Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

The nobles in the assembly were even more shocked than before.

Hidan was one thing, but even Mrs. Kraha?

It was absolutely unbelievable. One of the nobles tried to regain composure by gulping down hot tea—it did not help much—before throwing out a question.

“Kr… Mrs. Kraha. You clearly said so yourself. That no matter how much Lord Gonadaltes devotes himself to the Empire, you would not let this slide so easily this time.”

“That is too much.”

The Skull Principal spoke from the side as if hurt, but none of the nobles reacted. They simply ignored him.

“That is right.”

“Then why?!”

“Well… I owe young Wardanaz here so much. So I have no choice.”

House Wardanaz?

Only then did the nobles turn their attention to the Skull Principal’s disciple.

In fact, they had been so shocked by Hidan’s and Mrs. Kraha’s statements that they had overlooked it, but the Skull Principal introducing his disciple was not something to take lightly in the first place.

It was practically like introducing the most outstanding and most brilliantly insane among Einroguard’s many students—in other words, a future archmage.

Moreover, if that disciple carried the blood of House Wardanaz, it was even more significant. The nobles struggled to digest the information they had just heard.

“So…”

“If it is House Wardanaz…”

“I heard he defeated the Ghoul King last year? I naturally assumed it was a graduate…”

“I think I heard about the basilisk and sea serpent subjugations too. Wait. If he is a second-year now, that means he was a first-year last year?”

The Skull Principal quickly signaled to the Death Knights.

It was a signal to change the subject quickly, before the nobles realized Einroguard’s wicked secrets.

“Wait, the person the dragons mentioned this time was def—”

“Dragons?”

“It is nothing.”

Among the nobles who reacted, there was even a house head who had received a letter sent by the dragons.

As that house head recalled the letter, understanding immediately dawned.

I see.

He seemed to understand why excellent calculators like Hidan and Mrs. Kraha were reacting so gently.

It was not simply because Lee Han was the Skull Principal’s disciple.

Of course, being the Skull Principal’s disciple was impressive enough. But in reality, that was a reason to keep one’s distance, not to get close.

There was very little good that came from getting close to either the Skull Principal or his disciple.

Getting close would only result in having supplies plundered and being forced to pay donations when incidents like this happened. For a peaceful and comfortable life, keeping one’s distance was the correct choice.

But if the person in question had contracted with dragons, the story changed.

If he was a contractor who had not appeared for such a long time, then it was worth the risk to show favor, even if he was the Skull Principal’s disciple.

Indeed, both of them are extraordinary.

“I will also accept it if it is the disciple’s request.”

“I will do the same.”

Nobles who had heard various rumors about the youngest of House Wardanaz and were considering investing, house heads who had received letters sent by the dragons, and those who read the atmosphere and tactfully switched sides began agreeing one after another.

However, quite a few people who had not given up still remained.

Nobles ignorant of the rumors, greedy nobles, and nobles who wanted to somehow receive Professor Verdus instead of gold coins this time could not easily surrender and clung on.

“Mrs. Kraha. Please reconsider once more. To postpone such a large sum simply because you owe a debt…”

Foolish. Would Mrs. Kraha have done so for such a simple reason?

The quick-witted nobles thought to themselves.

In fact, it was entirely for that simple reason, but the nobles could not even imagine it.

“It is not that I owe a debt. Gainando does.”

“Just because he is your son’s friend?”

“It is not at that level, but really…”

Even with Mrs. Kraha’s explanation, the nobles could not quite understand.

What could there be to owe another friend after entering magic school?

Slaves or servants would handle meals and cleaning, and professors would teach magic.

Hidan gave an equally incomprehensible explanation.

“Considering my brother’s change, I do not regret it at all. Even investing several times House Dalcard’s gold coins would not be enough.”

“?!?!?!”

The nobles wondered if the Skull Principal’s disciple was actually a professor, not a second-year.

Otherwise, it could not be explained.

The things he had done last year, too…

“If it is young Wardanaz’s request, I could even write off House Kraha’s debt entirely.”

Mrs. Kraha spoke with affection.

Considering what the boy from House Wardanaz had done for Gainando, she could actually invest dozens of times more than that.

“Is that truly so?!”

The Skull Principal exclaimed in surprise.

The Death Knights, who were equally astonished, finally understood how their master’s successor had persuaded the bureaucrats.

Just going there and talking to them would have been enough!

I lacked faith!

That may be true magic.

However, Lee Han declined.

“No… that would be a bit too much. An extension alone is more than enough to be grateful for.”

“Come here for a moment.”

The Skull Principal was about to rejoice, but then his expression turned serious. He immediately took his disciple to a corner.

“What are you doing? Did those Valdrogard fellows secretly invite you or something?”

“Huh? Is transferring to Valdrogard possible?”

Lee Han asked out of pure curiosity. A Death Knight answered instead.

-He is asking whether you received an offer as a professor, not as a student.

“Be quiet! The lady is showing favor, so why are you refusing it? That is rude as well!”

“Well, it is also Gainando’s good fortune, so I cannot just waste it…”

“…”

The Death Knights silently applauded. They were moved by the friendship.

Of course, from the Skull Principal’s perspective, it was simply infuriating.

“Considering House Kraha’s treasury, it is an amount that would not even make a dent…!”

“Can’t you just treat Gainando well and ask the lady for something else separately?”

“That would go against the sacred rules of Einroguard.”

