Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

"H-hmph. I know your skills are exceptional, Wardanaz, but did you really make it properly?"

'The professor sounds like some Valdrogard villain.'

Lee Han looked at the professor, who had suddenly begun acting awkwardly, as though finding it strange.

It sounded like a line spoken by one of the forced villains in the collection of cases created by the seniors, <The Vile Atrocities Committed by Valdrogard Students>.

Honestly, whenever Lee Han read that collection, he had wondered whether the exaggeration was a little excessive...

"If I did not make it properly, I will have to make it again. It is a difficult assignment."

"Do not speak sensibly when you live so absurdly!"

Professor Thunderwalk flared up.

It was even more irritating because the student furthest removed from common sense was behaving like that.

If he was going to act absurdly, then he should speak absurdly as well...!

"The energy seems fine for now. Let us see, shall we check the incense?"

With a light movement of the hand, the professor examined the Incense of Knowledge and Perception Lee Han had completed.

There was no need to inhale the incense deeply and activate its ability. An exceptional alchemist could determine its true value through simple contact alone.

"...You made it well."

"Thank you!"

"How did you handle the cinnabar? Separating its components could not have been easy."

Professor Thunderwalk was by no means a kind professor.

The professor had told the students that the midterm examination would involve the Incense of Knowledge and Perception and had even revealed the production method in advance, but this had been closer to assigning it with the thought, 'Even if they know, they will not be able to make it easily anyway.'

If one could make something immediately just because a single production method had been handed over, how easy would alchemy be?

For example, the production method for this Incense of Knowledge and Perception said, 'Combine Ascending Incense and cinnabar,' but ordinarily, the two did not combine well.

One had to fully understand the components of the reagent called cinnabar and know several ways of handling it before one could discover a method of combining them...

"I actually did not use cinnabar."

"What?!"

"I used gold."

Professor Thunderwalk hurriedly inhaled the Incense of Knowledge and Perception.

Separate from the powerful effect of premonition that surged in, the professor could feel the energy of gold rather than cinnabar spreading through the incense like a heat haze.

"Gold?! It is expensive, but... good... No, it is extraordinary."

Professor Thunderwalk muttered.

Now that gold had been mentioned, it seemed strange that the professor had not thought of it.

Of course, there was a reason. Fundamentally, gold was far too expensive.

Perhaps a Valdrogard professor could afford it, but from the position of Professor Thunderwalk, who worked as an Einroguard professor and even had to distribute reagents to students, such extravagance was not an idea that could be entertained lightly.

But even so, the sense of defeat could not be helped. Professor Thunderwalk trembled and clutched the professor’s beard.

"Q-quite impressive."

"Thank you. Actually, the one who taught me this was..."

As it seemed Lee Han was about to shake the professor’s composure again with another sensible remark, Professor Thunderwalk ignored him and moved on.

If Wardanaz said something hypocritical like, 'The one who taught me this was you, Professor,' the professor might truly grab him by the collar.

"Surely the other parts are not also... D-did you use the bone of an evil dragon instead of the bone of a magical beast?!"

While analyzing the incense, Professor Thunderwalk stared at Lee Han as though unable to believe it.

The instructions had clearly said to use the bone of a magical beast, yet the dark element was this pure.

There were not many reagents in nature that possessed a dark element of such high concentration. Even fewer if it was bone.

Would it not have to come from something at least on the level of a corrupted dragon?

Of course, dragon bones were not something an ordinary student could use as a reagent. But Wardanaz was no ordinary student.

Whether he had stolen it from the Skull Principal’s storeroom, stolen it from the storeroom of some powerful figure he had met during the vacation, stolen it from his house’s storeroom, or asked Her Highness Jowrin to steal it...

'Come to think of it, this brat has far too many ways to obtain one.'

Professor Thunderwalk stared at Lee Han as though looking at a madman.

Of course, Lee Han was looking at the professor as though looking at a madman as well.

"I used an ordinary fragment of bone infused with the dark element."

"...Ah."

Professor Thunderwalk felt deep shame at the sudden return of the professor’s intelligence.

Now that the professor thought about it, Wardanaz had an affinity for the dark element as well, so producing something like that himself was possible.

His mana reserves were enormous, and their purity was of the highest grade as well, making it even more possible...

"Why do you spend gold as though wasting it, yet become so stingy and frugal when using bone?! You are confusing people!"

"Actually, the one who taught me this was..."

"When did I ever teach you that?!"

Professor Thunderwalk finally threw away all dignity and jumped up and down.

It would have been less frustrating if Lee Han had simply said he had discovered it through his own genius.

"No. I was not planning to say you taught me, Professor."

"...Really?"

The professor immediately became awkward.

And even felt slightly disappointed.

'Could he not say he learned at least a little from me?'

The professor was still the head of the school, after all...

"Then who... W-wait. Surely it was not that hamster?!"

"What kind of nonsense are you saying? There is no possibility of that."

-......

The hamster glared at the top of Lee Han’s head in disbelief.

He could have simply said no. Why did he have to hurt it with such a long sentence?

"I heard it from the young principal."

"......"

Professor Thunderwalk’s mind went blank for a moment. It was a truly unexpected name.

"...Did the young principal write that for you, by any chance?"

"Pardon? Uh..."

"Give it to me."

Lee Han recalled the hamster’s warning and tried to hide the bundle of papers tucked beneath his arm, but the professor was one step faster.

Professor Thunderwalk swiftly snatched away the bundle of papers and began reading through the young prince’s sharp corrections as though entranced.

