Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 133

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

Chapter 133

Lee Han, sensing the strange atmosphere, found himself making excuses without realizing it.

“To improve elemental control and… form transformation, imbuing ability, directly experiencing the elements is the most effective method…”

“…though it is an excessively violent approach.”

Seeing the bishop’s bewildered expression, a priest standing nearby spoke up.

“He was probably joking. Students are all mischievous, you know.”

“Ah. A joke…”

‘It wasn’t though.’

Lee Han hadn’t been joking, but he kept his mouth shut since it would only make the atmosphere more awkward.

“In our order, we first learn to control flames through meditation and prayer.”

Lee Han was surprised.

‘That’s it?’

And then he was surprised again.

This time at himself.

‘…Professor Boladi has made me strange.’

Come to think of it, controlling flames through meditation and prayer was a perfectly normal method.

Especially compared to risking one’s life dodging fire elements!

* * *

The Afha Sect’s meditation wasn’t particularly complex or difficult.

One would sit cross-legged, close their eyes, and visualize flames within their inner self.

If successful in visualizing the flames, the next step was maintaining them.

If they could maintain it for a certain period, they would then perform complex applications using the flames within their mental image.

It seemed quite easy, but when actually attempted, it was far from simple. The moment concentration broke or stray thoughts intruded, the meditation would fail.

‘There are aspects that align with magic training.’

Lee Han thought the order’s meditation had many similarities to magic training.

Magic was a discipline that required high levels of concentration and imagination.

Even if one recited incantations, waved their staff, and arranged mana properly, without proper concentration, failure was almost certain.

“I’ll place this candle here.”

The bishop set down a candlestick and lit it.

“At first, focus only on keeping this candle from going out.”

“Yes.”

The Afha Sect’s candles would extinguish the moment a meditating priest’s concentration broke.

It was a tool to help young priests maintain their focus.

One hour later.

“…You don’t need to do any more meditation.”

“Pardon?”

Lee Han, who had been closing his eyes and imagining throwing fireballs at Professor Boladi in his mind, paused.

He had been deeply immersed in meditation for a while, so why were they stopping him?

“Being able to not extinguish the candle for an hour is sufficient.”

For Lee Han, who had natural talent and passed through Professor Boladi’s harsh training, such meditation was now just simple training he could easily pass.

“Indeed…”

Lee Han understood the Bishop’s words and took off his coat again. The Bishop suddenly became flustered.

“You’re not going to throw flames, are you, Lee Han?”

“I just took it off because it got a bit warm from sitting by the fire.”

“Ah.”

The Afha Order priests felt awkward. Lee Han felt slightly wronged.

‘They think I’m a strange person. How unfair.’

“By the way, does this level mean I have aptitude for fire magic?”

Lee Han asked out of curiosity.

He had confirmed through experience that the water element suited him quite well, and he was also using the lightning element fairly well.

Compared to those, he hadn’t had much occasion to use the fire element until now, so Lee Han himself couldn’t get a sense of how well it suited him.

How good was this level?

“Uh…”

“Hmm…”

The priests exchanged glances.

That level was indeed talented enough to be counted among the best.

Usually, priests of the order steadily and periodically maintain their inner flames through meditation.

To accomplish this easily without proper training meant he was naturally gifted.

Innately very high aptitude for the fire element plus very solid mental imagery of flames?

He was a natural-born Afha Order priest.

…But they couldn’t say that.

They had made a promise with the Principal.

‘If we tell the truth properly, Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family might want to become an Afha Order priest.’

‘That cannot happen.’

The Principal of the magic school didn’t like having outstanding talents stolen by orders, and the priests respected that.

Of course, given Lee Han’s personality, he would absolutely never want to become an Afha Order priest, but the priests didn’t know that much.

“It’s an average level.”

“Average.”

“I see… So that’s how it is.”

Lee Han nodded.

‘So it’s average.’

Since the priests said it was average, Lee Han didn’t doubt it. There was no reason for them to lie.

And average was sufficient. As long as it wouldn’t interfere when learning other magic.

“Now then, Lee Han of the Wardanaz Family.”

The Bishop put a ring on Lee Han’s finger. Lee Han was puzzled by the mana he felt from the ring.

“This is…?”

“This is a Ring of Flame Absorption. When you use fire magic, this ring will protect you, Lee Han.”

Originally, it was a ring used to defend against fire magic or when facing fire-attribute monsters, but it was also a useful artifact when talented fire mages who couldn’t properly control their flames were training.

Lee Han bowed his head gratefully.

“Thank you.”

“Do you know the ignition incantation? Try it once.”

Lee Han swung his staff and chanted the incantation.

“Blaze up!”

Whoooosh!

A fist-sized flame blazed up above his palm. Lee Han was delighted by the much better effect than expected.

“Excellent.”

“…Bring more rings.”

“?!”

Lee Han was flustered by the bishop’s serious reaction.

Was it ineffective?

‘I guess I was just lucky…’

Looking down at his hand, the ring already had cracks in it.

It seemed this was the result even though it had absorbed as much as possible.

One ring was meaningless at this level.

Click, click, click.

Additional rings were put on. Lee Han cautiously asked the bishop.

“Is this really okay?”

