Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 523
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 523
Professor Lightningstep couldn’t help but ask at such an absurd statement.
“Why on earth are you training to prepare for encountering a griffin? According to regulations, griffins are…”
Griffins were beasts that couldn’t participate in regular ball game competitions due to their size and weight.
However, Unfard spoke seriously.
“Because the opponent might bring out a short and scrawny griffin.”
“…”
Professor Lightningstep once again felt that he was a perfectly normal person.
Of course, he quite liked ball games, but compared to Empire people who were truly crazy about ball games, this level was just casually liking it.
Preparing for when the opponent brings out a short and scrawny griffin.
…And the most surprising thing was that this preparation was quite plausible.
Honestly, even Professor Lightningstep thought that one of the ball game players would somehow barely bring out a short and scrawny griffin that met regulations.
There were even people who brought them out transformed…
‘Wait. Then why like that?’
Professor Lightningstep and Unfard looked at Lee Han.
As Lee Han rode Ponrig and charged again, the mountain goat blocking the goal couldn’t endure it and stepped aside.
The player burst into tears at that sight and shouted.
“How could you do this to me! How could you do this to me! I gave you the food I eat, I gave you the clothes I wear! I even gave you where I sleep!”
-Bleat…
The mountain goat seemed to understand its master’s frustration and felt very sorry.
Lee Han made a dubious expression at that sight.
‘Is there really a need to go that far?’
It didn’t seem like the mountain goat would like human food.
Then Unfard shouted from the stands.
“Griffin! The opponent is a griffin! It’s a horse that a griffin transformed into, so think accordingly. Remember the training you did against griffins!”
“…”
Lee Han momentarily thought the opponent was using tricks to confuse him.
Training against griffins.
‘Why would they do such training?’
“Indeed! I thought the horse’s eyes looked unusual… There!”
The player quickly covered the mountain goat’s eyes with a blindfold. It was to prevent eye contact with the griffin.
Other players who heard this also quickly covered their eyes. If they could just avoid the murderous eyes of the griffin…
-Bleat!!!!
“Why!”
“Ah.”
Lee Han realized as he swung his stick toward the gap and sent the ball flying.
“This isn’t because of you, is it?”
Come to think of it, Lee Han also had a basilisk in his chest.
Monsters would be able to smell even the faint scent of the basilisk that humans couldn’t detect, so it was natural for them to be frightened like that.
-…?
However, even at Lee Han’s words, the baby basilisk wagged its tail in confusion instead of agreeing.
Intelligent monsters keenly understand their own power.
The baby basilisk knew well that its power was still insignificant.
If a monster was frightened by the scent of a baby monster that hadn’t grown yet, it would have to be quite a cowardly monster…?
“Thank you. The professor will be happy thanks to you.”
When Lee Han thanked it for now, the baby basilisk was pleased despite being confused.
“Instead, let’s go deeper into my chest. So the opponent won’t know even after the game ends.”
-…
* * *
The struggle of the Granden City ball game club players was truly amazing.
They covered all the noses, ears, and eyes of their mounts, and relying only on trust with their masters, somehow calmed them down and tried to catch up in score.
However, the first-year students led by Professor Lightningstep employed a student with excellent offensive power to lead counterattacks while solidly lowering their defensive line, holding out without giving any openings until the end.
No matter how strong the offensive power of the ball game club players, it was difficult to turn things around in this situation…
“…write that.”
“Okay.”
Angrago and Clteran diligently moved their quill pens to record.
Such game records and impressions sold surprisingly well to students who liked ball games.
Professor Lightningstep, who was passing by behind them, hid his good mood and said a word.
“Delete the paragraph about covering the mounts’ eyes, ears, and noses. Readers will find it strange.”
“Aha! Thank you.”
Professor Lightningstep, having received overflowing praise from the Granden City ball game club players, was in a good mood for the first time in a while.
-We were truly surprised, Professor! Your tactics were truly amazing!
-Next year’s Einroguard ball game club results are truly anticipated!
-We need to retrain for facing griffins.
-No, how about we try taming a griffin once?
“Tell them to entrust the silver coins received from the ball game club players today to the treasurer. Use it as support funds when you apply for research next year.”
“Thank you, Professor!”
The students also shouted with bright expressions, happy about the victory.
Lee Han, who was groaning from muscle pain nearby, paused.
“…Huh, wait. Do we get silver coins even for friendly matches?”
“It’s a gesture of gratitude to the winner, Wardanaz. You really need to stop studying and take some interest in ball games.”
Angrago spoke very seriously.
Seeing today’s game, letting a guy like Wardanaz just devote himself to magic was a huge loss to the Empire’s ball game world.
Even though Wardanaz was a bad-tempered and violent guy, Angrago was ready to forget grudges and help for the sake of the Empire’s ball game world.
“…”
Lee Han was about to hit him but held back because of muscle pain. Seeing this, Angrago nodded.
“I see you also felt something from today’s game.”
“…Ymirg. Ymirg? Please hit that bastard just once.”
At Lee Han’s request, his giant hybrid friend was flustered and struggled.
Professor Lightningstep praised today’s game once more, pointed out areas that participating students needed to improve, then called Lee Han over and said.
“Oh right. The players said you were today’s best player.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
Lee Han answered without much emotion.
If he were a student who liked ball games, he would have cried tears of joy, but Lee Han was currently distracted by muscle pain.
