Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 679

Chapter 679

Direth, as a dignified senior, held back the urge to shout and guided Yi-Han inside.

As expected, the old mansion revealed a completely different scene once they passed through the door.

The large dome-shaped space painted white was filled with a scholarly atmosphere.

Mages in various unique attires gathered in small groups, talking with serious expressions.

-You say your research funding was cut off?-

-Yes! Sob, of course I did embezzle some gold, but that was only for greater magic.-

-I know. I know! To cut off research funding just for embezzling a little gold. Rude bastards. What do they think magic is? It's because of such people that the development of magic stops!-

-What do you think about the staff style trending in the capital?-

-They make such an unstable structure just because of one fire element? It's just vulgar! The trend will soon die down!-

While mages were talking at the front of the dome, mages who would be presenting at today's exchange meeting were preparing at the back of the dome.

Yi-Han, who spotted Gawon preparing among them, silently wished him well.

Direth left her name in the guest book and then called Yi-Han.

"Junior. Here. You should see this first."

"What is it?"

"Snacks. The refreshments at this exchange meeting are quite good."

Direth personally picked up a plate and put a few fruit jellies and tea confections on it.

"Remember this. The apricot jelly and chestnut tea confection here are delicious."

"Ah, yes."

Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by Direth's serious demeanor.

For a moment, he thought it was Gainando.

"Um, Senior Direth. Shouldn't we prepare more magic and such things for an exchange meeting?"

"Huh?"

Direth, who was sipping tea, chuckled at her junior's words.

"More than half of what's presented at exchange meetings is garbage. If you don't pick out at least delicious snacks, it'll be a waste of time."

In fact, even saying half was being generous.

Although she said she came to get inspiration, for a mage like Direth, there would probably be no more than one or two magic spells that could inspire her today.

And that was only if she was lucky.

"Fortunately, Princess Yukbeltire is participating in today's exchange meeting. Her work should be worth seeing."

"Who is that?"

"Ah. You wouldn't know. She's my friend. She's your senior too. She's also moving up to 5th year..."

Although Direth tried not to show it in front of her junior, her last words contained undisguisable anxiety and gloom.

Yi-Han encouraged her.

"Cheer up. You'll do well, senior."

"...I don't know what you're talking about?"

Direth realized she had shown an unsightly side in front of her junior and pretended not to know with a fake cough.

"So what was that story about the principal earlier?"

"Well. It's a bit long if I tell that story..."

"We have time to spare anyway. It'll take longer to prepare."

Direth answered with a shrug.

"So the reason I went to the Grief Mountains was..."

Yi-Han started from why he went to the Grief Mountains to why the principal ended up taking the unicorn.

At first, Direth was leisurely munching on snacks, but before she knew it, she had put down her teacup and was focused on the story.

"And then? What happened then?"

"The unicorns! What happened to those poor unicorns?"

Even other mages nearby.

Yi-Han and Direth looked at the mages in bewilderment.

"Well, this is an internal Einroguard matter, so it's a bit difficult for outsiders to hear..."

"Pl-please! We'll keep it secret!"

"Tell us! Argh! What happened?!"

Although the mages begged, Yi-Han and Direth coldly got up and moved to another place.

"...So that's how the principal ended up taking the unicorn."

Only after hearing the whole story could Direth take a deep breath.

"You, junior... Really..."

"?"

"...There are so many points to criticize that I don't know where to start. You really manage to stay alive somehow!"

"I was lucky."

'Isn't it bad luck?'

Direth only thought inwardly and said,

"I don't know about other things, but I'm a bit worried that you seem to be getting too friendly with the principal."

"Because my friends might suspect me of being a spy?"

"...No... I meant magic. The principal's magic isn't easy."

Direth looked at her junior as if she couldn't believe it.

'Well.'

Yi-Han deeply sympathized, having received an impossible assignment when parting in the Grief Mountains last time.

"Then does that mean Professor Bentozol is coming back this year?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, hang in there, junior."

At Direth's words, which implied many meanings, Yi-Han suddenly felt uneasy.

"...Was he that bad?"

"A little? I still can't forget pulling out a friend who accidentally entered a kraken's stomach."

Direth stared into space with eyes immersed in memories.

Of course, Yi-Han couldn't be immersed in such sentiments. He looked at his senior with shocked eyes.

"Don't worry too much, junior. It's a path we all went through. Of course, the 2nd year lectures will get a bit harder, but you've already had it quite difficult. It won't be much different."

"Thank you for the warm comfort..."

Yi-Han answered with complex feelings, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.

"Oh right. Senior Direth. Do you know what small world magic is?"

When Yi-Han asked, remembering what he had heard from the skull principal, Direth looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"I do know, but why? It's not magic you should be interested in yet, junior."

Although puzzled, Direth took out the paper she had and explained while drawing a simple diagram.

Since they had time to spare anyway, and in Direth's view, the junior in front of him was so crazy about magic that it wouldn't be strange for him to be interested.

