Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 718

Chapter 718

"I can sleep later, can't I?"

Despite his senior's concern, Yi-Han's eyes radiated passion for club activities.

Sebius unknowingly took a step back and said,

"...We've found all the books for today. And it's important not to overdo it, you know. Overdoing it leads to mistakes."

"This much isn't overdoing it though."

Yi-Han was about to bring up his record for longest time without sleep, but Sebius waved his hand as if he didn't want to hear it.

"And if you're doing this for the compensation, don't be too greedy. Someone like you will have many opportunities to earn more in the future. This is just me paying you personally. I don't have much money, you know."

'What nonsense you're speaking.'

Yi-Han inwardly scoffed.

Right now, Sebius was the second richest person in Yi-Han's mind after Gainando's mother.

How could he just hand over gold coins to a junior like this?

"If you need gold coins, I'd recommend working hard in the kitchen club or stonemason club activities instead. They're much more stable. And the income is better too."

Sebius spoke firmly, afraid his junior might fall into relocation addiction, enchanted by the sweetness of his first successful mission.

Most relocations often ended without any income.

As one had to cover subsequent expenses with one big score, one shouldn't have illusions.

The Change Location club had the advantage of being able to obtain rare items or materials more easily than others, but in fact, it wasn't a club where one could stably accumulate gold coins.

Such clubs were rather the kitchen club or stonemason club.

Listening to this, Yi-Han suddenly became curious and asked,

"But senior, even if it's stable, the kitchen club doesn't seem like it would make much money."

"It's the power of small profits and quick returns. Even if they only receive one coin each, how much would it be?"

"If you collect one silver coin..."

"What are you talking about?"

As Yi-Han tried to calculate mentally, Sebius looked at him as if to say 'What are you saying?'

"?"

"It's one gold coin. One gold coin per meal, whether in the past or now."

"..."

Yi-Han felt terror at Einroguard's ridiculous prices.

It was more terrifying than when the skull principal appeared using ancient magic.

"H-h-h-how is that possible? How can they charge such exorbitant prices? No, don't they get attacked?"

Sebius was more flustered by Yi-Han's question.

"Hey. Calm down, calm down. Come to think of it, I forgot you've just become a 2nd year. One gold coin is considered cheap in Einroguard. The kitchen club sells at that price because they have their own beliefs."

"What beliefs? The belief of gathering all of Einroguard's gold coins in one place?"

"Do you have a grudge against the kitchen club?"

Basically, supplies were scarce in Einroguard, and many of the materials students used for magic research were very expensive.

On top of that, mages from Einroguard were basically among the most talented in the empire, so when they received outside missions, they were paid quite generously.

When these factors combined, the following things happened.

-Please! The artificially created hell sulfur bull I made is starving. I need two bundles of soul frost grass!-

-Of course I can give you some. Just give me twenty gold coins.-

-Are you crazy!? If I go outside, I can buy it for three imperial silver coins!-

-That's right. The midday mistletoe you sold me also costs one and a half imperial silver coins outside. So it just went up to twenty-five gold coins.-

-...Ugh! Alright, alright!-

As most things were priced at whatever people asked for, everything was measured expensively in the Einroguard student market.

Naturally, the kitchen club, which had to cover research costs through club activities, had no choice but to match their prices to this.

Some kitchen club members even grumbled that 'we should raise prices more'...

'My entire fortune would disappear like snow melting in two or three months of living in Einroguard!'

Yi-Han felt a stronger urge to escape than ever before.

"It's hard to believe."

"You'll get used to it soon. Earn a lot, spend a lot."

"Do they perhaps do credit transactions? Like paying back after going outside..."

Sebius looked at him as if he had asked the stupidest question in the world.

At least for an Einroguard student who had spent more than 2 years, there was no reason to keep a promise made inside once outside.

"...I asked a useless question. I'm sorry."

"Right. I was a bit shocked too."

  *

With an uneasy heart, Yi-Han walked towards Blue Dragon Tower.

To think Einroguard's clubs were taking such crazy exorbitant profits.

'It's really too scary to live here.'

Just imagining selling meals for one gold coin that he had sold for one silver coin was enough to make him shudder.

He thought even a demon duke wouldn't have such thoughts.

"N-nice to meet you!"

"Oh. Nice to..."

As a Blue Dragon Tower student he had never seen before greeted him in front of the forest, Yi-Han was about to wave his hand without thinking but felt a chill.

He felt a strange sense of discomfort.

'He doesn't seem to be a senior. If he were a classmate, I wouldn't not know him. Then...?'

Yi-Han quickly checked the other person's attire. Then he gritted his teeth.

The other person was a 1st year new student.

'Damn it!'

He had let his guard down, shocked by the club activities and Einroguard's prices.

"...Nice to meet you. I'm... uh... Gainando, a Black Tortoise Tower student. I'm a new student too."

However, Yi-Han had spent too much time and experience to be flustered like an amateur.

In that short time, Yi-Han decided to disguise himself as a new student.

If the other person didn't notice and passed over it, wouldn't the skull principal not notice either?

"Black Tortoise Tower!"

"What. Why. Are you looking down on me because of my status?"

"Ah, no. I don't think that way!"

The Blue Dragon Tower junior waved his hands in panic. Thinking he had successfully disguised himself as a Black Tortoise Tower student by this point, Yi-Han nodded.

"I think I've judged you correctly. Yes. You did seem different from Blue Dragon Tower students."

