Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 122

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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 122

‘No. I can’t judge someone based on something like this.’

Having a slightly twisted sense of humor was merely a minor flaw at this magic school.

Lee Han decided to focus on the positive qualities the professor before him possessed.

“It was truly interesting. Like a refreshing breeze to me, exhausted from school life…”

Asan, who had finished second, stood up and approached but hesitated upon hearing Lee Han’s words.

‘What was interesting about it?’

No matter how he thought about it, there had been absolutely nothing interesting about this exam.

“Greetings, Professor. I am Asan of the Dalcard Family.”

Professor Alpen, upon noticing Asan, took out his pocket watch to check the time and said.

“Hmm. I actually had something to discuss with students who performed excellently… Follow me.”

Asan made a reluctant expression.

He had finally finished the exam and gained some time, but didn’t want to waste it talking with the professor again.

“We’ll do that.”

Of course, Lee Han was different. Lee Han answered without giving Asan a chance to make excuses.

Asan clicked his tongue in regret and started walking.

“By the way, Asan. How did you solve the last problem?”

“I couldn’t find the answer at all, so I was about to substitute from 0 and got lucky… What about you, Wardanaz?”

Asan looked at Lee Han with an expression that said, ‘Surely Wardanaz solved it the same way as me, right?’

Lee Han nodded his head.

“Of course I solved it that way too.”

Lee Han resolved to answer like that if other friends asked him.

He didn’t want to appear as if he understood the Skeleton Principal too well.

* * *

Professor Alpen’s room was quite elegant.

The books were arranged without a speck of dust, and all objects in the room were positioned in their proper places.

“Sit down.”

Once the two students sat down, Professor Alpen waved his staff to fill the teacups with tea.

“You two students are excellent enough to have taken first and second place in this exam.”

“Thank you.”

“Actually, one of my friends is scheduled to visit the school next week. He’s a friend I made when I was working as an imperial administrator…”

Lee Han’s eyes sparkled as he listened quietly.

If it was a friend made while working as an imperial administrator, there was a high possibility he was also a former high imperial official.

“…When that friend visits, he expressed interest in seeing the skills of the students I’m teaching. So I’d like to entrust you two with creating a simple magic circle. As I’ve mentioned during lectures, it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Lee Han was delighted while Asan was dismayed.

Why would he need to do additional assignments when there was nothing to gain from it?

It’s not like his grades are lacking either!

‘I guess I should do this.’

Lee Han nodded his head after seeing Asan’s reluctant reaction.

Not only did Lee Han have better grades, but most importantly, Asan didn’t want to do it.

It was a perfect opportunity.

“I think it would be good if Dalcard takes charge of this.”

“…?!”

Lee Han was surprised.

Why?!

“Me… Me? Wouldn’t it be better if Wardanaz takes charge?”

Asan trailed off his words as if lacking confidence.

It was both a matter of ability and he didn’t particularly want to do such an additional assignment.

Lee Han cheered for Asan inwardly.

‘Hang in there, Asan!’

“Well, doesn’t Wardanaz already have too much on his plate right now?”

“…”

“…”

Both Lee Han and Asan were left speechless.

That was true!

“From what I hear, he’s so passionately focused on his studies that he’s even taking time to learn separately from other professors. I can’t disturb such a student, can I?”

“…I understand. I’ll do it…”

Asan spoke in a dejected voice.

Asan had a conscience too.

As a Blue Dragon Tower student, he couldn’t tell Lee Han, who was so busy and struggling, ‘Still, you should take it on!’

“No, Professor. I’ll help Asan too.”

“Would that be alright?”

“Yes.”

“Wardanaz…!”

Asan was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

To help with this boring, uninteresting, and troublesome-looking work purely out of friendship.

Swish swish-

Asan wiped away his tears with his sleeve. He felt like he’d been crying a lot more since entering this school.

“Thank you, Wardanaz.”

“It’s nothing, Asan.”

Lee Han patted Asan’s shoulder while thinking to himself.

‘I will definitely make a good impression.’

Whoever Professor Alpen’s friend was, he would definitely make a good impression!

After receiving a brief explanation, the two students bowed and left the room.

Professor Alpen, left alone in the room, muttered regretfully.

“What a shame. Originally I would have wanted to recommend Wardanaz…”

In terms of talent and ability alone, the Wardanaz Family boy was such a talent that he would want to recommend him to the Empire’s administrative officials later.

Outstanding intellect and strong passion for learning.

He would surely become a good official of the Empire.

However…

‘Such an outstanding talent should be left to focus on academics rather than government positions.’

Professor Alpen knew this well too.

A moderately excellent mind was suitable for the Empire’s government positions, but a truly excellent mind should be devoted to academics for the Empire’s future.

Professor Alpen, who had worked in government positions for a long time, had come to this school to nurture even a few pillars of the Empire’s future.

As a former official, it was regrettable, but as an educator, it was a joyful matter.

‘I’ll help you as much as possible too. To devote yourself to academics. Wardanaz.’

* * *

Thursday.

Walking to attend alchemy class, Lee Han realized that the students’ faces were soaked with fatigue.

“What time did everyone leave the lecture hall yesterday?”

“Past midnight… The magic wouldn’t break.”

“…”

“What on earth was the answer to the last problem?”

Yoner still looked like he couldn’t understand.

No matter how much he thought about it, there couldn’t be any other answer besides 720 nir.

“…0 nir.”

“Huh?”

“0 nir.”

“Why?”

