Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

What Lee Han liked was an upperclassman who had lots of gold and knew how to shower it on juniors, not an upperclassman who tried to exploit them for free.

How could someone become an Einroguard upperclassman and commit such shameless, heinous acts?

“Ah, no. Wardanaz. Jarun has always been obsessed with gold. Jarun was always like this.”

When Lee Han glared coldly at Jarun, Hormasi panicked and defended Jarun instead.

There was a reason Jarun was said to have the greatest talent for making money, and it was not simply because Jarun constantly mined during every spare moment.

By that logic, there were several other students conducting magical research that could bring in enormous income.

What made Jarun special was a thorough spirit of frugality that no one else could dare imitate.

Jarun would not waste a single copper.

-Jarun. The <Soup Club> menu is good today. You should go eat too.

-I don’t need it.

-Why? It’s noodles loaded with snake meat for one Imperial gold. When do you think you’ll get a chance like this again? Would you rather pay one Imperial gold for stone bread stuffed with salted meat?

-Hmph. If I don’t buy anything at all, it won’t cost even one Imperial gold.

Jarun’s legendary anecdotes did not end there.

-Jarun. Stop being stubborn and buy the reagents! If you don’t pay for them, you won’t finish this semester!

-I’d rather go to the punishment cells than spend money on that!

Refusing to buy reagents, refusing to move a wand for fear of wearing it down, hanging gold accessories in the air to admire them instead of wearing them…

These were all extraordinary incidents that any student in the transformation magic school knew about.

As Hormasi spoke, the voice grew louder, as if a sense of injustice was rising.

“Do you know what it was like when I came to pick Jarun up last time? The chair was gone. The chair! When I asked, that damn upperclassman had removed it! Because it would wear out if I sat on it!”

“Hmph. Do you think chairs are free?”

Jarun grumbled.

Even now, Jarun felt sorry for the chair that had been worn down by Hormasi sitting on it.

So that’s why there are no chairs.

Lee Han finally understood why there were no chairs in this workshop.

“Hormasi. I understand very well that Jarun is frugal.”

“Hey. This isn’t frugality. It’s insanity.”

Lee Han pretended not to hear and said what he wanted to say.

“But that’s that, and this is this. I’ve always received payment for the work I’ve done. Even from Professor Verdus.”

“…!”

Hormasi was shocked.

Hormasi knew this junior had a genius talent for magic, but to think he had even extracted payment from Professor Verdus.

Amazing! How?

Even for Hormasi, who belonged to a different school from Professor Verdus, it was an interesting story. Hormasi wanted to see how he had done it.

“Th-that’s impressive… but as I said, Jarun won’t bleed a single drop even if you stab Jarun. Jarun would use transformation magic to put all the blood back, because blood is precious.”

Hormasi had actually stabbed Jarun with a needle before. It was not just a metaphor.

Hormasi had attacked Jarun together with other students from the transformation magic school.

Even in that chaotic situation, Jarun had felt sorry for every drop of blood and stubbornly collected it with transformation magic before fleeing.

If Jarun was that kind of person, surely…

“Jarun will just reject your proposal.”

“Grrrrgh.”

“?!”

Hormasi was startled by the groan that came from behind.

“Grrrrrgh…”

Jarun was groaning with an expression of agony, as if afflicted by a serious illness.

“What’s wrong, Jarun? That’s why I told you not to skimp on food! The <Soup Club> food has been good lately!”

“I’m not hungry, you fool! I’m in pain!”

“Of course you’re in pain if you don’t eat!”

“My heart is in pain!”

Jarun growled angrily.

It was because of Lee Han’s cruel and outrageous proposal, which dared to demand payment in gold coins.

The proposal itself was painful, but the reality that it could not be refused was even more bitter.

To proceed with the current research, Jarun needed a competent assistant.

The progress is too slow. I only started it today, but at this rate, completion will be impossible. I do need an assistant…

And the junior standing here really was a talent impossible to find just anywhere.

Not only had Lee Han perfectly mastered all the ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) required magic, he had even assisted with the production of <Dobrooke’s Soul Revival Potion> in an alchemy workshop.

Talent like that was hard to find anywhere. Especially when all the upperclassmen at Einroguard were busy with their own research.

If I think of it as an investment to proceed with the research? Ugh. That’s nonsense. How can I deceive myself with such a contradiction? But I need an assistant. Ugh. Urgh. Urrgh.

“Wardanaz. I think we should just leave. Jarun seems broken.”

“Understood. I’ll come back next time…”

“…Wait!”

Jarun stopped Lee Han in a desperate voice that sounded like metal scraping against metal.

“I’ll give you… payment…!”

“Was that really something to agonize over that much?”

The dark elf student shook Hormasi’s head in disbelief.

*****

The negotiation started at three and a half Imperial gold per hour, and every time the amount increased, it had to pause briefly because of Jarun’s desperate screams.

Nevertheless, Lee Han pushed the negotiation forward without changing expression.

No concessions!

I think I’ve grown too.

For the first time since entering second year, Lee Han felt that he had matured a little.

He had always been deceived by professors, but for the first time, he had pushed through his own claim.

“…Look at this.”

Jarun spoke in a hoarse voice after all the screaming.

The chest still ached, but that only made it more urgent to proceed quickly. Since gold coins were being paid, every minute and second was precious.

“My current research, this… <Gold Come Out Magic>…”

“…How about calling it Dimensional Transformation Gold Observation Collection Research?”

