Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 946

Chapter 946

Unaware that Rowena was looking at him as if he were an eccentric from the side, Yi-Han called Nillia.

"Nillia. Could you ask the spirits if the fire energy is insufficient?"

"Alright."

Nillia nodded and politely asked the spirits. It was a request to check the flame essence in the cauldron.

The spirits who received the request trudged over and checked the heat inside the cauldron. Then they fled in terror.

"...They didn't run away because of me, right? It's because of the cauldron's energy, right?"

"I don't think that's important right now...!"

Rowena was flustered by Yi-Han's fixation on a completely unnecessary point.

"They say it's not because of you. ...It's not, right? Really? You're not saying that because you're scared, are you? Yeah. They say they retreated because the fire energy was much stronger than expected."

"Indeed."

While it might be a problem if it were weak, there was nothing wrong with the energy being strong. Still, just in case, Yi-Han called Adenart.

"Your Highness. Could you ask the spirits once more?"

Adenart quietly nodded in understanding.

Then, after briefly communing with the spirit, she said.

"...I'm sorry, Wardanaz. The spirit is afraid to approach."

"..."

Yi-Han realized that it wasn't good for summoned spirits to get too friendly with each other either.

To think they would share information so quickly in that short time.

"Ah. Then I should summon my flame sparrow spirit."

"No. I'll try to coax it well."

Nillia soothed the spirit Adenart had summoned and then made her request.

After pondering, the spirit finally scurried to the front of the cauldron and checked its heat.

"It says there's nothing wrong except the fire energy is very strong?"

"I see..."

Yi-Han's voice was slightly gloomy. Rowena inwardly wondered.

It was resolved well, so why?

  *

Arien, who had been checking the quality of newly imported tea leaves and inspecting silk embroidery with the employees, opened his eyes wide when the students came out.

"What's going on with everyone?"

"Mr. Arien. We've regenerated the discarded flame wood roots. Please accept these."

"What? Is that possible to regenerate?"

Arien was even more surprised at the words that they had regenerated reagents discarded due to transport errors.

Though he had traveled to many places due to trading company business, he had never heard of regenerating discarded reagents like this.

'Is this a secret technique passed down only in Einroguard?'

Though surprised, Arien could understand for now.

It wasn't just anywhere, but Einroguard. It wouldn't be strange if they had special magic passed down only inside.

"We can't take this back. Above all, didn't we give it to you because it was discarded? You can do whatever you want with it... Ah!"

Arien was startled when he opened the lid of the wooden box containing the roots.

The appearance of the flame wood roots was so different from what he had expected.

The color had deepened to a much more intense red, and the flame energy was so fierce that sparks were flying around.

'...Did they raise this over lava with a red dragon's breath???'

Flustered by the energy of the reagent several times more powerful than he knew, Arien asked.

"Is this really flame wood root?"

"Huh? It is. The shape, color, energy, and properties all match, don't they?"

'The color and energy seem different though...'

Arien asked an employee to bring a small magnifying artifact and carefully checked.

Surprisingly, it was indeed flame wood root.

Just with much more powerful energy.

"Young Master of the Wardanaz family. I knew your magic was outstanding, but I didn't know it was to this extent. To strengthen discarded reagents like this... I can't even imagine what kind of secret technique this is."

"It's not that difficult. We just condensed the flames as much as the alchemy equipment could withstand and then pickled the flame wood roots."

At Yi-Han's words, Arien smiled gently.

Unlike other people from the Wardanaz family, this boy seemed to really enjoy pleasant jokes.

To deflect the answer that he couldn't leak Einroguard's secret techniques so elegantly.

"I'm sure. Anyway, we can't accept this. How about you students try selling it yourselves?"

"Huh?"

At the unexpected suggestion, Yi-Han and his friends murmured. Arien pointed to the tea leaves and silk behind him.

"These were also sold by Einroguard students."

The patterns and designs embroidered with gold and silver threads on the jet-black silk were the highest quality fabric called Azirmo in the empire.

Yi-Han was surprised to hear that the seniors had made that.

"Are you saying the seniors made that highest quality silk?"

"It's not the highest quality silk, but."

"!"

At those words, Yi-Han belatedly noticed the dissonance.

"I see...! I don't feel the unique energy that emanates from expensive luxury goods!"

"...Is there such energy?"

Nillia asked her friends in confusion. The friends shook their heads.

Even Adenart, who had been exposed to the most expensive luxury goods, had never felt such energy.

"Then what is this?"

"It's cheap silk that's been dyed, with fake gold and silver substituted for the threads. It could be called an imitation, but it still fetches quite a price."

Einroguard students couldn't afford to sell expensive materials at high prices.

Selling cheap materials and magic at high prices was exactly what Einroguard students did.

"Surely those tea leaves aren't..."

"Those are real tea leaves. I heard the students grew them quickly in a greenhouse though."

The second-year students were starting to feel it too, but by third year, the amount of needed reagents and items increased exponentially.

It wasn't for nothing that they took on requests in their busy schedules. Einroguard upperclassmen were always pressed for time and gold coins.

Contracting with outside merchants like this to supply goods and receive money was relatively easy, so quite a few students did it.

But now Yi-Han and his friends were in a situation where they were outside and had quite a wide network.

Without restrictions, selling directly would be most profitable.

"Indeed. Thank you for the advice."

Yi-Han nodded at the reasonable words.

Certainly, there was no reason to refuse if they could make maximum profit.

"Wait a moment!"

"?"

