Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

What?!’

Bartrek nearly jumped at the sight of his friend exploding out of his sleeping bag like lightning.

There hadn’t even been any preparatory movement.

He had simply launched himself upward like an arrow released from a bow.

It wasn’t unusual for Wardanaz to overpower children from knight families in close combat despite being born into a mage family, but this was on an entirely different level.

Even competent knights would struggle to imitate movement like that.

It required perfect control over the mana flowing through the entire body—

“Everyone, get up!”

Lee Han shouted at the upperclassmen and friends collapsed all over the room.

Now was not the time to be sprawled across blankets and sleeping bags just because they were tired.

Unfortunately, the Healing Magic School students had already reached the stage where they’d decided never to get up again no matter what happened.

Even if Einroguard exploded before the break ended, they were staying down.

Only Angrago, who had not yet reached that level of enlightenment, struggled upright from the other side and demanded,

“What is it?! Why are you yelling?!”

“Can’t you see we have a guest, Angrago?!”

“?”

Still half-asleep, Angrago rubbed his eyes and looked toward the figure standing in front of Lee Han.

“Who is it?”

“!”

Only then did Lee Han realize his friends had never seen the Skull Principal’s human form before.

Ordinary students rarely had the chance.

At most, they might glimpse him once or twice, and the insane duplicate carried himself differently and wore different clothing.

“This person is… well… um… Master, how should I introduce you?”

“Do not waste time introducing royalty to such lowly creatures.”

What kind of ridiculous nonsense is that?!

Angrago cursed internally.

The only reason he didn’t say it out loud was because he was too exhausted.

Unfortunately assigned to a different section from his friends—specifically from Lee Han—he had endured the entire exam without receiving any help.

The moment he closed his eyes, he felt like he would die instantly.

Let’s… think about this… later…

With that final thought, Angrago collapsed back into deep sleep.

Lee Han stared at him in disbelief.

Why did he fall asleep in the middle of the conversation?

“Anyway… why are you here?”

Lee Han focused on the more important issue.

The insane duplicate personally visiting was extremely unusual.

Especially after promising not to appear again on his own.

Surely he’s not planning to ignore promises now just because he regained his sanity once.

Claiming that the current self and past self were technically different people so promises no longer counted—that was the sort of nonsense only Gainando would pull.

Lee Han trusted the insane duplicate more than that.

“I came to reward your contributions with instruction.”

“Like earlier, when you explained that the curse used triple transformation magic?”

The insane duplicate let out a faint sigh at his disciple using such a trivial example.

“That was merely a trick, not instruction.”

“It was extremely helpful instruction though…”

“Silence.”

Lee Han obediently shut his mouth.

Even though the insane duplicate had regained his senses, Lee Han still had no idea how stable he actually was.

If he provoked him too much, there was a genuine possibility he’d get attacked.

“You have learned how to use Yeongnak properly?”

“I’m not sure about properly, but… somewhat.”

“Can you see it?”

The insane duplicate pointed upward with a single finger.

Ordinary mages wouldn’t see anything without casting detection magic first, but Lee Han could clearly see the soul floating near the ceiling.

“Yes.”

“Move it.”

I want to sleep.

Complaining inwardly, Lee Han concentrated.

The soul controlled by the insane duplicate slowly drifted sideways.

Since he had already experienced this once before, it wasn’t especially difficult.

The insane duplicate stared silently at his disciple for a long moment before speaking again.

“I never told you not to use your staff.”

“Ah. Was I supposed to move it with magic? What kind of spell should I—”

“Forget it. Continue.”

Manipulating it through will alone was a far more advanced realm than using magic.

The insane duplicate was honestly satisfied with the level his disciple had demonstrated.

It was enough to overlook the disrespectful act of cutting off contact with his master earlier.

“That’s enough.”

“Acceptable. You now possess the minimum qualifications necessary to learn secrets related to souls.”

“Can’t I wait until my qualifications become more abundant first?”

The insane duplicate ignored the nonsense completely.

“Magic involving souls is—”

“Break time’s over! Break time’s over! Break time’s over!”

Students all around them shot upright like undead and sprinted toward the stairs.

And naturally, Lee Han joined them.

“I’m sorry, Master. Let me finish the exam first.”

“…”

The insane duplicate stood there silently for a moment before following after him.

The upper floor had already become chaotic again.

Apparently, the break had ended almost immediately.

-Bak! Bring the potion!

-Yes! Yes!

-These lunatics! Anyone who rides a flying mount without a helmet deserves to be locked in the punishment cells!

-Senior! We’ve run out of ectoplasm bones! Can we substitute undead bones instead?!

The insane duplicate casually raised one hand.

It was a slow, ordinary movement without anything particularly impressive about it.

But the moment the motion ended, all the illnesses plaguing the surrounding patients gathered together in one place.

Pop!

It happened so quietly and suddenly that nobody even understood what had occurred at first.

“Wh-what just happened, mage sir?”

“My body suddenly feels lighter…?”

The Healing Magic School students reacted first.

The conditions they had been monitoring moments earlier had vanished instantly.

“There’s nothing there!”

“How is that possible?!”

“The disease disappeared!”

“I literally just said that!”

“No, idiot! Not the disease—the junior! That idiot vanished!”

Only after someone shouted did the students realize Lee Han was currently being dragged away.

“Wardanaz! What are you doing?!”

“Cough— it’s a long story. This is the Principal’s projection…”

Lee Han desperately tried explaining so his exam evaluation wouldn’t suffer.

