Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 397

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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 397

However, ominous premonitions always had a way of coming true.

“That’s right? How did you know?”

“…”

Lee Han, who had gone to find Professor Thunderstep just in case to ask the question, was dumbfounded.

If it had been Professor Boladi, he wouldn’t have been so surprised.

There was already a precedent from the first semester.

Even if it had been Professor Ingoldel, he would have understood, but for Professor Thunderstep to do such a thing too!

“Why do we need outsiders to learn alchemy?”

“Well, the world of alchemy is vast and endless… We need to learn not only the secret techniques recorded in Einroguard but also the secret techniques of other alchemists, right?”

Professor Thunderstep asked back as if wondering why he was asking something so obvious.

Lee Han had nothing to say to that answer.

‘Well, that’s true.’

As he had felt while working at the workshop during vacation, magic in any field was endless.

Just with alchemy alone, there were secret techniques and manufacturing methods that Workshop A had developed professionally, and there were magics that only Guild B used.

If they could learn such things, it would be right to invite anyone from outside.

“I’m sorry, Professor. Other evil people have been inviting outsiders and forcing duels so much that I seem to have developed a prejudice.”

Lee Han apologized sincerely.

Then Thunderstep looked away with a slightly embarrassed expression.

“…Professor??”

“Uh… Let me say in advance, I didn’t invite outsiders because I wanted to torment you guys like the Principal does.”

“I said evil people, I didn’t say the Principal…”

“But as a result, it is indeed a duel.”

“…”

When Lee Han stared at him, Professor Thunderstep hurriedly continued.

“I didn’t do it because I wanted to!”

“Yes, well… the Principal often says such things too…”

“Alchemists are eccentric! Do you think you can just learn secret techniques without any price? No matter how high Einroguard’s reputation is, that’s not how it works!”

In fact, not just alchemists, but all mages were eccentric in their own ways.

But it’s human nature that the crazy people in your own field always seem the most crazy.

The Empire’s alchemists that Thunderstep had invited this time were not easy enough to be persuaded by money, honor, or even the Skeleton Principal’s threats.

The only way to get secret techniques from them was to directly convince them with skill.

“In the end, it’s still a duel.”

“That’s true, but strictly speaking, it’s a bit different from the other professors…”

“It still seems like a duel though.”

Professor Thunderstep cursed Lee Han inwardly.

* * *

Not long after, Professor Thunderstep announced the facts in his alchemy lecture.

-Bringing the alchemists from the Empire’s Paragranum Guild today will be a very precious opportunity for you all.

-Paragranum Guild!! Is that the guild that created the cure for blue blood disease two years ago?

-Exactly right.

-What an honor!

-Right. I’m sure it is? So everyone work hard and show them what you’ve got.

-Excuse me?

The students didn’t understand at first.

It wasn’t even exam period, yet they had to show something to renowned alchemists from the Empire and gain recognition for their skills.

They had been diligently learning alchemy since the second semester started, so what was this bolt from the blue?

-Can’t… can’t we just take a test?

-We’ll have tests during midterms, why so early.

-By any chance, even if we don’t get recognition, it won’t affect our lecture grades, right?

-How could that be?

The students who had chosen the alchemy lecture had to walk out with gloomy expressions.

In fact, it wasn’t just the students taking alchemy lectures who were gloomy. Students taking other lectures were similarly depressed.

After more than two weeks into the second semester, the professors were gradually showing their true colors and starting to raise the difficulty.

Most students denied it in disbelief, but the professors in the first semester had indeed taught kindly, considering the newly enrolled students.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Ah. Priest Nigisor.”

Lee Han looked around and spotted the fire spirit half-blood priest, waving his hand.

“I was thinking of asking the Blue Dragon Tower friends who are taking alchemy what they plan to do. I came out after talking briefly, but they had already disappeared.”

“Ah… the Blue Dragon Tower people went back earlier. I heard them talking, saying they would go back and lie down since standing makes them hungry faster.”

“That’s a funny joke.”

“?”

“…It wasn’t a joke? I should go to the dormitory.”

Lee Han thought he should stop by the Phoenix Tower to get some snacks before visiting.

And Priest Nigisor followed behind Lee Han.

“Oh, do you have something to say?”

“Ah. This time it’s my turn, so I’m acting together with you.”

“…I see.”

Lee Han gathered his things with Priest Nigisor and headed to the Blue Dragon Tower.

While walking, Priest Nigisor asked for help to create flames that could burn the world, and Lee Han pretended not to hear and ignored him.

* * *

Asan Dalcard lay in the common room, staring blankly at his friends while playing with his quill pen.

Before we knew it, the third weekend of the second semester was approaching. If I finish today’s assignment, I plan to eat a piece of bread I’ve been saving.

At first, I thought the semester starting without Wardanaz was the Principal’s conspiracy. I thought he couldn’t stand to see us living comfortably and peacefully and was up to his tricks.

But I didn’t know. That people can discover their true selves when facing harsh despair.

Now the Blue Dragon Tower is filled with the sharp intensity of life and fighting spirit. Ah! The other nobles of the Empire will never know this real life…

In front, they were arguing over a single potato, threatening to kill each other in chess, but Asan pretended not to see.

Maybe this is real life…

“Dalcard. Lee Han is calling for you.”

“Why are you telling me this now!”

Asan threw the book he was holding to the floor and rushed out in a hurry.

Outside, Blue Dragon Tower students taking alchemy had already gathered.

“Still, since you’re all taking alchemy, you look a bit better.”

Having talent in alchemy meant knowing how to find edible things among the plants spread around.

Even if Blue Dragon Tower students lacked some survival skills, those among them taking alchemy were at least a bit better…

Thud!

