Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

The Chestnut Tree Knight Order was not a knight order that engaged in intense real combat, but still, there had to be a difference in skill between a formal knight of the order and students who were still learning magic at Einroguard.

Of course, the Chestnut Tree Knight Order also had many eyes watching, so they naturally had to hold back, but even considering that, the students seemed too disadvantaged.

The servant couldn't understand at all why the students were happy about it.

"Let's trample on those arrogant bastards, Wardanaz! Don't forgive them at all!"

"They won't know that you can use a sword. Let's hide it and finish them off at once!"

"They'll be so surprised when you take out a sword after attacking with magic, they'll fall for it!"

At the vulgar shouts of the White Tiger Tower students, students from other towers looked at them with perplexed gazes.

Salko muttered.

"Are those guys really knights?"

Some White Tiger Tower students couldn't lift their heads out of embarrassment for their friends.

They were acting so high and mighty, not even stepping up themselves but leaving it to Wardanaz...

"Excuse me, are you really sure about this?"

The servant asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry! Wardanaz is here!"

"Uh... Isn't it the mage who's going out?"

"..."

"..."

The servant's innocent question brought the White Tiger Tower students back to their senses.

"We... We're weaker than Wardanaz..."

"Ah, aha. I see."

When they became awkward with each other, the servant shouted to change the mood.

"I think if I were a friend, I could go out instead! Isn't that what friendship is about?"

"We're not really friends though..."

"..."

When the atmosphere became very awkward, the White Tiger Tower students unconsciously looked at Yi-Han.

"You... You'll go out, right? Wardanaz?"

"We can't exclude you from the White Tiger Tower's power."

"Hey. You crazy bastard. Wardanaz is from the Blue Dragon Tower."

"Ah, oops. Out of habit..."

Regardless of the White Tiger Tower students' foolishness, Yi-Han took the opponent's provocation quite seriously.

Before the match, he called Dolgyu and Jijel to thoroughly confirm the opponent's strength.

"The Chestnut Tree Knight Order isn't that powerful or renowned."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Are you really sure?"

"...What do you mean by asking again?"

Jijel held back from adding 'bastard' or 'jerk' at the end and asked.

Instead of answering, Yi-Han looked at Dolgyu. Dolgyu glanced at Jijel and nodded.

"It's certain. Yi-Han. They're not that great of a knight order."

"That's a relief."

"But Yi-Han... Even if they're not masters like Mr. Bikelintz or Professor Ingurdel, if they're representing the knight order, their skills won't be easy to deal with at all."

Dolgyu spoke with a worried tone.

Unlike the other White Tiger Tower students who had a strange illusion about Yi-Han's strength due to being beaten up so much (some White Tiger Tower students seriously argued that if Yi-Han took out the forbidden magic he had hidden and fought against the skull principal, they might be evenly matched), Dolgyu and Jijel were quite realistic.

Although Yi-Han was strong, he was still a student, wasn't he?

In comparison, the opponent was a knight with experience. It was always the knight who caught the mage.

"Don't worry. Dolgyu. I have it all figured out."

Now that things had flowed this way, Yi-Han had no intention of letting it go smoothly either.

No matter how crazy they were about the banquet hall, there had to be a limit, right?

Regardless of what the opponent was thinking, he intended to show them what he was made of.

"What are you planning to do?"

Jijel asked out of genuine curiosity.

She knew that Yi-Han was a cunning, despicable, and meticulous strategist, but she couldn't even guess what he would do in this situation.

"Just watch."

Yi-Han approached the servant and whispered.

"It seems too harsh for the students to face the knights in this situation. I think we should make some more concessions. Try to say this well."

The servant was more surprised than moved by the silver coins coming into his sleeve.

No way, even this?

"Of-Of course it's something I should do. You don't have to give me silver coins. I'll do my best."

"Oh no. No. Keep it. Keep it."

Yi-Han grabbed the resisting servant and stuffed the silver coins into his pocket.

The servant, who finally gave up and took the silver coins, went out and returned after a while.

"They say you can prepare magic in advance."

"Thank you."

Jijel thought she understood now.

It was a simple but effective method.

Of course, it was absolutely not a method that someone from a great noble family would use.

'Is he really crazy?'

"Here, one more."

"What!? It's really oka-"

"Go back and tell them that it seems the students are in the mood to just refuse the suggestion, so they should make more concessions."

"..."

The servant went out with a dazed face, not knowing what he was doing.

And he came back and said.

"They say they can do three against one."

"I see. Wait. Don't go yet. The students ate a lot today and their bodies are heavy, so more concessions..."

"Wardanaz, this is big trouble!"

At the sudden shout, the three students turned their heads.

"It's not just the Chestnut Tree Knight Order! The White Wood Knight Order is here too! They're the guys who came to the academy last time!"

"!"

Yi-Han was startled.

This was definitely a big blow.

If the squires of the White Wood Knight Order were to tell what had happened...

'It becomes difficult to make them let their guard down by pretending to be weak!'

"But we had the friendship of crossing swords together last time, is there no possibility they'll keep it a secret?"

At Yi-Han's question, Dolgyu and Jijel shook their heads and answered.

"I don't think those guys would do that."

"If those bastards do that, I'm not from the Moradi family, I'm from the Wardanaz family."

'Isn't that too much?'

While Yi-Han was thinking that, someone opened the back door of the banquet hall and carefully entered.

