Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 841

Chapter 841

'Did I really seem that way?'

Flustered by his reputation that had somehow lowered, Yi-Han tried to persuade Professor Garcia.

"Professor. Please believe me."

"Yes. Yes. I believe you."

"..."

When Yi-Han looked at her with sad eyes, Professor Garcia finally softened a little.

"What am I saying... I'm sorry, Student Yi-Han. You don't want this either, right?"

"That's right, Professor."

Yi-Han, who had been agreeing, glanced at the Echo Stone embedded at the end of his staff and subtly rotated it.

'This is a bit of an exceptional situation, so I should set it aside.'

"Actually, if a disciple only follows the path the master wants, that's not a good disciple. A good disciple should originally deviate from the path the master wants."

"No, I want to follow only the path Professor Garcia directs."

"..."

Professor Garcia was dumbfounded at her disciple's nonsensical flattery.

To say such things, did her disciple really have no conscience?

"...Just be careful, Student Yi-Han. That doppelganger is a kind of thought entity. It's not a living being, but something like a law or disaster. The persistence of such beings is beyond our mortal common sense in some aspects."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Well then, let's go meet Professor Verduus."

Professor Garcia checked the time and stood up.

In truth, she wanted to lecture for about an hour more about being careful, but Professor Garcia had already half given up, thinking it would be meaningless.

It was a resignation that would have deeply hurt her disciple if he had known.

"By the way, Student Yi-Han."

"Yes?"

"Don't students these days use a lot of exclamation marks when writing letters?"

"I think they just write normally. Is there a reason to use many exclamation marks?"

"Um... Like... a trend?"

"I haven't heard of such a trend."

"..."

Professor Garcia made a shocked expression.

At the sight of her muttering things like 'It can't be' or 'The trend has already ended', Yi-Han asked back curiously.

"Are you sending letters to students?"

"Ah... No. I was just asking."

'For just asking, you seem to have received quite a shock.'

  *

The security of the Spirit Festival Hall, the magic tower where Professor Verduus stayed, was much more severe than usual.

Even before approaching the entrance, a walking small bronze golem approached, its blue gem lens shining.

[Access to outsiders is not permitted. Access to outsiders is not permitted.]

"I'm Professor Garcia."

"I'm Yi-Han."

[Confirmed as Einroguard personnel. Proceeding to next verification. Have you ever received a request from outsiders to kidnap Verduus Verduus or anything equivalent? Please answer.]

"..."

"..."

A strangely distorted mana emanated from the bronze golem.

Although it was a magic he was seeing for the first time, Yi-Han could guess what kind of magic it was.

'It must be magic to check for lies...'

And there was only one reason to equip that expensive magic to bronze golems and deploy them for magic tower security.

Right now, in Einroguard, there was a pirate Lady Ragesa who was grinding her teeth after being scammed by Professor Verduus.

"I haven't..."

"I haven't either."

[Confirmed as truth. You may enter.]

'Should I just smash it to pieces...'

Professor Garcia grumbled inwardly as she moved her feet.

Instead of making such things, wouldn't it be better to teach students one more thing or give them one more material as a gift?

On the first floor of the Spirit Festival Hall, several enchantment magic school students were sitting and discussing carefully.

Seeing this, Professor Garcia felt even more heartache.

'They should be receiving guidance under their professor, but they have to study like this on their own.'

Thinking she might help if there was any part she could, Professor Garcia approached the students.

"I think we should kidnap Professor Verduus now and sell him. If we wait a few more days here, the guests might give up and leave."

"No. We need to think carefully. The price of Professor Verduus might actually go up as the weekend approaches."

"I think how we kidnap and sell him is more important than when we sell him. You haven't forgotten, have you? From the moment we make a decision and accept a request, those golems will stand in our way."

"..."

Seeing the students seriously plotting to kidnap their professor on behalf of outsiders, Professor Garcia sighed deeply.

"Oh. Professor Garcia. Hello."

"I can't say hello..."

"Is something wrong?"

"...Never mind. Everyone, work hard."

Professor Garcia was about to say something but gave up.

In a way, this was Professor Verduus's just deserts.

'I shouldn't interfere.'

As she was walking heavily, Professor Garcia suddenly felt something strange.

Yi-Han wasn't visible beside her.

"Seniors. Exactly how many people want to kidnap Professor Verduus?"

"Student Yi-Han!"

"I'm sorry."

Yi-Han quickly apologized and ran over.

"You're asking that there?"

"You never know when it might be helpful..."

"...Just follow me."

Professor Garcia stepped on the spiral staircase of the Spirit Festival Hall.

Then she shouted in an irritated voice.

"You put useless magic here again. Professor Verduus! Open up!"

"Doesn't Professor Verduus not listen when you just talk?"

Yi-Han thought Professor Garcia was wasting energy unnecessarily.

Instead of doing this, wouldn't it be better to just break the magic and go up to Professor Verduus's quarters...

[Alright. Calm down!]

"?!"

However, surprisingly, Professor Verduus's voice came back from the ceiling.

Yi-Han was truly shocked.

'Professor Verduus is listening?'

Unable to believe it, Yi-Han looked over Professor Garcia once more. Her clenched fist strangely caught his eye.

'Is it because of that?'

Whoosh-

Several confusion magic spells disappeared, and traps hidden in the stairs were deactivated. A new path appeared on the wall, and a door appeared on the ceiling.

