Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 589
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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 589
“It’s a difficult matter. Actually, I was thinking of trying to burn it with fire…”
When Nigisol spoke seriously, his friends nearby were startled.
“Isn’t burning with fire a bit much?”
“Right. I think other torture would be better.”
What an interesting opinion!
“Huh?”
The students were slightly swayed by Oripulas’s admiration.
The opinion of a demon who had been serving as an Imperial legal officer for 131 years was worth listening to.
“How about drowning them in water?”
What a clever opinion!
“How about hanging them upside down?”
What a polite opinion!
Thanks to Oripulas’s encouragement, the students freely brought up creative methods.
Lee Han, who was listening from the side, asked in puzzlement.
“That’s all well and good, but is it okay to do such things to innocent people?”
“Wardanaz is right. In the end, if there’s no way to distinguish, it would be a meaningless method.”
Gainando, who had been listening to the conversation, raised his hand and spoke.
“If we drown both of them, the fake one might talk!”
“Geez, that prince. Calling that a suggestion… hey, is that okay?”
“Like hell it would be okay.”
Lee Han smacked the back of the White Tiger Tower student who was showing interest.
* * *
“You want us to deceive the students?”
-That’s right. Work together with the good citizens of the Empire here to hide your suspicious nature.
The Death Knight informed the criminals they had brought about what they needed to do today.
Mixing with good citizens of the Empire to deceive the students.
That was what the criminals had to do today.
“…??”
“?????”
Of course, from the perspective of the criminals who were dragged here, it was absurd.
They had been kidnapped and dragged this far distance for that??
The good citizens nearby also seemed confused and asked questions.
“N-no, did you really capture actual criminals? Is that allowed?”
-Haha. Of course it’s allowed. All actions that occurred today are permitted under Imperial law.
“What kind of nonsense is this! You dragged us here for just that?!”
-Do you have no learning ability?
The Death Knight scoffed as if incredulous at the young mercenary’s complaints and gestured.
Then the back door opened and Death Knights dragged away the mercenary who had just shouted.
“No! Don’t… Kraaak! Kraaaaaaak!”
Desperate screams came from the direction of the back door.
How much time had passed?
The mercenary who returned was completely pale and trembling as he muttered.
“I was wrong. I’ll do my best. I was wrong. I’ll do my best.”
-Good. Everyone do your best. Those who deceive well will receive leniency, but those who get caught will receive aggravated punishment.
At the Death Knights’ words, the criminals swallowed hard.
The task they had to do seemed light and ridiculous, but what would happen if they failed was definitely not light.
They couldn’t even imagine what would happen if they failed!
‘Still, it might be fortunate.’
Once the fear and confusion subsided, the criminals who were seasoned in mercenary and adventurer work quickly put their minds to work.
Apart from the fear, this job wasn’t the worst.
Wouldn’t deceiving naive students be much better than becoming a dark mage’s test subject?
-Now. Wait here. There are students over there, so don’t spout nonsense.
As soon as the Death Knight finished speaking, the sound of students chattering could be heard from the other side.
-Isn’t burning with fire a bit much?
-How about drowning them in water?
“…”
The criminals’ faces turned ashen.
Terrifying rumors about mages suddenly came back to mind.
* * *
Don’t be too anxious, mage. Actually, this is a much safer test than the previous one.
“That may be true, but…”
Professor Rozine crossed her arms and cast her gaze.
“It’s not an easy test either.”
That’s also true.
Oripulas answered coldly.
Earlier, he had encouraged the methods the students came up with, but in fact, those methods were very limited and difficult to use.
Such interrogation methods close to torture could only be used when you knew for certain who the suspect was, and couldn’t be used carelessly when there was no information.
If you shouted “Sir! Please drown in water so we can find out the truth!” to a proper Imperial citizen, even an Einroguard student could get slapped.
“Now, let the test begin!”
Gainando approached with a tense expression.
Then two Imperial citizens entered from the opposite door.
“Greetings, mage sir. I am Ubal, who operates an antiquarian bookstore in Ileinaseu City.”
“Greetings, mage sir. I am Kilbedek, who operates a general store in Deep Forest Path Village.”
Oripulas clicked his tongue as he watched the scene.
Kilbedek’s mistake caught his eye.
It was good that he boldly threw out the truth rather than clumsily changing his identity, but he stuttered from nervousness.
Fortunately, the student didn’t seem to notice.
“Bookstore, general store. Bookstore, general store…”
Gainando, who was thinking carefully, spoke to Professor Rozine.
“Mr. Ubal seems suspicious.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Uh, don’t people who sell books all have twisted and evil souls?”
“…”
“…”
Both Ubal and Professor Rozine were left speechless. The professor apologized with her eyes.
-I’m sorry.
-It’s fine. Hehe.
Kilbedek cautiously came to his defense, wondering if it was a trap.
“I-I don’t think people who sell books are like that. There are many good people.”
“Oh… defending a competitor… that’s something a criminal wouldn’t do…”
“N-no.”
Ubal was flustered.
‘Should I defend more actively?’
Scratch scratch-
Gainando sat in a detective-like posture and seriously took notes with a detective-like expression.
Oripulas, who was watching from the side, threw out a question.
How about trying some magic?
“Shh. Mr. Oripulas. Please don’t interfere with my deduction.”
Uh… I understand.
“And dropping both of them in water seems a bit cruel when I think about it.”
