Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

While his senior raged against the world’s unfairness, Lee Han continued moving without stopping.

In fact, Princess Yukbeltire’s anger had long since disappeared from Lee Han’s mind.

There were several mages in Einroguard on Lee Han’s list of people to be wary of, and this senior of imperial blood was proudly included among them.

“Huh?! You’re already up and moving?!”

On the second floor of the Dark Tower, Senior Diret, who was performing embalming work in the morgue—Raphaedel was on the verge of tears beside the table—started in surprise upon seeing the junior enter the workshop.

Considering what had happened, it would not have been strange for him to rest for several more days…

“I’m fine now. I came to take my final exam first.”

“Really? Then I’ll have to ask Professor Mortum to handle the rest.”

Senior Diret finished placing the lungs into the jar and sealed it with magic.

For the past few days, Professor Mortum had been helping the Skull Principal readjust the magic around Einroguard’s territory and purify the wickedly corrupted mana flow.

Since it had been quite arduous labor, Professor Mortum was currently lying down and groaning.

But originally, Einroguard’s mages had to do what needed to be done even if they were groaning in pain.

If a disciple of the school had come out without resting, then the professor should naturally come out and work as well. Senior Diret was strict about such matters.

“Go call Professor Mortum.”

“Um, Senior. The professor… collapsed earlier, didn’t he?”

“Yes. But he’ll be fine if we give him a potion. Go get one from upstairs and pour it into his mouth.”

“…Yes!”

Raphaedel nodded with a face even more frightened than before.

It was hard to tell whether the fear came from the morgue or from the senior standing in front of him.

“Are you really all right?”

Senior Diret asked while going down the stairs with the junior to administer the final exam.

Although Senior Diret had not witnessed it directly, the situation had been grasped to some extent through various rumors and testimonies.

When the Principal, feeling threatened by a projection more popular than himself, finally decided to subjugate it, Lee Han, enraged by such an absurd act, joined the opposing side…

Having clashed with the Skull Principal, there was no way Lee Han could have come away unscathed. Even if he looked fine on the outside, his internal mana flow had to be badly twisted…

Huh. He’s fine.

Senior Diret was flustered after checking the junior’s mana flow with a triangular bone amulet.

He was genuinely fine. Far more than expected.

“Then cast , summon a skeleton golem, and for the rest… brew the poisons and potions on this list. You can do that, right?”

“!”

Lee Han was startled.

Not because the exam was difficult, but because it was easy. Wasn’t this simply a review of what they had learned during the semester?

“Senior. You don’t need to do this.”

“Huh? Do what?”

“You made it easy on purpose because I collapsed, didn’t you?”

Lee Han spoke firmly.

Of course, there was nothing wrong with an easy exam, but he did not want to trouble a respected senior because of his own greed.

Moreover, this was Senior Diret, not Princess Yukbeltire.

“Actually, Senior, I’m planning not to be so obsessed with exams from now on…”

“That’s not it.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said that’s not it.”

Senior Diret looked at the junior in bewilderment, unable to understand what he was talking about.

“The reason I made the exam like this is that you already covered all the material on your own this semester. There’s no need to go further, so this is just a check.”

“…Ah. I see.”

An awkward atmosphere flowed between the two.

Noticing the junior’s embarrassment, Senior Diret spoke kindly.

“Shall we begin the exam, then?”

“Yes!”

***

The exam did not even take ten minutes. Senior Diret recorded a perfect score and thought inwardly.

Didn’t he say he wouldn’t be obsessed with exams?

“Junior. It’s almost vacation. What are you going to do?”

“I think I’ll be traveling around the Empire with the Principal to ask for extensions on debt repayment.”

“…Uh, um…”

Faced with a plan so different from the expected answers, and so far beyond imagination, Senior Diret was left speechless.

Wait. Come to think of it, didn’t he promise to help Princess Yukbeltire’s research during vacation?

Thinking about it, Lee Han had definitely promised to help Princess Yukbeltire with artificial dimension research during vacation.

Senior Diret remembered it well because Princess Yukbeltire had talked about it until it made the ears hurt.

-This enneagonal pyramid part still isn’t finished. Should I help?

-No need. The House Wardanaz junior promised to participate during vacation, so I’ll assign it to him then.

-…Even if he has a lot of mana, using a junior like that is a bit… Then what about this overlapping magic circle?

-Ah. I’ll assign that to the House Wardanaz junior too when he comes. I left it empty because it consumes a great deal of mana.

-I hope his schedule changes and he doesn’t come… All right. Got it.

-What did you say?

-Nothing. Nothing at all.

But Senior Diret said nothing.

The junior was working for Einroguard for personal reasons. There was no way to hold him back.

This was something Princess Yukbeltire should yield on as a proper senior.

Flutter!

When a paper bird flew in through the window from outside, Senior Diret burned it irritably with black fire. Lee Han looked puzzled.

Do paper birds send annoying advertisements even inside Einroguard?

“Who sent it?”

“Princess Yukbeltire. I’m sure it was useless content, so I burned it. If it’s truly urgent, she’ll come find us herself.”

“Indeed. I think so too.”

Lee Han had already pushed the conversation about the Lesser World from before coming here out of his mind.

***

After finishing the exam and coming out of the Dark Tower, Lee Han suddenly fell into thought.

Even so, it seems too easy. Senior Diret wasn’t lying, was there?

Worried that Senior Diret might later suffer some disadvantage because of him, Lee Han felt uneasy even as he walked.

When Lee Han arrived at his destination and opened the door to the lecture hall, Professor Garcia shouted urgently.

