Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 177

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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 177

When Lee Han coldly clicked his tongue and suddenly changed his attitude, the apprentice knights were greatly shocked.

Wardanaz had really been deceiving them!

“Wardanaz… I… I trusted you! I respected your honor!”

“What respect are you babbling about when you guys who haven’t lived even a day in Einroguard act arrogant and look down on us?”

At Lee Han’s indifferent retort, the White Tiger Tower students burst into cheers.

“That’s right! Wardanaz!”

“Well said! What kind of respect nonsense are they talking about!”

A strange situation where the White Tiger Tower students were cheering for Lee Han.

However, the apprentice knights who didn’t know their relationship well misunderstood once again.

“Cowardly bastards…! You used Wardanaz, who isn’t from a knight family, to make us let our guard down, didn’t you?”

“???”

“N-no, we didn’t tell him to do that?”

The White Tiger Tower students panicked when the arrows were suddenly turned on them.

They weren’t that close to Wardanaz in the first place, and he wasn’t the type to do something just because they told him to.

He just used deception on his own!

“Wardanaz! Explain for us! When did we ever tell you to do such a thing!”

Lee Han nodded at the White Tiger Tower students’ words.

“That’s right. Those friends would never tell me to do such a thing. Would friends from knight families who know honor do such a thing? Don’t make such ridiculous assumptions.”

Of course, the apprentice knights naturally didn’t believe it.

“We’ll see about that!”

“Cowardly bastards!”

“…”

“I tried.”

Lee Han shrugged his shoulders.

At that sight, the White Tiger Tower students glared at Lee Han.

* * *

Labda of the Enge family was a knight evaluated as having the best skills among the apprentice knights.

As such, even when the other students and apprentice knights dropped out one by one, he remained until the end to face off against Lee Han.

Now their duel was no longer a simple duel.

A battle of pride over whether the knights who entered magic school would win, or whether the apprentice knights who were devoted to the path of the sword would win!

‘Hmm. Come to think of it, I got heated for no reason.’

Lee Han thought to himself.

Actually, Lee Han just needed to get good test scores, but he ended up unnecessarily provoking his opponent.

Because his opponent kept babbling about how magic school life wasn’t that difficult…

Labda gripped his sword with a tense expression.

Unlike Lee Han, Labda was extremely nervous.

Since Lee Han had already secured a perfect score on the midterm exam, he had nothing to lose even if he lost.

What dishonor could there be for the Wardanaz Family losing a bit in swordsmanship? Anyone who mocked that would be the crazy one.

However, Labda’s situation was different.

If he lost to his opponent, he would lose far too much.

Not only would it be a defeat for all the apprentice knights gathered here, but he would become the person who lost in swordsmanship to a mage…

“Labda. Calm down. The opponent is from a mage family.”

“You heard how he won. Just be careful of deception. You know that, right?”

“Of course.”

Labda stood up from his seat.

I’ll win!

By any means necessary!

* * *

“Wardanaz. There will absolutely never be another occasion like this, but just this once I’ll cheer for you.”

“Win!”

“Thanks. Your half-hearted cheers really boost my motivation.”

Compared to the apprentice knights who had bonded tightly together, Lee Han and the White Tiger Tower students had a rather dry relationship.

In fact, some of the White Tiger Tower students were still pondering, ‘Should I really want Wardanaz to win?’

“By the way, what kind of swordsmanship does that guy use?”

Lee Han asked, looking back.

Since Lee Han wasn’t from a knight family, his opponent would fight without knowing much about Lee Han…

But that wasn’t Lee Han’s concern, and Lee Han intended to fight knowing about his opponent.

“The Absorption Sword with many variations.”

Giselle answered.

While all the Empire’s swordsmanship styles had their own unique characteristics, the Enge Family’s swordsmanship was quite peculiar even among them.

Not only were the variations subtle and strange, but when crossing swords with an opponent…

One could feel a suction force as if being pulled into a swamp.

