Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 257

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

Chapter 257

He said it was a pass.

The demon gestured for the next student to come forward. It meant to hurry up and move aside since he had passed.

“???”

Of course, that didn’t make it any more convincing.

The students standing behind Lee Han were also confused and whispered among themselves.

“What part of that conversation was worthy of a pass?”

“Ah! Maybe it was the polite greeting?”

Hearing what his friends behind him were saying, Lee Han thought it sounded quite plausible.

Though he hadn’t done it intentionally, greeting politely and starting the conversation had earned the demon’s favor.

“Indeed… I’ve learned something. To think it was thanks to greeting courteously.”

Lee Han was proud that he had the habit of always being politely flattering.

There’s really nothing to lose from flattery…

What? What is he talking about?

“…Isn’t that right?”

Your mana was valid as a trade condition, so you passed.

“Wait!”

Professor Rozine couldn’t stand listening any longer and interrupted.

Then she pulled the demon aside.

“Mr. Oripulas. You can’t do this. You need to work diligently.”

Aren’t I working diligently…

“You just did it carelessly.”

Professor Rozine returned with the appearance of strict management and spoke sternly.

Though a powerful demon, Oripulas, bound by contract, protested with an aggrieved voice.

What I heard was definitely to pass students if they brought valid contract conditions.

Rhetoric and eloquence were more important to mages than one might think.

Living as a mage, one often encountered beings stronger than oneself.

Mages who relied only on power and lacked wisdom could do nothing in such situations.

But clever mages could persuade beings stronger than themselves, turning crisis into opportunity.

That’s why learning the tricks of understanding and persuading beings from other dimensions from the first year was important work…

‘But you can’t just pass them like that!’

But he has sufficient mana… Are you saying I should make trouble even when conditions are met?

“…”

When it came to this, Professor Rozine had nothing to say either.

It was true that she had told him to make it like real practice.

For races like demons that fed on mana, regular mana supply was always a popular contract condition.

Of course, the regular mana supply mentioned here far exceeded the scale that ordinary mages would think of.

Mages had bodies of blood, flesh, and bone, so they could live without mana, and thus could never understand the endless hunger of races like demons.

A lot.

More!

It wasn’t for nothing that various evil offerings and sorcery came up when contracting with demons.

It was because it was impossible to fill the amount of mana demons wanted through ordinary methods.

But very occasionally, there were times when a mage had what a demon wanted without any special preparation.

Right now was one of those times.

“…Fine. But at least give some strong warnings.”

Understood.

Oripulas called Lee Han over again.

Actually, rashly attempting contracts with demons just relying on mana can be said to be truly foolish.

“…Are there really such crazy people?”

Lee Han was puzzled.

Was there really a mage who would go to a demon without detailed investigation or preparation and say ‘Let’s make a deal!’ just because they had plenty of mana?

That wouldn’t be a mage but an idiot…

Such fools appear from time to time. So remember this. Underestimating demons…

Oripulas sat Lee Han down and listed ‘101 reasons to be careful of demons.’

Lee Han wondered what he had done wrong.

‘Wasn’t it a pass?’

Do you understand?

“Yes. Thanks to you, Mr. Oripulas, it really hit home. I will never rashly attempt contracts with demons just relying on mana.”

Good. That’s enough.

“But Mr. Oripulas.”

What is it?

“What kind of contract did you make to be working for the Empire?”

Lee Han asked out of pure curiosity.

If he knew what compensation Oripulas received, Lee Han could use it as reference later.

‘Gold coins? Gems? Magic? Offerings?’

I… was tricked into the contract.

“…”

Lee Han’s face, which had been expecting an answer, hardened.

So you too must be careful when making contracts. Understand? Contracts are this dangerous.

“Ah… yes.”

Lee Han was shocked.

To think they tricked a demon into forced labor…

The Empire’s administrators were no less than Einroguard.

* * *

Thursday.

Lee Han walked down the corridor yawning. Even though it was morning, he felt drowsy from lack of sleep.

Hmm!

“…”

Spotting the Skeleton Principal’s round white skull in the distance, Lee Han felt his drowsiness completely disappear.

‘Amazing. My mind is surprisingly clear.’

“Good morning.”

Yes. Good morn… wait.

Lee Han’s heart sank.

Since he was planning to go outside the school to the Spire Stables the day after tomorrow, he couldn’t help but feel guilty when meeting the Skeleton Principal.

But if the Skeleton Principal was one of the Empire’s top education experts, then Lee Han was no less an expert at being a student.

Without any change in expression, Lee Han asked back.

“What’s the matter?”

Did you happen to see anything around here yesterday?

“No.”

This wasn’t a lie but the truth.

He hadn’t really seen anything at the spot where the Skeleton Principal and Death Knight were standing now.

‘What’s going on?’

Stop talking nonsense and stand guard properly.

-Please kill me! I’m sorry. I have dishonored my master!

And stop asking to be killed every time you make a mistake. When will you ever abandon that old habit? Knights these days don’t die for making one mistake.

The Skeleton Principal scolded the Death Knights.

The intruder who had brazenly entered the school recently.

The Skeleton Principal responded to this with the bizarre measure of stationing undead throughout the entire school to tie down the intruder’s feet.

Then he was in the middle of thoroughly searching the main building one by one to find that intruder bastard…

He had just now discovered that the barriers around this area had been damaged last night.

