Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Professor Voladi finished burning the enemy's corpse without leaving a trace before it could even hit the floor.

The important thing in an assassination like this was to leave no evidence behind.

Once the head butler woke up, there would be confusion over the master's sudden disappearance, but with the commotion in the courtyard happening at the same time, no one would be able to determine exactly what had occurred.

That would leave enough time to deal with another four or five targets.

"!"

The professor, who had not so much as blinked after cutting down an old enemy, cast a bewildered gaze downward.

Two of the few people who could be counted among the professor's personal relationships—a disciple and a friend—were rapidly entering the mansion's courtyard.

***

"Professor!"

"Speak. I'm listening!"

Professor Kirmin gestured while practically flying ahead.

"It may be a little late to bring this up now, but what do we do if Professor Bagreg runs away again?"

"......"

If the Skull Principal had heard them, both would probably have been called idiots, but astonishingly, neither of them had come up with a particularly good solution yet.

Professor Kirmin swallowed dryly.

"That is the problem."

"Can't we restrain Professor Bagreg with magic? We have the Death Knights here too."

'Is he really a disciple?'

The Death Knights following behind thought to themselves.

Usually, when disciples tried to bring their masters back, did they not persuade them or plead with them...?

Then again, perhaps this was simply reaping what one had sown. Professor Bagreg's disciple favored solutions similar to Professor Bagreg's.

'There is a reason they say you reap what you sow.'

"Normally, we could. But because that angel lost its dimension..."

"That damned angel!"

Lee Han ground his teeth, something he rarely did.

The dimension of Divine Radiance Extinction that Apazragon had lost to Professor Voladi continued to cause trouble even now.

It was a dimension specialized for escape, so even Professor Kirmin and the Death Knights could not easily pin Professor Voladi down...

'If that thing shows up again, I'm really going to catch it and lock it in the underground levels of Einroguard.'

"...But it is not as though I have given the matter no thought."

"!"

Lee Han's eyes lit up as he looked at Professor Kirmin.

A professor really was different after all.

"What is it? Gasp, could it be that you've been routinely mixing poison into Professor Bagreg's meals...?"

"Wardanaz, I think you should stop reading strange mystery novels. The method I came up with is the straightforward one. Sincerely persuade Professor Bagreg."

"With the power of friendship?"

It was a little weaker than what Lee Han had hoped for—Professor Kirmin snapping a finger, Professor Bagreg collapsing, and everyone wrapping the professor tightly in chains and carrying the professor away—but Lee Han had no complaints as long as it worked.

"No. You have to do the persuading, Wardanaz."

"Excuse me?"

Lee Han was taken aback.

He did not think Professor Bagreg would listen to him.

Professor Bagreg had ignored him and left even though Lee Han had called out like that last time...

"A disciple's words will probably reach more deeply than a friend's. Besides, that bastard has never been very good at listening to friends in the first place."

"Do you not have some poison you've been feeding Professor Bagreg regularly? Something from the illusion-magic family..."

Professor Kirmin shook the head.

It would certainly be nice if something like that existed, but reality was always cruel.

One simply had to confront things exactly as they were with whatever one had been given.

"This is not really something I should be telling you, but considering the circumstances, I will explain briefly. You know Professor Bagreg has a deep grudge against the Order, correct?"

Lee Han nodded.

The Skull Principal had not told him all the details, but Lee Han had guessed that the grudge between them was far from ordinary.

Even as they moved, Professor Kirmin hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Back then, a rather peculiar magical fad was spreading among the western vampire houses. It was magic that gave various rewards in exchange for offering blood. Sometimes youth, sometimes strength, sometimes foresight."

"That is..."

Lee Han looked bewildered by the magic, which sounded suspicious to absolutely anyone.

People actually believed that was a good idea?

"Yes. Knowing the outcome now, anyone can see that it was suspicious worship of an evil god. But at the time, the Sanguros Order was not yet known for what it was, and more importantly, most of those houses were not experts in magic like us. It is also common for unusual forms of magic to temporarily become fashionable in noble society."

Unlike the students of Einroguard, who reacted as though they were sick to death of magic at the mere sight of the word, ordinary people of the Empire still felt mystery and fascination toward it.

It was fairly common for some old, forgotten form of archaic magic to suddenly become popular and circulate through high society.

"In any case, the fashion spread quickly. Vampires already enjoy consuming blood, so that made it even easier."

Most of the high-ranking houses among the western vampire families quickly became enamored with the trend.

Imperial vampire society was more closed off than the societies of other races, making things spread far more rapidly within it, and a fashion that began among the high-ranking houses spread downward in no time.

"Don't tell me Professor Bagreg also...?!"

Lee Han asked in surprise. Professor Kirmin answered bitterly.

"No. Voladi's family was one of the holdouts. There were a few families that found the trend suspicious and kept their distance. They did not have much power, though."

After saying this much, Professor Kirmin hesitated even more than before.

Then, as though finally making up the mind, the professor spoke.

"There is no point dragging this out, so I will tell you plainly. Relations between the western vampire houses were not originally that bad. The high-ranking nobles looked down on the lower-ranking nobles who had broken away from them, but they did not actually attack them. ...Not until the evil god made a move."

There was no evil-god order that gave without demanding anything in return.

At first, Sanguros had rewarded even simple offerings generously, but eventually revealed its true nature and demanded greater sacrifices from a few of its most faithful servants.

The lives of their own kind.

"!!"

"Naturally, the weaker dissenting families that had always been an irritation became the targets... and one of them was Voladi's family. I do not need to explain any further."

Lee Han nodded.

He already knew that the western vampire houses had been devastated because of the Sanguros Order and the events it had caused.

