Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 37

Chapter 37

"You've succeeded."

Even though he inwardly cursed the professor, he didn't show it outwardly. That was the mark of a seasoned graduate student.

Yi-Han maintained his composure and bowed his head.

"Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me. You resolved it with your own strength."

"..."

Despite the praise, Yi-Han felt a surge of emotion. Professor Boladi had truly launched the orb with sincere intent. Had it hit him directly, it would have at least cracked his bones.

It was a dangerous moment indeed, only narrowly avoided by hastily deploying a <Lesser Control> spell to intercept the orb.

'Professors really...'

"Let's try again."

This time, Professor Boladi threw a normal iron bead instead of a soul star orb. Yi-Han's <Lesser Control> spell activated just before the fist-sized iron bead could fall.

"Move!"

The iron bead halted in mid-air.

Yi-Han hoped it might accidentally hit Professor Boladi's chin, but the <Lesser Control>, once mastered, was not easily disturbed.

Professor Boladi gestured upwards with his hand.

"Up."

Yi-Han moved the iron bead upwards. It trembled slightly but moved swiftly.

"Down."

The bead descended again.

"Left. Right. Circle clockwise. Two circles counter-clockwise."

Without rest, Professor Boladi continued his instructions and nodded his head.

"It's a bit forceful, but this should do. From now on, we'll train with this iron bead instead of the soul star orb."

"I haven't perfectly drawn a circle with the soul star orb yet. Is that alright?"

"Let's try with the soul star orb again."

Yi-Han set down the iron bead and channeled his mana into the soul star orb. Then, he drew a circle.

"!"

Surprisingly, the circle he drew was much more perfect than before his near-death experience.

"A strong experience helps a mage grow. The soul star orb was just an aid for less capable mages, so it's unnecessary now."

"I understand."

"Next, draw a circle with the iron bead. Once your skill improves, I'll prepare a similar trial again."

"...Really?"

Professor Boladi believed there were two types of people in the world. Those who freeze in the face of life-threatening danger, and those who react more fiercely and nimbly. Naturally, the latter suited battle mages, and the boy from the Wardanaz family before him possessed such qualities.

Then it was only natural to exploit these traits.

"..."

From Yi-Han's perspective, having just heard a veiled threat, his feelings were complicated.

Ah, this academy, really!

—

Despite the recent brush with death, the academy day continued. At the end of the class, Professor Boladi handed Yi-Han the iron bead.

"Keep drawing circles whenever you have time."

"Yes."

"And never let your guard down."

"What do you mean by... Never mind. I understand."

Yi-Han left feeling uneasy. Surely Professor Boladi wouldn't go as far as to follow and ambush him? He knew the thought was absurd, but this academy kept making him paranoid.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"Not at all."

Yi-Han waved to the demon mixed-blood girl in a priestess robe. It was Tijiling, a priestess of the Presinga Order.

-"Could you please take care of Tijiling?"-

The students of the Immortal Phoenix, being of priestly origin, were generally frugal. Priest Mehrid was worried that Tijiling, still in her growing years, might collapse from exhaustion. In return for three baskets of supplies, Yi-Han had promised to look after her.

With a resolute thought of securing another basket at their next meeting, Yi-Han sat down with Tijiling. It was already evening, and the sky was stained red, the mountains surrounding the academy resembling blazing flames.

‘If only this wasn't an academy... No, do I feel like a prisoner?’

Yi-Han shook off such thoughts. He was not a prisoner, although the academy did have some semblance of a prison. It was, undeniably, an academy.

"Here's the priest robe you asked for."

"Ah, thank you."

Yi-Han accepted the priest robe handed to him by Tijiling. In return, he offered a round bread thinly spread with marmalade jam. It was a soft, sweet bread, incomparable to the ones provided by the academy.

"I'm fine, thank you."

However, Tijiling politely declined.

"Is there a reason for your refusal?"

"It feels wrong to indulge in delicacies while Presinga suffers for us."

Yi-Han almost retorted with 'What nonsense is that?' but caught himself, remembering his membership in the Presinga Order.

‘Ah, I almost tarnished the Wardanaz family's reputation.’

Yi-Han nodded calmly. Convincing someone with such strong faith to eat was not an easy task. He needed to approach it tactically.

"Ah, this bread is really not good. It seems stale, doesn’t taste right. Surely, eating this wouldn't be a sin?"

Still, Tijiling shook her head.

"And this canned beef is the worst. Eating this couldn't possibly be a sin, could it?"

Again, Tijiling refused.

"The person who baked this bread and made this jam put their heart into it, hoping to treat you. To see it wasted because you won't eat..."

"..."

'Did it work?' Yi-Han wondered, noticing Tijiling's eyes wavering with guilt.

"Wait. These breads weren't baked specifically for me, were they? I saw them on display last time."

'Tsk.' Yi-Han clicked his tongue as Tijiling, sharp-eyed, caught on to his ruse. He was close to convincing her...

As Yi-Han persisted, Tijiling looked apologetic.

"I'm really fine. Tell Priest Mehrid I ate, so maybe give it to someone else."

"Hmm..."

Yi-Han was tempted. It would be easier for him, but the thought of lying unsettled him. He felt guilty, especially since Priest Mehrid had entrusted Tijiling's care to him, even offering additional baskets.

He would have easily broken a promise made to the skull principal, but Priest Mehrid was a good person.

