Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 535

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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 535

After somehow calming down Ifadur, who was seriously worried about the first-year student’s health, the Skeleton Principal moved on to a more important topic.

“More importantly, that’s not what’s important right now. I told you to practice music magic, but you’re uselessly doing the basics of incantation instead. Good grief. It’s like wielding a dragon-slaying sword to catch chickens…”

“But didn’t you succeed with the music magic?”

The old tortoise beastman was puzzled by the Skeleton Principal’s words.

Unlike the Skeleton Principal who valued the principles contained within, Ifadur, who was interested in music magic, was satisfied as long as the music magic succeeded.

Whether it succeeded by singing carelessly or by using the core aspects of incantation wasn’t really important…

‘This is why non-mages are like this.’

The Skeleton Principal cursed the bard inwardly.

Those who didn’t stake their lives on magic never understood true mages.

If you saw a boy doing farm work with a golden sword on the road, you should slap him to help him find his proper aptitude, not say ‘Well, if you’re satisfied with that.’

“Wardanaz would understand if he heard this. Wardanaz. Come here for a moment. Hmm… No. Let’s talk privately for a bit.”

The Skeleton Principal, who was about to speak in front of Ifadur, immediately changed his mind.

Come to think of it, that Wardanaz bastard might stubbornly insist on something useless because of the insult he heard earlier.

‘Petty bastard.’

“Why is that?”

“Do you know what you just did?”

“Music magic?”

“…Listen carefully.”

The Skeleton Principal explained as kindly as possible.

What you’re doing now isn’t commonly known music magic, stop leaking mana everywhere, what you did was the basic but core area of the advanced magic called incantation…

“Huh. But I succeeded anyway, didn’t I?”

‘Good thing I sent that bard away.’

The Skeleton Principal thought this and said.

“If you’ve entered the basics of incantation, you should challenge incantation magic. Why are you wasting time on useless nonsense like music magic?”

“No. You’re the one who supported the upperclassmen’s research into music magic, Principal…”

Faced with his disciple sharply wielding the truth, the Skeleton Principal pretended not to hear and ignored it.

“And although I don’t know much about incantation magic, isn’t it quite advanced magic?”

“That’s right.”

Just as Lee Han didn’t challenge the Principal’s unique world magic from his first year despite having a lot of mana, the same was true for incantation.

It was magic that was far too difficult to challenge immediately just because you had set foot in the basics.

“But the basic part you just accomplished can be said to be the most important and core part of incantation magic. Most mages fail and drop out because they can’t do that.”

Fundamentally, a mage’s incantation was a representation of will and close to powerful self-hypnosis.

No matter how small and trivial the change, changing the world with individual will was an incredibly arrogant act.

Even trained mages could have their will shaken and concentration crumble at a single falling leaf, making self-hypnosis like incantations an essential element.

However, if you began to imbue mana into this simple tool called incantation itself, that became entry into the more advanced realm of incantation.

Once you could do this, you were at the starting line of incantation magic, and the majority of mages were bounced out because they couldn’t accomplish this.

This had nothing to do with talent in other magic.

Even those born with large amounts of mana, those with excellent sensitivity to mana, or those with genius-level intelligence simply couldn’t do it if it didn’t suit them.

For that reason, Wardanaz should be grateful for his good fortune and study incantation magic diligently too.

He was studying quite a lot right now, but what could be done about it.

“Uh… but wouldn’t it take a long time no matter what?”

Lee Han was well aware of incantation magic’s notorious reputation.

Didn’t he hear that there were plenty of mages who couldn’t master it even after lifelong training?

“Hmm.”

The Skeleton Principal, who had been pondering, held up one finger.

“If you really work hard from now on, with your spare time…”

“Where do I have spare time?”

“Why don’t you abandon your friends. Anyway, if you pour all your spare time into it…”

“One year?”

“Are you insane?”

“No… if I spend about a year and don’t see anything, it would be too discouraging. I might not have talent. Don’t tell me it’s ten years?”

Lee Han pondered slightly what he should do if it took about ten years.

Should he do it in his spare time?

But it would take ten years even with full effort?

‘The cost-effectiveness seems too poor.’

“One hundred years…”

“…”

Lee Han stared seriously with a glare.

The Skeleton Principal said with slight indignation.

“I evaluated you highly and really gave you a short estimate!”

“Ah. Yes. Thank you.”

Lee Han cleanly abandoned his attachment to incantation magic.

No matter how he looked at it, there was nothing good about pursuing it.

“Principal. I think music magic would be better.”

“Are you doing this because I called you a servant once? What exactly did I do so wrong to you? I’ve looked after you in every way since you entered!”

Lee Han ignored the Skeleton Principal’s nonsense.

The moment you argued against such things, you fell into a trap.

“Music magic has its advantages too.”

“What advantages? The advantage of being able to extort research funding from idiots?”

The Skeleton Principal kept grumbling, but Lee Han wasn’t swayed.

“First, incantation magic is far too difficult to master. In comparison, music magic is much easier. Why don’t you think of it as lower-level incantation magic?”

“Hmm.”

When magic was mentioned, the Skeleton Principal’s expression became serious.

“Just studying for a hundred years to master incantation magic would be…”

“I understand you don’t like it, Principal, but don’t lower-difficulty magics have value too?”

Lower-difficulty magic had its own meaning.

Not only lower-level mages, but even high-level mages didn’t always cast high-difficulty magic.

Of course, this wasn’t the case for an archmage like the Skeleton Principal, but…

“I understand what you’re saying.”

