Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 1184

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 1184

“What’s that thing on your head??”

Professor Thunderstep asked the question that anyone would have asked upon seeing his disciple’s current appearance.

Alchemy training with a hamster perched on his head.

It wasn’t like he was imitating some adventurer from an old fairy tale who inherited a failing inn and had terrible cooking skills…

“It’s a mage who infiltrated the school, but he’s transformed into a hamster and is helping me.”

-…

The hamster swayed and nearly fell off his head.

Of course, this wasn’t some huge secret. Since the Skeleton Principal knew the hamster was trapped here, the Einroguard professors would have heard about it too.

But hearing it stated so bluntly made it hard to endure with a sober mind. The hamster looked around to see if there was any alcohol nearby.

Since this was the magic tower of the alchemy school, there was bound to be some ethanol…

“Ah. That mage criminal. Are you trying to get advice from him?”

Professor Thunderstep, understanding the situation, snorted with derision.

That snort contained a kind of pride.

No matter how notorious a mage criminal who had reached the realm of archmage, he couldn’t excel in every school of magic.

Especially if he was a mage criminal wandering outside the Empire’s academic circles rather than within them, he would inevitably be even more ignorant due to lack of exchange.

A professor at Einroguard’s level wouldn’t be easily intimidated even when meeting an archmage, let alone if that person was a mage criminal…

“Do you really think he’ll be helpful?”

“You don’t need to worry, Professor. He’ll only supervise simple tasks.”

“???”

Professor Thunderstep was unaware that the young prince had already finished giving all the necessary advice.

Regardless, the hamster wanted to bite his tongue in humiliation.

Being ignored by that brat was shameful enough, but now by that dwarf too!

‘What does he mean by only supervising simple tasks?’

Professor Thunderstep, who had been about to pass by, seemed to have become interested as he dragged over a round iron chair and plopped down on it.

The professor took out his pipe, lit it, and gestured with one hand.

“I’ll watch from here, so go ahead and give it a try.”

“Oh, Professor.”

“What?”

“I wanted to ask if it would be alright for me to extend my outing hours.”

“My goodness. You must have quite a pile of commissions built up.”

Professor Thunderstep wasn’t particularly surprised by his disciple’s words.

In this semester when external commissions were released, the one who received the most commissions was precisely this Wardanaz family boy.

The number far exceeded the record previously set by Professor Garcia.

So it made sense that he would want to increase his time going outside.

Even if he only accepted the truly unavoidable commissions among those he currently had, the entire semester would just pass by.

“Do as you please. The first years are taking care of the garden anyway, and going out a bit more won’t make you fall behind in your studies.”

Professor Thunderstep clicked his tongue in regret.

While nothing in the world was eternal, he couldn’t help but make comparisons.

Comparing the current first years with Lee Han’s first year, no matter how hard the first years tried, there was a difference from their senior.

“The first years were taking care of it?”

“Yes. Those kids need to learn how to work too.”

‘Wasn’t it because the Professor found it bothersome?’

Lee Han thought as he boiled water in the distiller to evaporate the reagents.

Of course, there were things to learn from managing an alchemist’s garden.

But that was that and this was this. The fact that Professor Thunderstep was dumping work on his disciples remained unchanged.

‘I should leave some food supplies near the garden.’

Thanks to Prince Uman, the first years’ diet had improved somewhat, but it would still be meager.

Lee Han resolved to set aside various preserved foods, starting with canned goods that were high in calories and provided long-lasting satiety.

The underclassmen probably didn’t even know how to sneak food from Professor Thunderstep’s cabin basement…

“Be separated.”

Alchemists often called their school comprehensive magic.

This was because the abilities required for alchemy were so diverse.

They had to memorize not only magic spells but also various combination methods and structural formulas, and sometimes had to demonstrate intuition that transcended calculation.

It was the same now.

Today the mana concentration in the pipes was slightly denser than usual, and perhaps because of this, the reagents were evaporating faster when mixed with basilisk oil. In such cases, there was a risk that their properties could change.

However, Lee Han didn’t miss this process at all even while talking with the professor. With sensitive perception, he noticed the change in mana, then lowered the flame intensity and separated the evaporated reagents first.

‘What an unlovable brat.’

Professor Thunderstep grumbled inwardly.

There was a scene that all Einroguard professors wanted to see (though people like Professor Garcia wouldn’t agree), and that was Wardanaz making a mistake and looking dejected.

Show us just once before you graduate!

Hiding such wicked thoughts, Professor Thunderstep spoke again.

“It was convenient when I could make Professor Bendozol do work.”

“You say that after fighting with him?”

“I won’t deny that he turned my stomach inside out. But he’s still a professor. You can’t compare his skills to a student’s.”

Professor Thunderstep exhaled smoke with a wistful expression.

It was Professor Bendozol who had personally taken care of chores to create time for Lee Han to look after the unicorn.

In the second semester, a new inspector had arrived and he could assign work to the first years, so there was no longer an excuse to exploit him, but it had been quite a pleasant memory.

Of course, the person himself would be grinding his teeth when recalling it…

“This year’s first years are quite disappointing. Of course, the blockheads are always disappointing… That’s right, you. Didn’t you say you were close with Eandurude?”

“First years can fight with each other. That’s how they become friends.”

Lee Han answered immediately.

