Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 124

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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 124

In fact, it had nothing to do with the Wardanaz Family, but Gainando was stubborn.

“Those habits must have been forcibly taught by the Wardanaz Family. Otherwise, there’s no way he’d study like that on his own.”

‘You should study a bit…’

The Blue Dragon Tower friend looked at Gainando pathetically and walked away.

Although he didn’t have to be too bound by grades thanks to his family, Gainando was a bit too extreme.

Even Blue Dragon Tower students who weren’t enthusiastic about studying thought ‘Isn’t that playing around too much?’

Study a little!

“Alright. Shall we go?”

Lee Han finished organizing and put the map he had drawn himself into his backpack.

It wasn’t just the map he put in.

Along with tools like sharpened daggers, nails, and hammers, sturdy and tough rope and torches he had made himself with oil-soaked cloth also went into the backpack.

And glass bottles containing frequently used oil and a few canned goods prepared for emergency situations. Glass bottles containing sugar and leather water bottles…

Having done this more than once or twice, Lee Han’s hand movements were skillful and precise.

…Though he did wonder if all this was really necessary for exploring inside the school.

“Are you really going out?”

“Yeah.”

Gainando was moved by Lee Han’s confident attitude when tomorrow was Professor Garcia’s exam.

How cool!

‘That’s what a noble is like!’

Being bound by grades and struggling with studies wasn’t befitting of a noble.

A true noble should know how to boldly throw down books and go out for an outing.

Of course, strictly speaking, Lee Han was going out after finishing his studies…

Gainando decided to ignore that fact.

“Let me come with you.”

“Hm?”

Lee Han was slightly surprised by Gainando’s reaction.

He hadn’t expected Gainando to ask to come along.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course it’s okay. I can’t just leave my friend alone when he’s going to a dangerous place.”

“You want to come with me because you don’t want to study, right?”

“…”

Hit right on the mark, Gainando shut his mouth.

If he stayed in the common room, every passing person would surely say things like ‘Aren’t you studying?’ ‘What card games when there’s a quiz coming up, go study instead.’

Rather than getting scolded for no reason, it was better to follow Lee Han.

“N… No.”

“It seems right though… It should be fine if you follow. Come on.”

Having received Lee Han’s permission, Gainando excitedly put on his coat.

Asan asked as he entered.

“Gainando. Don’t you need to study?”

“Ah, stop asking me that!”

“But I only asked once…”

* * *

The reason Lee Han wanted to check the Spire Stables first was, of course, because of the escape method.

He had made a promise with Amur, the owner of the stables outside the magic school.

-When the evil lich falls and the crimson dawn arrives, raise your head and look to the east of the spire!

‘…Hmm. Now that I think about it, our conversation wasn’t quite that dramatic.’

While memories tend to get distorted over time, it seemed to have been severely distorted in that short period.

To be precise, it was a promise that the stable owner Amur would fly to the school once every two weeks.

He hadn’t obtained a flying mount yet, but it was good to familiarize himself with the route to the stables in advance.

And who knows.

He might get hints about obtaining a mount in the process of going to the Spire Stables.

‘According to our promise, he should come once this weekend, but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to meet.’

“It’s really nice to gather like this. Don’t you think?”

At Nilia’s question, Lee Han and Yoner quickly nodded their heads.

Gainando was standing there blankly, then got pinched in the back by Lee Han and hastily nodded his head.

“Instead of that nasty-tempered friend from the Tutanta Family, I get to go around with a reliable guide like Nilia, I’m so so happy. Right, Yoner?”

“Of course. I’m also really so so happy.”

“I’m also really so so happy.”

Thanks to the consecutive flattery from Lee Han, Yoner, and Ratford, Nilia’s mood seemed to have definitely improved.

‘It would be more comfortable if there were other Black Turtle Tower guys here.’

Lee Han felt regretful.

Since Salko’s gang had joined hands to use each other, there would be nothing to feel sorry about no matter what situation arose.

Even if the Skeleton Principal appeared and he threw one of Salko’s gang members as bait and ran away, there would be no need to feel sorry since it was agreed upon in advance.

…Of course, he couldn’t be sure if Salko’s gang would think the same way.

Anyway, that’s how Lee Han thought.

In contrast, he couldn’t abandon Nilia. Lee Han found that regrettable.

‘Should I have somehow brought one or two people along?’

But if he asked to borrow one or two from Salko’s gang, Salko would want to join too, and if Salko joined, Nilia would try to get revenge for being left out last time…

Rather than unnecessarily complicating things, Lee Han thought it was right to cleanly bring only people he could trust.

“Managing relationships between people is really difficult work. Ratford.”

“???”

Though he was confused when Lee Han suddenly brought up such a topic, Ratford immediately nodded his head.

Human relationships were surprisingly important even among thieves.

A thief who only cared about himself and had many enemies wouldn’t last long.

“You’re absolutely right.”

“I was hoping to have a friend or two who would take the initiative and step up when something happens. Like the Salko Gang.”

“Hmm. But Nilia doesn’t really like the Salko Gang that much…”

“Right. I know that too.”

Lee Han finished speaking and casually looked at Gainando. Ratford also unconsciously followed suit and looked at Gainando.

And the two secretly exchanged glances with each other.

“Gainando. It’s reassuring to have you here.”

“Huh? Why? What?”

* * *

Both Nilia and Ratford were excellent guides.

The only difference was that one was an expert outdoors while the other was an expert indoors.