“Why?”

“Jarun. Listen to Lee Han on this one. I think that’s better too. With the current name, it’ll be ignored no matter where you submit it.”

Jarun grumbled a little, but changed the name of the research. Meanwhile, Lee Han and Hormasi, true to being students of the transformation magic school, carefully observed the research.

Then, unlike the fresh shock they had felt at first sight, the flaws in the research became visible.

“Isn’t the speed at which the connected dimensions transform getting slower and slower?”

“Right. Good observation. And the device supporting this… looks too weak. If you run it another hour or two, it’ll break.”

“To secure gold in any meaningful amount, you would need to increase the number of connected dimensions much more and increase the transformation speed to expand the collection scale.”

“But then can you handle the cost?”

“You both said it well.”

Jarun sighed.

“This <Dimensional Transformation Gold Observation Collection Research> is too slow, and the device consumption is severe. I only started it today, but it’ll stop soon. Now that I’ve checked the speed… I need to increase both stability and speed.”

“How will you increase them? Do you have a method?”

Hormasi, who had asked the question, clapped both hands as if something had occurred.

“Ah. Let’s change the supporting device here to <Paldar Luji’s Gold>. Then it would withstand the shock of dimensional transformation much better.”

“D-don’t say insane things!”

Jarun looked as if about to suffer a heart attack at Hormasi’s words.

<Paldar Luji’s Gold>.

Jarun could not even imagine how many of the gold coins piled up here would have to be spent to obtain that.

“Why? That’s gold too.”

“It’s a metaphor, you lunatic! How is that gold?!”

Hmm. I shouldn’t make jokes about gold in front of Jarun.

Lee Han thought to himself while watching the two argue.

After raging for a while, Jarun finally calmed down and opened up.

“I’ve been constantly thinking about this method because I need it. Until now, I’ve been going around Einroguard’s workshops and picking up scraps to recycle.”

“…”

Ah. This is really damn embarrassing.

Hormasi glanced at Lee Han while listening.

Even among all the schools in Einroguard, there probably was not one as shameful as this.

“But recycling scraps seems to have its limits after all. So I’m trying to create a few new materials.”

“Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse?”

Changing the properties of materials to create new substances was the specialty of transformation mages.

Armor made from flowing river water.

Books made from the air of hell.

Of course, such things were never easy.

Even changing properties temporarily was quite difficult, but finding stable properties that could be maintained permanently was much harder.

If one could find such properties and create new materials through stable transformation…

…Wouldn’t it be better to make that the graduation project instead?

“It isn’t easy. But I’ve set a few directions.”

Jarun’s Inelastic Rubber

Jarun’s Surface-Membrane Lava

Jarun’s…

“!”

Lee Han became interested when he saw the list of new materials Jarun was researching.

Jarun was studying more useful materials than expected.

Jarun’s Inelastic Rubber was a material that removed rubber’s elasticity while maximizing several other properties. Once touched, it would spread like a swamp and wrap around external materials.

How would it work if I used this for traps?

It was a trick that would confuse even fairly experienced mages if they encountered it for the first time.

“What you two need to do is keep experimenting in this direction, cast magic, and record the results.”

“Jarun. Sorry to ruin your expectations, but it’s not ‘you two.’ It’s just this junior.”

“…What you need to do. Happy now?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Lee Han accurately noted down Jarun’s words and nodded.

“I understand. I’ll proceed like this.”

“Good. Please…”

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK—

“?”

Jarun paused at the sound coming from outside.

“Who is it? Do you have another customer?”

“No. More importantly… I reactivated the magic after you two came in. Who could it be?”

“Someone seems to have come to steal your gold. Shall we teach them a lesson?”

“How dare they!”

Flames of greed sparked in Jarun’s eyes. Gripping the hammer-shaped staff, Jarun rushed angrily to the door.

CLICK!

“Come at me! You thief!”

“…”

Standing in front of the door was Professor Yonramo of House Luji, who was in charge of transformation magic.

The professor looked at Jarun and asked,

“What are you doing instead of giving the lecture?”

“…Uh, well, you see, Professor.”

Jarun’s eyes darted around, and Jarun quickly tried to close the door.

At that moment, Professor Yonramo’s cloak transformed into dozens of tentacles and swallowed Jarun whole.

GULP!

The professor let out a deep sigh.

“I wondered what you were doing instead of lecturing. I don’t understand why all students are like this. Don’t you two agree?”

“…Yes!”

“I agree, Professor!”

Lee Han and Hormasi answered quickly, afraid that the professor’s anger might turn toward them.

They were worried the professor might ask why they had not brought Jarun along and what they were doing here separately.

“But what were you two doing here?”

“Uh, I was helping with magic.”

“Hormasi was? That’s unexpected.”

“No, I was.”

“…”

Professor Yonramo stared intently at Lee Han.

The professor had definitely thought this boy from House Wardanaz was being pressured by the principal and several other professors because of innate talent, regardless of Lee Han’s own will…

Could it be that he just really likes magic?

A slight suspicion arose that this might actually be the case, even if Lee Han alone refused to acknowledge it.

Professor Yonramo shrugged and said,

“Then finish studying and come out. Today’s lecture will be canceled anyway.”

“Uh…”

Lee Han wanted to say, “My upperclassman disappeared, so the gold coins won’t come out. Shouldn’t you wake Jarun up?” But after seeing the professor’s cloak turn into tentacles just now, he could not bring himself to speak.