Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 868

Chapter 868

Direth, who was about to order a spirit to draw a picture, suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, junior."

"Yes."

"Didn't you say you negotiated with Professor Verduus and got a key last time?"

"Isn't it better to break in anyway?"

"..."

"Senior. I was joking."

"Who would think that's a joke!"

Direth got angry at her junior who was looking sheepish with a serious face.

Yi-Han explained again.

"I did get a key to the underground storage, but those are just for storing materials and reagents. To access the professor's workshop, we still need to break these golems."

"I see."

Direth nodded, but felt that a small doubt in her heart hadn't disappeared.

Had her junior's key really not worked on the first basement floor workshop passage?

  *

The group arrived at the front of Professor Verduus's workshop located on the first basement floor.

Jourin excitedly shouted.

-Professor Bagrak! Jourin orders you to smash that door too!-

"Your Highness. That door cannot be smashed."

Professor Boladi shook his head and explained.

Placing defense golems on the first basement floor and entering the workshop located on the first basement floor were different stories.

The former had some gaps, but for the latter, even Professor Verduus persistently left no gaps.

If they touched it carelessly, they might set off the alarm for the entire tower.

"Yukbeltire will play an active role here, Your Highness."

Direth called Yukbeltire.

As she was Professor Verduus's disciple and knew it was here, she would surely explain in detail about the magic cast on it.

If they could just figure out what magic was cast, with Professor Bagrak here, they could surely break through.

"Yukbeltire. What magic is cast here?"

"I don't know either."

"...What?"

While Direth was dumbfounded, Yukbeltire took out a workshop key she had secretly copied without Professor Verduus knowing.

Then she opened the door to the first basement floor workshop. Everyone in the group (including Jourin) was speechless.

"...No, when and how did you get that?"

Yi-Han asked in surprise.

Of course, the defense systems of the first basement floor or outer storage rooms were at a brutal level, but that was just the beginning by Professor Verduus's standards.

He would never easily give out something like the key to the workshop where he kept his truly important works.

If discovered, he would have changed all the defensive magic in the workshop immediately.

"I happened to get it 3 years ago."

"How did you not get caught all this time??"

"It's simple. I never used it."

"..."

Yi-Han was shocked again.

It was surprising that Yukbeltire hadn't used that key even once in 3 years, but it was more surprising that she was using it now.

"It's not my place to say this, but... Are you sure it's okay to use it?"

"I'm recommending an artifact befitting a talented junior. This is a very rational action."

"Ah, yes."

Jourin made a gesture of raising both front paws like horns on the sides of her head behind Yukbeltire. Yi-Han could immediately understand what she meant.

-Isn't she angry?-

'Let's just say she's not for now...'

Yi-Han was slightly worried that he might be taking too much advantage of a senior who had lost her reason to anger.

"Professor. What do you think..."

He was about to ask Professor Boladi, but the professor wasn't beside him.

When he looked up, Professor Boladi had already entered the workshop and was searching for the magical drafting tool.

"...Professor..."

"?"

"It's nothing."

Yi-Han went inside.

Just as a cunning rabbit digs three burrows, Professor Verduus also had several workshops.

They say outstanding artists have multiple workshops for their creative activities, but Yi-Han thought Professor Verduus had multiple workshops to minimize damage if one was raided.

In that respect, this first basement floor workshop was quite a good place.

The quality of the works placed here was much higher than in the workshop Professor Verduus showed to students when working with them.

It seemed Professor Verduus stored artifacts he delivered to others or made according to his own taste.

'Shouldn't he show these to students if it's for educational purposes?'

"Found it. It's here."

Yukbeltire called Yi-Han.

An artifact box labeled <Beavle's Drafting Tool> was visible on the workbench.

"...Isn't this not something the professor made, but an artifact he's currently using?"

"?"

Yukbeltire looked at her junior as if to say 'So what?'

Professor Boladi also looked at his disciple with an expression that said 'What does that matter?'

Direth put her hand on her junior's shoulder.

'I understand how you feel.'

'Thank you, Senior.'

Yi-Han felt grateful that there was at least one normal person.

"It's nothing. I'll use it well..."

"Wait."

Yukbeltire stopped Yi-Han and explained.

All the items on this first basement floor would activate the magic of the entire tower the moment someone other than Professor Verduus touched them.

Yi-Han said, thinking this was nonsense.

"He could put magic on the door, but you're saying he put such complex magic on each and every item?"

It would be impossible with ordinary time and effort to make the magic of the entire tower activate not only by disarming or destroying, but simply by touching.

He would have to put enormous effort into casting magic on each and every item.

Professor Verduus wasn't a person with that much free time, so how could that be possible...

Yukbeltire answered immediately.

"Yes."

"..."

Yi-Han felt Professor Verduus's extraordinariness anew.

He hadn't known because he always stole materials, reagents, and occasionally even airships under construction, but the items Professor Verduus really intended to protect couldn't be easily taken.

'And I'm trying to steal such a person's favorite item.'

After pondering for about a second, Yi-Han steeled his resolve again.

Even if he got caught later, it was right to steal it first. Especially if the opponent was Professor Verduus.

