Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 538
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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 538
“Music magic?”
Professor Boladi looked at Lee Han and asked.
Though his face was expressionless, surprisingly, a subtle shock could be felt within it.
It seemed as if he was saying, ‘How could you learn such trashy magic? What did I do wrong for you to rebel like this?’
A similar incident had occurred in the Blue Dragon Tower.
-Gainando! That… that blood, what is it! Don’t tell me you turned to evil dark arts because we banned card games…?
Of course, what Gainando had all over his clothes wasn’t blood but jam, but anyway, the emotions shown by his friends and Professor Boladi were similar.
“Professor. I can explain.”
Lee Han spoke as quickly as possible.
Just as he had explained that what Gainando had was jam, not blood, to prevent him from being dragged to the punishment room, Lee Han also had to explain as quickly as possible to prevent being attacked by Professor Boladi.
“Music magic won’t be much help.”
“…Actually, that was the blind spot!”
Lee Han recounted today’s events in as much detail as possible, and with some embellishment.
A sense of urgency overwhelmed Lee Han that he might be attacked if he couldn’t properly convince the professor of music magic’s advantages.
Ifadur looked at Lee Han with moved eyes at that lengthy explanation.
‘To show such interest in music magic…’
The Wardanaz Family was known to have little interest in arts like music, but this boy was definitely different.
Ifadur resolved to do his best to help this Wardanaz Family boy’s passion for music.
Other famous performers and bards in the Empire would also be interested and willing to help if they heard that the Wardanaz Family boy was so passionate about music.
“…So that’s how it was!”
“I see.”
Professor Boladi nodded as if convinced.
‘Did it work?’
“Then why not just learn incantation magic?”
‘It didn’t work.’
Lee Han blamed his arrogant self who had thought it was over just moments ago.
There were still remnants of arrogance in his heart that shouldn’t be had at Einroguard.
“The Principal said incantation magic takes this long.”
Lee Han held up one finger. Professor Boladi said without surprise.
“Of course, incantation magic can take nearly a thousand years if you study it properly.”
“…”
Lee Han was shocked that one zero had been added.
The Skeleton Principal had been trying to subtly deceive Lee Han.
“But if you can just infuse words with mana, that’s a different story. Not proper incantation magic, but a simplified form specialized for combat…”
“That’s why I tried to learn music magic!”
Lee Han felt a sense of crisis and interrupted Professor Boladi.
“I was trying to overcome the limitations of incantation magic with music magic in my own way!”
“Hmm.”
Professor Boladi fell silent.
Lee Han was extremely tense because he couldn’t tell what the other person was thinking. The baby basilisk in his sleeve made a hissing sound.
‘Bear with it. You’ll lose.’
Unfortunately, even if the baby basilisk attacked Professor Boladi, it didn’t seem like it would win.
Even when it became an adult, it would be difficult…
“I still think incantation magic is the better choice, but I won’t stop you from trying.”
In Professor Boladi’s opinion, a good master was someone who supported what their disciple wanted as much as possible.
He was still skeptical about music magic, but if his disciple wanted to try it, he had no intention of stopping him.
Who knows, maybe new magic that the professor himself didn’t know would emerge?
“Thank you, Professor. I’ll do my best to repay your faith.”
“Alright. Did you rest well outside?”
“Yes. It was enjoyable.”
An ordinary student would have ended it here, but Lee Han, being a professional student, added one more line.
“But even during that time, I kept thinking about the magic I needed to practice, which made me feel restless.”
Ifadur, not knowing Lee Han’s true thoughts, was impressed again.
To think there was such a diligent genius in the world!
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
“…?”
When Professor Boladi briefly checked the time, Lee Han felt an ominous feeling.
Come to think of it, Professor Boladi wasn’t an ordinary professor either, but a professional professor.
“There’s time left until bedtime, so I’ll help you practice.”
“…”
Lee Han bit his lip for underestimating the professional professor.
“But I was going to have dinner with Mr. Ifadur…”
“No, no. It’s fine, Student Wardanaz. Don’t worry about this old man and focus on your magic. Just helping today was really appreciated.”
‘Are all bards bastards?’
Lee Han thought he understood why the Wardanaz Family showed little interest in music.
* * *
Although Professor Boladi was interested in every school of magic that Lee Han learned, what he was most absorbed in recently was lightning elemental form transformation.
Lightning element belonged to quite a unique category among the elements.
Its uncontrollable destructive power and amorphous form.
But conversely, if one could control such lightning element as easily as water element…
“You’d have an advantage in combat.”
When Professor Boladi spun a lightning spear, the baby basilisk made a whimpering sound.
It was clear that it had lost confidence in defeating that mage.
“But Professor, is there really a need to use lightning element in ordinary person-to-person combat?”
Even the water element, which was evaluated as having relatively low destructive power, could be operated destructively if applied well.
Just look at Yumidifus – didn’t he do all sorts of things with water elemental magic, from steam explosions to bodily fluid control?
“Good question. Usually, lightning magic using form transformation is useful when facing powerful mages.”
Professor Boladi explained calmly.
Among mages, those skilled in defensive magic could block all the water elemental magic or other projectile magic that Lee Han cast.
In such cases, this kind of close combat was a surprisingly effective strategy.
Moreover, lightning element wasn’t common magic either, making it even harder to prepare for.
