Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 289

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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 289

When Lee Han was too shocked, Professor Ku was flustered.

For a moment, she wondered if she had heard the score wrong.

“1 point is really nothing at all, so why are you like this?”

“…You’re right.”

Though he gave an agreeing answer, Lee Han’s expression was absolutely not that of someone who agreed.

It was like the expression of a mage whose mistake had led to the empire’s destruction.

“Thank you, Professor.”

“Wardanaz. You’re really okay, right?”

“I’m fine.”

* * *

Wow, you lost 1 point!

“…”

Lee Han was dumbfounded at the sight of the Skeleton Principal floating and flying over.

It hadn’t even been 30 minutes since he took the exam…

“I could lose 1 point.”

Would that really be the case? If not for that mistake just now, he could have gotten perfect scores on all exams, right?

The Skeleton Principal tried to shake Lee Han’s mind and invoke his inner demons.

Lee Han, who knew that scheme better than anyone, maintained his composure.

Though it stung to lose 1 point due to a mistake, it didn’t really change much.

‘Don’t be shaken.’

That mistake isn’t bothering you?

“Yes. I think there’s a misunderstanding, but I never had the arrogant thought of getting perfect scores on all exams.”

This wasn’t a lie.

Unless Lee Han had gone crazy, would he have set a goal to get perfect scores in all lectures?

His goal was just to do his best.

Feeling stung when he lost 1 point was just his personality…

Aren’t you feeling anger rising up, or hatred toward the professors who dare to test someone like you?

“What kind of crazy 1st year would think like that?”

I did.

“…”

Lee Han decided not to answer anymore and ignore him.

The Skeleton Principal seemed to realize Lee Han wouldn’t fall for the provocation and felt disappointed.

Acting unnecessarily humble…

“I’ve never been arrogant, Principal.”

Few things are as arrogant as trying to take all school magic.

“…”

Lee Han made an expression of being hit. Realizing this, the Skeleton Principal was pleased.

Now you’re getting some enlightenment?

“No?”

Denying it like that will only make it harder on yourself. Are you preparing well for Professor Verdus’s exam?

After taking the transformation magic exam and then the enchantment magic exam, the tedious first semester would essentially be over.

Since the transformation magic exam didn’t seem too difficult, enchantment magic was practically the biggest remaining challenge.

“I’m doing my best.”

It’s not going well, I see.

The Skeleton Principal sharply guessed his inner thoughts. Realizing it was meaningless to deny, Lee Han asked back instead.

“How did you know?”

Well, Professor Verdus’s exam is to upgrade what you made one level higher, right? Since you completed such a thing initially, of course it wouldn’t go well.

The Skeleton Principal answered as if asking what kind of obvious question that was. Lee Han had no choice but to accept it.

‘Well, that’s true.’

Creating a floating steel shield was already amazing, but to upgrade it one level higher in less than a month.

It was natural that it wasn’t going well.

“Then would you tell me instead, Principal?”

No? You should blame your past self who did too well initially. There’s a reason why they say battle mages should hide thirty percent of their skills. This will be a lesson.

“That’s advice for when fighting…”

Still, I’ll give you one piece of advice.

When the Skeleton Principal cut in, Lee Han paused and waited.

What advice would the Skeleton Principal give?

‘It probably won’t be very useful advice.’

You made a floating steel shield now, right?

“Yes.”

A steel shield that floats around the caster and automatically blocks incoming attacks.

Though it borrowed the power of various magic circles, creating it itself was close to miraculous.

Your goal?

“I’m thinking of adding reflection…”

I thought so. Remove all the other magic circles and just put in reflection.

“!”

Lee Han was surprised by the Skeleton Principal’s words.

So right now…?

“Then it would just become a shield that only reflects normally?”

Right. That alone would be sufficient. The performance was upgraded anyway, wasn’t it? Though other functions decreased a bit.

The Skeleton Principal was serious.

No matter how much a student stepped forward to take all school magic, there were limits.

Sometimes choice and sacrifice were necessary.

And Professor Verdus was someone who gave exams as he pleased anyway, so there was no need to take his exam seriously.

The student could just do what he wanted and insist on it.

Just digging into reflection properties alone would be precarious. Just completing it would be an achievement to speak of confidently, so he couldn’t deduct points for reduced functions.

Originally it would have been ‘impossible,’ but the Skeleton Principal said ‘precarious’ considering Lee Han’s track record.

“But Professor Verdus would be disappointed…”

What’s wrong with disappointing Professor Verdus? How is that a fault?

“!”

Huh?

‘That’s right?’

Lee Han felt himself being convinced by the Skeleton Principal’s logic.

Professor Verdus…

It would be okay if he was a little disappointed, wouldn’t it?

Since he had set such a goal himself, even if he was disappointed, it was close to his own doing.

“I’m glad you want to disappoint Professor Verdus rather than torment me, Principal.”

You really have a talent for illusion magic.

“I don’t.”

Well, you did lose 1 point.

“…”

* * *

Professor Verdus had even put down his equipment and tools and was waiting for the students.

Anyone who knew the professor would know how surprising this sight was.

Who was Professor Verdus?

Despite being a professor who should teach, he was a born craftsman who would throw a few books at students in the lecture hall, tell them to study on their own, then immerse himself in creating artifacts that interested him.

For such Professor Verdus to be waiting around doing nothing.

The merchants who had come to the school at Professor Verdus’s invitation felt uneasy and asked.

“Are you alright? Mage sir? Why aren’t you doing your usual crafting…”

“It’s the students’ exam.”

