Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 948

Chapter 948

Yi-Han quickly gave up.

Come to think of it, he had acted too carelessly in front of someone like Yoanen.

'Damn. Imitating Gainando is too difficult.'

Surprisingly, imitating Gainando seemed more difficult than imitating the skull principal.

Having given up, Yi-Han pointed to Yoanen's amethyst glasses and asked.

"Did you confirm my identity with those?"

"No. Mr. Wardanaz's mana causes interference, making it difficult to observe with the glasses."

"...Then how?"

"Logical deduction."

Yonaire's sister shrugged.

Mages who focused solely on magic often missed important things.

There weren't many intelligent friends beside Yonaire. Among them, only Wardanaz was close enough to borrow Gainando's name.

"Mr. Wardanaz should remember this too."

"Thank you. I'll remember what I learned today."

The two gave up and willingly undid their disguises. Suddenly realizing something odd, Yi-Han asked.

"By the way, what brings Miss Maykin here...?"

Come to think of it, this was Prince Bogajun's workshop, not Yoanen's. There was no reason for Yoanen to be here.

Yoanen and the other alchemists hesitated. It might have been his imagination, but some alchemists seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

"I visited for alchemical reasons. Isn't the exchange between alchemists truly wonderful?"

"Then where are the alchemists of this workshop..."

"Mr. Wardanaz. That's not what's important right now."

Yoanen deflected the conversation with an elegance that ragged Einroguard students could never imitate.

It was so refined that even Yi-Han and Yonaire didn't notice and let it pass.

"You say Mr. Wardanaz and Yonaire brought reagents from the Anog family?"

"...Ah. Yes."

"Were you acquainted with Mr. Anog?"

"...Y-yes."

Yi-Han and Yonaire answered while rolling their eyes.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't a lie.

"Is he a new professor?"

"He... He might be."

Yonaire said so while thinking inwardly.

Her friend would surely become an Einroguard professor someday, so this wasn't a lie either.

Unaware that the red-haired mage beside her was having wicked thoughts, Yi-Han opened his mouth.

"Do you know Mr. Anog too, Miss Maykin?"

"How could I not know about a rumor more widespread than all the transport ships to Granden City sinking? Of course I've heard. But... Could that reagent perhaps be flame wood root?"

'S-strange. Something's strange!'

Unlike Yi-Han, Yonaire felt a chill as if an ice shard had touched her spine.

Something...

Something was strange!

But unfortunately, her friend beside her didn't seem to sense the danger.

"It is flame wood root."

"Could I check it for a moment?"

"It's not difficult."

As it wasn't a particularly difficult request, Yi-Han readily took out a flame wood root.

Though they hadn't shown it to other workshops until making formal appointments, the students were carrying around one flame wood root each so they could show it anytime.

The alchemists let out exclamations of admiration at its uniqueness, completely different from ordinary flame wood roots. The smile on Yoanen's lips also deepened slightly.

"Excellent."

"Indeed. As expected of the Anog family..."

The alchemists nodded in understanding.

Coincidences usually didn't happen alone.

The rumors of an eccentric mage that had recently spread in Granden City, and the simultaneous rumors of special reagents.

These two rumors had to be related.

Sure enough, it was indeed a reagent cultivated by a mage family. The alchemists exchanged triumphant glances.

They had finally found it!

"Then Mr. Wardanaz. May I ask one more thing?"

"Go ahead."

"Why didn't you bring this flame wood root to my workshop?"

Yonaire's sister showed her deepest smile of the day. The alchemists behind her also spoke as if feeling hurt.

"We're hurt, Mr. Wardanaz. Didn't you work at our workshop?"

"Did our workshop do something wrong?"

Yi-Han was slightly flustered at the alchemists' criticism. Looking to the side, he saw Yonaire even breaking out in a cold sweat.

'What's wrong with her?'

Seeing that his friend didn't seem like she would be of help, Yi-Han answered for now.

"We were going to vis..."

"...Surely you're not going to say you were planning to visit next? Given the locations of the alchemy workshops that have received visits regarding the Anog family's reagents, was there any reason for you to deliberately skip my workshop on your route?"

Now cold sweat was starting to form on Yi-Han's back too.

He felt the same pressure he had felt when facing the mad doppelganger.

'I let my guard down. Though she's Yonaire's sister, she's a professor-level mage. One who's even said to be like Professor Verduus.'

He didn't know how long she had been going around nearby alchemy workshops collecting rumors related to the Anog family.

No, why on earth would she do such a thing?

'Perhaps she has nothing to do?'

"As it's the most important place, we were planning to visit last after preparing as much as possible."

"I see. Mr. Wardanaz. I had this thought for a moment. Could someone... have spread bad rumors about my workshop? Spread false rumors that it's not a good place to sell reagents... Like this."

Yonaire started hiccupping softly. Yi-Han struggled to manage his expression.

'From now on, I should secretly infiltrate and check the personnel first before visiting any mansion...'

From Yi-Han's perspective, Yoanen seemed almost half certain.