"Is... is that so? But you seem really relaxed. It's night now..."

'Oops.'

Yi-Han belatedly realized his mistake once again.

It seemed Einroguard's prices had been quite shocking today.

"I'm trembling inside but not showing it. In Black Tortoise Tower, you die if you show weakness."

"What?! That's..."

"Which family are you from and who are you?"

"I'm Arman from the Dargard family."

"!"

Surprisingly, the 1st year student in front of him was Asan's relative. Yi-Han carefully asked a question.

"Do you know Asan from the Dargard family?"

"Ah. I do! He's my cousin... But why didn't he tell me Einroguard was this kind of place?"

Arman muttered with a gloomy and betrayed face.

"...It's probably because of the skull principal's taboo. You saw the principal use magic, right?"

"Ah, yes. I saw it when I entered. He ate one person, didn't he?"

"...?"

Inwardly shuddering at the skull principal who showed new performances to new students every year, Yi-Han said without showing it,

"When he does such things, do you think he'd just let seniors leave?"

"Well... He might make them swear an oath."

"That's right."

"Then was it because of the principal that Cousin Asan sang to me that Einroguard is a really good place, like 'Einroguard. Einroguard. It's so good. A place with warm meals and soft beds. Einroguard.'?"

"...Th-that's right."

Yi-Han vowed to tell Asan not to torment his relatives when he met him later.

He would protect his friend's honor, but wasn't this too much?

"Gainando. Do you perhaps know where Blue Dragon Tower is? I snuck out and got lost."

"I'll guide you. But why did you sneak out?"

"I was hungry. I was trying to find something to eat."

"...I heard rumors that Einroguard students boil and eat leather boots."

"I already tried that earlier."

Yi-Han, who had thrown out a joke to lighten the mood, was shocked.

What on earth was he doing when he hadn't even been here a week?

"It wasn't much in quantity. Alhidle said we should study instead of doing that, and that if we don't study, we'll be held back in 1st year."

"Usually there's no reason to be held back in 1st year... Wait. Who? Alhidle? Alhidle from the Pengerin family?"

"You know a lot?"

"It's my hobby to memorize noble family names."

Yi-Han recalled the prodigy from the Pengerin family he had met during winter break.

If it weren't for the vicious great mage using Yi-Han to shatter his pride, Alhidle was certainly an outstanding junior.

'I feel a bit sorry for no reason.'

"What kind of friend is Alhidle? Is he perhaps rude?"

"Huh? Alhidle is very humble though. Ah. Were you perhaps fooled by rumors too? I used to hear rumors that Alhidle was rude and arrogant, but when I met him in person, he wasn't. Someone must have spread false rumors."

"?"

Yi-Han was puzzled by the story that Alhidle was humble.

'Is it a different person?'

"Except for being a bit obsessed with studying, Alhidle is a good friend."

While speaking, Arman's stomach growled. Unable to bear it, Yi-Han took out some bread, cheese, and ham and handed them over.

"Take this."

"Wh-wh-what... How?!"

"I raided the kitchen a bit in Black Tortoise Tower. You guys should think about raiding too."

"Gainando... You... You're an angel! No priest would be as kind and gentle as you!"

Arman took the food while sobbing. He felt energized thinking he could share this with his friends when he returned.

Yi-Han looked at his junior as if he felt terribly sorry for him.

"By the way, uh, did Eandurde raid it?"

"Huh?"

"You know, Eandurde. Your tower's leader."

"..."

Yi-Han was inwardly surprised at the name of the junior who was already in charge of Black Tortoise Tower after such a short time.

"I can't talk about that."

"I guess. You must be afraid of Eandurde too. I was surprised when I saw that too. The White Tiger Tower guy and our tower friend were completely..."

'What on earth did they do?'

"Gainando. If Eandurde tries to kill you too, escape to Blue Dragon Tower anytime. I'll let you in."

"...O-okay. Thanks, Arman. But you should be careful about letting in friends from other towers."

As they arrived at Blue Dragon Tower, Yi-Han sighed as he let his junior in.

'How truly pitiful.'

How many more juniors would have to inherit this pain?

  *

But separate from that, Yi-Han had to live his life in Einroguard.

As day broke, Yi-Han entered the classroom where Professor Bagrak was waiting and shouted,

"Professor. There's something I want to learn."

"!"

Professor Bagrak looked at Yi-Han with surprised eyes as he shouted the moment he entered.

He had always been a disciple who eagerly sought the techniques of magic combat, but to show even more enthusiasm than that?

It seemed like there might never have been a disciple so greedy for learning throughout past and future.

"What is it?"

"I want to avoid juniors!"

"I see."

Professor Bagrak immediately understood what he meant.

The skull principal had already excitedly told the professors.

-Punishment room if Wardanaz contacts 1st year juniors! Punishment room if Wardanaz contacts 1st year juniors!-

-Principal. Please stop.-

"You certainly need it."

"Thank you for understanding, Professor."

Yi-Han thought inwardly that it was a perfect plan.

Preparing a way to avoid 1st year juniors, and being able to avoid Professor Bagrak's lectures for about a week...

"The great magic the principal uses to make the caster forget the target's existence is..."

"Professor. Isn't there something a bit easier than the principal's magic?"

"Hmm."

Seeing Professor Bagrak lost in thought, Yi-Han felt slightly ominous.

'...Should I have just asked another professor?'