Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 685

Chapter 685

There were various ways for mages to borrow power from beings of other realms.

First, there was the forceful method.

Subduing a being from another realm and then forcing it to submit so it couldn't escape.

If one had the ability to subdue and force submission, this was the simplest and cleanest method. The principal of a certain magic academy and the head of a certain family liked to use this method.

Next was trickery.

This method involved contracting with a being from another realm but inserting all sorts of complex tricks into the contract to benefit the mage.

This method worked well on greedy beings that targeted people, like demons.

In the end, if they became greedy, they were bound to be deceived.

There were as many demons deceived by mages as there were people deceived by demons.

Lastly, there was contracting.

A relationship of mutual help while building friendship and affection with a being from another realm.

This was a method often seen with gentle beings friendly to humans, like spirits.

And surprisingly, Direth was attempting to research quasi-perpetual mechanisms using demon mana through this last method.

"Uh, is that possible?"

Yi-Han was even more surprised than he had been earlier.

Although he didn't particularly have prejudice against demons, demons were basically beings that didn't care about means or methods for their own purposes.

Even if the demons seen in the Wardanaz family or Einroguard seemed kind and gentle, that was only because they were bound by contracts; it wouldn't be strange if they bared their fangs the moment the contract was released.

"It's not impossible. I'm facing some difficulties though..."

"I think forcibly extracting mana would be much better."

"...Didn't I tell you to take that person away!"

When Yukbeltire advised from afar, Direth shouted with an irritated voice.

***

It was three hours later that Yi-Han was able to leave the exchange meeting hall.

It wasn't because recovery took long. In fact, he recovered enough to move after about 30 minutes.

The remaining 2 hours and 30 minutes were spent talking with the mages who had participated in the exchange meeting.

-Our magic tower is researching the cultivation of extreme magic whales Stucul, are you interested?-

-I don't know much about sea creatures.-

-Haha. With that crazy mana... I mean, that immense mana alone is enough. You're more than welcome!-

-...-

-Our guild is researching the empire's spirit forests and their influence. We'd really like to have you, Mr. Wardanaz.-

-I don't get along well with spirits though.-

-Wuhahaha! What a joke! How can someone who borrows the power of such a great spirit not get along with spirits?-

-...-

Of course, most of the proposals ended up making Yi-Han sad.

Fortunately, there were a few tempting proposals. Yi-Han diligently took notes to refer to later when receiving missions after returning to Einroguard.

-Ignore the proposals from these mages. I'll make you an offer you can't refuse. My research...-

-No, why does this person keep escaping? Quickly pull her away!-

There were incidents of a troublesome senior interfering and causing a scene, but he was somehow able to escape in the end.

"S-so tiring..."

Direth, who had barely managed to bring Yi-Han out, muttered in a voice full of fatigue.

Come to think of it, this seemed to be the first time she had forcibly extracted a popular junior from other mages.

Basically, students of the dark magic school were usually far from such attention.

Who knew it would be this tiring!

"Junior. This way."

"Um, I'm fine now..."

"No."

Direth spoke firmly.

Although he had received help from healing magic as well as his own mana, the after-effects of unifying with a great spirit were not to be taken lightly.

He might seem fine now, but he could suddenly collapse from a rebound.

"It's not just a matter of mana or physical strength, the amount of magical information can also damage a mage's brain. Didn't you feel different magic when you unified with the great spirit?"

"!"

Yi-Han realized what Direth meant.

The power of lightning Ferkuntra used was completely different from the lightning magic Yi-Han had used until now.

From how to handle lightning elements to what level magic could be expanded to.

That intense memory remained to some extent even now that the unification had been released.

"It's dangerous to forcibly train magic that doesn't match your level, but forcibly inserting it into your mind is even more dangerous. You need to be careful for a while."

"But Professor Bagrak forcibly trains magic that doesn't match our level. The principal even forcibly inserts it into our minds..."

Direth pretended not to hear her junior's question.

"Huh?"

"Professor Bagrak and the principal..."

"What?"

"...It's nothing."

Instead of pressing his senior's words, Yi-Han resolved to be careful for a while.

It seemed right to be cautious and not recall the magic Ferkuntra had shown until he was ready.

'Still, isn't this worrying too much...?'

Yi-Han stared blankly at the back of the head of Direth's summon, a high-rank evil spirit, that was carrying him.

-■■■?-

"Ah. It's nothing. Thank you for carrying me."

The high-rank evil spirit nodded with a blunt expression. Direth saw that and said,

"He says he's surprised that you have a kind personality unlike your appearance, junior."

"I often get that misunderstanding. These beings that judge people by mana, really."

Yi-Han spoke indignantly. Direth wondered if it was really just because of mana.

'I don't think you can contract with a great spirit just because you have a lot of mana...'

"By the way, senior."

"Huh, huh? I wasn't thinking anything?"

"Pardon? That's not it, I was wondering if there are a lot of people gathered on the road over there. What's going on?"

"!"

At her junior's words, Direth looked and was startled.

The streets of Flaher City where darkness had fallen before dawn.

The light from mana lamps dimly illuminated the forms of people on those streets.