He had simply never imagined that they had offered their own kind as sacrifices.

"Voladi sought revenge at the time, but realistically, there would have been no way to catch everyone involved. Those who participated directly were one thing, but the number of ordinary associates would have been dozens of times greater. A massive suppression campaign also began afterward."

No matter how vast the Empire was or how developed local autonomy might be, an incident like that could not remain hidden forever.

The suppression had been so extensive that the Skull Principal personally led Imperial troops to encircle the entire western region. Under such circumstances, even Professor Voladi could hardly have pursued revenge however the professor pleased.

Sir Langbern was likely one of those who had barely survived by taking advantage of the chaos.

"Do you think Professor Bagreg is trying to find and deal with every person involved that Professor Bagreg failed to catch back then?"

"...I do not know either, Wardanaz."

Among those formerly involved, there were surely quite a few who still secretly maintained their faith even now.

If all such people were swept away, the Sanguros Order would naturally have no choice but to respond.

Cutting off the enemy's limbs and provoking them was certainly a sound strategy, but...

...Professor Kirmin was not certain whether the friend was truly acting rationally and carrying out the strategy without even a trace of personal motive.

The Skull Principal had told Professor Kirmin to trust Professor Voladi, but the professor could still vividly remember how that friend had once burned with vengeance.

"Anything will do. Use whatever means you have and just keep that bastard from getting away for a little while."

-If you can get Professor Bagreg to lower that guard, we can bind the hands and feet. Just make Professor Bagreg lower that guard a little.

'You told me to persuade Professor Bagreg just a moment ago...'

Lee Han stared in disbelief at Professor Kirmin and the Death Knights.

Do these people actually believe persuasion is going to work?

"What the hell do you want? Get lost!"

The mercenaries and guards wreaking havoc in the courtyard reacted aggressively to the new group.

The mercenaries were wary that this might be another pursuit party from the knight order, while the guards were wary that yet another group of intruders had appeared before they had even finished dealing with the mercenaries.

The Death Knights were already deeply worried because of Professor Voladi, and when these random bastards began irritating them as well, their eyes blazed blue.

Professor Kirmin extended a hand to stop them.

"We do not know what is happening inside, so let us not make things worse. I will handle it."

"A mage! Be caref—"

One of the guards must have been quick-witted, because the guard tried to pull out an artifact to defend against magic.

But even that swift reaction was useless.

Everyone there suddenly froze as though their souls had left their bodies.

"???"

Lee Han was startled.

None of the illusion magic he had learned so far had ever produced an effect this fast or this powerful.

What in the world?

'A small world? No, it was too quiet. An evil eye? But a magical eye with this much power...'

Perhaps sensing the disciple's confusion, Professor Kirmin spoke with an embarrassed expression.

"Wardanaz. I know you are going to wonder about this, so I will just tell you. I would appreciate it if you did not mention it elsewhere. My mother is... a succubus."

"!!!"

Before Lee Han could even finish being surprised by the professor's race, he had to be surprised all over again.

The racial power possessed by dream demons was similar to that of basilisks, making precise control impossible.

One could not use a petrifying evil eye on one person while choosing not to use it on another.

"You can control the power of a dream demon with this much precision?!"

"Technically, I just blasted the entire mansion with it, and it did not work on you..."

-We are undead, so it does not work on us either.

When Lee Han looked back, Amrek, who had come with them, was lost in a dream, staring blankly into empty space.

Lee Han decided to apologize as soon as everything was over.

"Then let us go upstairs."

"Please wait a moment."

Having already experienced Professor Voladi escaping once, Lee Han had no intention of approaching in an ordinary manner.

Was this not someone who would immediately flee at the slightest opening?

Cr-r-rack-!

The Death Knights' jaws dropped.

Of course, they had assumed the successor would have prepared a few methods, but transforming into a dragon was completely unexpected.

Let's go!

-U-uh, right...

Lee Han, transformed into a black dragon, suddenly smashed through the mansion's walls and ceiling and charged toward the fourth floor.

"!"

Professor Voladi, who had originally intended to escape while the Death Knights were making their way upstairs, lost concentration for an instant and opened those eyes wide at the disciple's transformation.

The mansion was breaking apart and collapsing, but that was not particularly important.

The sudden appearance of a dragon was much more important.

What in the world had happened?

Taking advantage of that opening, the Death Knights hiding beneath the dragon's wings leaped out.

-Got you!

-Professor Ku, put this troublemaker to sleep! Lock Professor Bagreg in the deepest part of Einroguard until this is all over!

"...Aren't we persuading Professor Bagreg?"

Lee Han, having undone the transformation and now coughing, stared at the knights in disbelief.

The Death Knights looked away, hiding their embarrassment.

-Of course persuasion comes first. Now. Persuade Professor Bagreg.

-We believe in you!

"......"

Receiving such sudden encouragement made Lee Han feel an enormous amount of pressure.

Professor Voladi stared steadily at Lee Han.

"I told you to study on your own."

"Uh... about that."

When Lee Han found himself at a loss for words, Professor Kirmin cleared the throat.

It meant not to be afraid.

'Professor Bagreg is the one who ran away, Wardanaz! Don't be intimidated by your lousy master!'

"Professor. You cannot leave the academy and do whatever you want like this."

"There is a valid reason."

Professor Voladi explained calmly.

It was the theory Lee Han already knew well: 'The Order has many enemies, so strike first and concentrate their grudge on this side.'

"You are the one who should not be acting on your own like this without even having a commission."

"I-I'm sorr—"

-This is hopeless.

The Death Knights shook their heads.

As master and disciple, the two were fundamentally far too poor a match.

The only method left was to keep knocking Professor Voladi unconscious so the professor could not use dimensional escape...

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