Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 739

Chapter 739

'Even though familiar animals are advantageous for transformation magic...'

Among transformation magic, magic that transformed the mage themselves into other living beings was particularly high in difficulty and hard to control.

After all, as one had to maintain the identity of their soul while changing only the form of their body, it was inevitably more difficult compared to other magic.

As such, transformation magic was easily connected to animals the mage was familiar with.

It was common in transformation magic training for a mage who grew up tending sheep on a farm to try transforming into a shark but end up as a sheep with fins.

The boy from the Wardanaz family could transform into a baby basilisk as he had been constantly caring for one.

But...

'A basilisk isn't some worm-like animal!'

Regardless of the mage's familiarity, the difficulty of transformation increased exponentially for more powerful magical beasts.

The fact that a monster exerts powerful strength means it has condensed enormous mana in its body.

Even for mages, it was highly difficult to implement such a body identically.

Yet that Wardanaz was changing one arm into a basilisk's head despite just starting transformation magic.

It was unimaginable how far he could go when he became familiar with it.

"I don't think basilisk is a good idea, Wardanaz."

"Right? I thought so too actually. It's quite inconvenient as I can't control it."

"Don't talk like you're full!!!"

Unable to endure anymore, Professor Bentozol shouted and left.

At this sight, the students whispered in bewilderment.

"Why is he acting like that?"

"The professor probably wanted to transform into a basilisk too. Who knows."

"That's right. Wardanaz. Just ignore him."

"..."

Yi-Han slightly worried if this was alright, seeing his friends coldly ignoring Professor Bentozol.

It seemed they were adapting too quickly...

  *

'Once this is over, it's the weekend for now.'

It was the first week of the semester that felt as long as eternity.

To think it was like this when not all lectures had properly started yet.

It was frightening to think the semester might become eternally long once all lectures started rolling.

'Is there perhaps time magic cast on Einroguard?'

The lecture, <Elemental Magic and Its Applications>, was held in the Element Room on the 4th floor of the main building.

As could be guessed from the name, it was likely a lecture exploring the advanced stages of elemental magic.

Although Yi-Han wasn't usually one to be overconfident, he was slightly confident about this lecture.

'After being beaten up like that under Professor Bagrak.'

There would be no one who had built their basic elemental control as thoroughly as Yi-Han.

Even if they were seniors, wouldn't he not lose in this area?

"Hello, Wardanaz."

"Princess."

Yi-Han greeted lightly upon discovering Gainando's sister.

When they first met, he had been careful not to cause trouble lest his life after graduation be ruined, but after spending over a year together, he came to know she wasn't such a bad person.

She was someone who liked food, like Gainando.

Not knowing that the boy from the Wardanaz family was thinking insanely rude thoughts inwardly, Adenart was also glad.

Unlike other followers who treated her stiffly and formally, Yi-Han was much easier to deal with.

When she first saw him, she had slightly misunderstood because he said he would only take easy lectures, but after spending over a year together, she could see it was a complete misunderstanding.

The boy before her eyes was someone much crazier about magic as a discipline than the princess herself.

Although she wouldn't easily admit to being inferior to anyone in diligence or sense of responsibility, she had to admit this.

It was too early to predict the future of 2nd year students now, but everyone unanimously agreed about the boy from the Wardanaz family.

'He'll probably stay at Einroguard.'

Not knowing that the princess was thinking insanely rude thoughts inwardly, Yi-Han said,

"You're lucky. Is <Elemental Magic and Its Applications> a 2nd year lecture?"

"No. It's a 3rd year lecture."

"..."

Yi-Han became gloomy.

It seemed Adenart had also been forcibly dragged to a lecture one year higher.

"You must be having a hard time too, Princess."

"Pardon? What do you mean..."

"Aren't you angry about having to take 3rd year lectures?"

"I consider it an honor."

"..."

Only then did Yi-Han realize his mistake.

Come to think of it, Adenart probably wouldn't take many 3rd year lectures.

At most, she would take one or two!

'No. Shouldn't you be angry even taking one or two?'

Yi-Han looked at Adenart pitifully.

To think she would consider it an honor in a situation where she should naturally be angry.

"Princess. You should be angry when it's time to be angry."

"I-I don't quite understand..."

Adenart was flustered, not knowing what Yi-Han meant.

Meanwhile, a senior walked past them and tried to open the door to the Element Room.

As about 1/4 of the senior's body was under a petrification curse, a sound of stones colliding was heard every time he moved.

"..."

"..."

"Gruk. Could you help me a bit. Gruk."

"Yes."

At the senior's voice colliding with stones, Yi-Han quickly opened the door. The senior nodded gratefully (actually, he just made the gesture as he couldn't nod).

"!"

The Element Room was a strange place where dozens of environments coexisted simultaneously.

In a space about the size of a clearing, numerous elemental powers were dwelling, causing countless changes.

Behind the lizard mixed-blood senior were lava and flames, at the feet of the human senior next to him were streams and waterfalls, and in the corner of the room where everyone was keeping their distance were thunder and lightning...

Yi-Han and Adenart were amazed at this bizarre sight, hard to see even in Einroguard overflowing with all kinds of strange places.