As such, when it came to navigating the complex corridors and stairs of the magic school, Ratford inevitably had to play a more active role.

“Please wait a moment.”

Ratford stretched out his hand to stop his friends, then brought his ear close to the corridor floor.

Lee Han’s group was currently looking for a way to go up from the end of the severed second floor corridor.

According to the map, this path should lead to the third floor, but they couldn’t see any way forward at all.

“Hmm… Over there! I can hear the sound of stairs moving from over there.”

“…I can do that too…”

When Nilia belatedly tried to lie down on the corridor floor, Lee Han stopped her.

“Nilia. You don’t need to show off your abilities right now. You should save them instead!”

“I think so too!”

As Lee Han and Yoner stopped her and pulled her back, Nilia reluctantly stood up with a disappointed expression.

Meanwhile, the stairs slowly approached. The group rode the stairs up to the third floor.

‘This direction is new to me.’

He had been to the main building’s third floor before with Salko’s guidance, but that was in a completely different direction.

Even Lee Han couldn’t know what would be in this direction of the third floor.

Click-

With a heavy sound, the stairs connected.

Lee Han stepped forward toward the third floor.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

And Lee Han realized that the surrounding scenery had changed from the magic school’s main building with its corridors, windows, and ceiling to a densely wooded forest.

“…?!”

He knew there were all kinds of natural landscapes within the magic school, but he never expected to witness such a transformation inside the main building itself.

Even though he knew that skilled mages could expand and rearrange space, he had been trapped by preconceptions and hadn’t thought of this possibility.

The magic school’s main building was a place with such deep history that even the Principal didn’t know everything about it.

It wouldn’t be strange if there were volcanoes or glacial regions inside, let alone forests.

“Amazing. Who would have thought there was such a forest on the third floor… Nilia. I’m counting on you.”

Lee Han looked to the side and said.

Finally, a situation had arrived where Nilia could be active. Lee Han was so happy he could hardly contain himself.

However, Nilia wasn’t beside him.

“???”

Meow.

Looking down, he saw a black-furred cat scratching at Lee Han’s ankle.

Even Lee Han, who had become quite familiar with the school, couldn’t help but be flustered by the current situation.

“Where did everyone go…?”

Surprisingly, none of the friends who had ridden the moving stairs together and arrived at the third floor were visible.

Lee Han immediately drew his staff and looked around the forest area.

Meow. Meow.

The cat kept tapping Lee Han’s ankle with its front paws as if it had something to say, and Lee Han suddenly had a suspicion.

“…Could you be Nilia?”

The black cat made mewing sounds and nodded its head repeatedly. Anyone could see it was very much agreeing.

‘Polymorph!’

It wasn’t just a forest, but a forest that cast polymorph magic the moment you stepped foot in it, forcibly transforming you into an animal.

Lee Han got goosebumps.

‘Wait. Why wasn’t I affected?’

Come to think of it, if all his friends had transformed, it was strange that Lee Han alone was fine.

‘Is it because of my mana?’

Since entering the magic school, whenever he experienced something different from others, suspecting his innate mana capacity was usually right 99% of the time.

Lee Han decided to take Nilia with him and look for the other friends.

“Sharkan. Find the other friends.”

The bone summon that had been sleeping in his belt rattled as it took shape and came down. Then it ran forward.

Nilia pressed Lee Han with her front paws.

“Nilia. Gently… what is it?”

Nilia pointed at the bone summon and raised both paws. It looked like a threatening gesture.

“You’re saying the other friends will get scared and run away if they encounter the bone summon?”

Nilia nodded her head.

Lee Han fell into thought for a moment.

“We’ll have to catch them quickly before they see it and run away.”

…

Nilia was so dumbfounded she lost her words.

* * *

Fortunately, the other friends were discovered quickly.

A bat that had been on a tree branch saw Lee Han and flew over hurriedly (Lee Han thought it was probably Ratford), and following the bone summon came a fluffy red fox (probably Yoner).

“Where did Gainando go?”

The other friends each answered with various animal sounds. Lee Han nodded his head.

‘Hmm. It would be better if I just think about this alone.’

It wasn’t necessarily helpful just because his friends gave him answers.

The incomplete Bone Summon, Sharkan, sniffed around the surroundings and persistently guided Lee Han.

After walking and walking through the lush forest path, they arrived at a large clearing.

Since Lee Han had encountered a Tree Spirit in the mountain forest before, he speculated that there might be a Tree Spirit in this clearing as well.

‘To maintain and manage such a forest within the school, it would probably be a spirit.’

However, Lee Han’s expectation was wrong.

What was in the middle of the clearing was a mouse.

Clatter clatter-

The Bone Summon Sharkan sent a very wary gaze and lowered its stance.

Sharkan wasn’t the only one who noticed. Lee Han could also feel the powerful mana emanating from the mouse.

‘Does this magic school have no normal animals or plants?’

The mouse waved its tail and cast magic.

Then the thickets that had been blocking Lee Han’s surroundings sank down and the trees were pushed aside.

“…!”

While Lee Han was amazed, the mouse carved letters on the ground with magic.

-Forest. Pass. Duel. Victory. Loser. Return.

“To pass through the forest, I must win a duel, and if I lose, I just have to go back?”

The mouse nodded its head. Then it raised its head and looked at Lee Han.

Squeak squeak squeak squeak!

The mouse was startled and fell backward upon seeing Lee Han’s untransformed appearance.

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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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