That’s right!
Oripulas gave the boy in front of him a slightly higher score.
“So I’m going to have a conversation. If I talk with them, their flaws will be revealed!”
Just using magic seems more likely to work…
The only weapon the Einroguard students had, who were overwhelmingly lacking in experience compared to their opponents, was magic.
Using magic creatively to detect the suspiciousness of opponents they might encounter in daily life in advance.
That was the goal of today’s test.
“Mr. Kilbedek, who defended your competitor.”
‘Is this a trap??’
Kilbedek answered nervously.
“Yes.”
“What kind of general store do you run?”
“Uh… this and that, I sell whatever comes in. It’s a small village, so I can’t be picky about goods.”
“Do you sell Empire magazines too?”
“Yes, occasionally…?”
“Do you sell the Toberiz series too?”
“Uh, yes. There’s someone in the village who reads them.”
“How much per volume?”
“Five, five copper coins… isn’t it?”
“Hmm.”
Gainando wrote down ‘Kilbedek, +50 points’ in his notes.
“Now. Mr. Ubal, who runs an evil bookstore.”
“It’s not an evil bookstore…”
“Tell me about your bookstore.”
“My bookstore is in the most beautiful city in the Empire. In the evening, you can see the sunset and twilight spreading over the western sea, and when the songs of returning sailors spread together with the temple bells…”
Gainando wrote down ‘Ubal, -50 points. Appeals too much to emotion’ in his notes.
Then he suddenly realized and asked.
“Wait. Mr. Ubal. Isn’t Ilainas City the city near Baldrogard?”
“That’s right. Hehe. Baldrogard students often come to play.”
“…”
Scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch scratch!
Gainando’s quill pen moved frantically.
Ubal, -5000 points (Baldrogard spy!)
* * *
“I thought you might be thirsty while waiting, so I brewed some tea.”
Priest Siana came in carrying a teapot and teacups.
Ubal and Kilbedek, who were waiting, were moved by the kindness of the student wearing priest robes.
“Thank you for this.”
“Thank you so much. Priest.”
Unlike Ubal, Kilbedek, who had to be several times more nervous, felt especially warmed at heart.
Even in this hellish and ominous magic school, there was still a ray of light. That was the priests who served the gods.
Kilbedek thought he should have visited the temple more often when he was in the village, and sipped his teacup.
“Have you finished drinking?”
“Yes.” “Yes.”
“Now. So who’s the criminal?”
Priest Siana crossed her arms and asked arrogantly.
The two people were flustered by the drastically changed attitude and just blinked their eyes.
Uh…
Huh?
“Answer quickly. Mr. Ubal. Try answering. If you don’t answer, you’re the culprit.”
“I, I’m not.”
“Next. Mr. Kilbedek.”
“I… grrrrrrk.”
Kilbedek’s tongue stuck right to the roof of his mouth. It was as if his body had changed to prevent him from lying.
Seeing this, Priest Siana kicked back her chair, stood up, and shouted while jumping up and down.
“You’ve been tricked! You’ve been tricked!”
“Uh, Student Siana…?”
When Professor Rozine asked in a shocked voice, Priest Siana jumped once more, then landed and straightened her clothes.
“Sorry. Professor. I got too excited.”
Uh… is she really a priest?
At Oripulas’s question, Priest Siana brushed it off lightly.
“As expected of a demon to deny priests?”
No, that’s not what I meant…
“Professor. I put a truth-telling potion in the teapot beforehand. It’s a potion with a severely bitter taste, so I couldn’t fool them without disguising it as tea.”
“…Excellent! Student Siana.”
When Professor Rozine, who belatedly came to her senses, exclaimed, Siana bowed with a very proud expression.
After solving all the remaining problems, Student Siana left the test room with light steps.
Only then did Oripulas speak up.
Hey, mage. Is it okay for priests to act like that? It’s a bit different from the priests I know?
“I always support and encourage my students’ changes.”
That’s not just change… it’s upheaval… no…
Oripulas was very flustered.
He hadn’t known that priests would use deception so actively and be so excited about it.
‘Am I a demon summoned too long ago and falling behind the changes?’
While pondering this, Bartrek came in carrying a teapot.
If you put in a confession-type potion, it’s a good idea, but it won’t work since the previous student already used it.
“Damn! It’s that Wardanaz guy, isn’t it?!”
* * *
After the guests and criminals were exhausted to the limit by all sorts of various methods (one criminal was attacked with a red-hot iron rod), finally Lee Han’s turn came.
Oripulas, who was in a good mood because of the criminal who had just been seared with the red-hot iron rod, spoke.
He’s a student I have high expectations for, but it’ll be difficult since his turn is last.
Professor Rozine nodded in agreement.
The more tired people became, the harder it was to find the truth.
Even with emotion-detecting magic, when both people were exhausted, it was difficult to distinguish whether it was due to tension or simple fatigue, and even when trying to use divination magic, frequent mistakes contaminated the information and reduced accuracy.
Moreover, the countless methods tried by the students who came in first were likely no longer effective.
The criminals were also very desperate.
“Good day. Professor.”
“Come in!”
As Lee Han walked over, two people entered from the opposite side.
Seeing that, Lee Han immediately pointed his finger.
“Isn’t that person a criminal?”
Amazing! How on earth!?
Both Oripulas and Professor Rozine were startled and jumped up.
How did he figure it out as soon as he entered?
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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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