Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

No matter how he thought about it, that was not the kind of murderous intent that should appear in an ordinary situation.

"Why are you asking that, Student Lee Han? Considering what we're about to do, isn't it only natural that I'd ask where Professor Ku is?"

"Th-that is true."

Lee Han felt enough pressure from the slightly stronger murderous intent to become tense. The hamster whispered beside him.

-Create some distance. This seems dangerous!

'I want to tell you not to talk nonsense, but it's hard to deny it.'

Part of Lee Han wanted to simply pretend ignorance and give away Professor Kirmin's location, but he was not cold-blooded enough to sacrifice the professor and act as though he knew nothing.

More importantly, there was a high chance this was Lee Han's fault.

"W-well, actually, Professor Garcia. If you're angry because Professor Ku slipped away without saying anything... I was actually the one who did it."

Stop-

Professor Garcia, who had been about to use magic to track Professor Kirmin's location, froze in place.

Then only the professor's gaze slowly turned toward Lee Han. Lee Han felt more fear than when he had faced the evil god.

"Why, Student Lee Han?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you tell Professor Ku but not me?"

Professor Garcia's voice was filled with hurt.

Garcia was kind enough to take on Ver... no, other professors' miscellaneous work without complaint, but there was one source of pride the professor could not yield on.

That was closeness with the students.

At the very least, Professor Garcia took pride in believing there was no professor at Einroguard closer to the students.

Especially in Lee Han's case, he was practically a direct disciple, personally learning extremely rare space-time magic from Professor Garcia, something scarcely found even throughout the Empire, and yet Lee Han had excluded the professor like this...

'Ugh.'

Lee Han felt deep guilt at the sight of Professor Garcia. It almost seemed preferable when he had only been afraid.

Maybe I should've just sacrificed Professor Kirmin?

The honest reason was that he thought Professor Garcia would worry too much, but that reason seemed likely to hurt even more.

"Student Lee Han?"

"Pro-Professor, you..."

Driven into a corner, Lee Han's words came out before he had fully thought them through.

"...aren't an expert in magical combat, so I didn't call you."

"......"

-......

The passing Death Knights stared at Lee Han as though he had gone insane.

'Has the Successor lost his mind?'

'Shh. Think about everything he's been through this year. It wouldn't be strange if madness started setting in around now.'

Even so, they had never imagined anyone would say something as outrageous as telling Professor Garcia that the professor looked weak.

Even to these battle-hardened veteran knights, it was astonishing.

Professor Garcia seemed equally dumbfounded and merely blinked.

The professor had expected some excuse about being overprotective or worrying too much, never something like this.

"I-I haven't... received combat magic training... but..."

"Exactly. I was trained by Professor Bagreg, and Professor Kirmin is also an expert in magical dueling. I thought only trained specialists should participate."

Having given up, Lee Han decided to simply brazen it out.

At this point, forcing the argument through was better.

"So what you're saying is... a place where Student Lee Han is allowed to participate... was too dangerous for me, so you didn't call me?"

The Death Knights asked with their eyes, 'Are you really going to answer that?'

Without changing his expression at all, Lee Han answered.

"Yes!"

Professor Garcia slowly began to feel confused.

The professor could no longer tell whether the student was speaking sincerely or simply forcing an absurd argument.

Not the slightest emotional wavering or trace of embarrassment could be seen on the student's sculpted face.

'...D-do I really look that weak!?'

Professor Garcia suddenly began reflecting on the matter.

Thinking about it, from Lee Han's perspective, the mages he normally saw were people like Professor Voladi, Professor Kirmin, and the Skull Principal.

Compared to mages like those, a non-specialist like Professor Garcia would naturally look somewhat clumsy in a fight.

But even so, was it really enough not to call the professor at all?

Professor Garcia had thought the professor could at least pull their own weight...

While Professor Garcia was lost in confusion, Lee Han quickly slipped away.

It seemed he would somehow have to keep running away until the expedition was over.

***

Give me the key, disciple of Osu.

Lee Han handed the blood-red key to the Yaksha King. The Yaksha King clenched the key and opened a dimensional gate.

"Isn't there a possibility it's a trap?"

If it had been rational enough for that, it probably wouldn't have spoken to you in the first place, disciple of Osu.

With a grinding crack, the dimensional rift widened further. The Yaksha King's strength was truly astonishing, enough to seize a dimension and pull it apart.

The dimensional landscape visible beyond it was profoundly ominous and unstable.

The dark-red sky continuously churned, creating bizarre weather phenomena, while ruined temples stood everywhere beneath it.

Some of the temples would begin rebuilding themselves from shattered weapons, only to collapse back into ruins again. The dead wandering nearby roared in fury at the sight of those ruins.

Just as expected. It can't control its own power.

After entering the dimension, Lee Han stood beside the professors and tried to listen quietly.

With so many powerful people and experts present, simply listening and following along would already be enough work.

But the Yaksha King always knew better than anyone what Lee Han disliked most.

Disciple of Osu. Come forward. Why are you hiding in the back?

"I'm not hiding..."

If you're resentful because I pointed out your hidden respect for your master, you're mistaken.

"I'm coming right now!"

Lee Han hurried forward and stood beside the Yaksha King.

He was afraid that if he delayed any longer, this bastard would say some other ridiculous thing that would make him even angrier.

The Yaksha King extended a huge finger wrapped in a golden gauntlet blazing red and began to explain.

The fact that irregular weather is occurring like that is evidence that the ruler of this domain is likely unstable, disciple of Osu.