“That’s… true.”

The merchants cursed Professor Verdus inwardly.

Usually when merchants tried to talk to him, he would only respond with “uh” or “uh-huh” and only speak when it was convenient for him, so seeing him like this made them even more annoyed.

Regardless, Professor Verdus hummed a tune while waiting.

It was because of what the Skeleton Principal had told him.

-Wow. This year’s first-year students are quite impressive. They made good work.

-No way? They must have only made garbage?

-…Of course, objectively speaking there might be such aspects, but some works were quite decent.

-That can’t be right?

-If it weren’t for the exam, I would have thrown you in the punishment room. What a shame.

-Why?

-Think about that when you’re in the punishment room later… And there’s really good work too. Like what Wardanaz made.

-Oh. He finished it?

Professor Verdus was delighted.

He had advised adding reflection properties to the floating steel shield, and it seemed Wardanaz had completed it well.

-…Didn’t you think that was a bit difficult?

The Skeleton Principal asked, suppressing his exasperation as much as possible.

Of course, Professor Verdus answered confidently as if asking what he was talking about.

-No? Why?

-My mistake for asking. Anyway, since the reflection property is complete, give a fair evaluation.

-Wow! I’m excited!

Thanks to this, Professor Verdus was in high spirits.

Of course, in Professor Verdus’s view, Lee Han’s enchantment magic still had many shortcomings (the fact that Lee Han was a first-year had not remained in Professor Verdus’s genius brain).

But even if there were dozens of flaws, if there was one special advantage that covered them, it would be interesting enough.

Lee Han’s enchantment magic, which skipped various enchantment processes with his characteristic massive mana capacity, was endlessly fascinating despite its many shortcomings.

Thud-

When the door opened and students entered, Professor Verdus welcomed them and shouted.

“Submit as soon as you arrive!”

“H-here it is, Professor.”

Seeing Professor Verdus looking strangely pleased, the student harbored a slight hope while submitting.

If he looks that happy, maybe the assignment too?

“It’s still garbage. What’s supposed to be improved?”

“…Th-the speed increased a little, didn’t it?”

“Next!”

Students came forward one by one to get scolded by Professor Verdus and then were driven away.

Seeing this, Lee Han felt at ease.

‘Even if I fail, we’ll all fail together.’

It’s more reassuring to fail with friends than to fail alone.

Professor Verdus grumbled while driving students away, but when Lee Han’s turn came, he brightened up.

“You’re here? I was looking forward to this! Come on, show me!”

Lee Han carefully took out the steel shield and set it down.

It was a shield with all the previous magic circle formulas erased and newly engraved with reflection properties.

Clang!

When Lee Han picked up and threw a stone, it flew back in the direction it came from with a crisp sound.

It was an elasticity that seemed to ignore the laws of physics.

“!!”

“It’s reflection?!”

The students were startled.

They knew Wardanaz had excellent magical skills as the year’s top student, but to complete a reflection shield after the floating shield from before.

‘This is…’

‘…might actually work!’

The students who had just been scolded and driven away unconsciously looked at Professor Verdus with expectant eyes.

No matter how bas… no, how strict a professor he was, at this point he had no choice but to say “well done.”

Really!

“Where did the automatic defense go?!”

Professor Verdus shouted in surprise.

“…”

“…”

The students glared at the professor with contemptuous looks.

If a first-year completed reflection properties in such a short time, he should praise them, how could he say such a thing?

‘He’s really not human.’

‘Even mountain range monsters would be more merciful than him.’

“I removed the automatic defense.”

“Why?!”

“To complete the reflection.”

“You could do both together?!”

“It was impossible time-wise.”

“Why?!”

Instead of answering, Lee Han just smiled gently. He didn’t want to argue with a crazy person.

“Should I give you more time?”

“Next week is vacation.”

“There’s a room in the Sacred Workshop, want to stay there and complete it?”

At those words, students who couldn’t stand it any longer rose up.

“Wardanaz has plans with us, Professor!”

“If you keep doing this, we’ll really file a complaint to His Imperial Majesty!”

“Why, why?! What did I do!?”

Lee Han was moved by the friendship his friends showed after a long time.

Taking care of their meals hadn’t been wasted effort after all.

* * *

After the transformation magic exam (an exam where you only had to turn one piece of clothing into steel) and the enchantment magic exam ended and Friday night arrived, the Blue Dragon Tower students began shouting in ecstasy.

“It’s over! It’s over! It’s over!”

“So are the grades!”

Friends gagged the prince who was dampening the mood.

Bang! Pop pop pop pop bang! Pop pop pop pop bang!

Looking out the window, beautiful fireworks with all kinds of patterns were bursting in the dark night sky.

“The upperclassmen must be shooting them!”

“Let’s respond too!”

The first-year students ran to the windows and shot magic indiscriminately.

Compared to the magic the upperclassmen shot, it was shabby, but thanks to the dark night sky, it was clearly visible.

“The fireworks are moving!”

The fireworks decorating the night sky wriggled and moved, then turned into letters.

The first-year students cast their gaze with pounding hearts at the message the upperclassmen were sending.

What kind of words of praise would the upperclassmen, whose faces they couldn’t even see, give to their underclassmen?

☆You’re☆being☆too☆loud☆play☆quietly☆

☆Seeing☆the☆1st☆years☆so☆excited☆means☆they☆haven’t☆learned☆enough☆yet☆The☆2nd☆semester☆is☆when☆it☆gets☆real

“…”

“They’re just trash…”

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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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