Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 631

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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 631

“You’re not… joking, are you?”

“I don’t joke about anything related to Einroguard.”

“Come to think of it, I heard the Principal is rich.”

“He does have a lot of gold. But I wouldn’t recommend robbing him. If you get caught, you’ll go straight to prison.”

“Oh, if you get caught, they send you to prison outside?!”

“No. The underground prison inside the school. There’s something called the Punishment Room. You go there if you get caught stealing, and also if your grades are bad.”

“…”

Karle had to seriously consider whether this senior was really not teasing him.

However, the senior’s expression was very serious. Anyone who saw such a face would not think the words spoken with it were lies.

“As I said before, once you learn magic, your thoughts might change. You might think of better ways to become rich than stealing.”

“Bigger thefts?”

“That could be a better method too. Anyway, the point is to endure for a while in order to learn magic. To advance two steps, you must be able to step back one.”

Karle fell into thought.

Unlike the unrealistic advice of other priests who told him to abandon greed and cultivate faith, this senior’s advice was very practical and appealing.

He still couldn’t guess what kind of place Einroguard really was, but he could endure for a while if it meant getting in.

“Alright! I’ll try to endure it. Should I go tell the Bishop?”

“Yes. You thought well. Actually, I was thinking of giving you advice to not get caught even if you steal, but that seems beyond your skill level.”

“…?!”

Karle was shocked.

No matter how much this senior exuded a noble aura, this was something he couldn’t just let slide.

“Wha… wha… what did you say? I must have misheard, right? Senior??”

“You heard correctly. The Bishop knows about it. That means you got caught. That’s not how you do thievery.”

“What would you know, Senior! I just didn’t hide it on purpose! I could have hidden it easily…”

While Karle was jumping around in frustration and making excuses, Lee Han slowly raised his fist and then opened his palm.

In that palm was Karle’s silver coin pouch.

It was something he had slyly taken when telling him to sit down earlier.

“You didn’t notice, did you? This is how you do thievery.”

“?!?!?!?!”

“I combined techniques I learned from my friend with magic. You can steal this cleanly.”

By casting enhancement magic and foresight magic beforehand and then moving, even the same pickpocketing could be done much more skillfully and precisely.

The technique Ratford had taught him was blooming like this outside Einroguard, combined with magic.

Karle was completely speechless.

His pride as a thief was completely shattered, filling his heart with indignation, but at the same time, awe welled up.

He wanted to learn!

Lee Han, thinking he had properly convinced his junior, returned the pouch and said.

“I understand you’re confident, but don’t be overconfident until you reach a truly excellent level. I trust you understood well.”

“I understood perfectly. Senior.”

Karle nodded and looked straight at Lee Han. Determination sparkled in his eyes.

“I’ve decided. I won’t steal anything outside until I’m skilled enough to steal Senior’s pouch! Just wait and see!”

“Good. By the way, my name is Gainando.”

“Yes! Senior Gainando!”

Lee Han was about to tell Karle that ‘1st years can’t meet seniors’ but stopped.

He didn’t want to dampen the enthusiasm when he had convinced him so well.

‘When he finds out it’s a fake name someday, he’ll learn a lesson too.’

The lesson not to trust seniors was a more important lesson than expected.

Lee Han felt proud that he had given his junior an important lesson.

“But Senior.”

“Hmm?”

“Are you perhaps from a thief guild rather than a noble family?”

Karle asked carefully.

At first, looking only at his statue-like appearance, he thought he might be from nobility, but no matter how he looked, he gave off the scent of someone similar to himself.

* * *

“Bishop. I’ve reflected. I won’t steal anymore and will devote myself to magic!”

“…!”

Bishop Ines was truly surprised. He looked at the Skeleton Principal and asked.

“Is this what you meant by grumbling while getting things done?”

“That’s right. What did I tell you.”

“?”

Lee Han, who was listening to the conversation from the side, asked puzzledly.

“What conversation were you having?”

“I said grumbling while getting everything done is your hobby.”

“…”

Lee Han considered whether to swing the chair he was about to swing earlier even now.

After Karle bowed and left, the Bishop expressed his sincere gratitude.

“Thank you so much.”

“It’s nothing. For something like this.”

“I’m saying this to Wardanaz, not Gonadaltes.”

“I know that too.”

The Bishop decided to just ignore the Skeleton Principal. He looked at Lee Han again and said.

“To think you could persuade Karle like that.”

“Um. Bishop. Actually, I didn’t completely reform Karle.”

Lee Han spoke carefully, worried the Bishop might misunderstand.

However, this old Bishop wasn’t particularly surprised.

“I know. How could a person change all at once? What I’m grateful for is that you sparked Karle’s interest in magic.”

The Bishop didn’t expect Karle to reform in an instant.

He just wanted him not to focus only on stealing but to experience various things and expand his interests.

And if that was magic, it would truly be reassuring.

Karle’s determination just now was real. He could clearly feel the will to stop petty thievery and study until entering magic school.

“Thank you once again. Please take good care of Karle.”

“1st years can’t meet 2nd years.”

The Bishop and Lee Han collectively pretended not to hear. The two understood each other without needing to speak.

After saying farewell and coming out of the temple, the Skeleton Principal asked in a curious voice.

“But how did you persuade him? He seemed quite stubborn from what I saw?”

