Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

"But it's Einroguard."

Yi-Han couldn't completely deny the White Tiger Tower student's words.

Even if such a passage seemed structurally impossible, there was nothing absolute in Einroguard.

It was a place where you could descend a few steps from the upper spire and end up in the basement of a village outside the school.

It was filled with old magical legacies that even the skull principal found difficult to grasp...

"No. Even considering that, it can't be."

After pondering, Yi-Han firmly denied it.

Of course, there was a possibility, but wasn't that possibility like the possibility of Gainando ranking first in the year this time?

"Stop talking nonsense and move aside."

"Sob sob."

Tap tap tap-

Yi-Han carefully cast magic to check the composition, detected mana as much as possible, and tapped on the floor door to see if there were any mechanisms or traps inside.

'It doesn't seem like there are any.'

Still, he wasn't confident checking it alone, so Yi-Han called his friends.

"Anyone confident in detecting or disarming traps or mechanisms here?"

"..."

"..."

The White Tiger Tower students looked at Yi-Han with a perplexed face.

How could they be skilled in such techniques when they were from knight families?

However, Yi-Han mercilessly criticized them.

"No one?? What have you guys been doing without learning any skills?"

"No... We're knights... Hey...!"

"Forget it. I'll do it alone."

Yi-Han grumbled and checked the door again with the techniques he learned from Ratford.

How great would it have been if Ratford were here!

The White Tiger Tower students felt wronged, but they couldn't even refute at the sight of Yi-Han checking.

Where did that guy learn that from?

"It doesn't seem like there's any... Alright. Let's open it. Before that, let's pick three of you."

"For what?"

"Three people to open the door together with me. The rest, just in case, stand by the door over there and if there's a problem, immediately run out and escape."

"..."

10 minutes later.

The three unluckily chosen ones (Anglago, who had returned after finishing supplementary lessons and was wrongly chosen, was on the verge of tears) stood in front of the door with Yi-Han.

"Open!"

Thud thud thud-

With a heavy sound, the door opened upward.

As the dust cleared, thick enough to cause coughing, a dark staircase leading underground was revealed.

"Cough, cough... Es, escape route?"

"No way. You all have dark vision on, right? Let's go in!"

Yi-Han, who had cast possible enhancement magic on his friends before opening, lowered his head and stepped forward.

No matter how much dark vision was cast, walking in the darkness was bound to be limited in vision and stuffy.

He wanted to turn on the light if he could, but Yi-Han endured.

Because he didn't know what was inside.

"Potions, Wardanaz!"

"Quite a lot!"

After descending the stairs and walking a little along the passage, glass bottles swaying on the side shelf caught their eyes.

The White Tiger Tower students whispered in a happy voice, thinking they had found something.

However, Yi-Han shook his head.

"I don't feel any mana. It's alcohol."

"..."

"Isn't that even better?"

"Shh. Wardanaz is right in front of us."

When one of the White Tiger Tower students spoke in puzzlement, the one next to him gave a hint.

No matter how much he liked alcohol, it wouldn't be good to say 'Oh! It's not a potion, it's alcohol! I'm excited!' in front of Wardanaz.

How ignorant and vulgar would he look?

"...Yeah. Alcohol is quite a good thing too. We can even exchange it with the Black Tortoise Tower."

"Th, that's right? I thought so too."

Anglago answered while hiding his drool.

Regardless of exchange, he was thinking of drinking his own share.

'Was it the seniors' secret storage?'

Yi-Han was lost in thought as he looked at the alcohol on the shelves.

In Einroguard, new rooms appeared and disappeared every moment. It wasn't strange for a room that had been used well for several years to suddenly fly to another place.

Among these bottles of alcohol, there were some with labels bought from outside, but there were also some that anyone could see were homemade.

[Cursing the crazy skull as I complete this alcohol here.]

[Does it make sense to fight each other over the midterm exam? I'll report it to His Majesty the Emperor someday!]

[Junior who may one day find this empty bottle, be wary when outsiders come in! They are invited to trample on you!]

[If I don't graduate next year, I won't complain even if I become an undead!]

'It seems like they worked hard to make it...'

Regardless of the complaints, Yi-Han wondered why the seniors left these bottles of alcohol.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy to find them again, but seniors who had spent several years at a magic academy would have experienced the location changing more than once or twice.

There was no reason for skilled mages to just give up on this...

"Wa, Wa, Wa, Wardanaz."

When Anglago's frightened voice was heard from the side, Yi-Han immediately reacted.

He pointed his staff and finished preparing to chant a spell immediately, then turned his gaze.

'What is it?'

A huge statue was walking towards the party.

The statue, about twice the height of the gathered students, approached, barely grazing the ceiling of the passage.

Yi-Han hesitated whether to chant a spell at the opponent's appearance, which didn't feel any pressure or murderous intent at all.

The one who broke the hesitation first was the opponent.

-Welcome, challengers.-

Suddenly, one of the White Tiger Tower students' wooden swords teleported into the statue's grasp.

Yi-Han was startled.

'Spatial magic so easily!?'

Among magic, the most notorious for its difficulty was space-time magic.

No matter how magically special Einroguard was, for a statue to cast spatial magic like that.

It was a sight that was hard to believe in reality.

"My... my sword!! Give me back my sword!!"

-This is the price of the challenge. Now, when shall we begin?-

The statue asked emotionlessly.

"...What are we competing in?"

-What else? When mages meet, of course it's magic.-

'Damn it.'

Yi-Han clicked his tongue.

If it wasn't magic but something else, it would be fine, but if it was magic, it was a match of pure skill.

A mage who could snatch a wooden sword without even a reaction from the sword owner using spatial magic just now...

"Alright!"

"If it's magic...!"

"...You crazy fools."

"?!"

