Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 409

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

Chapter 409

‘Wait. That potion is…’

Professor Lightningstep, who had been shaking his head, felt something was off.

Smelling the potion’s scent, it seemed to contain royal mint, but the formula using that ingredient was quite an old method.

In the old days, potions containing royal mint were used to repel Quinee, but nowadays they train Quinee to endure such scents during training.

It won’t work, will it?

‘More importantly, where did he learn about such a potion?’

“Waaaaaaah!”

As soon as his thoughts ended, one student was lifted into the air.

Excited by a person entering the racing track, the Quinee rushed over and wrapped them up with its giant nose.

While the monster was just trying to play, it was pure terror for the student. Bound by an invisible force and shaken up and down, the student screamed.

“Wardanaz! Wardanaz! The repelling potion isn’t working!”

“Dukema, you idiot! Repelling potions aren’t omnipotent!”

Bartrek, a White Tiger Tower student, shouted from outside.

Being from a family renowned for alchemy, Bartrek was often called upon whenever alchemy was needed within White Tiger Tower.

“Repelling potions only make enemies find you disgusting and avoid you! If you go in too boldly, they might endure it and charge at you anyway!”

“You should have, told me that, ugh, earlier…”

“Throw another potion!”

“Wouldn’t it be meaningless to throw it now?”

The black liquid potion they brought to track the Quinee’s location was meaningless in a situation where someone was already caught.

The excited monster spun the White Tiger Tower student around and around, covered them in drool, and only then put them down.

“Ugh… urgh…”

“Everyone needs to be careful.”

Tension appeared on the faces of students who had been confident with their prepared potions just moments before.

Bartrek sighed and spoke to Lee Han and Yoner.

“Everyone really underestimates alchemy. Making potions is important, but knowing how to use them properly is also crucial. They can’t even use what you two made for them properly.”

“…Right.”

“It’s, it’s unfortunate.”

Bartrek didn’t notice the subtle expressions on Lee Han and Yoner’s faces.

The two were having a conversation with their eyes.

-Isn’t it too ineffective? I definitely heard that Quinee would retreat just from smelling it?

-Did I make a mistake while brewing it?

-I was checking beside you and there didn’t seem to be any mistakes. Looking for mistakes now is meaningless… there’s only one thing we can do now.

-What should we do?

-Let’s pretend we don’t know and bluff our way through.

-…?!

However, surprisingly, it was effective.

The students who entered afterward acted much more cautiously than the first person who went in.

They sprayed black liquid potion to track the charging Quinee’s location, raced across the track, and dodged down slopes…

As a result, the Quinee became confused while chasing and made mistakes. Seeing this, the students burst into cheers.

“It seems to be working! It definitely seems to be working! Did you see the Quinee just made a mistake??”

“So that’s how you use repelling potions!”

“Wardanaz really made it well.”

“???”

At Bartrek’s praise, Professor Lightningstep, who was grading, was bewildered.

That has nothing to do with the repelling potion though?

‘That Wardanaz bastard, even if he sells fake stuff that doesn’t work…!’

“…Wardanaz. Go in.”

Lee Han carefully entered the racing track.

Having realized that the repelling potion didn’t work, Lee Han was naturally tense as well.

‘Track by sound and spray black liquid potion when it gets close.’

Quinee were gentle but loved to play. Even if their direction changes were a bit slow, once they picked up speed, they were hard to avoid in straight distances.

In other words, preventing them from picking up speed was advantageous when dodging.

Then…

‘Scare it as much as possible.’

He couldn’t attack directly.

If he unnecessarily angered a gentle monster, he might get rammed and sent flying.

He had to make it feel just enough danger to hesitate.

Whoosh-

When Lee Han summoned flames, Professor Lightningstep chuckled.

Seeing that Wardanaz was making a mistake made him think the guy was human after all.

‘Quinee don’t particularly fear flames. Wardanaz.’

Lee Han, who had summoned flames, concentrated on the direction the Quinee was approaching from.

-Don’t come near me.

Intense thought.

Lee Han didn’t notice, but following his concentration and thoughts, his mana was naturally transforming into pressure and radiating outward.

What the Empire’s swordsmen called presence or intimidation, the very thing the Skeleton Principal had shown to entering students.

Of course, compared to the Skeleton Principal’s experienced and skilled pressure, it was far lacking, but it was unbelievable that a mere 1st year student could emit such a thing.

‘Does this make sense!?’

Professor Lightningstep was so surprised he almost dropped the pen he was holding.

That wasn’t something you could do just by being smart or well-versed in magical theory.

You had to transform mana itself into a different property through instinct-like senses, and this was an ability that mercenaries with lots of practical experience were better at than mages.

But how could Wardanaz…

‘Ah. Come to think of it, Wardanaz might be capable of that.’

Professor Lightningstep, who had been amazed, could quickly accept it when he reconsidered.

Of course, it was an impossibly fast speed, but the things Wardanaz was currently learning and doing weren’t exactly reasonable either.

Creep creep-

The Quinee, feeling the pressure, began to retreat.

Not all monsters were sensitive to mana.

Some, like spirits, would detect and be wary of even unexpressed mana, while others couldn’t even sense mana.

Quinee belonged to the latter category of dull creatures.

But even such Quinee could feel blatantly radiating intimidation.

“It’s… it’s retreating!”

“See? Wardanaz knows how to use potions properly, so he gets that kind of effect. That’s how you properly use a potion.”