"Can we go up now?"

"It's not over yet, Student Yi-Han."

Clank clank!

A noisy sound was heard from behind the door that had appeared on the ceiling. Professor Garcia spoke in an irritated voice.

"How long do we have to wait??"

[Just a moment! I tied too many chains! Wait a little longer!]

It was quite rare to hear Professor Verduus shout so urgently.

Professor Verduus, who was removing chains with clanking sounds, said worriedly.

[Don't break it! Professor Garcia!]

"..."

Under Yi-Han's gaze, Professor Garcia's face reddened slightly.

"I don't usually break things, Student Yi-Han. Last time was an accident when I bumped into it."

"Professor. I would respect you even more if you brought down the entire Spirit Festival Hall."

'Don't respect me for that...'

Professor Verduus, who had hurriedly deactivated everything, opened the ceiling door and lowered a magic ladder.

He was covered in sweat from rushing so much.

"Here! You didn't break anything, right?"

"Someone might think I go around breaking everything, Professor Verduus."

"You do go around breaking every... Aack!"

Professor Verduus paid dearly for letting his guard down in a situation where Professor Garcia had approached closely.

Professor Garcia used her innate sense, talent, and wisdom to bypass Professor Verduus's magic defense field and firmly grab his shoulder.

Feeling pain enough to make tears well up, Professor Verduus blamed himself for his carelessness and kindness.

'To be deceived again! I shouldn't have trusted even Professor Garcia!'

"Don't say strange things. Understand?"

"Yes! Yes!"

At this splendid subduing, Yi-Han looked at Professor Garcia with the most burning gaze of respect this year.

'I want to become like Professor Garcia too.'

He didn't need the skull principal or the mad doppelganger. This might be what a real mage was.

The two who climbed up to the ceiling were surprised at the sight inside.

This upper area wasn't Professor Verduus's usual magic workshop, but an attic.

With fewer magic tools and devices and less space, it was much more cluttered and cramped. Professor Verduus grabbed the artifact he had been making again and asked.

"Why did you come? By the way, can't you let go of my shoulder?"

"Professor Verduus. I came because I have a favor to ask."

"Alright. But really, can't you let go of my shoulder?"

Professor Verduus appealed with his innately cute voice and face typical of beaver mixed-bloods without even trying, but Professor Garcia shook her head.

If she let go out of pity, things would become troublesome.

"Will you process black purplestone for Student Yi-Han here?"

"Huh? I don't want to."

Violence and submission.

Along with the sound of Professor Verduus's collarbone breaking, healing magic activated.

"Alright! I'll do it!"

"Thank you, Professor. I'll forget about how last time I patrolled instead of you, graded tests instead of you, prepared assignments instead of you, made artifacts to put on criminals instead of you, and managed materials instead of you with this."

"Complete blackmailer..."

At Professor Verduus's grumbling, Professor Garcia wanted to apply force once more but held back.

She didn't want to use force for her own temporary emotions, unless it was for her student.

"Did you bring the black purplestone?"

"You have it, don't you?"

"..."

Professor Verduus made a tearful face, but Professor Garcia coldly shook her head.

Sniffling, Professor Verduus fumbled in his pocket and took out a black purplestone ingot.

'The professor carries subspace pockets and backpacks on his usual clothes.'

Yi-Han sharply memorized Professor Verduus's item list for future reference.

"Isn't this too much compared to Gonadaltes?"

"..."

Professor Garcia endured the insult with superhuman patience.

"Just look at this. Now, as you can see from this staff form..."

"Specialized for ancient magic? Did Gonadaltes request it?"

"No. It's Student Yi-Han's staff, I said. Didn't you listen to me?"

"No... Gonadaltes could request Wardanaz's staff too..."

Professor Verduus mumbled, slightly crushed by Professor Garcia's killing intent.

Professor Garcia was flustered at the unexpectedly correct words.

'That's right?'

Come to think of it, the skull principal could request Student Yi-Han's staff too. It was quite a sharp observation for Professor Verduus.

"That's true, but anyway, it's not. Now. Can you feel the wood material here?"

"A king-level spirit? How did you secure it?"

Professor Verduus started to show interest.

Unlike boring repetitive work, this staff showed quite a few fresh points.

"I'll tell you when you're done."

"Wait. Is this perhaps from the Mad Wood King's forest!? How did you get in there!?"

Professor Verduus asked in surprise.

A branch from the Mad Wood King's forest?

He had been coveting that for a long time!

"Listen."

"Aack!"

"You need to complete the staff to fit this."

"I got it..."

"Can you do it?"

"Yeah. It sounds interesting."

At Professor Verduus's words, Professor Garcia felt relieved.

Words like 'I'll try', 'I'll do it', 'I'll work hard', 'Really' weren't believable at all, but Professor Verduus's words 'It sounds interesting' were trustworthy.

When it was something he found interesting, Professor Verduus worked harder than anyone else.

"Then I'll have to do what Gonadaltes left later. It wasn't interesting anyway."

"Do that."

"?"

Yi-Han, who had been listening beside them, whispered in confusion.

"Um, Professor. Is that okay? If Professor Verduus doesn't meet the schedule..."

"What does it matter? It's his responsibility. Who told him not to meet the schedule."

"..."