Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Gonadaltes: How did you know?

“...”

Ilendil inwardly thought this was insane.

How many idle dragons could there possibly be, coming all the way to the Empire just to tour Einroguard?

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Just... intuition...

Gonadaltes: Oh. As expected of you, Senior.

There can’t be many compliments in the world as unpleasant as this one.

Even at the junior’s praise, Ilendil made a displeased expression.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: So basically, he’s coming to see you?

Gonadaltes: What kind of ridiculous slander is that? Of course, I am a dragon’s contractor. But Prince Jowurin is coming to see Einroguard’s famous scenic spots. You must not misunderstand this point.

Lee Han denied it firmly.

If he got entangled in this the wrong way, all future dragon visits might end up being blamed on him.

Prince Wuman’s visit was because of the Skull Principal, and Prince Jowurin’s visit might have had a tiny bit to do with Lee Han, but strictly speaking, all of Einroguard should share the responsibility.

After all, Prince Jowurin was coming to play because Einroguard looked fun.

I’m absolutely not at fault in this matter. I’m an innocent victim.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Contract?

Oops.

Lee Han realized his mistake.

Lately, he had forgotten because faculty members kept appearing around him, but the fact that Lee Han had been recognized by a dragon and even formed a contract was classified information. It was not as widely known as one might assume.

Only a few bureaucrats and family heads knew...

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: You were chosen by a dragon?!

Gonadaltes: If this leaks even a little, I’ll write every alias Senior has used and everything Senior said under those aliases on every bulletin board in Einroguard.

“...”

Though the junior could not see it, Ilendil’s face turned pale.

Wasn’t that... wasn’t that too much?!

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Y-you’re the one who said it, junior...

Gonadaltes: Hmph. Keep your mouth shut.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: I absolutely won’t say anything. I won’t...

Gonadaltes: More importantly, will the school change a lot when the dragon inspector arrives?

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: It will.

As a fourth-year, Ilendil had seen an inspector come to Einroguard a few years ago.

Of course, that inspector had not been a dragon, but an ordinary imperial bureaucrat elf. Even so, it had been enough to shake the school.

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: Right. There was an incident where all the students who had been caught trying to escape and sent to the punishment cells were released. When everyone saw that, they all tried to escape.

Gonadaltes: Oh.

Lee Han’s eyes lit up.

Such excellent advice?

Beaver-Penguin-Fox: And after the inspector left, they were all dragged back to the punishment cells...

Gonadaltes: ...

Not very helpful.

-Are you there?

The butler called to Lee Han from outside.

Lee Han had been resting alone in the reception room under the excuse of taking a break, but when it dragged on longer than expected, the butler came looking out of concern.

-Should I call someone?

“Ah. No. I’ve fully recovered.”

Lee Han closed the book and stood up.

He had not needed to recover in the first place.

The Young Prince had handled all the difficult parts, and the battle that had occurred in the middle had only consumed mana.

Should I have pretended to struggle a bit more?

He could have left right away, but the reason he had waited like this was to receive a reward as a matter of courtesy.

Etiquette among nobles was a kind of rule. In many situations, the proper way to behave was already predetermined.

In a case like this, where a guest visiting a mansion had provided help, it was proper to offer thanks in return.

If Lee Han simply left, rumors that he was an impolite person would spread perfectly.

The problem was that Lee Han did not particularly want to receive anything.

He had come to someone else’s mansion and even dug up ancient artifacts. If he received gifts on top of that, even an Einroguard student would feel a prick of conscience.

I didn’t even struggle, but receiving a reward still makes my conscience ache a little...

Lee Han looked around.

He wondered if there was something related to magic that he could teach Irendy.

Tsk. I should have studied harder normally.

If he were a real upperclassman, he would have skillfully imparted magical teachings!

“Thank you so much for today. Please accept this as thanks!”

Irendy held out a scroll carefully preserved in a wooden box. At the sight, Lee Han felt slightly relieved.

If it’s a magic scroll, it shouldn’t be that expensive.