While Yi-Han pondered, Tijiling took out a simple wooden cup, filled it with green tea leaves, and poured hot water over them, steam wafting up.

"Wait."

"?"

"Can I make you some tea?"

After a moment's thought, Tijiling nodded. She couldn’t refuse this after declining the food.

"Yes, thank you."

"You'll really drink it?"

"Of course. Why...?"

"Oh, nothing."

In the Presinga Order, they enjoyed coffee and green tea - beverages made solely from coffee grounds and tea leaves, devoid of any sweetness. This wasn't unique to the Presinga Order; other orders followed a similar practice, consuming beverages without any additives.

The stimulating effects of coffee and tea leaves had the power to keep the priests in prolonged meditation. Naturally, Tijiling thought the tea Yi-Han was making would be like green tea, bitter and rich in flavor, beneficial for mental cultivation. But that was a misconception.

‘I'll add plenty of nutrition,’ Yi-Han declared in his mind as he borrowed Tijiling's teapot, filled it with water, and boiled it with black tea leaves.

To intensify the aroma, he slightly ground spices like ginger and cinnamon, which he had obtained from the cabin of Uregor, and added them to the brew. But he wasn't done yet. Once the black tea was boiling vigorously, Yi-Han generously added sugar. Tijiling, startled at the sight of the sugar being added, exclaimed in alarm.

"What are you doing!?"

"Are... Are you saying you don't like the tea I am making? It's a secret recipe of our family," Yi-Han responded, looking genuinely hurt.

Tijiling was taken aback by his expression.

"Oh, it's not that I don't like it, it's just too ex..."

"Too extravagant? My family's secret recipe!?"

"...It's nothing..."

Tijiling clamped her mouth shut, fearing further words might wound Yi-Han. Yi-Han nodded contentedly, noticing Tijiling's hesitation.

Tijiling cast a slightly suspicious glance at Yi-Han.

Could it be an act?

'What a disrespectful thought.'

Yi-Han, a brother in the same faith and a scion of the Wardanaz family, surely wouldn't lie, especially invoking the name of his family.

The Wardanaz family, unlike Tijiling, who was a demon mixed-blood, was one of the empire's renowned family of mages.

Meanwhile, Yi-Han finished adding sugar and then poured milk to complete the spiced milk tea.

"Here. Try it."

Tijiling cautiously brought the tea cup to her lips, tasting the sweet and rich flavor, a sensation she had never experienced before spreading through her mouth.

'I guess it’s to her liking.'

Yi-Han realized Tijiling enjoyed the tea as he saw her expression soften.

After all, how delicious it must be to have something sweet after only having bitter and tasteless food.

Tijiling finished the tea more quickly than expected. Yi-Han immediately poured another cup from the teapot.

Tijiling, without refusing, sipped and then suddenly realized.

"You wouldn't leave the tea I brewed using my family's secret recipe untouched..."

"I understand, so please stop," Tijiling interjected.

Pleased with the success of the milk tea, Yi-Han prepared the next beverage. He boiled water with sugar, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and milk, then added corn flour. The thick concoction was more akin to a soup than a beverage.

'Such a diabolical strategy,' Yi-Han marveled at his own plan.

Starting with a drink and gradually moving to something resembling a soup to undermine the other's values.

Once the cocoa soup was ready, Yi-Han even gently floated some biscuits in it.

By the time Tijiling realized, she had already finished the bowl.

"Now that you've eaten today, you can't say you won't eat in the future. Come here at the appointed time from now on."

"...There's no need to speak so solemnly...?"

Tijiling was grateful for the young Wardanaz boy's consideration but was bewildered by his unnecessarily villainous demeanor.

Anyone would think Yi-Han was blackmailing her.

—

Night.

A time when freshmen clutch their hungry stomachs with sad faces, returning to their rooms or playing chess or cards in the lounge for a piece of bread. At that hour, Yi-Han was leaving the tower.

'I am a priest of the Presinga Order. I am a priest of the Presinga Order.'

Yi-Han, having changed into a priest's robe, looked unmistakably like a student of the Immortal Phoenix, venturing out for prayer. His objective was straightforward. To find the passage used by outsiders entering the academy!

Once he located this passage, Yi-Han could disguise himself as an outsider and leave the academy.

'I'll conserve the invisibility magic as much as possible. There might be traps.'

The reason he chose to disguise himself in a priest's robe, despite having invisibility magic, was because the academy was riddled with all sorts of traps.

Entering a place where the invisibility magic might fail could be life-threatening. Surviving in this academy required more than just one tactic.

'...Suddenly, I'm confused if it was right for me to enroll in this academy.'

Yi-Han felt a wave of melancholy. How did it come to this...

The first floor of the main building, usually bustling with freshmen, was now eerily empty. Corridors connected to the giant central staircase leading to the second floor or the basement, and to the lecture hall areas on either side.

When bathed in sunlight, it was elegant and refined, but plunged in darkness, it exuded an ominous aura.

'If there's a place where workers from outside come and go, it's likely to be on the first floor.'

Yi-Han cast his gaze towards the area behind the central staircase. It was a section with banquet halls and large halls. It wasn't a lecture area, so freshmen hadn't set foot there since the entrance ceremony.

"...?!"

At that moment, Yi-Han was startled.

In the darkness ahead, he saw another student stealthily making their way towards the area behind the central staircase.