Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 173

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

Chapter 173

“Chase after him!”

“What?!”

“We can’t lose to Wardanaz! Are you planning to lose even in horsemanship?!”

“But…”

One of the students hesitated.

If they rushed out recklessly like that, the consequences would be unmanageable.

Horses were living creatures.

If they ran like that, they would quickly become exhausted…

“Damn it! I’m going!”

“Me too!”

However, in the end, the students began driving their horses one by one, each taking up their whips without exception.

Regardless of which tower they belonged to, all students had tremendous pride when it came to horses.

Whether they were from noble families, knight families, or merchant guilds, none of them had ever heard anyone say they couldn’t ride horses.

And…

‘There must be a reason why Wardanaz is running like that!’

‘Would Wardanaz really charge ahead recklessly without any thought?’

The students unconsciously trusted Lee Han.

Would Lee Han really charge ahead recklessly without any plan?

There must be a method.

If they followed that method too…

The students in the leading group began racing forward like madmen.

Seeing her friends heading out, Nilia also became anxious and looked around frantically.

“?”

Surprisingly, Yoner was staying put in his spot.

“Yoner? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Yoner sat on his brown-haired horse with an expression full of worry. Nilia couldn’t understand.

“Let’s chase after them even now! If we chase them now, we can catch up quickly! I can even lasso those other guys and knock them down!”

Though Nilia was casually trying to break the rules, Yoner didn’t point it out.

He had just seen something even more bewildering.

“It’s not that…”

Yoner wondered how he should explain this. That the griffin transformed into a horse had ignored Lee Han’s commands and charged forward recklessly!

* * *

‘Am I paying the price for trusting a monster?’

As if sensing Lee Han’s distrust, the griffin snorted fiercely. Lee Han tried to appease it.

“It’s a misunderstanding. Come on. Try slowing down. I’m worried you might get tired.”

Of course, Lee Han was planning to get down and give the griffin a beating the moment it slowed down.

The griffin didn’t notice such dark intentions, but another aspect stimulated the griffin’s pride.

I don’t get tired!

-Puheeheehing!

The griffin ran even faster. It was like a horse that had built up resentment from not being able to run for years.

‘I should never trust transformed monsters again.’

Lee Han gripped the griffin tightly. It was running so fast that even Lee Han couldn’t let his guard down anymore.

If unlucky, it might drop its master too!

Caw!

A fierce-looking bird monster that seemed like a mix of crane and chicken swooped down from a nearby tree.

‘Rakshasa bird!’

Lee Han tensed at the appearance of the quite aggressive bird monster.

However, the griffin snorted once and accelerated even more.

Bang!

The rakshasa bird tried to follow while flying, but it was hopeless.

As the griffin widened the distance, the pursuing rakshasa bird panted and gave up, flying away.

“…”

The rakshasa bird wasn’t the only monster that appeared.

A rock by the roadside suddenly stood up and threateningly swung stones around.

The griffin ignored it and charged forward.

Suddenly, a bridge spanning the river disappeared with smoke.

The griffin ignored it and leaped over.

Dense fog so thick you couldn’t see ahead blocked the path.

The griffin ignored it and broke through.

“…Do whatever you want.”

Lee Han gave up.

At this point, he was curious to see how far it would go.

* * *

Perse, a third-year from the Blue Dragon Tower, sighed with a troubled expression.

Then his friend asked.

“What’s wrong, Perse?”

“All our attackers are too slow without exception.”

“Don’t worry. Once they adapt, the horses will get faster too. You need to give the horses time to build up their strength.”

“It’s not just the horses’ problem. The riders are the issue too.”

Perse said firmly.

In the fierce sport where multiple players clash intensely, speed wasn’t determined simply by the horses’ stamina alone.

Rather, the rider’s courage and skill took up a larger portion.

Even when enemies with sticks come charging at you, you need the mentality to drive your horse with the resolve to die for speed to…

Clatter-clatter-clatter-clatter!!!

“…”

“…”

The wind from the horse running so fast blew away both of their hats.

It ran so fast that the monsters blocking the path hastily stepped aside.

“Wh-what was that just now? That was a student, right? It was a student, wasn’t it?”

“New Students… looks like New Students? New Students’ exam…”

“That’s exactly it! That’s exactly what I’m talking about!”

Perse shouted with gleaming eyes.

That guts to charge forward like a madman, whether there were monsters ahead or not.

That was exactly the mentality an attacker should have.

“But he’s a New Student, Perse…”

“There’s next year! We can call him next year!”

“There’s no guarantee he’s interested in the Polo Club.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“?”

“With skills like that, there’s no way he wouldn’t be interested in polo!”

* * *

Ponrig finally stopped.

-Puhhhhhhhhhing!!

“Feel refreshed?”

Ponrig nodded. Then it shook off its sweat and lowered its head to the stream to quench its thirst.

‘We really came far.’

Lee Han checked the surroundings.

He knew the Magic School grounds were unimaginably vast, but he didn’t expect to come this far.

They had run madly along the bottom of the mountain range.

What spread before Lee Han’s eyes was a desert.

“…?”

Why is there a desert within the School grounds?

-Puhihing.

Ponrig, having finished drinking water, said let’s go.

“Ponrig.”

-Puhhing?

“If we can’t get back within the time limit, I’ll be disappointed in you.”

-…

Ponrig, who had been running excitedly to its heart’s content, seemed to come to its senses at the coldness in Lee Han’s words and looked around nervously.

Of course, even looking around, there was no way Ponrig would know this area. Ponrig began to break out in a cold sweat.

…We can get back in time, right?

“Let’s go. Ponrig.”

Ponrig began running at full speed. It was even faster than when they had come earlier.

