Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 572
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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 572
“Wasn’t that the case?”
-Of course.
Ikurusha had no intention whatsoever of telling a first-year student to ‘make all the giants invisible and take them to the main building.’
What kind of person would give such an unreasonable mission?
“That’s a relief. I was worried I’d have to start practicing from now.”
-Hmm. I’m not a mage, but I think there might be a bit of a problem on your end too…
“???”
Lee Han didn’t understand what Ikurusha meant.
There was a problem with him?
‘Is he talking about the mistake of enrolling in Einroguard?’
-Getting back to the story, naturally since I brought it up, there’s a way to get them into the main building. I know of an underground passage. One that connects to the main building.
“!”
Lee Han was surprised by the unexpected method.
‘Of course!’
Come to think of it, Einroguard’s main building had many hidden passages befitting its long history.
Just look at the 【Spider Web Lake】 in the deepest underground level of the main building where the Unbreakable One resided – it was connected to various places and was frequently used as a shortcut by professors.
It wouldn’t be surprising if a giant who had lived as long as Ikurusha knew one or two underground passages connected to the main building.
“Such a method…! That’s excellent!”
-It’s too early to celebrate. This method has its difficulties too.
Ikurusha began explaining while drawing the underground passage connected to the mountain cave on the ground.
If you go down through the hidden cave, you’ll find a fairly old passage, and if you follow this passage, you’ll reach an underground warehouse in the main building…
‘It’s perfect though?’
Lee Han tilted his head as he listened.
He didn’t particularly sense any difficulties.
“What aspects are difficult?”
-The passage here is quite dangerous.
“Ah. I see…”
Lee Han tensed up slightly and asked a question.
“By any chance, is there something like a hydra?”
-…It’s not that dangerous…
Ikurusha looked at Lee Han reproachfully.
To bring up such a strange example when they were having a serious conversation.
“I was asking seriously though…”
-Then that’s even more problematic. Anyway, perhaps because there are swamps and lakes around the passage, you might see quite a few fierce creatures. It’s been a long time since I used it, so I need to check.
“Understood. I’ll check it out.”
Lee Han wrote 【Check passage monsters】 on his paper.
-Next is when you exit the passage. If my memory is correct, that area is where students frequently wander around.
“You mean upperclassmen?”
Lee Han’s eyes widened.
If it were first-year students, there was no way Lee Han wouldn’t know about it.
And in the first place, among the first-year students, there was no one fearless enough to loiter around the underground of the main building.
Unless they were crazy…
‘Oh wait. I did wander around.’
Lee Han felt regret as his recent thought stabbed at himself.
“Why do the upperclassmen wander around that area? It’s quite a deep underground warehouse.”
-I don’t know much about mages’ affairs either… so that’s difficult for me to answer.
‘Hmm.’
Come to think of it, Lee Han didn’t know much about the upperclassmen’s lives.
Although the Skeleton Principal had prevented contact, Lee Han had actually met quite a few upperclassmen…
Should he have asked more questions back then?
‘From second year onwards, you can contact people from other years, club activities are possible, you can take on external requests more actively, you do your own magical research… is it because of this?’
When doing magical research, people could become a bit gloomy and end up staying underground.
Lee Han was absorbed in his deduction while thinking thoughts that would anger the upperclassmen if they knew.
-May I continue the story?
“Yes. Please go ahead.”
-Although Einroguard’s students are said to be iron-blooded, they’d inevitably be somewhat surprised if they encountered giants. We need to prevent nearby students from coming.
“That’s difficult.”
-I think so too. This is the most difficult part. The passage can at least be cleared by force somehow.
Lee Han, who had been pondering, nodded and said.
“First, please gather the giants in front of the cave. I’ll go find a way to prevent the upperclassmen from approaching.”
-What are you planning to do?
Ikurusha was surprised that Lee Han was taking action faster than expected.
He knew well that first-year students couldn’t contact upperclassmen.
Yet he spoke so easily?
“I know some upperclassmen. They might refuse, but I’m going to try asking them for a favor.”
-…Wait. Wait. You’re a first-year, right?
At these words that made him doubt his ears, Ikurusha began to wonder if he had mistaken Lee Han’s year.
* * *
-Senior. Hello. Are you there?
Lee Han returned to his secret base and moved his quill pen. It was the notebook connected to Diret.
Fortunately, an answer came back soon.
What’s the matter?
-I have something to ask, but if it’s inconvenient, you don’t have to answer. I don’t have anything to give you either.
Ten.
-Excuse me?
Junior, you can ask about ten things.
-No… I can’t do that. That’s not how the original rules work.
From what he heard last time, the communication artifacts deployed in the school were based on one-to-one equivalent exchange.
Otherwise, you couldn’t trust an anonymous counterpart whose face and name you didn’t know.
Considering what you’ve done, you can just ask about ten things… wait a moment.
-Ah. Are you busy?
There was no answer for a moment, then text appeared.
No. I was just preparing for a moment. Tell me.
-I don’t know much about how the upperclassmen live, but by any chance, are there any upperclassmen who stay around the underground warehouse?
Lee Han described the scenery around the warehouse he had heard about from Ikurusha in as much detail as possible.
After all, there probably wasn’t just one or two deep underground warehouses.
Ah. Here. I know it.
“!”
Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, Senior Diret had recognized it just from the description.
Here is… hmm…
-It’s fine if it’s difficult to answer.
As Diret’s text seemed to waver hesitantly, Lee Han wondered what kind of place this was.
