Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 1182
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1182
Regardless, Lee Han didn’t really care. It truly felt like he had no interest in dark mages whatsoever.
Instead, he hesitated and pondered whether to take out the magic books for the lectures he was currently attending.
Lecture titles like 【Forbidden Secret Arts of Dark Magic】, 【Basics of Spirit-Based Projections】, and 【Elemental Magic Commentary】 were briefly visible.
“Um, I’m not sure if I should ask for such a favor. These are such trivial magics.”
-Not at all, my disciple.
The Skeleton Principal would have said ‘Then get lost,’ and the Insane Doppelganger would have scolded him harshly saying ‘How dare you waste your master’s time,’ but the Young Prince waited leisurely.
He trusted his disciple and waited for him to speak up on his own.
-Your expression shows clear anxiety, disciple. Has something happened?
“It’s a long story to tell…”
-I have time, so tell me. Even if it’s trivial wisdom, it might be helpful to you, disciple.
While waiting, the Young Prince personally roasted tea leaves within the painting. After checking the tea’s aroma, the prince nodded with satisfaction.
Lee Han hesitated for a moment, then opened up about what had happened.
“So… I clashed with the most evil scoundrels in this Empire, and unfortunately among these bastards there’s someone who has an old grudge with the Professor…”
-Has Professor Boladi perhaps disappeared?
“?!”
Lee Han was startled by the prince’s calm delivery of the correct answer without even hearing everything.
Could he have been listening to everything happening outside from within this painting?
“How did you know?!”
-When you’re this anxious, disciple, it’s natural to guess. Disciple, it’s also important for mages to know how to hide their emotions.
The Young Prince wasn’t particularly surprised even upon hearing that Professor Boladi had disappeared.
For a prince who had traveled across the entire continent engaging in bloody battles, such news was merely something to listen to while sipping tea.
When a disciple is attacked, the master steps forward.
The loyalty between master and disciple was originally like this.
Especially if it was the master’s old enemy from before…
-If your skills were outstanding, disciple, he might have taken you along, but since there are still unrefined aspects, he probably didn’t take you with him.
“Still, couldn’t he normally say something before leaving?”
-Well?
The prince shrugged his shoulders lightly.
-Masters originally don’t explain everything to their disciples. It’s the disciple’s role to understand and guess the meaning on their own.
“True, it is the disciple’s role to finish chores on their own even when professors don’t say anything…”
-…I think you understood it a bit strangely, but I’ll trust that the core message was conveyed, disciple.
The Young Prince was a good and kind person, but he had stubborn beliefs that would never bend in certain areas.
One of those was regarding master-disciple relationships.
Lee Han didn’t stubbornly argue about that aspect. What would be the point of provoking the Young Prince to make him angry like the Insane Doppelganger?
“I did hear that it was because my magical skills were lacking.”
-I don’t know who it was, but what a very rude person.
“…”
Actually, it was something the Skeleton Principal had said, but Lee Han quietly kept his mouth shut.
-Of course, it’s true that you couldn’t accompany him because your magical skills are lacking, disciple, but to point out only that aspect without considering the special nature of the master-disciple relationship? How malicious.
“…Ugh. I’m sorry for being lacking.”
Lee Han reflected.
In the end, it was true that his magical skills were lacking, wasn’t it?
The Young Prince comforted Lee Han as if it was fine.
-Everyone has times when they’re lacking, disciple. That’s why we strive for wisdom. You have good masters, disciple. And among them, the best master is right before your eyes.
“…I, I see.”
Lee Han almost got naturally enchanted while listening.
-There are currently three methods available to you, disciple. The best strategy is to trust your master’s abilities and wait quietly.
“I’ve already prepared everything for tracking though.”
-I thought so. Then the middle strategy would be to mobilize all methods and personally set out to track.
“Then what’s the worst strategy?”
-The worst strategy is to plan alone without telling anyone, but you wouldn’t do that, would you, disciple?
“I’m sorry…”
The Young Prince waved his hand with a smile as if he didn’t mind. That appearance actually emitted an even stronger sense of pressure.
‘Couldn’t you just get angry instead?’
The Insane Doppelganger did attack physically, but at least he didn’t hold grudges.
Lee Han suddenly missed his old master.
-So, what are the magics you brought? Do you need to master all those magics before you can set out to track?
“That’s right.”
-Good, disciple. I’ll do my best to help you, so let’s quickly finish these childish playthings here.
“Huh?”
-It’s a joke. A joke.
“…”
* * *
-You really have some nerve.
Squeaking sounds came from the hamster inside the cage placed on the table in Lee Han’s private room.
At those words, Lee Han paused for a moment.
‘What is he talking about?’
He had done so many things recently that he couldn’t guess what the hamster was referring to.
-…I’m talking about how you fearlessly go to meet that thought-form.
“Ah. I thought it was something else.”
Lee Han felt relieved.
Honestly, the things he had been doing recently weren’t at a level where he could say ‘This much is doable’ when others pointed them out.
“Master is only strict with evil mage criminals like you, but he’s quite kind to me.”
-What insane nonsense you’re spouting.
The hamster squeaked in disbelief.
Of course, the hamster didn’t think or claim that he himself was a good person either.
