Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Just before Lee Han called his friends.

Gainando and the Blue Dragon Tower students were hiding from Alhild in a secret hideout inside the manor.

‘That bastard Gainando. How the hell did he find a place like this?’

His friends were inwardly amazed.

Who would have thought there was a hidden space behind the closet at the western end of the manor’s second floor?

In fact, it was fairly common for manors like this to have several secret storage rooms or hidden spaces.

But finding a place that had been magically concealed was another matter entirely.

It was truly an astonishing result of determination.

‘To think he found this with nothing but the will to have fun...’

“Gainando. Sometimes I find you admirable.”

“Shh. Keep your voice down! Pengerine might hear.”

Gainando pressed a finger to his lips, quieting his friends.

He pressed his ear to the wall to check, and fortunately, it seemed they were not being pursued.

“I summoned undead inside the decorative armor outside, so if we’re discovered, we escape through the window. Got it?”

Behind the scattered wooden boxes was a window disguised as a wall.

From the outside, it would simply look like a wall, but from the inside, it was an escape route that could be opened at will.

“Got it. Got it.”

“Honestly. The trouble we go through because of a first-year.”

“Aren’t his questions surprisingly sharp? For a moment, I thought I might not be able to answer.”

His friends grumbled as each of them unpacked their belongings.

Of course, it was not luggage for studying. If they had intended to study in the first place, there would have been no reason to hide like this.

The Blue Dragon Tower students split up and immersed themselves in Mage Cards, mage yut, and chess.

“Three Imperial silver coins? Hey. I know exactly how much you earned last time, and you’re betting three coins? Don’t you have any conscience?!”

“Says the guy whose conscience overflows so much he buys food from Wardanaz at that price and even goes into debt when it’s not enough!”

“Both of you be quiet. I want to bet next semester’s stable cleaning. Whoever loses does all the stable cleaning.”

“Hah. That was the proposal I wanted to make too.”

‘Ugh. These corrupt bastards.’

Gainando looked at his friends with disapproving eyes.

The guys who had once enjoyed games purely even while cold and hungry in their first year were growing more corrupt now that they had gained some comfort.

“What are you doing, Prince? Hurry up and draw.”

“Hmph. I’m drawing.”

But he had no choice.

Mage Cards could not be played alone. Even if his friends were corrupt, he had to compromise if he wanted opponents.

“Gainando. Play with me next.”

“After that, me. Let’s bet Wardanaz’s snacks for next semester in advance. I like cream puffs.”

“...Hey. You’re not thinking you can definitely win, are you?”

When Gainando glared, his friends averted their eyes.

Unlike in regular Mage Cards, Gainando’s popularity in Mage Cards with stakes was absolute.

Gainando’s deck, which removed every low-cost card and included only high-cost cards to suit his taste, was far too easy to exploit.

“Wh-what are you talking about, Gainando?”

“Hmph. This time will be different.”

“...Hey. It’s not that weird curse deck, is it? If it is, I’m not playing.”

“It’s not! And that’s a strategy too!”

“O-okay. But it’s just unpleasant...”

Angered by their prejudice against dark magic curse decks, Gainando laid out his cards.

Three minutes later.

Surprisingly, Gainando seized the advantage and pressed the attack.

“?!?!”

“!!!”

“Prince, you...”

“Isn’t that a fake Gainando?!”

His friends were shocked at the sight of the cheap, efficient Mage Cards 【Rakshasa Hungry Ghost】 and 【Valdrogard Mage】 laid out on the floor.

Ugly cards Gainando would never have used!

Caught off guard, his opponent was beaten soundly.

“Gainando, how did you...?!”

“I changed my way of thinking. From now on, I’ll pursue victory alone!”

The humiliation he had suffered from the Skull Principal had lit a fire in Gainando’s heart.

Of course, that was one thing, and the Blue Dragon Tower students were simply bewildered.

My snacks!

