Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1048

Chapter 1048

'Right. Let's ask why this is here first.'

Having finished organizing his thoughts, Yi-Han asked.

"Why is this here?"

-Huh?-

Jourin tilted her head, not understanding what Yi-Han meant.

"...It's not common for mansions to have dungeon entrances."

-...Really?!-

Jourin was genuinely surprised at her contractor's words.

Looking at other dragons' residences, having one or two such dungeons connected was common.

"..."

Yi-Han keenly felt there was still much he didn't know about dragons as a race.

She didn't know. She thought it was obviously supposed to be there...

"Amazing."

'Master has nothing to be surprised about, does he?'

The baby basilisk thought inwardly while wagging its tail.

With demons and golems and strange things abundant in its master's mansion, why be surprised about a dragon's mansion having a dungeon entrance?

-Other dragons all diligently cultivate dungeons!-

Jourin excitedly began explaining.

These dungeons, formed naturally or artificially, were always objects of fear and excitement for imperial adventurers.

Fear of what dangers might jump out from the strange environment different from outside.

And excitement about what rewards might be obtained after overcoming those dangers.

...But that was just mortals' story, and dragons approached it more coldly and calculatedly.

They managed dungeons like tending mansion gardens or courtyards.

Adding some mana to increase air density, casting some magic for internal circulation, putting in rare monster eggs, putting in weapons...

Like laying water plants, stones and soil before putting fish in an aquarium, after various preparations and letting it mature for some time, a quite decent dungeon would be completed.

After that, they just had to send minions to collect needed items or reagents.

If rare monsters were put in, they could take out monsters that had multiplied in numbers, and if weapons were put in, they could take out weapons strengthened by absorbing the dungeon's mana.

In other words...

'It's like a dragon vegetable garden!'

Just as Einroguard students secretly tended vegetable gardens somewhere in the territory for self-sufficiency, dragons were doing something similar.

Though the scale was on a completely different level, the fundamental principle was the same.

Jourin had diligently cultivated it without Gonadaltes knowing. Other dragons helped whenever they visited...

'Even more ominous?'

Without the skull principal knowing, help from other dragons.

Both sounded only ominous. Yi-Han carefully asked.

"Have you perhaps gone down before?"

-Jourin left it for when Yi-Han and friends came!-

Jourin was like taking out snacks she had been saving to serve to friends.

Of course, those snacks didn't look very appetizing to Yi-Han. He already felt quite full.

'Hmm. Come to think of it, other dragons probably wouldn't make it that dangerous.'

Though it was still somewhat concerning that it was made without the skull principal knowing, dragons were basically masters of this dungeon gardening.

They wouldn't have filled it with dangerous things when curious Jourin might enter anytime.

Glancing aside, Eandurde's eyes were sparkling brightly. He didn't think he had seen her eyes sparkle like that before.

"Dungeon...!"

"..."

Yi-Han felt the tide had already turned. Two out of four wanted to enter.

'But this is when we need to stay levelheaded most.'

As leader of the Scale Adventurer Party here, Yi-Han needed to stay alert to keep everyone from getting hurt.

"What's inside the dungeon?"

-Jourin hadn't asked about that!-

"Any warnings about danger, or not entering, things like that?"

Jourin shook her head vigorously.

'Hmm. Is it really okay...'

After continuing to ask questions and checking the situation, Yi-Han gained some confidence.

If none of the dragons had warned or stopped her, the possibility of danger was greatly reduced.

Jourin also said she hadn't put in anything strange and only added mana...

"Then Your Highness. Let me ask just one last thing."

-Yes! Ask away!-

"But why is this my gift?"

-Um... because Yi-Han likes danger?-

Jourin tilted her head and recited what she had heard from the skull principal.

Specifically, it was something about 'crazy enough to want to die' but that seemed a bit rude so she forgot it.

"Indeed."

Yi-Han could guess who the culprit was without needing to ask.

Next time he faced the emperor, a letter of evil revenge would make its appearance!

  *

"I hope there are ghouls or frost giants."

"...Don't say such creepy things, Eandurde."

Yi-Han, who had gone down the dungeon entrance (Jourin who went down first cushioned them softly), said in horror to Eandurde.

Meeting frost giants from another realm wasn't a very good omen.

Especially since strange false rumors like 'mage acknowledged by the king' had spread among frost giants about Yi-Han.

-They're not false rumors though?-

"Isn't it your bedtime? Go to sleep quickly. You won't grow if you don't sleep."

-......-

The baby basilisk felt very wronged.

It just asked!

"Light."

Yi-Han cast magic.

Though the passage was wide enough for Jourin to roll side to side befitting a dungeon tended by dragons, it was dark.

Though it was probably for the dungeon's flora and fauna, Jourin might trip on rocks just in case. Yi-Han greatly amplified the light intensity.

"?"

Eandurde wondered at the huge orb of light floating in the air.

No matter how she looked at it, its scale and power were different from the <Light Creation> magic she and her friends used.

This wasn't something that could come from casting normal magic more powerfully.

"How did you..."

"Ah. This is modified magic. No need to try copying it. It's not a very useful method anyway."

