Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Yi-Han carefully tucked the leave pass into his bosom, his actions betraying a cautious fear that someone might snatch it away.

Professor Garcia and the Skull Principal thought simultaneously to themselves, 'No one's going to take it away...'

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes."

"Well, you've received your reward, so now it's time for punishment."

"..."

Yi-Han looked at the Skull Principal in disbelief.

The Principal spoke with a tone of regret.

"Don't look at me like that. It pains me too, but rules are rules."

‘You’re clearly lying 100%.’

To Yi-Han, it seemed apparent that the Principal was actually enjoying this.

"Just so you don't misunderstand, it's not the unauthorized leave that's the issue."

"Then what is it?"

"It's getting caught that's the problem."

"..."

‘Should I have just stood there and let Professor Garcia be attacked?’

Yi-Han wanted to retort like that, but he held his tongue. History had shown that talking back to a professor never ended well.

‘Just endure it. Just endure.’

"The sun has just risen. Reflect in the punishment room on how not to get caught next time, until the sun rises again."

With those words, the Skull Principal threw a book at Yi-Han. A black leather-bound book with no markings. It emanated an eerie sensation.

"What is this?"

"A book to keep you from getting bored in the punishment room. Give it a read."

A fleeting expression of skepticism crossed Yi-Han's face.

Seeing his student's doubtful look, the Principal appeared pleased.

"Move the student to the punishment room."

The Principal's summoned undead approached and helped Yi-Han to his feet.

From this morning until the next, Yi-Han would spend his time in the academy's punishment room.

—

Descending the basement stairs, walking down the corridor, then down another flight of stairs, and walking some more...

It felt like he had repeated this process dozens of times. Even if he weren't blindfolded, he doubted he could have memorized the route.

Bang!

"Hmm."

Once the door shut and he was alone, Yi-Han surveyed the punishment room.

It didn't seem much different from a personal room in a dormitory. Instead of sunlight, flickering artificial lights dimly illuminated the space.

‘This is the punishment room? It's not as bad as I thought.’

Yi-Han mused that he could stay here for weeks if needed.

Having lived as a graduate student, he had experienced much smaller rooms shared with others. Compared to that, this was quite comfortable.

Yi-Han resolved to tell Nillia later, "The punishment room isn't as bad as you'd think."

Of course, whether Nilia would agree was another matter.

“Yi-Han of Wardanaz.”

"?"

The stiff voice of an undead summon came from outside.

“Receive this.”

A large basket slid under the door.

Freshly baked bread, a deep bowl containing salt and pepper, roasted lamb seasoned with sauce, apples baked with sugar and butter, freshly cooked fried eggs, biscuits warm and slightly hard, mixed with almonds and chocolate...

"Huh?"

The lavish meal puzzled Yi-Han as it was too much for someone in a punishment room.

‘What's this?’

“A gift from Professor Garcia.”

"Ah... Please convey my thanks."

“It's not over yet. There's more to receive.”

"No, wait..."

Overwhelmed by the continuous arrival of baskets, Yi-Han was flustered.

Could he possibly eat all of this in one day?

Fortunately, the following baskets contained more preservable foods.

From chocolates wrapped in foil to candies, salt-roasted peanuts, round and flat cookies in a box, and tea leaves. Bottles of apple juice and orange juice...

‘He must have thrown everything in, not knowing what I'd like.’

Yi-Han placed the basket of gifts from Professor Garcia beside him, grateful.

It seemed he wouldn't be bored with his taste buds while in the punishment room.

Sipping his tea, Yi-Han steeped it with milk and sugar, lost in thought.

The battle with the Empire's anti-magic extrimists was still harrowing to recall. It was astonishing how well he had fought.

His calmness in battle...

‘Must be thanks to Arlong's teachings.’

Had Arlong been there, he would have comically denied teaching Yi-Han such tactical prowess in mage combat. But Arlong was not there.

Unbeknownst to Yi-Han, he had a natural talent for combat, recognized by all the professors.

‘Thank you, Arlong.’

Yi-Han cast a <Lesser Control> spell.

"Move."

The quill gently lifted into the air and began to move smoothly, a motion far more refined than when he first mastered the spell. Yi-Han then transferred his mana to an iron marble, forming a near-perfect circle in the air.

‘Professor Boladi's words were true, which is kind of overwhelming.’

Sometimes, professors frustrated their students by being right rather than wrong.

Boladi's assertion that real combat would enhance his skills had proven true. The encounter with the anti-magic extrimists had significantly improved his abilities.

‘A few more real battles, and I could become a great mage. Unless I die first.’

Yi-Han set the iron marble down. Though the improvement was unintended, he wasn't displeased.

‘But that swordsmanship…’

He pondered the swordsmanship style of the opposing leader.

As Arlong taught, reviewing each battle, whether won or lost, was crucial for improvement.

‘That technique wasn't normal, was it?’

Back then, he had fought recklessly against a formidable foe, but reflecting now, it was clear that such swordplay was abnormal.

Who uses mana to aggressively enhance their sword strikes like that?

Yi-Han had ample mana to spare, but it could have gone terribly wrong. Even his sword had shattered in the end.

