Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 776
Added 2024-08-23 08:23:49 +0000 UTCChapter 776
Having his inner thoughts exposed, Yi-Han threw out a few names to test the baby basilisk.
From grand names like <Jörmungandr>, <Ouroboros>, <Caduceus> to familiar names like <Guryeongdeongdeong>, <Gainando>, <Siana>.
-Whine. They all seem not so good.-
"Hmm. Can I call you Basil until a good name comes to mind?"
Yi-Han, getting slightly annoyed, spoke with the intention of deceiving the baby basilisk.
If he called it Basil for now and kept calling it that, the name would stick.
-Yes, I like it!-
The baby basilisk had high intelligence but couldn't beat an Einroguard student trained in scheming.
Basil excitedly wagged its tail, unaware of its master's evil intentions.
-When will we meet that evil mage again?-
"?"
Yi-Han was puzzled when the baby basilisk asked innocently.
'Who on earth is it talking about as the evil mage?'
There seemed to be too many to line up from Einroguard's main building entrance to the territory gate...
"Who?"
The baby basilisk answered as if wondering why he didn't know.
-The person who hits Master.-
"...So who?"
The baby basilisk tried to answer but choked on the snack it had just eaten, making coughing sounds.
Yi-Han poured milk into a small bowl with a pitying look.
"You should have eaten slowly."
-Huh? What if someone takes it away?-
"..."
'I should take back thinking it had high intelligence.'
Not even dreaming that its master had lowered his intelligence evaluation by several levels, the baby basilisk eagerly licked the bowl filled with milk.
"So who were you talking about?"
Instead of answering, the baby basilisk kept licking the bowl. Even though it looked empty to Yi-Han for a while now.
Yi-Han retrieved the bowl. The baby basilisk looked at Yi-Han with eyes as if the sky had fallen.
'I should have eaten faster after all!'
"You've finished eating..."
-There was some left!-
"There wasn't."
Even when he showed the bottom of the bowl and explained, the baby basilisk didn't back down.
Only after tearing up and tapping the desk floor with its tail several times did the baby basilisk accept that the bowl was empty.
-That scary mage.-
"...Basil. You need to develop a habit of speaking specifically. Let's start with the species."
-Vampire.-
"Ah. You mean Professor Bagrak."
Yi-Han understood immediately.
Indeed, it was natural for the baby basilisk to fear Professor Bagrak.
He had tried to forcibly grow it and make it fight Yi-Han...
"We won't meet him today."
-What about tomorrow?-
"Want to drink some more milk?"
Yi-Han subtly avoided answering and refilled the bowl with milk. The baby basilisk cheered and plunged its head into the bowl again.
-Gulp, th-that other, scary mage is...-
"Speak after eating."
The baby basilisk licked eagerly and emptied the bowl once more. Looking at the bowl regretfully, the baby basilisk said.
-When will that other scary mage disappear?-
"Who? Wait, what do you mean disappear. Was it someone who was with us?"
Yi-Han thought it might be talking about Professor Rosine.
-The snake mixed-blood.-
"...Uh, why Priestess Siana? She's not a bad person."
-Wh-what...! She tried to forcibly extract my poison!-
The baby basilisk protested, flapping its body.
It was still scary even thinking about it now.
'Ah. That's right.'
Come to think of it, when the baby basilisk was born, Siana had approached with a large brass syringe with a sharply tapered end.
It was an alchemist's tool used to insert into plants or animals to extract liquids, but to the eyes of a newborn basilisk, it must have looked like a torture device.
And it could actually be used as a torture device too...
"She's not a bad person. She's just like that because she's an alchemist."
-Are, are all alchemists scary people?-
"Hmm. In some ways, maybe a little."
Yi-Han, who was giving common sense education to the baby basilisk, suddenly became curious.
Come to think of it, there were a few things he hadn't been able to ask until now because they couldn't communicate.
"Basil. What abilities can you use right now?"
-I can swing my tail!-
The baby basilisk swung its tail in a circle. Yi-Han clapped halfheartedly.
