Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 1226
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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 1226
Lee Han wasn’t surprised. A mage with as many enemies as Professor Verdus wouldn’t fall to such an attack.
Sure enough, layers of red and blue barriers activated and deflected the knife. These were basic defensive artifacts that Professor Verdus usually wore.
“What, what is this?!”
Professor Verdus shouted in surprise. From his reaction, Lee Han realized that Professor Verdus had no idea who was in the adjacent cell.
Professor Verdus would likely not notice even if all the professors except himself disappeared from the school.
“Who knows. Maybe it’s a function of the prison?”
“There was no such function before?!”
Professor Verdus was puzzled.
He had been to this faculty punishment room several times before.
Recently he’d been frequenting the general punishment room or the deep punishment room more often, but he was certain there had been no trap-like mechanisms in this punishment room…
“It seems to have been added recently. You know the Principal’s personality.”
“That’s true.”
Professor Verdus immediately understood.
The Skeleton Principal was cruel and vile by nature, enjoying tormenting good mages.
It wouldn’t be surprising at all if he had installed traps in this faculty punishment room corridor connected to underground pits.
“Anyway, let me quickly cast a spell…”
Another knife flew over. This time there were three.
‘Why three?’
At first it seemed pointless – why throw three when they wouldn’t be very effective?
Was it an expression of hatred toward Professor Verdus?
But that wasn’t it. Professor Boladi’s personality wouldn’t allow for such inefficient waste.
Lee Han’s eyes widened.
The first knife struck directly and collided with the blue barrier. The blue barrier that deflected the attack flickered and disappeared.
It hadn’t disappeared because of the attack.
Originally, such automatic defense artifacts had limits to their mana supply if maintained continuously, so they were designed to make the barrier disappear once it blocked an attack.
A mage like Professor Verdus wouldn’t engage in such clumsy waste.
But this time, that efficiency created a vulnerability.
The moment the barrier disappeared, when the next attack came, there was a very brief gap before the barrier could regenerate.
Professor Boladi’s second knife pierced through that gap. If it had been even slightly late or early, it would have been blocked by the regenerated barrier or the first barrier.
Ting!
This time the red barrier activated and deflected it. It was indeed the caution befitting Professor Verdus, who had many enemies.
However, the third knife was already flying. The third knife, arriving just slightly later than the second, penetrated through the gap as the red barrier disappeared.
“Aaaaah!”
Professor Verdus threw himself sideways in terror.
How could a non-magical attack break through the barriers!
Lee Han clapped unconsciously in admiration. This felt more magnificent than even a unique world in some ways.
To think he could break through an opponent’s magic like this in a situation where he couldn’t use magic.
‘Amazing! This is truly a great achievement.’
When Professor Boladi retired later, Lee Han wanted to present this as one of his master’s achievements.
Professor Verdus, who had fallen to the floor, looked at a handful of his severed fur and shouted.
“Im, impossible!”
“The Principal seems to be truly persistent and vile.”
“It seems so! …Wait, wait! Don’t tell me the reason he demanded detailed reports when I submitted artifacts was for this?!”
Professor Verdus shouted with a greatly shocked expression.
No wonder the Skeleton Principal always threw tantrums saying ‘If you submit artifacts one more time with just 【I made it all!】 instead of a detailed report, I’ll stick you upside down in a wooden dam’ – he must have been aiming for this.
To calculate the artifacts’ weaknesses and ambush Professor Verdus!
“Uh, Professor. Don’t artifacts sold outside normally require detailed performance reports when submitted…?”
“Vile! Truly vile!”
“…Well, let’s go with that. Haha.”
When Professor Verdus became absorbed in his own world and convinced himself, Lee Han decided to just go along with it.
‘More importantly, did Professor Bagrek memorize the performance of Professor Verdus’s artifacts?’
That academic passion was simply admirable. Lee Han resolved to remember everything about Professor Verdus from now on, leaving nothing out.
“Professor. I think vicious traps have been added to this punishment room. It might be better not to talk about magic.”
“Being attacked for talking about magic. I don’t know what Gonadaltes is thinking.”
Professor Verdus grumbled as if he couldn’t believe it.
But his disciple’s words were certainly persuasive. Given the Skeleton Principal’s personality, it wouldn’t be strange if he had installed such twisted traps.
This time knives flew, but next time a pit with spikes might reveal itself…
“Then we’ll have to talk after getting out.”
This time five knives flew over. Professor Verdus shouted as if he couldn’t understand.
“Why this time?!”
“Who knows. Who can understand the Principal’s mind. Haha.”
Watching Professor Verdus rolling around, Lee Han’s mood, which had been troubled by Jowrin earlier, improved greatly.
Perhaps Professor Verdus was what they meant by someone whose face alone brings joy.
In the end, Professor Verdus failed to achieve his purpose and returned grumbling.
Only after the professor completely disappeared did Lee Han belatedly realize.
‘…Wait. That person. He didn’t say anything about lectures at all?’
Usually when meeting a student confined in a punishment room, wouldn’t you at least talk about this semester’s lectures?!
* * *
When the corridor became quiet, Lee Han immersed himself in his work again.
‘Amazing!’
When the wall that had been so solid was cut away like soft cheese, Lee Han couldn’t help but be astonished.
Was this the power of a dragon’s tooth?
Perhaps this tooth could be a prison-breaking tool worthy of being recorded in Einroguard’s legends.
‘I must pass it down to my juniors when I graduate.’
Scrape scrape scrape-
How long had he been digging?
Finally, instead of the wall, the adjacent prison cell was revealed.
Lee Han let out an exclamation of joy. It felt more joyful than when he had learned 5th circle magic.
“Professor! The hole is complete!”
