Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 832

Chapter 832

"Oh. Is this a prophecy from a king-level spirit? Interesting."

[This - Demon Duke - finds - it - interesting - too -]

-Such a prophecy is truly interesting.-

Unaware of Yi-Han's inner thoughts, Ragesa, the Demon Duke of Pride, and Arsil each made a comment.

And for the crime of speaking last, Arsil had to receive his brother's fierce glare.

"You said it, didn't you, Brother?"

?!

Arsil was startled and waved both hands.

However, Yi-Han had already half-solidified his suspicion.

"Please be honest. You talked about me and said I would become the Imperial Mage Administrator, didn't you?"

Arsil had always had a tendency to overestimate his relatively younger brother.

Knowing this well, Yi-Han believed without doubt that Arsil must have brought up the Imperial Mage Administrator story.

Faced with his brother's continued suspicion, Arsil shook his head.

Although Arsil did have expectations for Yi-Han, he didn't predefine or say 'he will become something' to beings from other realms.

As words have power, he didn't want to rashly influence his brother's future.

-I’m sad that you doubt me. I really didn't do such a thing!-

[Human - mage - don't - doubt - your - blood - relatives - how - sad - would - the - butterfly - gentleman - be -]

"Why are you interfering in other people's family matters?"

!!

The Demon Duke of Pride was greatly hurt by the cold-hearted human mage's words.

How could he say such cruel things?

Fortunately, the Mad Wood King cleared up Arsil's misunderstanding.

-Ah. Wait... It seems we were mad.-

"I see. Do you mean the title you just called me was mad talk?"

-What did we just say? Oh my. It seems we fell into madness again and made a prophecy. If it was an unpleasant prophecy, we apologize.-

"..."

To think an apology could be this unpleasant.

Yi-Han made a complicated expression.

The Mad Wood King, guessing that the guest had heard quite an unpleasant prophecy, added.

-Human mage. Prophecies don't necessarily come true just because you heard them.-

"That's right, isn't it?"

[But - the - Mad - Wood - King's - prophecies - are - known - for - their - high - accuracy -]

-Be quiet, Garisaima.-

Arsil warned the Demon Duke of Pride to be quiet, thinking his brother seemed angry.

It seemed his brother was displeased about having his future pre-limited by the prophecy of becoming the Imperial Mage Administrator.

-Of course, most of them do come true. Especially ours. Anyway, speak quickly before madness comes again. You came for a staff, right?-

The Mad Wood King spoke hurriedly without even taking a breath, in a tired voice.

He intended to finish the conversation quickly, as normal conversation with guests would become impossible once madness came again soon.

"That's right. Of course, I know it's nonsense to make such a request to someone I have no connection with, but if you could give me a chance to pass a trial..."

-If you go north from here, there's a divine tree forest we've raised. The mages who visited today may find and take any branch they want from there. This promise is made while we are in our right mind, so it will be maintained even if we fall into madness. We swear on our realm.-

The Mad Wood King's words became faster and faster, to the point where there was no sense of leisure at all by the end.

Yi-Han, who had been listening with maximum concentration, was flustered.

"Uh. You're saying we can just take it?"

Ragesa, who had been listening with concentration beside him, was also flustered.

"Uh. He's saying they can just take it. Won't this spoil the young mages? It seems like an appropriate trial is needed?"

Unlike their kind and righteous image, spirits weren't beings who gave gifts without any reason.

As can be seen in the empire's old stories, contracting with spirits itself was only possible after passing a kind of test or trial.

If that was the case for spirit contracts, it was the same for requests for any gifts or powers. Spirits were also beings from other realms and had their own desires.

Spirits contracted with mages because the spirits themselves wanted to borrow the mages' power.

Spirits gave trials to mages and made them overcome them because the spirits themselves wanted to confirm the mages' capabilities.

But this Mad Wood King was telling them to go to the nearby forest and take whatever branch they wanted, without demanding any trial, contract, or negotiation.

It was bewildering from Yi-Han's perspective. It was the same for Ragesa.

-We have severe madness, so we don't really need contractors. What's the point when we forget most of the time anyway.-

"But can you give precious treasures to mages without even any verification? Shouldn't there at least be a qualification check?"

"Lady Ragesa..."

Yi-Han called out as if dumbfounded, but Ragesa ignored him.

The Mad Wood King answered again.

-We have severe madness, so treasures and possessions don't have much meaning anyway.-

"You might need to entertain outsiders later, right?"

-Outsiders don't come often, so there's no need to prepare for entertaining. Take what you want while you're here. You don't know when you'll be able to visit again.-

"..."

"..."

Suddenly, the atmosphere became solemn.

Yi-Han felt sorry, thinking he might be extracting gifts from a difficult and painful spirit.

Even the White Tiger Tower students, whose skin had thickened a layer more since becoming 2nd years, seemed to feel a bit that way and whispered.

"Is... is this really okay?"

"It's pitiful..."

-Our forest is a place that flourishes abundantly anyway, so mages don't need to worry. It's fine, so call all your friends and take what you want.-

The spirit king looked tired and exhausted, but he had a generous dignity befitting a king.

When the immeasurably young human mages hesitated, he persuaded them that there was no need.

"Is it really okay?"

At Anglago's question, the Mad Wood King nodded and then paused for a moment.

-Why are you in prison after receiving a tree branch?-

"What?"

-It seems we went mad for a moment again. Our headache is getting worse.-

"..."

"..."

The friends stared at Anglago.

Anglago shouted urgently.

"N-no! Even if I get imprisoned, it would be for a crime I could escape from!"

-Ugh.-

Unable to stand it anymore, Arsil stepped in.

