Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1036

Chapter 1036

"There's such a prince?"

While Yi-Han was shocked, Professor Garcia wondered beside him.

She knew that Petroguard's outstanding enchantment mages could temporarily breathe life into works using primitive magic. That was a fact Professor Garcia knew too.

However, if it was in their senior artist's quarters, that was different.

For a painting that senior would hang up?

"Prince Amritvirma?"

"Who is that?"

Yi-Han tilted his head at Professor Garcia's muttering.

The red knight answered instead.

"A prince from the old Seven Kingdoms era. He left behind several outstanding works."

"Ah."

"...You said you're from the Wardanaz family? Why don't you know when you're from a great noble family?"

Knight Ram's innocent question hurt Yi-Han slightly.

Though he knew every detail from start to finish about the false gold speculation incident from the Seven Kingdoms era, he really had no interest in the famous artist prince.

"I know about the false gold speculation incident though."

"Was there such an incident? No, why would someone who knows that not know Amritvirma..."

"It's because Yi-Han is clever. Anyway Yi-Han. It's not Prince Amratvirma, right?"

Professor Garcia cut in, unable to watch her disciple struggling.

However, the answer that came back exceeded imagination.

"Yes. It's the principal."

"...!"

Professor Garcia was so shocked she temporarily froze.

It was a reaction as if hit by time magic.

"Wh-wh-wh-who?"

"The principal..."

"Don't lie! Why would there be a painting of the principal in Senior's room?"

"Well that's a long story..."

Yi-Han summarized briefly and simply.

At a plan so very like what their senior would think of, Professor Garcia couldn't help but nod unconsciously.

'They would do that!'

It was completely in character.

...Of course, that didn't mean it didn't feel strange.

"Then was there originally a moving painting?"

There were stages to breathing life into works.

From simply moving to the level of speaking.

From what the knight said, it was friendly, so that meant it could speak too.

'Though it's Senior, this is really amazing?'

For it to speak even when the artist was absent meant they had secured some degree of permanence.

Even considering the Great Artist's magic, it was truly amazing results.

"No. There wasn't."

"What?"

"At least among the paintings I saw, I don't remember any... From the start, Senior's goal was completing a perfect work, not mediocre paintings."

What the Great Artist wanted was a kind great mage who was completely alive, not a friendly great mage who spoke from within a painting.

Naturally, there was no reason to waste effort completing such things.

"I see. Then there's only one possibility."

Professor Garcia spoke with a hardened face.

"Which is?"

"The knight must have been mistaken."

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han looked at Professor Garcia escaping reality as if dumbfounded. Even Professor Boladi seemed somewhat dumbfounded.

Knight Ram made a small grumbling sound.

"Even so, how could I mistake that..."

  *

-Disciple! It's been a while.-

"Aaaaaaah!"

Professor Garcia who entered the quarters let out a shrill scream.

Ram asked in bewilderment.

"Wh-why are you doing that?"

What could make that strong combat mage scream like that.

Could it be a cursed painting?

"No. All Einroguard mages scream when they see this prince's painting."

'These mages!'

The knight clicked his tongue inwardly.

Though imperial magic school mages were each famous for different eccentricities, Einroguard was still the most peculiar among them.

"Quickly close the door and come in, Yi-Han."

"Huh. Should the knight not hear?"

"What are you doing embarrassing the school... Come in quickly!"

Ram kindly went outside.

Though inwardly he had thoughts like 'Could it be a prince who was vilely ambushed by old Einroguard mages?', weren't mages' matters supposed to be resolved by mages?

Only when three remained (though it was four including the painting) could Professor Garcia finally let out a sigh of relief.

-Are you alright, disciple? I'm worried seeing your complexion isn't very good.-

"I'm fine."

-Not you, the disciple beside you.-

The prince in the painting pointed at Professor Garcia.

"Ah. Professor Garcia will be fine soon too. She just got too much information... More importantly, Master."

-...-

The prince pretended not to hear. Yi-Han wondered and called again.

"Master?"

-...Ah. Sorry. It's just too good to hear... The fact that an insufficient mage like me has such excellent disciples never gets old no matter how many times I hear it.-

"Uwaaaaah. Uwaaaaaaaaah."

"Calm down, Professor."

Yi-Han tried to calm Professor Garcia down.

Though she was a professor who had experienced this once before, her reaction showed how unexpected meeting in reality was.

'This is surprising.'

And this was certainly surprising enough for Yi-Han too.

Though he stayed cold because Professor Garcia was too shocked beside him, it became more surprising the more he thought about it.

First it was surprising that a painting capable of conversation persisted even when the Great Artist was absent, and it was even more surprising that the other party was the skull principal Yi-Han had met in the past realm.

How was this possible?

'Senior Artist surely never visited that past realm?'

"Master. May I ask a few things?"

-Ask anything, disciple. Being able to help my disciples is my joy.-

The young prince spoke shyly. Yi-Han had to bite his tongue to avoid losing consciousness.