“I see.”
‘Oops.’
Lee Han felt self-conscious, wondering if he had wasted too much time.
Come to think of it, Professor Boladi’s personality would likely find this kind of behavior distasteful.
“Hehe. Now when I have questions about magic, I can ask through this hole.”
“Indeed.”
‘Oops. I dug my own grave.’
As soon as he said it, Lee Han immediately regretted it.
Why did he say such a thing!
This wasn’t the time to laugh at Professor Verdus for saying stupid things. Lee Han reflected deeply.
“…Would you like some tea?”
When Professor Boladi said yes, Lee Han sighed while boiling water.
He should have just offered this as a bribe – why did he mention magic!
While boiling water and looking at the various magic books on the bookshelf, Lee Han suddenly felt worries flooding in.
Whether he could keep up with lectures from the punishment room for the remaining period of the semester…
…was not a concern. No matter how much Lee Han worried unnecessarily, he no longer feared things to this degree.
“Professor. Professor.”
“I’m listening.”
“Do you think Professor Garcia is still angry?”
The biggest worry was Professor Garcia’s anger.
If Professor Verdus or Professor Bendozol had been angry, he might have just let it be, but Professor Garcia was a different story.
After all, he was a respected master. Lee Han couldn’t help but feel guilty.
“Hmm.”
Professor Boladi, who had received a teacup through the dog hole, sipped it while lost in thought.
Although Professor Garcia had once been arrogant and rough in temperament long ago, at least from Professor Boladi’s perspective, he was a kind and sincere junior.
In fact, he even doubted whether such a time had really existed. Perhaps it was just the Skeleton Principal’s mischievous joke.
“It won’t last long.”
“Do you really think so?!”
Lee Han was overjoyed as if he could jump.
If Professor Boladi said that, it was definitely trustworthy. As expected, Professor Garcia was truly Einroguard’s greatest person of character.
“About a year.”
“…”
Lee Han’s face, which had been brightening with joy, froze in place.
Wasn’t a year plenty long enough?
“Wait. Professor. How did you come up with that number of one year?”
“He didn’t speak to me for about a year before too.”
“…!”
Lee Han wondered what he was talking about, then realized it belatedly.
The past he mentioned must have been when Professor Boladi had escaped.
Since he didn’t speak for about a year then, this time would also be about a year…
‘Damn. That sounds plausible!’
Lee Han shuddered at the logic that was hard to refute.
Professor Garcia ignoring him for about a year. Just thinking about it was torturous. It felt like it would be better to apply for a transfer to Baldrogard.
‘…No. There are flaws in that argument too.’
Come to think of it, Professor Boladi was Professor Garcia’s senior, while Lee Han was Professor Garcia’s disciple.
Though he wasn’t sure if this was an advantage or disadvantage!
“Isn’t there anything Professor Garcia likes? Can’t we shorten the period with flattery and bribes?”
“He likes diligence.”
“…Since I’m already in the punishment room, that seems too late. What about other things? Won’t gold coins or jokes mocking the Principal work?”
Professor Boladi shook his head. Lee Han sighed as if feeling regretful.
He had some jokes mocking the Principal in mind!
“What if I show a certain level of achievement in the space-time magic school, which is Professor Garcia’s specialty?”
“Not bad.”
Professor Boladi showed a positive reaction for the first time. Lee Han breathed a sigh of relief.
“Good. Then what kind of achievement would be good?”
“There’s Hybris.”
“Oh. What kind of magic is that?”
“It’s space-time miniature world magic. Professor Garcia uses it frequently.”
“…Isn’t there something a bit easier?”
Lee Han tried to lower his goals a bit.
Of course, he truly wanted to appease Professor Garcia’s anger, but Lee Han was still at a beginner level in the space-time school.
He couldn’t skip everything and learn miniature worlds right away.
“I can’t think of anything easier among high-level magic.”
As magic went to higher circles, it demanded more and more.
Some magic was basically cast with the premise of one or two miniature worlds, making mages want to curse.
Of course, such facts weren’t important to Lee Han right now.
“…I wasn’t asking you to introduce high-level magic.”
“I see. I understand.”
Lee Han shuddered at the sight of him trying to teach evil high-level magic while his disciple was off guard.
This punishment room was more dangerous than a lecture hall in some ways.
‘Hmm. I should ask my master too.’
Lee Han thought he should also ask the Young Prince to recommend magic that Professor Garcia would like.
The Young Prince would surely be able to think of magic that Professor Garcia would like.
“Wait. A guard is coming. I’ll close the dog hole.”
Lee Han, who had already become accustomed to this punishment room, memorized the footsteps he heard around him as his master had taught.
These were the prison guard’s footsteps.
‘What? It’s not meal time either?’
The prison guard didn’t bother visiting unless it was time to distribute meals or there was something to deliver.
Soon the sound of footsteps stopped. It wasn’t Lee Han’s cell, nor was it Professor Boladi’s cell. It was another empty cell.
There was a rattling sound as the door opened and someone entered inside.
‘A new prisoner!’
Several possibilities quickly flashed through Lee Han’s mind.
“Could it be Professor Ku?”
“Why?”
“Well…”
Come to think of it, there didn’t seem to be any particular reason for Professor Kirmin to be imprisoned.
Lee Han shamelessly insisted.
“You two are friends. If Professor Ku comes newly, you won’t be lonely.”
It was an evil thing to say that would have made Professor Kirmin grab the back of his neck if he had heard it.
“It’s more likely to be Professor Verdus…”
“Lee Han! Jowrin has also come to the adjacent room!”
“…”
“…”
“I’d like to write a letter to the Principal.”
Lee Han spoke quietly so Jowrin wouldn’t hear.
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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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