Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 620

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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 620

“I thought you’d be surprised that I didn’t collapse.”

“…”

Giselle looked at him as if dumbfounded, but Balpatan was quite serious.

Among those who had one-on-one conversations with Jicklin, few people maintained their sanity intact.

Most would collapse, doze off, or have breathing difficulties…

After that, they would panic and run away just seeing Jicklin approaching from afar.

But that Wardanaz family junior was surprisingly exchanging conversation with Jicklin.

“Could that possibly be…”

“?”

“…That… they’re having a ‘conversation’?”

It was annoying how he talked about ordinary conversation like some legendary swordsmanship, but Giselle understood why Balpatan was acting this way.

Giselle’s sister wasn’t very good at conversation. To be more honest, she had conversational skills that suffocated the other person.

So usually when someone was seated in front of her, deathly silence would hover around…

“She does seem somewhat excited.”

“What? That’s her being excited?”

Balpatan was surprised once more.

Being talkative was already surprising, but that being excited?

No matter how he looked, her expressionless face didn’t seem that way. Plus, she was even wearing armor, so anyone would think she was interrogating a captured mage.

“She could get excited!?”

“Can’t my sister get excited?”

“Ah, no… she can get excited. It’s good if she gets excited…”

When Giselle glared sharply, Balpatan lowered his tail.

* * *

‘I can do this.’

Lee Han listened to Jicklin’s story about ‘The Steel Knights’ flanking tactics from the Water Drop Fortress siege 17 years ago and its analysis’ and clapped.

“My goodness! To think such a thing happened!”

“Mm.”

Jicklin nodded and closed her mouth.

Another person would have been flustered, but Lee Han had already figured out his opponent.

“But how did the Steel Knights manage when they flanked around the hill?”

“They did it very quickly.”

“…Indeed! I understand it was fast. What kind of mount did they use? Also, which route on the hill…”

Jicklin was a suffocating opponent, but the suffocating opponents Lee Han had dealt with weren’t his first, nor would they be his last.

And honestly, Jicklin was on the easier side to deal with.

At least she had no malice. And she didn’t attack while talking.

‘She just lacks conversational skills.’

She knew nothing about small daily talk, and even the battle or war stories she was interested in were delivered stiffly with just the core points without embellishment, so it was natural for conversations to break off.

Lee Han recalled the crazy professors he had dealt with and patiently enriched his opponent’s conversation.

“They borrowed Flame-claw Leopards from a nearby ranch.”

“Oh my. Didn’t the knights who rode the Flame-claw Leopards complain?”

“Some knights got burned.”

“Oh dear. What happened to the burned knights?”

Snore snore snore-

Eandurude beside Lee Han had long since fallen asleep. Jicklin didn’t particularly mind.

“May we come in for a moment?”

Giselle and Balpatan, who had been in shock outside, came to their senses and knocked on the door.

Jicklin was pleased to see her sister. Though her face was expressionless, she personally opened the door to let them in.

“Giselle. I was talking with your close friend.”

“…Yes… close… friend, right…”

As she entered, Giselle sent Lee Han a look asking ‘what are you doing?’

Lee Han replied with his eyes, ‘I had no choice because of the Skeleton Principal.’

-I couldn’t say we weren’t close.

Originally, opponents were most annoying when they said things you couldn’t refute. Giselle closed her eyes to control her emotions.

“Balpatan. I thought you went to make up for your training earlier, why are you back?”

“Huh? Oh, well, that is, I was guiding the way here…”

Jicklin stared at Balpatan with emotionless eyes.

At that sight, Balpatan’s breath caught.

“…I’ll go do it again!”

“Balpatan. If you slack off in training one more time, I will punish you.”

“Yes!! I’ll keep that in mind!!”

Balpatan shouted with an attitude several times more tense than before.

While the senior drew attention, Lee Han whispered to Giselle.

“What kind of punishment is there here? Is there something like a punishment room?”

“Sister’s punishments are separate from the family prison. Climbing that cliff with bare hands is the lightest punishment.”

“…”

Lee Han was horrified.

He had thought Alarlong and Professor Ingoldel were particularly strict and training-obsessed among swordsmen, but there was a madman in front of him who surpassed both of them.

‘She did seem a bit crazy after all.’

“…Don’t think strangely of sister. She’s not a bad person.”

“What kind of ridiculous slander is that? Who would think strangely of Sir Jicklin of the Moradi family, who personally subjugated a Twin-head Ogre?”

‘Just how much did this bastard hear?’

Usually, even when Jicklin was seated in a room, she’d say maybe a few words per hour, but in that short time he heard even childhood subjugation stories.

Anyone would think they were so close that he was from the Moradi family, not the Wardanaz family.

“More importantly, Moradi.”

When Lee Han’s expression became serious, Giselle’s expression also became serious.

She knew that when this bastard spoke with that attitude, he had something relatively important to say.

“What?”

‘What is it? Something related to the Principal? Something related to Einroguard? Will there be some change next year? Or the Moradi family? If it’s related to the north, the great mountain range?’

“Well, about Sir Jicklin. You called her sister, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Sister, not elder sister. Right?”

“Sister. What are you talking about?”

“Hmm… I see.”

Lee Han nodded as if he understood.

Giselle stayed quiet at first, not knowing what this was about, then realized belatedly and was horrified.

Don’t tell me this bastard…?!

“Hey, you… don’t tell me…?”

“Sir Jicklin. I have questions about the tactics you used when subjugating the Twin-head Ogre!”

“Hey. You bastard. Hey!”

“Giselle. Behave politely.”

Jicklin scolded her sister with a stern voice.