Honestly, saying they were planning to visit last despite being on the route wasn't a good excuse. Someone like Yoanen would have noticed immediately.

"Mr. Wardanaz. Let me say this first, I never skimp on good items. Think about when you worked at our workshop before. Did I skimp on the price?"

"No, you didn't."

"Right?"

As Yoanen smiled gently, Yonaire spoke while watching her reaction.

"But... But... reagents are different..."

Though she didn't spare gold coins for outstanding talent, reagents were a different story.

Yoanen wasn't an alchemist who forcibly paid more gold coins due to surrounding gazes or rumors.

An alchemist who never paid more than the exact value she thought something was worth.

That was Yoanen Maykin.

"Yonaire. Of course reagents are different. There are so many substitutable cases with reagents."

Yoanen explained as if admonishing her sister.

Reagents were different from talent.

There was no reason to pay more gold coins than necessary for something that could be obtained anytime, anywhere, and was substitutable.

But for truly good reagents, especially in limited quantities, it was a different story.

Yoanen was an alchemist who calculated value accurately, not one who bought at dirt-cheap prices.

"But for reagents like these, I can pay much more than other workshops. Here, look."

The two's eyes widened at the sight of gold coins being stacked neatly on the balance scale.

It was twice as many gold coins as the price range they had discussed with other workshops.

"Is it really alright to pay this much?"

"Because it's a reagent worth that value. Mr. Wardanaz. I pay as much gold as an item is worth."

Yi-Han and Yonaire exchanged glances and nodded.

At this point, there was no need to hesitate further. Rather, they were worried it might be too much of a loss for Yoanen.

Though there would be the benefit of exclusively obtaining needed reagents...

"If someone says they'll pay a higher price, please be sure to tell me."

Yoanen's eyes were calm, but a coldly burning will could be felt within them. Yonaire whispered in a flustered voice.

"Sister must really like the reagent. I didn't expect it to be to this extent."

"Is it because there's no flame wood root quantity in Granden City right now?"

Even considering that, Yoanen's reaction was unusual.

Yi-Han and Yonaire realized that the reagent they had made was more outstanding than they had expected.

"Yonaire. We might really be able to become Granden City's greatest merchants..."

"N-not to that extent, but it could really roll along stably."

Yoanen, who had been listening to their conversation with a gentle smile, opened her mouth.

"Then may I ask one last thing?"

"Yes."

"Who said bad things about my workshop?"

Yonaire inhaled at Yoanen's sudden question.

The way she stared intently while asking the question was almost as if she had confirmed the culprit.

'We've been had...!'

As Yonaire inwardly screamed, Yi-Han sighed and said.

"It seems we can't hide anything from you, Miss Maykin. You must keep this secret."

"Of course."

"It was Gainando."

"..."

This time, Yoanen made an expression as if she had been caught off guard.

Could it be that it wasn't her sister but Gainando?!

  *

"Speculation crisis. Speculation crisis..."

"You were so absorbed in the play at the palace, why can't you remember this now?"

Salko asked Anglago curiously.

Why couldn't the guy who had been going on about Setlad at the palace remember this?

"How are those the same?! I was so shocked then that my memory flew away! And I didn't care about the speculation crisis then either! I cared about the treasure map!"

Anglago flared up angrily when his painful past was poked. It was still a fact that made him feel betrayed.

To think Setlad Anog was a non-existent person.

The charming story of Setlad and Yi-Han's forced study were completely different even if they were the same story. The latter was no different from Einroguard studies.

'What a strange guy.'

Thinking so, Salko knocked on the door of an alchemy workshop.

"Is anyone there?"

There was no answer. Though light could be seen from inside the window, there was no response, so Salko and Anglago looked at each other.

What was going on?

"Is anyone there? Hello!"

Knock knock knock-

As they kept knocking on the door, they heard someone answering from inside.

"S-sorry. I was sleeping."

"In broad daylight? Did something happen..."

"It's nothing. Some fellow alchemists came by and we had some drinks, I overdid it."

Salko and Anglago looked around the workshop through the opened door.

Drunk alchemists were sprawled all over.

"Well. We'll come back another time then."

"Yes. I'm sorry. Urp..."

The alchemist who had opened the door must have had quite a hangover, as he immediately rushed back inside.

The two walked out, tilting their heads.

"Do Granden City alchemists usually drink during the day?"

"How could that be? Don't say stupid things. It must be a coincidence."

Knock knock knock-

They moved to the next mansion.

Though it wasn't a workshop, it was a suitable place to sell as it was the mansion of a merchant very interested in alchemy.

"The master is heavily drunk. I'm sorry, but please come back another day."

"Pardon?"

"Some alchemist acquaintances came by and he held a small banquet. I'm sorry."

"...???"

As they found alchemists or merchants drunk everywhere they went after that, the two started to feel afraid.

Could there have been some festival in Granden City that they didn't know about?

"It-it's not some prank by the principal, right?"

"...That can't be! Don't say such ominous things."