Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 189
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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 189
“How did you know… huh? It really is a spirit? How did you know?”
“When they see me and run away, they’re usually spirits.”
“…”
“…”
An awkward silence lingered for a moment.
Nilia hesitated before speaking.
“…You don’t, you don’t necessarily need a spirit to become a good mage! And Wardanaz, you have plenty of other friends!”
‘She’s not very talented at comforting.’
Lee Han thought this but nodded anyway.
He couldn’t grumble when his friend was giving him sincere comfort.
“Wardanaz. Come here and go forward a bit, will you?”
“Why?”
“There’s something over there, so check if it’s a spirit or not.”
“…”
Lee Han looked at Nilia with hurt eyes.
Regardless, Nilia didn’t notice and gestured with her hand.
“Hurry! We need to check!”
‘This is why hunters are…’
Lee Han grumbled internally as he moved his feet.
* * *
Basically, heavy snowfall wasn’t good weather for hunting.
However, experienced hunters could track prey even in such conditions.
“Impressive.”
Lee Han was amazed to see Nilia catch another rabbit.
“When snow suddenly falls, beasts get surprised and panic too.”
“I see… When you were running on the snow just now, it seemed like you ran in some unique way. Could you show me again?”
Nilia basically took considerable pride in being from the Shadow Patrol.
As such, when talking with friends, she wanted to speak about the Shadow Patrol and hunters.
-This bread really tastes awful.
-Oh. But I think it’s better than the bread I ate when I was stranded alone in the mountains before? The bread I ate then was really the worst. It was bread left behind by a hunter who came to the cave, and it had mold and bugs…
-Ugh. Nilia…!
…Of course, these attempts weren’t very successful.
As such, the respect and interest that Wardanaz showed made Nilia happy, but…
“Wardanaz.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I really love talking about the shadow patrol unit… and I’ll definitely answer everything you ask… so let’s talk about it later!”
Swoosh!
Nilia accurately brought down the fleeing deer.
The question Wardanaz had just thrown was exactly the 17th one.
‘How should you choose or shoot a bow?’ ‘How do you track prey when it’s snowing?’ ‘What’s the method for hiding your presence?’ and so on.
At first, Nilia had also excitedly explained everything.
What reason would there be not to explain when a friend was curious?
Lee Han also earnestly took notes and learned each thing one by one.
But Nilia had forgotten one thing.
That the friend beside her was a madman trying to attend every lecture at the magic school!
‘Even so, there should be some limit!’
When the 17th question came, Nilia’s mouth was getting dry and her throat was starting to hurt.
“Can’t you just answer this one thing?”
“No!”
Though Nilia usually couldn’t refuse her friend’s requests, her ability to say no was improving from being with Lee Han.
Slice!
“This should be enough.”
“Right?”
After butchering the last prey, Nilia washed her hands in the piled snow.
Lee Han melted the surrounding snow with fire, then boiled it and put it in his water bottle.
‘It would be good to get even a little more familiar with fire magic.’
Nilia watched this and borrowed some water with an embarrassed expression.
Magic really is convenient!
New students came all the way here in this kind of weather? It’s dangerous. Go back.
“!”
Lee Han and Nilia turned their heads in surprise.
Surprisingly, nothing could be seen around them.
However, the voice continued to be heard. It was a gentle and kind voice.
Where I am isn’t important. It’s dangerous. Go back.
‘Whoever it is, they’re someone with personality in the top 5% at Einroguard.’
An entity that told students to go back because it was dangerous was fundamentally likely to be friendly.
“I don’t know who you are, but we need food.”
I don’t know why Einroguard starves young students… but still, it’s dangerous. Go back. This weather was artificially created, so it won’t subside easily.
At the other person’s kind attitude, Lee Han approached a bit more actively.
Such opponents weren’t common at the magic school. He had to receive help when he could get it.
“Could you show yourself? I’d like to see you and have a conversation.”
Seeing me wouldn’t be very good for you.
The voice warned without losing politeness.
“Why is that?”
My scent is too toxic for new students, it would make you intoxicated.
‘What kind of race is this?’
From the other person’s warning, Lee Han guessed that their race was quite unusual.
A race that could intoxicate people around them with just their scent…?
“But I should be fine.”
“Wardanaz. Isn’t that too reckless?”
Nilia whispered.
She felt worried for no reason at the other person’s serious warning.
From the looks of it, this definitely didn’t seem like a weak opponent…
“It’s okay, Nilia.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But you might be in danger, so you should probably stay back a bit.”
“…”
Nilia looked at Lee Han with very worried eyes.
Are you really going to be okay?
* * *
The gandharva with bird wings and legs was easily confused with bird beastfolk, but was strictly a different race.
The difference was that an intoxicating fragrance emanated from the gandharva’s body.
Gandharvas were a race closer to spirit bloodlines than beastfolk.
The gandharva who spoke to Lee Han was a guardian-like existence who had settled in the nearby Rockgrass Underground Cave long ago and managed it to prevent accidents.
As such, these approaching mages were bound to be tiresome.
‘This is why mages are…!’
The gandharva shook off the heavy snow piled up above the underground cave entrance and revealed itself.
Then an intense fragrance enveloped Lee Han.
No matter how strong one’s tolerance for alcohol, an inexperienced mage could never withstand…
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Lee Han.”
Lee Han greeted politely. The gandharva was flustered.
