Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 972

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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 972

“Senior. Please get up!”

Lee Han was cold.

It seemed like the other person was trying to pull tricks to avoid keeping the 5-minute time limit, but he had no intention of letting it slide.

The second hand of his pocket watch was already moving.

“30 seconds have passed.”

“…”

Jarun barely managed to get up. The dwarf’s short but thick limbs were trembling, and it didn’t seem to be just from hunger.

“…How much do you know about orichalcon?”

“I know it’s an extremely rare and expensive metal.”

“That’s right.”

“The most recent official Empire auction record was 8 years ago at the Western Grand Festival corridor. The price at that time was…”

“…Why do you remember such things?”

Jarun was bewildered.

It was certainly surprisingly detailed knowledge, but it had nothing to do with what he was trying to say.

In the first place, metal as rare as orichalcon couldn’t be bought just because you had gold coins. There simply weren’t any items for sale compared to those who wanted to obtain it.

“What I want to talk about is the properties of orichalcon.”

“I know that it condenses mana at high density.”

At his junior’s answer, Jarun slowly shook his head.

“Is that wrong?”

“To be precise, that’s just one of the commonly seen properties, so you’re mistaken. Orichalcon is a mineral, but it has peculiar plant-like characteristics. Namely, it grows according to how it’s raised.”

Lee Han looked at his senior with pity.

Originally, wandering alone in underground mines could easily drive a person insane.

And on top of that, being trapped inside a vein…

Noticing his junior’s gaze, Jarun ground his teeth.

“It’s true! Don’t doubt it!”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Well, even fully grown orichalcon is rare, but orichalcon before it grows – you’d have to go back to ancient times to find records of that!”

Most orichalcon would complete its form and properties before catching human attention.

And such orichalcon mostly became the most common high-density mana condensates.

But true orichalcon could originally have its properties freely changed and completed however the miner desired.

‘Amazing.’

Lee Han found himself listening intently to Jarun’s words.

While there was still a possibility it was the nonsense of a crazy senior, it was still a fascinating story.

“Would something like metal that continuously produces gold be possible?”

“…It probably couldn’t defy magical laws. Maybe.”

“Aw…”

Jarun ignored his junior’s lukewarm reaction with superhuman patience.

“Listen carefully. I’ve found the location of an orichalcon vein where crystals haven’t formed yet. Do you know why I’m here with nothing but my bare body?”

“I’m not sure. Weren’t you fleeing to avoid trackers?”

“Because only then would the vein allow me to approach.”

“!”

The orichalcon vein Jarun had found was still in an incomplete state, not fully crystallized, but peculiarly, it already possessed several properties.

One of them was the property of repelling intruders.

“At first, I thought other metals were the problem. It kept melting all the pickaxes and equipment. So I brought mining artifacts without metal, but they broke just the same.”

“Ah. So that’s why you tried to approach with your bare body.”

It might seem somewhat crazy, but from a mage’s logical perspective, it wasn’t such a strange choice.

You had to approach first to do anything. Jarun nodded.

“But…”

“?”

“Approaching with my bare body wasn’t the right method either. When I came to my senses, I was trapped here in the vein. It moved the surrounding terrain to push me away.”

At those words, Lee Han realized the orichalcon’s power was more impressive than he’d thought.

It might have plant-like characteristics, but even ordinary carnivorous plants had limits.

He’d seen many that moved to catch and eat intruders, but to actually move the entire surrounding terrain to swallow them…

“Could it be that the vein developed the property of repelling intruders because of you, senior?”

“…That’s… possible.”

Jarun was slightly deflated.

His junior’s point was something Jarun had been thinking about internally as well.

Had his greedy approach caused hatred to grow in the pure white orichalcon?

“That’s why I told you.”

“Yes? Told me what?”

“…In my opinion, to approach the orichalcon, it shouldn’t be someone like me but someone like you who approaches. Someone good and foolish.”

“…?????????”

Lee Han momentarily looked around.

He wondered if Jarun was talking about someone else.

“No. Are you insulting me now just because I gave you one meal when you were on the verge of death, senior?”

“Why, why are you getting angry? It’s a compliment!”

Jarun was flustered by his junior’s intense reaction.

From Jarun’s perspective, who rarely complimented his juniors, he had really made up his mind to give a big compliment…

“How is calling someone foolish a compliment? Then saying I’m like Professor Verdus would be a compliment too!”

“That… that… how is that the same!? How could you say such an insulting thing!”

Even the great Jarun was so upset at being treated the same as being called like Professor Verdus that he couldn’t speak properly.

For Jarun, who had spent most of his time underground and in mines since entering Einroguard, his junior with a magical tongue that sometimes even brought down the principal was too formidable an opponent.

-Wardanaz! Let’s get going! Gangsulgudu senior isn’t threatening you, is he?

“Forget it and just take this!”

Jarun irritably swept one arm. Then a map was drawn on his skin and popped out.

It was an amazing level of transformation magic that had fooled even Yukveltire and the other students’ eyes.

“The location is here, so you can find it yourself later. I’ve definitely told you!”

As if he no longer wanted to deal with Lee Han, Jarun left abruptly. Lee Han, who had received the map in bewilderment, looked at it with disbelief.

‘Wait. Is it okay for me to go find this?’

Even setting aside Jarun’s nonsense about being foolish, his own greed didn’t seem like it would be any less than his senior’s.

If he went, it seemed like the vein would trap him just the same…

And in some ways, more dangerous than the orichalcon were the other Einroguard students.