Unless one was a knight with extensive real combat experience, facing such swordsmanship for the first time would inevitably cause confusion.

“I see. Durgyu. What kind of swordsmanship does that guy use?”

“That bastard…”

Giselle was furious.

What could be the reason for asking again like that when she had just told him?

After she had bothered to inform him, how dare he doubt…

“Don’t misunderstand. Moradi. It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just thought Durgyu might have felt something different since he faced him directly.”

“Th-that’s right. Moradi. Wardanaz probably didn’t have any bad intentions.”

The White Tiger Tower students also tried to calm the increasingly hostile atmosphere.

Durgyu asked quietly.

“Really?”

“No.”

“…”

One of the friends who had been trying to stop him turned his head and asked.

“What did you just say?”

“Nothing. I didn’t say anything! Now. Lee Han. I’ll tell you everything I can about the other person!”

Durgyu hastily changed the subject.

At this rate, he might end up fighting with his White Tiger Tower friends before even fighting Labda.

* * *

“Begin!”

As the signal dropped, Lee Han stepped forward.

The advice Durgyu had given was similar to what Moradi had told him.

-When swords clash, instead of the usual repelling force, you’ll feel a pulling force that draws you toward the opponent. Lee Han. Your balance will crumble bit by bit, and when you realize it, it’ll likely be too late. You need to be on guard from the start.

‘So you can use mana in your sword like that.’

Since he was among the most skilled apprentice knights and had even defeated Durgyu, it was natural that he knew how to infuse mana into his sword.

The mana contained in his sword was probably creating an effect that pulled the opponent’s sword with each clash.

Though it sounded simple when described, Lee Han, who had trained in swordsmanship for quite some time, could guess how complex and advanced this technique was.

Creating an effect that pulls the opponent’s sword with mana was already difficult, but to continuously cast it while disrupting the opponent’s balance?

It required the keen eye to maintain one’s own swordsmanship while simultaneously reading the opponent’s balance.

To accomplish such a thing in the midst of a chaotic sword duel would require bone-cutting effort and training.

Lee Han raised his evaluation of his opponent slightly. This was definitely not something an ordinary lazy person could do.

Of course, this still couldn’t excuse his nonsensical claim that magic school wasn’t very difficult…

Clang!

‘What kind of strength is this?!’

Though Labda didn’t show it outwardly, he was shocked by the tingling pain rising in his grip.

-That guy has nothing but tricks!

-Don’t worry, Labda! You can win!

The cheering from his apprentice knight friends, who had stepped up to ease Labda’s burden, made him feel a bit better but wasn’t actually helpful.

After clashing once and taking steps to correct their stances, Labda could clearly feel his opponent’s skill.

If anything, he was better than Durgyu from the Choi family, definitely not weaker!

‘But he’s from the Wardanaz family! A mage family!!’

Labda felt so wronged he wanted to protest. Why on earth was someone from the Wardanaz family so serious about swordsmanship?

Was it because they were a family of eccentric mages?

Could swordsmanship possibly help with magic? They say ancient swordsmanship still contains mysteries that swordsmen haven’t deciphered?

Clang!

Lee Han showed none of the relaxed or deceptive attitude he had displayed earlier.

He felt a murderous pressure like a massive rock.

“…”

“…Could it be that being from the Wardanaz family is also a trick?”

One of the apprentice knights muttered, showing how shocked he was.

No matter how he thought about it, this wasn’t the kind of swordsmanship someone from a great noble family should be displaying.

It wasn’t as if he had done nothing but swing a sword except for eating and sleeping…

‘I’ve got the initiative!’

Lee Han’s eyes gleamed.

Fortunately, he was able to seize the initiative thanks to his opponent’s slow assessment of Lee Han.

Lee Han knew his opponent well, but his opponent didn’t know much about Lee Han – this difference determined the outcome.

‘I’ll finish this by pressing hard before the opponent can use other techniques.’