"You still haven't lifted the curse?"

"Gruk. They say it'll take some time. Gruk."

"That's why I told you not to open relics recklessly."

"Gruk. I get it. Gruk."

"It must be Professor Benmalpa? I find him a bit uncomfortable."

"I'm uncomfortable too."

"Eh. But he's better than other people."

"?"

Yi-Han focused and listened intently to the seniors' conversation.

To survive safely in the perilous Einroguard, one always had to listen to such information.

'Professor Benmalpa?'

Yi-Han didn't know this professor.

In fact, unless they had a kind personality like Professor Garcia, Einroguard professors rarely met ordinary students.

If it was a professor teaching lectures unrelated to oneself, there were cases where one might not meet them at all until graduation...

'I wonder what kind of personality he has.'

"Hello, seniors."

"Ah! 2nd years?!"

"For 2nd years to take this lecture... That's amazing."

The seniors were glad to see Yi-Han and Adenart.

And the Blue Dragon Tower seniors immediately started boasting.

"See? This is tradition and bloodline..."

"Why are you, born with that tradition and bloodline, taking it now instead of in 2nd year?"

As an argument started among the seniors, Yi-Han quietly asked what he was curious about instead of stopping them.

"Senior. What kind of lecture is this?"

"Hm? It's a lecture just like its name."

The empire's magic schools were closer to classifications made for the convenience of current imperial mages.

In the distant past during the Three Kingdoms era, magic schools were divided by elements at times, but current imperial mages thought such classification was quite inefficient.

Even within the same fire element magic, it was divided into various principles like enchantment, summoning, illusion, or transformation, so they judged that a different way of classifying schools was much more rational.

As such, when Einroguard students studied elemental magic, they didn't try to specialize in just one element and master everything within it unless there was a special reason.

Rather, it was common to learn necessary elemental magic and its applications as needed according to their purpose and magic research.

<Elemental Magic and Its Applications> was also a lecture that helped such purposes.

The reason numerous types of elemental energies flowed in the Element Room was to allow students to flexibly handle various things without sticking to just one, freely expanding their ideas.

'No. It sounds too normal?'

For Yi-Han, who had been constantly attacked just to learn one elemental application last year, it sounded so normal that he was bewildered.

"Then what purpose did you apply for, Senior?"

"I applied because I need to practice linking water and earth elements a bit. I'm researching something now, but I keep failing midway because my elemental control is lacking."

"For water elements... Do you mean multi-controlling water orbs, instantly changing water's shape, or additionally deepening attributes like spin in water?"

"...I-I wasn't planning to delve that deeply..."

The senior was flustered at Yi-Han's words.

He had just thought of lightly learning water element shape changes, just a few things needed for research...

"But won't you need it someday?"

"I don't think I'll need it unless I'm going around killing monsters with just water elements."

"..."

Yi-Han's expression darkened at the senior's words.

He thought the lectures he had taken last year might have been more futile than expected.

Hearing this, the seniors were focusing on learning just the parts they needed according to necessity rather than concentrating madly on one element.

...Could this be the right way?

'...No. It's not bad that I went deep. It will surely help when handling other elements too.'

If it didn't help, Yi-Han might grab Professor Bagrak by the collar.

"Junior. Why did you apply for the lecture?"

"Well..."

Yi-Han pondered as 'The artifact told me to' didn't seem like a good answer.

Meanwhile, Adenart answered first.

"I applied to control rare attribute elements and strengthen overall."

"Ah. Me too. I'm also doing common attributes."

Thinking it was a good answer, Yi-Han quickly followed.

Yi-Han was actually an unusual case who handled rare attribute elements like darkness, lightning, or cold much more than common elements.

Thanks to that, he was still tense every time he used fire...

At the two juniors' answers, the senior thought Adenart must have better grades than Yi-Han.

In Yi-Han's case, saying he needed to strengthen even common elements showed he clearly had many lacking points.

"Everyone to your seats!"

Professor Benmalpa of the Benmalpa family entered with an energetic and powerful voice.

The human professor had grown a seagull-shaped mustache stylishly, which matched his uniquely gentlemanly attire, making him look like the chairman of a group actively participating in the empire's social clubs.

As such an appearance was rare among Einroguard professors, many of whom dressed as they pleased, Yi-Han was puzzled.

'Is that why the seniors felt uncomfortable?'

"Nice to meet you, gentlemen! I am Jorzik of the Benmalpa family. The person who will become Einroguard's next principal!"

"?!"

While Yi-Han and Adenart were surprised, some seniors seeing Professor Jorzik for the first time asked in shock.

"Are you the principal's successor?!"

"No!"

"...But you said you're the next principal?"

"One can become the next principal without being the successor, gentlemen! I will someday receive His Majesty the Emperor's order and become Einroguard's principal instead of Lord Gonadaltes!"

"..."

"..."

Seeing the professor predicting a coup with eyes and voice full of ambition, Yi-Han finally realized why some seniors felt uncomfortable with Professor Jorzik.

And he thought inwardly.

'He's crazier than Professor Verduus.'

He was someone one absolutely shouldn't get close to.