“This is bad. I thought I’d definitely win.”

“Well, it was about time Gainando changed his strategy.”

Unlike the students talking behind him, his direct opponent, who had stakes on the line, felt a different kind of pressure.

He tried to shake Gainando somehow in order to escape the situation.

“Gainando! Are you really going to use cards like Valdrogard Mage? That’s not the real you!”

“Wow. How sordid.”

“Who would fall for tactics like that?”

“Everyone shut up! Are you going to do the work for me?!”

Just then, a magically amplified shout echoed from outside through the entire manor.

—Anyone who wants to see Professor Verdus crawling on all fours!!

“...!!!”

The students looked at one another in shock.

That was Wardanaz’s voice.

“Fi-finally...!”

“Wardanaz has finally attacked Professor Verdus! I knew this would happen!”

“Let’s go!”

Without anyone taking the lead, the students opened the window and jumped out. Even the opponent who had been on the verge of defeat glanced around, then hurriedly ran off.

“Hey!”

At that cowardly escape, Gainando immediately swung his staff and gave chase.

Thud!

As he landed lightly in the courtyard, he felt familiar faces staring at him from ahead.

They were Lee Han, Alshicle Pengerine, and the penguin beastkin mages of Alhild’s family.

“L-Lee Han! Is the magic all finished?”

“Why are all of you jumping out of that wall together?”

“That’s... We were... practicing magic to create windows in walls...”

“Hey. Everyone who jumped out of the wall, go stand over there.”

Lee Han commanded them in a cold voice. The White Tiger Tower students who arrived late assessed the situation and laughed in satisfaction.

“Stupid idiots. We did everything we had to do before playing.”

“To think they’d be so foolish!”

“...?”

Alhild tilted his head.

To be so triumphant about doing everything first and then playing...

Were all White Tiger Tower upperclassmen like this?

Noticing the first-year student’s puzzlement, Giselle furiously kicked her friends in the shins and calves.

Have some shame!

“Is everyone gathered?”

“Wardanaz. Where’s Professor Verdus?”

“We have to go meet him now.”

“Didn’t you attack and kidnap him?”

“...No, that’s not it.”

His friends looked slightly disappointed.

They had wanted to see Professor Verdus hanging upside down and crying again.

‘These bastards. What were they expecting?’

Lee Han explained what had happened to clear up his friends’ misunderstanding.

Professor Verdus had carelessly made a bet, and Lee Han had completed the magic...

“...The professor happened to say he was coming up to the capital, so I’m going to meet him. Don’t get any strange ideas.”

‘But in the end, you’re going to find him and make him crawl on all fours, so is there really any misunderstanding?’

Yonair thought to herself.

Honestly, it did not seem like there was much difference.

“Can I ask a few things, Wardanaz?”

“Go ahead.”

“Why is that senior acting like that?”

Salco pointed to Yukbeltire behind them.

Yukbeltire was standing dejectedly, like someone whose soul had half left her body.

“She’s tired from casting magic. Next.”

“Why is Professor Bagreg coming along? Is Professor Bagreg going to subdue Professor Verdus?”

“No. The professor is just coming along as a guide.”

The actual reason Professor Voladi Bagreg was moving with them was because of the worshippers of evil gods.

Since various unsettling incidents involving worshippers of evil gods had happened recently, Professor Voladi Bagreg was accompanying them as an escort.

But to the students who did not know this, it simply looked like Professor Voladi Bagreg had come along because the professor wanted to beat up Professor Verdus.

“Shh. Let’s not ask unnecessarily.”

“Right. I think I understand the professor’s feelings.”

The students nodded with considerate expressions.

Given the professor’s position, how could Professor Voladi Bagreg openly say that the professor wanted to punch a colleague?

“Um, Senior. Could I ask just one thing too?”

The final question came from Alhild. Lee Han nodded.

“Go ahead.”

