Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 999

Chapter 999

The old Yaksha waved his arm as if annoyed. The giants' mouths were forcibly closed.

-Come. I've kept them safe.-

"The head servant..."

-He came from earth, so he returned to earth. Don't grieve. It's not a blessing for the dead to be bound to this world.-

"...?"

Yi-Han looked at the Death Knights flying through the sky on undead mounts.

It was a plausible statement, but not very convincing in Einroguard.

Perhaps sensing that impure gaze, the old Yaksha clicked his tongue.

-Like a youngster, you don't listen even when told. Fine. Just take your items.-

The old Yaksha opened a tree stump like a chest and took out the relics stored inside.

A reagent pouch, a book with a white cover, and a cage containing the hamster.

"..."

Yi-Han, who was about to be moved after receiving the reagents and book, froze when his eyes met the hamster's.

"...No, why are you there like that?"

-You think I want to be like this!-

The hamster trapped in the cage rebuked with angry squeaks.

A giant beside them grumbled.

-That mouse is picky about food. Other mice eat even rotten things well, but that mouse won't eat.-

-Foolish races, inferior species that should have gone extinct long ago!-

The hamster, who had received the giants' care while Yi-Han was sleeping, was full of resentment.

It seemed the giants weren't particularly skilled at hamster care.

"I thought you would return to normal since Master ascended too."

-I thought so too.-

The hamster, who had once been a magic criminal, spoke while munching on grapes Yi-Han threw. It felt like his stomach was stuck to his back because of the giants.

-But it was my mistake. That madman had set it up so the magic wouldn't break even if he disappeared.-

The hamster had underestimated the ancient great mage's persistence and perfectionism.

To think he would set it up to self-sustain and continue maintaining itself even after he disappeared.

If it hadn't been magic he suffered from, he would have admired that perfectionism, but unfortunately, this was magic he was suffering from.

"Indeed... Isn't he amazing?"

-......-

When Yi-Han freshly admired the mad doppelganger's magic, the hamster felt indignant.

This young brat, just because he wasn't suffering...

But the hamster endured. The only one he could trust here was the boy before him.

-I will surely repay your kindness, so release me!-

"Pardon? I don't know how to release you though."

-...Oh.-

The hamster only then realized the other was just a 2nd year Einroguard student.

From the small world to competing with Gonadaltes, he had forgotten for a moment, but originally one couldn't expect him to release such magic.

'Why did I wait for this fellow?'

For a moment, the hamster became confused whether his intelligence had decreased due to the curse too.

He had thought all week that he could be freed from this curse once he returned, but now he couldn't understand why he had thought that.

"Didn't others release you?"

-Would you have done it if you were them?-

The hamster squeaked in disbelief at Yi-Han's words.

The other mages there had been the skull principal or the vampire professor - why would they release a magic criminal?

"That's unfortunate. Well, hang in there."

-...Wait! Wait! Wait! Don't leave me behind!-

When Yi-Han tried to leave with just the reagents and book, the hamster frantically squeaked while rat-tat-tatting against the cage walls.

-I will surely be helpful to you. Think about it. When the doppelganger was experiencing the world's flames of fear, how could you have overcome it without my help?-

"Wait. I think you incited me to kill him."

Yi-Han's voice became slightly chilly as he recalled the memory. The hamster became even more desperate.

-...That was just suggesting one of the methods. When you refused, didn't I offer another method!-

"I understand you helped, but I'm telling you I'm not confident I can release it. Why don't you just ask the old Yaksha over there?"

-Didn't you inherit magic from the doppelganger? Just look at that book!-

The hamster immediately recognized what kind of book the mad doppelganger had left.

Usually, grimoires left by mages were written to organize their insights and pass them on to later students.

Some grimoires were written in simple letters that anyone could understand, while others were written in code that only specific schools could understand.

Among them, the rarest and most powerful were spirit grimoires.

Grimoires containing fragments of a mage's soul.

Such books couldn't be easily read or opened like ordinary books. They couldn't even be destroyed.

They only transmitted magic to their owner according to the will contained in the grimoire.

"!"

Yi-Han quickly understood the hamster's explanation. He already had a similar book.

The black book the skull principal had (forcibly) given him.

"Are you saying this book contains the arcane knowledge of release?"

-That's right.-

"...But wouldn't it take quite a long time to master that?"

-Then all the more reason to master it quickly! Don't waste time here!-

Yi-Han wore a sour expression at the hamster's grumbling.

Of course, the mad doppelganger's ascension had left Yi-Han with a strong impression and new goal.

But that didn't mean he was easy enough to say 'Right! I must go learn magic!' at some hamster's squeaking to quickly learn magic.

He intended to proceed in his own way.

'Should I leave him among the giants since he's noisy?'

'This fellow, surely he's not thinking of abandoning me among the giants?'

The two mages read each other's thoughts. The hamster squeaked submissively.

-...Come to think of it, you're still a student, and it would take more time to learn how to release it. Learn slowly. And please won't you take me with you? Don't leave me among these madmen?-

-That rat bastard still isn't dead? The giants' patience is better than expected.-

"!"

Yi-Han turned his head at the familiar telepathy from behind.

The giants were already fleeing in all directions, breaking trees and rocks.

Crash crash crash crash crash!

-Waaaaaah! It's the principal!-

-Run! Run! He'll take our wine and meat!-

The skull principal cackled with satisfaction at their heated reaction.