“Well… you see…”

Even though Lee Han hadn’t set the problem himself, he carefully explained while watching Yoner’s reaction.

Flames that could be used for smelting metal flared up in Yoner’s pupils.

“Die…! …Right. That was it. Right.”

Yoner barely managed to calm down.

If he got angry over every little thing like this at this school, he wouldn’t be able to endure it.

Rip rip-

“?”

Lee Han turned his head.

The Imperial Princess passing by was tearing up papers with various formulas and numbers written on them with an expressionless face.

It seemed she had been continuing to solve them until today because she couldn’t solve them yesterday.

“…I feel unnecessarily sorry.”

“Why. It’s not even your fault. Don’t feel that way for no reason.”

Yoner comforted Lee Han. The Meikin Family girl opened her mouth to change the subject.

“I heard you’re making a magic circle with Dalcard?”

“Yeah.”

“…Wouldn’t it be better to just let Dalcard do it alone?”

“Hey… Meikin…”

Asan, who was passing by, looked at Yoner with a hurt expression.

Of course, Yoner’s words weren’t wrong.

Even students from other towers seemed to agree as they backed up Yoner.

“Wouldn’t it be better to do it alone?”

“Dalcard. You should be considerate of Wardanaz.”

“…”

Asan looked at Lee Han as if asking for help. Lee Han nodded and answered.

“I decided this because I want to help, so everyone doesn’t need to worry.”

“Well, if that’s the case, there’s nothing we can do…”

“Can’t you ask that Prince for help? He seemed to have plenty of time.”

Clang clang clang-

Professor Thunderstep, who entered the lecture hall, made the sound of striking a cauldron.

“Good to see you all. Even without me explaining, you all know what we’re doing today, right?”

The students’ faces turned sullen.

Even when taking the same quiz, Professor Thunderstep had a talent for making it a bit more annoying.

Perhaps sensing the students’ gazes, Professor Thunderstep chuckled.

“Now. Line up and come in one by one.”

“?”

The students murmured at this different type of exam than they had expected.

They thought it would be the usual type of exam where everyone used cauldrons in the lecture hall to make potions together…?

“What’s wrong? I told you all to line up and come in.”

“…”

The students lined up while looking at Professor Thunderstep with very suspicious eyes.

They couldn’t even guess what might be behind the inner door of the lecture hall.

“What on earth is in there?”

“Isn’t there a monster?”

“But this is alchemy class?”

“Then what class was it when that crazy monster attacked us on the first day?”

“…That was also alchemy class. Damn it. There really might be a monster.”

The students quickly steeled their hearts and gripped their staffs.

Now that it had come to this, it felt highly likely that a monster would really appear.

‘Surely a monster won’t come out… right?’

Lee Han held onto a glimmer of hope while handing sweets to his friends.

“What’s this?”

“Beer candy. Eat it if you run low on mana.”

His friends nodded with solemn expressions and took the beer candy.

Since they didn’t know how much mana would be needed when facing monsters, it was an essential item.

“Wardanaz. Come in.”

Lee Han opened the door and entered inside.

Fortunately, no monsters attacked, but Lee Han didn’t let his guard down.

“…You can take your hand off your waist.”

Thunderstep looked at Lee Han as if he couldn’t believe it.

Of course, being suspicious was a good habit, but what was with that stance where he could draw his sword at any moment when he came to take an alchemy exam?

Did he come to take a swordsmanship exam?

“Professor. I trust you.”

“I think I said this before, but those who really trust don’t say such things. Now. Look at the cauldron and the materials next to it.”

Lee Han checked the cauldron.

And he checked the materials placed beside it. They were all ingredients he had never seen before.

“I’ve seen them.”

“Then try making this potion using only the materials in the room.”

“?”

Lee Han hesitated when he saw the swirling potion contained in the glass bottle that Professor Thunderstep was shaking.

It was a potion he had never seen before.

“Is this a potion you’ve taught us during lectures?”

“No.”

“Could you tell me what kind of potion this is?”

“No.”

“…”

Thunderstep smiled deeply, as if he was thoroughly enjoying the current situation.

Outstanding alchemists were skilled at quick thinking.

Even with only materials they had never seen before, they could create potions similar to unknown potions.

This was possible because they could quickly grasp the characteristics of materials and completely store in their minds the effects those characteristics would produce.

Of course, Professor Thunderstep didn’t expect the new students to make perfect potions either.

How many characteristics of the potion could they notice and how close could they make it?

That was the core of this exam.

“Now. You’d better move quickly, right? Time isn’t infinite.”

“Hmm.”

Lee Han seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

When Lee Han, who was among the most outstanding students in alchemy lectures, didn’t move and kept pondering, Professor Thunderstep became puzzled instead.

‘What is he thinking about?’

When he should be quickly grasping the characteristics of the materials and the potion even if it wasn’t enough time, he was just pondering like that.

It didn’t make sense.

“Professor.”

“What is it?”

“When you say materials in the room, can I use anything?”

“Are you trying to use materials you brought with you?”

Professor Thunderstep snorted.

Whatever materials he had that made him say such things, it was highly likely they would be of little use.

If he was really lucky enough to have useful materials, Professor Thunderstep was prepared to acknowledge it.

With that kind of luck, he could do anything!

“Go ahead and try.”

“Understood.”

Lee Han rushed in like lightning and snatched the potion from Thunderstep’s hand.

Thunderstep was so flustered by the sudden ambush that he stood there frozen before belatedly coming to his senses.

“…Hey!!!”

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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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