Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 871

Chapter 871

Except for cases like students of a certain B school who learned magic as a hobby, mages were fundamentally beings who pursued truth.

From the start, the path of magic was not easy even if one walked their own path and chased after its ultimate goal, so it was difficult to endure for long with a light heart as if it were a hobby.

This realm was one of the most powerful among countless realms.

The all-encompassing existence at the pinnacle of that realm would not be much different from truth itself.

...Of course, people like Yi-Han who took up the staff for wealth, glory, and a leisurely life were somewhat of an exception.

"It's not that my soul is injured, but it looks too dangerous. And we can't know for sure if everything we want is really up there, can we?"

-That's true.-

The Yaksha King surprisingly accepted Yi-Han's point readily.

The point of light shining at the pinnacle of that realm had been said to be everything and the embodiment of wishes since ancient times, but it had never actually been proven.

From the start, beings who had attempted to climb there and returned alive were extremely rare. Even the Yaksha King didn't know of any other than Os.

-But usually mages don't judge so calculatingly. All mages except you revealed their desires the moment they heard this rumor.-

"I must have been well taught. It's against etiquette to act greedily when visiting somewhere, after all."

-Hmm. Did Os learn a lesson from his failure? He begged while shedding tears like that.-

"I'd very much like to hear that story in detail."

Yi-Han said immediately.

The skull principal's shameful past was a far more attractive story than the point of light up there.

-It's not an important story.-

'No!'

Yi-Han was indignant at the attitude of returning to the main point without talking about useless stories.

What does a mere Yaksha know about human society!

-Your master Os visited the realm after hearing the rumor of truth. I respected Os's good karma and magic and helped him as much as possible. He stayed in the kingdom for a while, recuperated and inquired... and left. According to rumors, it seems he wandered within the realm for quite a long time even after leaving the kingdom.-

"Did my master reach the top?"

-Hmm.-

The Yaksha King showed a rare look of difficulty.

-Actually, I haven't met Os since then. I just thought it was Os because I heard a rumor that a human mage obtained what he wanted and left. So I don't know for certain. But isn't the very fact that he's alive and well and raised a disciple like you proof that he reached the top?-

"Couldn't he have given up halfway and then spread false rumors that he obtained the truth?"

-Hmm. Due to your emotional attitude towards your master, the story I told earlier about Os's change is starting to lose some credibility.-

"..."

Yi-Han was dumbfounded.

-But if we're just looking at possibilities, your words are correct too. That could be the case.-

Although he said that, the Yaksha King seemed convinced that the skull principal had obtained the truth and left.

The Yaksha King himself didn't seem to have any intention of hiding it, as he continued speaking.

-Os was a mage who wouldn't leave until he obtained what he wanted, even if his body and soul were crushed.-

"That's certainly true."

-Hmm. Are you forcibly praising your master because you were just pointed out for your irrational attitude towards him?-

"...No."

-Well. We've arrived.-

The Yaksha King stretched his hand far upwards and grabbed a planet flying through the sky.

Yi-Han opened his eyes wide at the surreal sight that ignored perspective.

When he pulled the grabbed planet and threw it forward, the planet soon transformed into a palace. The Yaksha King split into dozens of Yaksha Kings, then split again into hundreds of Yaksha Kings.

And those Yaksha Kings each became gatekeepers, servants, palace people, and musicians.

"You're the king of Yakshas, but where are the other Yakshas?"

-Down below. When one can furnish a palace alone, forcibly keeping subordinates is something only beings who lack confidence in their own authority do.-

Yi-Han was about to say 'The skull principal also keeps a huge number of Death Knights' but held back.

He felt that no matter what he said, the Yaksha King would brand him as a resentful disciple.

The Yaksha King offered Yi-Han a chair made of lava and a chair made of blades, and when he refused both, only then did he take out and offer a normal chair.

-As I said, I don't often see humans, so my memory of what kind of chairs they sit on is vague.-

"Are there races that like sitting on blade chairs?"

-Os sat on that chair.-

"..."

After giving Yi-Han enough time to be dumbfounded, the Yaksha King got to the main point.

-Well then, Os's disciple. I'm actually a bit confused. You visited the realm with qualification, have accumulated vast good karma, and are also Os's disciple. That's why I came like this to help you achieve your goal. But if Os didn't send you, and you didn't come after hearing the rumor of truth yourself, then...-

The Yaksha King muttered with a deeply troubled face.

He was a Yaksha King who had lived for so long he couldn't even remember. During that time, the way of life the Yaksha King had kept was very simple and straightforward.

Help those who are qualified and expel those who are not.

But to think a mage who visited just because he was bored without any particular desire would appear.

"I didn't visit because I was bored, I was kidnapped..."

-Hmm. If you were Os's disciple, you should have been able to avoid being pulled in by a realm gate.-

"...I'm telling you this black book deceived me!"

Yi-Han pointed at the fluttering black book beside him and raged.

The black book flew slightly behind Yi-Han to avoid his gaze.

"More importantly, if you're troubled because of that, why don't you just send me back?"

As he had been forcibly dragged here, Yi-Han had no reason to stay long in this realm.

From what he heard, it was a vast and extremely dangerous place, and the longer he stayed, the more difficult it would become for Yi-Han, though the black book might like it.

The black book fluttered that he should learn more since he came, but Yi-Han ignored it.

'By that logic, I should be visiting realms from the King of Ghouls to the King of Frost Giant right now.'

-No. That can't be done.-

"...Why not?! Is it impossible to return?"

