Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 989

Chapter 989

-This is too cruel!-

Thanks to Yi-Han's tattling, when the mad doppelganger confiscated all the wax notepads, the Frost Giants voiced their complaints.

Of course, they didn't say it to the mad doppelganger. They only shared it among themselves.

-Since ancient times, wise kings did not oppress their people or suppress their ministers.-

-That's right.-

"Quiet."

The Frost Giants fell silent as if mice had died. When everyone closed their mouths, Caten seized the opportunity to bring up the main point.

"Though many things have happened, I'll first state my proposal. We need a trial to prove these mages' qualifications, and I want help preparing that trial."

At the senior's words, the White Tiger Tower students flinched.

Then they spoke intensely with their eyes.

'Refuse!'

'Tell them to refuse!'

What honorable and proud race would help with a magic school student exam?

That would be sullying their honor and losing face. They should rightfully refuse.

-...Understood. We'll help.-

"!!!!"

However, the White Tiger Tower students' expectations were shattered.

The Frost Giants feared the mad doppelganger much more than the students had thought.

Caten exclaimed with a bright face.

"Juniors! This is wonderful! To think the giants would accept so easily! Professor Ingurdel will be pleased!"

"Wow..."

"Hoo... We're thrilled..."

Yi-Han and Jijel answered with artificial expressions and voices. Caten tilted his head.

"Aren't you happy? Something feels off..."

"No. We're happy. Haha."

"We're really happy. ...Wardanaz, is there any poison left in that wine barrel from earlier?"

"Damn. I should've kept it."

Yi-Han and Jijel lamented deeply.

If they had known they would fight with Frost Giants again, they wouldn't have thrown away that poison wine!

"You won't just have us face them with swords, right? You'll allow magic too?"

"That's probably the case, but having Frost Giants as an exam itself is abnormal."

While the two were whispering, the mad doppelganger urged impatiently in a displeased voice.

"Hurry up. What are you doing?"

It was natural for the mad doppelganger to be displeased, as his disciple was having useless conversations instead of finding the Frost Giants' relic.

What was so great about dealing with Frost Giants that they were making such a fuss?

His disciple still had a long way to go regarding dignity.

Yi-Han cleared his throat once and looked at the Frost Giants.

"Then I'll state my proposal. I..."

Yi-Han who was about to speak paused.

Come to think of it, though he had planned to seize the opportunity to retrieve the Frost Giants' relic (more precisely, to steal it), he hadn't intended to say it so boldly.

Even so, was it okay to say it openly in front of the Frost Giants?

-What's your proposal? Speak quickly.-

"Can't you stop dragging it out and speak quickly?"

Not only the Frost Giants, but even the mad doppelganger urged Yi-Han.

Unable to find words to evade or avoid, Yi-Han finally confessed honestly.

"...I came to obtain the relic you came looking for, but..."

"..."

The White Tiger Tower friends behind could only admire.

They knew Wardanaz was bold, but to think it would be to this extent.

'Admirable, Wardanaz!'

'To think he would speak like that in front of Frost Giants...!'

To say 'I came to obtain your relic' in front of giants bristling with killing intent.

No one had expected such words even from Wardanaz, who sparkled with madness.

-......-

The Frost Giants were also dumbfounded and fell silent for a moment.

However, fortunately, the mad doppelganger was beside Yi-Han.

"Did you not hear my disciple's words? Answer!"

-A-alright. You may take the relic.-

The Frost Giants, scared of the mad doppelganger, answered hesitantly.

At that answer, the White Tiger Tower students were surprised once again.

'That works?!'

'I see, Wardanaz. You planned to use the principal's doppelganger from the start! What a terrifying fellow!'

Though Einroguard's history might be long, Wardanaz was surely the first student to so thoroughly exploit even the skull principal's doppelganger like this.

The White Tiger Tower students trembled at their friend's cunning scheme.

Of course, Yi-Han was trembling too.

'This easily?'

Even for scared Frost Giants, he had expected at least minimal resistance, but for them to give it up so readily.

Could he perhaps obtain even more here?

"Please swear you won't needlessly challenge me to duels from now on."

-That... Alright. We swear.-

"You can't grumble loudly nearby either. Please swear."

The Frost Giants were startled.

How had this challenger read their inner thoughts so accurately?

'Is it magic?'

-...We swear...-

"I told you not to waste time needlessly."

When the mad doppelganger opened his mouth, Yi-Han realized his mistake.

He had tried to take too much advantage by borrowing his master's authority.

"I apologize."

"Enough. Royalty shall settle this. You want to use these Frost Giants as subordinates, right?"

"Yes... What???!"

Yi-Han, who had reflexively answered, shouted in surprise.

What did he say?

"That's not..."

Yi-Han just didn't want to get involved with giants chasing him from afar for duels when visiting realms in the future.

He absolutely wanted to decline having giants swarm around volunteering as subordinates every time he visited a realm.

However, the mad doppelganger, like a thoughtful master, accurately read his disciple's inner thoughts that even he himself didn't know.

What other reason could there be for speaking in such a roundabout way?

"You Frost Giants have a debt to royalty from the past. Repay that debt here and now."

-Ugh... Understood. We swear...-

"..."

Before Yi-Han could interject, the Frost Giants finished swearing.

That if they see him in other realms in the future, they would rush over and fight for him on their honor!

"Wow. Wardanaz. I couldn't have imagined you'd use the Frost Giants like subordinates later, let alone retrieving the relic."