Losing the initiative to an opponent with varied swordsmanship would be dangerous.

Lee Han planned to maintain the initiative he had seized.

Of course, Labda had no intention of just losing either.

‘Somehow!’

Mana circulated throughout his body and settled into his sword, making it heavy. Labda barely deflected the attack and unleashed his family’s swordsmanship with all his might.

‘Pull it in!’

He felt the sensation in his hands. Labda sensed that his swordsmanship had been properly executed.

But…?

“???”

Labda looked at Lee Han with surprised eyes. Lee Han also flinched at that gaze.

‘What’s this?’

His opponent, who had been expressionless until now, was looking at him like that, which bothered him.

Was it psychological warfare?

‘By the way, I wonder when he’ll use the Absorption Sword.’

Lee Han didn’t waver and unleashed another attack.

Getting swayed just because his opponent wasn’t using it would be foolish.

If there’s a path to victory, follow that path without wavering!

Bang, bang, bang-

Labda’s face gradually turned ashen. It was natural since he had squeezed out and consumed his mana but saw no change.

Anyone could see Lee Han had the advantage.

However, Lee Han’s expression wasn’t particularly good either.

‘…This is bad.’

Cracks were starting to appear from the handle of the wooden sword.

Lee Han blamed himself.

‘I still can’t control my mana properly…!’

The wooden sword had ended up in this state because he was crudely pouring mana into each strike.

It was his own doing.

Unaware of Lee Han’s inner thoughts, Labda gritted his teeth and prepared his final counterattack.

It was a sword technique still somewhat difficult for Labda to use completely, but to overcome the current situation…

“Kraaah!”

With a battle cry, Labda swung his sword. Lee Han cast a wary glance at this different aura from before.

‘Something’s different!’

The swords clashed and an intense suction force shook the mana contained in Lee Han’s sword.

And nothing happened.

“?”

“Cough!”

Blood flowed from Labda’s nose as he held his sword in the clash.

It was due to excessive mana usage.

‘I can’t… let go of the sword…’

Originally, he should have released his sword.

However, the swordsmanship he had deployed with insufficient skill was paralyzing Labda’s hand and preventing him from letting go of his sword.

What was even worse was that the swordsmanship he had deployed was causing his sword to continuously drain Labda’s mana.

‘If this continues…’

Labda’s eyes darkened.

Crack!

At that moment, Labda’s wooden sword shattered along with Lee Han’s wooden sword. Labda took a heavy breath and fell backward.

“Huff… gasp…”

“…”

Lee Han clicked his tongue with a disappointed expression.

‘I had him completely.’

To end in a draw with an opponent he had completely caught due to poor mana control.

He couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

‘No. I should be grateful even for a draw.’

Lee Han changed his thinking that way.

If he hadn’t used his wits at the last moment to break the opponent’s sword along with his own, Lee Han’s sword might have broken first.

“War… Wardanaz.”

“?”

“Thank you.”

“???”

“To break your own sword… for my sake.”

“?????”

Lee Han couldn’t understand.

What was The Other Person talking about right now?

‘He hasn’t even used his family’s swordsmanship since earlier, isn’t his condition a bit off?’

Lee Han wondered if The Other Person had gotten injured from exerting too much force while fighting Durgyu.

It was such an out-of-the-blue statement.

“Labda! Are you okay?!”

“Don’t worry! You really fought well! It ended in a draw due to bad luck, but…”

“It’s fine. And this duel… I lost.”

“?!?”

Labda explained to the shocked apprentice knights what had happened.

When the explanation ended, the apprentice knights looked at Lee Han with surprised eyes.

Clap, clap clap, clap clap clap-

Without anyone taking the lead, they began applauding one by one.

The White Tiger Tower students also looked around and joined in the applause.

Professor Ingoldel and Bikelintz also clapped.

Lee Han thought to himself.

‘After graduation, I really shouldn’t associate with those knight bastards.’

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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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