It was a familiar squire from the White Wood Knight Order.

"Slu-Slur-!"

"Shh! Be quiet. I came in secretly. I came to give you information."

The squire hid his body among the students while looking outside.

"But what did you say just now? Slur?"

"...Didn't you mishear the sound of slurping?"

"Is that so?"

The squire turned his head and looked at Yi-Han as if he had no interest.

Then he quickly poured out his words in a very small voice.

"Right now, the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order are off guard outside. Those guys don't know how evil you are, Wardanaz..."

"Evil?"

"...I misspoke because I was in a hurry. They won't know how skilled you are in both swordsmanship and magic and how deep your schemes are. The guy who's stepping up as the representative uses a sword and shield together, and he uses his left hand for the sword, right? His swordsmanship is..."

At the friendship of the squire who was directly telling him the weaknesses, Yi-Han looked at Dolgyu and Jijel. The two avoided his gaze.

The duke, who had finished resting, opened the door and came out.

The escorts and attendants were waiting in front of the study without even breathing.

It was an unnecessary action, but the duke walked ahead as if it was natural.

"...?"

There was a noisy commotion coming from the center of the first floor located below the grand staircase.

At first, he thought it was coming from the banquet hall, but upon thinking about it, the direction was different.

"What's going on?"

"..."

"..."

The attendants held their breath without grasping the situation.

While the duke was resting, they had told the servants not to disturb him and had been waiting in front of the study as if a mouse had died, so they weren't fully aware of the situation.

"I'll go check and come back."

One attendant hurriedly went down. He went down so fast that he almost slipped and fell several times.

The attendant who went down felt his heart sink at the sight of the knights and students huddled together on the first floor, having something like a duel.

"What on earth is going on?"

"The-There was a problem with which banquet hall to use..."

The servant also grasped the situation from the attendant's serious face and made excuses with a tearful expression.

"You told us not to come up, so we had no choice..."

"You should have mediated, not let them engage in swordplay inside the residence!"

"It's not swordplay, it's a practice match..."

It was fortunate, but the situation was still not good.

If a knight and a student fought, wasn't it obvious who would win?

Even if they won nicely, the students would be dissatisfied with the duke's handling of the matter, and if the knight used his skills roughly, just thinking about the aftermath was dizzying.

The attendant ran to the duke as quickly as possible and explained the situation.

After hearing everything, Duke Icaldoren froze coldly. He had crossed the threshold of anger.

"So?"

"..."

"So why are you telling me that as it is? Are you saying that I have to solve it myself? Huh?"

"I will go and resolve it right away!"

The attendants and escorts immediately shouted and ran downstairs.

They intended to stop this matter even if they had to beat up the knights.

"This... This is against the rules!"

"I don't know why it's against the rules."

"You were hiding magic!"

"Didn't you say we could cast magic in advance?"

"...???"

However, the sight unfolding before the escorts' eyes was the exact opposite of their expectations.

Yi-Han, Dolgyu, and Jijel walked out after casting reinforcement magic as much as they could.

While pretending to be as weak, scared, and nervous as possible.

"Dolgyu. Relax your eyes. You look strong."

"So-Sorry. Yi-Han. It's hard to act..."

"Think of yourself as Gainando."

"I-I am Gainando. I am Gainando."

"..."

It didn't end there.

Yi-Han boldly asked for time to complete the spin by floating water orbs.

The opposing knight lightly agreed without even knowing what magic Yi-Han was preparing. He had already judged that he had won based on the three's tense appearance.

Bang!

As a result, the opposing knight was sent flying through the glass window into the garden next to the residence.

"..."

"Tell them you didn't send him flying on purpose. Yi-Han."

"Sorry. I failed to control my strength."

The knights, who came to their senses belatedly, strongly protested.

"This... This is against the rules!"

Originally, they had planned to fight somewhat evenly and give the opponent the excuse of 'Haha, I let my guard down because they're young students,' but now that they had accidentally sent him flying with a single blow, Yi-Han didn't have many options left.

Brazenly go out!

"I don't know why it's against the rules."

"You were hiding magic!"

"Didn't you say we could cast magic in advance?"

Yi-Han insisted with a face that said 'I know nothing.'

In fact, the knights had nothing to say.

It was something that had already been permitted beforehand.

"This cunning trick...!"

"Enough."

"Duke!"

The knights were delighted by Duke Icaldoren's visit.

"We were just having a simple match, so if it's alright with you, could you judge..."

"Why?"

"Pardon?"

"I asked why you're having a match in someone else's residence."

"..."

"...Well, there was a small dispute..."

"If a small dispute arises, is it okay to have a match in someone else's residence? Is that the way of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order?"

Only then did the knights of the knight order realize that the atmosphere was unusual and shut their mouths.

They used to walk around with their shoulders back as members of a knight family on their own land, but if the duke unleashed his anger, they would be blown away.

"Du-Duke. There seems to be a misunderstanding."

"Do you think I'm an idiot? To the point where I can't even understand your words?"

"N-No. That's not it..."

"I generously overlooked your mistake, and now you're trying to insult me!"

The duke spat out coldly restrained anger.

Seeing that, Yi-Han thought to himself.

'He seems different from the rumors.'

The person who was laughing happily when the White Tiger Tower students were making a fuss was getting so angry over a match.

Contrary to the rumors, he had quite a fickle and eccentric personality.

And he was also stingy...