"You should know what it means for a mage to use magic, junior."

"Changing reality with the mage's will..."

It was such a famous saying that Yi-Han answered without much thought. Direth nodded and continued her explanation.

"That's right. But strictly speaking, most magic doesn't really change reality. It's closer to cleverly deceiving reality."

Direth pointed to a passing mage who was wearing a dazzling light cloak magic.

The light cloak created unique mana waves while changing into seven colors.

"That magic is probably <Asen's Seven-Colored Illusion Cloak>. The orthodox method of casting that magic is two magic circles and five types of reagents. And a chant of four or more phrases. But why can't it be cast just with chants, will, and gestures? Wouldn't that be much simpler?"

"Because there's not enough mana."

Yi-Han answered immediately.

"..."

At this unexpected answer, Direth looked at her junior with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

"Th-that's right too, but that's not what I was trying to say, junior. I wanted to say that changing reality isn't as easy as you might think."

Magic wasn't a field of study that created something from nothing without any cost.

Whatever phenomenon one wanted to achieve, a price was needed.

Whether it was mana, reagents, or chants...

"The reason all these complex methods are employed is because, essentially, it's closer to deceiving rather than changing reality. Various methods are employed to deceive skillfully. To truly change reality is difficult with lower magic. Much higher-level magic is needed, and all sorts of arcane knowledge is required... One of those is the realm of small worlds."

Having said this much, Direth fell into thought about how to explain further.

"Do you know about unique world magic? You probably don't..."

"I do. I've seen it."

"Ah. You know that? ...What? Where did you see it?!"

Direth was surprised.

Did he see it in the Wardanaz family?!

"I'll ask about that later... Unique world magic is the pinnacle and supreme realm of magic. It changes the world itself according to the mage's will. But it's that much more abstruse and difficult magic... Few people aim for it."

Not all mages dreamed of magic like the skull principal's unique world.

Since mages' basic goal was the pursuit of knowledge, only magic related to their purpose was important.

Magic that was inefficient as a means, difficult to reach even if one devoted their entire life to it.

In comparison, small world magic was much more localized and limited, but it changed reality with a principle similar to unique world magic.

'Is it like a popularized version of unique world magic?'

Yi-Han understood in his own way after listening to Direth's explanation.

Well, since the skull principal had some conscience (although he did recommend learning command magic right away), he couldn't tell him to learn unique world magic right away.

Instead, he clearly recommended starting with small worlds, which more people had mastered to some extent.

Unique world magic was the supreme realm of individual mages that no one could teach.

In comparison, small world magic was a realm that had been theorized to some extent and could be learned if one devoted time and talent.

"Once you can unfold a small world, you can truly say you're changing reality from then on. The magic you can unfold within it also becomes diverse."

"Can you use it too, Senior Direth?"

"If I prepare a lot, a lot, only for a moment in limited situations."

Direth briefly explained about the small world she had mastered, 'Pentagrammaton'.

It was a realm of small worlds that unleashed the limits of dark magic within the mage and at close range.

"But there's rarely a need to use it. Rather than using this, it's much more convenient to prepare in other ways."

If Direth needed to prepare magic beyond her limits, she would just strongly dominate an area by casting various spells in her workshop and then amplify her own abilities with potions.

Strongly dominating an area with magic and amplifying one's own abilities produced roughly similar effects to a small world.

Mages were always beings that pursued efficiency.

"That's amazing!"

Yi-Han looked at Direth with eyes full of admiration.

"I said I can only use it for a moment."

"It's still amazing. I admire you."

At her junior's words, Direth avoided his gaze, feeling embarrassed. It wasn't a bad feeling to be praised, but it was also a bit embarrassing.

Direth cleared her throat and changed the subject.

"But why small worlds? Who told you to learn it? Principal?"

"Yes."

"...What crazy bastard?!"

When her jokingly thrown words were affirmed, Direth was shocked.

"The principal said to learn 5th Circle magic spells so I could enter the realm by the end of this year."

"Has that crazy bastard lost his mind!"

Direth was enraged.

At this sight, Yi-Han was even more moved than before.

How many people would get angry at the skull principal for their junior's sake?

His loyalty surged spontaneously.

"This won't do. Junior. I'm writing an anonymous letter."

"Ah, no. It's fine."

"What's fine about this?!"

"I was planning to make excuses and get through it somehow."

"How?"

"I was thinking of learning mainly easy magic and then insisting I did what he told me to."

"..."

Direth, who had been angry, was at a loss for words.

So now...

Doesn't this mean he's confident he can learn easy 5th Circle magic spells?

Feeling anew that the junior before her was a genius incomparable to herself, Direth shook her head.

"...Alright. Junior. It's your business, so I should respect your decision. But if you feel it's not working later, don't hold back and tell me."

"Yes. If it feels too hard, I'll just tell His Majesty directly."

"Right... Huh?"

Direth, who had been speaking, tilted her head.

Did he just say directly instead of an anonymous letter?