With ten rings on his ten fingers, Lee Han was getting a bit worried too.

If he wore this many rings, wouldn’t fire magic not cast at all?

“It’s certainly a bit…”

“Excessive?”

“…It might be insufficient. Bring bracelets too.”

“…”

Lee Han began to wonder if he was a new student at a magic school or the Empire’s worst fire magic criminal.

Not satisfied with putting ten rings on Lee Han’s hands, the bishop put four bracelets on him and hung two necklaces as well.

As the Afha Sect often dealt with fire magic, they had an abundance of such anti-fire magic artifacts.

‘Hmm. Quite avant-garde fashion.’

Even though mages had no particular sense for fashion, wasn’t this a bit too much?

* * *

Though his appearance became a bit strange, the Afha Sect’s method was quite effective.

Lee Han began fire magic training while loaded with artifacts.

Starting with 【Flame Creation】 magic, then moving the generated sparks.

And even magic like 【Minor Fire Resistance】 and 【Flame Evolution】.

In fact, the priests were much more serious about the latter.

Fortunately, everything went better than expected.

Lee Han wondered if it was because elemental magic suited his aptitude, or if Professor Boladi’s teachings were also effective for fire magic.

And he hoped it wasn’t the latter.

He didn’t want to become actual evidence that Professor Boladi’s educational theory was correct.

“We’ll stop here for today. You’ve really worked hard.”

“Not at all. Thank you. May I practice alone when I return?”

“Of course not.”

“…”

A priest whispered seriously from the side.

“Wouldn’t it be better to put a few more on Lee Han?”

Lee Han pretended not to hear and said.

“…But if I don’t practice alone, my skills won’t improve.”

“Next week, the priests of the order will remain at the school. We received His Imperial Majesty’s permission for the spring festival period.”

“!”

Lee Han was more surprised by the bishop’s words than anything else.

The priests would remain at the school even after this weekend ended?

Such…

Such joyful news?

As Lee Han’s face brightened, the priests also looked pleased.

As expected of a new student, he seemed to be delighted about the spring festival.

“You’re happy about the spring festival?”

“Huh? Oh… Yes. Well. I’m happy!”

Lee Han belatedly remembered the spring festival. He had missed it because he was too happy about the fact that the priests would stay at the school.

“Does the Principal know about this too?”

“I was planning to tell him after today’s schedule ends.”

“If you go and tell him right now, the Principal would be very delighted.”

“Is that so?”

There was nothing wrong with saying it a few hours early. The bishop, who had been puzzled, nodded his head.

* * *

Nigisor Priest came out to see off Lee Han when it was time for him to return.

Having received various teachings as well as artifacts, Lee Han was very satisfied with the Afha Sect.

“There were many rumors about the Afha Sect, but meeting you today, I realized that foolish people had spread false rumors.”

Nigisor Priest smiled with a pleased expression at Lee Han’s words. It seemed like the first time he had seen him smile.

“Of course. The priests who serve Afha’s fire are all kind and good. If they hadn’t accepted me, I wouldn’t have been able to be here like this.”

Even in the Empire, there were popular races and unpopular ones.

And spirit mixed-bloods, where the bloodline of spirits that had been dormant in previous generations manifested, were generally regarded with distaste.

Most were genderless, and in the case of fire spirit mixed-bloods, they had characteristics that made it difficult not to cause damage to their surroundings…

“Certainly. The priests of the Afha Sect were all kind. Those who spread false rumors that the priests deliberately set fires to bring about the apocalypse should be burned.”

Despite having such suspicions himself at first, Lee Han spoke shamelessly.

Nigisor Priest also nodded his head.

“That’s right. Everyone having such misunderstandings. Except for me, there’s no one who thinks that way.”

“Right. …Hm?”

Lee Han, who was about to agree, hesitated.

Something felt strange.

“What did you just say?”

“What are you referring to?”

“That… it sounded like Nigisor Priest wants to set fires?”

“I don’t want to set fires.”

“Ah. Right?”

“However, I do think that the more I use Fire Magic, the faster Afrha’s fire might come to me. The priests said that’s not true, but… every time I meditate, Afrha’s fire whispers to me…”

“…”

Lee Han unconsciously stepped back. Nigisol spoke without knowing Lee Han’s inner thoughts.

“In that regard, it’s truly joyful that Lee Han of Wardanaz Family was born with such strong flames in his soul. I’ll pray for your many future achievements.”

“…”

It was the first time receiving encouragement from someone felt so unpleasant.

* * *

“You’ve become so thin. Only bones are left.”

“That’s not true.”

“You’ve become so thin! To think only bones remain…”

“It’s really not true.”

While Tijiling and the Order priests were talking, Lee Han opened the tent door and entered.

“Good day.”

“Lee Han of Wardanaz Family. What do you think?”

Lee Han looked at the priest and then at Tijiling to understand the situation.

Tijiling pleaded with her eyes.

To make the priests stop their unnecessary worrying.

“She does look quite thin with only bones remaining.”

“Right? Bring some food.”

“…”

Tijiling looked at him incredulously, but Lee Han pretended not to notice and sat down, spreading out a napkin. To survive long at Magic School, one had to eat when food was available.

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