The White Tiger Tower students, who were rejoicing and then got scolded, were very surprised.

Why?!

"...So you were looking for useful things in the warehouse?"

Jijel, who arrived late at the warehouse, frowned when she saw the White Tiger Tower students gathered.

Of course, she understood wanting to repair the golem, but no matter how she thought about it, this was...

'Isn't Wardanaz making them do his work instead?'

"That's not it. Moradi."

"...Why do you think that?"

"The priests are also doing this together. He couldn't possibly use such a trick."

"...Oh... I see."

Jijel held back the curses that were coming out.

"So where did that Wardanaz go?"

"He went down to the underground here."

"...?!"

Before even hearing the explanation of the situation, someone came running up the stairs with a clattering sound.

The pale-faced White Tiger Tower students screamed.

"Wardanaz is dying!!"

"What?!?!"

"What kind of nonsense is that?!"

The waiting White Tiger Tower students were startled and rushed over.

"I'm not dying... You stupid fools..."

Yi-Han, who was carried on a stretcher made by his friends, muttered irritably.

As expected, the skill of the mage statue was truly amazing.

As soon as the duel began, it teleported a few pieces of rock right where Yi-Han was.

-No, the mana... It's amazing!-

Of course, the direct teleportation was blocked by the great mana due to Yi-Han's abnormal mana.

However, the strength of the statue was revealed after that.

Even though the magic was blocked, the attacks continued to flow like water without panic.

If direct teleportation was impossible, then indirectly!

Swish!

In an instant, pieces of rock appeared surrounding Yi-Han and rapidly pummeled him.

He tried to defend urgently with transformation magic, but the impact was inevitable.

Yi-Han tumbled down. The attack utilizing spatial magic was relentlessly flawless.

-Since the leader has fallen, this challenge ends here. The room of knowledge cannot be entered so easily.-

"The room of knowledge??"

The students who heard the explanation were perplexed.

"What's the room of knowledge?"

"I asked... They said it's a place where the things the seniors studied are accumulated."

"What? There's such a thing?"

"Even if there is, it's meaningless! We can't go in there!"

Anglago said in a trembling voice.

There was a strong pressure that only the students who directly faced the opponent could feel.

To think that Wardanaz was knocked out in one go.

"For now, let's take Wardanaz to the healing room. We need to check just in case."

"Ye, yeah."

Dolgyu and Jijel grabbed Yi-Han's shoulders on both sides. Jijel mindlessly supported him and then glared at Dolgyu in disbelief. Dolgyu bowed his head as if begging her to look at him just once.

"Why am I..."

"What did you say? Moradi?! You'll support Yi-Han! As expected, you're an honorable knight!"

Dolgyu shouted loudly for everyone to hear.

Jijel opened her mouth wide in shock.

To think that Dolgyu would do something like Wardanaz!

"This crazy bi..."

"So, sorry. Honestly, those guys don't seem trustworthy."

Before leaving while being supported, Yi-Han called Anglago.

"Anglago..."

"Sp, speak. Wardanaz! Should I close the door?? Do you have any orders?"

"No... Bring out the alcohol inside..."

"..."

-He got hit quite hard.-

-Is... is it a dangerous condition?-

-No. He got hit well, so he's not very injured. If he just recovers from the shock, he'll get better soon.-

-Yi-Han! Did you hear? He must have protected his body with mana. To show such wit in that situation!-

-Dolgyu... I feel nauseous, so please speak quietly...

After resting for a few hours and recovering, Yi-Han shook his head and moved his steps to the Black Tortoise Tower.

'I let my guard down and got hit hard.'

In Einroguard, one should never let their guard down, but he got hit hard after a moment of carelessness.

He could guess what the situation was.

A few seniors found the room and used it as an alcohol storage and reading room, and then some crazy statue guy got mixed in as the school's space was rearranged.

It was natural that the seniors couldn't break through since it challenged anyone who approached to a duel.

Moreover, the level of completion of his magic combat skills was brutally high...

'I shouldn't even think about going underground and should just repair the golem.'

If it were manageable, he would have tried to break through and see what the seniors left behind, but honestly, there was no answer to this.

"Wardanaz!"

Some familiar Black Tortoise Tower students who were sitting on the black market chairs waved at Yi-Han when they saw him.

"We missed you. The market only becomes active when there's a big shot like you."

"Sorry. I'll bring some goods from outside soon, so don't worry."

"Hehe..."

"Hehehe."

The students exchanging evil conversations and glances looked just like seasoned smugglers.

"Instead, I brought something else today."

Yi-Han placed the alcohol that the White Tiger Tower students had taken out while getting hit in the underground room.

The Black Tortoise Tower students were surprised by that liquid of life.

"So much alcohol...?! Wardanaz, you... How did you get it?!"

"Why are you asking such a tacky question?"

"Heh... Heheh. I asked something unnecessary."

"You two, why are you talking so strangely...?"

Ratford, a real expert, was puzzled by the unnecessarily suspicious atmosphere.

They didn't talk so suspiciously in the black market.

They just had a friendly conversation, but...?

Yi-Han handed five bottles of alcohol to the Black Tortoise Tower students and received various supplies.

After finishing the negotiation while gauging the weight of the cheese wrapped in paper bags, Yi-Han nodded his head in satisfaction.

"This should be enough for a week."

"You're exaggerating too much. Wardanaz. It's enough to last a month. Oh. Did you know that the imperial alchemists have come?"

"...Who came?"

"The imperial alchemists have come? Some other friends saw them earlier."

"I see."

Suddenly, Yi-Han remembered the phrase he had seen in the underground room.

[Junior who may one day find this empty bottle, be wary when outsiders come in! They are invited to trample on you!]

"...No, it's not even the midterm exam yet... It can't be."