Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Before Sharukal could finish his words, the holy power that had been spreading from Yi-Han's body disappeared without bearing fruit.

Although he had succeeded in creating holy power, he had failed to manifest it into magic.

However, that alone was remarkable enough. Originally, most believers couldn't even create holy power.

holy power was the foundation and origin of holy magic.

A person who had once created holy power would eventually reach holy magic someday.

"Phew..."

"Hah..."

Sighs of relief escaped from here and there.

They were sighs that meant 'thank goodness' to anyone who heard them.

"...You're not happy about this, are you??"

Sharukal spoke in a slightly sulky voice.

Shouldn't priests pray for the awakening of holy magic for believers of other orders, no matter what?

Even if they served different gods, they were comrades walking the same path!

"Ah, no, we're not."

"How could that be?"

"Actually, a little..."

The other priests stopped Nigisor, who was about to admit it honestly.

In fact, if it were another believer, they could have sincerely congratulated them, saying, "Congratulations on awakening holy magic."

However, Yi-Han was a bit different.

If Yi-Han awakened the holy magic of the Agltakwa Order, wouldn't he cut off his interest in other orders, thinking, 'My faith was actually in Agltakwa'?

From the priests' perspective, it would end without even having a chance to show their faith.

Moreover, there was one more reason.

The fact that he had awakened holy power itself meant that he had the talent for faith and belief.

Since ordinary believers couldn't even awaken holy power, it was indeed an extremely rare talent.

In other words...

If they took him now and persuaded him well, there was a high possibility of awakening the holy magic of other orders!

In fact, in the case of Priest Nigisor, he said what he wanted to say even though the other priests stopped him.

"Since you've awakened holy power now but holy magic hasn't manifested, isn't it faith in another god, not faith in Agltakwa?"

"Let's be quiet."

Priestess Tijiling made him shut his mouth.

While they were chattering like that, Professor Garcia approached, puzzled.

It was rare for the students of the Immortal Phoenix Tower to gather like this and do something else during class.

"What are you all doing? Is there a part you're stuck on?"

"Ah. Professor. We were just talking about which order's holy magic Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family would awaken."

"...Is my lecture not interesting?"

After that, the students diligently focused on the underwater breathing magic.

It was definitely not because they were afraid of Professor Garcia. It was because they didn't want to disappoint the always kind Professor Garcia.

"Yi-Han. You're going to our tower's lounge, right?"

"No?"

"...You, you're going to the Immortal Phoenix Tower's lounge. Ye, yeah. Of course."

Gainando spoke, avoiding his gaze.

"I'm going to the vegetable garden to work."

"Ah!"

Gainando's face brightened.

"Good. You come and help too."

"Ah."

Gainando's face darkened.

"Actually, I have something to do..."

"That guy Gainando has nothing to do. He said he was going to make a new card deck this afternoon."

Yi-Han's friends from the Blue Dragon Tower kindly informed him. Yi-Han nodded.

"If you have nothing to do, you can come and help."

"...I was on duty yesterday too...!"

"??"

Yi-Han was puzzled by Gainando's words.

Duty?

"Did you guys divide the work among yourselves while I was gone? How admirable..."

Honestly, it was a touching thing.

Of course, if the students from the Black Tortoise Tower heard it, they would say, "Why is Wardanaz touched by that?" but the students from the Blue Dragon Tower were basically guys who had never washed their own clothes in their lives.

Guys who knew that the messy lounge would clean itself up without Yi-Han giving instructions one by one.

Hearing that such students had decided on duties by themselves and worked hard since the 2nd semester started, he was touched for no reason.

'So this is where the positive function of Einroguard was.'

"Ah. That's not it..."

"?"

"I'll explain it to you," The skull principal’s voice was suddenly heard.

A few students from the Blue Dragon Tower almost fainted, screaming.

The skull principal had come down floating, not from the side or back, but from above.

The skull principal never scared students in the same way.

"You probably don't know since it happened while you were gone. As you know, you ironheads spent a semester here. Even in their empty heads, some wisdom must have grown. Of course, it would be a lighter amount than fluff."

"..."

"..."

The students frowned at the skull principal's heartwarming praise.

"So I decided to give you guys a little more freedom in the 2nd semester."

Although the skull principal spoke in a kind and gentle voice, no one was fooled.

Yi-Han, who still didn't understand, asked.

"What freedom? Perhaps permission to go out on weekends..."

"Did you lose your mind because you came two weeks late? Anyone who hears you will think you're the professor."

"...Then what is it?"

"The freedom to take responsibility for the school's work and do it on your own."

The skull principal kindly explained.

While Yi-Han was gone, the other 1st-year students had all been given an explanation.

Each tower was given the responsibility to take turns handling the school's chores.

Cleaning the alchemy workshop's waste disposal area, organizing the kitchen warehouse on the 1st floor, tidying up the lecture hall that had become a mess due to experiments, cleaning near the stable, and so on.

Considering the vast grounds of Einroguard and the almost infinite interior of the buildings, there was an endless amount of chores for the students to do.

The skull principal had bestowed upon the students the freedom to do these chores.

"Wow."

"Sometimes there are students who misunderstand the magic academy, but this magic academy is not a place like a prison. It just grants freedom befitting one's qualifications. If I let them loose without qualifications and they get hurt, how much would my heart ache?"

"Truly amazing."

"Right?"

