Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 753
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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 753
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Lee Han was puzzled when Antagondals looked at him from behind his silver mask.
Then he slyly covered his plate with his hand. There was no more food left to share.
“…I’m not going to steal it. Do I look like I’m interested in that kind of fodder?”
“Ha! Mages always talk like that.”
Antagondals realized a new talent the Wardanaz boy possessed.
That boy had a talent for making people angry.
Whether the mage criminal was inwardly furious or not, Lee Han focused on his meal.
He needed to fill his stomach properly if he was going to escape.
Watching Lee Han bite into hot toasted bread topped with fried eggs and bacon, Antagondals shook his head.
To think there was a young brat who could eat so calmly in front of an Insane Doppelganger and an Empire mage criminal.
“Living long makes you see terrible things…”
“Are you talking about Einroguard?”
“No.”
Antagondals wanted to explain how dangerous it was for Lee Han to serve food to the Insane Doppelganger, and how surprising it was that the Insane Doppelganger ate it obediently without getting angry.
But he couldn’t. The Insane Doppelganger was right there.
He didn’t know what would happen if he said something unnecessary.
Meanwhile, the Insane Doppelganger, having finished eating, cleanly wiped his mouth and hands, then lifted Antagondals and slammed him into the wall.
“Chattering noisily during a meal. Trash. Don’t you know proper etiquette?”
-…I apologize. Master.
Antagondals, belatedly realizing he wasn’t beaten because it was during a meal, regretted it inwardly.
He should have stepped outside briefly while the Insane Doppelganger was eating…
“That was a meal fit for slaves. Lowly thing. From now on, prepare more dignified meals.”
“Ah, yes.”
Lee Han bowed politely but cursed inwardly.
To act like that after eating everything – even Gainando wasn’t this bad.
-Master. Do you require tribute to satisfy your palate?
Antagondals respectfully asked from within the wall.
If the Insane Doppelganger actually enjoyed fine dining, that would be truly valuable information.
For Antagondals, who had to please this evil being somehow, a new path would open up.
“Ha! I don’t need filth touched by trash.”
At those words, both Lee Han and Antagondals cursed inwardly simultaneously.
‘He probably couldn’t tell who prepared it anyway, so just let him order it.’
‘He’s definitely showing favoritism to his disciple.’
Antagondals’s curse was slightly different from Lee Han’s.
Having more information about the Insane Doppelganger, he could make more objective judgments.
According to ancient kingdom customs, disciples could prepare meals and attend to their master, but beings below that status weren’t even qualified to do so.
In other words, the Insane Doppelganger’s response just now meant he acknowledged the Wardanaz family boy as his official disciple, but could never do the same for Antagondals.
‘What exactly is the difference?’
Antagondals pondered deeply about how that young boy had managed to win the Insane Doppelganger’s favor.
No matter how talented he was, the speed was too abnormal.
But the more he analyzed, the more he felt like he was lost in a labyrinth.
‘Should I keep talking back arrogantly? What is it? Should I have approached with a younger body?’
“I need to gather songs from the mountain peaks.”
The Insane Doppelganger checked the time and prepared to move.
Though it seemed like he was just tormenting Lee Han and Antagondals while settled in the vast Einroguard mountain range, the Insane Doppelganger was actually quite busy maintaining the great magic spread across his territory and extending his own lifespan.
For a mana thought-form rejected by the world to resist in another Archmage’s territory was quite a troublesome task.
Antagondals, who had some idea about that routine, asked puzzledly.
-Master. Do you need the mountain spirits’ songs?
“It’s needed for that lowly thing’s magic. He spouts some throat-cutting nonsense and calls it magic.”
Lee Han wondered what he meant, then quickly realized.
The Insane Doppelganger was talking about music magic.
‘Wasn’t it pretty decent?’
Having some conscience, Lee Han didn’t ask if his music magic wasn’t decent in front of an Archmage like the Insane Doppelganger.
Instead, he waited until the Insane Doppelganger left, then asked Antagondals.
“What does it mean to go up to mountain peaks and gather songs?”
“I don’t know exactly either. So much ancient magic has been lost… It’s probably something like swan song.”
Antagondals, who had emerged from the wall, also looked curious.
Among the materials used in some magic was the most beautiful cry a bird makes just before death.
Such reagents had capricious yet destructive power, so they could well be used in ancient magic.
“If it’s such a powerful reagent, wouldn’t it rapidly improve music magic learning too?”
“It would. If you survive.”
“Pardon?”
“Kid. Don’t you really know that swan song is a deadly poison that instantly cuts off a mage’s breath if used incorrectly?”
“I don’t know.”
“…”
Only then did Antagondals remember that his opponent was a 2nd year.
What was common knowledge to older mages might not be to him.
“…The more beautiful and precious something is, the more vicious and deadly it is. Since it’s a bird’s last gift, it’s vicious, and since it’s most beautiful, it’s deadly.”
“Would the music he’s going to gather from the mountain peaks be equally dangerous?”
At the obvious question, Antagondals nodded as if asking why he’d ask such a thing.
It wouldn’t just be equally dangerous – it would be far more dangerous. If it were just swan song level, there’d be no reason for the Insane Doppelganger to go personally.
Lee Han said firmly.
“I really need to get out now. Please prepare.”
“?!”
Lee Han had no intention of testing a reagent far more dangerous than swan song on his own body.