"Anything else?"
-Drinking milk?-
"...What about the evil eye?"
The famous bloodline ability of basilisks was the magic eye imbued with the curse of petrification.
Although the deadly poison that depleted life with its breath was also famous, that unique evil eye would be useful in many ways.
-I can use it!-
"!"
Yi-Han looked at the baby basilisk with admiring eyes.
He thought it was just sucking mana in his sleeve all day, but it had been developing abilities too.
"Really?"
-I-I don't want to use it. I don't want to use it. It's hard when I use it...-
"I'm not saying you have to use it. Haha. I was just asking. It must be hard since you haven't grown yet."
Even to Yi-Han, it didn't seem like the baby basilisk that hadn't fully grown could use its magic eye often.
It would surely strain its body.
"What about poison?"
-Wait a moment. Ugh... Urk.-
The baby basilisk made groaning sounds and produced a very small amount of poison.
Then it cried out of hunger.
-Waaah. I'm so hungry...-
"...Here, have some more snacks."
Yi-Han quickly collected the drop of poison in a glass vial for reagents while offering snacks.
Watching the baby basilisk excitedly coil around the snacks, Yi-Han asked.
"Come to think of it, is it better to feed you like this? Rather than mana?"
-I like both!-
'Hmm. I should add <Strong appetite> too.'
Yi-Han thought that if he had to write a document about the basilisk when applying for grants later, he should add <Strong appetite> too.
"By the way, when will you grow?"
-Mmph?-
The baby basilisk, who had been swallowing food for a while, blinked its eyes.
"You know, getting bigger."
Gulp!
-In my opinion...-
"If you get bigger, you won't have to hang on my arm and can go around separately."
-...I-I don't get bigger. I'm a special basilisk that doesn't grow.-
"..."
*
Shyles, who had left the lecture hall after the lecture ended, felt slightly sorry when he saw Yi-Han from afar.
'Hmm... Maybe I should have learned basilisk language?'
Come to think of it, Wardanaz had done so much for him, but to refuse without even learning basilisk language once.
It was rude and ungrateful behavior.
Of course, wyvern language was a very useful monster language, but basilisk language might be useful someday too.
'But where would it really be useful?'
Unless something like basilisk carriages came out...
"Wardanaz!"
"Oh. Shyles? Wait a moment."
Yi-Han made hissing sounds at his sleeve as his friend approached.
Shyles was puzzled seeing that.
"What did you just do?"
"I told the basilisk you're not an alchemist."
"I see. ...Wait, you said you told the basilisk!?"
Shyles doubted his ears.
Yi-Han sighed and explained to Shyles.
"Shyles. Basil here isn't a dangerous monster..."
"No, no, I'm not surprised that there's a basilisk??"
The fact that Yi-Han was raising a basilisk was now known to most of his friends.
At first, friends who said 'Don't talk nonsense' 'Do you think we'll believe everything if you put Wardanaz in front?' gradually noticed the signs one or two at a time and wavered saying 'It seems he's really raising one' 'Isn't it just a pet snake?', then resigned saying 'So it is a basilisk' 'I won't be surprised even if Wardanaz raises a dragon from now on'.
"Wait. Why did you say I'm not an alchemist?"
"It's a long story. So why? I have to go to the next lecture."
Shyles's eyes welled up seeing his friend trying to go to the next lecture regardless of break time.
'Wait. This isn't what I came to talk about.'
Shyles came to his senses and asked.
"Then you spoke basilisk language?"
"Ah. Originally I often communicate with the basilisk, and as I practice music magic, it became a bit easier."
"...So you did it?"
"I did, right? That's why I spoke."
"I see."
Shyles nodded.
Thanks to that, the apologetic feeling from earlier completely disappeared.
"By any chance, Shyles. Have you become interested in basilisk language? That's great. If you want to learn, together with Basil here..."
"I'm going to learn wyvern language. Well then, goodbye!"
Seeing his Black Tortoise Tower friend turn away coldly, Yi-Han grumbled that he didn't know gratitude.
