Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1042

Chapter 1042

Though Jourin might act arbitrarily, Yi-Han couldn't do the same. He firmly refused.

"Not possible."

"Oh? Can't be helped."

The artist didn't mind much.

Because she had already obtained the mandrakes.

Though the horticulturist club members might feel regret, the artist had enough with just these mandrakes.

"Wait. May I stop by there?"

Walking out of the hall rented by the horticulturist club, Yi-Han pointed to another entrance displaying decorative toys made of white bronze.

Toy Craftsmen Association of Flaher, Granden, and Illeinas Cities

"...Shouldn't you be playing with mage cards with dignity at second year?"

The artist was bewildered.

By the standards of the Great Artist, a relatively old mage, Einroguard 2nd years should play with mage cards, 4th years with chess, and by 6th year they should just give up all life's pleasures.

Even mage cards were one thing, but toys?

"Ah. Not for me to use, but as gifts."

"Ah. For young relatives?"

"No. For Princess Jourin."

"...??????"

The noblewoman tilted her head and almost dropped her large hat decorated with peacock feathers.

She couldn't understand why a dragon would need such toys.

'Ah. I see. Perhaps she wants to investigate or analyze them out of curiosity.'

Come to think of it, Uman himself had inherited the karma of mage cards from previous generation dragons.

It wouldn't be strange if Princess Jourin suddenly wanted to investigate what toys other races in the empire played with.

While the artist was bewildered, Yi-Han carefully checked his gold coins. Thanks to selling the mandrakes, his purse was unexpectedly full.

'Buy gifts for Jourin, buy gifts for Basil... With this much I could buy what other friends need too.'

"I'd like to participate in the auction..."

"Enough. I'll buy everything."

The artist cut in between her junior and the manager's conversation. Yi-Han, who was about to apply to participate, was startled.

"I was going to buy these with my own gold coins."

"Don't act inefficiently when you're an Einroguard student. If investigation is the purpose, she'll be happier the more we bring."

"Investigation? What... Well, since she'll break them easily, bringing more would be good."

Yi-Han nodded thinking of Jourin's monstrous strength.

When playing together, at least a few would break, and better the toys than Yi-Han.

The artist took out a pocket watch decorated with emeralds and checked the time.

Having obtained the targeted mandrakes and heard about a case, though limited, of art works gaining life, she now planned to fly back to her new residence and focus on work.

...There was nothing good about wandering around the capital where she might meet a mad great mage for so long...

"Are you done?"

"Do you have an appointment? I was going to look for some gifts for friends."

"You must mean Blue Dragon Tower friends. Well. Makes sense for someone like you."

A student good enough to have their name on the skull principal's school would inevitably play a leadership role within their tower.

Just look at Professor Garcia.

"What about Professor Garcia?"

"Ah. Nothing."

"...?"

Yi-Han wondered but the artist didn't seem willing to explain.

Even much senior disciples were powerless before fists.

"Ah. Senior. But I might take longer since I need to pick gifts for friends from other towers besides Blue Dragon Tower."

"...Why????"

The artist was bewildered.

  *

After buying the remaining gifts while going around the auction halls (the artist kept tilting her head in incomprehension while paying instead), Yi-Han bid farewell to his senior and moved toward where his friends were.

Then he spotted a very rare race among the crowd.

A race that received envious gazes and whispers wherever they went - penguin mixed-bloods.

"Sir Alcicle! ...Oh, not him?"

Yi-Han, who had called out seeing the plump back of the head, belatedly realized his mistake.

Though they were both penguin mixed-bloods, the other wasn't Alcicle.

'Wait. They look familiar...'

"Hello, Senior!"

The penguin mixed-blood hurriedly ran over and bowed.

At that reaction, Yi-Han realized why the other looked familiar.

Though from the same Pengerin family, it was Alhidle, not Alcicle.

A first-year junior from Einroguard!

"Alhidle?"

"You remembered me. I'm truly honored."

"...Did you perhaps get tortured in the punishment room this semester?"

Yi-Han asked seriously.

Alhidle had been a boy full of confidence and pride befitting someone from a good family.

And he actually had outstanding ability to back it up.

Though it was only because the skull principal provoked him saying 'Yi-Han here is average level at Einroguard, try fighting him haha', he was quite an outstanding talent.

For such a talent to maintain such a polite and respectful attitude, checking his surroundings with every breath.

There could only be one answer.

'These crazy guards. To do this to a junior who's only first year?'

Yi-Han cursed the Death Knights inwardly.

Like undead, they had no human heart.

"I've never been to the punishment room."

"What? Don't talk nonsense. You must have tried escaping or exploring. Ah. Perhaps you weren't all caught? Amazing."

"No. I studied in my private room in spare time."

"..."

Yi-Han unconsciously took a step back.

He felt the terrifying madness dwelling within the other.

"What are you holding there?"

"Gifts for friends."

"Let me carry them for you."

"Wai..."

Alhidle rushed to help with the pile of gifts on Yi-Han's arms.

Then he staggered as if about to fall.

'What?!'

Because his senior carried them so naturally he hadn't noticed, but they were much heavier than expected.

He almost fell just carrying one wrapped gift box.

"Wh-what is this?!"

