Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 827

Chapter 827

After dragging Yukbeltire to a corner of the lecture room, Yi-Han whispered quietly.

"Why are you kind to other seniors but act like this only to Lady Ragesa?"

"?"

At Yi-Han's words, Yukbeltire tilted her head as if to say 'What are you talking about?'

Being kind to other juniors?

What on earth did that mean?

"I haven't been particularly kind to other students. Rather, because of Direth, I was especially kind only to you, the Wardanaz family junior."

"??"

This time it was Yi-Han's turn to tilt his head.

"When?"

"I gave you advice about the staff just now, didn't I?"

"...That's natural because it's a lecture, isn't it?"

Yi-Han wanted to hit this senior once.

"If it had been another junior's question, I wouldn't have listened to such a vague question. The questioner's ability is important too, you know."

"How can I ask this in a non-vague way? I'm a 2nd year, you know."

Now he had to make a staff that could handle everything from powerful spirits to various authority gems, but it was unreasonable for Yi-Han, a 2nd year, to figure it all out from the beginning.

"And you said it was interesting too, Senior. If you weren't interested, you would have ignored it even if Senior Direth had said it."

"When did I?"

"You said just now that putting in black purplestone was an interesting attempt, and you also asked where I got the Echo Stone."

"..."

Yukbeltire was at a loss for words for the first time in a while.

That she was interested in her junior's research?

The research of a junior who was still a 2nd year and had coldly rejected her artificial realm research?

She absolutely couldn't admit it.

"I'm not."

"You're not?"

"Right. I'm not interested."

"Anyway, that's not important right now. Shouldn't we persuade Lady Ragesa now?"

Yi-Han didn't care much whether Yukbeltire was interested in his research or not, so he didn't pursue it deeply and moved on.

"You should at least treat her like you treat other seniors."

"I don't understand... I'm actually respecting Lady Ragesa."

"???"

Yukbeltire kindly explained to her ignorant junior.

Unlike ignoring juniors whose names she didn't even know, she was properly conveying her opinions to Ragesa out of respect as a fellow mage...

"...You don't even know their names?"

"Why should I remember?"

'Maybe it would be better if this person just remained indifferent.'

Yi-Han thought inwardly.

Seeing how she properly answered questions for juniors she was indifferent to, but only said what she wanted to say and grated on the nerves of Ragesa whom she was interested in, maybe she should remain indifferent.

'Well, she's someone who grates on Senior Direth's nerves too.'

"Anyway, I'll speak. Just stay behind."

"But you won't be able to explain properly at your level."

"Shut up and stay still before I tattle to Senior Direth."

"..."

Yukbeltire closed her mouth in shock at her junior's ferocity.

How could he be so rude?

  *

"So this bronze golem is this useful, and this senior is also conducting artificial realm research..."

"You mean that thing where the arrogance demon came out last time?"

"How do you know about that, Lady Ragesa?!"

Yi-Han was surprised.

It was shocking that the sponsor knew in advance about the incident that occurred during the artificial realm research, but he was even more curious about how she came to know about it.

How on earth did a pirate wandering the seas...?

"The mages who participated sent letters telling me about it."

"..."

Yi-Han shuddered as he realized that imperial mages communicated more closely than he thought.

He would have to be more careful from now on.

If he wasn't careful about his actions in the future, a mage from the far eastern region whom he had never met might blurt out something like 'Oh! The Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple has come!'

"But that was a mistake made by those mages."

"An outstanding mage should take all that into account. It's the arrogance of young mages to think they can perfectly control an imperfect world."

"But for some magic, such sensitive control is essentially necessary..."

Yi-Han, who was making excuses, suddenly wondered why he had to do this.

'Shouldn't it have been enough to just bring one duke? Do I really have to persuade Lady Ragesa too?'

Even if I do this, she'll probably just grate on people's nerves now...

Still, with the mindset of seeing it through to the end since he had started it, Yi-Han earnestly praised Yukbeltire.

She was highly respected in Blue Dragon Tower and provided various help (thinking of the Calendarium, this wasn't a complete lie), had excellent friendships (having a friend like Direth, this also had some truth), and was respected by her juniors (Yi-Han decided to respect her for a moment)...

Ragesa, who had been listening as if pitying her, clicked her tongue and said.

"Enough. Enough, brat. Your skill at gilding your school senior is quite artistic. If it were me, I would have thrown her out the window long ago."

"Haha. I don't know what you mean."

Yi-Han pretended not to know.

And he thought that if she were to throw someone, she would probably throw Professor Verduus first.

"Come here, Verduus's disciple."

At Ragesa's call, Yukbeltire ran over triumphantly.

"Your junior's persuasion has moved this old pirate's heartstrings. Fine. Imperial people might mock that the fool who was deceived by Verduus was deceived by his disciple again, but I'll sponsor you."

"!"

Yukbeltire's eyes widened and trembled lightly with excitement.

"Wardanaz family junior. I'll praise you for this. You've managed to persuade a stubborn and obstinate mage."

Yukbeltire said, looking at Ragesa.

"Senior... Please lower your voice or just shut your mouth..."

"Lady Ragesa. You don't need to mind the mockery of such insignificant beings less than dust."

Ragesa snorted and sneered.

"You might live buried in a magic tower without friends for life, but this daughter of Torgerard has fame and reputation, you know? Anyway, I'll sponsor, but there's a condition."