Thinking he had sufficiently ruined the students' joy, the skull principal flew back into the air.

Gainando looked at Yi-Han with a gloomy face.

"I couldn't even play yesterday because I was cleaning up the spontaneously generated slimes."

"I see. Come and help."

"...?!"

Gainando was startled by the sight of Yi-Han mercilessly taking him along, even though he clearly seemed to be in a forgiving mood.

Wasn't he going to let it go?

"So what's the Immortal Phoenix Tower's assigned work?"

"Ah. We'll probably get a new assignment this evening."

"I see. Since I didn't do anything for two weeks, I want to participate."

At Yi-Han's words, the priests' faces suddenly hardened. Seeing that, Yi-Han flinched.

'Did I make a mistake?'

"Can I participate too?" One of the priests suddenly said.

"What are you saying... You worked hard last week, so you should rest this week. I decided to do it this week."

"What does the order matter when helping with work? Haha."

"You'll get sick if you overdo it. Rest."

Yi-Han shook his head and turned around at the sight of the priests competing to work.

Gainando, who didn't know the inside story, was very envious.

"Wow. The priests are volunteering to work. I'm really envious."

"Be quiet and let's go to work."

The vegetable garden behind Professor Uregor's cabin had become quite messy while he was gone.

Yi-Han cleaned up the surroundings with Gainando and fed the chickens.

The chickens, who recognized Yi-Han returning after a few months, clucked happily.

Gainando swallowed his saliva.

"Are you going to catch them?"

"They're for getting eggs."

"Hmph."

Gainando tried to pet the chickens, thinking that eggs were better than nothing.

However, the chickens didn't leave the mage with evil intentions alone and immediately pecked him with their beaks.

"Ack! These bastards!"

"Gainando. Stop playing around and come here to clear some weeds. I need to plant new seeds here."

Gainando, who was panting while doing chores, suddenly thought of something and asked.

"Wait. Can't you summon undead? They can work too!"

"It's a good idea, but undead aren't suitable for this kind of work. Bad mana sticks to them."

"..."

Gainando cursed dark magic inwardly.

It was a magic that really didn't help much in life.

After sweating for nearly two hours, it was roughly finished. Yi-Han packed vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, canned food, pickled meat, etc. into a basket and gave it to Gainando.

"Take it and share it."

"Gre, great! I'll cook it well!"

"No. Don't cook it yourself. Just deliver it."

"..."

Gainando pouted.

"I can cook well too..."

"No. Just deliver it."

"...Okay."

Gainando tilted his head as he received the basket. The vegetables were one thing, but the rest of the food was unfamiliar.

"But isn't this from the professor's cabin...?"

"Go back quickly. I'll finish up here and come later."

Yi-Han sent Gainando away as if chasing him out.

Then, Professor Uregor and Professor Bungaegor were seen walking from afar.

"No wonder it felt clean, you cleaned it up. Good work."

Professor Bungaegor laughed heartily and praised Yi-Han.

"You worked hard inside. How did you find such a ruin?"

"I was lucky."

Professor Uregor, who was listening next to him, spoke as if dumbfounded.

"Is that being lucky?"

"That much is being lucky. He found it and came out safely."

"What do you mean... Ah. Earlier, the prince came out, and the canned food in his basket, was it mine...?"

"Anyway, I'm glad to see both of you like this!"

Yi-Han immediately changed the subject.

"Yeah. You're a bit late, so to catch up, you have to work hard... No. Work a little hard... No. Just take it easy. You'll still catch up."

"..."

Yi-Han was dumbfounded by Professor Uregor's half-hearted words.

"How can I catch up if I take it easy instead of working hard?"

"You're the kind of guy who will work hard even if I tell you to take it easy."

"Ah. Did you go see Professor Bagrak?"

Professor Bungaegor asked while putting down the sack she was holding with a thud. The sack had <Basilisk Feed> written on it.

"...I haven't gone yet, but why do you ask...?"

"Huh? Didn't you decide to raise the basilisk? Didn't you hear?"

"..."

Yi-Han became gloomy upon hearing the name of the monster he had forgotten.

Didn't Professor Bagrak bring the basilisk egg during the break and say, "If you raise this well, it will try hard to kill you"?

Of course, the exact words were a bit different, but the meaning was roughly the same.

'Later, if I catch a basilisk, I should throw it into the duke's mansion or something.'

Yi-Han cursed the duke and said.

"Yes... I knew he was trying to hatch the egg."

"Yeah. He's trying to hatch it this semester. It seems possible since it's an egg in good condition. It will be a good experience for you too."

"Yes... Well..."

It could be a good experience to diligently care for and hatch a basilisk that was trying to kill him.

When Professor Bungaegor brought something to drink from inside the cabin, Professor Uregor asked.

"He's going to hatch a basilisk?"

"Yeah."

"Professor Bagrak? I don't think he can hatch it, even if he can kill it. It requires a lot of care."

Hatching a basilisk from an egg was no easy task either.

Even if Professor Uregor wasn't close to Professor Bagrak, he knew well that Professor Bagrak was accustomed to killing basilisks, not raising them.

It would be difficult even if he got advice from Professor Bungaegor, right?

Professor Bungaegor sipped her beer and answered as if it was fine.

"We have a disciple here. He'll do well."

"Aha. Indeed."

"..."

Yi-Han wanted to argue what was 'indeed,' but he held back.