-Let me bring some tea.-

[Can - this - Demon Duke - have - a - cup - too?]

At the Demon Duke of Pride's coquettish request, Arsil nodded as if to say 'I understand' and brought two cups of tea.

The Mad Wood King sipped the tea and endured the throbbing headache, then spoke again.

-For us with madness, guests are very short and precious connections. They are precious connections that are hard to know whether we'll meet in the past, present, or future. So you human mages should take whatever you want. You might never meet us again in your lifetime.-

The mages were deeply moved by the spirit king's kind and generous words. It even touched Ragesa's heartstrings.

Even Yi-Han, who had heard a prophecy close to a curse earlier, felt his heart swell.

Why was there such a difference between this king and Ferkuntra?

While one apologized for not being able to give more to the mages with a mind of non-possession, why was the other so...

"Spirit King..."

"I will think of Your Majesty the Mad Wood King every time I use my staff from now on!"

-I wouldn't recommend that as madness might come. Now go!-

The Mad Wood King issued an order to leave. There was a firmness that he would not accept any more conversation.

Arsil and Garisaima also stood up to send the students out for their friend.

[Ah - I - almost - forgot -!]

The Demon Duke of Pride, who was sending the students out, clapped his hands and called Yi-Han.

Yi-Han, who was about to leave with his friends, turned back puzzled.

[Separately - from - the - Mad - Wood - King's - matter - shouldn't - the - human - mage - challenge - again - this - Garisaima - likes - revenge -]

"..."

Ferkuntra wasn't a spirit skilled in prophecy, but he could make proper predictions.

Yi-Han was very flustered when he was about to be caught by the Demon Duke of Pride. Moreover, unlike last time, the other party had even grasped his personal information.

"I have urgent business, so I'll visit again later..."

[Yes - yes - leave - a - mark - I'll - send - a - messenger - later -]

"..."

Indeed, it wasn't easy to deceive someone at the level of an duke.

While Yi-Han was desperately racking his brains about what to do, the Demon Duke of Pride's complexion changed.

[Kuhak -!]

Thud!

The Demon Duke of Pride fell to his knees. Yi-Han and his friends were startled, not knowing why the demon duke was acting like this.

"What's wrong?"

[I - Butterfly - gentleman - poison - in - the - tea -!]

The Demon Duke of Pride looked at Arsil with eyes full of betrayal.

To think he would commit such an act, when he thought he was a pacifist unlike other mortals!

Arsil ignored him and quickly pushed his brother's back. It meant to leave while the Demon Duke of Pride was paralyzed.

'...Brother!'

Yi-Han looked at Arsil with eyes full of emotion.

To think he would protect his brother like this after he had made such an unreasonable suspicion earlier.

Indeed, there was no one but family.

"Let's go!"

[Human - mage - wait - the - next - appointment - kuhak -!]

Ignoring the Demon Duke of Pride's voice calling out desperately while detoxifying, Yi-Han hurriedly escaped with his friends.

  *

The students walked quietly on the clouds.

They needed time to process everything that had just happened inside the mansion.

"...This is incredible luck."

"Y-yeah!"

The friends decided to overlook things like the attempted poisoning incident at the end or Anglago's imprisonment prophecy, and look only at the positive aspects of the event.

Ragesa also agreed seriously.

"You brats have caught an amazing stroke of luck. Such connections are not easy to come by."

"Is that so??"

All the students had excited expressions at the thought of receiving branches from the divine tree forest.

'Something feels off.'

Yi-Han felt strange that Ragesa wasn't being mischievous.

Why was she so calm when the Mad Wood King had just given things away without even giving a trial?

While Yi-Han was suspicious, Ragesa spoke to him first.

"He said to call all your friends and take, so you should call other brats and let them take too."

"...Gasp. Lady Ragesa!"

"?"

When Yi-Han shouted with an expression as if he had realized something, Ragesa flinched.

Could this brat have already noticed?

"Can I perhaps sell my friend rights for money? To seniors or outside mages..."

"..."

Ragesa felt ashamed of herself for flinching just now.

To think she had tensed up at such words.

"Are you really babbling that nonsense?"

"I could ask out of academic curiosity..."

'Is this brat really not from a pirate family?'

Yi-Han was about to ask about the limits of contracts and oaths but quickly backed off.

It seemed selling friend rights for money was indeed impossible.

"Stop thinking useless thoughts and finish quickly before the crack closes. You won't be able to enter once the Mad Wood King's madness starts in earnest."

"There it is!"

The White Tiger Tower student running at the front spotted a forest in the distance and shouted.

Unlike other forests that were in the realm's sky and unreachable, there was a single forest situated on the clouds.

Tap tap tap tap!

The White Tiger Tower student advanced elastically, borrowing the power of enhancement magic.

And he grabbed and broke off a branch from the nearest tree.

Swoosh!

"?"

The student looked at his empty hand with a stupid expression.

He had clearly grabbed and broken off a branch, but nothing came out. Looking ahead, the branch was intact.

Once more...

Swoosh!

"..."

Only then did the student realize that the tree in front of him was a mirage. Ragesa burst into laughter she had been holding back.

"Kihihihi! Did you think finding and taking branches from a spirit king's forest would be that easy, even without a trial!"

Come to think of it, Ragesa had calmly accepted it because she expected sufficient hardship even without a trial.

The other White Tiger Tower students cursed, but Ragesa ignored them and laughed.

Yi-Han suppressed the urge to push her off the clouds and asked.

"Lady Ragesa. Then how should we take them?"

"You have to wander around until you're chosen."

Yi-Han unconsciously checked the size of the divine tree forest again. It was certainly endless at first glance.