Of course, it could have been a coincidence. The main building of the magic school was so old and had countless magics intertwined within it that the mana fluctuations were as unpredictable as those of another dimension.

The barrier could have been damaged due to flow changes, but the Skeleton Principal never let his guard down.

Increase the deployment here. Search this area first. If that intruder bastard shows up, chew up his flesh. Understood?

-We will follow your orders!

“The intruder still hasn’t been caught?”

I’ll catch him soon. Or he might already be dead.

The Skeleton Principal answered grumpily.

Just so there’s no misunderstanding, there’s nothing wrong with the search or surveillance. That damaged barrier is just a very minor part.

‘Hmm. I wonder why all the professors show the same reaction when they make mistakes.’

Of course, Lee Han planned to avoid needlessly provoking the Skeleton Principal’s temper.

If he provoked him wrongly, his weekend outings might get complicated.

That intruder bastard is probably…

“An Archmage?”

Avoiding the eyes of Death Knights and evading other barriers wasn’t something just anyone could do.

It’s more likely he has some unknown artifact. Thieves usually carry such things around.

In the Skeleton Principal’s view, if the barrier damage in this area was the intruder’s doing, the intruder likely possessed a considerably powerful stealth artifact.

No matter how much he relied on the power of a stealth artifact, he couldn’t avoid all the Death Knights and magic barriers, so he must have accidentally broken this corner barrier.

Really. Isn’t he a foolish bastard? If he came out on his own, I’d send him off with minimal pain.

‘Even I wouldn’t be able to come out…’

Lee Han, who had been listening to the Skeleton Principal’s words, asked without much thought.

“How about increasing the number of Death Knights?”

Increasing the numbers wouldn’t make much difference.

The Skeleton Principal was skeptical about increasing numbers.

Even now, Death Knights were deployed throughout the main building.

Yet he moved without being caught, which meant he had a way to avoid the Death Knights’ gaze.

“Can’t Death Knights see through stealth magic?”

They can see through it to some extent, but if it’s a powerful artifact, even Death Knights… But I’ve set up various barriers to prepare for that.

Skilled mages could use stealth magic that blocked the sight of powerful undead monsters.

Naturally, the Skeleton Principal knew this, so he had layered barriers everywhere that weakened such stealth magics.

As long as the barriers were intact, that kind of magic was…

No, wait.

The Skeleton Principal suddenly realized something while talking with Lee Han.

If it’s a powerful artifact, it might even temporarily stop the surrounding barriers. That’s probably what happened.

If the barriers deployed everywhere were temporarily stopped, he might be able to move around avoiding the Death Knights’ sight.

The Skeleton Principal clicked his tongue. Lee Han spoke as if relieved.

“If you’ve found a weakness, you can prepare countermeasures, can’t you?”

That’s right.

The Skeleton Principal stared intently at Lee Han.

Lee Han asked, feeling somehow ominous.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

One of the easiest countermeasures is to have a skilled mage hold these barrier stones.

Whatever artifact it was, the principle of stopping barriers was simple.

It was to shake the barrier stones containing the barriers with force to temporarily stop them.

However, if a skilled mage was holding and defending those barrier stones, the story would be different.

“No, I don’t know defensive magic.”

I’m not telling you to use defensive magic, but to use your ignorant mana.

When the amount of mana increased, it naturally became a force that resisted other magic.

Lee Han would likely be able to block external forces just by holding the barrier stones.

“…Wouldn’t it be better if you did it yourself, Principal?”

I’ll do it too. Didn’t you see I was searching? I’m saying we should take turns.

“I’m in the middle of final exam assignments.”

That’s why I’m saying just use about two hours a day. Do some searching here with the Death Knights.

“…”

Lee Han, who had suddenly been assigned to search with Death Knights while just passing by, was dumbfounded and speechless.

No…

The Skeleton Principal spoke soothingly.

If we combine our forces, won’t it end quickly?

“Principal. I’m a first year…”

When Einroguard is in crisis, students and professors must join forces regardless of distinction.

“It doesn’t really seem like a crisis…”

Thank you. If you achieve results, I’ll definitely reward you.

“You’re doing this because you don’t want to spare two hours right now…”

Now then. Death Knights. Are you ready to proceed with the search together with this clever disciple?

-Just leave it to us! We will definitely get our revenge and restore our honor!

‘I really want to kill him.’

* * *

Lee Han walked down the corridor with the Death Knights, carrying an armful of stones engraved with barriers.

The stones were all different sizes and shapes and didn’t look particularly impressive, but Lee Han could guess how high-level the magic cast on these stones was.

The structure was at a level he couldn’t even begin to guess.

They said it was magic to weaken the intruder’s stealth magic, so indeed…

-I really wanted to have a conversation with you, this is an honor. Wardanaz.

-Your reputation is quite well-known among us knights.

“Ah. Yes. Thank you.”

The Death Knights were very sociable for undead.

Lee Han was somewhat bewildered.

“Then should we start by opening the doors here one by one?”

-Let’s do that! Stay back. We don’t know what might be inside.

“…Oh right. I can check all the places I find suspicious, right?”

-Of course!

The Death Knights didn’t notice Lee Han’s ulterior motives and nodded readily.

If they could find the intruder, what would be so difficult about searching other floors!

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