Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1017

Chapter 1017

'But one must learn even from enemies.'

An outstanding Einroguard student learns lessons even from vicious enemies.

Yi-Han firmly resolved to try sowing discord first whenever he met evil people in the future.

"I'll try deceiving them."

"Understood."

'Huh?'

When his fellow team members agreed too readily, Yi-Han was slightly bewildered.

He had thought they would say it was too early or try to stop him.

"Will it be alright? If I make a mistake, everyone could be in danger..."

"How could that happen?"

"We believe in you, Sir Mage."

The team members answered immediately as if asking what nonsense he was talking about. Alcicle, being carried on Yi-Han's back, muttered in a voice full of disdain.

"After seeing you in action coming up here, anyone who doubts you would have failed the exploration team selection for intelligence issues..."

"...Be quiet."

  *

"Something's strange."

Kitarenanoom looked around. The giant mixed-blood warrior asked as if sick of it.

"Are more monsters coming up again?"

"No. Something different... ominous."

"Try divination."

At the warrior's words, Kitarenanoom made an expression full of irritation.

"I'm not that kind of mage. How many times must I say mages can't do everything?"

Mages proficient in all schools of magic were extremely rare. Mages naturally had weak points, and for Kitarenanoom it was divination magic.

The mage chose to rest rather than attempt low-accuracy divination.

Whoosh!

The mage took out a small living doll in human form and burned it.

Though it was a simplified human sacrifice, it was enough to recover mana and fill magic.

'Remaining magic... should fill it with something more powerful. Just in case.'

Kitarenanoom replaced the magic composing his arms with something more powerful.

This arcane technique of condensing magic itself into bodily form was Kitarenanoom's specialty. Though it had the advantage of enabling instant precise casting of powerful magic, it also had the disadvantage of requiring preparation.

Kitarenanoom prepared additional human sacrifices just in case. If battle broke out, he planned to amplify his magic's power by offering the remaining sacrifices.

"Enemies."

"!"

Startled by the warrior's words, Kitarenanoom asked.

"How close are they?"

"About fifty paces up the small stairs. Different vibrations from the monsters."

"Think they'll attack?"

"Well. They don't seem hostile, but the empire's leashed dogs are so stupid..."

-We request negotiations!-

The two exchanged glances. Kitarenanoom immediately tried to cast the prepared human sacrifice.

That's when interference came.

Counter magic, the technique mages use to analyze and check other mages' magic!

Crackle!

"???!!!"

Kitarenanoom was shocked when his human sacrifice was blocked by a mage who hadn't even shown their face up the stairs yet.

'What?!?!'

It was unbelievable.

Counter magic was never easy even when facing each other and seeing the other cast magic.

To precisely interfere and disrupt another's magic before it's even cast required, in a way, even higher understanding than the opponent.

Yet to succeed at counter magic just from traces of mana at such distance they couldn't even see faces. Kitarenanoom felt chills down his spine.

"What? What's wrong?"

"Among the exploration team... was there a great mage?"

"There wasn't."

Kitarenanoom searched his memory.

There definitely weren't any names to be wary of. Just mages from the Pengerin family or Malachite Magic Tower...

Was there a mage among them at this level who could toy with his magic like this?

The magic criminal felt humiliation and fear rather than anger.

Like when he had directly faced Antagondals, another magic criminal and great mage, before.

-Get a grip, mage.-

-Shut up! Demon! You don't even understand how amazing this is.-

At this level, he had to consider the gap almost enough for the opponent to toy with him.

It was a terrible shock to Kitarenanoom, who had been somewhat confident that among the empire's relatively young mages, none could match him except great mages.

Kitarenanoom couldn't imagine that his opponent had thoroughly practiced the arcane knowledge to break down human sacrifice techniques from having already met several magic criminals.

  *

"...Oh, did I choose wrong?"

"No. You did well."

Alcicle shook his head when Yi-Han showed confusion.

When they didn't know what the opponent might do, they couldn't leave human sacrifice magic alone. If it could be blocked, blocking it was absolutely right.

"More importantly, how did you manage counter magic at this distance?"

"The principal tormented me to learn it."

"Understandable. Must have been really tough this semester."

"I learned it last year."

"..."

Alcicle closed his beak. Meanwhile, the enemy shouted first.

"What's your purpose! This place is crawling with monsters due to realm erosion. Are you trying to die together? Huh?"

'That must be the warrior with giant blood mixed in.'

While thinking this inwardly, Alcicle revealed his name.

"I am Alcicle of the Pengerin family. Is there another mage beside you?"

"Alcicle of the Pengerin family... I'll remember that."

Kitarenanoom ground his teeth.

He would definitely avenge this frustration and humiliation felt today.

"I'll honestly admit it. I didn't know you were such an outstanding mage."

"What? ...No. The one who blocked your human sacrifice magic wasn't me but my junior here."

At Alcicle's words, the giant mixed-blood warrior and magic criminal exchanged glances.

The warrior spoke immediately.

"Tricks. He's trying to shake us."

-Don't fall for such tactics.-

"I know."