No matter how he’d resisted all poisons so far with his powerful mana, he wasn’t confident he could withstand the Insane Doppelganger’s biological experiments.
Antagondals couldn’t understand the boy before him.
“Don’t you know how important this opportunity is? Aren’t you curious about how precious the magic that monster will prepare with ancient secrets is?”
“I’m not curious.”
‘Is this guy really a mage?’
Antagondals looked at Lee Han with shock and contempt. Of course, it wasn’t visible behind his silver mask, so Lee Han didn’t care.
Actually, even if it were visible, Lee Han would have ignored it.
‘If it’s so precious, he can do it himself.’
If Antagondals took the mountain spirits’ songs, Lee Han could watch with great interest from the side.
“You might understand one syllable, no, one phrase of incantation magic? Are you really going to run away now?”
“Then why don’t you do it?”
“If I could do it, I would have. You’re a disgrace to mages, you brat!”
At his words, Lee Han became even more suspicious.
Dodging the question like that was usually what suspicious people did.
The best result could be understanding incantation magic, but the worst result was death.
And in Lee Han’s view, the probability of the worst result seemed much higher.
“Stop trying to trap me and just prepare.”
“…”
Just then, Einroguard’s whisper called to Lee Han.
-Junior. I’m ready. I’ll start as soon as you’re ready.
-I’m ready too. Please start now!
Lee Han was overjoyed at Diret’s message.
It was hard to believe with just Antagondals’ power alone, but his senior had finally come to help.
“They say preparations are finished outside.”
“Really? You believe that? Think again.”
“Are you acting like this because you don’t want to do it now?”
“Honestly, it’s not exactly appealing work. But that doesn’t mean what I’m saying is false either. Do you really think a 5th year student can break the grand magic of this mountain range? Seriously?”
“Ha. You’re saying that because you don’t know my senior. My senior isn’t someone who would talk nonsense.”
“Is that so? I clearly warned you.”
Antagondals didn’t try to dissuade him further.
It wasn’t his business anyway, and it would be quite entertaining to watch the Wardanaz family boy get caught while trying to escape.
“You wouldn’t betray my name if you got caught, would you? You’re an Einroguard student who knows honor.”
“If you keep asking such ominous questions, I might.”
“…”
After Antagondals finished his preparations, Lee Han quickly scribbled a letter.
This wasn’t a message to Diret, but a letter left for the insane doppelganger.
To Master.
I’m leaving briefly to research magic.
From your disciple.
This was an excuse prepared for later.
The content was a bit short, but Lee Han had no choice due to lack of time.
-Junior. Are you ready?
-Yes!
-Good. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
Kwaaaaaaaaaang-!
A collision of magical power so strong that any mage could feel it shook the entire mountain range.
It was a shock that might be felt when world collided with world.
Antagondals, who had been inwardly sneering, was startled.
‘What?!’
Surprisingly, cracks appeared in the grand magic the insane doppelganger had cast over the mountain range.
As collapse rapidly progressed through those gaps, the insane doppelganger transformed into black magical power and shot up into the air.
From his urgent movements, it seemed even the insane doppelganger hadn’t expected this situation.
‘Then!’
Antagondals moved as promised with the Wardanaz family boy.
If he could just get this disciple out, it would be to his advantage.
Along with intense magical movement, light burst forth from between the silver mask.
When the light struck the already cracked grand magic, new cracks appeared.
One, two, three…
‘He’s coming!’
Antagondals realized the insane doppelganger suspected his interference and was flying over to catch him.
“This is where we part ways, mage. Let us meet again on the path of evil!”
Pop!
As Antagondals cast several teleportation spells to escape from his position, the insane doppelganger tried to block the magical cracks with one hand while attempting to somehow catch Antagondals with the other.
Lee Han tried not to be distracted by the dazzling movements unfolding in the air and quickly ran out.
‘…Finally!’
If he missed this opportunity, he could really be trapped in the workshop even after the semester ended. Lee Han ran with desperate resolve.
* * *
“A, an artifact of this level of power…?!”
“Well, Saint Iacutus… mmph mmph.”
“Student Diret. Where is student Lee Han right now?”
“His current position is…”
“Mmph mmph? Mmph mmph mmph?”
“Professor Beeble. This isn’t the time for jokes, okay? Be quiet!”
Professor Garcia, whose nerves had sharpened, threatened while scattering killing intent.
Professor Verdus cowered while reading the situation.
“…Sorry. What’s wrong?”
“That griffin that flew over there looks like Wardanaz’s griffin…”
“Why are you telling us this now!”
“Gack. Gack gack.”
While shaking her colleague professor in all directions, Professor Garcia belatedly remembered Lee Han’s griffin.
Come to think of it, there was a beast that could quickly find its master even in this situation.
“You saw it!? You saw?! I said if I were a griffin, I could break through!”
Gainando cheered and shouted from atop the griffin.
However, the other friends all had tense expressions.
No matter how they thought about it, a griffin’s power couldn’t have broken through magic of this level.
“Why exactly did the magic break?”
“I’m not sure. Did the principal come?”
“…Everyone be quiet. What are you going to do by worrying about that now? Just focus on finding Wardanaz’s child and getting him out!”
“Mo, Moradi. The sky over there is melting…”
“It’s Einroguard, so sometimes the sky might melt! Shut up and just search!”
“Uh… okay.”
The 2nd year students pretended not to see the surreal scene of the sky melting and magic scattering in all directions, bowing their heads deeply and staring intently only at the mountain range.
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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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