As soon as he finished speaking, one student collapsed to the side. Yoner said matter-of-factly.

“He must have gotten dizzy.”

“…Let’s all eat something first and then talk.”

Lee Han spread jam and butter generously on the bread he had cut and offered it to his friends.

Suddenly the surroundings became quiet.

Not because magic was cast, but because everyone was too focused on eating.

Lee Han felt slightly overwhelmed by the sight and asked Yoner.

“Was it… this bad?”

“Everyone was pretty hungry.”

Fortunately, Yoner didn’t look particularly strange aside from appearing tired.

Actually, being tired was common for any Einroguard student who hadn’t given up on studying.

“Even those taking alchemy?”

“Uh… well… that… finding things directly is different.”

Yoner deflected his words because he didn’t want to criticize his friends’ abilities, but Lee Han understood immediately.

“Don’t tell me when you were at the manor, you had servants gather ingredients for you?!”

“…Kek kek.”

“Cough cough.”

The surroundings were so quiet that Lee Han’s exclamation sounded particularly loud. The students coughed with choked throats.

“I, I won’t use servants… Wardanaz… sorry…”

“…No. I’m sorry. Drink some milk.”

Lee Han poured a glass of milk. Looking to the side, he saw the Imperial Princess staring at the milk jar with indescribably desperate eyes.

“…”

Lee Han poured some for the Imperial Princess too. The other person’s face brightened considerably.

“Don’t the followers give her food?”

“She’s not Gainando, she’s not someone who would steal food from her followers.”

“Oh dear… I’d feel more comfortable if she were Gainando instead.”

“Right.”

The Imperial Princess wanted to respond to Lee Han and Yoner’s whispers, but nothing came to mind, so she just endured it and drank her milk.

“Priest Nigisor. Can you hear me?”

“I’m fine. Rather, I’d like to pray.”

“Pray?”

Lee Han recalled the prayers of the Afha Order.

As an order that worshipped fire, the priest’s prayers required fire.

“I was just about to light a fire to prepare for alchemy anyway, so this works out well. Let’s prepare together. What should I do?”

At Lee Han’s words, Priest Nigisor smiled broadly.

As could be seen from how he visited the temple during vacation to help with the order’s work, this genius from Blue Dragon Tower was the person most suited to Afha.

“Just do as I say in order. Now, first take out the charcoal powder…”

Though fire could be lit with a single mage’s staff, the order’s priests didn’t do that.

Not only was the sincerity of preparing directly important, but they could also control the intensity and nature of the flames through this preparation process.

They mixed charcoal powder with several metal powders and piled them on the ground, then Priest Nigisor lit the fire.

Then flames of an unusual color were born. Lee Han admired it and called his friends.

“Isn’t this fire amazing? The mana properties you can feel…”

Lee Han, who had been speaking, realized that all his Blue Dragon Tower friends were busy eating bread and paying no attention to this, and felt embarrassed.

“I, I’m watching with interest.”

“Yoner…”

Lee Han almost teared up.

Priest Nigisor, who had finished lighting the fire, asked.

“Would you like to try offering a prayer?”

“Sure.”

Since it wouldn’t be difficult, Lee Han stepped forward.

When he offered his mana and concentrated, it transformed into divine power and returned.

Normally he should have asked Priest Nigisor about the Afha Order’s divine magic, but this time he didn’t.

After failing several times, he was convinced that divine magic wouldn’t succeed so quickly.

However, at that moment, the divine power left Lee Han’s control and began moving on its own.

In a way, it was similar to instinct.

Just as when meeting an enemy radiating killing intent, one’s hand reaches for the sword before the mind thinks, the divine power began flowing ahead of Lee Han’s will.

‘What…?!’

Before Lee Han’s surprise could end, the divine power wove together like warp and weft threads of magic, changing reality.

Flash!

The flame in front of Lee Han suddenly turned white and blazed fiercely. Seeing this, Priest Nigisor opened his eyes wide and shouted with joy.

“As expected!!! I knew it would be like this!”

“This is now, surely…”

“Exactly!! Is everyone watching?”

Priest Nigisor was so excited that he trembled and turned his head.

He wanted to share this beautiful miracle with someone else.

“…Look! Look I tell you!!!”

“???”

The friends who were eating bread were confused when the priest suddenly shouted.

Why is he acting like that?

“This miracle??”

“It’s… it’s fire, isn’t it?”

“It’s white fire!”

“Is it magic?”

“It’s not magic…!”

While Priest Nigisor was beating his chest in frustration trying to explain, Lee Han stared at the flames with a bewildered expression.

Unlike magic, even though he had manifested divine magic, he had no idea how he had done it.

It was like throwing a stone and landing it perfectly in a crossed circle.

A sensory magic that, despite having done it himself, made precise explanation of how it was done impossible.

‘Did the fire’s properties change?’

Lee Han felt strange mana waves from the white flames.

As flames whose properties had been transformed by divine magic, they were certainly not ordinary.

“…Oh. Wait. Priest Nigisor. Do flames changed by divine magic happen to become easier to control?”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing?”

“Thank you…”

Lee Han felt bitter.

Honestly, he wanted the power to control flames rather than the power to strengthen them.

Strengthening wasn’t really that important right now…

“Lee Han. But is it okay to succeed like this?”

When Yoner tilted his head and asked, Lee Han was puzzled.

“Why?”

“I thought you were deliberately failing.”

“Is it possible to deliberately fail? Besides, there’s no reason to do that.”

“I… I thought you might be worried that if only one succeeded, the other priests from Phoenix Tower would feel left out.”

“Haha. The priests aren’t that narrow-minded…”

Lee Han’s face, who had been speaking, hardened stiffly.

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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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