Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 865
want to believe I misheard that.
If Lee Han had heard correctly, then what Jowurin had just offered him was…
I pulled it out myself! Here!
Jowurin innocently opened her mouth and pointed at the empty space where the tooth had fallen out.
For a brief moment, Lee Han vividly imagined headlines appearing in both the Imperial Newspaper and the Einroguard Newspaper.
—Boy of House Wardanaz Expelled After Coercing Imperial Family Into Surrendering Body Parts… Fair Trade or Manipulation Through Evil Magic?
The boy of House Wardanaz has long been rumored to dominate and control members of the Imperial Family. According to testimony from one imperial prince:
“I can no longer imagine life without Wardanaz for food, clothing, and shelter…”
The Head of House Wardanaz declined to comment on the matter.
Citizens of the Empire should remain vigilant toward House Wardanaz. What possible motive could lie behind attempts to dominate members of the Imperial Family in such a manner?
Thud!
—Unnamed Junior of House Wardanaz Develops Revolutionary Method for Harvesting Dragon Reagents
Most people believe dragons can only be harvested through violence.
However, this junior instead brainwashed a dragon into voluntarily offering up reagents!
This should serve as a wake-up call to modern Einroguard mages, who rely solely on magic instead of wisdom.
From now on, wise Einroguard mages should refrain from recklessly attacking dragons and instead convince them that they are their one and only ally, just like this junior did!
How horrifying.
The worst part was that he couldn’t even deny it.
Honestly, if Lee Han were an outsider looking in, he probably would’ve thought the exact same thing.
Blocking everyone else from getting close while personally taking meticulous care of the dragon…
…You don’t like it?
Seeing Lee Han stand frozen with a pale face, Jowurin nervously tried to read the mood.
She had proudly pulled the tooth out because she thought it would make excellent material, so seeing this reaction left the dragon visibly depressed.
“I’m just so happy I’m speechless, Your Majesty.”
Really? Then Jowurin will give you another—
“If I receive another one, my heart might stop from happiness. Ugh! My heart is already halfway there…”
Oh no! Lee Han! Jowurin commands you to stop being happy!
As Jowurin stomped around in confusion, Lee Han desperately sought help from the professors.
Please help me, Professor!
Then he realized asking Professor Voladi Bagreg probably wouldn’t accomplish anything.
So he looked only toward Professor Garcia.
“…Your Majesty. Isn’t a dragon tooth perhaps a little too valuable?”
Professor Garcia, who had only just recovered from the shock, barely managed to speak.
Dragon teeth were famous as powerful magical reagents.
Particularly in summoning magic, they were legendary enough that there existed an entire category of constructs known as Dragon Bone Soldiers.
The issue was that genuine dragon teeth were absurdly rare.
Even Dragon Bone Soldier-type summons almost never used pure dragon teeth. At most, ancient dragon tooth powder would be mixed into other materials in trace amounts because the real thing was simply too precious.
And now a second-year student was being handed one directly.
Naturally Lee Han would feel burdened.
Besides, wasn’t Lee Han effectively acting as Jowurin’s guardian within Einroguard?
Hmmpf…
Jowurin drooped visibly.
She had tried so hard to think of a proper gift, only to hear it was excessive.
She had been having so much fun at Einroguard, but now it felt like she couldn’t even give a single decent present.
Tears began gathering in her eyes.
Professor Garcia panicked and immediately corrected himself.
“Two! Two would be excessive. One is perfectly reasonable!”
Professor…!
Collapsed sideways on the floor, Lee Han sighed inwardly.
Even Professor Garcia had surrendered.
Oh. One is okay?
“One is perfectly fine. If it’s Student Lee Han, carrying around a dragon tooth shouldn’t be a problem.”
“…”
Ever since earlier, phrases like if it’s Student Lee Han and though he is {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} Student Lee Han had been thrown around far too casually.
Lee Han finally gave up and let out a long sigh as he stood back up.
“Thank you. I’ll make good use of it, Your Majesty. …But please don’t pull parts out of your body like this anymore.”
B-but Lee Han. It’ll grow back soon…
“If I tell you not to pull it out, then don’t pull it out.”
Understood!
The moment Lee Han spoke firmly enough to cut off further argument, Jowurin immediately obeyed.
Watching the exchange, Professor Garcia found himself genuinely impressed.
Young dragons were notoriously unpredictable troublemakers.
And yet Jowurin listened to Lee Han this obediently.
Though admittedly, that obedience had also resulted in the dragon offering him a tooth…
“Professor Garcia.”
Professor Voladi Bagreg subtly tilted his head toward Professor Garcia.
Unsure what he wanted, Professor Garcia looked puzzled.
“What is it, Professor?”
“It would be best to use the dragon tooth quickly.”
“…”
At the suggestion that they immediately test summoned creatures enhanced with dragon teeth before class ended, Professor Garcia was left speechless.
So this is what someone with zero disciples looks like!
While his disciple was desperately trying to avoid becoming infamous, Professor Voladi Bagreg was apparently thinking:
Excellent. My disciple can start summoning Dragon Bone Soldiers now.
“Professor. Aren’t you worried about Student Lee Han?”
“?”
“…He’s still only a second-year student. He’s already walking around with a dragon, and now he’s received a dragon tooth too. What happens if rumors like this spread?”
Professor Garcia sounded genuinely concerned.
Professor Voladi Bagreg considered the matter seriously for a moment before replying.
“I don’t think it would make much difference from the current situation.”
“…”
Huh?
…Was that actually true?
Professor Garcia nearly got angry, only to hesitate halfway through.
Thinking about Lee Han’s existing reputation, even adding titles like Dragon Tamer or Usurper of the Dragon Clan…
…Honestly, it doesn’t feel that different!
