“…How exactly?”
Perkuntra showed a rare expression of reluctance.
I cannot tell you more about his identity. He and I made a pact to protect each other’s true names.
Several high-ranking spirits had made pacts with one another to prevent their information from leaking to beings from other dimensions.
Ironically, those who knew the most about spirits were other spirits.
In other words, if a mage appeared who knew suspiciously much about a spirit, that mage had either dug up records from ancient texts or met another spirit who knew that spirit and learned it that way.
“…Let me discuss this with my friends for a moment.”
As you wish. I will not force you.
“Are there really no other replies?”
…
When Lee Han sensed Perkuntra’s usual vigor deflating, he felt a little guilty.
There was nothing ruder than repeatedly asking someone with no friends whether they had any friends.
Just as Lee Han himself would get angry if someone asked, Wardanaz, why do spirits keep running away from you?
“It’s fine. Where else would I receive an invitation from a Spirit King-level being? That alone is more than enough to be grateful for.”
…You mage. You have grown quite a bit.
After comforting Perkuntra, Lee Han quickly gathered his friends.
Ragesa, though uninvited, listened with great interest.
“Everyone. I have good news and bad news.”
“!”
“First, I’ve been invited to a Spirit King’s domain.”
Short screams broke out among the students.
Ragesa was impressed as well.
Even if this was an invitation rather than a contract, it was still an extraordinary achievement. Many mages grew old and died without ever meeting a king-level spirit.
Even Einroguard upperclassmen would offer ancient artifacts or sacrifices of equivalent value when attempting to contact such high-ranking spirits.
Yet this boy had succeeded through his own power alone.
“Wh-what’s the bad news?!”
“That is the bad news.”
“…?”
“???”
Everyone present stared at him in bewilderment.
Giselle asked as calmly as she could.
“Then what’s the good news?”
“That I don’t have to go.”
“…”
At her friend’s calm reply, Giselle felt a chill as if a Frost Giant’s blade had brushed her spine.
If Wardanaz is acting like this, then this definitely isn’t something we can just celebrate…
“What kind of nonsense is that? Isn’t visiting a Spirit King’s domain good in itself?”
“Shut that idiot up.”
Giselle gave the order firmly.
The White Tiger Tower students hurriedly covered Anglago’s mouth.
“Mmph!”
“Sorry, Anglago.”
“He isn’t wrong, though. Usually, receiving an invitation is an opportunity.”
When Ragesa spoke with a sly smile, Giselle replied in disbelief.
“If that Wardanaz is acting like this, then there’s no way it’s just an opportunity.”
“That kid is naturally cautious and… how disappointing.”
“?”
“I thought he’d be as brave as Jiklin, since they’re siblings. I suppose this daughter of Torgerd misjudged him.”
“…Who says I can’t go in? Move aside, Wardanaz!”
“M-Moradi. Why are you acting like this too?”
Lee Han, rarely flustered, tried to stop Giselle.
