Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 370

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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 370

People who suffered losses like Diret always said “just this once” and ended up softening their hearts.

Lee Han looked at his senior with pity.

“I brought some snacks, so just let me know if you need any.”

“Chocolate tart? Where did you buy this?”

“I made it myself.”

“…Uh, uhm.”

* * *

The dark mages gathered at the city’s main gate boarded a pre-rented carriage and departed.

It was like going on a picnic.

Creak-creak-creak-creak-

If only it weren’t for the old carriage creaking as if it would break at any moment.

“Cough. We need to cast magic on it again.”

“Stop for a moment!”

The upperclassmen stopped the carriage and jumped out to cast magic on the wheels, axles, and doors in turn.

Seeing this, Lee Han felt ominous as if he had glimpsed an unfortunate future through divination magic.

‘I heard that dark magic doesn’t receive support, but to see it so directly like this.’

“This should be enough.”

“It’s still creaking though?”

“If we cast enough magic to completely fix it, it would waste too much mana. We have no choice but to endure this much.”

“Hehe. If we harvest some decent mushrooms from the undead realm this time, we can even change the carriage. Exciting, isn’t it?”

“…Yes!”

Lee Han resolved to learn magic to eliminate creaking sounds first thing in the second semester.

As they took the Imperial Highway and moved away from the city, houses gradually decreased and only forests and fields began to increase.

Gainando munched on the tart while looking outside the carriage. Raphadael, who was sitting by the window, pushed Gainando’s head away as if annoyed.

“Halt!”

At the end of the quiet road, armed soldiers and a knight could be seen. They stopped the carriage while being wary of it.

“What is your purpose for coming here?”

“Cough. We’re mages who came to research this phenomenon.”

Professor Mortum took out a permit and handed it to the soldiers.

The knight’s face relaxed considerably upon seeing the document with an official seal.

“So you’re mages.”

Given the vast territory of the Empire, controlling the strange phenomena occurring everywhere was no ordinary task.

Phenomena like the overlapping of the undead realm could cause undead waves to occur everywhere if not properly controlled.

Even if they barely discovered and controlled it first, they still couldn’t be completely at ease.

Since the Empire’s territory was so vast, there were many lunatics, and there were those who would try to exploit such phenomena.

It was natural for the knights and soldiers controlling this remote and quiet place to be on edge.

“Cough. You’re all working hard.”

“Really… I don’t know why it had to be the undead dimension that overlapped. What terrible luck… It would have been better if it were a plant spirit dimension.”

“The plant spirit dimension would have caused considerable damage too.”

“But it would be better than the undead dimension, wouldn’t it?”

“Well…”

“By the way. Which school of magic are you from…”

“Cough cough cough.”

Professor Mortum suddenly started coughing as if something had gone down the wrong way.

The disciples beside him patted their master’s back and said.

“Professor. Here’s some water!”

“His health has been quite poor…”

“Oh my. I’m sorry. I kept someone who’s unwell for too long. Hey. Let them pass.”

As the soldiers moved aside, the carriage rushed forward.

Professor Mortum stopped coughing and raised his head.

“Cough. Are they gone?”

“They’re gone.”

“…”

The first-year students who had been watching from inside the carriage looked at Diret with shocked eyes.

“…We did get proper permission, right?”

“We did get it!? Junior! Of course that scene just now was a bit unsightly, but we’re not reckless enough to handle such things without permits or with forgeries!”

Diret began his explanation.

Roughly speaking, when such phenomena occurred, troops were deployed to these nearby passages to prevent crazy people from approaching, and control measures were put in place.

They were likely using nearby military camps or small villages to form a siege network to prevent approach.

“What does that have to do with what you just did…?”

“Listen to the end.”

In other words, not just the soldiers they saw, but quite a lot of people were staying around this area!

It wasn’t just soldiers standing guard, but people helping them stay in the village, people bringing them food and drink, and even people buying mage cards for them to play while idle – a kind of ecosystem had formed around here.

“??”

Of course, Lee Han didn’t understand.

What did that have to do with not saying ‘I’m a dark mage’ just now?

“In this situation, if it’s known that we’re dark mages, we’d be the first to be suspected when incidents occur. So we slightly avoided answering.”

“…”

“…”

When the first-year students didn’t respond, the upperclassmen asked in anxious voices.

“We didn’t deceive them. He just coughed a little.”

“Right. We properly got the permit too.”

“Juniors, you’re not going to change schools because of something like this, are you??”

‘I should go around saying I’m a plant elemental mage.’

Lee Han glanced at his staff.

Who would have thought the wood spirit’s staff would be helpful at times like this!

* * *

The dark magic school students who got off the carriage split up and entered the pre-rented inn.

As Diret had said, the village people weren’t surprised even when travelers visited in droves. Looking around, several people were already wandering around the village.

Curious onlookers who came to personally confirm the rumors, mercenaries who seemed to have come to solve suspicious requests, mages dressed obviously like fire elemental mages, and so on.

“Cough. You’ve all worked hard. Rest well today, and from tomorrow we’ll go in and work. Feel free to walk around the village. Some hot green tea, please.”

“Yes. Mage sir.”

Thanks to renting the entire inn, only students were on the first floor. The owner handed steaming hot green tea to Professor Mortum.

In that gesture, one could glimpse the respect that Empire people typically showed to mages.

“How does it taste?”

“It’s fine.”

“That’s a relief. I used quite good tea leaves. I’m glad it’s being drunk by a mage sir rather than other customers. Anyway, all the guys who came to the village because of this incident are full of suspicious and unpleasant people… They say the Empire will compensate us after it’s over, but how gloomy will the village atmosphere become in the meantime. It would be so nice if only people like you mage sir came.”

