Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy - Chapter 992
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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 992
‘I doubt that’s the case.’
Yoner thought to himself as he opened the tower door with the key.
The tower door locked in darkness opened with a clicking sound, and warm air from the workshop flowed out.
“The professor isn’t here, right?”
“At this time, he’s tending to cacti in the Einroguard desert. Let’s go in.”
His friend’s thoroughness in knowing the professor’s schedule down to the hour amazed even Gainando.
“How does Lee Han memorize all that stuff?”
“You memorize every single letter on magic cards too.”
“Th… Why are you bringing that up!”
While the two were chattering behind him, Lee Han quickly checked from the first floor.
No matter how absent the professor was, one must never let their guard down inside a magic tower.
He had to check for any surveillance magic or traps that might have been added without notice.
‘Nothing here.’
Lee Han clicked his tongue inwardly.
It was because of Professor Thunderstep’s complacency.
Even if he trusted his disciples enough to entrust them with keys, such lax security awareness was too much.
‘The professor is really careless.’
Of course, he was benefiting from the convenience of easily ransacking the place, but that was one thing and his duty as a disciple was another matter entirely.
While checking the surroundings, Lee Han discovered a letter envelope on the table. Surprisingly, the handwriting on it was quite familiar.
‘…Wait. This is Professor Bagrek’s letter?’
Lee Han was surprised for several reasons.
First, he was surprised that Professor Boladi had written a letter, and also surprised that it was written to Professor Thunderstep.
Normally, like a loyal disciple, he should protect the professors’ secrets, but unfortunately the letter had slipped out of the envelope and was spread open on the table. This too was due to Professor Thunderstep’s carelessness.
‘Professor, really. You’re so careless. Can’t be helped.’
Lee Han grabbed the letter to prevent it from falling and happened to read its contents.
Capital. Urgent. Summons. Lord Gonadaltes. Please exchange lectures.
Voladi Bagrec
“????”
Lee Han, who momentarily thought it was a code, realized belatedly.
‘Ah. So the Principal urgently summoned him from the capital and he left?’
This was surprising in its own way.
Several professors were already at the capital with the Skeleton Principal, and now Professor Boladi too?
‘…Did a rebellion break out in the capital or something??’
Lee Han couldn’t understand.
He couldn’t fathom what reason would require so many Einroguard professors to gather in the capital like this.
If he didn’t know the Emperor’s race, he really would have thought the Skeleton Principal was staging a rebellion.
‘It’s not because Jowrin caused trouble, is it.’
Lee Han, who had been feeling uneasy, soon shook his head.
The Skeleton Principal and professors had gone to the capital before that. Jowrin’s escape couldn’t be the cause.
…Probably!
‘More importantly, what’s this lecture exchange? Surely it’s not about making up for cancelled classes later.’
Lee Han, not realizing he had inadvertently hit the correct answer, fell into thought.
Someone urgently going to the capital wouldn’t leisurely be worrying about cancelled classes…
“Lee Han?”
“Sorry. It’s nothing.”
Lee Han snapped out of his thoughts at his friends’ voices.
Professor Boladi going to the capital was one thing, but they had their own work to do.
In a way, it might be fortunate.
If Professor Boladi and the Insane Doppelganger taught together…
“…”
Just imagining such a terrifying combination made Lee Han feel chills.
“Lee Han’s acting strange. Did he get hit by magic or something?”
“But the potions and incense here can’t affect Lee Han…”
As Gainando and Yoner whispered, Lee Han waved his hand apologetically.
“Sorry. I’m really fine. I was just surprised to hear Professor Bagrek went to the capital.”
“Gasp. Did Professor Mortum go too???”
“No.”
“Aww.”
Gainando became dejected.
Why wasn’t Professor Mortum invited to this either?
“More importantly, we need to check what Professor Thunderstep was doing. Can you both help?”
His friends nodded.
The three carefully approached the workshop area Professor Thunderstep used and began deducing clues.
“High-quality paper, water bottle, brush, tobacco leaves, acacia tree sap… What kind of magic is this, Lee Han?”
“…That’s just the professor making cigarettes.”
“Ah.”
Gainando grumbled.
Why would someone confusingly hand-make tobacco in a workshop area?
“It looks like he used poison ring grass.”
“He made two new elixirs…”
Still, with two prodigies from alchemy schools present, the clue deduction progressed quickly.
They set aside recently used materials and potions, then separately sorted out those that seemed likely used for lectures.
“Is cockatrice poison for lectures or not?”
“That’s for lectures. I heard it was used in fourth-year classes.”
‘I shouldn’t have asked…’
Yoner regretted it as he drew a line on paper with his quill.
Learning about his unfortunate future made him feel more miserable than expected.
“Sulfur mercury, wing feathers from a three-year-old crow.”
“Thunder bird’s cry, ghoul giant’s claws.”
“Crystal golem’s core, evil mushroom, mandragon…”
“…Cinnabar, wait. Isn’t this Arkan’s Eternal Severance??”
Yoner exclaimed in surprise.
Being a recipe created by his family’s ancestor, he could recognize it first.
Yoner pulled out the Arkan grimoire he always carried and quickly flipped through pages to compare.
“It seems right?”
“Sorry, Yoner. I know well about 【Meikin Family’s Sweet Pan Chocolate】 or 【Meikin Family’s Magical Chocolate Eclairs】, but I don’t know much about Eternal Severance…”
“…R-right.”
Normally people wouldn’t know about chocolate or eclairs either, but Yoner didn’t panic and began explaining.
“It’s poison. A poison that works on the soul…”
Literally a vicious poison that permanently severed the soul’s connection.