*
"Mr. Wardanaz! I heard you were kidnapped, but it's good to see you healthy!"
Professor Jorzik of the Benmalpa family greeted with his usual voice full of passion and energy.
Maybe it was his mood, but the seagull-shaped mustache he had grown stylishly seemed to flap more vigorously today.
"Hello, Professor Benmalpa. It's fortunate you were worried."
"Yes! I was really worried."
"Uh, Professor... Did you perhaps... participate?"
Yi-Han wondered if Professor Jorzik had actually been among the three professors who came to rescue him.
He hadn't seen him, but given the personalities of Professor Garcia and Professor Bagrak, they might have kidnapped Professor Jorzik too.
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I was busy with other matters! Mr. Wardanaz. I wrote an anonymous letter to His Majesty the Emperor!"
"Pardon??"
Yi-Han was startled.
Who did he write what to?
"I wrote a splendid letter asking if I, Jorzik of the Benmalpa family, shouldn't become the next principal, questioning the responsibility for your kidnapping."
Yi-Han gave a look of contempt at that answer.
To use a disciple's tragedy as a stepping stone for his own ambition!
'I should withdraw from the <Make Jorzik of the Benmalpa Family Einroguard's Principal> group.'
Professor Jorzik, trapped in his ambition, didn't notice that he had fallen to a position similar to Professor Verduus among his disciples and muttered.
"But the Death Knights confiscated it... It's truly regrettable. How can I send the anonymous letter breaking through their surveillance?"
"Please tell me if you find a way, Professor."
"Haha! Don't worry. As Einroguard's next principal, I can't not fulfill the request of the next professor! Then shall we start the lecture? Come in, Mr. Wardanaz!"
"Yes."
Yi-Han entered the Element Room following the professor's words.
Then he suddenly felt something strange and stopped.
"What did you just say..."
Rumble!
"Ahhh! The water element is going berserk!!"
"Step aside."
As water shot out violently from the surrounding waterfalls in all directions, Yi-Han swung his staff and chanted a spell to secure control.
As water was the most familiar and accustomed element, he was confident even if another mage had made a mistake and caused it to go berserk.
"Excellent! Wardanaz!"
"The lightning curtain has burst! Everyone be careful!"
'What's going on today?'
Of course, as the Element Room was a place where elemental energy flowed strongly, it was a place where students were likely to make mistakes and cause elements to go berserk while practicing, but today's misfortune was a bit excessive.
Yi-Han ran here and there with the seniors to clean up the lightning element.
"Huff... huff. Thank you, Senior Wardanaz."
"Pardon?"
"Ah. Right. You were a 2nd year. For a moment. Haha."
"..."
Having run around so frantically, Yi-Han forgot what Professor Jorzik had just said.
Professor Jorzik, who had watched the students clean up with a pleased expression, swung his staff to tidy up the surroundings and then instructed practice again.
"Now, Mr. Wardanaz! How was the method we did last time, casting fire magic on your body?"
"I don't know well because I was kidnapped after that."
"I see! That's alright. It can happen. We'll just do it again."
Professor Jorzik shouted passionately.
The effort to teach an outstanding disciple was a very small matter.
Adenart, who was next to them, looked at the two with shocked eyes at the mention of setting fire again.
"But before that, cast fire magic a few times. I want to check how much difference there is!"
"Yes."
Yi-Han cast <Lesser Fire Barrier>, which he had practiced most recently while being attacked by the crazy 5th year senior.
Professor Jorzik was puzzled at the clean and stable casting.
"Oh? It's much better!"
"That's because I only practiced this."
"Then try other magics too!"
Yi-Han cast several low-circle fire magics.
Yi-Han paused at the fire element magic being cast stably unlike usual.
'...Huh?'
"It seems you've overcome the problem?"
"...It seems so."
"Hmm! Interesting. I wonder what the reason was..."
Professor Jorzik wrote things like 'Constant burning at the stake?' 'Kidnapped by ancient mage's doppelganger?' on paper with interest.
Which of these could have been the cause?