“Um. I persuaded him by saying if you want to steal, steal at Einroguard, you’re not skilled enough to steal outside yet, things like that.”

“…”

The Skeleton Principal looked at Lee Han like he was looking at trash.

* * *

…I received your last letter well. Wardanaz. And I accidentally mentioned the overlapping letter contents while talking with Yoner. Sorry! It really just came out by accident. You’re not going to stop sending letters because of this, are you? I’m really sorry!

I heard you visited the Northern Mountains. Thanks for speaking well to the patrol unit hunters. The hunters said you’re close with Moradi. I don’t know how false rumors spread like that. There’s no way that’s true. But you’re not really going to stop sending letters, are you?

The Meikin family manor is really comfortable. The tablecloth used here is probably more luxurious than the blanket in my original lodging. I’m still not used to the maids changing my clothes though… You’re not going to stop sending letters because of what I said last time, are you?

Oh. I met Yoner’s sister. In my opinion, it would be good to avoid her for a while. Oh. You’ll send letters, right?…

‘…I should write a reply right away.’

Lee Han felt sorry for no reason when he saw Nilia’s crooked letter.

…I trust that you too are shedding good sweat. Wardanaz. I’ve been carving and polishing obelisks with the guild’s excellent craftsmen lately. The fact that the magic I learned at school wasn’t in vain makes me happy.

I want to build the greatest architectural structure in the Empire someday. If you could lend a hand when building that structure, I would be delighted…

‘Salko. To build a great architectural structure, you need to find investors.’

Upon hearing his friend’s dream, Lee Han immediately started calculating in his head.

Someone had to be realistic, didn’t they?

…Today there was a nobles’ event in the capital. I was reminded of this anecdote. Seventy-seven years ago, Imperial Chancellor Baldante said…

“?”

Lee Han wondered if he had read it wrong and checked who sent the letter.

Who sent this?

Surely Adenart wouldn’t have sent another one in the meantime, and there couldn’t be another friend who was this talkative in letters…

-From Adenart, blood of the Empire

“…”

It was indeed another letter from Adenart.

‘Is she perhaps bored?’

…The bouillabaisse I had there was truly excellent. I’d like to treat Wardanaz to it someday. My previous letter arrived but I haven’t received a reply yet, so I’m a bit puzzled. There must be something going on. My friends don’t send letters. I’m not upset. I’m glad Wardanaz sends them…

‘I need to contact the followers and tell them to send letters right away.’

The followers’ thoughts were obvious. They were probably staying quiet, thinking it would be rude to send letters first.

If he left things as they were, a letter bomb would come flying!

“Wait here for a moment.”

“Yes.”

The carriage stopped and the Skeleton Principal hopped out, but Lee Han wasn’t particularly surprised.

This wasn’t the first or second time this had happened during this trip.

Alsicle yawned and asked.

“Wardanaz, you’re going to your family’s manor now, right?”

“Yes. After paying my respects and inviting friends who can come, I plan to do my work.”

“Your work being magical research?”

“No. I’m going to take on commissions.”

“Adventurer commissions? Why? Do you need reagents for magic?”

“Because it pays money?”

“…I, I see.”

Alsicle was startled. The reason was far more direct than he’d expected.

‘Ah. Wait, is it not? Is he trying to gather money needed for magical research?’

Come to think of it, someone like Wardanaz would be aiming for magical research and experiments on a completely different scale, even as a fellow second-year.

Then naturally the costs involved would be on a different level too.

It made sense that he’d start working hard to save up now.

“…Work hard! I’ll cheer you on!”

“Thank you.”

Before long, the Skeleton Principal returned.

The Skeleton Principal returned nonchalantly, carrying a person-sized bundle beside him.

“What’s that? It looks exactly like a person-shaped bundle.”

“It is a person.”

The Skeleton Principal threw the bundle into a corner of the carriage. Then a familiar noble, bound tightly, popped out from inside the bundle. It was someone Lee Han had met before.

“Du… Duke Ikalderen!”

“What!? Who!?”

Alsicle was so shocked he nearly dropped the sardine can he was holding.

Though the Skeleton Principal often kidnapped people, he never expected him to kidnap an imperial duke.

Duke Ikalderen struggled and glared at the Skeleton Principal.

“Mmph! Mmph!”

“Lord Gonadaltes. Is what Wardanaz said really true?! Even so, you can’t just kidnap an imperial duke like this!”

“Don’t worry. That bastard has too many weaknesses to make a fuss anyway.”

“But…”

“Think about it carefully. Penguerin. Have I kidnapped people just once or twice? Would someone like me recklessly bring a duke without any reliable backing?”

‘That’s true!’

Alsicle was strangely convinced.

Certainly Lord Gonadaltes wasn’t the type to do something like this without thinking.

“Here. Wardanaz. Take this. You worked hard during this trip.”

The Skeleton Principal tossed him a heavy pouch of gold coins.

It was filled with more gold coins than Lee Han had earned and saved through blood and sweat this year.

“…!”

“That should be plenty generous.”

“Principal!”

“What?”

“Are there any more dukes in the carriage we could bring along?”

At Lee Han’s question, the Skeleton Principal looked at Alsicle and said.

“…Sometimes even though he’s my disciple, don’t you think even I get a bit creeped out?”

‘Who do you think he learned it all from?’

Alsicle muttered to himself.

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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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