Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 731

Chapter 731

"...What fault could you have? You did well."

Yi-Han sighed and praised Niffirg.

He should have assessed the situation properly and given specific orders; Niffirg had done well without overdoing it in its own way.

Of course, he hadn't known it would do this well, but...

"I'm counting on you, new striker."

"I feel a bit burdened because you seem to be expecting too much."

Carnela nodded seriously at those words.

"Normally, I should say I don't expect anything, but honestly, I am a bit expectant. This can't be helped."

Although the level of existing Einroguard ballgame club members wasn't greatly lacking, their passion for victory was worlds apart compared to Carnela.

To have such a relaxed attitude like 'It'll work out somehow' instead of thinking about filling the striker position themselves if it was vacant.

Not to have expectations for a griffin rider junior who appeared in this situation would make one an undead, not a person.

"Oh right. Junior. What was your name again?"

"...Senior. Did you perhaps not even know my name? I'm Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."

"Ah. Right. I'll remember it. I forgot because friends always just called you 'that guy'."

"..."

Yi-Han shook his head at the sight of the senior kindly explaining even the reason he didn't want to know.

"But Senior. There's one last thing I'd like to ask."

"The next training schedule?"

"No. If I remember correctly, Niffirg here also left without lifting the curse because it was caught by mass or size restrictions, is your Cerberus alright?"

"Ah. That's coward's ballgame."

"?"

"Wardanaz, Wardanaz. To think you'd know so little about ballgames... There are two types of ballgames. One is ballgame played with mass or size restrictions on mounts. It's called coward's ballgame."

"Is that a commonly used term in the empire?"

"No. It's just an expression I use alone."

"..."

"Anyway, it's correct. The other is true ballgame played without petty restrictions on mounts. The ballgame I play is this one."

"...So griffins, hippogriffs, or Cerberus come out in their true forms?"

"That's right!"

As the junior seemed to be gradually understanding the charm of ballgames, a smile spread across Carnela's face.

'She really is a crazy person.'

Yi-Han vowed to keep his distance from the ballgame club for a while.

  *

-Professor Willow will be in the forest this week!-

'I'm happy!'

Yi-Han felt joy after a long time when one lecture was postponed to next week due to the professor's circumstances.

Of course, he knew well that when a lecture was postponed in Einroguard, that burden would come back to the student himself next week, but he couldn't help feeling happy.

"Puhahahahaha!"

"?"

Gainando burst into laughter while reading a magazine. Yi-Han asked, wondering what was so funny.

"Is there some interesting story?"

"Ah. Yi-Han. Look at this. Someone wrote a joke about mages!"

...One day, a master had too much to teach his disciple, so he said this.

-I need to teach you quickly, so I'll teach you four in the morning and three in the evening.

Then the disciple got angry, saying it was nonsense. Seeing this, the master changed his words as if he had no choice.

-Then how about I teach you three in the morning and four in the evening?

The disciple was very satisfied with those words...

"Isn't it hilarious?"

"...Are you doing your assignments properly?"

"Ah, they haven't been given out yet?!"

Gainando was flustered by his friend's sudden words.

Of course, it was unavoidable to be suspected since Gainando himself usually didn't do assignments well, but wasn't it the beginning of the semester now!

"Even if assignments haven't been given, you should at least preview. What are you taking? Bring your lecture list."

"..."

While Gainando was being caught like a mouse in the corner of the student lounge, other friends quickly put away chess and mage card sets before running away.

An hour later, Yi-Han moved his feet to attend the <Poison, Bone, Blood> lecture. The happy feeling from earlier had long since completely flipped.

'Who leaked it?'

It was so coincidental that he suspected if one of the Einroguard professors had sent it.

Yi-Han shook his head.

'Get a grip. It must be a coincidence.'

If one fell into suspicion like this, it was no wonder mages went mad.

As it was a profession vulnerable to madness anyway, one had to be careful usually.

The <Poison, Bone, Blood> lecture room located on the second basement floor was dark and smelled musty with various mixed ingredients.

Although it might have been difficult for students from other schools to adapt, Yi-Han, who had already received basic education in the dark magic school throughout last year, sat down without much bewilderment.

"?"

Yi-Han started to get slightly flustered when he didn't see familiar school seniors he had been waiting for.

'What's going on? Did I mistake Professor Bagrak's lecture?'

He checked, thinking of the more likely possibility that he had entered the wrong lecture room by mistake, but it wasn't that either.

Not long after, the first student entered. Yi-Han felt emotions welling up for no reason at the sight of the familiar senior.

"...Senior Direth!"

"Junior."

Direth and Yi-Han looked at each other anew.

As if looking in a mirror, both had fatigue under their eyes.

It was natural in a way, as one had moved up to 5th year, and the other was taking all schools and all clubs.

'What a pitiful person.'

'He's really pitiful too.'

Not knowing that they were thinking of each other as pitiful, the two opened their mouths.

"Senior. Have you been well?"

"No. Never move up to 5th year. Have you been well?"

"Yes."

"Don't lie."

"..."