"...Can't you be quiet?"

"Wh-why are you getting angry?!"

The unfortunate White Tiger Tower student was flustered when his friend suddenly got angry after he made one admiring comment.

What did I do?!

  *

Einroguard Library.

Most of the 2nd year students from each tower were gathered in this library boasting history and tradition.

Even on weekends, it was very rare at Einroguard for students from different towers to gather like this.

But the 2nd year students weren't particularly surprised by that point anymore. Rather, they focused on something else.

"Wh-what is that?"

"It's the principal's doppelganger. They say he follows Wardanaz around like a cursed ghost."

"No. I know that from hearing about it too. What are those guys hammering beside him?"

"Ah. The White Tiger Tower guys must have gotten ore from somewhere. So they're doing that to make equipment."

"Are they allowed to do that in the library?"

Whether other tower students frowned at them or not, the White Tiger Tower students worked the bellows and hammered away.

From the start, Einroguard's library was not a place of silence and peace. If it had been, there would have been no need to make a temporary fortress for survival struggles last time.

What's the big deal now!

"Rowena. How's the sword?"

"This should be quite usable. We can make three more today."

"Hehe. The hardship was worth it."

The White Tiger Tower students nodded, perhaps recalling their memories of mining work in another realm.

The completed equipment felt all the more valuable for how much they had struggled.

"Wardanaz. Thank..."

The White Tiger Tower students who were about to thank their friend for helping with the realm visit paused.

Anyone could see that Wardanaz's mood was very unpleasant.

Didn't he seem like that when returning from the realm last time too...?

"Why is Wardanaz like that?"

While everyone was puzzled, Bartreck put forth a plausible hypothesis.

"Could it be because he has too much difficult preparation for the exam now?"

"Indeed."

The reason various tower students had gathered in the library now was to prepare for exams.

And Wardanaz, being an Einroguard student, couldn't escape that preparation either.

Considering the number and difficulty of lectures he was taking, it was impossible for his mood not to be bad.

"I think it's because some guys went to the punishment room."

Though Raphael usually didn't talk much, he rarely offered an opinion this time.

This certainly seemed plausible too.

Some faces were missing because they had caused trouble and gone to the punishment room.

"...But isn't it strange for Wardanaz's mood to be bad because people went to the punishment room?"

Someone suddenly felt something off and asked.

He wasn't the White Tiger Tower's professor, so why Wardanaz?

However, the White Tiger Tower students who had already adapted didn't feel anything off.

"What's strange? It's always been like that."

"Right. The guys who went to the punishment room are the bad ones."

"...N-now that you mention it, it does seem that way. Moradi. Is Wardanaz angry because of the guys who went to the punishment room?"

The White Tiger Tower students called their reliable friend in such matters.

Jijel, who was passing by, answered with an expression that said 'You should be studying instead of having so many useless conversations.'

"He's probably angry because of the Frost Giants from last time. He didn't want to get involved, but he was forced to."

"Huh? But being able to get help from giants when meeting them in other realms seems clearly good..."

"It also means he could get involved with other Frost Giants who didn't swear. How annoying would that be."

"But Wardanaz is already friendly with the giants from the back mountains? What difference does adding Frost Giants make?"

"..."

Jijel was momentarily at a loss for words.

She hadn't expected such sharp logic to fly at her.

"...Then you should go ask Wardanaz directly."

"Ah, no. That's a bit..."

Even for someone lacking tact, telling a friend angry about getting involved with Frost Giants 'You were originally friendly with giants' wasn't a wise choice.

Meanwhile, Yi-Han lightly tapped a small metal wine barrel the size of a locket that could be worn around the neck with his staff.

'It still doesn't work.'

Though the White Tiger Tower students put forth brilliant hypotheses, none of them were correct.

The reason for Yi-Han's bad mood was that the Frost Giants' relic wouldn't open.

-Here it is. This wine. We came looking for this wine.-

-...Is it wine with poison like earlier?-

-Something much more precious than that is inside. Wisdom!-

-!!!-

Yi-Han was startled at the Frost Giant's explanation.

Wine containing wisdom.

Any Einroguard student would desire an intelligence-enhancing potion, and Yi-Han was no exception.

A true potion of wisdom, not a failed product that turned one into a mad prophet like last time.

If it was a Frost Giant relic, it really might be possible.

The problem was that it wouldn't open no matter what he tried.

-How can it be opened?-

-We don't know either. That's why we were troubled.-

-......-

The small wine barrel, not even the size of a fist, was surprisingly sturdy. Though it made sloshing sounds when shaken, it dispersed mana precisely no matter how much Yi-Han poured in.

'Damn. To think there's someone who makes things calculating even for mana hammers!'

Though he didn't know who the relic maker was, he couldn't understand why they would waste effort like that.

"Wardanaz. If it's because of the Frost Giants, you don't need to worry too much."

"Huh?"

Yi-Han was flustered when Jijel suddenly spoke to him.

"The realms are vast and you probably won't meet Frost Giants again that often."

"Uh... thanks. But why suddenly?"

"?"

Jijel paused.

Wasn't it because of the Frost Giants?

"Come over here. We'll finish <Magical Algebra and Arcane Geometry> today."

When the mad doppelganger set an impossible goal from behind, Yi-Han's face contorted again.

'What? So it really wasn't because of the Frost Giants.'

Come to think of it, Wardanaz had been on good terms with giants from before.

Frost Giants were giants too when you thought about it, so he could probably become friends quickly.