Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 721

Chapter 721

"Come to think of it, Anglago. I told you not to be interested in the festival, but you kept saying you'd participate."

'Oops.'

Anglago realized he had misspoken again and blamed himself.

Perhaps because the food he'd been eating since the semester started had become terrible, his intelligence seemed to have decreased.

"Like this..."

"It requires quite a lot of mana."

"That's right. I'll help charge it whenever I have the chance too."

"It'll take quite some time, but that's fine."

Salko refused Yi-Han's offer.

Just from the explanation he had just heard, the process of charging mana into the artifact took more effort than expected.

It would be a waste of time for the already busy Wardanaz to help with each individual task.

"No. I meant I'd charge it with my mana."

"...I-I see."

After temporarily charging everyone's paper bundle artifacts, Yi-Han asked,

"So... what do you think? About meeting periodically?"

"I agree. Moradi might not agree though."

"I agree too. Of course, Tutanta might not understand the current situation and cause internal strife, but still."

Yi-Han made an exasperated expression.

Tijiling, who had been listening in front, nodded.

"Look at you both. Even Priestess Tijiling is exasperated."

"...I agreed to meeting."

"Ah. I see. Right. I understand you agree."

"Cooperation is always welcome, Mr. Wardanaz."

"That's right. It wouldn't be bad to join forces and burn the seniors too."

At Nigisor's words, the other students turned their gazes away, pretending not to hear.

Although there were some extreme opinions, the 2nd years needed to band together now.

The fantasy of meeting reliable and dependable seniors to get advice had long disappeared.

More difficult and complex lectures, greater responsibilities than in 1st year, seniors who only thought about exploiting juniors...

To endure this situation, unity was the only option.

"But Wardanaz. Did you bring in a lot of food?"

Jijel suddenly felt puzzled and asked.

As before, Wardanaz was talking as if he had secured quite a bit of food.

Surely there was no chance to smuggle during admission?

"To some extent."

"How?"

"Oh my. It's time to go to lecture. Then let's see everyone at the next meeting. Good luck to you all."

At Yi-Han's words, not only Jijel but others inadvertently responded with 'Yeah, take care.'

Jijel only realized it was night after Yi-Han had completely disappeared.

"Wait. It's night now."

"...Amazing. It didn't sound strange at all when he said he was going to lecture even though it's clearly night."

  *

When morning came, Yi-Han visited the 7th floor and headed to the kitchen club.

He wanted to confirm the stories he had heard yesterday before lectures started.

"Wahaha, Wardanaz!"

Falcrius, who had been tending to a cauldron as big as himself and preparing ingredients from early dawn, brightened at the sight of Yi-Han.

As he had marked him as a talent who would lead the kitchen club in the future, he couldn't help but be glad to see him appear.

"Good to see you, good to see you! Have you come to help with our soup club's work?"

"Yes, Senior Falcrius."

"Phew. But there's nothing to help with. One of our soup club's rules is 'each person boils their own cauldron'."

Falcrius stretched out his hand to stop Yi-Han as he tried to help.

The kitchen club was one of the clubs often misunderstood as having iron-clad rules.

It was misunderstood because the club's entry conditions were strict, they strictly managed the club's buildings and grounds, and members moved in unison every mealtime, but in fact, the inside was quite free.

Even selling food to Einroguard students in the club's dining hall was up to individual freedom.

It was enough to procure ingredients, cook, and sell on one's own.

The club just helped its members.

"Then is the rumor about one gold coin per meal also false?"

"That's true."

"..."

"Wahaha! That's like the tradition and identity of this <Saint Eaktus Soup Club>, so we can't raise it further. It's regrettable, but please understand."

"I was curious if it was possible to lower it, not raise it."

"???"

Falcrius was flustered by the completely unexpected question.

It was a question no junior or senior had ever asked before.

There were many who wanted to raise prices, but to want to lower them?

"You're asking if it's possible to lower it?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"...Uh, just out of curiosity?"

"Junior. Have you ever wondered why there are no ballrooms near Einroguard?"

Usually, near imperial schools, there were not only social clubs but also ballrooms or banquet halls attached where social club members could dance or drink.

Basically, students were beings who liked to play, and if they were admitted to a boarding school, they were usually from wealthy families.

Naturally, citizens of cities adjacent to schools welcomed such students as money bags.

But Einroguard had none of that. As going out itself was rare, you had to go far to find a town.

"I haven't particularly wondered about it..."

"Think about it once. Why do you think that is?"

"Students don't go out, and you can't run it for townsfolk, can you?"

"Phew, that's right! You know well. It's obvious when you think about it. That's why no one asks."

"??"

"To me, the question of whether we can lower prices sounds exactly the same as that!"

"..."

Watching his senior burst into laughter, Yi-Han made a sour expression.

Was this question really that funny?

After laughing for a while, Falcrius wiped his tears and apologized.

"I'm sorry. You might be curious! Did I laugh too much?"

"So is it possible?"

"Hmm! It wouldn't be. Other members would lose out."