Yi-Han said with a bitter expression.

"I think this much is fine. Still..."

"...Right. If you say so, it must be."

Come to think of it, as it was still the beginning of the semester, he was unlikely to be doing club activities properly.

Not many clubs gave important roles to newly joined members.

Considering that, it wasn't completely wrong for the junior to say he could still endure.

As lectures hadn't started in earnest either, it must be an endurable level for the junior who had gone through that harsh schedule last year.

"But why is no one else coming?"

"We two are probably all? Our school originally doesn't have many students, so there are often only one or two in the lecture room."

"...I-I see."

As the junior was flustered, Direth smiled bitterly and said,

"It's okay. You don't need to mind. Speak comfortably. You're part of the dark magic school now too."

Unlike 1st year when one could easily give up while taking basic lectures, taking dark magic school lectures even after moving up to 2nd year was practically the same as being officially affiliated.

It was quite rare to change schools from here on.

"Then Senior. If our school has few students, shouldn't we increase them? Is the professor perhaps not interested?"

"...That seems too comfortable..."

Direth was flustered by the sight of her junior sharply piercing Professor Mortum's lungs.

If one said such things in front of Professor Mortum, the professor might collapse from shock.

"Ah. I'm sorry. You said I could speak comfortably."

"No. You can be comfortable in front of me. Be careful in front of the professor."

After finishing her words, Direth stood up from her seat, walked forward, and stood next to the podium.

Seeing this, Yi-Han asked in puzzlement,

"Why are you standing there?"

"Because I'm teaching this lecture?"

"..."

Only then did Yi-Han realize that Direth had come not as a student taking the lecture together, but as a professor teaching students.

For a moment, chills ran down Yi-Han's spine.

'5th years have to teach lectures too!'

"Do... do you have to teach students when you move up to 5th year too?!"

"Hm? I suppose so. Even without going to 5th year, sometimes in 4th year too..."

Direth, who had been speaking, flinched because her junior's eyes were so dull and dark.

It was a look as if he had prematurely realized a truth of the world he shouldn't know yet.

"...Forget what I just said."

"Somehow I feel like I'll end up in that role..."

"Well. What kind of lecture is <Poison, Bone, Blood>?"

Yi-Han shook his head at the sight of Direth clumsily changing the subject.

Well, this wasn't the senior's fault.

It was the fault of the evil Einroguard!

"I learned a few magics using poison elements or bone elements last year too. Blood elements as well."

"Right. You learned last ye... Huh?"

Direth, who had been speaking, twitched her black wings on her back.

"You shouldn't have learned blood element magic?"

"Ah. To be precise, I did learn basic blood magic."

"...Is there perhaps a crazy professor in our school?"

Direth asked an obvious question out of surprise.

Who on earth taught blood magic to a 1st year student?

Yi-Han quickly explained before Professor Bagrak could be dragged to the punishment room.

"I didn't learn to use blood magic. For these reasons..."

Although the principle itself of amplifying mana using blood was clean and efficient, blood magic wasn't often used due to its danger.

There weren't many people reckless enough to learn and teach techniques that could devour the mage himself if even a small mistake was made.

But Professor Bagrak had gifted Yi-Han a basic blood magic book, noting that he had a large amount of mana.

He judged that it would suit him well as he could cast magic using his innately large amount of mana even without amplifying mana through blood magic.

"...He said to learn magics that apply it even if I don't use blood magic itself."

'Don't curse. Don't curse.'

Direth closed her eyes tightly after hearing her junior's explanation.

A 5th year student couldn't curse professors in front of juniors.

"...I see. Indeed. I see. That could happen. Indeed. Right."

'Is she broken?'

While Yi-Han was slightly worried, Direth recovered from the shock and opened her mouth.

"Actually, what you'll learn in this lecture isn't that different from what you just said. Poison, bone, blood. They're all powerful reagents and... some are efficient elements too."

Direth summoned chalk and continued explaining while drawing on the blackboard.

Poison and bone were elements with powerful combat power in themselves, and while blood wasn't often used because it was a bit inefficient, it was undoubtedly a powerful and ancient reagent.

The goal of this lecture was to learn how to utilize these three as reagents and elements, and to become proficient in linking them.

"Even in the dark magic school, if you look inside, paths are divided diversely from golems to curses. As such, students sometimes fail at surprisingly simple dark magic, and I think this is because they lack the basics."

Direth spoke in a serious voice befitting a dark mage walking ahead on the path.

If one only learns magics that seem convenient and easy before their eyes, they often fall into a state where they don't know where to start practicing again when trying to learn difficult magic later.

This <Poison, Bone, Blood> lecture was prepared to avoid such things.

It was a bit vexing that other dark magic school students weren't taking it, but Direth couldn't grab them by the collar and drag them here.

Direth was sufficiently satisfied just with her most anticipated junior taking it.

"I see. I understand. Then I should practice the basics of each magic sufficiently during this semester."

"No. Junior, you just start with difficult magic."

"..."

Yi-Han felt betrayed by the sight of his senior flipping what she had just said as if turning her palm.