Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

'This is...'

Enster had been even more cautious lately, but this was difficult to simply ignore.

If this really was a letter from the magical criminal Antagondals, it was far too valuable an opportunity to pass up.

Enster also took pride in having accumulated a fair amount of achievement as a mage, but compared to Antagondals, Enster was nothing more than a firefly before the full moon.

The amount of time they had spent building themselves up as mages was fundamentally on a completely different scale.

'Why on earth did Antagondals send me a letter? Does he have something to propose to me? An attack? Plunder? Exploring ruins?'

Any proposal sounded tempting.

Being magical criminals did not mean they had no companions. Whether attacking and plundering a temple or mansion, or exploring ancient ruins, it was advantageous to move as a group rather than alone.

Of course, a magical criminal like Antagondals might use Enster as a shield...

...but there was no gamble in the world one could join without putting anything at stake. Naturally, that sort of risk had to be accepted.

The important thing was something else.

'Surely Antagondals isn't connected to the Order?'

Magical criminals often joined hands with evil-god worshipers relatively easily when necessary.

If Antagondals had joined forces with the remnants of the Sanguros Order and sent this letter, then Enster would be walking straight into a trap.

'No. That can't be. Antagondals is a major magical criminal. There's no reason to join hands with the remnants of some ruined Order. If anything, he'd plunder them instead.'

In the end, Enster made a decision.

If this really was a letter sent by Antagondals, then it would be worth meeting him!

***

"Wouldn't it be better to just use the evil-god worshipers?"

"The esteemed Professor Bagreg says he doesn't want to use them. Hmph."

Despite the irritating interference from the disciple and friend, Professor Voladi silently focused on the work.

Instead, the hamster flared up and shouted.

-Wait! He'll fall for it soon enough.

"Mr. Hamster. It's not that I doubt your abilities, but..."

'Now he doesn't even call him by name.'

One of the Death Knights thought inwardly.

It seemed that in the past, Lee Han had at least called the magical criminal by name, but at some point he had started calling him simply 'hamster.'

Even more astonishingly, the person in question no longer showed any dissatisfaction, as though having grown accustomed to it.

Anyone looking at them might have thought Antagondals was genuinely a magical hamster who had been able to speak since birth.

"...as you heard, the other side is on high alert. Will he really come running out just because he hears Mr. Hamster's name?"

-Did I come up with this plan?

The hamster squeaked in protest.

This plan had been Professor Voladi's from the beginning.

Professor Voladi, who was standing nearby, opened the mouth.

"That man is greedy. The possibility is high."

"I see."

-......

The hamster was so dumbfounded that it was momentarily speechless.

When the hamster had said it, this bastard had kept going, 'Still, it's not like the other person is an idiot,' and 'Will he really be fooled by just one name?!'

-That's exactly what I said! I wouldn't feel satisfied even if I buried this bastard in a pit...

As the hamster squeaked and began cursing, it recoiled in horror at the killing intent coming from above and threw itself aside.

Thud!

Professor Voladi abruptly stabbed down with a dagger.

'This bastard really tried to stab me!!'

A knight standing nearby offered advice.

-Professor. That one can escape if he dies, so you must not kill him carelessly.

"I know."

-......

The hamster suddenly felt a chill.

It was difficult to tell whether Professor Voladi meant to stab him only enough not to kill him, or whether some kind of magic had been placed on that dagger and the professor was confident Antagondals would be unable to escape even if the body died.

Perhaps it was both.

Once again, the hamster realized that Wardanaz was actually rather soft among mages.

He normally tormented Antagondals with grapes or droplets of water, but real mages usually came at you with blades.

"Professor. He may speak harshly, but he's quite a kind hamster, so please don't be too hard on him."

"Understood."

-......

The hamster felt even more humiliated.

Just stab me with the blade!

-...Magical criminals are always thinking about magic. No matter how cautious they are, there is inevitably a limit.

"Ah. Like you when you infiltrated Einroguard, Mr. Hamster... Ah. Sorry."

The space between the hamster's brows twitched.

-The important thing is to make the proposal leisurely without looking desperate on our side. It isn't difficult, so just watch. I'll show you how to toy with him without using a single spell.

"Would you like to stay in the basement again in the meantime?"

Lee Han asked out of consideration for the hamster.

Professor Voladi had a good-natured personality, so the professor might secretly attack a mage like the hamster who kept spouting wicked remarks.

Wouldn't it be better to leave him in the basement than wake up and discover that the hamster had become some bizarre skewer?

-...No! Let me wait here!

"???"

Lee Han looked puzzled when the hamster inside the cage reacted with such intense refusal.

Was there some problem with the basement space accessible through the dimensional bag?

There was nothing there except miscellaneous junk. If one had to point something out, there was also the portrait of the young prince, but the young prince was not someone who would torment another person.

"Did you perhaps say something wicked?"

No matter how Lee Han thought about it, the hamster was probably at fault.

If Antagondals had gone there and started saying things like sacrificing someone, naturally the young prince would have become angry.

-Do I look like an idiot to you? You think I'd reveal what I really think in front of a fragment of a great mage like that?

The hamster shuddered.

Antagondals was not some idiot. Why would he recklessly run his mouth in front of a fragment of Gonadaltes?

While waiting in that basement, the hamster truly had not said a single word. The young prince had been the same.

The basement had been filled with nothing but silence.

But the hamster could feel it.