Arien called out again to Yi-Han's group as they were about to turn away.

Arien spoke with a sheepish expression.

"Could I buy one box of flame wood roots now? There's not much quantity in the city..."

Come to think of it, he needed a box of flame wood roots for the upcoming city alchemists' meeting.

Though he wanted to end the conversation there after considerately accommodating the other party, Arien was a merchant.

If there was a chance to obtain good goods, he would never miss it!

  *

"Is this enough?"

The students finished repackaging the box. During this, Salko offered an opinion.

"Wait. We need to be careful. If Einroguard students sell at this point, we could be tracked."

"That's certainly true. Hmm. We'll need to use aliases."

Apart from disguises, they needed to use separate names too.

After pondering briefly, Yi-Han wrote <Anog Family> on the box.

"What's the Anog family?"

"It's an imaginary family I created. It's the identity I used when rescuing you guys last time. Oh right. You guys should memorize it too."

"?"

Anglago blinked, wondering what he had to memorize.

"Okay. Setlad of the Anog family is a noble who was captured by pirates in the southern empire but rescued by Ragesa, daughter of Torgerard who leads the privateer fleet..."

"..."

30 minutes later.

Anglago nodded with unfocused, blank eyes.

"I-I think I've memorized it now."

"Good. Well done. Preparation must be thorough."

'But why did I need to remember about amassing wealth during the speculation crisis?'

Anglago was curious about that, but he held back from asking here, fearing he might have to listen to another hour-long additional identity lecture.

"Ah. Right. I forgot something in the treasure map wealth story."

'No!'

"Wait a moment, Yi-Han."

As Anglago was inwardly screaming, he let out a sigh of relief when Yonaire intervened.

'Thank you, Maykin!'

"The family name is good, but we need a crest too. It might look strange if we just write the name without a crest."

"Oh... That's right."

Having received the point, Yi-Han pondered for about 10 seconds.

To consider a pattern fitting for the family.

There was no need to think longer than that. It was just for an alias after all.

Scribble scribble-

"How's this?"

"...Is that an upside-down skull?"

"That's right."

"It seems a bit provocative... No. We'll go to the punishment room all the same if we're caught anyway. Shall we go with this then?"

Yonaire thought there was no need to provoke the skull principal, but she figured her friend would know what he was doing.

Perhaps it was an expression of respect as a disciple.

"Family name done, crest done... We just need to say it came from the Anog family and deliver it. Oh. Yonaire. How about Lady Yoanen's workshop?"

Yi-Han brought up the name of the first alchemy workshop that came to mind.

Surely Yoanen, an outstanding alchemist, would recognize the value of this flame wood root.

"That won't work."

"Why not?"

Yi-Han was a bit surprised at the unexpected answer.

To think Yonaire would say it wouldn't work.

Could there have been some problem with Lady Yoanen?

"When buying reagents, Sister Yoanen is really strict about pointing out flaws and economizing. If we want to sell at a high price, another place would be better."

"I see...!"

Yi-Han sent a look of respect at the thoroughness that wouldn't give way even to blood relations.

With such a wise friend, he felt certain they could make a big profit.

"Everyone. We can do this. Let's become the greatest merchants of Granden City!"

"To... to that extent?"

  *

"If Miss Maykin comes, tell her I'm not here!"

An alchemist shouted as he burst into the workshop.

However, surprisingly, there was already no one in the workshop. The alchemist stumbled backward in confusion and bumped into something.

Thud-

"Wh-what's this? Who's there? Did someone drink an invisibility potion?"

"Shh. Be quiet."

"Pahuseok?! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to tell Miss Maykin I'm not here when she comes."

"..."

The alchemists who arrived late finally realized that all their colleagues had drunk invisibility potions and were hiding throughout the workshop.

Their colleagues were one step ahead.

"Did none of you get flame wood roots? No, it's not even that rare a reagent!"

"The Richmond family's transport ship happened to sink... We'll have to wait at least another month for the next quantity to arrive."

"A month? In a month, Miss Maykin will have dried us all up and still have 29 days to spare!"

The reason the alchemists were like this was simple.

They hadn't been able to obtain the reagents needed for workshop work.

All of them!

Though Yoanen of the Maykin family wasn't a violent person, she was a mage full of madness. If the needed reagents kept being unavailable, the workshop alchemists might have to work 25 hours a day.

Clunk-

At the sound of the door opening, an alchemist threw an invisibility potion at himself in panic.

The workshop owner, Yoanen Maykin, wearing amethyst glasses, entered.

Thud!

When Yoanen took out a small stone fragment from her pocket and threw it, all the invisibility effects in the workshop were absorbed.

The alchemists who had been hiding in the ceiling, wardrobe, or cauldron quietly walked out without a word.

"Miss Maykin. If you give us a little more time, we will surely bring the reagents. Please calm down."

"Ah. The situation has changed a bit."

Yoanen took out a small reagent pouch with a very interested face.

Then she skillfully untied the string with her gloved fingers and took out the reagent inside.

'Flame wood root? No. The energy is too strong. Is it a special reagent made from flame wood root?'

"I received this flame wood root from an alchemist I know."

"Are you saying this is flame wood root?!"

"That's right. Interesting, isn't it? And what's more interesting is that the alchemist also received it as a gift from a merchant, and this flame wood root will soon be released in the city."

"..."

"..."

"We'll work 26 hours a day if we can't find and purchase this!"

The alchemists spoke with eyes blazing more fiercely than the heat emitted by the flame wood root.