But he was confident that he was at least much more normal and sensible than Gonadaltes’ Thought-Form.
How could a mage who draws lines of good and evil and fights until he destroys himself be mentally sound?
His greedy and selfish self would be more normal instead.
Lee Han responded to the hamster’s argument by splashing cold water nearby.
-Ack!
“To package your own greed in such a way.”
-Package? I’m not packaging myself! What would I gain from packaging myself? I’m saying that thought-form is terrifying. Think carefully. Haven’t you ever truly felt fear from that thought-form?
“…”
Lee Han unconsciously fell into thought.
It would be a lie to say he had never felt a chill from the Young Prince.
At first, he thought the prince was perfect in every aspect, a superior version of the Skeleton Principal, but…
…there were times when he felt a chill.
For example, when dealing with the spirit Sarataan.
When casting Bakwantalana’s dimensional rod magic, the prince had definitely tried to sacrifice Sarataan without batting an eye.
Of course, Sarataan wasn’t a good spirit.
Their first meeting was threatening, and considering his violent past, it was understandable that the Young Prince would suppress this spirit.
But he couldn’t help feeling slightly chilled by such aspects.
‘Ah. I’ve been fooled by an evil mage criminal’s tricks.’
Lee Han splashed ink on the hamster. The hamster squeaked curses in anger.
“Where do you get off with such nonsense.”
-You damn bastard. If you don’t want to believe it, then don’t, but what kind of behavior is this!
With his fur instantly dyed black, the hamster vibrated his whiskers furiously.
-If you want to keep hanging around with that thought-form, do as you please. Do you even have any intention of listening even if I try to stop you?
“That’s not the case, but it does feel unpleasant. And Master is helping me like this. What have you done for me?”
Lee Han shook the magic book densely filled with writing.
It was utterly absurd that he would transform him, lock him in a cage, and then demand ‘why haven’t you done anything for me,’ but the hamster didn’t point this out.
From his experience dealing with this mage bastard, he had painfully learned that arguing would be meaningless.
Instead, he asked about what he was curious about first.
-What is that?
“It’s advice about this midterm exam that he wrote for me. I’m trying to finish it early, but the difficulty level is a bit much for me to prepare everything alone.”
-…
He thought the guy was fearlessly going to meet a thought-form, but to think the reason was something so trivial.
The hamster was so speechless he couldn’t even squeak.
“Would you like to take a look?”
-…Sure.
Honestly, he was probably bored too, so the hamster nodded.
Seeing 【Advanced Alchemy for Idiots】, it seemed to be an alchemy class.
‘The mage must be quite a twisted fellow.’
Just from the lecture name, he could tell the mage’s nature. To put up such a lecture name, he must have a twisted nature like the hamster himself.
…The following Knowledge Incense is a type from the Divination Magic school, which has the effect of enhancing a mage’s five senses and increasing the accuracy of fortune-telling.
The method to make this Knowledge Incense is as follows. Riding Incense, cinnabar, mugwort, bones of a magical beast over 30 years old…
-Hmm. For something written by that thought-form, it’s quite bland and ordinary.
The hamster was slightly surprised.
Being a powerful ancient mage, he expected some extraordinary magic that even he couldn’t predict would appear.
“Ah. That’s what the Professor wrote, and what Master wrote for me is on the next page.”
-I see.
“Aren’t you going to look?”
Lee Han was puzzled as the hamster just stood there waiting blankly.
Then the hamster exploded in anger and shouted.
-You have to turn the page for me to see it!
“Ah.”
Lee Han grumbled inwardly about what a nasty temper he had and turned the page.
…The following Knowledge Incense is a type from the Divination Magic school (strictly speaking, it’s applying the principle to alchemy, so it can’t really be called Divination Magic school)
which enhances a mage’s five senses
Taste is practically meaningless
…and has the effect of increasing the accuracy of fortune-telling…
The method to make this Knowledge Incense is as follows. Riding Incense,
cinnabar (recommend using gold even if just a trace amount)
mugwort, bones of a magical beast over 30 years old
It’s ridiculous how casually he talks about obtaining bones from a magical beast that’s over 30 years old. This is why alchemists are… It should be possible to substitute by infusing bone fragments with dark elements.
-…
The hamster’s eyes widened greatly.
As befitting a crazy ancient Archmage, he had mercilessly butchered it.
If the hamster had been the alchemist who wrote this formula, he would have collapsed backward from anger and humiliation.
‘Isn’t this too harsh? There must surely be differences in alchemists’ preferences too.’
While magic had no correct answers, this was especially true for alchemy.
Would you bear the cost for stronger and purer effects, or not?
Would you suggest methods that could be substituted with a mage’s effort but were high in difficulty, or not?
An ordinary mage would have respected each other’s opinions and allowed some leeway, but this Archmage had mercilessly butchered it as if grading a disciple’s answer sheet.
“Isn’t he quite unkind?”
-He’s kind to you. …You’re not thinking of showing this to the opponent mage, are you?
“Why would I do that? I just need to show the completed result.”
-Right? That’s fortunate.
The hamster suddenly hesitated.
Why was he considering this fortunate?
What did it matter to him whether Einroguard’s mage rolled around in humiliation or not!
‘…I need to return to normal as quickly as possible…!’
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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