“Here. Take this. It’s a medal of honor.”
“Can’t you just give me more silver coins inst…”
Lee Han was surprised to see the medal engraved with the date, location, and the emblems of both Granden City ball game club and Einroguard.
Surprisingly, it was made of pure silver.
“Is it entirely silver?”
“Hm? That’s right. We can’t make such an honorable medal fake.”
Tears of belated emotion welled up in Lee Han’s eyes. Seeing this, Professor Lightningstep also felt pleased.
‘That kid. Even though he pretended otherwise, he must be happy about winning today.’
* * *
Doppelganger, Professor Yonramo looked at the students and said.
“Transformation magic and shapeshifting magic directed outward may have similar principles, but when you actually cast them, you’ll feel they’re greatly different. That’s how difficult it is to transform the mage’s own self.”
Changing external matter and changing a mage’s own body had the same principles, but their difficulty levels were different.
To change oneself as a mage, one needed a solid mind that could maintain one’s ego even when one’s form changed.
“Sometimes a few unfortunate transformation mages lose themselves by transforming for too long or too frequently…”
Professor Yonramo realized his mistake when he saw the students’ frightened expressions.
Unlike sociable people like Professor Garcia, Professor Yonramo still didn’t have a good sense of what parts would scare students.
“…You don’t need to worry too much! Losing yourself and becoming another being isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
“…”
“…”
The students were even more horrified.
Some whispered, ‘Isn’t transformation magic too dangerous?’
“If transformation magic doesn’t suit you, you don’t need to learn it. Actually, there are many transformation mages who don’t transform at all. Some people just aren’t constitutionally suited for it… Lee Han. Why don’t you come and demonstrate some transformation so the students won’t be scared?”
Seeing that the students seemed to get more frightened no matter what he said, Professor Yonramo brought Lee Han into the conversation to change the subject.
If Lee Han, who was highly trusted among the students, demonstrated transformation magic first, it would surely reduce the students’ fears.
“…Excuse me? Professor. I don’t know how to use transformation magic.”
“Huh? You received magic books last time, didn’t you? Haven’t you learned them yet?”
Professor Yonramo asked casually without much thought.
During the last Transformation Mages’ Festival, hadn’t the mages lined up to give Lee Han magic books one by one?
-I’m truly delighted to gift you my family’s magic book, 【From Caterpillar to Dragon】. Hahaha! Hahaha! Hahahahahaha! The others are… Oh wait. Ahem.
He had even heard such words?
“…I’m sorry. I haven’t learned them yet.”
Lee Han’s face darkened as he apologized.
He thought Professor Yonramo was reprimanding him.
‘Damn. This is unfair. I didn’t know I was supposed to learn them.’
Though it was unfair, Lee Han made the most apologetic expression possible instead of arguing back.
He knew well that logical rebuttals were meaningless in front of professors.
The only effective thing was a fake expression.
“Oh, no… I wasn’t blaming…”
Unlike other ambitious professors, Professor Yonramo just wanted to live peacefully without causing any problems.
As such, he had no intention of provoking a student who was treated as the Skeleton Principal’s direct disciple and building resentment.
It was just a slip of the tongue!
Imagining a distant future where Lee Han would become the Principal’s right hand and cut the transformation magic school’s budget, Professor Yonramo hurriedly tried to appease him.
“Transformation magic is difficult. It’s not something you can easily learn. So you don’t need to apologize like that. I just thought Lee Han might have learned it by now…”
“…I’m sorry…”
“…”
Seeing the other person’s expression grow even darker, Professor Yonramo felt like crying.
Professor Yonramo gave up and looked around at the students.
“Today… so… we’ll try some basics of transformation magic.”
The proper magic lecture began in a truly gloomy atmosphere.
* * *
“Oh. See this? It’s sparkling!”
“Wardanaz. Look at this! I’m Meikin!”
“…If you don’t undo it right now, I’ll pour hiccup potion in your mouth while you sleep.”
“S-sorry. Meikin. It looked fun when Gainando imitated you…”
“…”
“…”
The basics of transformation magic started with changing the color of one’s own hair or nails.
It was relatively easy in difficulty and had much fewer aftereffects even if one failed.
Friends practiced the basics by changing their hair colors.
‘Hmm. Gainando’s going to get beaten up when we return.’
Seeing Yoner preparing attack magic after realizing that Gainando had imitated him in his absence, Lee Han carefully spoke up.
“Yoner?”
“What. Why.”
“…If you drink 【Low-Grade Metal Affinity Potion】 and cast the spell, it’ll be easier to suppress him with steel transformation.”
Yoner’s expression softened. Lee Han mentally apologized to Gainando.
‘But still…’
Lee Han waved his wand, puzzled.
Usually Lee Han was rarely slower than other students in progress, but his hair color wasn’t changing well.
“Lee Han. You need to use more mana.”
“Ah. Is that so?”
Lee Han thought that made sense after hearing the professor’s words.
Considering his resistance to external magic, he would probably need to increase his mana for magic used on himself too.
“More.” “More.” “Use more.” “More!”
“…S-sorry.”
“I-I’m not angry. You know that, right?”
‘What are those two doing?’
Yoner, who was practicing making the words ‘Gainando is a dead man’ appear on his nails, was puzzled by the strange master-disciple pair bowing to each other.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————