Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 839

Chapter 839

The mad doppelganger looked at his disciple as if he were pathetic.

Originally, it wasn't that strange for mages to include meaningful symbols from their lives when developing magic.

The magic newly created by a mage left longer and clearer traces than any minstrel's song.

It was only natural for a mage to include more meaningful symbols in those traces.

'It doesn't seem like magic leaves longer and clearer traces than a minstrel's song.'

Although it was said that most old songs had disappeared, Yi-Han thought the same was true for magic.

Very popular songs were still flowing down to the current imperial era...

'In my opinion, the song "Einroguard is So Good" might survive for over a thousand years.'

However, instead of pointing out the reality, Yi-Han prepared flattery.

There was nothing to gain by provoking the mad doppelganger further when he was already looking at him with contempt.

"Aha. So that's what it was. I didn't know. It must have been a good tree."

[It was a good friend since the royalty was still young.]

If it were Gainando, he would have said 'How can a tree be a friend?', but Yi-Han understood.

Sometimes, non-living beings can be better friends than living ones, can't they?

Just as imperial gold coins were to Yi-Han, that Dendrobium tree must have been to the mad doppelganger.

'Amazing. To think there was a time when even the skull principal cherished and loved a tree?'

Perhaps it was because it was a tree. At least a tree wouldn't say stupid things.

"Is that tree still around now?"

Yi-Han thought that if the tree was still in Einroguard, he might go find it and show it through the Echo Stone.

Even for the mad doppelganger, wouldn't seeing a childhood friend improve his mood a little?

[That's impossible, lowborn. The tree burned down.]

Yi-Han, who had been flattering but suddenly touched a sore spot, was terrified.

"...I'm sorry."

[Lowborn, did you burn it? Don't make unnecessary apologies.]

Fortunately, the mad doppelganger didn't get angry at the rude question.

Instead, he suddenly seemed lost in thought, silently staring somewhere.

"Are you alright?"

[Yes. I was recalling old times. It's strange. I don't usually recall them.]

It was natural for the other party to find it strange.

Originally, the skull principal himself was an undead lich, and the mad doppelganger was a kind of thought entity split off from that.

As a being that moved by laws and principles rather than a living being moved by soul and desires dwelling in blood, flesh, and bone, it was rare for him to recall the past.

'But it's not incomprehensible. I've heard that when you get old, you think about the past more.'

[I clearly learned magic from dragons. Hmm... I can't remember the dragons' names. Do you perhaps know them, lowborn?]

"...I'm not sure."

Yi-Han answered in shock at the unexpected magic teachers of the skull principal.

[You don't know even the dragons' names? Not one? How barbaric.]

"These days, it's... hard to see dragons. I heard most dragons have left."

Although Yi-Han wasn't a dragon expert, he knew well that dragons were an endangered species in a rapid decline trend.

Unlike ancient times when dozens flew around, these days you might see one if you go to the deepest part of the imperial palace, if you're lucky.

And even that one would likely shed its physical body and depart to another realm soon if it weren't for a certain vile and evil mage.

'It's truly surprising. I never thought he would have learned magic from dragons.'

He knew the skull principal had been an extraordinary great mage since his youth, but he had never thought about the lineage or teachers of that magic.

He was such an ancient and mythical figure that even if someone said he just fell from the sky as a skull, Yi-Han might have nodded and said 'I see, so that's how it was.'

Yi-Han suddenly became curious.

What kind of past did the skull principal have to become such a twisted monster?

Come to think of it, the mad doppelganger was the most accurate witness who knew about the skull principal's past better than anyone.

Although the skull principal could manipulate the past even against the oldest knight among the Death Knights, it was impossible against the mad doppelganger.

'Alright. I'll ask carefully.'

If there was any weakness in the contents of the skull principal's past, it could be a small compensation for the hardships he would face this year.

"Was it common to learn magic from dragons in your time, Master?"

It sounded crazy, but aren't customs different for each era?

If current imperial mages learn at Einroguard, ancient mages might have learned in dragons' lairs.

Or maybe they stayed as food in dragons' lairs while learning...

[That's impossible. Dragons don't usually pass on magic to mortals.]

"Then how did you learn, Master?"

[Because I was recognized as qualified.]

"Ah, yes."

As the mad doppelganger would chirp about how noble his bloodline was and how honorable he was when bored, Yi-Han answered indifferently.

'The dragons seem to have been deceived a bit. To pass on magic to someone like that.'

As could be seen with Gainando or certain seniors and classmates, being royalty or nobility didn't necessarily mean they were trustworthy.

"Then did other royalty learn magic?"

[Lowborn. I said qualification, not royal bloodline. How can you still be so dull and incompetent?]

"What? Then what kind of qualification?"

[Literally the qualification to use magic honorably. Is this difficult?]

"No. I understand."

[You don't understand at all.]

"!"

Yi-Han was surprised to have his inner thoughts exposed.

[How did I know?]

The mad doppelganger sighed at his slow disciple and explained.

[Lowborn. Imagine you're a prince of a country. A small, small kingdom.]

"Yes."

[The army of the neighboring country is powerful. Heavy cavalry units armed with magic armor and magic spears, battle mage units that imprison demigods in magic towers and use their power... What would you do?]

'Is this a story from the Three Kingdoms era?'

