Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 636

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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 636

Since there were quite a number of mages who had contracted with lower spirits, spirits were more familiar and recognizable beings to the Empire people than one might think.

Just opening any fairy tale book would reveal many stories of children in danger conversing with spirits to escape their predicaments.

However, strictly speaking, most of these stories were fiction. Ordinary people could not converse with spirits.

Spirits were beings from entirely different dimensions, and crossing that barrier required strong contracts or magic.

The fact that Lee Han couldn’t recognize the true name of the spirit contracted with the Penguerin Family when he heard it was a prime example.

Even Lee Han, who had contracted with a powerful spirit like Perkuntra that could communicate with humans through its own power, couldn’t recognize the name unless he was of Penguerin bloodline.

But to be able to speak the spirit language innately.

“To be able to speak the language of spirits… What kind of magical research does Lord Arsil pursue?!”

“My brother isn’t a mage though.”

“What?!!!”

Alsicle was more shocked than when he heard that Arsil could innately speak the spirit language.

To have such extraordinary talent yet not be a mage.

“Why on earth!?”

“Because he has no interest in magic?”

Arsil shrugged and said something. Lee Han listened and relayed the message.

“He also didn’t have much talent for magic.”

“…”

Alsicle almost screamed asking what kind of nonsense that was.

If you could command spirits to that degree, wasn’t that enough? Did you need to be able to flip heaven and earth with one finger to have talent?!

“Ah. No. Haha. Come on. You’re praising me too much.”

“What did he say?”

“He said compared to me, he has no talent for magic… Don’t take this too seriously. My brother is praising me too much because we have a guest.”

‘Hmm. That does seem right though.’

Alsicle unconsciously agreed inwardly.

Excluding being loved by spirits, the Wardanaz bloodline before his eyes didn’t seem like he would be more excellent at magic than Lee Han.

“How exactly can one innately speak the language of spirits? Even spirit half-bloods would find it difficult…”

Alsicle muttered with a shocked expression.

Among spirit half-bloods who inherited very strong spirit characteristics, some revealed differences by having asexual traits or innately using spirit abilities.

But even among such spirit half-bloods, there was no one who innately spoke the spirit language. At most, they could hear a few words from spirits with very deep connections to them.

To innately speak the spirit language and have such strong affinity, wouldn’t you have to be not a half-blood but just a spirit itself?

‘Is he really a spirit?’

Alsicle had the rude thought that the other person might be a spirit of the Wardanaz Family.

That would solve many questions.

Able to speak spirit language (because he’s a spirit), able to converse with Lee Han (because he’s of the contracted family’s bloodline)…

“Lord Penguerin?”

“Huh? What?”

Alsicle looked up at Lee Han’s call.

The two Wardanaz brothers were looking at Alsicle. Especially Arsil was casting an interested gaze.

“My brother is asking if he could see you eat sardines… I’m sorry.”

“Ah, no. I was just wanting to eat sardines anyway.”

* * *

“Right. That’s possible. He even commands demons. Right. Mm. Right. That’s possible. He even commands demons.”

“Lord Penguerin. You’ve said that almost a hundred times now.”

“A broken phonograph?”

At his junior’s words, Lee Han made a ‘shh’ sound.

“Lord Penguerin is just surprised.”

Alsicle, belatedly emerging from his shock, collected himself and spoke.

“Ah, no. I was just… surprised. It’s such an amazing ability.”

“Come on. I have a similar ability too.”

“What?! Don’t tell me you can also communicate with spirits?!”

Alsicle was startled.

Was his earlier conversation with his brother not because they shared the same bloodline, but because he also had spirit language abilities?!

“No. Unlike my brother, I have the ability to make spirits run away wherever I go… Just kidding. Sorry.”

“…”

Alsicle was dumbfounded, but Arsil beside him burst into laughter and tapped the table.

“I was so surprised I couldn’t even properly greet Lord Arsil… Please tell him I’m sorry.”

“He doesn’t mind at all.”

“What work does Lord Arsil do?”

“My brother searches for treasures.”

“Oh!”

Alsicle unconsciously looked at the old, large backpack that Arsil had set down earlier.

Could what was inside be ancient artifacts?

‘…?’

However, looking again, he couldn’t sense any particular mana from the items in the backpack.

Alsicle asked cautiously.

“Are those treasures by any chance?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t sense any mana from them?”

“Treasures don’t necessarily have to be artifacts, right? They could be treasures with archaeological value.”

At those words, Arsil added something from the side.

Lee Han explained with an awkward expression.

“Um. He says those items aren’t even 30 years old.”

“Then what value do they have?”

“He says their worn appearance has charm. He’s going to give them as gifts to spirits…”

“…”

Alsicle was even more bewildered.

No matter how he looked at it, they were just miscellaneous junk commonly rolling around on the streets.

He was going to give those as gifts to picky spirits?

Since Alsicle had needed spirits’ help when conducting magical research, he knew well the conditions for gifts that should be offered to spirits.

Offering shabby gifts could unnecessarily provoke their anger.

-■■■■! ■■■■!

When Arsil gave a chipped and cracked ceramic cup as a gift, the drought spirit sitting on his shoulder became very happy and flew away to the Spirit Realm.

At that sight, Alsicle’s jaw dropped wide open.

Were spirits beings who rejoiced and felt happy about gifts like that?

“Amazing… Really. I never thought spirits would be so delighted.”

“Oh right. Brother. I’ve contracted with that spirit.”