"When the artificial realm is completed, I'll let you visit second."

"...You go there a lot. The condition I mentioned is to help this poor junior here make his staff."

"?"

Yukbeltire didn't understand.

Why should she do such a thing?

"?"

Yi-Han didn't understand either.

He just didn't like it.

"I don't want to?"

"No... why you?"

Ragesa was flustered when Yi-Han refused, not Yukbeltire.

She had naturally thought this poor junior would be grateful.

"I heard you're making a staff with black purplestone? It won't be just ordinarily difficult, will it?"

"I'd rather remove the black purplestone than work with Professor Verduus..."

"..."

Faced with a logically perfect rebuttal, Ragesa couldn't help but admire.

Yukbeltire retorted as if to say 'What are you talking about?'

"I was designated, not Professor Verduus. Junior."

"Haha. I must have heard wrong."

"...Still, it's too difficult to do alone. It's a shame to waste the opportunity to make a good staff and also... Ah. Never mind. Anyway, you need help. Brat."

Ragesa was about to open her mouth but swallowed her words.

Yi-Han became curious and asked.

"What was the reason you were going to say at the end?"

"I'm a bit hesitant because you might get too hurt if you hear it, brat."

"Haha. It's alright."

"Okay. I'll tell you. I was going to say, anyway, you're already taking all schools including Verduus, so what difference would one more strange person make at this point..."

"..."

Deep sadness and pain welled up in Yi-Han's eyes. Seeing this, Ragesa regretted saying it.

"Hey. That's why I said I wasn't going to say it because you might get hurt, brat."

"N-no. I'm not hurt."

"I'm sorry. Anyway, it's a good opportunity, right? Don't miss the chance to make a better staff."

Considering the hardships and trials this Wardanaz family boy would face in the future, the experience of making a staff himself would surely be quite useful.

If he could change and adapt his staff to face hardships and trials, it would be much easier to overcome them.

Yukbeltire, who had been calculating carefully beside them, finally opened her mouth as if she had made a decision.

When she calculated the time wasted helping her junior and the time saved by the gold coins she would receive from Ragesa, receiving was more profitable.

"I'll help."

"You be quiet. Do you think your opinion matters right now?"

"..."

  *

In fact, Yi-Han might be the one who knew best about the rare metal called black purplestone.

Usually, mages don't have much to do with metals that have such mana-absorbing properties.

They especially avoided carrying them around as it would only interfere with their own magic.

"I don't think I had any problems though."

"You probably overwhelmed it with mana quantity."

Yukbeltire drew a picture on paper.

She drew arrows representing mana emanating from a mage, then drew black purplestone disturbing the direction of mana here and there, and finally drew massive mana quantity crushing such disturbance.

"What is this?"

"It's a mage."

"..."

For a moment, Yi-Han thought she had drawn a troll due to her hideous drawing skills.

"Should I draw the picture?"

"Why?"

"Because the picture is hard to understand..."

"...This seems sufficient to me."

"It doesn't seem sufficient to me."

"What's important is the concept of magic, not how it's drawn. Understand? And this is sufficient to understand, so I made an efficient choice. Direth understood it well too."

"Ah, yes."

Yi-Han was slightly flustered when the other party suddenly started talking at length.

"You're not upset because of what I said, are you?"

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

"That's a relief. Then about this black purplestone staff. I understand the disadvantages, but what are the advantages?"

If there were disadvantages like absorbing surrounding mana and interfering with the mage, there should be advantages too.

Yi-Han intended to listen to them in detail and then decide.

"You can easily store mana, and it's excellent in durability when casting spells. Strong magic can sometimes break staffs that can't withstand it. Also, it can be said to be powerful as a core of magic."

It was natural that it had definite charging ability as it constantly absorbed mana, and durability was excellent as it had to withstand that.

But the statement that it was powerful as a core of magic was something Yi-Han hadn't thought of.

'I see.'

The role of a staff was similar to incantations.

Magic was possible without it, but when present, it could amplify and control the mage's abilities.

Magic was basically an unstable discipline as it changed reality, and various means were devised to control it.

Just as incantations existed for the mage's concentration, so did staffs.

The core, center, and origin of the magical phenomenon as it progressed.

That was the role of the staff.

In the case of a black purplestone staff, it would absorb all the surrounding mana, so its presence would be very distinct even when casting unstable and abstruse magic.

To put it bluntly, even if casting magic in a comatose state, the presence of the black purplestone staff would be felt...

"That does seem worth trying."

"It should be. You want to learn high Circle magic as quickly as possible. It'll be easier when casting."

"...I was just talking about the staff's durability."

Yukbeltire ignored her junior's protest and continued what she wanted to say.

"But it can't be composed of black purplestone alone. You need a powerful substance to maintain elements like stones from other realms, magic stones, tree spirits..."

"Would it be in Professor Verduus's warehouse?"

"No. It won't be. Materials of that level are used immediately as soon as they come in."

"Why is the professor so extravagant?"

Yukbeltire also immediately stole and used them as soon as they came in, but she quietly changed the subject.

"The best material as a staff core that can control black purplestone is..."

Yi-Han quietly listened to his senior's words.

'Please be an easy-to-obtain material. Please be an easy-to-obtain material.'

"A branch of a king-class spirit would be good."

"...Let's do something else, shall we?"

Yi-Han was about to crumple up the paper he had been scribbling on until now.