Of course, magic scrolls could become as expensive as one wanted depending on what was inside them, but judging by the scroll’s paper, it was white flower paper. It was not paper that could contain very powerful magic.

Lee Han was carefully examining the rolled-up scroll when he suddenly noticed something strange.

What? I can’t feel any mana.

If it were a magic scroll, no matter how well sealed, faint mana should still be detectable.

But from the scroll Irendy had given him as a gift, Lee Han could not feel any mana at all.

Could it be a magic scroll so well made that it could fool even Lee Han’s senses?

“What kind of magic scroll is this?”

“Huh? It isn’t a magic scroll, though?”

“Haha. As expected of Mr. Wardanaz. Your interest in magic never stops.”

Irendy and the butler began to laugh. Naturally, Lee Han could not laugh.

Then what is it?

“If it isn’t a magic scroll, what is it?”

Instead of answering, the butler directly unrolled the scroll.

...to the owner of this certificate, ownership of Oak Ranch in Ilyainas City, western Empire...

“???”

Lee Han froze as if struck by a petrification curse.

Then, belatedly, he stammered back.

“Was it perhaps... a land deed?”

“Strictly speaking, it is a document proving rights to the ranch and the nearby land. It is one of the documents we recently purchased, and we thought it would make a good gift for Mr. Wardanaz...”

The butler explained with a smile.

Even the butler thought this gift, chosen by Irendy, was a very dignified present.

It was neither too expensive nor too materialistic, and it even carried the symbolism of a beautiful ranch.

If it had been documents for a mine or a manufacturing workshop, it would have looked slightly greedy.

Thud!

Lee Han staggered and bumped into the chair beside him. The two were startled.

“Are you all right?!”

“I-I’m fine. It’s an aftereffect from the earlier battle.”

“As expected...! I’ll call someone!”

“No. Really. Truly. I’m fine.”

***

The Skull Principal, who had been holding a meeting while occupying his disciple’s mansion without permission, witnessed that same disciple returning from outside.

-Sigh.

“?”

-Hah.

“???”

The boy, who usually did not change his expression and stayed steady even when Professor Verdus tormented him, was staring only at the ground and letting out a deep sigh every three seconds.

The Skull Principal called Professor Garcia.

“Professor Garcia.”

“Ah. Yes.”

Professor Garcia quickly stopped the summoned creature being controlled remotely and looked up.

Professor Garcia had been operating an artifact through a summoned creature in a private room at Einroguard.

“Do you see that Wardanaz boy?”

“Yes. He’s sighing every three seconds.”

“What do you think made him act like that?”

“Doesn’t everyone get depressed when a new semester starts?”

“That boy is an exception. He’s the type to be happy because he can learn magic again.”

“Even so, that’s... Hmm. You may be right, Principal.”

Professor Garcia, who had been about to argue, hesitated.

Just as Professor Garcia personally enjoyed the start of the semester, there was a possibility that the disciple would as well.

“Could it be because a new inspector is coming?”

“Smart boy. He already knows outsiders should not enter Einroguard.”

The Skull Principal nodded in satisfaction.

Some of the idiotic second-years at the villa had strange expectations about the inspector, but that was a grave mistake.

“Maybe he feels burdened by Prince Jowurin’s visit.”

“...Do not tell His Majesty that.”

The Skull Principal made the request seriously.

It would not matter if Wuman’s feelings were hurt, but Jowurin was still very young.

If Jowurin heard such words, the young prince might burst into tears.

“Just in case, go ask him. Professor Garcia. If it’s because of Prince Jowurin, tell him to put on a smiling face.”

Is that really something one can just do...?

Professor Garcia tilted their head and stood up.

Regardless of the Skull Principal’s order, Professor Garcia was curious about what was wrong. Why was the disciple sighing so deeply?

-So...

-Yes. I really regret...

-No. Student Lee Han did well...

Professor Garcia walked over to the disciple, exchanged a few words, then nodded and returned. The Skull Principal asked curiously.

“So, what was the reason?”

“A generous noble gave him land documents as a gift, but he refused because it felt too burdensome.”