The hamster wanted to flee too, but trapped in the cage, he couldn't. Instead, he hid his body in the sawdust.

Fortunately, the skull principal didn't show any more interest in the hamster. He had too many pressing matters now to care about such trivial things.

-I heard you woke up, Bat-danaz. I knew you'd come here.-

The old Yaksha asked with curiosity in his voice.

-Come to think of it, did you really spread a curtain of dreams over this entire territory, Lord?-

-I understand your shock.-

The skull principal ignored him, pretending not to hear. But the old Yaksha was persistent.

-As far as I know, even covering a very small area with a curtain of dreams wouldn't be easy, so how did you cover this entire territory? Did you perhaps borrow gold? But even with a considerable amount...-

Unable to endure anymore, the skull principal banished the old Yaksha far away.

The Yaksha race indeed had a talent for grating on people's nerves since ancient times.

-As I acknowledged you as my disciple, Bat-danaz, I should have explained as a master. I formally apologize.-

"...No. I spoke too harshly too."

When the skull principal apologized politely, Yi-Han's attitude softened too.

Actually, thinking about it coldly, the skull principal hadn't done it out of malice either.

...Well, he did have some malice, but that was because he was originally a person who only had malice, and at least in this matter, he had tried to present the best solution in his own way.

"I apologize for cursing too. Saying you should just be principal until the end of the world was a bit harsh."

-...The curse seems much harsher than back then... No matter.-

The skull principal felt puzzled by the much harsher curse but let it pass.

That wasn't what was important now.

-Right. Let's bury our mistakes here in the mountains together and move on.-

"Yes."

-Then finish the exam as quickly as possible and come up to the principal's office. I need my disciple's help to persuade the empire's evil creditors.-

The skull principal, having said his piece, immediately turned around and floated away.

Yi-Han glared at the white round skull's back with eyes full of bewilderment.

What was this...?!

-Ah.-

The skull principal suddenly stopped and floated back.

"What is it?"

-Don't send anonymous reports.-

"?!!"

  *

"I'm telling you, something's wrong with Wardanaz!"

"Stop making such a fuss. Wardanaz isn't a weakling like you. He'll get up when he recovers."

"That's not it! He woke up but didn't even ask about the exam!"

"...What?!"

The White Tiger Tower students who were skinning a hunted wild boar stirred with shocked expressions.

They were so shocked they even cut precious meat along with the skin.

"Then what was the point of us studying so hard?"

"Damn. We worked hard for nothing."

"..."

Jijel, holding a pocket knife behind them, glared at her friends murderously.

The White Tiger Tower students, belatedly noticing that gaze, changed their words.

"Come to think of it, studying is for self-cultivation. Haha."

"Right. Like in that story Wardanaz told us before. The true treasure hidden in the vineyard was effort."

"I still don't quite understand that story..."

The White Tiger Tower student tilted his head.

The story Wardanaz had told before, about three brothers who inherited a vineyard from an old farmer, didn't make sense at all.

When the old farmer left his last words saying 'I've hidden treasure in the vineyard', the three brothers diligently dug up the field.

But no treasure appeared, and they only had a good grape harvest thanks to the dug-up field...

'Is it saying that as a mage, you should doubt even your parents?'

He wondered if it meant that since even magic books left by outstanding mages might not contain treasure, one should doubt rationally rather than accepting blindly.

Of course, Wardanaz had gotten angry at this interpretation, but wasn't getting angry just Wardanaz's daily routine?

"I should at least pack some meat and visit Wardanaz. If he's not even interested in exams, he must be seriously injured."

This time, even Jijel didn't stop her friends.

Though Blue Dragon Tower fellows were prone to exaggeration, this time it sounded quite serious.

"What are you all doing?"

Yi-Han, passing through the 7th floor open space, was puzzled seeing his friends chattering.

His friends shouted in surprise.

"Wardanaz! Is it okay for you to be walking around like this?!"

"I've rested enough to recover fully."

Yi-Han was holding a hamster cage in one hand and leaves for hamster food in the other.

Though it was quite a sudden pet, his friends didn't pay much attention to that. Rather, they asked a different question.

"What about the exam?!"

"What exam?"

"Blue Dragon Tower guys said you lost interest in exams... went crazy..."

"We didn't say he went crazy, you bastards!"

The Blue Dragon Tower students frantically interrupted.

Where did such nonsense come from?!

"Ah. I understand what you mean. It's not that I lost interest in exams, but I had urgent matters to check first. There are things more important than exams in the world after all."

"...!!"

The friends were shocked at this new side of Wardanaz.

Usually, saying things like 'Aren't there things more important than exams? Like ballgame...' would bring lightning strikes to one's back!

"Are-are you really okay?"

"No. I like this new Wardanaz."

While the Blue Dragon Tower students whispered in shock (with Jijel among them), the White Tiger Tower students accepted it flexibly.

A Wardanaz less obsessed with exams seemed much more appealing than an exam-obsessed Wardanaz.

"Wardanaz! We welcome your change! There are many things more important than exams in the world!"

"That's right! What were you doing just now? Looking for food for your new pet?"

"No. I need to finish the exam quickly so I took it first."

Yi-Han shook the exam paper he had put in the cage.

It was the <Magical Algebra and Arcane Geometry> lecture exam paper, and it was a perfect score without a single mistake.

"..."

"..."

The White Tiger Tower students' hearts shattered into pieces.

There existed a mage who could get perfect scores even while being less obsessed with exams.