Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 656
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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 656
Basiyu urged his friend.
It seemed like continuing to deal with that arrogant prince who only knew magic would only put them at a disadvantage.
“Ingsen. Let’s bring out the magic we prepared.”
“To who? That prince?”
“…Everyone except the prince.”
Basiyu spoke while enduring his shame.
It was embarrassing, but there was no choice. He didn’t think they could win against that prince.
Ingsen felt the same way.
‘This is frustrating. Just wait and see!’
Ingsen vowed that when he returned to Baldrogard, he would definitely study magic more diligently.
Intensively, studying about two days a week to definitely defeat that arrogant prince.
“What about that Wardanaz family member. He looks kind.”
“If it’s the Wardanaz family, they’re certainly worthy enough to show magic to.”
Both had their pride, so they weren’t planning to show magic to just anyone.
Someone with a certain level of skill, a family name, and above all, kind enough that serious conversations like ‘what is magic?’ would work.
That was exactly Lee Han of the Wardanaz family.
“Excuse me. Lee Han of the Wardanaz family.”
“?”
Lee Han, who had been covering Gainando’s mouth, gestured to his other friends to take over covering his mouth, then turned around.
“What can I do for you?”
“I’ve prepared a magic spell… I’d like you to take a look at it.”
Neither Ingsen nor Basiyu noticed, but their attitude had become very polite without them realizing it.
It was the complete opposite of when they passed through the manor’s main gate thinking ‘I’ll crush their pride.’
Though they didn’t realize it, they were instinctively feeling it.
Einroguard’s mages were somehow different from the Baldrogard mages they had met so far!
“Magic? Please show me.”
Lee Han nodded readily.
Although he himself had said ‘don’t lose to those Baldrogard guys!’, even considering that, Gainando’s provocation was a bit too much.
Thanks to that, Lee Han was in a slightly kinder state.
‘I should appease them appropriately.’
Preparing to praise whatever magic they used, Lee Han put on a fake smile.
That smile gave Ingsen courage.
Unlike that rude prince from earlier, the Wardanaz family mage had noble-like courtesy, contrary to the rumors.
“Hmm! Then I’ll try it. First, here, I place the outer bark of a pine tree. And here, I place powder of corundum. Then…”
“Ah. You’re trying to summon a Fire Bird.”
Lee Han praised with a fake smile.
Fire Bird summoning was a 2nd circle summoning magic with considerable difficulty.
The basic difficulty aside, the fact that it required high-purity ruby powder as a reagent made it feel more difficult than forbidden magic to mages like Lee Han.
But if one could afford it, it was quite a decent magic. It could summon a Fire Bird that would help the mage without any special contract.
“…H-how did you know?”
Ingsen was flustered.
The original plan was to summon the Fire Bird and then surprise the Einroguard students who couldn’t have imagined it.
It was hard to tell what magic it was just from the reagents, and the Fire Bird’s flashy appearance was good for surprising others, so he had prepared diligently…
…but his opponent figured out what magic it was before he even started.
“It’s good magic, but actually it’s better not to use pine bark and corundum powder together. Both are powerful reagents, but they don’t have good compatibility and cause conflicts. This magic circle is also wrong. If there are errors like this, it becomes a cause for slower casting speed and weaker effects.”
“…”
It didn’t end with just figuring it out.
Lee Han began kindly pointing out Ingsen’s magic one by one.
With each point, Ingsen’s eyes wavered and his expression grew pale, but Lee Han was too focused on the magic to notice.
“Wait. What is this powder made from?”
“I… I bought it directly from a craftsman…”
“You shouldn’t do that. A mage should have ground it directly. Laziness is the enemy of magic.”
“Isn’t there no real difference?”
“No real difference? What nonsense are you talking about.”
Lee Han looked incredulous as he gathered the gem powder.
Then he carefully, finely ground it.
“Fire Bird, manifest and protect!”
Whoosh!
As soon as he sprinkled the powder and chanted the spell, a bird made of fire immediately tore through the air and appeared.
Seeing a summoned creature several times faster in casting speed and much more powerful than his own, Ingsen could only blink.
How?!
“Now. This is magic using carefully, directly ground reagents. Let me try using reagents roughly ground by a craftsman.”
Lee Han sprinkled powder again and chanted the spell.
Then another bird made of fire appeared.
“?”
“…There doesn’t seem to be much difference?”
The friends watching from behind tilted their heads.
They couldn’t feel much difference between the two Fire Birds.
Both were very energetic thanks to receiving abundant mana.
Lee Han answered irritably at his friends’ reaction.
“Look carefully. This one moves much more smoothly while this one moves dully and stutters. Don’t be fooled by the mana and learn to observe the detailed movements contained within.”
“…”
‘There really doesn’t seem to be much difference…’
The friends could only feel lessons like ‘high-purity mana can overcome reagent quality’ from those two Fire Birds.
When Lee Han infused mana, the reagent difference barely showed.
Fortunately, Ingsen, who was shocked and dazed, couldn’t argue that the two Fire Birds had no real difference. He just nodded as if mesmerized.
“I… I see… I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Now. Look at this magic circle too.”
‘It wasn’t over?!’
Lee Han’s criticism wasn’t finished. This time he pointed out Ingsen’s magic circle.
“Why is this shape here?”
“It was… it was in the book…”
“How can you do it that way? You need to understand and then draw it. This is a magic circle for capturing surrounding mana. When there’s sufficient mana from reagents, it only causes conflicts from excess mana.”
“I… I didn’t know that.”
“How can you not know!”
Lee Han shouted out of habit.
