Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 849

Chapter 849

However, Garal didn't immediately blurt out his true thoughts.

If it had been when he was staying at the Northern Snowflake Magic Tower, he would have spoken boldly, but thanks to experiencing three research failures, five accidents, and one attempted sponsor assassination (more precisely, an accident misunderstood as an assassination attempt), Garal had matured a lot.

No matter how unlucky one was, one had to be careful with words in front of an employer.

"That's surprising. I've never heard of a Baldurguard student being close to an Einroguard student."

"Certainly, Einroguard students are one of the two driving forces of the empire, but there's an opinion that they lack a bit of dignity. I understand why it's rare for them to be close to us Baldurguard."

Grind!

Garal had to grit his teeth.

The Baldurguard student in front of him seemed to be casting illusion magic with just a few words.

To manipulate people's emotions so easily?

'I must endure.'

"But there are always exceptions, aren't there?"

Zandanni, unaware that Garal was gritting his teeth, began to explain.

The senior's senior who made this improved space expansion backpack together with an Einroguard student was a renowned figure even within Baldurguard.

"He was almost legendary. He was so great that as soon as he graduated, he received so many invitations from various places..."

"..."

The corners of Garal's mouth twitched again.

There was no way a Baldurguard student would receive such active invitations from imperial magic towers or mage guilds.

"So how was this gift received?"

"Ah. There's a touching story behind that."

According to Zandanni, the Baldurguard student and the Einroguard student diligently researched the space expansion backpack together.

Then one day, the Einroguard student had to leave urgently in the middle of research due to personal circumstances...

...The Baldurguard student kept the space expansion backpack left behind by his friend as a token of friendship and passed it down to his juniors.

'My goodness. Even cases in Detective Toveris wouldn't be this suspicious.'

Garal was shocked.

There were many suspicious points in this short and simple story.

First of all, it was strange that an Einroguard student would urgently finish research and leave due to personal circumstances.

Among the various magic schools in the empire, Einroguard was particularly strict in evaluating achievements. Such a student wouldn't just abandon research and leave.

'An Einroguard student would participate in research by sending their soul even if their head was cut off. Strange.'

But the other party was his employer.

Instead of pointing out the flaws in the story, Garal changed the subject.

"I see. It's a good backpack."

There were many items that provided subspaces larger inside than outside, but their quality varied greatly.

From items providing only two or three times the expansion space, to items providing space at the level of a tent.

It didn't end with just spatial width.

How to reduce the weight inside, and how to secure the necessary mana?

The inside of the item inevitably shakes when moving, so how to bring order to the confusion caused by the expanded space?

As there were so many areas to deal with, it couldn't be perfect. And some advantages were incompatible with each other.

In the end, an outstanding space expansion item meant an item made as meticulously as possible, if not perfect, then close to perfection.

In that sense, this space expansion backpack could certainly be called excellent.

Not only was there nothing particularly lacking anywhere, but above all...

'It's not heavy, and the surroundings don't shake with every movement. The space is well fixed. Wait. Did they create and connect a separate space instead of expanding the inner space!'

To think they created a separate space and connected it separately, rather than inflating or expanding the inner space.

Garal was surprised.

The former method was usually used for small bags or backpacks, while the latter was used for tents or marquees.

After all, stretching or expanding existing space required much less mana and less effort in the process.

In comparison, creating a separate subspace and connecting it anew required much more work, starting from the space itself. It wasn't used for large tents or marquees for nothing.

Yet to apply the latter method to a backpack.

"You connected a separate subspace!? Did you know?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"...Haha. It's nothing."

Garal glossed over it at Zandanni's reaction.

To explain the differences in space expansion magic methods to a Baldurguard student, he would need to be paid ten times more than now.

"By any chance, can you change the inner space of this backpack?"

"Oh. How did you know? The backpack's name is even <Backpack of Six Directions>."

Zandanni excitedly explained the backpack's performance.

This backpack contained 6 spaces inside, and it was possible to access the desired space by turning the pattern engraved on the backpack's lock.

Zandanni had quality wine in space 1, a boxwood chess set and chairs in space 2, cashmere frock coats and tailcoats, southern silk vests and hats, etc. in space 3, imperial masterpieces including the Detective Toveris series in space 4, ballgame horse gear in space 5...

'There's nothing magic-related at all.'

Garal cursed inwardly.

At the very least, if they were from the alchemy school, shouldn't they carry around cauldrons or flasks?

"Wait. You can access 6 spaces, but why only 5?"

"The 6th space is locked. It's been like that since we first received it."

"Why?"

"I don't know? I'm not sure."

"...Weren't you curious?"

An ordinary mage would have been curious and tried to open it somehow if one space of an artifact they obtained was locked.

Zandanni clapped his hands and nodded.

"Now that you mention it, I do feel curious."

Garal forced a smile, lifting the corners of his mouth. Getting angry would only hurt himself.

"I guess it was unfinished."

"That's right."

"May I try opening it?"

"I'd be grateful if you would! Please do."

"Alright. I'll take a short break and then work on it."