“Right?”

“But such things can just be studied and created by idiots at other magic schools. Why do it at Einroguard? Even if, really really generously speaking, idiots at Einroguard do it, why must you specifically?”

‘This is maddening.’

Lee Han didn’t lose his patience and persuaded again.

Music magic was much easier than incantation, making it more accessible, and didn’t music magic have its own advantages? This uniqueness of not being constrained by distance and operating through hearing would surely be useful…

As the persistent persuasion continued, the Skeleton Principal finally broke his stubbornness and acknowledged it.

“…Fine, good! The direction you just showed certainly had meaning. I’ll permit you to research anew in that direction.”

‘Got it!’

Lee Han felt relieved.

The Skeleton Principal sighed and called Ifadur.

The waiting old bard was so happy about the positive direction of the conversation that he seemed ready to jump.

“I’m truly delighted. Lord Gonadaltes. Thank you! There will be great progress in the students’ music magic research from now on!”

“Haha. I did nothing. But if you’d make a song praising Einroguard, I wouldn’t refuse.”

While Ifadur, who had become very pleased, expressed gratitude to the choir members, the Skeleton Principal looked at Lee Han and grumbled again.

“Good grief. I didn’t know you liked music so much, Wardanaz.”

“Me? Why do you think that?”

“If you didn’t like music, there’d be no reason to defend music magic so much. From what just happened, you’ll have to participate essentially in the research.”

The new directions for music magic just shown were two things.

Increasing the surrounding mana density, and imbuing the caster’s words with mana.

Both were things only Lee Han could accomplish in the current situation.

“…Uh, couldn’t we use artifacts to increase the mana density?”

“Are you going to contact His Imperial Majesty directly to cover the costs for that?”

When the Skeleton Principal asked back as if it were absurd, Lee Han desperately searched for an escape route.

“We could bring a mage who can cast word magic.”

“If you ask a mage who knows word magic to help research something like music magic, they’d tell you to ‘get lost’ or ‘disappear.'”

“…”

“…You don’t mean…”

“Thank you, Lord Gonadaltes! Let’s depart for the next location!”

* * *

The next place they headed to was a vineyard located downstream along the river from the village.

The owner of this 【Broken Horseshoe】 farm, which also operated a winery, was a burly orc who was famous in the area for his singing skills.

He was particularly renowned for his amazing talent that became even more extraordinary after having a glass of wine from his own winery.

“Hmm. His skills are quite decent.”

The Skeleton Principal evaluated with the slightest movement of his eyebrows.

Lee Han was very surprised by those words. When the Skeleton Principal spoke to that degree, it was already at the level of high praise.

‘I should try to invest in that farm later if I can.’

“Could we hear you sing once?”

“It would be an honor!”

The orc owner downed a glass of alcohol and began singing with a clear voice.

“Ah, life is as fleeting as a glass of wine! Let us all drink and…”

Lee Han listened while yawning without much thought.

After the song ended, the orc owner made excuses awkwardly.

“I think it’s because this batch of wine isn’t very good. Last time when I drank and sang, everyone around definitely got drunk.”

“That’s understandable.”

Ifadur nodded kindly as he spoke.

Since singing depended on a person’s emotions, it was only natural.

“Student Wardanaz, by any chance. Could I ask you a favor again this time…”

“Yes.”

Lee Han, who had finished organizing his thoughts by the time they arrived here, cleared his throat and approached.

It was bitter that the magic he had to learn was increasing, but what could he do.

And while it felt significant when it increased from one to two originally, the shock was somewhat less when it increased from 99 to 100.

Though he wasn’t sure if he should consider this fortunate…

“Ah, life is as fleeting as a glass of wine! Let us all drink and…”

Like before, the mana density in the surroundings increased and a resonance effect occurred with his voice.

The Skeleton Principal carefully observed whether the workers around got drunk just from hearing the voice.

However, nothing happened.

“?”

“…?”

“Uh, let me try again.”

Lee Han tried again in confusion. But no matter how many times he tried, no musical magical phenomenon occurred.

“I don’t know what the problem is. Did I make some mistake?”

“No…”

At the sight of his confused disciple, the Skeleton Principal and Ifadur looked at him as if they understood even less.

“I told you. Primitive magic is greatly influenced by emotions. It’s possible for it not to work.”

“Lord Gonadaltes is right. Your earlier success was remarkable, but your current failure isn’t strange.”

Lee Han nodded at their consolation for now.

‘It would be dangerous if the other songs fail too.’

If Lee Han, the only breakthrough, got blocked, it would be impossible to even start.

His plan to produce results while learning and make an impression on Ifadur was falling apart from the beginning…

* * *

Next was the knight order.

The old knight, who was said to have once revived fallen comrades with just a song when they were ambushed, sang in a hoarse voice.

“Oh, there goes a knight, shot by an arrow he dies, struck by a mace he dies, stabbed by a sword he dies, pierced by a spear he dies…”

“Oh, there goes a knight, shot by an arrow he dies, struck by a mace he dies, stabbed by a sword he dies, pierced by a spear he dies…”

The knights listening nearby were startled by the sudden surge of vitality.

“Amaz… Amazing! Lord Gonadaltes!”

“I never knew that just listening to music could have such power! Honestly, I thought you were bluffing…”

Fortunately, this time it succeeded, so Lee Han breathed a sigh of relief.

The Skeleton Principal stared intently at Lee Han.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing… I just thought it suits your personality well.”

“???”

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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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