‘…Usually, if they can block all that, they’re several levels above me as a mage, but should I be facing them?’
At that point, shouldn’t the professors be the ones dealing with them?
Lee Han had such doubts but kept quiet.
“Take this.”
The professor held out a heavy silver ingot.
Lee Han was startled by the unexpected gift and exclaimed.
“Thank you!! I’ll treasure it and use it well!”
“…?”
Professor Boladi looked at Lee Han, wondering what he was talking about.
Lee Han was flustered, thinking he had misunderstood something.
“You need to use it for form transformation, so there’s no need to treasure it.”
“Ah.”
Lee Han understood the professor’s meaning and felt embarrassed.
Creating a pure lightning form without anything else was truly a difficult task.
To tame lightning with only a mage’s will.
However, pure silver had a solid form and was a material relatively familiar with lightning.
Getting used to changing the form of silver imbued with lightning would help in changing the form of lightning itself.
“Thank you. But where did you get this kind of silver?”
“From the Principal’s office.”
“…”
Lee Han didn’t ask whether it was borrowed or stolen. It wasn’t content he’d want to hear about.
* * *
Crackle!
‘This is painful!’
Lee Han thought this as he watched the lightning bounce to the floor.
It wasn’t because the magic failed.
The magic practice itself was progressing well.
It was just that a little silver evaporated each time he failed.
Crack!
When the silver transformed into a spear shape couldn’t withstand the power of lightning and twisted before losing its form with crackling sounds, the lightning scattered in all directions and the silver became distorted too.
Since the condensed lightning power was so strong, even the slightest mistake would cause even solid metal to change unpredictably.
And it would evaporate in the process…
When Lee Han showed visible distress, Professor Boladi spoke to him.
“You’re doing well right now. You’re maintaining the shape transformation.”
“Thank you.”
Lee Han stood up with a bitter expression.
Thinking about how much silver would be consumed before this magic was completed already made him feel defeated.
As the sky gradually darkened and it was time to go in, Professor Boladi checked his pocket watch and said.
“Oh right. Can we start tomorrow’s lecture a little early?”
“How early?”
“About two hours.”
“…”
The lecture was scheduled for 9 AM on Monday, so starting two hours earlier was definitely not ‘a little’ early.
But Lee Han was a professional student.
‘Let’s think of it as finishing two hours early.’
“Haha. Of course that’s possible. But what’s the reason? Is there anything I need to prepare?”
“No. I need to meet with the giants.”
“…”
* * *
-Human mage! It’s the human mage!
-Welcome, so welcome!
Early morning.
As the end of the second semester approached, each day was getting colder.
Cold enough to seep into one’s bones if magic wasn’t cast on the coat.
Lee Han exhaled visible breath as he greeted the giants.
“Nice to see you all.”
-Want to see magic. Magic!
“Pardon?”
Lee Han wondered what magic he should show them.
To satisfy the giants, wouldn’t Professor Boladi understand if he fired a water orb projectile or so?
-That thing. That thing!
The giant held up a thick wooden bowl and tapped it with a spoon.
“…You were talking about cooking.”
Pushing aside the giants gathered with expectant faces, Ikurusha, the smartest giant, came forward.
-Good to see you all. Professor Bagrek. Have you been well?
“I’ve been well. Thank you.”
-Since it’s almost final exam period, all the professors must be busy. Do you have time to come here?
“It’s fine.”
“…”
Lee Han unconsciously almost said ‘Professor, I’m your only student’ but came to his senses and held back.
Speaking ill of a professor in front of others would be crazy.
“Since exams are approaching, I want to become closer with the giants. I’d like to help with work.”
-As you wish. Actually, when I first heard what the professor said, I wondered what he was talking about.
Ikurusha recalled when he first heard Professor Boladi’s insane plan, ‘Test the new student by borrowing the giants’ strength.’
At that time, it seemed like a somewhat crazy idea no matter how he thought about it, so he had argued, ‘Even if you’re going to test him, wouldn’t it be better to do it after he becomes a bit friendlier with the giants first?’
There was nothing good about making a young mage fight giants.
An archmage with a title like 【Giant Slayer】 might appear in the future…
Since it would be difficult for an outsider, especially a mage, to become friends with giants in a short time, if the boy couldn’t become friends with them, he planned to use that as an excuse to persuade the professor again.
But the Wardanaz family boy became friends with the giants faster than expected.
He helped with tending sheep and diligently studied cooking, successfully winning the giants’ favor.
The giants had actually called Ikurusha to ask him about it.
-When is that mage coming?
-I don’t know either.
-Go down and ask.
-I asked but they said they don’t know.
-Then go down again! Go down again!
It wasn’t easy for giants to show favor in such a short time, so it was truly amazing.
Since things had turned out this way, Ikurusha had no choice but to acknowledge Professor Boladi’s plan.
If he had become this friendly with them, he was fully qualified to compete with the giants.
-To become so friendly…
“It’s only natural.”
Ikurusha nodded as he watched Lee Han being cheered by the giants along with Professor Boladi.
Lee Han was receiving cheers from the giants, unaware that he had dug his own grave.
-Long live the mage! Long live the mage!
-Our friend!
“Haha. It’s thanks to all of you looking favorably upon me. I’m always grateful.”
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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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