Yi-Han recalled old stories written in imperial history books.

In the long history of the continent, there were eras that weren't recorded and were lost, and eras that remained in records.

Among these, the Three Kingdoms era belonged to quite a distant ancient time.

In fact, there weren't really only three kingdoms in the Three Kingdoms era.

It meant that three strong countries survived until the end of the era, but the book said there were numerous small kingdoms that didn't even leave records.

"Shouldn't I diligently learn magic and use that power to strengthen the kingdom's defense?"

[Better than saying to invade, but wrong. You couldn't learn from dragons that way.]

Yi-Han tilted his head.

He still didn't understand.

"Then what should I do? Ah. Do you mean I should strike first?"

'As expected of the skull principal.'

Come to think of it, it was a choice that suited the skull principal perfectly.

However, the mad doppelganger looked at Yi-Han with even more contempt.

[Are you serious?]

"...No."

[The royalty said they would definitely master the ultimate realm of magic to erase the bloodshed and scars of the continent. The dragons recognized their qualification with that oath and...]

"...!"

Yi-Han was truly greatly surprised at the unexpected answer.

Come to think of it, he had already heard this once during Gonadaltes' Decline, but he hadn't recalled it at all.

'No. How could I not imagine it even though I knew the answer?'

It was because it was an answer that didn't suit the usual skull principal or mad doppelganger at all.

'Did he perhaps deceive the dragons?'

[Don't even think I might have deceived the dragons. Dragons aren't deceived, lowborn.]

"How dare I have such an irreverent thought?"

Yi-Han, who felt guilty, quickly changed the subject.

"But Master. Is such a thing possible even if magic reaches the ultimate realm?"

He had heard that even Gonadaltes' Decline was ultimately a failed research.

And if other attempts had succeeded, the continent wouldn't look like this now. Especially Einroguard should have disappeared long ago.

[That's unknowable.]

'It must be difficult.'

Originally, given the mad doppelganger's personality, he would have said it was definitely possible, but just saying 'unknowable' was almost the same as admitting it was half difficult.

Indeed, it wasn't a difficult problem that could be solved with magic.

[But that's not important in this story. The royalty swore before the dragons, and the dragons respected the qualification from that oath. Thanks to that, the royalty could learn magic... Although the kingdom perished...]

"Indeed... What?"

[?]

"Didn't you just say something perished?"

[I said the kingdom perished. I've been thinking this since before, but lowborn, do you have a problem with your ears...]

"No, I heard properly but couldn't understand."

[A problem with your brain...]

"Why does the kingdom perish? Didn't you learn the dragons' magic?"

[Did I say I would learn magic for the kingdom's defense? I said I would learn to erase the continent's bloodshed and scars. Lowborn. When do you plan to become clever?]

'This doesn't seem to be a problem with my intelligence.'

It wasn't that Yi-Han's comprehension was lacking, but that the other's story was too absurd.

Yi-Han tried his best to stay calm and summarized.

"So you swore before the dragons and learned magic, and because of that, you didn't use it even though the kingdom was perishing?"

[A bit wrong. When I returned after learning magic, the kingdom had already perished.]

The mad doppelganger explained calmly.

When he returned after learning magic from the dragons to overcome the continent's pain, the kingdom had already perished.

While focusing on the hostile country to the east, it was suddenly attacked by a friendly country to the south and perished in an instant.

All that remained were the ruins of the royal palace turned to ashes and the remains of old trees.

"You didn't even take revenge?"

[I did not.]

"Why on earth??"

[Because taking revenge wouldn't revive the perished kingdom!]

"..."

Yi-Han felt more chills than when the mad doppelganger was ranting.

It would have felt more human if he had acted evilly like an eccentric mage telling him to receive magic transmission, but this felt too surreal.

'No. Can a person really be like that?'

Although Yi-Han wasn't a violent person, he couldn't imagine what he would do if he returned after learning magic and found his kingdom had perished with the enemy country's army in front.

[The royalty's kingdom also destroyed several kingdoms. The kingdom that destroyed the royalty's kingdom was soon destroyed too. A mage should make a much more constructive choice than clinging to such meaningless shackles, lowborn.]

"What on earth is that constructive choice?"

[As I said, it's mastering the ultimate realm of magic to erase the continent's bloodshed and scars. The royalty failed, but if you lowborn become an excellent disciple... And if you lowborn have an even more excellent disciple than that. We might reach it someday.]

"...Can't I just master ten 5th Circle magic?"

Faced with the ancient great mage's unreasonable expectations, Yi-Han unconsciously blurted out nonsense.

  *

'If it's not possible, he should just say it's not possible.'

Yi-Han grumbled as he moved his feet.

The mad doppelganger had become extremely angry at Yi-Han's nonsense and poured out all kinds of scolding for an hour.

He should have just cursed!

"Ah. Professor Garcia."

"Student Yi-Han. Welcome. But where is Lady Ragesa? I heard she was following Yi-Han around and observing lectures?"

Professor Garcia tilted her head when Yi-Han came alone.

There had definitely been talk among the professors that an old pirate was following Wardanaz around and observing lectures.

So she had prepared herself mentally, expecting Ragesa to come, but?

"...She said she had urgent business."

"...Don't tell me she's skipping because my lecture is boring?"

Professor Garcia was deeply hurt by her student's surprised look.