Arsil pointed to Perkuntra’s emblem and asked with interest. Lee Han shook his head.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Look here.”

Lee Han summoned the Sparrow Spirit and Squirrel Spirit.

Arsil smiled gently at the sight. He was pleased to see his brother, who had difficulty befriending spirits, showing such friendship.

Though he was a bit curious why the mighty Lightning Spirit was just being overlooked…

Thud-

As soon as the Sparrow Spirit and Squirrel Spirit were summoned, they rushed to Arsil and climbed onto both his shoulders.

“Hey. Over here.”

Lee Han spoke to the two spirits. However, they acted as if they couldn’t hear him and played around jumping on Arsil’s shoulders.

At that sight, Lee Han’s face darkened.

“…Come this way, I said?”

The spirits were too excited playing pranks to hear Lee Han’s words.

Seeing Lee Han’s expression gradually distorting with grief and sorrow, Alsicle panicked.

“Hey, hey. Move! I said move!”

Even at Alsicle’s shout, the spirits couldn’t come to their senses, and only after Arsil poked them did they finally snap out of it.

The two spirits scurried up to Lee Han and tried to climb onto his shoulders.

However, Lee Han distanced himself with a cold expression.

-!?

Arsil, who had been fondly watching his younger brother play with the spirits, suddenly remembered something and rummaged through his backpack while calling Lee Han.

“Yes. Brother. Oh, a gift? It’s really fine. A commemoration for surviving a year under that evil corrupt official? Who is this evil corrupt official… Ah. The Principal. Thank you.”

Alsicle asked cautiously.

“By any chance, do you not get along well with Lord Gonadaltes?”

“Well, the Principal does buy a lot of treasures.”

Though Arsil searched for treasures and artifacts throughout the Empire, his methods differed from ordinary collectors.

While Empire collectors leisurely waited and bought items excavated by adventurers at auction houses, Arsil personally traveled around and put in the legwork.

Nothing was more heartbreaking than seeing artifacts he was interested in fall into adventurers’ hands, flow to auction houses, and then go to collectors who had nothing but gold coins.

‘Oh wait. I also buy a lot at auction houses.’

Alsicle felt a pang of guilt.

Among wealthy nobles, few didn’t attend auction houses. With all sorts of various items flowing into auction houses, just browsing was entertaining.

“Does Lord Penguerin also buy many treasures? Oh come on. Lord Penguerin isn’t that type of person.”

“Lord Gonadaltes really goes too far! He should yield treasures for the sake of future scholars, but he snatches them all up for himself!”

Alsicle hastily cursed Gonadaltes. Arsil laughed as if agreeing.

“Choose one of these? But brother. The treasures you’ve brought before seemed quite dangerous… This time is different? But you said the same thing last time too.”

Arsil looked at Lee Han with innocent eyes as if it were a misunderstanding.

That spirit-like appearance had something that made it hard to hate even an enemy.

However, Lee Han was cold.

“The gift you gave last time released a monster when I wound the clockwork. Alarlong had a hard time catching it.”

“…”

Alsicle came to his senses.

Just because someone’s appearance was spirit-like didn’t guarantee they were sane.

‘Get it together. This is the Wardanaz Family!’

“This time is really different? You carefully selected and brought these? Hmm. You really didn’t need to… I understand. What’s this dagger? It burns the opponent’s blood when stabbed? Hmm. I’ll pass on this one. What about this landscape painting? The western coastal region of the Empire? Oh, it’s just a painting you drew yourself?”

Arsil nodded and spoke.

While traveling in the west, he spotted an aurora in the distance and thought of his younger brother, so he quickly sketched it.

‘I should pass on this.’

However, Lee Han immediately passed it over.

In terms of value, this was even less than the cursed dagger from earlier. Arsil felt slightly disappointed when his younger brother skipped the painting.

“What about this necklace? A demon comes out when you break the gem? Is there a contract? There isn’t? Hmm. Then it would just attack randomly?”

Arsil nodded.

That necklace was a treasure found deep in the ruins of the Southern Great Desert of the Empire.

It had a beautiful design in itself, but the fact that it contained a named demon was also worth high praise.

Originally, excellent gifts should have surprising unexpectedness…

Lee Han coldly passed over the necklace. Arsil felt regretful.

“What about this cloak? Does wearing it turn you into a berserker? Ah. It’s just a cloak of protection? Then I’ll take this one. No. It’s fine. I won’t change it. This is good. It’s not boring? It’s plenty interesting? Look at this cloak’s design. It’s fascinating.”

“…”

Alsicle could only hear Lee Han’s voice, but strangely felt like he understood what conversation was taking place.

* * *

“You’re the Empire’s best coachman!”

“Hehe. Just leave it to me.”

Gainando lay sprawled inside the carriage. It was the most comfortable position in the Empire.

Though it was a carriage pulled by no less than eight horses, the coachman directly employed by the family drove the carriage without the slightest shake, truly living up to his reputation.

Gainando nodded at the rapidly changing scenery around them.

‘We’ll arrive in no time?’

The carriage that had been running at full speed stopped briefly when a fork in the road came into view.

The coachman stopped the carriage to let the horses rest as well and asked a passing person.

“Excuse me. Let me ask you something. Is this the right way to the Wardanaz Family?”

“You’re going to the Wardanaz Family?”

“That’s right. As a guest…”

The passerby suddenly turned around and ran away at full speed.

“…?!!”

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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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