Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 499

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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 499

Leaving the dejected Ratford behind, Lee Han stood in front of the mirror.

A new master?

‘Hmm.’

Lee Han recalled what he had learned from Diret.

How should one behave when talking to an anonymous Einroguard senior?

-Of course it’s a new master. Then what, did you keep it for years and just now remember to open it? Why are you asking such nonsense? Really now. It’s only because this is a school, if it were a guild I would have beaten you upside down immediately.

Black Turtle Tower member?

‘Oh. Is it working?’

Lee Han pressed on as his disguise seemed to work.

Ratford, who had been glancing at the letters Lee Han was writing on the mirror from afar, made a very displeased expression.

‘Isn’t that person just crazy?’

Even in the thief guild, there weren’t people this violent…

-Don’t you dare try to test me insolently. I’ll send my subordinates to throw you in the punishment room.

Understood. Let’s proceed with the trade then.

Though they were only conversing through text, he could surprisingly sense an impression of the other person.

Lee Han got the impression that the other person was quite cold and composed.

To remain unfazed and only say what they wanted to say even when meeting someone new who was ranting recklessly.

‘An upperclassman, probably Blue Dragon Tower or Phoenix Tower?’

There was a possibility he was wrong, but Lee Han thought it was quite plausible.

I need Blue Radiance Herb. At least three pouches worth. Do you know of any?

* * *

The person beyond the mirror waited for a reply with a cold gaze.

Blue Radiance Herb wasn’t an impossibly rare herb, but it wasn’t common either.

Moreover, it was a reagent mostly used by upperclassmen, so second or third years rarely had it.

The reason the person beyond the mirror brought up Blue Radiance Herb was not only because they needed that herb, but because they could assess their counterpart with this simple question.

If the other person had information about it, they were likely fourth year or above, or at the very least third year.

Judging by their rough way of speaking, they seemed to be from Black Turtle Tower, and likely from the stonemason guild at that.

-I know.

‘A third year or above Black Turtle Tower student, as expected.’

The person beyond the mirror quickly organized their thoughts.

Though the Black Turtle Tower student’s manner of speaking was rude, they didn’t mind.

After all, when using such artifacts, one didn’t expect dignified and polite conversation.

What mattered was usefulness.

Besides, weren’t rude and arrogant people like this Black Turtle Tower student more prone to making mistakes?

As a trading partner, they were even more attractive.

If we have a match, let’s exchange. What do you want?

-I need magic to effectively subdue the giants of the mountain range. Do you know any?

‘…Fourth year or above? Surely not a fifth year.’

The person beyond the mirror was honestly surprised.

To be looking for ways to subdue the mountain range giants.

What on earth were they targeting?

‘Is there an escape route toward the mountain range? Even so, there shouldn’t be any reason to target that direction.’

Giants with such strong magic resistance had always been a mage’s nightmare.

To face one would require pouring out all one’s magic and still fall short, so it was best not to get involved at all.

And honestly, the person beyond the mirror couldn’t think of magic that would effectively subdue giants. Giants were opponents against whom tricks didn’t work.

Unfortunately, I don’t know.

It was slightly humiliating, but they had to admit it. The Black Turtle Tower student was silent for a moment before responding.

-Incompetent. In our guild…

The eyebrows of the person beyond the mirror furrowed slightly.

They knew that guild-origin students had strong sense of belonging, but facing it directly like this was incredibly annoying.

What meaning did such belonging have for a mage?

When focusing on one’s own path wasn’t even enough…

Anything else?

-Among the golems on school grounds, there’s a golem that uses spatial movement. I need magic to subdue it. Do you know any?

“…”

The person beyond the mirror stared at the text with surprised eyes.

Each question being asked was astonishing.

Normally they wouldn’t have asked such a question, but being so surprised, the person beyond the mirror unconsciously inquired.

If there’s a golem that uses spatial movement, wouldn’t it be better to avoid it?

-This is why those who haven’t shed blood and sweat working in guilds… You run away and flee when there are obstacles?

“…”

The Black Turtle Tower student continued with a few more lines of lecture after that.

The person beyond the mirror acknowledged their mistake and endured it.

-Fine. If you don’t know, it can’t be helped. Do you know how to obtain the following materials?

* * *

‘I’m somehow managing to deceive them.’

Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the other person didn’t seem to realize that Lee Han was a first year student.

Now that it had come to this, he absolutely couldn’t be found out.

Later when he became a second year, he would meet these upperclassmen, and he didn’t want his school life to get twisted starting from second year.

‘Blue Radiance Herb…’

A reagent seen more often in high-difficulty magic rather than low-difficulty magic.

It was mainly used in enchantment magic, alchemy, and such.

The person beyond the mirror didn’t realize they were also gradually revealing traces of themselves.

They never expected their opponent to be a lunatic who was taking classes in all schools of magic.

‘An upperclassman in enchantment magic, alchemy… if we expand it further, even transformation magic…’

Since he had initially guessed they were an upperclassman, their demand for Blue Radiance Grass gave considerable weight to Lee Han’s speculation.

The luckiest point today was that Lee Han happened to know something about Blue Radiance Grass.

While it was unlikely for a first-year student to know its location, Lee Han had previously seen a box containing Blue Radiance Grass on the third floor of the Angle Tower, Professor Thunderstep’s magic tower.

Laboratory 17 in the third floor maze!

That very laboratory where space was distorted and water falling from the desk flowed toward the ceiling.

Among the reagents stored there, he had clearly seen Blue Radiance Grass.