They could trap Lee Han in the vein even without finding it. Even if he went back later, he’d have to find trustworthy people to go with.

“?”

Yukveltire was puzzled when Lee Han stared at her intently.

“What is it, Wardanaz family junior? Do you have something to say?”

“Haha. It’s nothing.”

‘I absolutely must not go with this person.’

* * *

Returning the way they came, the group repeated the work they had done.

The Enchantment School students took out artifacts to light the surroundings and make paths, and Lee Han…

“I’ll do it, so rest.”

“????”

When Yukveltire stopped him, Lee Han was shocked.

In fact, not just Lee Han but the other upperclassmen were shocked too.

“Yukveltire senior. Please come to your senses immediately…”

“My mind is perfectly fine. I can prove it.”

Before everyone could suspect she had been affected by madness or a mental attack, Yukveltire immediately took out a pendant. The blue gem embedded in the pendant proved that the user’s mental state was sound.

“…”

“…I understand. Don’t forget to stay alert, everyone. Something’s suspicious.”

Anfargon whispered to the two.

Though Anfargon usually had no interest in others, the situation was a bit different when the senior who was supposed to lead the students back was acting crazy.

“I was surprised too, but isn’t she just acting like that because she feels indebted to me?”

As a human being, one might feel a bit sorry after receiving meals and potions from a junior.

Unlike Professor Verdus, Senior Yukveltire had a kind friend named Diret, didn’t she?

A mage who had put a warm heart even into a small human-shaped golem!

“Wardanaz. Are you tired? You’re saying strange things.”

“Don’t overdo it just because you have a lot of mana, and rest if you’re tired.”

“…”

When the other two seniors looked serious and told him to stop talking nonsense, Lee Han reflected on himself.

‘Well, it is strange indeed.’

Consideration and kindness for a junior.

It was definitely strange. Lee Han came to his senses and raised his guard a little.

While the three juniors were all looking at her with suspicion, Yukveltire was also observing Lee Han.

‘That Wardanaz family junior is highly likely unaware of miniature world magic.’

From common sense, there was no possibility that a second-year student had proactively entered into miniature world magic.

Then he must have become involved with that magic through some action.

She needed to discover the identity of that magic through meticulous and thorough observation.

Though she wanted to directly explain and then ask questions, Yukveltire endured.

If that magic was in a state of forced possession, she didn’t know what unexpected things might happen if the junior became aware of its identity.

In the best case scenario, it would end with the junior taking some damage, but in the worst case, the magic might disappear entirely and Yukveltire would no longer be able to observe it.

That would be truly terrible. Yukveltire was determined to research the miniature world magic.

And to do that, she needed to deceive her junior to some extent. The junior had to act normally without noticing anything.

‘If I show kindness, he’ll surely be moved and invite me often. I’ll observe secretly.’

‘…Those eyes look like a magic criminal’s eyes though?’

Of course, the junior was already very wary of Yukveltire.

When someone who doesn’t usually do something forces kindness, it’s impossible not to show.

“Undead group ahead. More than ten.”

“Let’s avoid them.”

“Th… No. It’s Diret.”

“!”

Lee Han was startled by Yukveltire’s words and looked up.

Indeed, Black Magic Academy students were walking together in a group from far away.

“Senior Diret!”

“…Junior! You’re alive!”

Diret shouted with a voice full of relief. Lee Han was slightly flustered by that voice.

“Were you worried about me? I was moving together with the seniors here.”

“Yukveltire said that. Junior. Everyone might have exploded and attacked Yukveltire.”

“…”

Lee Han was deeply moved by the friendship.

To think that even a heartless golem had such a loyal friend.

“I’m really glad. Nothing happened, right?”

“It’s a long story to tell.”

‘A lot happened then.’

Diret immediately intuited.

Well, he had been suspecting since the Transformation Magic Academy students came out saying ‘no orichalcum’…

Lee Han explained what had happened to his respected senior.

And also about the orichalcum map…

Diret, who had been managing his expression while being surprised, collapsed completely.

“Y-y-y-you didn’t tell Yukveltire, did you??”

“Ha. Senior. Do I look that stupid to you?”

“R-right.”

Diret answered while feeling slightly sad.

To be a senior who couldn’t earn such trust from his own academy junior…

‘Yukveltire, get it together!’

“I’m thinking of going later with trustworthy people. Do you have anyone to recommend?”

“Hmm… No.”

“You can’t think of anyone right now?”

“No. I just mean there aren’t any.”

“…I, I see.”

Lee Han changed the subject.

“Come to think of it, Senior. I heard an explanation about miniature world magic from that yatcha guy.”

“Yatcha guy?”

“Yachaowang.”

“You didn’t call him guy… Ah. That’s not what’s important. Anyway, you heard about miniature world magic?”

“Yes. I have a few things I’d like to ask…”

“Should I call Yukveltire too?”

“I’d be grateful if you would.”

Diret called Yukveltire, who was moving suspiciously in the back (since she was originally a strange friend, Diret didn’t pay attention).

“Yukveltire. The junior has something magic-related to ask.”

“You answer him. I have things to do.”

“What are you so busy with? It’s just answering questions.”

However, Yukveltire shook her head.

Right now she needed to observe her junior. The clue to that miniature world magic she saw earlier might appear again.

“Hmph. Don’t regret it later.”

‘Typical Diret threat.’

Yukveltire lightly ignored it.

What could there be to regret about something like that?

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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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