“Student Lee Han, you came to take the exam? Just write your name on that blank paper over there and you can leave!”

“…”

Lee Han was shocked by this innovative exam format, one even Gainando could earn a perfect score on.

“Um, is… is this all right?”

“What is?”

Professor Garcia seemed too busy to even lift a head. Even while talking to Lee Han, Professor Garcia’s eyes and hands remained fixed on the magic spread out across the desk.

“I think the Principal will be angry.”

He could tell just by occasionally seeing Professor Verdus disappear into the punishment cells.

Einroguard professors had almost infinite freedom, but if they used that freedom carelessly in education or exams, they could incur the Skull Principal’s wrath.

“The Principal told me to do this, Student Lee Han! He said that if I taught everything I needed to teach during the semester, I shouldn’t waste time unnecessarily!”

“…!”

Those were words that would have moved Professor Verdus to tears if Professor Verdus had heard them.

Of course, if it had been Professor Verdus, such words would not have been spoken no matter how urgent the Skull Principal was.

At present, Professor Garcia was handling part of the cleanup after the fight between two archmages who had even deployed their Personal Worlds.

When a world created from a mage’s mental image invaded the existing world, it would have been stranger if there were no aftereffects.

Check for anomalous phenomena and dimensional rifts appearing throughout Einroguard territory, and prepare in advance before anything became serious.

And solve all of this as cheaply as possible!

Only those who could accomplish such seemingly impossible feats every year could be called Einroguard professors.

“Student Lee Han did more than enough during this semester. So it’s fine to let this slide!”

“Thank you, Professor.”

“Stay healthy during the break, Student Lee Han. Don’t overdo it!”

Professor Garcia still gave the farewell with the head bent over the desk. Then, suddenly remembering something, Professor Garcia asked.

“Oh, right. Do you have any plans for the break, Student Lee Han?”

“I think I’ll be going around with the Principal to persuade creditors.”

“I see. Take care of your… Wait, what did you just say?!”

Professor Garcia belatedly raised the head. The eyes were trembling greatly with shock.

But the disciple had already finished his greeting and left the lecture hall.

Professor Garcia wanted to chase after him, but because of the pile of magical work in front of the desk, there was no choice but to give up tearfully.

***

Wait. Then is Professor Bagreg busy too?

Come to think of it, if Professor Garcia was this busy, then it would not be strange for Professor Voladi Bagreg, who had participated directly in the subjugation of the insane duplicate, to be even busier.

Right now, Einroguard seemed to be in a situation where they were so short-handed that the Skull Principal had to deploy anyone trustworthy and capable of work.

“…!”

However, surprisingly, when Lee Han opened the door to the underground classroom, what appeared before his eyes was Professor Voladi’s usual indifferent figure.

Lee Han was amazed, then realized the reason.

Ah. I see.

Each mage originally had a different area of expertise.

Professor Mortum specialized in dark magic, Professor Garcia in space-time magic, Professor Verdus in the punishment cells…

And Professor Voladi was a magical combat specialist.

It was only natural that Professor Voladi would not be called in for cleanup like this, unlike during a combat situation.

“Professor. It’s all right. You already did the work of several people during the battle.”

“?”

Professor Voladi was slightly puzzled by the disciple suddenly saying something strange.

While wondering whether there were any aftereffects from using and being caught up in various high-level magic, Professor Voladi grew worried at the sight of the disciple suddenly speaking oddly.

“Are you feeling all right?”

“Yes. I’m fine. Thank you for worrying about me. And… for helping me last time too.”

Professor Voladi nodded as if it were nothing. Lee Han asked just in case.

“The Principal hasn’t given you any disadvantages since then, sent you to the punishment cells, or cut additional funding, has he?”

If so, the loaded anonymous tip might have to be fired again.

“There was no funding to begin with.”

“…”

“Since the number of school members has increased, some may be allocated starting next year.”

“…I’ll definitely work hard to secure some!”

Lee Han said it with his eyes stinging slightly.

He was skeptical about whether funding could really be received just because the number had increased from one person to two, but he was determined to obtain it somehow, even if that meant threatening the Skull Principal.

If he did not, Professor Voladi would be too pitiful.

Other professors, even Professor Mortum from the dark magic school, received funding…

Sob.

“?”

Professor Voladi tilted the head in confusion at the sight of the disciple covering his face and looking sad.

“Are you truly feeling all right?”

“Yes? Yes. I’m really fine. I took all the other exams too. Professor, please don’t feel too disappointed either. Funding aside, wouldn’t participating in cleanup be a loss for you, Professor?”

Though he felt sorry for Professor Garcia, Lee Han spoke to comfort Professor Voladi.

However, Professor Voladi gave an unexpected answer.

“I plan to participate in the cleanup after the exams are over.”

“?!”

Lee Han was even more surprised by the unexpected answer.

“Did the Principal call for you?!”

“Yes.”

“But why…?”

“I refused, saying I would not participate until the exams were over.”

Lee Han felt as if he could hear the Skull Principal’s curses ringing in his ears like hallucinations.

Unlike Professor Verdus’s shameless excuses, someone stubbornly insisting on focusing on lectures would have been harder for the Skull Principal to get angry at.

…Though the fact that it was a lecture for two disciples might have made it somewhat absurd…

No. Sincerity matters more than the number of disciples. The professor is sincere.

“Professor. How about having Eandurde take the exam on the last day?”

“You said to finish as quickly as possible…”

“What does that matter? It’s more important to give Eandurde enough time to prepare as thoroughly as possible.”

“Indeed. That would be right.”

Professor Voladi was immediately convinced by the disciple’s dependable appearance as he looked after his junior.