Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Baishada was dumbfounded by Professor Ingurdel's misunderstanding.

"I really didn't give any advice..."

"No, Baishada's teachings were a great lesson for us," Yi-Han said.

Baishada's eyes widened at Yi-Han's words. He was grateful, but also quite flustered. Above all...

'You guys had already cut the giant's hair before I even taught you anything!'

Of course, it wasn't that Baishada hadn't given any advice. He had gone hunting with Yi-Han's group before and given them various teachings. However, those were teachings necessary for hunting and had little to do with the giant's hair.

If someone heard this, they would think that it was thanks to Baishada's advice that they were able to cut the giant's hair.

"There's no need to be so humble, Baishada," Professor Ingurdel said.

"That's right. It's truly admirable," Ghetse added.

Professor Ingurdel and even Ghetse looked at Baishada with respect. Secretly stealing a giant's shoes and cutting a giant's hair were completely different stories. The latter could not be easily obtained without defeating the giant.

And yet, the freshmen had accomplished it. It was only natural for Ingurdel and Ghetse to look at him with respect.

"..."

Baishada had wanted to receive a look of respect from Ghetse. But definitely not like this!

'I have mixed feelings...'

Baishada didn't know whether to be happy or not.

After submitting the assignment and completing the evaluation, Yi-Han tightly tied his boot laces. Then, he cast strengthening magic on himself.

"???" Dolgyu was startled by his friend's sudden spell casting.

"Why are you doing that, Yi-Han?"

"Dolgyu, I'll see you later."

Yi-Han dashed out like an arrow. He ran so fast that even after he left, Dolgyu and Jijel were slow to grasp the situation.

"What the..."

"Dolgyu! How could you not tell us too!"

'Oops.' When other White Tiger students approached with faces full of betrayal, Dolgyu finally realized why Yi-Han had run off.

As long as Yi-Han wasn't from the same tower as the White Tiger students, he could avoid meeting them by leaving.

There was no reason for him to stay and deal with them.

"That son of a..."

"He, he probably didn't mean any harm."

The final exam week was already half over.

'A little more and they'll be indistinguishable from the undead.'

That's what Yi-Han thought as he looked at his friends. Their current state was difficult to distinguish from skeleton warriors if not for their skin.

"Yi-Han, we're out of coffee," Yonaire whispered gravely, as if saying 'The Empire has fallen and the Great Demon of Hell has arrived at the gate.'

Of course, saying that while holding an empty coffee can didn't sound so grave.

"I see."

"We're out of sugar too... There's a lot more things we've run out of than I thought."

"Hmm."

Yi-Han, who also helped manage the food storage of the Blue Dragon Tower, was well aware. Of course, there was still plenty of ingredients for meals, canned meat, various seasonings, and vegetables.

Yi-Han had prioritized managing those as he didn't want to rely on meals from the school either.

However, it was a different story for luxury foods like coffee or tea, or snacks. Not only were they less abundant than other food supplies, but the students had consumed them recklessly since the exam period began...

Even though he had recently gone out and looted half a snack shop, they were depleted to the point of running out.

'Well, it's not strange for them to run out when students from all four towers ate them at the same time.'

"Yi-Han, now that it's come to this, let's take out the cake to celebrate the end of the semester. Those who live must live. We can't starve to death, right?"

Ignoring Gainando's solemn words beside him, Yi-Han spoke to his friends.

"We have no choice but to endure it, right? As long as we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner..."

Yi-Han thought it wasn't the worst situation, but the Blue Dragon students were half in a state of panic.

"Oh my god!!"

"Dear God! How could this happen!!"

"This must be a conspiracy by the principal!"

'These guys should experience how students from other towers live.'

"Wa, Wardanaz. Coffee? There's no coffee either? If there's no hot coffee with lots of sugar, my exams will be doomed."

"What about using chicory or dandelion roots as a substitute?"

If you roasted the roots of other plants and then boiled them in water, you could make a coffee-like beverage. In fact, the Black Tortoise students often enjoyed it that way.

However, Yi-Han's words came as a great shock to the Blue Dragon students.

"Ca, can we eat something like that?"

"You're not joking, are you?"

"..."

Gainando asked from the side.

"From now on, do we have to share with students from other towers?"

"But we can't refuse when they're paying money, right?"

At Yi-Han's words, Gainando showed a slightly touched expression. He wondered why they were sharing food with the annoying White Tiger bastards, even if it was understandable to share with the Black Tortoise. Yi-Han was indeed broad-minded, he readily extended his hand even to those annoying bastards.

Gainando wiped under his nose.

'I should learn from him too.'

"Yeah, you're right, Yi-Han."

"Oh."

Yi-Han looked at Gainando in surprise. Knowing Gainando's personality, he expected him to throw a fit, saying, 'No matter how much money they pay, don't give it to those bastards!'

"Then what should we do, Yi-Han?"

"I just told you. Endure it."

"Huh? Endure what?"

"Just endure it and study."

"...Ugh..."

"Wardanaz. I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

Yi-Han, who had been fiddling with a shield for Professor Verduus's final exam, was puzzled by Ratford's visit.

"Is there something you want to ask? Are you stuck in any lecture?"

"Ah, that's fine."

"Have you already finished studying?"

"No. But there are many things in the world more important than exams."

"?"

Yi-Han tilted his head. Is there such a thing?

"More importantly, take a look at this."

Ratford took out a map from his pocket. It was a map leading to somewhere on the 2nd floor of the main building.

