Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 949

Chapter 949

The two returned to the warehouse for now.

Fortunately, it seemed Wardanaz and Maykin had found a good place to sell.

"To think the Maykin family's workshop would buy at such a high price. It's surprising."

"I was a bit surprised too. How were the other places?"

"For some reason, alchemists were drunk everywhere we went today."

"...?"

Yi-Han and Yonaire tilted their heads.

Alchemists in the city drunk in broad daylight?

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"Could it be that you two were the ones drinking?"

The two became angry at Asan's suspicion.

"What nonsense! Do I look like Alpha?"

"Do I look like a bastard like Tutanta to you!"

'I shouldn't put those two together in the future.'

Yi-Han placated them, saying he understood.

Anyway, since they had made a good contract, all that was left was to work hard to produce and deliver.

Though he was still a bit puzzled about why Lady Yoanen had come out so naturally from someone else's workshop...

"Oh right. I should ask the master if any other reagents can be regenerated."

"That Wardanaz. He's so diligent."

The friends chuckled.

Thanks to the expectation of gold coins they would gain, the students didn't mind the additional work at all.

And compared to having to keep up with lecture progress inside Einroguard, this wasn't a very difficult task...

"Master? Master? Strange. Why aren't you answering?"

"..."

  *

When the arduous work and transport were finished (in the end, the mad doppelganger gave up and answered Yi-Han's questions), the students felt true liberation.

"Here. This is your share."

"With this much, I feel like I don't need to go back to Einroguard!"

"...You're not really planning to run away, are you?"

"I-I was joking."

'The look in your eyes was serious though.'

Having received heavy pouches of gold coins, the students began making plans to buy what they wanted.

Originally, there would have been limitations due to lack of funds, but with this much, it seemed they could sufficiently buy what they wanted.

"Would a new ball game mallet be too big and conspicuous?"

"Isn't there any way to hide it?"

"Even if the inspection is simple, if we get greedy... Wait. Surely you're not going to do like at the beginning of the year?"

"...Surely they wouldn't do that again. The Death Knights must be busy too."

The students seriously deliberated, considering everything from price to possibility of concealment.

Though they had been at a loss about what to do after coming out of the magic school at first, once they had gold coins and their purchasing options widened, they became very absorbed.

Seeing this, Yi-Han also started thinking he should buy some things.

Though he had a much more generous period than his other friends, it was better to prepare such things in advance.

As the herb work was finished too, Yi-Han recalled the request he had received from a senior.

'Two bundles of purple round wood, swan songs stored in sealed crystals, and three bottles of fairy honey wine.'

While he would have had to purchase from the black market or make them himself inside Einroguard, in Granden City he just had to go around the city and find them.

Just buying them would earn him five times the value. There couldn't be an easier request.

Conveniently, when he asked the trading company, they had purple round wood and fairy honey wine in stock, so he could easily purchase them.

And for the swan songs stored in sealed crystals...

"They're at <Greenbel's Opportunity>?"

"Yes. I heard they purchased a few there."

"That's great! Let's go together!"

Hearing they were visiting a high-end artifact shop in Granden City, the friends with heavy gold coin pouches came trailing along.

Even Adenart sent glances saying 'I want to go too' while fidgeting.

However, Yi-Han was cold.

"Everyone. That place sells things several times more expensive by attaching useless designs and decorations. Rather than buying there, it's better to buy materials and make them yours..."

"What should we buy when we go? Yonaire. Didn't you say you were interested in the <Alchemist's Glasses>? Those glasses made with hoanstone from the Ikansel Mine."

"Those are too expensive. A hundred imperial gold coins..."

"I can lend you some. If not enough, let's ask the others to lend too."

"..."

As his friends ignored his words and burned with determination to follow no matter what, Yi-Han shook his head.

'I shouldn't have given them the gold coins right away. I should have given them in installments.'

"Alright. Don't regret it later."

"Oh right. Wardanaz. As a token of gratitude for this, we'd like to pool our gold coins and buy you something."

Anglago spoke seriously.

Expressing gratitude with gold coins to a friend from a great noble family would be vulgar, but a gift with heart behind it was different.

As the store they were about to go to was a high-end artifact shop, it was even better for expressing gratitude...

Smack!

"Ow!"

"Didn't you just hear him say they sell things expensively there? Are you doing this on purpose?"

"N-no. That's just how high-end... And the others all agreed too..."

Anglago looked at his friends as if terribly wronged.

But the friends had already averted their gazes. Anglago shuddered at their vileness.

'After discussing together!'

There was a reason Moradi said not to trust those from towers other than White Tiger Tower. They were truly rotten bastards.

"If you say such nonsense one more time, I'll take your gold coin pouch and leave it with Moradi. Understand?"

"I-I understand..."

Anglago couldn't understand at all why he was scolded.

And why only he was scolded!

  *

"...Wait. This is strange."

"What is?"

When Yi-Han hesitated in front of the store, his friends tilted their heads.

Nillia cast a slightly suspicious glance.

'Is he doing this to prevent us from entering?'

This friend from the Wardanaz family not only disliked wasting himself, but disliked his friends wasting even more.