Bartrek’s boastful voice to his friends could be heard from the side.

Professor Lightningstep clicked his tongue and recorded 6 points out of 5 on the paper.

Lee Han Wardanaz (6/5)

Next time, bring a tougher one (Be careful with security. Wardanaz must never know)

* * *

The Skeleton Principal’s lectures were always full of tension and freshness.

Even though the lecture hadn’t started yet, students sat with hardened faces gripping their staffs without even their usual chatter.

Ready to respond immediately if the lecture hall door opened and undead came charging in.

Nice to see you, blockheads.

“Good day, Principal.”

The students answered in unison.

The floating skeleton continued speaking with indifferent eyes.

Today we begin the lecture. Repeat after me. I will not attack guests from outside and rob their pockets.

“…???”

“?????”

What are they doing? Am I being too gentle and kind in my lectures?

“Uh… I will not attack guests from outside and…”

“rob their pockets?”

The students shouted with bewildered faces. The Skeleton Principal yawned and said.

Again.

“I will not attack guests from outside and rob their pockets!”

“I will…”

Good. Now use your staff to move the quill and write it down. It’s both magic training and a moral lesson, isn’t that nice?

Curses flowed out in low voices from various places.

They could just write with the quill by hand, but they had to waste mana moving it with their staffs.

Of course, Lee Han picked up his staff without any particular emotion. He had already been overworked since the first semester.

“Principal. Why do we have to write this?”

Gainando asked while grumbling.

The White Tiger Tower students looked at him with respectful gazes.

That prince bastard was rude, thoughtless, and looked down on knights as ignorant, sweaty brutes rolling in mud, but sometimes he showed admirable moments like this.

He had no fear!

Why write it? To engrave it in your hearts.

“Not attacking guests from outside and robbing their pockets is just common sense.”

Yes. That’s right. I thought so too. Until your upperclassmen did exactly that.

“…”

“…”

Heavy silence hung among the students.

The Skeleton Principal, who had seized control of the atmosphere with a single sentence, slowly continued his explanation.

Don’t be too angry. Your underclassmen will have to write that they absolutely won’t break the dormitory barriers.

“Oh my.”

Lee Han felt sorry for them.

But he didn’t feel guilty.

It wasn’t Lee Han’s fault that the underclassmen hadn’t come in early.

Now. Write it again. When you’re done, the next one is this. 【If I absolutely must attack guests and rob their pockets, I will disguise it well so I won’t get caught.】

“…”

One of the White Tiger Tower students couldn’t hold back and asked.

“Honestly, shouldn’t only Wardanaz have to write this?”

“Those shameless bastards?”

The Blue Dragon Tower students were outraged at the malicious slander.

“Did you forget how you always ganged up to attack Wardanaz?”

“These attack-loving bastards! Those guys will join the attack club when they become second years!”

The White Tiger Tower students didn’t back down quietly either.

“Wardanaz has attacked us more times than we’ve attacked him.”

“If we join the attack club, that Wardanaz bastard will join the robbery club, won’t he?”

‘Were the White Tiger Tower students always this eloquent?’

The Skeleton Principal was amazed.

White Tiger Tower traditionally had students whose fists were faster than their words, but perhaps because of Wardanaz, several of them had strangely improved their verbal skills.

Stop this ugly fighting, all of you. And that’s something Wardanaz doesn’t need to write.

“What?? How come?”

The White Tiger Tower student asked with disappointment and injustice.

Was it because Wardanaz was his cherished disciple?

Wardanaz is someone who disguises things well on his own when he attacks and robs others. There’s no need to emphasize it.

“…”

“…”

The White Tiger Tower students momentarily looked at Lee Han with apologetic expressions.

Lee Han answered with a serious face.

“That’s malicious slander.”

* * *

After the lecture ended, the Skeleton Principal called Lee Han aside for a moment.

Are you going to attack them?

“…No.”

Not now, but do you have plans?

“No.”

Even after seeing the incoming guests, you won’t feel any greed?

“I’m an Einroguard student, so there’s no way I’d attack guests visiting the school.”

Lee Han’s protest didn’t even enter the Skeleton Principal’s ears.

Strange… The first years should be quite short on supplies right now. Why are you so calm?

“Living without things when you don’t have them is also a way. That’s better than attacking guests.”

That wasn’t the truth.

As soon as this weekend came, Lee Han was planning to immediately escape outside and return fully stocked with supplies.

He had something to rely on, so he could afford to be relaxed!

You ignored me when I said that during the first semester, didn’t you?

The Skeleton Principal asked as if he couldn’t understand.

When I told you to abandon your friends and live well alone, you said nauseating things like ‘my friends are me and I am my friends, friendship is everything to me’…

“…I didn’t answer quite like that.”

It was roughly similar. Anyway, I understand. I’ll see later if any mages get their pockets picked… Have you touched the bones yet?

“The bones?”

Lee Han tilted his head and then remembered Professor Mortum’s lecture.

Probably the undead control and bone explosion magic had reached the Principal’s ears.

“If you mean bone explosion magic, I’m practicing it.”

…No. Not that.

“Not that… there’s more?”

…

The Skeleton Principal looked at Lee Han like he was looking at a madman.

The precious bones you brought from the palace. You didn’t forget about them, did you?

“Ah.”

Lee Han finally remembered the bones he had extorted from the King of Ghouls.

“I was too busy.”

What do you mean busy… all students are busy.

“Haha.”

Should I kill you?

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