Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1009

Chapter 1009

While the skull principal and his subordinate knights were seriously pondering.

The reason why the mages reacted so intensely was revealed.

"We heard you completed Gawon's magic! Please come to the Day Lily Magic Tower and let your jewel-like talent shine!"

"Pardon?"

Yi-Han belatedly recalled the exchange meeting from last year.

And he said.

"Strictly speaking, that wasn't completion but improvement..."

"It was completion."

"Honestly, it was as good as completion."

Though the mages had been acting kindly until just now to gain Yi-Han's favor, they had no compromise when it came to magic.

They immediately turned serious and denied that it was improvement.

"..."

Yi-Han was slightly overwhelmed.

As expected of mages, the madness they radiated so firmly was extraordinary.

Meanwhile, the skull principal and knights wasted time with useless conversation.

"Then how about just mentioning 4th Circle?"

-How about 3rd Circle?-

-But since some things are already known, 3rd Circle might seem a bit strange...-

While this was happening, a new carriage appeared from behind.

Yi-Han paused at the familiar family emblem.

'The Maykin family?'

"What's going on?"

Yoanen, who was in the carriage, opened the window wondering about the commotion in front of the tower.

The Day Lily Magic Tower mages were surrounding the carriage in front, wailing as if they had drunk spoiled potions.

-Ah. Sorry, Lady Maykin.-

"You all are..."

Yoanen immediately recognized the Death Knights and the skull principal in human form.

Even without his undead form, the group was so striking it was hard not to recognize them.

"Lady Maykin. I apologize."

Yi-Han apologized too.

Though he wanted to open the carriage door and get out to apologize, he couldn't because the mages were wandering around the carriage like zombies.

"Let me explain what happened..."

"No need to explain. I think I know what happened."

Yoanen spoke while her eyes flashed with intelligence behind her amethyst glasses.

"You must have gathered like this to invite Young Wardanaz to the tower after hearing of his magic talent."

"How did you know?!"

Yi-Han was startled.

Though Yoanen had sharp insight befitting an outstanding mage, to figure it out just by seeing this scene?

He couldn't even guess how she knew.

"Well, I heard Lord Gonadaltes did the same thing with Professor Kim..."

"Shh. Be quiet."

The skull principal sent a warning to Yoanen who was trying to expose the mage's trick.

Though the Day Lily Magic Tower mages' intelligence was lowered, there was no need to remind them of painful past memories.

Yoanen nodded.

It was customary among mages not to interfere with each other's business.

Someday Yoanen herself might need to lower other tower mages' intelligence and extort what she wanted.

"I understand. More importantly, Lord Gonadaltes. You don't need to worry too much, do you? If they can bring a mage who contracted with a spirit king into the tower, people would forgive even Professor Verduus."

Yoanen's observation was accurate.

If he was a mage who had already contracted with a spirit king despite being just a 2nd year, the tower members would want to bring him in no matter what humiliation or price they had to pay.

Even if that meant forgiving Professor Verduus.

"Oh."

-Ah.-

"?"

Yoanen tilted her head at the reaction shown by the skull principal and Death Knights.

Why were they acting like that?

"I hadn't heard he contracted with a king-class spirit?"

At the mage's rolling eyes, even the ancient knight who had been through countless battles was overwhelmed and flinched.

-We... were going to mention that. Later.-

"Later? Were you perhaps planning to tell other towers? To exclude us?"

-Ah, no. How could we do that? We were going to tell everything once we went inside.-

"...Right! Come to think of it, he subdued the Demon Duke with spirit king's power back then too."

Gawon finally recalled and shouted belatedly.

The mages beside him spewed murderous criticism at their colleague.

"Are you a fool?! How could you not mention that!"

"Gawon clearly tried to monopolize him by hiding it! We should take away his invitation rights as punishment!"

"No... No! I didn't know either! I thought another Einroguard student there summoned it through some special method!"

"..."

Seeing the scene instantly turn chaotic, Yoanen realized her mistake.

As a mage, she had been careless and misspoken.

To think they didn't know about the spirit king contract.

"I'm really sorry, Young Wardanaz. I didn't know you hadn't mentioned the spirit king. Then did you mention the small world?"

"..."

-...-

"...I'm really sorry!"

As Yoanen apologized loudly, the skull principal and Death Knights quickly got into the carriage.

When the mages grabbed onto the wheels and door panels, the skull principal gave a cold order.

"Depart."

-Yes!-

The knights pushed away the mages clinging to the carriage and hastily accelerated inside the tower. The mages' desperate voices echoed ominously from behind.

The skull principal muttered.

"Hmm. The reaction is much more intense than expected."

The knights in the carriage all nodded in unison.

Seeing this reaction several times more savage than with Professor Garcia, it seemed they couldn't just send a one-sided notice like 'Mage Garcia Kim has been appointed as an Einroguard professor haha' and disappear like last time.