Yi-Han was applying what he had realized while trying to cut the chains before entering the dungeon to other magic too.

If giving it a name, it would be <Wardanaz's Light Creation>.

"..."

Eandurde stared at her senior who spoke so casually about modifying and creating new magic.

Her gaze was mixed half with shock and half with respect.

"Isn't it strange?"

When she asked Jourin crawling along behind them, the gold dragon asked back as if wondering what was strange.

-Isn’t Yi-Han always like this?-

"R-right."

Eandurde felt very regretful that she was the only mage here.

If there were other mages they would have sympathized with this shock!

"Wait."

Thanks to the strengthened light beam, visibility extended far ahead. Yi-Han's face became serious seeing ahead.

"This is strange."

"!"

Eandurde realized why her senior stopped and became wary. A strange dissonance could be felt from the distant passage.

Part of the passage ahead was a natural bumpy cave, but the connected passage behind it was clearly a well-cut and polished granite passage.

These passages alternating was a bizarre sight to anyone. Eandurde spoke in an excited voice.

"Monsters might have broken it!"

-Indeed!-

Jourin excitedly chimed in.

If monsters appeared and broke it, such uneven passages would make sense.

'Are there such monsters?'

Yi-Han wondered inwardly.

Walking around Einroguard naturally made one knowledgeable about monsters.

Especially someone born with a fate entangled with monsters like Yi-Han had to know even better to survive.

He couldn't think of any monsters that would destroy passages so neatly as if measured with a ruler.

"Everyone stay here. I'll check and come back."

Yi-Han moved while casting combat precognition magic and even crystal top divination.

Though no danger was visible no matter how he looked, he had to be thorough just in case.

"!"

Yi-Han exploring the passage ahead opened his eyes wide seeing letters engraved on the wall.

Could this be a clue about the identity of these bizarre passages?

[Uman paved the passage. Since sister might trip when she comes down later, stop saying nonsense and removing the floor. Paving the passage won't pollute the dungeon's environment!

-Uman]

[I removed the paving from Aunina's section. Besides the environment, dungeons should be natural! Sister would rather be disappointed by paving, don't you think?

-Aunina]

"..."

Yi-Han staggered slightly. He was disappointed in himself for seriously looking at this.

'What the...'

Reading the text, it seemed there had been a conflict between two dragons about decorating this passage.

Uman, a dragon Yi-Han knew, was pro-paving, while Aunina, a dragon he didn't know, was anti-paving...

-Look there! Yi-Han must have figured out the identity!-

He heard Jourin whispering excitedly to her Scale Adventurer Party companion from behind.

She seemed very excited about what monster had appeared.

"...I've identified it."

Yi-Han quickly covered the wall text with magic and spoke.

"It's a monster called Donanga. It sometimes appears and messes up passages."

-Indeed!-

"I've never heard of it!"

"That's because it's a very rare monster. You won't likely see it normally. Now, let's proceed forward without letting our guard down."

Yi-Han avoided their gaze while lying.

He couldn't bring himself to tell the truth to the two who were eagerly anticipating the dungeon's threats.

-Here! Look here, Yi-Han!-

Jourin tightly hugged Yi-Han with her front legs and shook him. It was strength that would have knocked over a normal person, but Yi-Han already used to Jourin was naturally prepared.

He didn't shake, as if rooted to the ground.

"That is...?"

A side path branching from the passage.

At its end in a round clearing, a sword was stuck in a rock.

Though Jourin and Eandurde were already lost in expectation and excitement, Yi-Han stayed cool.

'No... this is a dungeon made by dragons.'

Though it could really be an ancient relic in other dungeons, the story was different since dragons made this dungeon.

Could they have built over an existing dungeon?

"Wait. Let me check something."

Yi-Han approached carefully. While doing so he checked if there were letters like before around.

[This Kinnara sword was obtained and planted here by Uman himself. Don't touch it as it still needs to absorb more dungeon mana.

-Uman]

"..."

Why? Why?

"The trap here seems too dangerous for us to approach at our level yet."

-!!!-

Jourin's eyes grew round.

To think such a dangerous trap had formed!

-The dun... dungeon seems much more dangerous than Jourin thought...!-

"Ah. Then shall we go back?"

Yi-Han brightened.

Actually by this point, Yi-Han was realizing too.

Strictly speaking, this wasn't a dungeon but...

'It's a treasure storehouse for Jourin!'

It was essentially a garden other dragons had cultivated with various things in preparation for when Jourin would be active later.

The treasure sword Yi-Han just found was explicitly written about like that... In that case, there was nothing good about Yi-Han's group taking it first. It still needed more maturing.

However, Jourin shook her head.

-Jourin trusted Yi-Han. And trusted Eandurde too.-

"...!"

Eandurde quickly turned her head. Though her face wasn't visible, anyone could tell she was moved.

-...What about me?-

-B-Basil too of course!-

Flustered Jourin hurriedly added. Fortunately the baby basilisk fell for it, grinning.

"...Understood. Then let's go further in."

-Yi-Han! There's a treasure chest there!-

"Oh dear. From what I see, that's an instant death trap if touched."

-?!-

There's such a thing?!