"I see. Then when do you take the oath?"

"What oath?"

"The oath not to sell cheaply..."

"Ah. Did you perhaps hear from someone outside the club? Wahaha! Half the rumors in Einroguard are false rumors. Why would we take an oath for something like that? What idiot would sell cheaply!"

It was just an oral promise, the kitchen club wasn't affluent enough to make people take an oath 'not to sell cheaply' using expensive reagents and materials.

"Phew. Don't believe false rumors too much. I once heard a story that there was a Immortal eater in Einroguard too. But I looked for over a year and couldn't find it."

"That's..."

"Senior. We're here."

With tired voices, other members appeared from behind.

Although it was morning, the seniors' faces looked full of fatigue.

Looking down, in one hand they held bronze geese, and in the other hand baskets full of screaming mushrooms.

"Wardanaz? Is that Wardanaz?"

"Hello."

"Good to see you! I really wanted to meet you."

"We had to compromise a bit because of interference from other club bastards, but you'll come to like our club the most too."

The seniors smiled brightly.

Thud!

Then one of them collapsed to the side. Yi-Han shouted in panic.

"Are you alright?!"

"Ah. It's fine. Don't worry. I just heard too many screams at the farm."

The sound emitted by screaming mushrooms was toxic, so even mages could faint or be seriously injured if they heard too much.

"We originally wanted to pick some crescent moon honey fruits, but there were too many monsters there today."

"We really need to increase our mercenaries. At this rate, we might have to abandon the eastern part of the farm without even entering."

"...Wait. Senior."

"Oh. What? Are you curious about something?"

"Why do monsters appear in club farms or ranches?"

"Hm? Of course monsters appear in farms or ranches..."

The senior who was tilting his head paused.

"...Come to think of it, monsters don't appear much in farms or ranches outside, do they?"

"That tends to be the case. Only very rarely do they flow in from outside."

"Oops. That's right. I'm sorry."

The senior apologized and explained again.

The farms or ranches owned by the kitchen club were a bit different in concept from those outside.

How should one efficiently obtain food in Einroguard?

Originally, one would farm and raise livestock, but it wasn't easy for already busy students to secure the necessary amount through such hard labor.

However, mana sometimes creates miracles.

In places where mana pooled, unpredictable changes and strange phenomena occurred, and among them was the rapid growth of crops or livestock.

Miracle lands where crops and livestock prosper abundantly even when left alone.

Kitchen club students had identified several such places and were using them as farms or ranches.

'I think I've experienced something similar.'

Yi-Han fell into thought while listening to the seniors.

Come to think of it, Yi-Han had a similar experience too.

Didn't the crops grow much more abundantly than expected when managing Professor Uregor's vegetable garden?

He had been guessing it was because of the staff given by the tree spirit, but hearing the seniors' words, it seemed Yi-Han's mana had a considerable influence too.

"But monsters also gather in places where mana pools. It can't be helped."

"It's nothing once you get used to it. Haha."

Because mana pooled there, the kitchen club's farms or ranches should be seen as just monster dens.

Members formed parties and made thorough battle preparations whenever they wanted to secure ingredients.

'I had unnecessary expectations again.'

Yi-Han closed his eyes tightly, having expected normal farms or ranches.

He had made unnecessary expectations again.

Looking back, the senior who had collapsed because of the screaming mushrooms was still unconscious.

"I'm late! Did you guys go without me?!"

"Yeah. You lazy bastard."

"S-sorry. Can't you share just for today?"

A senior who arrived late looked at the ingredients the members had brought and pleaded desperately.

However, the members were cold. Falcrius burst out laughing and shouted.

"Wahaha! That's quite a joke!"

"S-senior. Please help me just this once."

"I'll help you prepare the food!"

"I don't have ingredients! If you lend me ingredients..."

"Aren't there ingredients right there?"

Falcrius pointed his finger. The late senior turned his head.

There was a stone on the ground.

"You can boil that!"

"...Who would eat that!"

"Then you should have woken up early and gotten ingredients. Phew. Why do you think your friends were attacked by bronze geese and fainted from screaming mushrooms from dawn!"

Falcrius laughed heartily and patted the late senior's back.

"If you don't have income today, you can earn tomorrow. Phew."

"I have equipment I need to buy today. Senior! Then please lend me some money!"

"Wahaha!"

"Senior!"

"Wahahahaha!"

The late senior realized there was no point in saying anything more and hung his head low.

"Hehe. One competitor less."

"I'll dominate the dining hall today."

Seeing the seniors muttering with voices full of enthusiasm, Yi-Han asked, not understanding.

"Is there a reason for you to compete?"

"Of course there is. Junior. We all sell food for one gold coin. Then which food will students buy? Delicious and plentiful food? Or soup with just stones boiled in water? If you prepare sloppily, you won't earn a single coin."

"...!"

Seeing the seniors preparing while burning with competitive spirit, Yi-Han realized.

The kitchen club was by no means a harmonious social club.

Rather, it was a fierce battlefield that seemed like Einroguard itself had been moved here!