"This... I could have thought of gold too, but you did not give me the money... You are the one who uses expensive reagents... It was not that I spoke lightly of obtaining the bone of a magical beast... An alchemist should originally be capable of at least that much..."

Professor Thunderwalk began muttering and arguing with an imaginary Skull Principal.

At the sight, Lee Han spoke to the hamster in alarm.

"The professor has broken."

-I am certain I told you never to show it.

"You did not say it that strongly. You merely told me not to show it. Do not exaggerate."

-......

The hamster considered yanking hard on Lee Han’s hair, then stopped.

If they attacked each other, the hamster would suffer the greater loss.

"To begin with, by your standards, what alchemist would ever satisfy you..."

"Professor?"

"...You coaxed me into working for you by begging me to do it for only one year because there was no alchemy professor... Full support? I nearly sued you in the Imperial court but held myself back..."

"Professor!"

"Huh? Oh."

Professor Thunderwalk, who had broken down, barely returned to the professor’s senses.

Lee Han, who had begun wondering whether Professor Thunderstep needed to be called, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you all right?"

-Does this look all right to you?

The hamster rebuked him as though finding him pathetic. Professor Thunderwalk rebuked him in the same way.

"Do I look all right?"

"...I-I am sorry."

"Forget it... It is not your fault. It is the principal’s fault."

"That is true."

Lee Han readily agreed.

To begin with, if the Skull Principal had not ordinarily tormented Professor Thunderwalk, the professor would not have become this upset.

"Full marks. From now on, before asking the young principal, ask me instead. Please."

"Thank you."

"But what commission caused you to make such a commotion?"

Professor Thunderwalk asked while hiding the professor’s complicated feelings.

The professor felt it would be less unfair after at least hearing the name of the commission.

"It is not only because of a commission. I am planning to look for Professor Bagreg."

"......"

The professor said nothing.

Professor Thunderwalk merely slowly relit the pipe, exhaled a deep cloud of smoke, and barely managed to speak.

"...If I ever flee the academy, please, just leave me alone..."

***

Recently, Professor Verdus had been the most miserable person in Einroguard.

The reason was simple. Professor Verdus had been assigned the lectures that the professor was originally supposed to teach.

"This is too much! Giving me this many lectures!"

"...Professor, do you not still have... the fewest lectures?"

Professor Garcia, who had unfortunately ended up sitting beside Professor Verdus in the professors’ lounge(and deeply regretted it), could not hold back and answered.

At the sight, Professor Yonramo and Professor Paserlet looked at Professor Garcia with pity.

'There is still a long way to go.'

'To think the professor actually answered that.'

Professor Verdus was like a jar with a hole in it, someone who would whine no matter how much water was poured inside.

If the professor was whining alone, one should simply leave the professor alone and think nothing of it. There was no need to go out of one’s way to pour in water.

"Comparing me with other people does not change the misery I feel, does it?"

"......"

Professor Garcia nearly flared up for a moment.

Professor Verdus, failing to notice that the professor had nearly been struck, continued chattering.

"I should have escaped Einroguard like Professor Bagreg."

"...Are you placing Professor Bagreg, who went alone to settle an old grudge because of concern that a disciple might be harmed, on the same level as you, who want to run away because you do not want to teach lectures!?"

"Hm? Yes."

"......"

A dense killing intent poured from Professor Garcia’s eyes.

Professor Yonramo and Professor Paserlet became frightened, swiftly picked up their teacups and plates, and evacuated to a corner of the lounge.

They had once made a wager over whether the disciples would go looking for Professor Verdus if the professor ran away, but it seemed that wager was no longer necessary.

A bloody storm would sweep through the lounge today!

The one who saved Professor Verdus, whose fate of death had reached the back of the professor’s neck, was Professor Thunderwalk.

Professor Thunderwalk entered through the door looking as though the professor had aged another ten years.

"P-professor!"

"Has His Highness the Inspector introduced another new policy?"

The other professors asked in alarm.

Why had this dwarf professor, who ordinarily maintained composure unless dealing with the Skull Principal or Professor Thunderstep, changed so drastically?

"Wardanaz..."

"???"

"Beware..."

After finishing those words, Professor Thunderwalk shuffled toward a corner and dropped into an armchair, burying the professor’s body inside it.

The professors were so bewildered that they could not bring themselves to ask what had happened.

Except for Professor Verdus.

"Why?"

"...Because that brat is crushing the examination material in order to leave early..."

'Did he not always do that?'

Several professors thought inwardly.

It was not as though this was the first time Wardanaz had broken through an examination in one stroke, so why was the professor making such a fuss now?

Professor Thunderwalk immediately realized what those professors were thinking.

"Of course, all of you may be thinking this. Was Wardanaz not always like that? Something like that."

"!"

Had the professor drunk a mind-reading potion?

Just in case, the professors closed off their souls a little more thoroughly.

"If that were all, I would not be saying this... I do not know where he obtained the young principal’s wisdom, but he has become one level stronger. No, two or three levels stronger. ...Can we not simply mix that brat in with the fourth-year graduates?!"

At Professor Thunderwalk’s candid statement, the other professors nearly nodded without realizing it.

Whether Lee Han graduated or moved up to the fifth year, the amount they had to teach him would decrease considerably.

However, Professor Verdus answered firmly.

"No. Then it will become difficult to make him do my work."

If Lee Han graduated by any chance, Professor Verdus would lose one outstanding source of labor.

"......"

"......"

"...When did you say Professor Verdus’s next lecture was? It means nothing in particular, but I believe I shall sit in on it."

Professor Thunderwalk said with a gentle smile.

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