Professor Garcia suddenly wasn’t sure whether Professor Voladi Bagreg had tricked him or not.
“Professor Garcia. Could you supervise while I test the dragon tooth?”
“Ah. Yes. Wait. What about Student Diret?”
“He’s resting for a bit.”
Lee Han pointed toward Diret.
Still unable to recover from the shock of seeing a dragon tooth casually handed over, Diret sat trembling in a chair with wings quivering weakly.
In fact, he had already collapsed once earlier while Lee Han was internally envisioning newspaper headlines.
“Ah. No… I can help.”
“…Student Diret, please rest a little longer!”
***
Jowurin happily sparred against the skeleton golem summoned using the dragon tooth.
By the third match, she got so carried away that she deliberately let herself get hit once and rolled dramatically across the floor afterward.
(Diret nearly collapsed again.)
Wow! That was so much fun!
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Me too… urgh…”
Diret’s complexion resembled that of someone who had spent a month locked in the punishment cells.
Lee Han suddenly felt guilty for no reason and apologized.
“I’m sorry, Senior.”
“It’s not… your fault…”
“Please stop talking and rest.”
Instead of answering verbally, Diret weakly gestured.
Lee Han immediately understood.
“You mean the dragon tooth?”
Nod.
“Here. Ah. Did you want to keep it?”
Diret’s feathers instantly puffed up as he violently shook his head.
Then he glared at Lee Han.
“I’m sorry…”
“I meant… guard it carefully… it’s priceless…”
“Student Diret, you’ve worked hard. Please drink this.”
Professor Garcia handed over a potion.
It was a restorative designed to stabilize both vitality and mental fatigue.
After drinking a few mouthfuls, Diret finally seemed to recover enough to speak properly.
“…This will probably be the most unforgettable lecture of the entire year.”
“I’m sorry…”
“We apologize too…”
“It’s fine. It couldn’t really be helped. More importantly, you said you need to continue taking care of His Majesty?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll handle it instead. Professor Garcia, don’t you have another lecture next period?”
Watching Diret voluntarily step in for his exhausted junior, Professor Garcia’s eyes nearly turned misty.
Even within the barren hellscape that was Einroguard, students with genuinely kind souls occasionally still appeared.
Perhaps the true miracle of Einroguard wasn’t magic at all.
Perhaps it was students like these.
“Thank you, Student Diret.”
“When does Professor Bagreg have class?”
At Diret’s question, Professor Voladi Bagreg answered calmly.
“My next class is…”
“Do you have one next period?”
“…next week.”
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence settled over the room.
Everyone except Professor Voladi Bagreg felt it.
Even Jowurin seemed to notice the strange atmosphere and began fidgeting nervously.
“…I’m so happy Professor Bagreg is joining us!”
“Senior. Please leave now. Student Diret and Professor Bagreg should manage somehow.”
“…Hey. Quiet.”
Diret steadied his trembling heart and immediately shut Lee Han up.
Of course he desperately wanted to run away.
But if he abandoned Lee Han here, then he would no longer be Diret.
He would become someone like Professor Verdus.
“What’s the next lecture?”
“<Magical Algebra and Arcane Geometry>. Professor Knighton’s class.”
“At least it’s an easy one…”
The moment he heard it was merely a second-year lecture, Diret instinctively felt relieved.
And then he froze in horror.
…Who would’ve thought a second-year attending a second-year lecture would feel this reassuring?
Algebra? Geometry?
“If you’re not interested, would you like to rest in the common room?”
Lee Han asked while glancing toward Jowurin.
If the dragon showed no interest, he intended to send her off to nap for a while.
That way everyone else could relax too.
Mm! No. Jowurin loves geometry. Especially analytical geometry and mana emission planes!
“…”
“…”
Lee Han and Diret slowly exchanged looks filled with horror.
…Surely the dragon wasn’t smarter than both of them.
***
“Lee Han. Hang in there.”
“Wardanaz. Stay strong.”
As Lee Han entered the classroom dragging the dragon behind him, his friends offered heartfelt encouragement.
From their perspective, Lee Han was protecting Jowurin from the greedy and predatory upperclassmen entirely on his own.
“…I don’t deserve to hear that.”
“Wardanaz…!”
“You bastard…!”
Not only the Black Turtle Tower students but even the White Tiger Tower students looked moved.
“Kugh. Child of House Wardanaz. To say something that cool…”
“I should’ve said it first!”
Ignoring their reactions, Lee Han suffered inwardly.
The dragon tooth inside his reagent pouch suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
“…Wait. Why is the professor here?”
“Huh? Isn’t that a fifth-year senior too?”
Diret immediately covered his burning face with both hands and sank into the very back corner of the lecture hall.
Meanwhile, Professor Voladi Bagreg remained perfectly expressionless.
The two sat quietly with Jowurin squeezed between them.
Creak—
The lecture hall door opened.
Professor Alpen—
…No. It was Princess Yukbeltire.
The instant Diret recognized her, he instinctively shrank down and hid beneath the desk.
Jowurin tilted her head curiously.
Why are you acting like a caterpillar?
“…I dropped my quill pen, Your Majesty.”
Jowurin nodded seriously and quietly updated her understanding that Lee Han’s senior makes many mistakes.
Meanwhile, Princess Yukbeltire spoke.
“Professor Knighton has been called away on business. I will conduct the lecture in the professor’s place. Any questions?”
No one raised a hand.
Princess Yukbeltire gave a small nod, as though she had expected exactly that.
Then she noticed the enormous dragon sitting quietly in the back row and lifted an eyebrow.
“…Prince Jowurin?”
Hm?
“Would you come to the front for a moment?”
The moment Princess Yukbeltire called out, Lee Han immediately drew his staff.
“How dare you!”
