Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 564

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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 564

“No. I’ve never pushed anyone into a pit.”

“Phew. That’s a relief.”

Professor Garcia, who had been relieved by the answer, paused.

‘Didn’t he just say ?’

Then perhaps he meant he had pushed someone somewhere other than a pit?

“Lee Han stud…”

“Then what is this pit for?”

When Lee Han asked with very obvious wariness, Professor Garcia felt hurt.

His first thought was that he needed to clear this excellent student’s suspicions as quickly as possible.

“It’s for the final exam.”

“I see.”

“?”

Professor Garcia was puzzled.

Lee Han’s reaction was far too calm.

Of course, the Wardanaz family boy wasn’t emotional or frivolous by nature, but still, such a calm reaction?

“Then are there monsters hiding below the pit?”

“There aren’t any??!”

Professor Garcia’s voice rose without him realizing it.

“You don’t think of me as the Principal, do you, Lee Han?”

“How could I have such rude thoughts? Absolutely not. But if it’s a final exam, I thought there might be monsters hiding…”

Professor Garcia sighed deeply and said.

“I prepared this to test the magic you learned this semester. There are no monsters.”

In the first semester, Professor Garcia had introduced various schools of magic and taught the basics.

And this second semester, he was in charge of the 【Basic Practical Magic】 lecture, teaching students various useful practical spells.

【Underwater Breathing】, 【Undead Banishment】, 【Undead Detection】, 【Lesser Undead Reverse Summoning】, and so on were such examples.

‘There do seem to be quite a lot of undead-related ones.’

Somehow there were quite a few anti-undead spells included, but Professor Garcia’s lecture was the most practical among this semester’s courses. Above all, it stood out as a lecture from an Einroguard graduate who truly cared about his students. It was a lecture that carefully selected and taught only magic that students could immediately use in real life.

“Oh, but you taught us undead-related magic, so aren’t there any undead?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. When did I ever teach undead-related magic?”

“You taught us 【Undead Banishment】, 【Undead Detection】, 【Lesser Undead Reverse Summoning】…”

“I don’t know about that? Ah. Lee Han must be confused because you attend so many lectures.”

“…”

Lee Han was dumbfounded but could understand Professor Garcia’s meaning.

He wanted to keep it secret since the Skeleton Principal might pull even more twisted schemes if he found out who taught it.

‘He could have just said so directly.’

But Lee Han was slightly hurt. He could overlook other things, but being jabbed about attending many lectures really stung.

“I understand. Excluding undead-related magic… then it’s 【Underwater Breathing】, 【Lesser Detoxification】, 【Water Resistance Enchantment】, 【Vision Amplification】, 【Lesser Lock Picking】?”

“Exactly.”

Lee Han cautiously approached the pit and looked down.

After casting 【Gonadaltes’ Dark Vision】 and infusing mana into his eyes to enhance his sight, he could see the structure below the pit.

‘The professor will fill it with water and students will swim down to dive deep.’

Looking at the bottom of the pit, there was a small passage leading to the side.

Inside that passage would be simple poisons and locks.

When water filled it, visibility would become even more limited, so the final exam would involve overcoming such an environment with magic, finding the passage, and solving the poison and lock puzzles.

Having thought this far, Lee Han suddenly felt a question arise.

“Professor. When you fill this with water, we dive in to find that hidden passage, right? And there are traps inside the passage?”

“Oh. That’s right, Lee Han. You observed well.”

Professor Garcia answered with delight as Lee Han grasped it cleanly.

“But why are you standing in that position?”

“I’m being careful not to fall into the pit.”

“…Lee Han… I told you I won’t push you…”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

Despite Professor Garcia’s words, Lee Han observed the bottom of the pit while maintaining a low stance and keeping his balance, prepared for someone pushing him from behind.

“Anyway, Professor. I understand the structure, but…”

“?”

When Lee Han trailed off, Professor Garcia was puzzled.

He couldn’t understand why his excellent disciple was acting like this.

“…This is a final exam, but is it okay for me to know about it in advance?”

Even as he asked, Lee Han was slightly nervous.

Professor Garcia might belatedly say, ‘Oh no! Lee Han. I said it by mistake. I’ll have to prepare a more difficult test just for you.’

Of course, Professor Garcia was a kinder person compared to other professors, but he was still a professor.

“Ah. It doesn’t matter, does it?”

“…It doesn’t matter?”

“Lee Han will get a perfect score anyway. That’s why I called you.”

“…”

Lee Han was momentarily speechless.

No…

No…?

‘Is that so?’

Feeling like it made sense yet didn’t make sense at the same time, Lee Han asked once more.

“But shouldn’t you take the exam to know for sure?”

“I’ve seen Lee Han use magic so many times… It’s fine. I’m certain even without seeing it. Aren’t there other professors who think similarly to me?”

Professor Garcia waved his staff to create a space where he could sit while students took their exam.

And he enchanted the surroundings with warm heat so they could warm up their bodies after finishing the exam.

“Well… I have met them.”

“Right? Didn’t those professors also tell you to do your own work instead of taking meaningless exams?”

‘They gave me harder problems though.’

Lee Han recalled Professor Alpen saying during midterms, ‘It’s too easy, so I prepared something more difficult.’