"Ahem... Yes. Have you perhaps met Senior Artist?"

-No. I have no connection with that mage to begin with.-

"What? Uh, that senior is strictly speaking your disciple..."

-No.-

When Yi-Han tried to explain the school's lineage and composition, the prince cut him off firmly.

-That person is not my disciple. They denied it themselves.-

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han and Professor Garcia exchanged glances.

So perhaps now...

"Are you sulking???"

"Shh. Yi-Han. Anyone can feel hurt."

"...R-right."

Yi-Han decided not to provoke the other.

Though it was the skull principal from his kind prince days, he was still manifested through the painting's power.

When they didn't know how unstable it was, there was nothing good about needlessly provoking it.

"Wait. Master. Then how did Senior Artist bring you here?"

-That person didn't bring me here, disciple.-

The prince in the painting readily began explaining.

Originally until yesterday, the prince didn't exist in this realm. He was just a simple painting.

However, while Yi-Han was practicing music magic under the artist, the prince became aware that he had awakened.

"...What?!"

Yi-Han was startled to realize he was the culprit.

Professor Garcia and Professor Boladi silently looked at their disciple.

Though the two professors might have been looking without any particular thoughts, Yi-Han strangely felt like he heard an auditory hallucination saying 'Did you do it again without knowing?'

'But... it makes sense.'

The artist who had never directly met the skull principal alive in the past couldn't possibly summon him like this.

Since there were only two mages present there, if it wasn't the other then Yi-Han was the culprit.

"I only practiced without any particular intention."

-Well, disciple. That's something even I find difficult to guess the inner workings of. But magic originally has mysteries that can't all be known. Perhaps the connection between us filled in the insufficient magic.-

"Yi-Han. Your mouth is bleeding. Bite gently."

"I'm sorry."

Professor Garcia cast healing magic. Her disciple must have bit his tongue too hard trying to stay sane.

She could understand since she had done the same.

"Then did Senior Artist leave Master here to tell us this?"

-No. I just hid myself.-

Though the prince was kind and benevolent, he wasn't soft enough to explain his awakening and circumstances to a mage who wasn't his disciple.

He had hidden right after awakening, then revealed himself when the artist packed up works and ran away.

"..."

"It's becoming faint."

"I'm fine, Professor. I'm perfectly fine."

When Professor Boladi suddenly spoke words of concern, Yi-Han waved his hand as if fine.

However, the professor looked at his disciple like looking at a strange person.

"The painting is becoming faint."

"Ah!"

Embarrassed, Yi-Han quickly turned his gaze.

Professor Boladi was right.

Because Yi-Han and Professor Garcia were in shock, they hadn't noticed, but the painting's colors were gradually becoming lighter.

-Probably because it's consuming mana to maintain the composition. Don't be too surprised, disciples.-

The prince didn't seem to mind much.

Just being able to meet and talk with his disciples again like this was sufficiently wonderful and thankful.

Though this mage's quarters had lots of residual mana so he somehow maintained the painting's form by absorbing this mana, when the mana was all consumed, the time for farewell would probably come.

"I'll lend you mana!"

Yi-Han hurriedly stepped forward.

With the painting becoming faint now, they didn't know how much time was left.

Moving near the painting and strongly radiating mana, Yi-Han asked.

"How is it?"

"It's becoming clear again, Yi-Han. But..."

"?"

"...Won't it be hard for Yi-Han to keep periodically replenishing mana?"

Professor Garcia asked carefully.

Somehow storing that huge painting and periodically replenishing mana was doable.

Of course, this would be impossible for other mages, but the disciple before her had the unusual habit of giving away mana to others.

Even now, from monsters to ores, the line was quite long.

However, a painting of the living young prince was different.

Starting with their artist senior, to the skull principal and the empire's mages.

She couldn't predict how they would react if they knew the truth.

An item destined to be swept up in all kinds of troublesome problems if kept!

It was already horrifying thinking about unknown people coming to attack saying 'Hand over the young skull principal'.

-Disciple. Don't forcibly maintain the painting. Where there is meeting, there must be parting.-

The prince urged him to release the mana, not minding at all.

He didn't want to trouble his disciple just to stay a bit longer.

After struggling with the conflict, Yi-Han finally made his decision.

"...Ugh. I'm fine. I can just put it in my backpack and carry it around!"

'Oh no. I shouldn't have asked.'

Professor Garcia regretted belatedly.

She should have forcibly taken it away or hidden the truth and let it naturally disappear, but the moment she asked her kind disciple, there was no way he would give up.

"Would it be alright in the backpack?"

-Disciple. Even if thrown into a bottomless swamp, inside this painting is always peaceful. A backpack would be more than enough.-

When Yi-Han carefully tried to put the painting in his backpack, the prince spoke.

-Disciple.-

"Yes?"

-This isn't the inside of a backpack but seems like a basement.-

"...?!"

Another villa mansion basement?!