"This is... the kitchen?"

"Yes, it's the kitchen connected to the food storage."

Ratford's eyes sparkled as he spoke.

"Let's raid it together, Wardanaz."

"Ratford..."

Until just now, Yi-Han had thought, 'He's doing all sorts of things because he doesn't want to study,' but he couldn't help but be moved by Ratford's consideration.

Knowing that the Blue Dragon was running out of luxury foods and coming to find the academy's kitchen like this.

"Thank you. I appreciate you being so considerate, knowing that our tower's luxury foods have run out."

"Huh? Have you run out of food?"

Ratford looked at Yi-Han with surprised eyes. Yi-Han was also surprised.

"You didn't know? Wait, then why did you bring this?"

"Huh? Well... Since we know the location, we should raid it before someone else takes it, right?"

"..."

Yi-Han was impressed in a different way. Just as a true climber climbs because the mountain is there, a true thief steals because there is something to steal.

It didn't matter whether it was exam period or not. If their fingers itch, they take action!

"2nd floor... Not bad."

If it were the 3rd or 4th floor, Yi-Han would have hesitated a bit. From the 3rd floor of the magic academy, various changes occurred every time you visited, tricking innocent students.

But such changes were relatively rare on the 2nd floor. If you knew how to get there, you could quickly go in at night, loot, and come out.

"Alright, shall we go tonight to refresh ourselves?"

"You've made a good decision. Someone else might take it."

"Someone else? Who else knows?"

"Ah, Tutanta and his friends know. They're probably targeting it too."

"Really? Did you find it together? What a coincidence."

"No, I stole what Tutanta found and brought it out."

"...Let's leave right now."

Yi-Han decided to leave right away instead of waiting until night. He felt that if they ran into the Black Tortoise students at night, they would only build misunderstandings with each other.

Yonaire asked puzzledly.

"Can't we bring more people?"

"First of all, there's no need to bring back a lot..."

There was no need to bring back a lot anyway, as the semester was ending.

"...It's not something that should leak out."

"??"

Yonaire tilted her head in puzzlement..

"Is it over there?"

"Yes."

"Wait, Ratford. Match your stride. The invisibility will be lifted if you go outside."

Yi-Han was currently using an amplified invisibility spell. A method he realized while facing the Rock Drake.

When casting <Gonadaltes' Cloak of Invisibility> together with the Spirekeeper's necklace, the range of the invisibility spell increased.

Of course, it wasn't almighty. If you stepped out of the area even a little, the invisibility would immediately be lifted.

Click!

Ratford quickly picked the lock and opened the door. The moment the door opened, Yi-Han realized that he had come to the right place. A subtle smell of food wafted from inside.

'Lucky.'

A relatively close storage on the 2nd floor of the main building, with no special surveillance or defense mechanisms. This was a level of luck that couldn't be wished for more.

'Well, it's okay to receive this much after going through so much trouble.'

"Eyes, pierce through the darkness."

Yi-Han cast a dark vision spell and stepped into the kitchen. In the corner, there was a door connected to the food storage next door. Yi-Han quietly opened the door, went inside, and quickly started looting.

Starting with cans of coffee powder, sugar, condensed milk, honey, tea leaves, and other things they needed now were piled up in the backpack.

As he felt the heavy weight in the backpack, Yi-Han could understand Ratford's feelings.

'It's definitely more fun to sneak in at night and steal than to buy with money.'

Moreover, thinking that these groceries were bought by the skull principal with money, the joy doubled.

"All done."

"I'm finished too."

"I'm also done."

"Let's go!"

If there was one thing he learned at the magic academy, it was that once you achieved your goal, you shouldn't linger.

Yi-Han turned around without hesitation.

"!!"

As they were about to leave the kitchen and walk out into the corridor, familiar faces of friends appeared from the opposite side.

Seeing Salko's gang, Yi-Han felt a little sorry.

'But it's okay since there's still a lot left.'

Thanks to their conscientious thievery, there was still enough food left for Salko's gang to take. Moreover, under Ratford's guidance, Yi-Han and Yoner had swept the place like pros.

Salko, who arrived late, wouldn't even notice that someone had come and gone first.

Swish-

Thanks to the invisibility spell, Salko's gang didn't notice Yi-Han's group and went straight into the kitchen.

At that moment, a strong flow of mana was felt from inside.

Clank!

"!!"

"?!"

As the kitchen door closed with a heavy sound, they seemed to have noticed something strange inside and hurriedly tried to open it.

However, the door only made a loud noise and didn't open.

'There was a trap!'

Yi-Han felt a chill down his spine. He had been relieved that there was no special surveillance or mana on the 2nd floor of the main building, but he never thought there would be such a trap.

Indeed, one should never let their guard down at Einroguard.

"Why did it activate?"

"It seems to be a trap that activates when the number of intruders exceeds a certain amount."

It was a truly malicious trap. A trap that doesn't notice when 2 or 3 people enter, but traps them the moment they call their friends!

Yi-Han stopped the invisibility spell for a moment and approached the door. Ratford cautiously asked.

"Will you help them?"

"No, I'm just checking."

Sorry, but if he tried to help now, he could get caught together. Yi-Han just wanted to find out what kind of magic it was before running away.

So that he could respond even if he encountered such magic in the future.

'The flow and composition are roughly...'

Clank!

The moment he brought his hand close, the door opened. As a result, Yi-Han's eyes met directly with Salko's gang, who had been trying to open the door from the inside.

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han spoke firmly.

"I came to save you."