-…

“…”

At that absurd answer, not only the hamster but also Professor Thunderstep was left speechless.

“I haven’t said anything yet.”

“I’m sorry. Did Eandurude hit someone?”

“I don’t know. Well, he might have.”

“As long as he’s not the one getting beaten up, it’s fine.”

If it had been Professor Garcia, she would have launched into a lecture, but Professor Thunderstep had little interest in little kids throwing magic at each other.

What the professor was interested in was a different matter.

“Eandurude was using Meikin family alchemy? What’s that about?”

“Ah. He was with Yoner during the vacation too.”

“I see… Then what about Penguerin.”

“You mean Alsicle? Ah. It must be Alhidel.”

Lee Han quickly realized he was talking about an underclassman. There was one first-year underclassman from the Penguerin family.

“How is it that Alhidel is also using Meikin family alchemy?”

“He asked during vacation, so I got Yoner’s permission and taught him.”

“…Did you open an external tutoring center for Einroguard during vacation?!”

Professor Thunderstep was dumbfounded.

He wondered if this year’s first years were being overly absorbed in magic instead of causing trouble or having fun during vacation.

It might be due to their senior’s influence. Professor Thunderstep stared intently at Lee Han.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing. Never mind.”

“Besides those two, are there any other underclassmen who have distinguished themselves?”

“Distinguished? Hmm… There is Karle in the Phoenix Tower.”

“Oh.”

Lee Han, who had been extracting components from tightly compressed reagents, was surprised.

He hadn’t expected to hear a name he knew.

This underclassman, a squirrel beastman from the Bildotscal sect, was someone Lee Han had personally invited along with the Skeleton Principal.

Even among fellow juniors, a junior who had been invited while traveling around with the Skeleton Principal couldn’t help but draw a bit more interest.

“The Phoenix Tower priests are generally excellent at alchemy. After all, they receive gifted education at the temple before coming here.”

“That blockhead stole all the reagents I had prepared in Kaksu Hall for lectures.”

“…”

Lee Han paused for a moment. Then he spoke again.

“Isn’t stealing also a skill? You definitely said that obtaining reagents is one of an alchemist’s abilities, Professor. What an excellent junior indeed.”

‘What kind of bastard is this?’

It was such biased advocacy that his arm wasn’t just bending inward but practically curving. Professor Thunderstep looked at his disciple as if dumbfounded.

Stealing and securing only the reagents you need versus stealing and hiding all the reagents needed for lectures because you don’t want to attend them are completely different stories!

The former would be an excellent alchemist, while the latter would just be punishment room material.

“Did you perhaps teach him??”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. As you know, contact between 1st years and their upperclassmen is prohibited by the rules.”

“The guy who breaks the rules the most is saying what… I almost forgot to mention White Tiger Tower. There’s a guy named Ulgan there who’s quite outstanding.”

“Oh.”

Lee Han brightened up.

Wasn’t Ulgan also a 1st year that Lee Han had gone to fetch together with the Skeleton Principal?

Looking at it this way, the Skeleton Principal’s eye for selecting disciples seemed quite reliable indeed. There was worth in going through such hardships to bring them.

“It would be nice if he’d just stop getting into fights inside the tower.”

“What nonsense are you saying? He’s not that kind of junior.”

Lee Han strongly objected.

Although Ulgan belonged to White Tiger Tower, he was rarely from a knight family origin, and above all, he had a peaceful personality that disliked fighting.

He disliked fighting so much that when his friends bickered, he’d beat them up while trying to stop them.

“…Didn’t you notice something strange while saying that just now? He stops fights with force and creates chaos, so the equipment gets smashed.”

“Please consider his intentions. His heart is admirable. Compared to those who just fight each other…”

“Shut up.”

Lee Han shut up. Professor Thunderstep, who had been watching him work, suddenly remembered something and asked again.

“But how much are you planning to extend your outing time?”

Come to think of it, Lee Han had already sought permission from the professors regarding commissions at the start of the semester.

But now he was asking to extend it even further.

“I’m thinking of finishing everything and leaving before the midterm exam period begins.”

“…”

Professor Thunderstep was so surprised he almost dropped his pipe.

‘What kind of bastard is this really??’

Not even before the exams, but before the exam period even begins, he wants to finish everything and leave.

Of course, this guy was qualified to say such things. He had already demonstrated the incredible feat of finishing exams before the exam period last time.

But this time he was saying he’d surpass that and shorten it even further!

At this point, even Professor Thunderstep, who wasn’t particularly strong in his sense of responsibility as a professor, felt his pride and stubbornness stirring.

If you’re so excellent at magic, then try solving this too…

“I’m all done, Professor.”

“Huh? Right. Got it.”

Professor Thunderstep, who had been deeply absorbed in thoughts about how to raise the difficulty of the midterm exam, looked up.

Before he knew it, the fire in his pipe had gone out, and Wardanaz had finished not only the basic work but also completed the 2nd and 3rd stage processes.

“Could you please check the Wisdom Incense?”

“Sure… Wait, you made Wisdom Incense too?!”

“Yes? Yes.”

Professor Thunderstep’s eyes trembled as he heard that Lee Han had additionally made high-difficulty compound incense when he thought he’d just make and practice basic ascending incense at most.

Somehow he felt ominous.

Though the professor himself didn’t know it, it was the ominousness that a part of his pride might crumble slightly once he checked it.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————