All while being dragged away.

After hearing the explanation, the upperclassmen reacted in an entirely unexpected direction.

“Junior! Can’t you bring him more often?”

“He’s way better than the actual Principal!”

“…”

Watching the upperclassmen react like that while their junior was literally being abducted, Lee Han felt despair.

What was the point of Einroguard teaching magic so effectively?

Humanity was clearly being destroyed in the process.

Einroguard’s education system needs reform.

“Professor! Please don’t misunderstand!”

“I wasn’t misunderstanding anything in particular.”

Professor Alcasis answered with his usual exhausted expression.

The dark elf professor calmly inspected patients as though it didn’t matter whether his disciple was currently being kidnapped or not.

“Oh, right.”

“?”

“If you bring the Principal’s projection to the finals too, I’ll give you perfect marks again.”

“…”

Speechless from sheer absurdity, Lee Han disappeared down the stairs.

***

“It’s been an unbelievably exhausting week.”

Back in the common room, Lee Han tucked the baby basilisk into his sleeve and explained everything that had happened.

Having returned to its proper nest, the baby basilisk wrapped itself around his arm tightly enough to cut off circulation.

-That’s right! It must’ve been incredibly difficult fighting ancient evil demons!

“I wasn’t talking about that. I meant the lecture afterward.”

Honestly, being forced to sit through an endless explanation from the insane duplicate about which magic he should learn next had been far more exhausting than traveling into the ancient past and confronting evil beings.

-…

The baby basilisk privately concluded that its master’s priorities were completely warped, but wisely kept silent.

It had only just regained its nest and didn’t want to be thrown out again.

-Isn’t Her Majesty coming anymore?

The baby basilisk hissed sadly.

Lee Han smiled slightly.

The two had constantly bickered while Jowrin was here, yet now it seemed lonely after her departure.

“I’ll visit her later anyway, so don’t be too depressed.”

-No. Her Majesty promised me the pie released today. I gave her my previous pie first…

“…”

Lee Han pretended not to hear that part.

I should tell Eandurde too.

As Lee Han headed into the lower common room, he spotted a junior nervously looking around.

“Eandurde!”

“!!!”

The startled junior nearly jumped into the air.

Then Eandurde stared at Lee Han with an expression filled with panic and guilt.

What’s with that reaction?

It was the exact same expression Lee Han’s Blue Dragon Tower friends made whenever they got caught stealing snacks from the pantry.

“Eandurde. Were you looking for food? I would’ve shared if you asked.”

“…No!”

Eandurde practically jumped again.

Unlike the baby basilisk or Jowrin, Eandurde wasn’t particularly obsessed with food.

“Then what is it? Ah. I see.”

“!!!!”

“It’s about the exams. You failed, didn’t you? Don’t worry, I won’t tell Yonair—”

Eandurde violently shook his head.

Failing despite not even being stupid?

“Where is Her Majesty…?”

“Ah. Jowrin already went back.”

“?!!!!”

Lee Han explained the situation again.

Possibly because Jowrin’s schemes had exceeded even the furthest limits of imagination, Eandurde still looked utterly confused afterward.

“I understand. No one could’ve predicted that.”

“Uh… well… I…”

Eandurde wanted to ask whether he was still considered a suspect in the dragon stone incident, but hesitated cautiously.

After Jowrin and the baby basilisk had been thrown out, Eandurde realized his own involvement had likely been discovered and fled in panic.

But judging by his senior’s current attitude, Lee Han didn’t seem suspicious at all.

…Maybe I actually wasn’t caught?

“Did Her Majesty not say anything??”

“Hm? She left in a hurry.”

“…”

Only then did Eandurde realize Jowrin had protected his secret.

To show that kind of loyalty in cold-hearted Einroguard—

No.

This wasn’t loyalty.

It was friendship.

Crunch—

Seeing Eandurde clench his fist tightly, Lee Han nodded sympathetically.

“I understand, Eandurde.”

“That’s not—”

“You got tricked with food too, just like the ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) baby basilisk. Don’t worry. I’ll take better care of you from now on.”

“…No!”

For the first time ever, Eandurde became genuinely angry at his senior.

He was trying to say that he had finally started thinking of Jowrin as a friend!

After hearing the explanation, Lee Han became deeply embarrassed.

“It’s your fault.”

He whispered quietly enough that only the baby basilisk could hear.

Because of the baby basilisk, he had completely misunderstood the touching moment.

-That’s unfair…!

After getting its pie stolen and then being blamed for something unrelated, the baby basilisk felt profoundly wronged.

And this happened immediately after Jowrin left.

“Still, this turned out well. You two becoming friends is a good thing. Having friends matters.”

“Friends…”

“That’s right. Friends.”

“But I don’t want to prepare meals for Her Majesty every single time.”

“…Ah. No. You don’t have to do that. Who told you something like that?”

Halfway through speaking, Lee Han realized Eandurde was staring directly at him.

Horror washed over him.

Was it me?!

“I get paid for it!”

“I heard it was basically pocket money…”

“What nonsense. Absolutely not.”

Realizing Eandurde had developed bizarre misunderstandings, Lee Han corrected him firmly.

The junior was inexperienced and prone to misunderstanding strange things.

“If anyone says nonsense like that again, make sure you deny it clearly. Understood?”

“Yes…”

“Good. Now hand over your exam paper.”

“…!”

At those utterly direct words, Eandurde’s face froze solid.

Lee Han had promised not to tell Yonair if he failed.

He had never promised not to check the grades himself.