Kitarenanoom raised his evaluation of Alcicle even higher. To try shaking them in this situation, he was no ordinary person.

Basirmack felt impatient at the tense standoff. They didn't know when monsters might surge in.

"Hey! Aren't you spellchanters friendly with each other! Rather than fighting in this situation, won't you cooperate briefly? This mage here is from an imperial magic school! He could be your senior!"

"Unnecessary words..."

Though Kitarenanoom frowned at the giant mixed-blood warrior's attitude of speaking without knowing well, the effect was very intense.

Yi-Han made an expression as if the sky had fallen.

"W-Wardanaz. Calm down. It's not confirmed he's from Einroguard."

Alcicle whispered frantically trying to calm Yi-Han. But it backfired.

"Sir Alcicle, you honestly know too! That's why you said it's not Einroguard even though Einroguard wasn't mentioned!"

"...That's true but it's not confirmed!"

Yi-Han sighed deeply.

Though shameful and painful as someone from the same magic school, this wasn't the time to be shaken by such emotions.

'Right. Whether the opponent is from Einroguard or not, what does it matter.'

Living on, he would meet Einroguard graduate magic criminals as many as eggs in a basket, so he couldn't be shaken.

"Even if we're from the same Einroguard, there's no mercy in this situation!"

"It's Baldurguard."

"What?"

"Not Einroguard but Baldurguard. I'm from Baldurguard. You youngsters."

"..."

"..."

An awkward and subtle silence hung between the three mages. Only Basirmack, ignorant of spellchanters' delicate culture, wondered.

"What? What is it?"

"Shut up, you fool. This is why I didn't want to say it."

The most annoying reaction when dealing with imperial mages wasn't hostility, contempt, or condemnation.

It was that awkward and subtle reaction when revealing he was from Baldurguard.

And that reaction was especially severe from Einroguard graduate mages.

-What? From Baldurguard? Then how did you become a magic criminal?-

-Ugh! Quite strong...! How can a Baldurguard graduate use such magic?-

Even while bleeding profusely after losing a battle, asking "How can a Baldurguard graduate use such magic?" with genuine curiosity left deep scars on Kitarenanoom's pride.

Of course, pride wasn't something only Kitarenanoom had.

"...You spellchanter. Want to die? Should we see if your magic is faster, or my fist pulls out your tongue first?"

While those two argued needlessly, Yi-Han and Alcicle also had a needless conversation.

"There are criminals from Baldurguard too???"

"Of course there are... What kind of question is that?"

"Ah, no. That's true but... I see. But... right."

'He seems more shocked than when evil god worshippers attacked the palace.'

Yi-Han shook his head to break free from the shock.

Actually, it was natural that there were criminals from Baldurguard too, and among them magic criminals was also natural.

...It just wouldn't sink in.

"Let's think positively, Wardanaz. If he were from Einroguard, he would have been several times trickier as an enemy. We can handle him like this because he's from Baldurguard."

"That seems both comforting and not comforting."

Fortunately, thanks to the sound absorption magic Alcicle had cast, their conversation didn't reach the opponent.

If Kitarenanoom had heard, he would have attempted a fight to the death regardless of monsters.

"I'm willing to agree to temporary cooperation!"

At Yi-Han's shout, the two arguing also paused.

"Really?"

"Yes. You know too that the monster is stronger than expected."

"That's true..."

Kitarenanoom, about to agree, had something flash through his mind and asked a question.

"Wait. What did you touch? If you stole something precious from the monster..."

At first, he had thought the monsters suddenly changed priority because they found new, more appetizing prey.

But thinking about it, it didn't seem likely just for such a reason.

Kitarenanoom and Basirmack were quite tempting prey too.

"What do you mean?"

When Alcicle asked puzzled, Kitarenanoom explained the phenomenon from earlier.

'I'll test them.'

If the exploration team members had stolen and secured even the monster's eggs, that was something they must definitely seize back.

"???"

"We didn't have anything like that?"

Of course, since there was no such thing, both Yi-Han and Alcicle were confused.

"Hmm."

Like an outstanding mage, Alcicle began deducing with just the given clues.

Yi-Han threw a slightly expectant look at the always reliable senior mage.

"There is one possibility that comes to mind."

"What possibility?"

"You know that time when the phenomenon they experienced happened. Looking at it, it was when we met the monsters."

"Are you saying someone in our group secretly stole the monster's eggs!?"

"...How could that happen when we moved together. And if that happened, they would have come much faster."

"Then what is it?"

Alcicle stared at Yi-Han.

If what that magic criminal said was true, there was only one highest possibility now.

That the monster coveted Yi-Han.

Though how could Alcicle completely guess the thought process of something from the void, considering Yi-Han's mana, it wasn't very surprising.

"Me? They did charge at me a lot, but I thought that was because I acted so annoyingly..."

Yi-Han showed a skeptical reaction to being told a monster he had never met was coveting him.

Then the baby basilisk who had been listening quietly opened its mouth with a firm attitude.

-Master.-

"Yes?"

-I think that explanation is right too...!-

"...May I ask how you came to feel it was right?"