Although the young prince had remained politely silent, inwardly he had been thinking about how to deal with the hamster as though it were a fish laid out on a cutting board.

It was closer to an instinct honed from a lifetime as a villain.

-Anyway, you can keep me in your sleeve if you want, so please, just don't put me in the basement.

"Come on. Once you get close to him, there really isn't anyone nicer... All right."

The hamster could not bring itself to curse aloud and cursed inwardly instead.

Frankly, it was afraid Lee Han might put it back in the basement if it swore for no reason.

***

Enster carefully prepared a reply.

He drew a very faint symbol with mana above the workshop sign.

This symbol, commonly used among magical criminals, would tell the other party that the letter had been received positively.

Before long, another letter arrived.

Exploration of dimensional ruins.

At least 15 golems required.

Compensation 5%.

If interested, leave the workshop door open at midnight.

The letter was rude and contained nothing but demands, but that actually made it more trustworthy.

If the contents had been kind or gentle, Enster would have been suspicious instead.

Dimensional ruins meant that the ruins were located somewhere in another dimension rather than on the continent.

They were more difficult than ordinary ruins and had more demanding conditions.

It was only natural that someone on Antagondals's level would seek companions.

The demand to bring at least fifteen golems meant that someone without sufficient ability should not come and cause trouble...

And the 5% compensation was obviously just a probing offer.

There was no way Enster would simply accept that.

'So he wants to negotiate after meeting me.'

To begin with, telling Enster to leave the workshop door open meant that Antagondals intended to come personally.

When magical criminals met, it was usually the stronger one who went to the weaker one's territory.

Why would the weaker one trust enough to enter the stronger one's territory?

'Good. If I can meet Antagondals...'

At midnight, Enster left the workshop door open.

The heart pounded with anticipation.

Creeeak-

The darkness shifted and someone stepped inside.

Pretending not to know anything, Enster asked.

"Who are you?"

"Let's not waste time with pointless words. I am Antagondals. Are you ready?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, but please come inside first."

Enster closed the workshop door and checked once again that no one nearby was eavesdropping or spying.

Then, after casting soundproofing magic as well, Enster spoke.

"It is an honor to meet you, Antagondals."

Seeing that powerful and wicked magical criminal in person stirred strange emotions.

But Enster did not bow and scrape or watch the other's mood.

Among magical criminals, showing weakness was the same as exposing a vulnerability.

Antagondals did not answer immediately.

After exchanging a glance with the hamster on the shoulder, a voice difficult to read came from behind the true-silver mask.

"The pleasure is mine."

"That hamster... Is it some kind of summoned creature?"

"None of your concern."

Enster did not become angry at Antagondals's indifferent answer.

Magical criminals were not the sort to kindly reveal information like this.

Enster would probably have reacted similarly if asked about the golems.

"You accepted the proposal, so let's get to the point."

"Wait, wait. I accepted it, but I haven't fully agreed yet."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"I need to confirm that you really are Antagondals."

The moment those words ended, an enormous movement of mana could be felt from the other party.

It had no offensive power whatsoever, but it was a display of might that any mage could feel.

Enster was shocked as well.

'Amazing! How can he move that much mana...?!'

A mage was not some strongman, and having more mana did not automatically mean one's magical level was higher, but even that had limits. The amount of mana that had just moved was genuinely shocking.

There was truly a reason for the magical criminal's infamy.

"You are being quite insolent. You're telling me to prove that I am myself?"

"I-I hope you understand. As you know, I, Enster, am at a lower level than you and weaker. I have no choice but to be cautious."

Enster asked several questions prepared in advance.

If this was not Antagondals but remnants of the Order impersonating him, or someone else entirely, they would have difficulty answering them.

But the other person answered immediately.

Enster relaxed slightly.

"Are you satisfied?"

"Just one last thing."

After preparing to flee underground in case the other person became enraged, Enster spoke.

Whoosh!

"This brazier's flame goes out when it hears a lie. Can you testify that you came here solely for this commission, without any other malicious intent?"

"!"

Lee Han, who had likewise begun to relax, flinched.

He had thought they had fooled Enster completely, only for this to happen!

Magic truly could never be taken lightly. There were all sorts of methods in existence.

'Should I get angry and bulldoze through it? Or should I attack first even now?'

As dozens of thoughts raced through Lee Han's mind in that brief instant, the hamster sent a curt telepathic message.

-Just say you can.

'What?'

-Just do it. Curse him a little first, then agree. He'll be delighted.

"??"

Lee Han was slightly bewildered, but testified as the hamster instructed.

And astonishingly, the brazier's flame did not go out at all.

Enster's face immediately brightened.

"Thank you, thank you! Of course I trusted you. Would a mage like Antagondals really stoop to such a petty deception? Follow me. I'll show you the golems."

"...Ah!"

Only then did Lee Han realize.

And he reflected on it.

'What an idiotic mistake... That brazier was fake. He was testing my reaction.'

It was not difficult to make an ordinary object seem as though complicated mana could be felt from it.

Lee Han could do that too.

Then, if one claimed that this object possessed some powerful effect, the other person would inevitably be fooled for a moment.

-What are you talking about? That brazier is real. It's valuable, so make sure you take it later.

It simply had not worked because of the anti-magic phenomenon caused by Lee Han's enormous amount of mana.

The method read the fluctuations emanating from the other person's soul, but the enormous mana made it impossible for the effect itself to function.

'...Ah.'

Lee Han felt slightly embarrassed.

You could've told me before I started deducing things...

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