"That's why I told you to wait. Are you alright? That's a reinforced anvil for Salko so it's quite heavy."

"..."

Alhidle, top student of Blue Dragon Tower and promising mage of the Pengerin family, looked at Yi-Han once again with eyes full of respect.

I still have far to go!

"I'll cast enhancement magic."

"As expected... Senior's magic ability was trained through such daily training without rest."

"What nonsense are you talking?"

Yi-Han was bewildered.

Of course, when escaping Einroguard or moving supplies, one naturally became used to moving around in overweight conditions.

In Yi-Han's case, he had raised his weight limit first with enhancement magic, then knight-style physical enhancement using mana, then telekinetic magic and so on.

Thanks to this he earned the title of Einroguard's best porter (though not certain since he hadn't competed with seniors yet), but that was out of necessity, not for training.

"Eandurde told me?"

"..."

'Eandurde!'

Yi-Han inwardly shouted the name of his absent junior.

To spread false rumors!

"This isn't for training but to survive at Einroguard..."

"I admire you. I'll try walking around carrying heavy loads too from now on."

"If you admire me why not listen to what I say?"

Yi-Han was dumbfounded but Alhidle had already made up his mind.

He was thinking of going to some quarry to mine stones and put them in his backpack.

"By the way Senior. Thank you for the food."

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

Yi-Han played dumb for now.

Though he certainly gave food to share with friends every time he met Eandurde, he had hidden his name.

Since he told Eandurde not to tell, surely...

"But you gave it to us, Senior?"

"What are you saying? Maybe you're mistaking food Eandurde obtained?"

"??"

When the admirable senior said something strange, Alhidle explained while tilting his head.

1. Eandurde obtained food from somewhere.

2. When asked about the source, she said it was from 'a senior whose name can't be revealed'.

3. The only senior Eandurde usually talks about is Senior Wardanaz.

4. Ah, must be Senior Wardanaz!

"..."

'Eandurde!'

Yi-Han inwardly shouted his absent junior's name for the second time.

She should have just said she obtained it herself, why make such a clumsy lie.

'Next time we meet I'll have to train her in how to lie.'

With Gainando there, he could be a good teacher.

"Right... well... fine. Can't be helped."

Though quickly giving up, Yi-Han still asked as if having lingering attachment.

"But couldn't it have been someone like Gainando instead of me?"

"Puhahahahaha!"

Alhidle burst into loud laughter for the first time today.

Perhaps because he heard a joke in an unexpected situation, his laughter was even more intense.

"Hahahaha, hahahaha! Haha... Wait, that wasn't a joke?"

"...Haven't you met Gainando?"

"No. But from what I heard from Eandurde, he's someone who keeps stealing food..."

"..."

Yi-Han covered his face with his hands.

Shameful rumors from his tower leaking outside was more embarrassing than expected.

"...That's a misunderstanding. He was just joking."

"Seems like too many times for a joke..."

"Be quiet."

"Yes!"

When his junior really became quiet, Yi-Han felt sorry and spoke again.

"No. It's not your fault. More importantly, how was Einroguard?"

New students entering Einroguard usually received world-shattering shock.

Especially Alhidle who had met the skull principal separately before entering and heard some additional lies.

That shock must have been several times greater.

Thinking of this, Yi-Han still felt somewhat sorry.

"It was amazing and wondrous."

"Uh, didn't you find it harsh or want to curse?"

"That's obvious."

Alhidle looked at Yi-Han as if asking why he would ask something so obvious.

Apart from being amazing and wondrous, curses were inevitable.

"...Sorry. More importantly, you must have been very surprised later because of the principal's lies."

The skull principal had lied to Alhidle saying 'mages like Yi-Han are rolling around at Einroguard'.

Yi-Han was worried his junior might have been hurt emotionally from obsessing over magic because of that lie.

"No. I realized it was a lie on the first day of enrollment."

"I-I see."

Alhidle was indeed a clever junior.

He realized he had been deceived right after enrolling upon hearing the skull principal's harsh words and professors' explanations.

"By the way Alhidle, what brings you to the capital? Must have been quite a journey."

"I came for a family gathering, and I heard Eandurde received a friend's invitation. We came in the same carriage."

Yi-Han felt pleased hearing they came in the same carriage despite being from different towers.

Unlike the cold seniors, the juniors seemed somewhat influenced by Yi-Han's year.

'Maybe they became close thanks to the food.'

"Did you lend the carriage to repay Eandurde?"

"Though that was part of the reason, actually Eandurde threatened me first and forcibly got on the carriage."

"..."

'Eandurde!'

Yi-Han inwardly shouted his absent junior's name for the third time.

If she had just stayed still she would have received an invitation anyway!

However, Alhidle didn't mind much. Personal emotions and grudges felt unimportant on the grand path of magic.

"Wait. You said Eandurde received a friend's invitation?"

Yi-Han had a bad feeling.

If someone would send Eandurde an invitation, only Jourin came to mind.

'Well Jourin is very affectionate...'

Soon it wouldn't be strange at all if she sent letters to Yi-Han, the skull principal, or Alcicle.

"...!!!"

Yi-Han's expression changed drastically as he realized the source of dissonance. Alhidle was startled and asked.

"What's wrong?!"

"...We left Sir Alcicle behind!"