But telling Professor Garcia about that didn’t seem like a good idea.

He might react with ‘Oh, that method?’ if he did.

“It was similar.”

At Lee Han’s answer, Professor Garcia nodded as if he expected as much.

While preparing for the second semester finals, the professors were each complaining about their own troubles.

-Transformation potions would be too difficult after all. But I used firework potions last year… This is annoying, should I call that Wardanaz kid and have him make the exam?

-Professor!

-It’s a joke, a joke. How is Professor Verdus preparing?

-Me? I’ll have them make artifacts from discarded materials.

-No. That’s quite a decent exam. Seems well prepared.

-Yeah. Gonadaltes told me to do this.

-…

-…

-Right. I should ask Wardanaz to prepare it. Almost forgot.

-Professor Verdus. Could you come to the back of the common room for a moment?

Of course, there were some shameless professors, but basically there was a strong sentiment among professors that ‘Why would a student who’ll get a perfect score anyway need to take the exam?’

Professor Garcia also remembered a understanding professor from his school days saying something like this.

-Garcia. You don’t need to take the exam. Focus on other tests. And when you hit your friends, use your palm instead of your fist, would you?

“So Lee Han, instead of preparing for an exam you’ll get a perfect score on anyway, prepare for other exams. Not all the other professors will let you pass their tests.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

Lee Han was genuinely grateful for Professor Garcia’s consideration.

Of course, Professor Garcia’s proposal was largely influenced by Lee Han having the ability to receive a perfect score…

…but more than that, it was probably driven by a desire to let Lee Han, who was taking too many lectures, rest from at least one class.

If he didn’t have to worry about Professor Garcia’s exam, he would have a little more breathing room.

‘I absolutely must not tell her about Professor Alpen’s methods.’

“Instead, Lee Han, please check the difficulty of this final exam hall for your other friends. After all, it’s more accurate to see it from a student’s perspective rather than a professor’s.”

“Professor Garcia is truly an excellent person. I’m fortunate to have met you, Professor.”

“Why, why are you saying that all of a sudden.”

When Lee Han spoke with a voice choked with emotion, Professor Garcia was very flustered.

It was such sudden praise.

“I’ll do my best to check it thoroughly.”

“You can just check it with a light heart though…”

Professor Garcia felt slightly anxious as her disciple prepared too enthusiastically and filled the pit with water.

She had just wanted him to check it with a light heart, but she worried whether she was unnecessarily burdening her overly diligent disciple’s shoulders.

* * *

Splash!

How long had it been since he went in? Lee Han came up right away.

Lee Han shook off the water by swinging his waterproof magic cloak and reported to Professor Garcia.

“I think the water needs to be a bit darker.”

“Ah. Really?”

Professor Garcia picked up her quill pen and took notes.

Water naturally becomes dark underneath when it pools, so she hadn’t added any special magic, but it seemed to be a bit bright after all.

‘Is the light source too strong?’

“Yes. Shall I summon some dark element?”

“What are you talking about. Lee Han, you don’t need to do that. I should be the one preparing.”

Professor Garcia waved her hand dismissively.

She had called him to get simple impressions, but the other party was being too diligent.

“Understood. Then I’ll go back in for a moment…”

“Ah. You don’t need to go back in…”

Splash!

A moment later.

Lee Han came back up.

“Professor. The passage entrance is small, but since there are no other entrances around, I think students could find it quickly if they just stay calm. How about making some fake passages?”

“Hmm… I understand.”

Professor Garcia took notes again.

Lee Han went back in and came out, went in and came out, went in and came out again without giving her time to stop him.

-It seems to be a poison that interferes with vision, but wouldn’t a poison that interferes with breathing be better?

-I tried opening the lock myself, and a student with good manual dexterity could open it without magic. How about strengthening it more?

-I expected something when coming up too, but I was surprised there was nothing. Wouldn’t it be better to add some undead after all?

“…”

Professor Garcia closed the book she was taking notes in and looked at Lee Han, asking.

“Lee Han. Have your friends done anything recently that hurt your feelings?”

“Pardon? Not particularly?”

* * *

Lee Han felt slightly uneasy as he left Professor Garcia’s classroom.

He was worried that he might not have lived up to the professor’s expectations.

‘Were my suggestions not good enough?’

Professor Garcia had even exempted him from the exam out of consideration for him and asked for his input, yet he failed to provide useful improvements.

His heart felt heavy thinking that the professor might have been disappointed.

‘I should come up with better improvements next time I see her.’

“Lee Han. Don’t come with improvements next time.”

Professor Garcia stuck her head out between the classroom doors and shouted. Lee Han asked back in surprise.

“Did you see that with divination magic?”

“No. I saw it through a professor’s experience. Anyway, it was really helpful, so don’t come with improvements!”

“Yes. I understand.”

Honestly, he wasn’t convinced it had really been helpful, but Professor Garcia’s sincerity came through.

Lee Han felt another wave of quiet emotion as he went down the stairs.

“Ah. Wardanaz! Over here, over here!”

When the walking beaver called Lee Han, Lee Han pretended not to hear and moved his steps.

Professor Verdus lightly flew over and blocked Lee Han’s path.

“Are your ears blocked by any chance?”

“Ah. Professor Verdus!! When did you arrive? You startled me!”

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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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