"Ah, yes."

Look at those ruined temples. That's a sign that the ruler of this domain suffered fairly significant losses recently.

Unless the ruler simply enjoyed ruins, such devastation was most likely the result of a recent defeat.

In fact, those ruined temples kept trying to rebuild themselves only to fail over and over again. The losses sustained must have been substantial.

"I see."

The same goes for those dead. They're wandering around like vagrants because their master can't properly support them. With observations this simple, you can determine the condition of a dimensional ruler.

"Impressive."

You'll have many occasions like this in the future, so don't forget to practice.

"Yes... Yes??"

Lee Han, who had been giving empty answers in a soulless voice, shouted in shock.

Disciple of Osu. The reason you agreed twice must be because you're that enthusiastic.

The Yaksha King immediately began analyzing Lee Han's psychology the moment an opportunity appeared.

This yaksha was always curious and exceptionally skilled at unraveling and explaining the labyrinthine psychology of mortals.

You must have sensed it as well. Just as your House's karma dictates, in the future you will surely have many occasions to face dimensional enemies...

"My second answer was a question. I wasn't agreeing."

I see.

The Yaksha King nodded. Lee Han was actually more bewildered by how readily the other party backed down.

This isn't someone who would give up that easi—

But disciple of Osu, if you were going to ask, you could have simply asked immediately... The fact that you deliberately said 'yes' first means your subconscious is that enthusiastic.

"...That's right. Just continue the explanation."

In the end, Lee Han gave up.

This yaksha possessed overwhelming superiority in both strength and status, and there was simply no way to deal with him. It felt like being crushed beneath a gigantic rolling boulder.

The Death Knights sent him sympathetic looks.

They could have acted forcefully with ordinary mortals, but this Yaksha King was far too great a figure for them to pressure.

If anything, the Successor had caught the other's interest and was therefore able to have such an intimate conversation. Normally, there would not even have been a conversation.

The Yaksha King was not usually such a talkative being.

Now then. Disciple of Osu. How would you attack this domain?

"...?!"

Lee Han was even more startled by the unexpected question.

At present, Lee Han's position in this expedition was only slightly above Iron Cloak Ibinta, the bandit bastard who had suddenly been dragged along to serve as a lackey.

The knights, professors, angel, and everyone else were either stronger or wiser than Lee Han.

And yet the Yaksha King was asking him how to attack the place.

'Wasn't the whole reason the Principal called you in because you were supposed to handle the attack?'

It was absurd, but if Lee Han ignored the question, he had no idea how the Yaksha King might torment him next. Lee Han answered as best he could.

"First, I think I would look for the place where the enemy's forces are most concentrated, and if there isn't one, move toward wherever the mana feels strongest..."

Since Lee Han also studied summoning magic, he possessed a considerable amount of knowledge about dimensional theory.

There were methods for how to act when visiting an unfamiliar dimension with no map and no information.

When attacking a dimension, move toward where the enemy is strongest. When trying to escape a dimension, move toward where the enemy is weakest.

Hmm, hmm. I see. Then which place looks strongest to you?

"For now, the area around those temple ruins looks strongest..."

Good. Go deal with it.

"???"

Lee Han instinctively looked around.

Naturally, there was no one else the Yaksha King could possibly have been addressing. The order had been given only to Lee Han.

"Just me?"

Correct.

"...May I ask why?"

Because you faced the evil god, disciple of Osu.

The Yaksha King explained seriously.

Lee Han alone had received the key given by the evil god, and that was not a fact they could take lightly.

What if the evil god had invited only Lee Han?

If that was the case, there was no need to provoke it recklessly. Until they understood every path through the dimension and discovered the enemy's heart, it would be advantageous to humor it.

"......"

Lee Han suffered most at times like this, when he had no magical basis for arguing with the other person.

Why was it always the most insufferable bastards who said things that were magically correct?

-I'm truly envious, Wise King. Could I perhaps accompany him, at least by myself?

The angel Apazragon displayed emotion unusually openly.

This seeker walking the path of an ancient mage truly seemed blessed by fate.

No matter how hard Apazragon tried, the angel could not even find a clue toward hardship, while hardships from across the world naturally gathered around this mage.

No. Celestial one. Be grateful for your good fortune. You have already received more fortune than you deserve.

-My apologies, Wise King. My thinking was shallow.

'When I become an archmage someday, I'm beating the hell out of all of them.'

Lee Han inwardly steeled his resolve and trudged away.

A Death Knight, who had been watching the Successor's retreating figure with pity, cautiously spoke up.

-King. There is something I would like to say.

What is it?

-I absolutely do not mean to disparage Your Majesty's wise judgment... but the evil god's current state is hardly rational, and if a mage's ability to command powerful beings isn't considered part of the mage's strength, wouldn't that also be unreasonable?

The knights wanted to help somehow, even if they had to step forward themselves.

The Yaksha King or the professors would be too obvious, but with summoned beings like them, it would not be easy to determine the master-servant relationship.

Hearing the remonstrance, the Yaksha King nodded heavily.

Hmm. I see.

-What do you think?

Let me think for a moment.

The Death Knights stared at the Yaksha King tensely. Before long, the Yaksha King spoke.

It's over.

-What decision did you...?

I don't mean that I'm finished thinking. I mean the fight over there is finished.

At the Yaksha King's words, the knights snapped their heads around.

Far in the distance, Lee Han was already returning with a tired expression.

'He already defeated all of them?!'

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