To carry out his will, he might very well block the door and prevent them from entering.

"The door is open, but there's no clerk."

"Maybe they went somewhere?"

"No. That can't be."

This Opportunity store located in the central district of the city dealt with city nobles and wealthy people, so its rules were quite strict.

Just last time he came, hadn't a clerk in spotless clothes greeted him inside the store where high-purity mana light was emitted?

Yet for such a clerk to arbitrarily leave their post...

"Can't we go in and check?"

"Salko. If it's a trap, it could be dangerous."

"..."

Salko exchanged glances with Anglago.

The meaning of those glances was simple.

-Don't you think Wardanaz has become a bit too suspicious after going through so many hard times recently?-

-You're right. His temper has gotten a bit nastier too.-

Anglago nodded, thinking of the hit he had taken earlier.

"W-Wardanaz. It doesn't seem like anyone would set traps in a place like this..."

Adenart also cautiously opened her mouth, seemingly sharing the same thoughts as the friends. The other students nodded too.

However, Yi-Han was adamant.

Hadn't he met Yoanen after letting his guard down?

'I mustn't feel at ease just because we're outside school. I should think of outside school as Einroguard too.'

Yi-Han took out a crystal top for divination. <Bagrak's Momentary Divination> was too short in its predictable future to be suitable for such confirmation.

As mana was consumed, the top began spinning on the back of his hand. When Yi-Han tried to go inside, the top stopped spinning.

"It stopped spinning. That means there's danger."

"It might be because you moved while spinning it on the back of your hand... Wardanaz. We look a bit suspicious."

Anglago spoke pleadingly.

Though they were disguised, nearly ten students murmuring in front of a store could draw unnecessary attention.

"Be quiet."

"Ugh..."

"...Freeze according to your master's command!"

An elemental doppelganger made of cold energy opened the door and leaped inside.

The friends watched anxiously. At this point, they had to pray there was some problem inside.

Creating an elemental doppelganger and throwing it into a store with no problems would be a bit rude and strange for a mage!

'Won't we be banned from entering?'

-Intruder. Catch him!-

A thick, rough voice full of hostility was heard from inside, and then a mercenary rushed out from the back of the store.

The students watching through the window were startled.

No way?!

But no matter how surprised the students were, they weren't as surprised as the mercenary.

When the mercenary who attempted to subdue realized what was in front of him was a crude doppelganger made of cold energy, he shouted in shock.

"It's a trap! A tracker!"

-Get out!-

Simultaneously with the sound of busy movement from the back of the store, the mercenary also hurriedly took out a pouch of powder from his bosom.

It was an item that blocked the surrounding view with dark smoke.

However, Yi-Han's reaction was one step ahead. From the moment he had sent in the doppelganger, Yi-Han had been aiming magic through the open door.

Bang!

As the quietly bypassing water bullet exploded, the mercenary felt an impact as if his spine would break and collapsed.

Despite wearing quite thick armor, when hit properly, it was hard to even breathe.

'He's no ordinary mage. Is he a battle mage belonging to a knightly order? How far has the tracking...'

"Wardanaz. The other guys are escaping. Let's chase them!"

"Forget it. Don't act recklessly when we don't know the enemy's strength."

Yi-Han stopped his friends who tried to pursue.

Honestly, he had been a bit worried about the fight escalating in an imperfectly prepared situation, but the other side seemed to have gotten scared and retreated first.

And he had to check on the safety of other people too.

When he checked inside, sure enough, from the clerks to the unfortunate customers, they were all tightly bound and groaning.

"Are you alright?"

"Th-thank you! Those barbarians, those madmen! To do such a thing in the middle of Granden City! I absolutely cannot forgive them!"

The students checked the surroundings and handed calming potions to the coughing customers.

When they regained their senses a bit, a clerk spoke in an angry voice about what had happened.

"Those bastards suddenly barged in and demanded we hand over the swan songs. When we said we didn't have any, that they hadn't arrived yet, they tied up me and the customers here and thoroughly searched inside."

"Are there no swan songs here?"

"Huh? Yes. We were originally going to purchase them, but it fell through when the transport ship sank."

'Who are these guys?'

Yi-Han sensed that this was no ordinary matter.

Given the prices of items handled by this Opportunity store, the forces behind it were not to be trifled with.

To attack such a place. It wasn't something city vagrants or thugs would do.

Moreover, the fact that they didn't touch a single artifact also showed their experience. They had clearly avoided triggering any defensive or alarm magic they didn't know well.

"!"

As he pondered, Yi-Han felt someone calling him from the <Whispers of Einroguard> artifact.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox from the Sentinel club was sending a separate message.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Gonadaltes. The situation has changed. The request is canceled. Don't approach the swan songs.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Dangerous guys are involved. Among the identified mercenaries are Villain from Garam and even Three-Finger Akdin.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Gonadaltes. Are you listening?

Gonadaltes: Does this Akdin mercenary happen to have 3 fingers?

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: It's good to be curious, but is this the time to ask that? Yes. That's probably why he got that nickname.

Gonadaltes: I think I just caught him...

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: ...Don't say such nonsense.