If they did that, there might really be a tower rebellion...

  *

"The reason for visiting today is to ask for a delay in paying the wages of mages mobilized for the great magic to confine the thought entity..."

"We'll do that."

"..."

-...-

When the tower mages including Eulangdam immediately answered, the skull principal and Death Knights rather felt uneasy.

It was their first time feeling uncomfortable even though they had handled business so easily.

Actually, everyone knew the reason.

The mages who would normally have grumbled or complained were nodding without a single such word, only flashing eerily mad eyes.

Barking dogs don't bite.

Conversely speaking, dogs that don't bark needed to be worried about. The skull principal started worrying that he might have judged wrongly.

He had planned to get a moderate response like with Professor Garcia, not to drive all the tower mages mad.

'This is dangerous.'

Looking at their crazed eyes now, it wouldn't be strange to receive a letter saying 'Instead of returning for second semester, your disciple has chosen to join the tower. Do not look for him.'

Finally, the skull principal showed kindness he would never normally show.

"...How is everyone's magic research going? If you want, I'll give you teachings. Not the usual ambiguous teachings, but spoon-fed so you can use it right away, that's what I mean."

'So he knows his usual teachings are ambiguous.'

'Shh. Don't even think carelessly in front of His Excellency.'

Though countless mages had sought wisdom from the skull principal, very few had received satisfactory answers.

Whether due to his twisted nature or philosophy about transmitting secrets, the skull principal had only given very ambiguous and hard to understand teachings.

For such a skull principal to say 'This time I'll really teach just the core quickly and easily'.

Any mage would naturally be tempted.

But...

"That's alright."

"That's right. We're fine. We couldn't dare waste Your Excellency's time."

"..."

The tower mages unanimously united in refusing.

Their attitude showed a resolute will to not owe any debt to the skull principal, only to give.

-So if you have any conscience, send your disciple to our tower!-

"...Who used telepathy?"

"Pardon?"

"No. It's nothing."

The skull principal shuddered at the thought-form unconsciously created by the tower mages.

It was so powerful he could read its specific meaning.

"Your Excellency. You were interested in the relics our mages purchased last time, right?"

"Was I? I don't quite remember..."

"I'll give them as a welcoming gift since you've come."

"...That much won't be necessary. I'll just accept the thought."

"Then how about donations?"

"Einroguard's finances are sufficient enough not to need that."

Along with the most nonsensical lie in the empire, the skull principal refused the offer.

"More importantly, you all do know there's no guarantee my disciple will definitely join your tower later, right?"

"Of course."

"You'll speak well to him, won't you? Hey, bring the relics. We must give them to His Excellency."

"Enough! I said it's fine!"

The skull principal quickly rose from his seat.

It seemed he would have to refuse gifts from the Day Lily Magic Tower for a while out of wariness.

If he carelessly accepted them, they might become his disciple's ransom at some point.

Hurriedly escaping with his disciple, the skull principal met Yoanen in the corridor.

"Why did you needlessly say such things!"

"I-I'm sorry."

Yoanen apologized sincerely.

Originally, even fear of mad great mages would fade with continued exposure.

Similarly, Yoanen's sense of strangeness had disappeared after continued exposure to her mad younger sibling's friend. Because of that, she had carelessly misspoken.

"But then... what were you originally going to say?"

"5th Circle?"

Yoanen was puzzled.

If they weren't originally going to mention the spirit king or small world, why were they gathered like madmen?

"...I heard he completed a Day Lily Magic Tower mage's magic presented at last year's exchange instead of him."

"I improved it."

"It was completion."

The skull principal explained while scolding his disciple's words. After hearing everything, Yoanen nodded.

"That was indeed completion."

"..."

"See? Stop being so stubborn."

While Yi-Han grumbled, Yoanen thought inwardly.

'But if that's the case, wouldn't the result have been the same even if I hadn't said anything?'

"You're not thinking it would have been the same even if you hadn't spoken, are you?"

"...Of course not. Absolutely not."

Yoanen waved her gloved hand as if denying it.

"What brings you here?"

"A manufacturing request came to the workshop, so I was thinking of visiting directly to check."

Yoanen had received a request for mass production of sublimating compounds that react to specific mana, needed for current magic research.

She thought to directly see the research and calculate estimates while visiting the capital.

"I envy you. No need to deal with mad mages."

"I envy you. Already receiving such requests."

"..."

-...-

The skull principal and knights looked at Yi-Han as if dumbfounded.

Was this the time to envy that?

However, Yoanen smiled without being flustered and spoke.

"Young Wardanaz and Yonaire will soon be able to receive plenty of such requests too. You handled the Anog family's reagents well last time, didn't you?"

"Haha. Thank you. I was lucky."

The skull principal, listening beside them, wondered inwardly.

What kind of family was the Anog family?

'It's a family I'm hearing about for the first time?'