“...Why is Sir Alshicle standing over there?”

Alshicle was positioned as far away from Professor Voladi Bagreg as possible, with the students placed between them.

It was clearly a strange position to take.

“I... Don’t worry about me.”

“Right. Don’t worry about Sir Alshicle. Sir Alshicle must be sensitive to heat.”

“...”

Alhild was confused.

The thoughts of Einroguard upperclassmen seemed too complex and difficult for Alhild, who was only a first-year.

***

—Check ahead.

—Yes.

The Death Knights rode their skeletal horses and checked behind the hill beside the road.

—No ambush.

—What about underground?

—Nothing underground either.

“I told you it’s fine!”

Professor Verdus grumbled from inside the carriage.

He wanted to reach the capital quickly and finish his business, but these Death Knights were handling everything far too slowly.

—Professor Verdus. Please be quiet.

“It’s because you’re all too slow.”

At the beaver beastkin’s words, the knights’ blue eye-flames flared.

Someone’s gauntlet twitched and moved toward a sword hilt.

If not for the Skull Principal’s order to escort him properly, they would have buried him beneath that hill long ago!

—How much farther?

—We’ll arrive in half a day.

—I’d rather fight an evil dragon.

—I agree.

The escort mission for Professor Verdus was so dreadful that even the Death Knights, who had been through every kind of hardship, did not want to take it.

The assassins targeting the bounty on the professor’s head were one thing, but Professor Verdus, the target they had to protect, exhausted the guards in his own way.

He kept grumbling that they were slow when checking the surroundings, even though he had many enemies...

If these knights had possessed hot-blooded flesh, bloodshed would already have occurred several times over.

—Professor. Please remember. You must never come out of the carriage. Once we enter the capital, handle your business efficiently and leave.

“I know. I don’t want to wander around either.”

Their mutual desire to finish as quickly as possible and return was aligned.

Professor Verdus had come to the capital to meet several outstanding mages from the enchantment magic school.

Normally, he would have handled it by letter or invited them to Einroguard, but he could not do that every time. In the end, Professor Verdus, who needed their help, had no choice but to leave his territory.

—The information did not leak, did it?

—They are not the type of mages to do that. ...Probably.

The knights prayed that the other mages had not sold information about Professor Verdus.

In truth, even if they had sold it, it would not have been surprising at all.

—Aren’t those Einroguard students over there?

—What? What are you... No, they really are?!

The knights driving the carriage were startled by the sight of a group of students gathered in the distance.

The way they stood on both sides of the road made it look as though they were waiting for someone.

—The students aren’t planning to attack, are they?

—Hmm. That is quite possible.

It would not be strange at all for skilled Einroguard students to take advantage of vacation to attack a professor outside the academy.

—Still, everyone stay calm. They might not know Professor Verdus is here.

“Is Professor Verdus inside by any chance?”

—...

The knights were flustered.

Was this a leading question?

But even taking that into account, immediately suspecting Professor Verdus meant the information had...

—Professor Verdus. Who else knows you are coming up to the capital?

“Huh? Uh... No one should know? Except Gonadaltes?”

—...What about your fellow school disciples?

At the Death Knight’s question, Professor Verdus fell deep into thought.

He had written his travel schedule in his workshop, and he often had his school disciples handle tasks...

“Ah! They might know.”

—Hold it, hold back!

When a knight with relatively weak patience tried to charge forward, the other knights quickly stopped him.

—Still, that is fortunate. If they are fellow school disciples, this will not be an assassination, right?

—I wonder about that...

In any case, after finishing their discussion, the knights answered the students.

—He is here. What brings you mages here?

“We came because of a bet we made with Professor Verdus.”

—What kind of bet...?

“We completed a magic that the professor said was absolutely impossible. The professor said he would crawl on all fours.”

“Say I’m not here!!”

Professor Verdus quickly whispered. The knights looked at the beaver beastkin mage in disbelief.