Without giving time to recover from the confusion, Lee Han continued asking.
“May I ask what your name is?”
…You may call me the Master of Rockgrass Cave.
“!”
This time Lee Han was surprised.
Rockgrass Cave…
-Rockgrass Underground Cave (beware of cave master)
Wasn’t this one of the paths out of Einroguard that Professor Lightningstep had told him about?
‘You seem very reasonable though?’
To be honest, the gandharva before his eyes seemed more kind than the professor.
“You were the Master of Rockgrass Cave?”
Do you know about Rockgrass Cave?
In an instant, Gandharva’s face contorted and he emanated an intense aura.
Lee Han remained completely unfazed and answered calmly.
“I’ve seen the name in the library.”
You’re not thinking of passing through the cave, are you?
“Me? What could possibly be beyond the cave?”
Lee Han feigned ignorance.
His expression was so unchanged that even Nilia, who was listening from behind, was completely fooled.
If not, then fine. Don’t even think about taking an interest in Rockgrass Cave.
“May I say something?”
What?
“Mages are fundamentally curious people, so if you just tell them not to be interested in something, they might actually become more interested. If you explain why they shouldn’t be interested, mages will understand and won’t pay it any mind.”
At Lee Han’s words, Gandharva fell into thought for a moment.
The new student’s words were more reasonable than expected.
That could… be possible.
“Yes.”
Rockgrass Cave is very dangerous.
“Specifically, how is it dangerous?”
“…”
Nilia stared at Lee Han from behind with a bewildered expression as if asking what he was doing.
He’s not actually planning to go in, is he?
Due to great magics colliding with each other, other realms have overlapped and it’s become an unstable path.
Nilia had clearly heard the same thing as Lee Han, but she couldn’t understand it at all.
‘What is he talking about?’
“I see… Then it can’t be easily tampered with. The mana must be complexly tangled, and with different dimensions overlapping…”
Exactly right.
“…”
Nilia shot him a look mixed with betrayal.
‘Is it an area where a major magical accident occurred?’
Mages were fundamentally people who caused big accidents.
The heavy snowfall currently falling around this area was also due to a magical accident.
Rockgrass Cave located underground must also be an area where such a magical accident had occurred.
Due to great magics colliding with each other, the flow of mana became chaotic and other dimensions like the Spirit Realm got mixed in…
Lee Han finished taking notes.
The cave’s guardian tells people not to enter, but other professors casually come and go from the place.
There must definitely be a way to pass through the path.
“Thank you for telling me. I won’t go anywhere near Rockgrass Cave.”
Thank you! You’re really different from other mages. You’ll surely achieve great success.
Gandharva was pleased with Lee Han’s acceptance.
He had been worried about students who kept discovering this place and poking their heads in, so this was truly a relief.
Is there anything I can help with? Did you say earlier that you were short on food?
“Yes. And…”
?
“We’re also short on clothes to wear. The cold came so suddenly. Everyone is shivering half-naked.”
“?”
Nilia was also puzzled.
You’re rich in fabric though…?
Indeed, that would make sense too.
“We’re also short on potions. Because of the cold, we can’t even gather materials…”
Gandharva was genuinely heartbroken by Lee Han’s words.
I’ll take care of you!
* * *
“…Weren’t you supposed to go hunting??”
His friends were shocked at the cart Lee Han had brought back.
No matter how much of a hunting master he was, he couldn’t have hunted well-packaged food supplies, let alone potions or coats.
Yoner made an enlightened expression and whispered quietly.
“Did you hunt a professor’s workshop?”
“…That’s a creative idea, but no.”
Lee Han organized the supplies he had brought with his friends.
This much should somehow get them through this week.
He was worried about what would happen if it went longer though…
‘I’ll think about that when the time comes.’
Lee Han was seriously considering going back to the cave to ask for help again.
The other person had been kinder than expected.
‘I should visit regularly.’
“Is everyone ready?”
“Let’s go! Everyone stay alert and follow me!”
The Blue Dragon Tower students, bundled up tightly in coats and tied together with rope, began trudging through the snow under Lee Han’s command.
They had determined expressions, but their destination was the magic school’s main building.
It was time for Monday morning lectures.
“Huk… Huff.”
“Stay focused! You can’t collapse!”
The Blue Dragon Tower students pulled each other along and barely managed to enter through the main gate of the main building.
Inside the main building was just as cold, but without the blizzard and strong winds, it felt much more livable.
“Everyone…”
Professor Garcia looked at the students sitting in the lecture hall with a very pitiful expression.
How did they end up in a school like this…
‘Less than half came?’
Lee Han was surprised by the number of students in the lecture hall.
These bastards, no matter what, how could they skip class…
“Professor Verdus. Could you please make today’s enchantment magic lecture topic about cold protection?”
Professor Garcia asked the beaver beastman professor standing beside him.
Originally, it should have been time to explain what enchantment magic was…
But seeing the state of the students who were half-frozen, cold protection seemed much more important.
“Why? Why should I do that?”
“Please.”
“The new students are stupid, so they can’t do it even if I teach them?”
“Still, if you tell them the method, one or two of them might succeed through persistent attempts.”
“No. They’re too stupid to do it.”
“Just do it.”
Professor Garcia crushed the corner of the podium with his grip strength.
Professor Verdus immediately understood.
“I’ll do it! I have to do it!”
‘I really need to be careful about my behavior in front of Professor Garcia.’
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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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