The Skull Principal firmly refused, but Lee Han cast a suspicious look at him.

He claimed it was for equality, but Lee Han suspected he simply wanted to torment the students.

“Anyway, I have accomplished what you asked. Isn’t an indefinite extension good enough?”

Instead of answering, the Skull Principal grumbled in an ancient language. Thanks to studying under the insane duplicate, Lee Han could understand the words, “Raising disciples is useless.”

“Then I’ll go finish persuading them.”

“?”

For a moment, the Skull Principal did not understand his disciple’s words.

Finish persuading them?

Of course, there were still nobles stubbornly holding out, but could they not be persuaded separately?

He had thought they could simply push through with the current number of agreeing nobles and use that to convince the rest…

The knights seemed to think the same and looked puzzled.

-How is he planning to persuade them?

-He is not going to hand over Professor Verdus, is he?

-Well… but if that really is the plan, I would rather like to see it…

“Everyone. The Principal made an unreasonable request, but I never intended to simply ask for favors from the beginning.”

“!”

The nobles stirred at Lee Han’s words.

“You could simply ask for favors, though…”

“Be quiet, Mrs. Kraha.”

Yoanen covered Mrs. Kraha’s mouth. Yoanen was curious about what Lee Han was about to say.

“So?”

“Actually, I happened to meet an ancient undead and learned the locations of various families’ lost ancient tombs. If it is all right with you, I will tell you about them, so could you perhaps show mercy and…”

“Wait. Come here for a moment.”

The Skull Principal’s expression became serious again. The startled nobles tried to hear the rest, but the Skull Principal was one step faster.

“What did you just say? How do you know the locations of lost ancient tombs?”

“The chief attendant wrote them down for me.”

Intarendals!

Realizing the culprit, the Skull Principal squeezed his eyes shut.

This chief attendant from the Three Kingdoms period had been showing exceptional talent at turning the Skull Principal’s stomach ever since pledging loyalty to the obsession of honor.

Regretting that he should never have accepted him in the distant past, the Skull Principal opened his mouth.

“My disciple. Have you never thought this? Do those who do not even know where their ancestors’ ancient tombs are truly have the right to tend to them? That kind of thought.”

“I have not thought that.”

“The ancient evil artifacts inside them… Is it not the mage’s responsibility to take charge and control such artifacts? That kind of thought?”

“You could simply go with them as an expert witness when we enter together.”

“…”

When disciples were smart, they often turned their master’s stomach.

When disciples were both smart and virtuous, it was twice as bad.

Lee Han spoke honestly.

“Actually, the chief attendant wrote something else separately that I did not mention.”

Intarendals had separately organized the reagents and items remaining in the workshop and handed them over to Lee Han while flipping through the insane duplicate’s book.

Among them were notes Intarendals had written personally.

The ancient tombs of various families that might help his disciple, House Dalcard’s ancient tomb—the chief attendant had given permission to simply take and use this one—and so on.

And at the end, it was written like this:

…Even if you return them to the descendants of each family, never hand them over to the lord of Einroguard…

“…”

The Skull Principal let out a deep sigh.

Then he asked the knights as if he truly could not understand.

“Did I treat Intarendals so harshly? Is refusing continental conquest something to retaliate over until the end of the world?”

-We, we do not really know…

The Death Knights averted their gazes.

This was truly not a subject they could comment on.

***

Eulangdam, the Tower Master leading the Wonchuri Mage Tower and an archmage, narrowed his eyes at the Skull Principal’s request for a visit.

“For what reason is Lord Gonadaltes coming?”

“Perhaps he is trying to apologize for his previous rudeness?”

The mages of Wonchuri Mage Tower had visited Einroguard territory to confine the obsession, but the Skull Principal had suddenly become angry and chased them away, telling them to get lost.

From the perspective of mages who had urgently completed harsh training for great magic, it was utterly absurd treatment.

But now the Skull Principal was visiting with his disciple.

They wondered if he might be trying to apologize.

“There is no way His Excellency would do such a thing.”

Eulangdam, who looked like a village elder from the countryside except for his clothes, deepened the wrinkles carved into his face as he lit his long pipe.

Like an archmage, Eulangdam made a cold assessment unlike his subordinate mages.

“He is probably trying to delay his debts. Mages are always struggling financially.”

In fact, madmen were not found only at Einroguard.

There were many madmen among the tower’s mages as well, and they were always struggling with budgets because of it.

It was simply that Einroguard’s scale was overwhelmingly larger!

“How dare…! No matter what, he cannot insult us like that and then do such a thing!”

“That is right.”

Eulangdam puffed on his pipe. The old archmage, his cloudy eyes staring into the air, asked as if he could not understand.

“But he is not someone who would come without any scheme, so I am curious what he is thinking.”

“He said he is visiting with his disciple… Could he be trying to use the same method he used with Professor Garcia again?”

At those words, the faces of all the mages present changed.

The Professor Garcia incident was a painful memory for everyone.

They had all fallen for the Skull Principal’s eloquence and given things away like madmen, thinking, That mage might come to our tower!

“…Surely not. His Excellency would not use the same method twice. Not unless he thinks we are idiots.”

“But they say his disciple is an outstanding mage.”

“Stop. Be quiet. I do not even want to hear about it.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

At Eulangdam’s warning, the mage bowed.

A moment of silence passed.

The contemplating archmage slyly asked,

“How outstanding a mage is he?”

…We might really be idiots…