Professor Thunderstep would never imagine that his first-year disciple remembered a reagent tucked away in a corner of his third-floor laboratory.

‘But is subduing giants or golems really that difficult?’

Lee Han felt slightly bitter.

Of course, he had chosen that question to avoid being discovered as a first-year while leaving a strong impression on his opponent.

But his opponent’s reaction was a bit different from what he expected.

The atmosphere suggested Lee Han had asked something absurd.

‘I knew Professor Boladi was assigning ridiculous tasks, but seeing that reaction…’

It was a little, no, very bitter.

Blue Meanil flowers, Winter Grass… I know how to obtain them.

“!”

Lee Han was delighted.

The materials his opponent just mentioned were ingredients for the foresight enhancement potion that Yoanen from the Meikin family had told Lee Han about.

He hadn’t had time to make it before midterms, but he was planning to try again with this opportunity.

‘Considering the difficulty of midterms, foresight is essential at this school.’

Even for Lee Han, continuing to endure with just his bare body didn’t look easy. He needed emergency measures.

-Let’s make the exchange.

Will you go first?

-Yes.

Lee Han decided to risk the possibility of his opponent taking the information and running.

If they did run off, he planned to immediately report them to Professor Thunderstep.

However, Lee Han’s bold attitude left a different impression on his opponent beyond the mirror.

‘Bold and fearless. If there’s a new potion-making student among the Black Turtle Tower students with such a spirited and daring personality…’

Originally, the person beyond the mirror didn’t show unnecessary curiosity about such matters, but this opponent was a bit different.

He became curious about what kind of student would ask questions like those from earlier.

-What you want is in the Angle Tower’s third floor maze, Laboratory 17.

“…!”

The person beyond the mirror was even more surprised.

By what means had this Black Turtle Tower student obtained the location of herbs stored deep within the third floor of the Angle Tower?

‘He must be a student deeply involved in the alchemy school.’

Is he a professor’s top student?

-Think whatever you want. Now, tell me what you promised.

The person beyond the mirror thought this Black Turtle Tower student, whoever he was, was truly ruthless.

While ruthlessness was a basic quality any Einroguard student should possess, even considering that, it was rare for a professor’s top student to readily sell information.

He was certainly a cold-blooded person who would do anything to get what he wanted.

* * *

“All done. I’ll have to collect it later.”

After finishing his communication through the mirror, Lee Han organized his notes and stood up.

Unlike his conversation with Diret, this dialogue with his unknown opponent had been exhausting and full of tension.

However, it had been equally rewarding. He was now ready to make the foresight enhancement potion.

‘It should be completed before finals.’

“Lord Wardanaz. I have something I’m curious about.”

Ratford, who had been openly watching from the side since the middle of the conversation, asked cautiously.

“What is it?”

“Where on earth did you learn that way of speaking from earlier? Even people from our guild didn’t talk like that… Wasn’t the other person suspicious?”

“I copied it from watching Salko?”

“…”

Ratford was shocked.

Was that Tutanta’s image?!

‘I must never tell him about this.’

What was even more surprising was that it had worked on the other person.

“I should ask the White Tiger Tower friends to bring it.”

Lee Han prepared to commission the White Tiger Tower students, just in case.

If there was a trap or false information, the White Tiger Tower friends would gladly sacrifice themselves.

After finishing all his business and leaving the base, he saw friends loitering around on the first floor.

While those assigned to duties could come outside, originally wandering around at night and getting caught was exactly the kind of behavior that would land you in the punishment room.

Lee Han asked, puzzled by his friends’ too-obvious loitering.

“What are you guys doing there?”

“Eek! …Oh, it’s Wardanaz. …Gasp!”

‘Didn’t this guy just get startled one more time?’

He understood being startled thinking it was a ghost or attacker, but why get startled again after recognizing it was Lee Han?

“We came out because of duty assignments. Don’t get any strange suspicions.”

“If you were assigned work, you should be doing that work. Why are you here? It doesn’t seem like it’s because of duties?”

“…”

“…”

The students exchanged glances with very guilty expressions.

Finally, one White Tiger Tower student who had given up whispered to Lee Han.

“Wardanaz. Only you should know this. Today… we heard a guest is coming.”

“What?!”

Lee Han was genuinely surprised.

A guest coming for the weekend.

Of course, quite a few outsiders did visit Einroguard, but if it was a guest worth waiting for like this, wasn’t there only one person?

“Could it be an Empire official coming to investigate Einroguard’s actual conditions?”

“…No? Why would we wait for that?”

The White Tiger Tower student looked at Lee Han as if asking what he was talking about.

There was no reason to loiter here all night if Empire officials were coming.

“Then who is it?”

“Ifadur!”

Not only the White Tiger Tower student but even the Blue Dragon Tower students all cast very expectant looks at Lee Han.

As if they expected Lee Han to hear that name and exclaim, ‘What! That person is coming!?’

Of course, unfortunately, Lee Han couldn’t do that. Lee Han was flustered.

“Who is that?”

“…”

“…That… bard… Ifadur… You don’t know? He’s famous… He even appears in the Imperial Newspaper…”

“I don’t really read that section. Sorry.”

Lee Han consoled his dejected friends. Asan spoke with a face full of anticipation.

“I was going to show him a song I composed.”

“…?”

Lee Han tilted his head.

If it was a song Asan had composed…

-Einroguard. Einroguard. It’s so wonderful. A place with warm meals and soft beds. Einroguard.

‘Isn’t that a rumor-spreading song that should be banned by Imperial Law?’

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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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