No matter how close they were, she couldn’t let such rude behavior slide. It needed to be corrected for her own sake too.

“But sister, that bast…!”

Jicklin looked at Giselle with strict eyes. Giselle was so frustrated she could grab the back of her neck.

“Since when do we treat guests like that?”

“We’re close so I acted that way. I’m sorry!”

Lee Han quickly intervened.

Conscientiously, there was something he had misunderstood, so he couldn’t just stand by and watch.

“Inside Einroguard, it’s normal for us to talk to each other so casually like this. Haha. Right?”

“…Right. Haha. Hahaha.”

“Hahahaha. Hahahahaha.”

Lee Han and Giselle looked at each other and laughed dryly.

Seeing this, Jicklin relaxed her stern attitude and wore a faint smile like dew just before sunrise.

She was happy that her younger sister had made trustworthy friends after entering magic school.

“Giselle. Friendship is a wonderful thing.”

“Yes…”

And then the conversation died. Lee Han immediately blew air on the dying embers of conversation.

“Lady Jicklin. I’d like to hear some good stories about friendship.”

“Wardanaz seems to enjoy conversation too much.”

“Haha.”

At Jicklin’s joking appearance, Giselle firmly stepped on Lee Han’s foot. Lee Han didn’t understand and whispered.

“Why just now?”

“Hey. Don’t joke around with my sister on your own.”

“…”

It would have been less absurd if she had stepped on his foot for misunderstanding for a whole year instead.

* * *

When the soundly sleeping junior woke up (Giselle was very interested to hear that Eandurude was a junior), and the informal casual gathering was about to end, Lee Han let out a sigh of relief.

Now he just had to return to his lodging.

‘Conscientiously, Lord Alsicle should eat about ten sardines in front of me.’

Lee Han’s complaints were natural given how much he had struggled alone.

While Lee Han was determined to watch a sardine performance regardless of Alsicle’s satiety when he returned, Jicklin spoke up.

“Wardanaz. I’d like to invite you hunting tomorrow.”

“…Wait, wait!”

Before Lee Han could even answer, Giselle cried out in shock.

Apart from being reluctant about an outsider joining the outing with her sister, Jicklin’s hunting was absolutely not to be taken lightly.

One shouldn’t think of noble-style hunting where gamekeepers and beaters would drive all the prey and the hunters could sit comfortably.

Jicklin’s hunting was literally close to training meant to experience and develop one’s limits as a knight.

The knights of the Moradi family could be dragged to such places since they could collapse from exhaustion, but wasn’t Wardanaz an outsider?

If problems arose or complaints came up…

“It, it seems dangerous…”

“Please specify exactly what point you’re referring to, Giselle.”

“First of all, he’s a mage. There would be physical stamina issues.”

“I heard Wardanaz is the top student in swordsmanship lectures.”

Giselle turned her head to look at Lee Han.

Her look said ‘did you mention that again in that short time?’

Lee Han explained with his eyes ‘Senior Balpatan said it.’

‘Unhelpful bastard!’

Giselle regretted not pushing this relative over the cliff.

“Moradi. Cheer up. I just want to rest tomorrow too.”

“Tsk…”

At Lee Han’s whispering from behind, Giselle gritted her teeth.

“He has swordsmanship skills, but you should consider his own wishes too. War, Wardanaz is a natural mage who likes researching in his room, not challenging trials.”

Giselle desperately made up reasons, really not wanting to take Lee Han along.

Jicklin nodded silently as if she understood.

Then she answered.

“Giselle. When we were talking earlier, Wardanaz showed interest first.”

“…Hey, are you seriously kidding me?!”

Giselle couldn’t hold back and shouted at Lee Han who was behind her.

What on earth had this guy talked about during their earlier conversation?!

* * *

“Tsk. I should have dragged Lord Alsicle along…”

Lee Han regretted yesterday’s decision as he mounted his horse.

He definitely wanted to drag Alsicle out, but indeed, the mage of the Penguerin family was not such an easy opponent.

-You really worked hard. Are you done talking with that knight?

-Haha. It was enjoyable, Lord Alsicle.

-Sorry I’m leaving first. I’d like to do something for you if I could.

-Then I have a favor, Lord Alsicle. Tomorrow…

-Don’t tell me it’s hunting with the knights? I absolutely won’t go to knights’ hunting. I’d rather you throw me over that cliff.

-…

As an Empire noble who had lived longer than Lee Han, Alsicle knew well how troublesome hunting could be.

At least nobles’ hunting was somewhat comfortable, but knights’ hunting was very uncomfortable.

They would make even other invited people suffer just to improve their own skills.

Rough terrain with no roads, no gamekeepers or beaters, no servants or porters following with luggage…

It would have been better if everyone was equally uncomfortable. But in such situations, the most uncomfortable person was the mage.

The knights would pressure them by looking with eyes that subtly wanted them to use magic.

If that’s the case, just bring all the servants and porters!

-Those guys who drag mages along and torment them just to save their own face, I won’t go! I can’t go!

-…I understand. Instead, please eat all the sardines here.

-…You’re not angry, are you?

Having come to have fun but ending up working like at Einroguard, Lee Han sighed and packed his luggage.

Giselle, watching from the side, said.

“That’s why you should have spoken appropriately to my sister. Do you know how excited Sister Jicklin became because of you? She kept talking about going hunting here and there.”

At those words, Lee Han tried to imagine Jicklin being excited.

Like Professor Boladi bursting into happy laughter, it wasn’t easy to picture.

“Hey. More importantly, about that crazy question yesterday, don’t tell me…”

“Lady Jicklin. I’ll cast magic on the saddle for you!”

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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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