“…Cough cough.”

When Professor Mortum coughed, the students quickly threw down their luggage and hurriedly escaped outside the inn.

If they stayed and got asked what kind of magic they used, it would be awkward for everyone.

“There probably isn’t much to see in a village like this, but don’t wander around too much.”

“Don’t drink alcohol. It’ll affect your magic casting tomorrow.”

“Don’t talk too long with suspicious people.”

“Actually, the problem is that we look the most suspicious. Avoid topics about magic as much as possible. The village is small so rumors spread quickly.”

The upperclassmen earnestly advised them, having experienced this several times before.

Even dressed like farmers, as long as they carried staffs, people couldn’t help but be curious about what kind of mages they were.

“Where are you going, senior?”

“I need to meet with merchants to check what materials they need and what the current market prices are.”

“I’m going to meet with the knights. If I ask the knights, they can drive away any suspicious people.”

Lee Han was impressed by how capable the upperclassmen were, more than he had expected.

“You can just go look around if you want.”

“No. I’ll help too.”

At Lee Han’s words, Gainando looked disgusted and tugged at the hem of his clothes.

He wanted to wander around and have fun.

“It’s really okay though…”

“They said it’s fine. Lee Han.”

“There’s nothing to do anyway.”

“What do you mean there’s nothing. Lee Han.”

“You go over there and look around.”

After chasing away Gainando, Lee Han followed behind Diret and approached the merchants in the area.

“It’s not really difficult. There are merchants here selling goods, but there are also merchants who came to obtain materials.”

The merchants also knew that materials would come out from inside when overlap phenomena occurred.

That’s why quick-footed merchants would rush over and wait in advance.

Since tired adventurers wouldn’t carry out all the materials.

“Among them, it’s good to know in advance which materials currently have high market prices or have bounties on them.”

“Do the merchants readily tell you?”

“They usually tell mages well. Because they often need help.”

Among the Empire’s proverbs was ‘Unless you’re a fool, don’t make enemies with mages.’

It meant there were many occasions when you’d owe favors to mages.

Since merchants came here to do business, there was no reason to fight with mages for nothing…

“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you.”

“…Huh?”

Diret was flustered.

Had they figured out he was a dark mage?

“What’s the reason?”

“Hmm. Mage sir. I’m telling you this out of respect for you. There’s… an adventurer I contracted with first. Other merchants will probably be similar to me.”

‘Damn.’

Diret clicked his tongue inwardly.

If there was an adventurer who had received a commission from the merchant, the story was different.

It would be troublesome if he carelessly revealed what expensive materials there were now and someone else took them…

“Are cases like this frequent?”

“No. Usually they don’t go as far as hiring. The possibility of not finding anything by sending just one or two parties is higher.”

From the merchant’s perspective, it was more convenient to just buy from anyone who brought things rather than hiring parties and sending them in, which was risky in many ways.

If that party returned empty-handed, they’d spend silver coins but gain nothing.

“I don’t know what material it is, but there must be competition. I didn’t expect them to invest to that extent.”

“Hmm.”

Lee Han wanted to help his struggling senior and fell into thought, but no particular method came to mind.

If they were knights, it would be possible to deceive them with a word, but merchants weren’t that easy.

‘Wait. That emblem…’

Lee Han realized the emblem on the merchant’s carriage looked familiar.

That was the Richmond family emblem.

The family of Shyles Richmont from Black Turtle Tower, who operated one of the Empire’s leading transport guilds.

“Did you come from the Richmond family by any chance?”

“Ah. Yes.”

“I’m really close friends with Shyles.”

“…Oh, i-is that so? You know Master Shyles…”

“Yes. I’d say he’s my closest friend.”

At the sudden appearance of the young master’s best friend, the merchant was flustered and hesitated.

Meanwhile, Lee Han talked about how close he was with Shyles and things that happened during lectures.

“Due to sudden heavy snow, we were all isolated. Shyles shouted to leave him behind. I couldn’t just leave Shyles, so I threw him my coat. I did receive silver coins, but that’s not important – Shyles shed tears thanking me.”

“I… I see.”

The merchant listening felt something was strange.

Why would there be heavy snow at school?

“Just as I helped Shyles, Shyles also wanted to help with anything if it was my business.”

“…”

“He’s such a kind friend.”

“…”

“When I return, I’ll tell Shyles I coincidentally met a merchant from his family here…”

“…I’ll tell only you two. You really can’t tell anyone else.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing this, Diret put his hand to his forehead and shook his head.

The other underclassmen should have seen this directly…

* * *

“Why are mountain phantom mushrooms so popular?”

After hearing the list, Diret tilted his head.

Mountain phantom mushrooms weren’t actually very popular materials.

Popular materials were usually those good for health or versatile materials that all mages could use well.

In comparison, mountain phantom mushrooms were materials mainly used by dark mages.

Materials frequently used as reagents when making curses that reduce or drain the opponent’s mana, or when making poisons.

“Isn’t it important that they’re expensive?”

“…You’re a 1st year student, right?”

While talking, they could see other students from the dark magic school talking with knights up ahead.

Things didn’t seem to be going well as the students kept pleading with troubled expressions, but the knights firmly shook their heads.

“Their luck doesn’t seem very good either.”

“Senior.”

“Yeah?”

“Among those knights over there, is there even one knight related to the Choi, Moradi, Alpha, Grall, or Bak families, or related to the Chestnut Knights or White Birch Knights?”

“…”

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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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