Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 401

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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 401

“Come to think of it, that’s not what’s important right now.”

“Then what’s important…”

Professor Thunderstep, who was about to listen, muttered in dissatisfaction.

He wanted to hear exactly what his disciple had done from his own mouth.

“When we heard Yoanen Meikin’s words, we had this discussion. How about we get this person’s help to manufacture 【Paragranum’s Veil】? But we didn’t know he was a 1st year student.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course it would be.”

Professor Thunderstep grumbled.

What fool would think he was a 1st year student just from hearing that?

“Will you help us?”

“Of course.”

Lee Han had come to flatter anyway. There was no reason to refuse.

“Professor. Could we borrow the workshop for a moment?”

“Do as you please.”

The alchemists bowed their heads with very grateful faces.

And they got up from their seats with Lee Han and headed to the workshop’s workroom.

“…?!”

Professor Thunderstep realized belatedly.

‘He’s learning secret techniques!?’

Just like this, so naturally?!

* * *

“But I don’t have that much experience in alchemy.”

“Is that so? We thought you had a lot of experience since you said you worked at Yoanen Meikin’s workshop.”

“About half a year…”

At Lee Han’s answer, the Paragranum alchemists looked at Lee Han with shocked faces as if they had heard something unbelievable.

When the alchemists, who had shown no particular emotional changes until now, reacted like this, Lee Han felt slightly burdened and said.

“…It seems like it was a bit longer than that.”

“I thought so? How much longer?”

“About one more month?”

“…”

The alchemists suddenly started whispering among themselves. Lee Han suddenly regretted saying something unnecessary.

“Lee Han. Are you interested in the Paragranum Guild by any chance?”

Fortunately, the alchemists didn’t say anything else and made a pure proposal. Lee Han answered with relief.

“I’ve always respected the Paragranum Guild. Isn’t it a guild that’s always devoted to new discoveries among the Empire’s alchemist guilds? I still remember when you created the cure for blue blood disease two years ago.”

“That’s too generous an evaluation.”

The alchemists weren’t the type to be swayed by a few words of praise like this, but they regarded the fact that Lee Han had goodwill toward the Paragranum Guild quite highly.

If he had goodwill toward the guild, there was a high possibility he would try to join after graduation.

“However, it’s hard to deny that our guild has several advantages that other alchemist guilds don’t have.”

“Is that so?”

Lee Han suddenly became interested.

After all, wasn’t the evaluation of those working inside more accurate than rumors heard from outside?

What advantages did these alchemists think there were?

The Paragranum alchemists spoke with faint pride.

“Once we start research, we don’t stop for excuses like rest.”

“…?”

Lee Han felt something was strange, but the alchemists continued speaking.

“And dangerous research that other guilds don’t do is also conducted in our guild.”

“Oh… By any chance, do alchemists also receive less compensation than other guilds?”

“You know well? That’s right. Instead of taking gold coins unnecessarily, we can use them for research.”

“What a really good guild.”

“That’s right.”

After the conversation ended, Lee Han nodded with a smile.

And thought to himself.

‘I should never go near the Paragranum Guild building.’

It was a crazier guild than he thought.

“So what kind of potion is 【Paragranum’s Veil】? I don’t remember hearing about it…”

If it was a potion released to the public, there was a high possibility Lee Han would have heard the name, but strangely it was a name he was hearing for the first time.

“It’s never been released to the public, so naturally you wouldn’t have heard of it.”

“That’s… wait. Then isn’t it a secret technique?”

Lee Han was flustered.

If it was a potion not released to the public, it would be the guild’s secret technique, but was it okay to tell him about it like this?

“Yes. That’s right.”

“Is it okay for me to know?”

“It’s necessary for research, isn’t it?”

The alchemists looked at Lee Han as if asking ‘Why are you asking such an obvious question?’

Lee Han had to feel like he had become a strange person.

‘Hmm. I should have brought Professor Thunderstep.’

“…I understand.”

“I knew you would. 【Paragranum’s Veil】 is a type of stealth potion.”

“A stealth… potion?”

Lee Han was surprised.

Stealth-type potions had quite limited effects.

‘Are there more principles besides transformation magic or enchantment magic? Improvement would be possible, but…’

While it would be possible to change the method and principles and increase the duration or effects, it was quite a modest potion for something the Paragranum Guild was researching.

“Yes. But it’s probably different from what you’re thinking. What we’re trying to hide isn’t form or shape, but a specific aura.”

“!”

The aura that existence emanates.

It could be the oppressive feeling from mana, it could be the elemental aura that spirits emit, or it could be the killing intent that knights emit.

The idea of cutting out only such specific auras was something he had never thought of.

“Is that possible?”

“Theoretically, it’s somewhat complete. All that’s left is experimentation. There are two areas where we’d like Lee Han’s help. One is mana. We heard that you input an abnormal level of mana when magically processing materials.”

“…It’s not quite an abnormal level…”

Lee Han muttered, but the alchemists ignored him.

“Originally, it’s not a method commonly used in alchemy.”

Alchemy was a discipline of thorough calculation without a single error.

If the calculations were accurate, there was no reason to over-input mana to an abnormal level like Lee Han.

Moreover, doing it that way could cause the alchemist to collapse before the potion was even completed.