Garal stood up, opened the door, and went outside.

The <Visitor Quarters> town was a place where cozy and comfortable mansions built of brick and wood were arranged in a circle.

Instead of the sky, lights twinkled like stars on Einroguard's high main building ceiling, and thick fog wrapped around the town instead of the horizon.

Garal took a long breath at the stillness that suddenly penetrated his heart.

'I thought this before too, but this place is so unlike Einroguard. It's peaceful.'

"Hands up."

"Don't move. We have no grudge against you, but if you move, we can't guarantee your safety."

"..."

Feeling the cold staff against his back and under his neck, Garal deeply regretted.

Even in the most peaceful place in Einroguard, one should never let their guard down.

  *

Yi-Han, who had arrived at the guest quarters town using spatial overlap, approached inside after breaking through the Death Knights' guard using the illusion magic he had just learned.

The mansion where the Baldurguard guests were staying was easy to find. It was the place with the most brilliant lights and loud music flowing out.

-Wait. What's this sprinkled on the ground here?-

-It's wine.-

-Why is wine sprinkled here?-

-The Baldurguard guys probably brought it but didn't like the taste, so they dumped it here. They're extravagant bastards after all.-

-...I'll kill them!-

-Ca-calm down.-

There was some minor commotion, but Yi-Han and Sebius successfully approached the front of the mansion.

While they were pondering how to enter, the mage who accounted for 98% of Baldurguard's strength happened to walk out with a sigh.

The two exchanged glances.

-This is fortunate. Luck is on our side.-

-Even the heavens must be angry at the Baldurguard guys' misconduct.-

-...Y-yes.-

Swish!

"Hands up."

"Don't move. We have no grudge against you, but if you move, we can't guarantee your safety."

"!!!"

A completely off-guard mage was a much weaker being than expected.

Garal, who never imagined he would be attacked in such a visitor quarters, was caught without any defensive magic or preparation.

"Take out his staff. Confiscate the reagents."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Garal."

"You! Are you the Wardanaz family 6th year!"

"...I don't know what you're talking about."

Yi-Han, who had covered his face, feigned ignorance. Sebius looked at his junior with a dumbfounded expression.

-What did you do to be mistaken for a 6th year?-

-I didn't do anything. He's just mistaken because I used some magic.-

-Ah. If that's the case, I understand. That could happen.-

Sebius immediately understood.

As even Sebius himself was sometimes chilled by his junior's magic talent, he thought an outsider might mistake him for a 6th year.

Just now, mastering two spells in that short time and learning one more in the remaining time was already a very unusual thing...

'I can understand why he might think a crazy 6th year pretending to be a 2nd year is more likely than a 2nd year with genius talent.'

Sebius inwardly had a rude thought that would make his junior jump up and down if he knew.

Garal, who had been stripped of his staff, reagents, and various equipment, sighed and asked.

"Why have Einroguard students come here? Revenge?"

"We don't waste emotions on such useless things."

"Then?"

"We've come to retrieve our senior's treasure that Baldurguard students took with vile methods."

"Is it perhaps a space expansion backpack?"

"!?"

Yi-Han was surprised. Sebius also seemed surprised and asked.

"How do you know that?"

"One of the Baldurguard students was boasting about a space expansion backpack earlier. It was such a well-made item that I had a hunch."

"That alone doesn't explain it."

Sebius questioned strictly.

It might seem like he was clinging to trivial things, but they needed to know these things for certain before going in.

It could be a trap, after all.

"No matter how well-made a backpack is, you can't guess that it's stolen goods, can you?"

"They said they researched it together with an Einroguard student and later received it as a token of friendship, so I thought it might have been stolen."

"..."

The two immediately understood.

If that was the case, they could understand why he found it suspicious.

"No, more than that, they went around saying it was a token of friendship? These shameless and filthy bastards!"

As Yi-Han growled, Garal shrank slightly. The memory of this Wardanaz family boy summoning Black Coffin was still vivid.

"I understand you're angry at the Baldurguard students, but as a strong one, won't you show mercy?"

"...Why am I strong!?"

'You are strong though...'

Sebius thought inwardly.

Probably, to properly deal with this junior, several 4th year or above students from Einroguard would need to join forces.

"Alright. We'll show mercy. We don't intend to fight unnecessarily with Baldurguard students either. We just need to get the backpack."

"If that's the case, I have a good method."

"What is it?"

"You can just go in and take it out."

"..."

Yi-Han looked at him as if dumbfounded.

"No. What nonsense is that? Are you saying to just go in, beat them up, subdue them, and then take it?"

He wondered if showing mercy meant finishing them in one blow.

However, Garal shook his head and said.

"You seem to have misunderstood my meaning. I really mean just go in and take it out. They're all sleeping now."

"What? They're already sleeping? Does that make sense?"

"They say sleeping early allows for sound sleep, and that's good for a mage's health... Ugh, ah, it hurts."

As Yi-Han gripped his staff tightly, Garal coughed, feeling his throat being choked.

"I-I'm sorry. My strength went in momentarily."

"..."