Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 915

Chapter 915

Professor Garcia almost burst out cursing for a moment, but realizing her disciple was beside her, she barely managed to endure.

"Slaves? We're not slaves. Look. It's magic, right?"

"Strange magic. Are you magic slaves?"

"..."

Yi-Han saw Professor Garcia's fist clench tightly.

'Are ancient people fearless?'

If nothing else, seeing Professor Garcia's build, the normal reaction should have been 'Ah, you're not slaves!'

Even if Professor Garcia had handcuffs and chains on her wrists and ankles, they should have tactfully said 'You're not slaves' and moved on, but he couldn't understand what confidence made them act like this.

-Don't think of them rationally.-

The hamster in the cage hanging on the backpack squeaked and said.

"What do you mean?"

-I mean don't think of them as imperial soldiers or patrol members just because they're wearing the attire of soldiers or patrol members. They're completely different beings.-

In the hamster's view, these patrol members were closer to magic criminals or plunderers.

Having spent their whole lives repeatedly attacking and robbing others, killing intent gleamed in their eyes and their fingertips trembled, ready to start an attack at any time.

"You mean the patrol members are criminals? Then coming here..."

While Yi-Han was talking, the patrol members spoke again.

"Whether magic slaves or whatever, it doesn't matter. Put down your equipment and surrender."

"No! We're not slaves, I tell you! Look. And we're not people of this kingdom. We came from outside."

Professor Garcia somehow suppressed her anger and tried rational negotiation once more.

The patrol members paused at that negotiation.

"You say you're not from the Kingdom of Margada but outsiders?"

"Yes!"

"Even better. We won't have to return you to slave owners. We'll sell you for a high price. Surrender. Before we kill..."

The patrol members who were speaking arrogantly collapsed.

Professor Boladi, who had disappeared from beside the group at some point, appeared behind the fallen patrol members and spoke bluntly.

"It seems we can't enter easily."

"...I guess so."

  *

The group quickly moved, capturing the fallen patrol members.

Professor Garcia, who had found a suitable cave nearby, created a temporary campsite after setting up camouflage and guards at the entrance.

"I'll help too."

"It's fine, Yi-Han. Rest."

Professor Garcia shooed Yi-Han away as if she had no intention of making her disciple do anything.

Driven away, Yi-Han approached Professor Boladi. Professor Boladi was tying up the captured prisoners and making a simple interrogation stand.

"I'll help you too."

"Rest."

"..."

Though Yi-Han usually had to do the work of over ten people when with his friends, with the professors, there was almost nothing for him to do.

He could just rest comfortably, but Yi-Han felt strangely uncomfortable.

'Couldn't they just give me some work?'

It was rather difficult to just sit idly while the professors were working.

Yi-Han spoke to the hamster.

"It seems the patrol members of this kingdom capture anyone and make them slaves, is that right?"

-It's not particularly surprising.-

The hamster squeaked indifferently.

It was only because the current empire was peaceful, but if you went to the frontiers or outskirts, or even further, such things were common.

They strictly divided classes, oppressed the lower classes, and used unfortunate outsiders who approached like slaves.

It seemed this kingdom was like that too.

Looking closely, even the support troops that appeared earlier to face the demon army seemed excessively strict in their demeanor.

The moment the slave assistants among the golems stepped even slightly out of line, sharp whips flew from above, blood splattered and flesh flew.

As a magic criminal, the hamster keenly sensed what kind of atmosphere this kingdom had.

A powerful magic kingdom ruling people with power and fear!

"Let's begin."

Professor Boladi, having finished preparations, called the group and woke the prisoners.

The patrol members, regaining consciousness, glared fiercely and threatened.

"How dare you slaves do this? Are you not afraid of punishment!"

"If you beg forgiveness now, we'll end it at just making you slaves!"

Professor Boladi used magic efficiently.

After several spells were cast, the patrol members became very docile.

"What... do you want to know..."

"Stop...! I-I'll answer..."

-His skill is extraordinary.-

The hamster had to admit that this Einroguard professor's ability was quite remarkable.

Yi-Han nodded with an agreeing expression.

"That's right. Professor Bagrak knows how to make people listen."

'What are you boasting about, you bastard?'

The hamster was inwardly dumbfounded.

Of course, he was a magic criminal so it was fine for him to highly evaluate such interrogation, but wasn't the Wardanaz family boy different?

"Affiliation."

"K-Kingdom of Margada... patrol member of Isran City..."

"Method of entering the kingdom."

"F-for outsiders... generally can't enter... if caught... unconditionally become slaves..."

Professor Garcia, listening beside them, was shocked.

"Outsiders' approach is completely forbidden, how can that be?"

It was easy to think of the Three Kingdoms era as a time when only three kingdoms existed, but it was actually a bit different.

It was called that because there were three kingdoms powerful enough to leave their names among numerous small kingdoms.

And the Kingdom of Margada was one of those three kingdoms, a great power that even Professor Garcia knew the name of.

It was unbelievable that such a huge kingdom, not some closed small country, would capture and imprison all outsiders as slaves.

"If they act like that, all merchants would go to the Kingdom of Karsala or the Kingdom of Arbanti. All travelers from other small kingdoms too."