“However, the case is a bit different with this 【Paragranum’s Veil】. We expect that mana over-input might complete this potion’s effect.”

“I see… wait. If there are two things, what’s the other one?”

“We heard that Lee Han emits an oppressive feeling from mana that frightens spirits, and when the potion is completed, we’d like to try erasing that oppressive feeling. Would you allow it?”

Among various auras, the aura detected by sensitive beings like spirits was the hardest to hide.

If the potion worked successfully on someone who frightened spirits, this potion would essentially be a success.

“…I don’t mind, but where did you hear that?”

“Yoanen Meikin told us.”

‘Yoanen!’

Lee Han inwardly called out to Yoner’s sister.

Why did they have to mention such facts…

* * *

“Again.” “Again.” “Again.” “But you really do have a lot of mana.” “Again.” “Again.” “Again.” “Again.” “Again.”

Professor Thunderstep, who had come to observe, was amazed by Lee Han’s patience.

Back when Professor Thunderstep was learning, if taught in such a manner, five out of ten would give up, three would run away, one would throw a punch at their master’s face, and one would endure to the end.

And Lee Han belonged to the last category.

Though the Paragranum Guild alchemists kept shouting “again” like madmen, Lee Han measured ingredients, waved his staff, and controlled the fire’s intensity without any change in expression.

“Is everything going well?”

“Yes. Thanks to Lee Han’s exceptional talent. Wait. Please do it again.”

Professor Thunderstep glanced at Lee Han. Fortunately, his fists weren’t clenched.

Since he knew about Lee Han’s swordsmanship skills from Professor Ingoldel, Professor Thunderstep couldn’t help but be concerned.

“Still, it’s the weekend, wouldn’t it be better to rest a little?”

Though he told students to work hard and learn, Professor Thunderstep also had a conscience.

He couldn’t help but pity his disciple who had been standing in front of the cauldron for about 12 hours without rest, listening to “again” and repeating the process.

“Professor. Do you know one of the things Lee Han highly values about the Paragranum Guild?”

“…Uh… setting the capital on fire?”

“No. He highly values how once research begins, they don’t stop for excuses like rest.”

“…”

Professor Thunderstep could see Lee Han, who had been stirring the ladle with an expressionless face, clench his fist for the first time.

…He’s not going to get hit, is he?

“I… I see. I definitely tried to stop this. You know that, right? I definitely tried to stop it.”

“??”

The alchemists, not knowing who Professor Thunderstep was talking to, tilted their heads in confusion.

Just then.

“Ahhh!!”

When one of the alchemists screamed, Professor Thunderstep quickly turned his head.

He was worried that Lee Han, unable to endure any longer, had pushed the alchemist into the cauldron. It was something that happened quite often in the old days.

But fortunately, it wasn’t such an accident. Silver smoke was rising from inside the cauldron.

“Is it complete?”

“Yes! Finally!”

Professor Thunderstep felt with his intuition as an outstanding alchemist that the potion before his eyes was now complete.

Though he hadn’t yet figured out what kind of potion it was, this was cause for celebration.

“Congratulations. After all that hard work.”

“No. We couldn’t have completed it with just our own strength.”

“To think that over-investing mana to this degree was the answer. Everyone will be surprised to hear this. Don’t you think so, Lee Han?”

It was natural for the alchemists to be amazed.

The potion kept failing just before completion, but the answer was to crazily increase the mana of the magic cast on the ingredients.

Not just a normal level, but pouring in mana to the point where you’d think ‘Do we really need to pour this much mana?’ – that was the hidden answer.

“You seem tired from consuming too much mana.”

“I don’t think that’s…?”

Though Professor Thunderstep denied it, Lee Han said nothing. He just stood there quietly with a tired face.

‘I am tired though.’

Having repeatedly performed tremendously long potion brewing processes without rest, it was impossible not to be exhausted.

No matter how much the alchemists did their best to help, the burden was bound to accumulate.

But still, it was definitely a good opportunity. Lee Han could understand why Professor Thunderstep had invited outside alchemists.

‘From the way they handle materials to the magic they use. It was different from Einroguard’s methods.’

Just watching other alchemists work felt like expanding the boundaries of his thinking.

If he remade some potion recipes Lee Han already knew by mixing in a few of the Paragranum Guild’s secrets, he would probably get better results than now.

This might be why guilds kept their know-how hidden as closely guarded secrets.

‘Right. Since I learned such things, I should definitely be grateful…’

“Lee Han. Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“Your mana too?”

“Yes.”

“See, what did I tell you.”

Professor Thunderstep responded as if to say ‘I told you so.’

“Then we’ll summon a spirit and proceed with the potion test.”

“…”

While Lee Han was speechless with disbelief, the alchemists made their decision among themselves and headed outside.

It was to summon a spirit in the open space and have it face Lee Han.

Left alone together, Thunderstep found himself making excuses again without realizing it.

“…I’ll absolutely never invite Paragranum Guild alchemists again next time.”

“No. Please make sure to invite them whenever possible.”

“Really?”

“Yes. How could I deprive my juniors of the opportunity to learn?”

“…”

For some reason, Professor Thunderstep heard ‘learn’ as ‘suffer’ in his ears.

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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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