It was clearly no ordinary number.

"This is bad!"

"Are they suspicious people? Anti-magic extremists perhaps?"

"...They're not that suspicious! Those are mages."

"What kind of mages?"

"Mages who heard rumors about the exchange meeting!"

As Flaher City was a large city, there were many mages, and among them, there were far more mages who hadn't participated in the exchange meeting.

Not all mages were interested in the exchange meeting.

But there were exceptions sometimes.

When rumors that would make even mages sitting in mansions jump up spread, mages would flock like this.

"Ugh. I did it because you told me to give Yukbeltire a taste of her own medicine..."

"...I didn't know it would be this much! Who could have predicted this!"

Direth felt this was really unfair too.

No professor would have predicted this would happen in that situation.

"Can't we just push through?"

"There are too many for that. Even if we just exchange one word each, it would take hours. Junior. To be active as a mage for a long time, research is important but..."

"The ability to secure research funding is important too, right?"

"...Ah, no. Not that."

Direth was taken aback when her junior gave a more realistic answer than expected.

Direth didn't yet know that her junior had received praise as a 'bureaucrat annihilator' from the skull principal during the break.

"That's important too, but the lesson I wanted to convey was not to associate with strange mages."

"Ah, I see."

Yi-Han nodded.

It was certainly true.

"You mean people like Professor Beavle or Senior Yukbeltire?"

"...No... People even stranger than those two."

Direth almost agreed for a moment but shook her head and came to her senses.

Although it wasn't something an Einroguard student should say, there were really many strange people among mages.

It would be better if they were simply mages obsessed with research.

Con artists who had little interest in magic but tried to deceive others to extort gold coins, criminals aiming for one big score using magic, brokers trying to get commission fees by introducing mages to other guilds or magic towers...

As the path of magic was difficult, there were surprisingly few mages who seriously tried to walk that path.

Therefore, mages who seriously walked the path of magic shouldn't associate with suspicious individuals.

If they got involved unnecessarily, they would only waste their own time!

"There was a senior who was popular like this before."

"From the dark magic school?"

"No. Another school... Hey. What did you mean just now?"

"I was just asking to confirm."

"Anyway, that senior often had people like this come and make proposals, and I think there was one that was tempting. He seemed to accept the proposal and do something together."

"What happened?"

"An article appeared in the imperial newspaper saying an Einroguard graduate mage was caught committing fraud with magic..."

Direth spoke in a gloomy voice.

Although time had passed, it was still a painful memory.

The memory of the skull principal going berserk and searching the students was still vivid even now.

'Oh dear.'

Yi-Han listened more intently as it wasn't someone else's business. He himself had dreams about business too.

'I definitely need to be careful.'

"Mages who participate in the exchange meeting are somewhat better, but there's no need to associate with all those mages one by one."

"Wait. Isn't that Senior Yukbeltire over there?"

"What? What nonsense..."

Direth narrowed her eyes and looked ahead at Yi-Han's words.

Yukbeltire was standing on the main road with her guards.

"If you find him, explain my research and make a proposal."

"Yes. Understood."

"These mages are in the way. Bribe those who can be bribed."

"..."

Direth hung her head at the sight of her friend trying to use the peddlers for herself by bribing them instead of dispersing them for her junior's sake as a senior.

She was her friend that would be embarrassing anywhere.

"Let's go back... There's an alley over there..."

"...Cheer up."

"I'm fine..."

Although she said that, Direth's wings seemed particularly droopy today.

***

-No, why are you mages doing this in the middle of the night? The citizens are afraid.-

-We're just trying to find someone...-

"This won't do. Let's go inside."

As there were more mages than expected, Direth chose to just enter a building.

When day broke, they would probably give up and disperse.

"Do you know a place?"

"There's a workshop nearby."

As the exchange meeting hall itself was located in Flaher City's mage district, there were several guild or magic tower workshops nearby. It was the same for workshops established independently by Einroguard's schools.

'Hm?'

Yi-Han brightened but then stopped.

Come to think of it, he wondered if it was okay for the dark magic school's workshop to be here.

Even if it was the mage district, shouldn't it be in a more remote, gloomy place near a cemetery?

"Is it really the dark magic school's workshop?"

"Alchemy school."

"Ah, I see."

"...Well. I guess the dark magic school shouldn't have a workshop here."

"No, senior. Why are you like that? I just thought the location might not be appropriate because of reagent supply. More importantly, is it okay for us to enter the alchemy school's workshop?"

"I'm relatively close with the alchemy school kids... I also got permission from Professor Uregor. And there shouldn't be anyone inside."

Direth chanted a spell. With a clanking sound, the workshop's door opened. A pungent smell of various mixed reagents came from inside.

-Who's there?-

"...We're doomed."

Direth muttered softly. Yi-Han got down from the high-rank evil spirit's back and asked.

"What's wrong?"

"Of all people, there's a junior I'm not close with. Ilendil... Ah. Wait. Junior."

Direth, belatedly recalling a memory, looked at Yi-Han expectantly.

Yi-Han answered firmly.

"I'm not close with senior Ilendil either."