Professor Garcia asked, mentioning the names of two kingdoms.

The Three Kingdoms era was a fierce time when kings fell and crowns melted.

In such an era, such a mistake would only benefit other kingdoms.

However, the patrol member answered as if to say 'What are you talking about?'

"The Kingdom of Karsala and the Kingdom of Arbanti are all the same... Where are you from that you don't know that... Ugh!"

"Use honorifics."

When the patrol member acted rudely, Professor Boladi entered into efficient magic use again.

After several uses of magic, the patrol member realized that it didn't matter where an outsider was from, what mattered was manners.

"...The Three Kingdoms era is harsher than I thought."

"Indeed it is."

Yi-Han agreed with Professor Garcia's words.

From the perspective of only seeing it in history books, one only remembered the numerous great mages and arcane magic born, and all kinds of culture and anecdotes, but seeing it in person, it was extraordinarily fierce.

The three strongest kingdoms focused only on developing powerful arcane magic while using not only outsiders but also their people like slaves, and outside the kingdoms, demon armies that had descended on the continent roamed looking for gaps.

All this was discovered in less than a day since arriving here, so there must be many more terrible situations they hadn't discovered.

"To enter... must disguise... borrow the power of smugglers... or wear the attire of kingdom citizens..."

"Probability of detection?"

"Periodically... chimeras patrol... outsiders have no mark... easily detected..."

'It seems more thorough than Einroguard.'

Yi-Han inwardly clicked his tongue.

Chimeras that catch those without magically processed marks.

That wasn't even a royal palace but a small city. It was unbelievable that they would conduct such surveillance even inside such a city.

"Have you heard of the Gonadaltes family?"

"Gonadaltes? Gonadaltes... I think I've heard of it... but I'm not sure..."

The patrol member tilted his head and then expressed denial.

Even if the skull principal was a prince in his lifetime, that was only a prince of a small kingdom.

A mere patrol member wasn't sharp enough to know the families of such kingdoms.

Professor Boladi, having heard all he needed to hear, nodded and reverse analyzed the patrol member's magic mark.

"Professor Garcia."

"Yes."

As if understanding without being told, Professor Garcia cast marks on the group's clothes.

Even if they entered the city, they wouldn't be easily detected as long as they had these magic marks.

-Wait. I'll offer an opinion.-

"?"

When the squeaking hamster spoke, everyone looked at him in puzzlement. Even the captured and tattered patrol members were the same.

"Yi-Han. I'm curious about something."

-I am Antagondals. You mages know that too. I'm trapped in this body due to circumstances, but...-

"No. We know you're Antagondals. Yi-Han told us."

-...-

The hamster became slightly embarrassed.

And then felt even more dumbfounded.

Normally, if you carry around an evil magic criminal in a cage, wouldn't you hide that fact?

-You told everyone about that?-

"Huh? Of course I had to tell them. I don't know what kind of dog... I mean, what you might do, Mage. What if you enthralled me with evil magic?"

-...-

Logically speaking, it was correct. It was just annoying and unpleasant.

Professor Garcia, unable to wait, cut in.

"What I'm curious about is why you keep carrying this hamster around?"

"Ah. I thought he might be helpful since he's the oldest among us. He probably knows a lot about ancient times too."

This was also logically correct. Excluding emotional aversion.

Professor Garcia thought inwardly.

'I've thought this before, but Yi-Han doesn't seem to fear associating with dangerous people enough.'

Of course, Einroguard had pushed dangerously excessive characters in front of Yi-Han, but it was true that he seemed to have adapted too well to that.

-Decide whether to listen to my opinion after hearing it. These patrol members must be killed and disposed of immediately.-

The hamster spoke strongly as his own safety was at stake.

The other mages were in full power, so even if they died in this past realm, they could somehow restore their souls and return, but wasn't the hamster in a severely pathetic state now?

If they were annihilated, the hamster would suffer the greatest damage.

"W-what!"

"You can't do that! How dare you kill patrol members of the Kingdom of Margada!"

The patrol members shouted in rage.

How dare outsiders from who knows where not only capture the kingdom's patrol members but try to kill them arbitrarily?

-Look. Who knows what they'll do if left alone. There are too many magics we don't know to just tie them up or subdue them. We can't create unnecessary variables.-

There were too many strange magics the hamster didn't know in the Three Kingdoms era.

If there was magic to find missing patrol members, things would become troublesome.

-I know you Einroguard mages are soft, but now...-

"Uh, but Mage. I wasn't thinking of tying them up or subduing them."

Yi-Han carefully cut in.

In a situation like this, Yi-Han also had no intention of leaving the patrol members here.

-Then?-

"Since we'll have to enter the city once anyway, I was thinking of making these patrol members act as guides."

-Didn't you hear me say not to create unnecessary variables?-

"Yes. I thought about that too. But wouldn't it be much safer if we transform them into hamsters and confine them in cages so they can't do anything reckless?"

Professor Boladi nodded as if his disciple had judged excellently.

The hamster listening hesitated for a while, at a loss for words, then blurted out.

-...I don't understand why you Einroguard bastards aren't called magic criminals.-