Was it some kind of evil lecture hall whose name couldn’t be revealed?
‘Is there a demon serving as a lecture hall?’
It seemed impossible, but if it was the Skeleton Principal, he might have captured a demon and was using it entirely as a lecture hall…
“It’s not exactly a secret, um… well, yeah.”
Diret, who had been hesitating, eventually gave up and revealed the answer.
There’s a small hole around there connected to the kitchen.
-Excuse me?
So… they go in there to eat.
The vast Einroguard had dozens of kitchens. Some were completely neglected or forgotten.
Among them, the kitchen Diret mentioned had special barrier magic cast on it, magic that would sound an alarm the moment food was taken out.
Normally, they would have had to give up since it was like a pie in the sky, but Einroguard’s students were not to be underestimated either.
Just go in, eat as much as you want, and come out!
…In this way, they had succeeded in breaking through the kitchen’s magic and plundering food supplies.
-I heard there are quite a few upperclassmen, but surely not all of those upperclassmen are trying to enter the kitchen, right?
They’re all trying to enter the kitchen, that’s right.
“…”
Lee Han was at a loss for words.
When Diret noticed his junior had gone silent, he seemed to realize this and hurriedly said.
By the way, our Black Magic Academy didn’t use that place often.
-Oh, no. It’s fine if you use it. Shouldn’t we use everything that’s in the school?
I said we didn’t use it!
‘I need to change the subject.’
Having figured out why there were so many students around that area, Lee Han asked his next question.
-Senior. Is there any way to keep those students from approaching that area for a little while?
Junior. May I ask the reason? The method would vary depending on what the reason is.
-Well…
When Lee Han hesitated, this time Diret comforted him.
If it’s hard to say, you don’t have to tell me. Junior. But know this one thing. The seniors of the Black Magic Academy will be on your side no matter what strange thing you do.
-Thank you, senior. Actually, I’m trying to bring some giants and hide them.
* * *
The Black Magic Academy students, Cohorti and Ogoldos, stood behind while Diret conversed with his junior using the quill pen.
The reason Diret had been silent for a moment earlier was because he had called the Black Magic students.
“My junior is asking for help, so you two participate as well.”
“But didn’t the Principal say we’d go to the punishment room if we got caught making unauthorized contact with new students?”
“If you don’t want to do it, then don’t.”
At Diret’s words, Cohorti looked at Ogoldos with eyes full of contempt.
“Ungrateful piece of trash…”
“When did I ever say I wouldn’t do it!!”
Ogoldos was indignant.
He had just asked once, but was that really such a deadly sin?
The two bickered and eventually stood behind Diret.
“So what does your junior want help with?”
“I don’t know. I have to listen. First he’s asking why students gather at that hole-in-the-wall kitchen, should I answer this as is? It’s too embarrassing.”
“Can’t be helped…”
“What do I answer if he asks why the seniors can’t solve it with magic and crawl in like beggars?”
“Hey. He’s not that kind of junior.”
Diret pondered for a moment and then confessed the truth.
Fortunately, his junior didn’t ask ‘Why can’t the seniors solve it with magic and crawl in like beggars?’
“None of you go there often, right?”
“Uh… no.”
“I… I don’t go there often either.”
“…”
Diret, who had asked without much thought, regretted it.
I should have just not asked!
“Hmm. I don’t know what he’s trying to ask for.”
“That’s how all new students are. I even left a letter in front of the tower saying ‘Seniors, please give me some leftover food.’ I was naive.”
“What happened?”
Ogoldos became curious at Cohorti’s words.
“Someone put up a stone saying ‘Eat this instead.'”
“…”
Ogoldos became sad at this anecdote that was more Einroguard-like than expected.
“I should tell him to speak comfortably first. That the Black Magic Academy will be on your side no matter what happens…”
“That’s good, right? Won’t he be moved?”
“Wouldn’t that be burdensome instead?”
“Shut up.”
Ignoring the chatter from behind, Diret moved his quill pen.
Both Ogoldos and Cohorti waited for the reply with eyes mixed with half expectation, half worry.
‘He wouldn’t feel burdened and go to another academy, would he…?’
Thank you, senior. Actually, I’m trying to bring some giants and hide them.
“…”
“…”
Silence lingered in the workshop for a moment.
Cohorti rubbed his eyes and checked again. But the word ‘giants’ didn’t change.
“What… what?”
“Didn’t he write it wrong?”
“No, how do you even bring giants in the first place?! And why is he trying to hide them!?”
Listening to the noisy conversation between his peer and junior, Diret closed his eyes and fell into thought.
Then he suddenly opened them and moved his quill pen.
-Not really surprising.
“…No. No. No…”
“That’s not right! What kind of bluffing…!”
Cohorti and Ogoldos were shocked by Diret’s bluff.
Even if he wanted to maintain his dignity as a senior, how could he just pass over that without asking?
“Everyone.”
“Huh?” “Yes?”
“Shut up.”
“…”
After making the two shut up, Diret continued writing.
-Hiding giants is a common thing.
Is that so??
-Of course. Don’t underestimate your seniors. We’re mages who are sufficiently adapted to this kind of thing.
Since he would have fewer opportunities to meet his junior from next year anyway, Diret boldly went all out.
Thank you so much! I’ll be counting on you!
After hearing his junior’s response, Diret put his quill pen in the inkwell.
Then he looked at the other Black Magic students and said.
“Now. Both of you suggest one method each to keep students from coming to the room where the giants are hiding.”
“…”
“…”
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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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