-Hmm. It's not that. The gate to return to the original realm can be easily found. It's just that I'm a principled person, so I can't send back a guest who visited with qualification without helping them obtain what they want.-

"...I just said I want to go back."

-As you visited the realm with qualification, your return is naturally guaranteed as well. That can't be a wish.-

'It's really fortunate this person isn't a professor.'

Yi-Han felt a chill.

If the skull principal had scouted the Yaksha King before returning, Einroguard would have become an even more hellish place.

-It can't be helped. Os's disciple. I'll have you state your wish.-

"I just want treasure. Let's go with treasure."

-Hmm. You're not good at lying. Knowing you're Os's disciple, such lies won't work.-

Seeing Yi-Han's fist clench tightly, the black book fluttered as if to stop him.

The Yaksha King, like before, stretched his hand to a tower of the distant palace and grabbed it. The huge tower shrank as if it would fit in his palm.

Then a black rat came out from inside the tower and whispered to the Yaksha King, squeaking.

-Hmm. Hmm... I see. So that's it.-

After sending the rat and tower back, the Yaksha King looked at Yi-Han and spoke.

-Os's disciple. It seems you have an exam soon. Is it a very important exam?-

"...It's just a school exam..."

  *

After that, Yi-Han had to explain for about 30 more minutes.

The Yaksha King couldn't understand why a mage of Os's disciple's caliber was focusing so wholeheartedly just because of a magic tower's exam.

-It's not like mages' heads will be cut off if they fail, or the magic tower will be burned down, right?-

"I might go to the punishment room..."

-Hmm. I don't understand why you volunteered to be Os's disciple.-

"I didn't volunteer!"

-Anyway, I understand. I'll help you with the magic tower's exam.-

The Yaksha King bent his huge body and sat in front of the table. Books sprang up on the table that was as large as its owner.

Among them were books from other realms whose letters Yi-Han didn't know.

-Let's see... <Staff Materials and Magic Amplification>. Hmm. There should be some blood silver extracted by melting the king-slayer from 800 years ago somewhere. The evil energy might be a bit strong, but Os's disciple should be able to control it, right?-

"No?"

Yi-Han answered immediately.

Having already experienced this in front of Einroguard's professors, he was certain that showing confidence in this situation could really get him killed.

The Yaksha King pointed out as if to say don't pretend to be modest.

-Os's disciple. Of course, this blood silver is a somewhat strong material. It drove dozens of owners mad. But if you're Os's disciple...-

"I already have a staff here."

-Black purplestone?-

The Yaksha King was curious about the unusual staff metal that ordinary mages wouldn't choose.

"Yes. Somehow..."

-I see. Did you make it to specifically deal with mages? As expected of Os's disciple.-

"..."

Yi-Han was now too tired to explain and didn't answer.

-I understand. Then the next exam... <Terribly Beautiful Creatures>?-

"The professor decided to skip this one."

-Hmm. Why are you so anxious and worried about such an easy exam that can be skipped?-

"There are so many exams."

-Well. Whether it's one or ten subpar exams, there doesn't seem to be much difference. Perhaps...-

"?"

-...You might just have a personality that worries unnecessarily. Interesting.-

"...Let's look at the next exam."

-Next is <Poison, Bone, Blood>.-

"That one was also skipped."

-Hmm.-

'The opponent is a king. The opponent is a king.'

Yi-Han exercised superhuman patience at the sight of the Yaksha King nodding as if to say 'I knew it'.

-<Divination Magic Good for Going Crazy>... Demons are good at this.-

"Do you perhaps also capture demons and use them as slaves, Your Majesty?"

-No. I don't do such things. Isn't it vulgar for a king of various races including Yakshas?-

"Haha. That's right."

-Didn't you just say 'also'?-

"Because I'm emotional and irrational and bad at lying and my soul is greatly injured, I sometimes misspeak."

-I feel like there's a hidden metaphor in your words...-

The Yaksha King was suspicious but let it pass for now.

There was something more important right now.

-You were wondering what the exam using this <Star Guide> is.-

"Yes. Do you perhaps know?"

-It's not difficult. If human mages use stars, it's an obvious matter.-

Mages were not people who changed the world crudely, but those who changed it cleverly and ingeniously.

Naturally, borrowing the power of other beings fell under those clever and ingenious methods.

The power of spirits, the power of demons, the power of beings residing in other realms...

And among them was the power of stars.

A symbol of immutability far more stable than realms.

Yi-Han nodded as he knew this from hearing about it.

"I know that even high-level mages use the power of stars, but..."

Using the power of stars for divination magic, or using the power of stars for contracts with spirits, and so on.

Yi-Han already knew about these things.

But what he was curious about now was the content of the exam using that <Star Guide>.

-As I said, it's obvious. The exam would be to find a star using the artifact, then contract with that star and borrow its power.-

"I see... ...Uh, but doesn't that seem too much? Wouldn't it be a bit easier?"

Yi-Han suddenly felt doubtful.

It sounded too difficult for a 3rd year exam.

Stars wouldn't be opponents that could be easily contracted like spirits and demons...

Then the Yaksha King admonished him seriously.

-Os's disciple. I have lived for an immeasurable time I can't even remember, met countless mages, and heard the secrets of their magic. To doubt my wisdom so arbitrarily like this. Childishness is a natural emotion, but you should also know how to control it.-

"Umm. I'm sorry."

The slight doubt that had sprouted was overwhelmed by the authority the Yaksha King exuded. Yi-Han was persuaded by the other's words just like that.