Arlong had mentioned that skilled swordsmen could focus their mana into the sword to create an aura. But what Yi-Han did seemed beyond an aura...

‘I don't know what to call it, but I should be more careful in the future.’

Yi-Han resolved not to end up in the "Foolish Deaths of the Year" section in the Empire's newspaper.

After finishing his tea, one last item caught his eye… The black book given by the Principal.

‘Should I open it?’ Yi-Han pondered seriously.

Was it a gift from the Principal, or a trap?

If it's a gift from the Principal-> The Principal, being a person, would know how hard Yi-Han fought to save Professor Garcia. He might feel sorry for sending Yi-Han to the punishment room, despite following the rules. This could be a token of his apology.

If it's a trap from the Principal-> Technically, the Principal was not human but an undead, devoid of human emotions. Moreover, the Principal seemed to enjoy sending Yi-Han to the punishment room. So…

‘...It feels highly likely that it's a trap.’

Wasn't it, after all, seeming more like a trap?

Yi-Han decided to put the book aside and make a decision later. Just as he was about to push it away, something unexpected happened.

Ssshh!

"!?"

As Yi-Han reached out, the black-bound book forcefully opened on its own. The characters on the opened page seemed to come alive, leaping out and wrapping around his hand, burrowing into his skin.

"!!!!"

Yi-Han felt as if someone was hammering knowledge directly into his brain.

‘What in the world...!’

It was confusing and painful, but he understood what the book was attempting. It was transmitting a spell to him.

Yi-Han's mouth opened instinctively, and he recited the name of the spell.

"Gonadaltes'... Agile Steps...!"

Pop!

With the transmission complete, the book snapped shut with a thud, remaining sealed shut no matter how hard Yi-Han tried to open it.

‘What kind of book is this?’

Holding his head, which throbbed with a headache, Yi-Han reviewed the newly acquired magic knowledge. The spell, <Gonadaltes' Agile Steps>, was now vividly imprinted in his mind – from its chant to its movements.

Of course, possessing the knowledge didn't mean he could immediately use the spell. It was now up to Yi-Han to internalize and understand it.

‘So it's a book that forcibly teaches magic…’

He could tell from the spell's name that it was a creation of the Skull Principal himself.

Why would the Principal, capable of teaching Yi-Han personally, choose such an eccentric method of imparting the spell?

‘The Principal must be mad. They say long years in academia can drive a person insane.’

Yi-Han convinced himself of this reasoning.

Of course, the Principal's choice not to teach directly was to avoid the criticisms from other professors or outsiders: "That crazy great mage is going to ruin another young talent!"

But Yi-Han had no way of knowing this.

—

"Feet, grasp the earth. Feet, grasp the earth. Feet, grasp the..."

With nothing else to do, Yi-Han diligently repeated the newly learned chant.

Objectively speaking, despite claiming he was not that greedy for magic, Yi-Han was indeed obsessed with it.

Most freshmen would choose to play during their free time, unlike Yi-Han, who thought, "Since there's nothing to do, I might as well study."

Thump, thump, thump-

"...?"

Yi-Han paused, hearing a knocking sound from somewhere.

What's that?

"Feet, grasp the..."

Thump, thump, thump-

It wasn't a mistake. He cautiously approached the wall of his solitary cell in the punishment room and listened.

Thump, thump, thump-

The sound was clearer now.

Yi-Han knocked back on the wall. The person on the other side paused momentarily.

A rough, husky voice came through.

"...Can you hear me?"

"I can hear you."

"What year are you?"

"I just entered this year."

"Iron, huh? You've got it rough."

"And you are...?"

"Gold."

Gold.

It was the title symbolizing a fourth-year student at the academy.

Yi-Han was surprised to learn that a senior student was confined in the next cell.

‘What does a fourth-year have to do to end up here... No, I'm not one to talk.’

Yi-Han quickly completed his self-reflection. He wasn't in a position to comment, having been caught himself.

"What did you do to end up in the punishment room? Start a fight in the dorms?"

"No."

"No? Then did you steal something from your fellow tower mates?"

"No, I was caught trying to escape."

Laughter echoed from the adjacent cell.

"This year's freshmen are quite bold. Attempting an escape within just a week? You must have headed for the mountains, right? Many get caught there, not knowing about the wall."

"I didn't go towards the mountains."

Yi-Han's response left the student beyond the wall momentarily speechless.

"You didn't? Don't tell me you went underground?"

"Yes."

"Remarkable! To figure out the underground route. But that's a trap. Touch just one thing and the alarm goes off, and the storeroom keeper guarding it is a monster specialized in detection. What caught you?"

"I didn't get caught."

"...You didn't?"

"Yes. I got out through the underground passage. I was caught after I got out."

"..."

The fourth-year student on the other side of the wall was astounded.

Not only had Yi-Han realized the existence of the underground passage in just a week, but he also managed to evade the storeroom traps and the keeper's detection to get outside?

'What is this guy? Is he really a freshman??'

"Wait. Then why were you caught?"

"I was getting away in a carriage when the Empire's anti-magic extrimists attacked, and I got caught fighting them by Principal."

“...”