Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 880

Chapter 880

"Be quiet, fool."

"Yes."

As the mad doppelganger glared at him, Yi-Han immediately closed his mouth.

"This is why worthless mages... They don't understand the value of truth or the importance of hardship."

At the ancient great mage's lament, Jorzik cautiously offered an opinion.

"Excuse me, Great Mage. Do you know what this Jorzik's goal is?"

"Does royalty need to know that?"

"It's to be the next principal of Einroguard."

"..."

At this unexpectedly shocking goal, even the mad doppelganger looked at Professor Jorzik with slightly surprised eyes.

As it was a goal difficult to dare for with ordinary madness, Professor Jorzik deserved such a gaze.

"Surprising."

"As a candidate for the next Einroguard principal, I have a duty to protect the students."

The mad doppelganger asked Yi-Han as if he couldn't believe it.

"Is he really a candidate?"

"Um... Yes."

Though he didn't hear it clearly, Yi-Han thought he heard the mad doppelganger mutter, "That scum has lost his mind."

"As you know, the ancient magic school not only treated disciples harshly but sometimes treated them as consumables. From our perspective, we can't help but suspect that you might be thinking of student Wardanaz as a consumable."

"How dare you?"

Professor Jorzik and Professor Boladi immediately drew their staffs. A strong presence flowed from the mad doppelganger.

The unique presence of a great mage who controlled all the surrounding mana and dominated the space, not simply emitting mana in large quantities!

"You reveal your insolent true colors when I speak generously. Do the teachings of royalty sound so trivial as to be passed on to consumables?"

The mad doppelganger's voice was flat without differences in pitch, but that made it even more chilling.

An ominous implication emanated that this space could turn into a space of death at any moment depending on the other's words.

-Then why do you call Yi-Han a fool?-

Jourin, who had been listening to the conversation while hugging Eandurde who disliked it, opened her mouth.

The mad doppelganger paused, as if caught off guard by the dragon's sudden participation.

"...I call him a fool because of his lowly status."

-But Yi-Han is a noble?-

"I'm not talking about bloodline status, descendant of noble blood."

The mad doppelganger explained the customs of ancient mages.

Regardless of whether they were royalty or slaves, disciples were basically in a position to learn, so they were lowly beings.

Jourin was disgusted by the harsh educational environment of ancient times.

-Then the point about consumables doesn't seem completely wrong!-

"That's not it, descendant of noble blood. Just because the title is like that doesn't mean they're consumables..."

The mad doppelganger continued to explain calmly without showing even a hint of anger towards Jourin.

However, Jourin was indeed of dragon lineage.

No matter how many ancient customary laws and conventions the mad doppelganger brought up, she shook her head and denied them.

-Jourin doesn't understand! Yi-Han is pitiful!-

"..."

After trying to persuade her again for a long time without giving up, the mad doppelganger finally admitted defeat.

"...I understand. I'll call him disciple. Descendant of noble blood."

-Wow!-

Yi-Han, who had been watching this scene from the side, was even more moved than before.

"Your Highness. I don't think I've ever been so proud of you."

-Hehe. Jourin... Wait. So you weren't proud of me until now?-

'Oops.'

Before Jourin could notice the strange point, Professor Jorzik and Professor Boladi intervened.

"Your Highness. Please ask for other things too."

"You should point out dangerous teachings as well."

"..."

The mad doppelganger cast a gaze full of contempt at the sight of the professors using Jourin as a shield to say what they wanted.

The continent was truly a corrupt place. It only got worse as time passed, not better.

  *

After negotiations (or more accurately, Jourin's insistence), several changes occurred.

Yi-Han's title was now changed from fool to disciple. This could be called a truly enormous change.

Though minor in comparison, the mad doppelganger's teachings also changed slightly. He promised not to pass on magic with a risk of death for now.

The mad doppelganger tried to persuade them by citing ancient customs, saying "We can just resurrect them," but Jourin was adamant.

-No! Not allowed! It hurts to die!-

"..."

As a result, the mad doppelganger's mood seemed very bad, having only suffered losses. Yi-Han watched his master's expression.

Usually, Yi-Han didn't care much whether his master was angry or sad, but when the opponent was the mad doppelganger, things were a bit different.

It wasn't for nothing that 'mad' was attached to the front.

"Master. Still, I've had several achievements in the meantime."

The mad doppelganger ignored him, pretending not to hear, as if his mood was still bad.

-Yi-Han. He seems upset...-

As Jourin was the one who got upset most often here, she had an expert's eye in distinguishing emotional knots.

Of course, as he couldn't say "That's right," Yi-Han denied it for now.

"He's not upset. He's just slightly displeased."

-...Isn't that being upset...?-

"Shh. More importantly, please help me. I need to talk about my achievements."

-Mmm! Understood!-

Jourin nodded up and down, perhaps feeling slightly sorry for insisting to the mad doppelganger.

"Look. My staff has been completed like this."

"It would have been more powerful if you had used a branch of the World Tree. Fo... Disciple."

"..."

Yi-Han missed the days when the mad doppelganger used to get coldly angry.

It was exceptionally difficult to deal with him when he ignored like this, pretending not to hear.

"Oh. I also completed one skeleton golem."

"Reflect on completing it so late. To take this long to complete just one skeleton golem."

While the mad doppelganger was being curt, Professor Jorzik and Professor Boladi had a conversation.

"Professor Bagrak. I dare say, though cautiously. It seems the current magic transmission method of Einroguard is far superior and more refined than the ancient method."