“That stupid fool! What on earth has he been learning at Einroguard?”

The Skull Principal scolded sharply, disappointed.

Of all students, he could not believe Wardanaz would make such a mistake.

“Student Lee Han was just saying he regrets it and should have accepted, even if it was land near Valdrogard.”

“I take back what I just said. That boy has spirit after all. There is no reason to accept land like that.”

“...You aren’t worried that Student Lee Han might transfer to Valdrogard, are you?”

“How could that be possible, Professor Garcia?”

“I thought so.”

Professor Garcia felt slightly relieved. It seemed that it had been a misunderstanding after all.

There is absolutely no reason for Student Lee Han to go to Valdrogard.

“Though I am a little worried he might escape and hide.”

“...”

While Professor Garcia stood there dumbfounded, the Skull Principal called Lee Han over.

Lee Han, who had been sighing deeply, approached with a gloomy and depressed aura around him.

“What is it...”

“Brighten up. If you want it that badly, you can just take it by force later.”

“Yes...”

His disciple had been affected more severely than expected.

The Skull Principal wondered whether he should hit him once to bring him back to normal as he spoke.

“The new semester will begin soon, and I have a mission for you.”

“?”

Lee Han looked up at the Skull Principal.

A mission when the new semester was about to begin?

“Am I returning to school late again?”

“Late? Anyone listening would misunderstand. Come out.”

At the Skull Principal’s command, an adventurer carefully appeared.

It was Ibinta, the leader of the thieves who had been building an underground fortress not far from the capital. Lee Han recognized him as well.

“You know him, don’t you? Tin Pot Ibinta.”

“Ir-Iron Cloak...”

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s Tin Pot...”

Though he was a fierce and intimidating thief leader, in front of the ancient archmage, he was nothing more than a mouse before a tiger.

Ibinta could not even correct the nickname and quietly shut his mouth.

“Yes. I remember him, but why is this person...”

“You’ll be using him as a servant during this semester.”

“???”

Lee Han fell into even deeper confusion at the Skull Principal’s words, which seemed to skip several steps.

Use him as a servant?

“Should I kill him and summon him as undead?”

“...”

“...Didn’t you attend the magical ethics education lecture? I’m sure you did. Anyway, that isn’t what I mean. It isn’t about using him as a servant inside the school either. I mean when you go outside.”

Leaving the trembling Ibinta aside, the Skull Principal continued the explanation.

Obviously, during the second semester, this disciple would frequently go outside for requests.

“That isn’t confirmed yet. I might only take requests inside—”

“Be quiet. Don’t say such nonsense.”

The Skull Principal ignored him.

Students who stood out at Einroguard began receiving direct requests by their third year, but the boy from House Wardanaz was an even more exceptional case.

Judging by the letters the Skull Principal had received so far, there was no way he would remain only inside the school.

“You still remember the story about those worshippers of evil gods connected to Professor Voladi, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I said they wouldn’t act rashly, but I can’t trust that completely. You need to keep proper watch.”

“You could trust the professor a bit more...”

“I do trust Professor Voladi. If I didn’t, I would have locked Professor Voladi in the punishment cells.”

While saying something that did not sound like trust at all, the Skull Principal pointed at Tin Pot—no, Iron Cloak Ibinta.

“This man knows quite a bit about thieves and mercenaries, and has wide connections. He may notice suspicious people first, and you can make him do various odd jobs. If you think they resemble those worshippers of evil gods, contact me immediately.”

In other words, Lee Han was to take him along as a kind of servant and watcher.

There was one part Lee Han did not understand, so he asked.

“But Principal. Setting the capital aside, requests will take us all over the Empire, so isn’t the probability of meeting those worshippers of evil gods too low? Do you think they’ll approach Professor Bagreg after all?”

“Who knows?”

“?”

Lee Han was puzzled by the Skull Principal’s answer.

Then why prepare this much?

“I don’t know about that, but I have a feeling you’ll somehow encounter them. You’re the type who attracts bad luck in situations like this.”