Lee Han firmly secured his body and stared ahead.

“…?”

He could see several students sprawled out and collapsed along the roadside.

‘What’s this?’

At first he thought they had been attacked by monsters, but they looked too intact for that.

They had clearly just collapsed from exhaustion.

‘I don’t understand.’

Lee Han had been dragged here because Ponrig wouldn’t listen and ran wild on its own, but the other students couldn’t have had the same situation.

They had clearly pushed themselves too hard out of pure greed and collapsed from exhaustion.

Lee Han looked at his friends with a pitying expression.

‘It can’t be helped. Today’s events must have been a lesson for them.’

* * *

“…Perfect score.”

“Thank you.”

“…But why?”

Professor Lightningstep couldn’t help but ask.

First place gets a perfect score.

This was natural. Professor Lightningstep had no intention of complaining about this.

But when that first place student went three times farther than the other students and came back (while galloping so fast that he scattered all the prepared obstacles), that was a different story.

Why did you risk your life running like that?

“Five students collapsed from exhaustion trying to follow you, and three fell from their horses. It was fortunate that you charged ahead first and chased away all the monsters. You could have just returned moderately… Did you want to set a new record that badly?”

In Professor Lightningstep’s view, Lee Han wasn’t someone who liked to show off.

So why did he push himself so hard to set a new record?

Did he have strong pride in horsemanship and want to leave behind a legend?

Of course, Lee Han looked at Professor Lightningstep as if he were absurd.

“Isn’t it because you gave me this mount, Professor?”

Who was it that dumped the griffin on him, yet now asked ‘why did you set such a record?’

There was no shamelessness like this shamelessness.

Was he this shameless because he was a professor?

Professor Lightningstep replied as shamelessly as Lee Han thought.

“What nonsense. Griffins don’t like to run like that. Especially when forcibly transformed into horse form. If you hadn’t commanded it, it wouldn’t have run.”

“…?!”

Lee Han was shocked by the professor’s words.

What?!

‘But it was dying to run!’

Could it be that it had become like that because Lee Han hadn’t given it enough opportunities to prove its abilities?

“I guess I underestimated the guy too much. He wanted to prove his abilities…”

Professor Lightningstep listened to Lee Han’s words with a half-believing expression.

It was hard to believe that a griffin would run so earnestly for just such a reason.

“…It’s really true.”

“Alright. I’ll trust you for now. You’ve worked hard, so go inside and rest well. You must have other exams to take, but you’ve suffered a lot from all that running.”

“Ponrig worked harder than I did.”

Lee Han said that and returned to the starting line, watching the students who were coming back.

Students who had become a complete mess returned one by one, looking at Lee Han with eyes full of awe.

“Did you see that?”

“I saw it.”

“That guy… might become the Empire’s greatest rider…!”

“…”

Lee Han decided he should just go rest.

* * *

Some students were suffering from muscle pain, but the magic school didn’t wait for the students.

“We need to get bone-flesh flowers this evening. Considering the time it takes, today will be cutting it close too.”

“My thighs feel like they’re on fire.”

“I think my pelvis is cracked…”

The Blue Dragon Tower students who gathered on basement level 1 before evening were groaning while leaning on their staffs.

The White Tiger Tower students laughed at such a sight.

“Making such a fuss over just riding horses, they’re really lacking in training, ugh…”

“That Wardanaz bastard… why did he ride like a madman…”

Lee Han ignored the muttering sounds.

“Alright. I know everyone’s in bad shape. But now is the time for those taking alchemy to join forces. If we don’t secure materials as quickly as possible, we might all fail.”

The magic school’s terrible schedule made students from other towers cooperate with each other too.

Lee Han planned to gather the students, quickly break through the dungeon, then collect materials and come out.

If he went in alone to collect materials and failed or got hurt, only Lee Han would suffer the loss.

“Here. Everyone take one.”

When Lee Han handed over the basket he brought from the common room, the White Tiger Tower students looked puzzled.

“Are these magic potions needed for dungeon conquest?”

“No. Evening snacks.”

“…”

The White Tiger Tower students lifted the cloth covering the basket. Sandwiches were neatly packed inside.

“…Huh… What?”

“What’s this. Are you thoughtless?”

“Wardanaz. Don’t give any to those who aren’t hungry.”

At Asan’s words, the White Tiger Tower students frantically waved their hands.

“No! No! We’ll eat them well!”

“Alright. If you’re ready, let’s head in.”

Lee Han lined up the students. Due to the dungeon’s terrain, it was impossible for everyone to gather together and form a formation.

To some extent, each tower had no choice but to group together and coordinate among themselves.

‘It would be faster for them to move on their own rather than me giving orders one by one.’

The Imperial Princess, curious about what kind of sandwich it was, lifted the cloth from the basket to check.

Lee Han slapped the back of the Imperial Princess’s hand.

“You have to eat it later.”

Just like Gainando, members of the Imperial Family had big appetites. Lee Han warned her and turned around.

“…?!”

The Imperial Princess looked at Lee Han with eyes mixed with bewilderment, injustice, sadness, and resentment.

However, Lee Han was too busy lining up and inspecting the students to look back.

“If problems arise, you need to form your own formations and respond accordingly. If you think it’s dangerous, send a signal and then make your own judgment.”

“Don’t worry, Wardanaz. We are knights.”

The White Tiger Tower students said while carefully holding their baskets to their chests. They were truly knightly.

Thud-

While they were doing the final inspection on Basement Level 1, someone came up from the underground stairs leading to the dungeon.

It was Professor Boladi.

“…Isn’t having a picnic on Basement Level 1 enjoyable enough for everyone? Shall we head back now?”

“What crazy talk is that, Wardanaz?”

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