"I agree."

"It seems we don't need to refer to the transmission method even if we learn ancient magic."

'Can't they go talk somewhere else?'

The two professors were having a serious discussion about magic and teaching, but it wasn't very helpful to Yi-Han.

Unable to watch anymore, Jourin stepped in to provide support.

-Yi-Han also got a backpack with spatial magic, and learned magic needed for airship construction!-

"How very impressive. You can work as a craftsman in a guild workshop then."

At the mad doppelganger's chilly voice, Jourin became dejected.

However, Yi-Han was puzzled.

'Isn't that a compliment?'

No matter how he thought about it, it only sounded like words of encouragement. For a moment, he wondered if the mad doppelganger's anger had subsided.

But the mad doppelganger's expression was still as cold as ice. Yi-Han realized he still had a long way to go.

"Um... I visited the Gate of Nine Mountains and Eight Seas realm. I met the Yaksha King and heard stories, and even contracted with a star..."

As he spoke, Yi-Han glanced at his master's expression. It was to check if his anger had subsided even a little.

And Yi-Han was shocked.

"...?!!"

The mad doppelganger was looking at Yi-Han with an expression he had never seen before.

Several emotions like shock, admiration, and emotion were mixed on his face, making it hard to recognize properly.

"Continue speaking."

"Huh? That's all I just said."

"Don't you know the word 'in detail'? In detail. Speak without leaving anything out."

Yi-Han felt the pressure that if he didn't speak in detail, he would be turned into a hamster and thrown into the cage where the magic criminal was. He quickly explained in detail what had happened.

How he crossed the realm gate and arrived, how he happened to meet the Yaksha King, how this Yaksha King deployed evil deceptions (the mad doppelganger gestured to skip this part as if it was annoying)...

And when he explained up to the name of the star he contracted with, the mad doppelganger was silent for a moment.

"You..."

"?"

"I'm proud. You have the right to be called a disciple."

Yi-Han realized one thing.

It was far more terrifying when the ancient mad great mage sent an expectant gaze, deeply moved, than when he got angry or treated him coldly.

  *

Unlike Yi-Han's shock and fear, the mad doppelganger seemed very satisfied and showed kindness to the two professors as well.

He kindly answered Professor Jorzik's magic-related questions and said he would consider Professor Boladi's education-related points.

"But Master. You said... you were preparing for intruders, right?"

"Ah. That's right. I had forgotten about that trivial matter."

"..."

The two professors didn't particularly object either.

Due to its reputation, Einroguard constantly had intruders appear. But among those intruders, those who managed to escape with their lives were extremely rare.

Most couldn't even cross the territory's barrier, and even if they got in, they disappeared without a trace inside.

Moreover, intruders who came in to rescue one hamster, no, magic criminal in this remote mountain workshop.

From the professors' perspective, it couldn't help but feel trivial.

"To protect the workshop's items, underlings are needed after all."

No matter how great a mage was, they were vulnerable to thieves invading the workshop during their absence.

Even powerful and advanced magic had weaknesses.

It wasn't for nothing that mages kept underlings to guard their workshops.

Yi-Han, who had been listening to the story, tilted his head and asked.

"But if you cast magic with determination, wouldn't they generally not even dare to attempt an attack?"

It was said that invasion was advantageous, but it wasn't like Gainando could break through just by being thrown in front of the principal's office where the skull principal had cast defensive magic.

The difference in level was also...

The mad doppelganger spoke coldly.

"Are you saying I should use such magic to protect one slave?"

"...Ah. Yes."

Yi-Han was dumbfounded, but the other two professors showed reactions of understanding.

"Indeed, it's absurd to waste secrets for one magic criminal."

"If there's such magic, it should be used for disciples."

'Did I really bring these two people for nothing?'

It seemed it would have been much better to just bring Jourin.

"Should I stand guard? Princess Jourin and Eandurde could also..."

"Have you become arrogant because you met the Yaksha King and contracted with a star? You don't even have enough time to train in magic."

'Then don't call me.'

Yi-Han cursed his master inwardly.

Regardless, the mad doppelganger continued to admonish.

"To try to make the descendant of noble blood do such trivial work. How many times do I have to teach you etiquette?"

-Jourin is fine with it?-

The mad doppelganger ignored her, pretending not to hear. Jourin pouted.

"It's the same with trying to make a low-level junior do the work. You need to learn for several more years."

"!"

Eandurde looked at Yi-Han and Professor Boladi with a shocked expression.

Was her level really that low?

"No, Eandurde. Don't be deceived. Master is just being strict."

"You're doing well enough."

The two worked hard to comfort Eandurde. Then Yi-Han asked again.

"Then do you have a good method?"

"As I said, underlings are needed. Then we should look for them around here."

"I see. You mean Einroguard seniors."

"..."

At Yi-Han's answer, not only the mad doppelganger but even the professors cast shocked gazes. Even Professor Boladi's eyes showed slight surprise.

"Uh, am I wrong?"

-Yi-Han... Jourin thinks he means the races around here...-

"The descendant of noble blood is correct. What a pathetic disciple. Several races live in these mountains."

"But Einroguard seniors would work hard if given gold coins..."

The group ignored Yi-Han's words.

"Among them, the most suitable race is the giants. As the disciple of royalty, I'll entrust you with full authority, so visit the giants with Intarendals. The giants are rough and untamed beings, so you must be much more careful in your attitude. Don't act arrogantly just because you can give ample rewards. Their anger is never light."

"?"

Were there other giants in the mountains?