Gainando nearby instinctively straightened his posture. Even though it wasn’t directed at him, his body remembered the movement.
“Oh. Sorry. I got carried away for a moment… Haha. It’s okay not to know. You can learn from now on.”
Lee Han, who came to his senses belatedly, apologized. However, Ingsen was already completely frozen.
“Try it.”
“Pardon?”
“The Fire Bird summoning. You were going to do it.”
“Uh, I think it’s fine…”
Not only Ingsen but even Basiyu shook their heads rapidly.
What kind of skill demonstration would summoning a Fire Bird be in this atmosphere?
Both instinctively felt it.
If they cast magic here, they might face even greater humiliation than what they just experienced!
“What are you saying? You prepared reagents and everything, why won’t you do it? Hurry up and do it. Isn’t it a waste of reagents?”
“Well…”
“Quickly!”
Lee Han pressed sternly.
It was a strict gaze that would accept no excuses.
Completely intimidated, Ingsen nodded and raised his staff.
“Fla, fla, flame finch…”
“When casting spells, stand up straight and chant clearly with a distinct voice.”
“Flame finch…”
“Move together. Move together. You’re casting the spell and your movements are separate. Eyes forward. Focus. Focus. Focus! I said focus! You keep failing!”
Lee Han harshly urged them to succeed with their magic in order to appease the Baldrogard students.
Receiving Einroguard-style education that was unimaginable at their original school, tears welled up in Ingsen and Basiyu’s eyes.
The Wardanaz family boy shouting at them politely from the side was terrifyingly scary.
“Ma, mana is insufficient…”
“It’s not insufficient yet. Again!”
“This much should be fine…”
“You were just one beat late. Again!”
Seeing the students being tormented so severely, Gainando looked at his friend with disgusted eyes.
“Wow, to think I’d feel sorry for those Baldrogard guys…”
His friends silently nodded in agreement.
* * *
Whoosh!
Much faster than usual, Ingsen summoned a flame finch.
A cute fire bird wobbled around Ingsen, circling him. It seemed tired and exhausted just like its master.
“Everyone applaud.”
“…Wow! Amazing!!”
At Lee Han’s instruction, his friends began applauding in unison. Nilia quickly woke up Siana who had been dozing.
“Thank you…”
Ingsen and Basiyu expressed their gratitude while drenched in cold sweat.
Despite receiving applause, they weren’t happy at all. They were too mentally exhausted and just wanted to run away.
“Did you prepare other magic as well?”
“Yes.”
Basiyu answered without thinking.
Then he was horrified.
‘Oh no!’
“Oh. Let’s see that too.”
Ingsen glared at his friend as if he wanted to kill him.
It was a murderous intent he had never felt at Baldrogard.
“It’s not impressive magic…”
“Please show it quickly.”
“It’s shabby magic…”
Ingsen realized that noble pride wasn’t as important as he thought.
Pride was something that could be abandoned anytime.
However, Lee Han ignored Ingsen’s words and searched through the reagent pouch he had brought.
“Aha. You were planning to cast flame barrier summoning magic.”
“…Ugh!”
Having his magic discovered instantly, Ingsen burst into tears from despair without realizing it.
“Why are you crying?”
“Sob. Sob sob! Sob sob sob!”
Lee Han was surprised when Ingsen and Basiyu started crying loudly.
“Why are they crying?”
“Don’t be fooled, Lee Han. They’re faking it. I do that too when I don’t want to study.”
Gainando was cold, but the other friends still had warm hearts remaining.
“Let’s let them rest for a bit? I’ll make some tea.”
“Here, let’s give them a little stamina recovery potion.”
Gainando grumbled at his friends’ reactions.
Having to coddle guys who cry because they don’t want to study.
‘We shouldn’t fall for those tears.’
“Sob sob. I wanted to… I wanted to use magic well…”
“Oh my. You wanted to use magic well.”
Lee Han comforted them for now.
“But I keep making mistakes… and the magic I completed doesn’t seem that impressive…”
“Then you need to practice more. Don’t cry.”
“Lee Han. Want to step outside for a moment?”
His friends decided to send Lee Han out for a while.
If Lee Han continued to stay nearby, the two Baldrogard students’ minds might completely collapse.
* * *
When Lee Han returned after being outside for about 30 minutes, Ingsen and Basiyu had wiped their tears with handkerchiefs and regained their composure.
“So, sorry. For such a disgraceful display…”
“It happens.”
“Ah. Which family are you from?”
“I’m from the Northern Mountains Shadow Patrol.”
Nilia replied indifferently.
Ingsen was shocked.
“So, sorry. I thought you were from a noble family…”
‘These guys are annoying.’
Lee Han thought to himself.
“Those people are annoying.”
Siana just muttered. Lee Han was startled.
“Did my inner thoughts slip out?”
“Huh? Oh, no. I figured what could they do even if they heard…”
“…”
The Phoenix Tower priest friends seemed to have gotten strangely rougher in personality, but Lee Han shook his head thinking it was probably his imagination.
“Nilia. Let’s show our magic too.”
“Huh?”
“They showed us theirs, so we should show ours too.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if you did it, Wardanaz?”
Nilia scratched her cheek.
It would be better for the year’s top student to do this kind of thing, and if Nilia made a mistake, it would be embarrassing for the school.
“No. I trust you.”
“…Alright. Should I give it a try?”
At her friend’s trust, Nilia grinned. Lee Han nodded and held out his bow.
“Start by casting enhancement magic on this.”
“…Wait, wait a moment.”
Who are you planning to shoot?
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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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