"We'll have to escape the moment we grab the item."

"That's right."

"We should be able to grab one or two more. Check it out."

"...Perhaps you're also angry at Professor Verduus... Never mind."

Yi-Han was almost overwhelmed by the sight of Professor Boladi so thoroughly pursuing profit.

'I should look around a bit more first.'

Leaving the drafting tool alone, Yi-Han looked around the workshop again.

Amulet of Age Resistance

'Amazing!'

Yi-Han admired the amulet hanging on the wall.

He wasn't admiring it simply for its appearance, craftsmanship, or the sparkle of the jewels, but for the intricacy of the magic embedded inside.

Like small gears connecting to form a huge movement, small magics connected to drive away the user's aging and bring youth.

'There's an explanation written below too.'

Even if it was difficult to steal due to the defensive magic, he wanted to read what Professor Verduus had written.

Made on commission for the Pengerin family

Delivery deadline 5 years 6 years 7 years late

"..."

Just deliver it already!

Yi-Han was dumbfounded.

With this level of completion, it seemed like he could just give it, but he had been holding out for 7 years.

It would be strange if the Pengerin family hadn't sent assassins.

'No. Maybe they did and I just don't know...'

Looking closely, other works were similar.

They were all excellent, beautiful, and had phrases like <Delivery deadline X years late> written below.

If you're late one more time, I'll really send you to hell - Os

If you're late one more time, I'll really make you lecture in the deep punishment room - Os

If you're late one more time, I'll really burn down your workshop and hang you on the city gate - Os

If you're late one more time...

What's wrong with you? Please just do your work on time! - Os

Yi-Han discovered a thick pile of curse letters and shook his head.

It wasn't easy to feel pity for the skull principal, but Professor Verduus was achieving that difficult feat.

Star Guide, Parsellet Krair, for 3rd year exam

Yi-Han was surprised at the name written under a huge brass telescope.

To think the exam for the lecture he was taking was here too! Well, since Professor Verduus was an outstanding artifact craftsman, it was natural for other professors to commission exam artifacts from him.

As Yi-Han stopped his steps and peered at the brass telescope while looking around, others also gathered, wondering what was going on.

"What is it?"

"Junior. What are you looking at?"

-Jourin has an even bigger and cooler telescope. His Majesty has it now, but if Yi-Han needs it...-

'That clears my head.'

Yi-Han pressed Jourin's mouth shut firmly and said.

"I was surprised to see an artifact used for an exam I'll be taking."

"I see."

"Ah."

"Take it."

"?"

Yi-Han paused, feeling that one of the answers that had just come out was strange.

Surprisingly, it was Professor Boladi who had spoken.

'No. Come to think of it, it's not surprising.'

"Professor. This is for another professor's exam."

"Securing it first is also a student's ability."

Yukbeltire agreed with Professor Boladi's words.

"It's also Professor Verduus's fault for not guarding it well."

While Yi-Han was at a loss for words, Direth whispered from the side.

"Junior."

"Yes. Taking this does seem a bit..."

"Let's just take it. You need to reduce even one exam."

  *

Eaktus: Professor Verduus's workshop has been raided! Professor Verduus's workshop has been raided!! Professor Verduus's workshop has been raided!!!

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Write it once. Why are you making such a fuss? It's not the first time this has happened.

Eaktus: You must have misread. Not the storage, but the workshop was raided! And it was the first basement floor workshop!

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: ...Professor Verduus's workshop has been raided!!!!

The Whispers of Einroguard kept inscribing 'Professor Verduus's workshop has been raided' as if it had fallen into madness.

It was that surprising of an event.

The first basement floor workshop, not the storage or the ground floor workshop, was raided?

Baqwantallana: Professor Verduus had many enemies. He's reaping what he sowed.

Eaktus: No. We can't evaluate it so simply. Professor Verduus always had many enemies, but his personal workshop had never been completely raided before.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Could it be related to the dragon that came this time? If it's a dragon's power...

Eaktus: No way. She's royalty. A proper royal who hasn't even enrolled in Einroguard. Would such a royal commit theft?

Baqwantallana: Just because they enrolled in Einroguard doesn't mean royalty becomes improper.

Eaktus: What? If you enroll in Einroguard, you're just an Einroguard student.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: I agree. I saw a royal junior once before, and they were eating bread more desperately than a back alley beggar. Once you enter Einroguard, there's no such thing as royalty or whatever.

Yi-Han watched for an opportunity and chimed in.

Gonadaltes: How did you find out that Professor Verduus's workshop was raided? Isn't it a false rumor?

Eaktus: No. Professor Krair is trying to kill Professor Verduus right now.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Didn't someone say it was stolen and then secretly divert it?

Eaktus: Surely a fellow professor wouldn't... Hmm... That could be possible.

Gonadaltes: It certainly could be.

Baqwantallana: I don't think that's the case.

Gonadaltes: More importantly, the principal hasn't been seen lately, does anyone know why?

Yi-Han casually asked what he was curious about. Immediately, curses flew at him.

Eaktus: Everyone's happy that he's not around, why on earth are you asking for a reason?

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: If he comes back tomorrow because you asked, will you take responsibility?

"..."