Even if one had high poison resistance in flesh or blood, such poison wasn’t easy to withstand.
‘Why did he make this?’
Lee Han wondered why Professor Thunderstep had made this poison.
Gainando was frightened and exclaimed.
“Co-could it be he made it targeting Lee Han? Since poison doesn’t work on Lee Han, he got angry…”
“…”
“…No. This won’t work well on Lee Han either. When mana is high, soul-based approaches don’t work either.”
‘Couldn’t you deny it in a different way?’
Lee Han thought to himself but remained silent.
The most likely hypothesis was that Professor Thunderstep had created it to deal with the insane doppelganger.
The insane doppelganger had given ridiculous orders, and Professor Thunderstep, who couldn’t stand it anymore, had prepared poison…
“…I should at least learn about the antidote. Yoner. Could you show me the secret tome?”
“Here.”
“Thanks.”
While Yoner wasn’t the type to hide such things, even considering that, readily offering his family’s secret tome like this wasn’t easy without trust in his friend.
Lee Han expressed his gratitude as he accepted the book.
“…”
“…”
“…Lee Han, you’re not looking at chocolate éclair recipes right now, are you?”
“S-sorry. It was so extraordinary… I see. So raspberries were the secret. I was only thinking about custard cream…”
“If you’re curious, I’ll show you later, so look at the antidote section.”
Yoner urged his friend with a slightly irritated voice.
Honestly, he was proud that his friend was admiring the family secrets, but in a situation like this, staring mesmerized at éclair recipes was unbelievable.
Even if cooking was part of alchemy…!
“Thanks, Yoner. I’ve confirmed it.”
“Are you going to make it?”
“…I think I should probably make some.”
Lee Han spoke with a heavy expression.
He didn’t know whether Professor Thunderstep would actually use poison or not, but as a disciple of both mages, Lee Han needed to be prepared.
“Then let’s gather the materials. This will be hard to make with what’s in the storage.”
“Lee Han. Lee Han!”
“But then our visit here will be discovered.”
“…Lee Han! Hey! Yoner!”
“Should we use what the upperclassmen made…”
“Look over here!!”
When the two ignored him and continued talking, Gainando stamped his feet. Only then did the two realize their friend was calling them and turned their attention.
“What’s wrong?”
“Isn’t this an antidote the Professor made?”
“…”
Lee Han checked the potion bottle that Gainando was holding and shaking. Surprisingly, it was indeed an antidote.
“Where did you find this???”
“The Professor left it on the table where he was making cigarettes.”
“…We’re not really in a position to say this, but isn’t the Professor being too careless?”
At Yoner’s words, Lee Han unconsciously nodded.
* * *
“Master. You must not drink or eat anything that anyone offers you.”
“…Have you perhaps lost your mind?”
Morning.
The insane doppelganger, who was heading together to the 【Languages of the Empire That Become Flesh and Blood】 lecture hall, gave him a look that said ‘why is my disciple acting like this?’
While his disciple had always been hard to predict, today’s statement was truly puzzling. He couldn’t even guess what it meant.
“I heard there’s a trend going around Einroguard lately of putting poison in food or drinks.”
Even as he spoke, Lee Han wondered if this was too much nonsense. However, the insane doppelganger unexpectedly nodded.
“That could be possible. It’s a frequent occurrence among mages. You, disciple, wouldn’t have had to worry about poison naturally, but you still shouldn’t let your guard down.”
“…Yes!”
While they were conversing, from the opposite direction came Oripulas, a demon who had been serving as an Imperial legal officer for 132 years.
A reliable assistant who helped with lectures alongside the professor…
Aaaaaaaah! No! No! I haven’t done anything wrong yet!
Oripulas suddenly screamed and tried to flee in the opposite direction.
Of course, the chains of contract wouldn’t just let the demon go. Professor Rozine was startled when the demon that had tried to escape was caught by the contract and started choking.
“Why are you doing that? You know you can’t escape anyway!”
The demon didn’t give up. He dealt a strong blow to himself and was temporarily reverse-summoned.
“…”
“…”
When Lee Han looked at him with bewildered eyes, the insane doppelganger answered as if it didn’t matter.
“Since there’s royalty here anyway, what need is there for a demon’s advice? Rather, this worked out well.”
“…I’m sorry, Professor.”
“Oh, no, Lee Han. I didn’t expect Legal Officer Oripulas to disappear like that either.”
“Demons occasionally do strange things, don’t they?”
Lee Han answered shamelessly.
Professor Rozine gave him a reproachful look as if to say ‘are you serious about that?’, but Lee Han pretended not to notice.
Meanwhile, the insane doppelganger had already swept into the lecture hall. The 2nd year students, already accustomed to this, greeted him politely.
“Hello, Archmage.”
“Huh, where did the demon legal officer go?”
When someone expressed curiosity, Lee Han answered in a small voice.
“Master will help out instead today.”
“…Wardanaz, at this rate, all the other professors might disappear within two weeks!”
His friends whispered excitedly.
While Wardanaz said it was a coincidence, it was an undeniable fact that the number of professors had been decreasing unusually this semester.
If that principal’s doppelganger stayed just a little longer, this year might really become a pleasant year with only Einroguard students…
“Have you gained enlightenment about the secret geometry we discussed last time?”
“…”
All the students fell silent and quietly averted their gazes. The insane doppelganger expressed displeasure at the dull achievement of his disciple’s peers.
“Even though I gave you more than a day, this is the result. My disciple mastered it on the spot.”
“No…!”
Lee Han tried to cover the insane doppelganger’s mouth.
Right now, his master was trying to socially bury Lee Han among his friends!
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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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