Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Yi-Han flatly refused.

"I think it's a privilege that you keep doing me such favors, Principal."

“...Are you drunk by any chance?”

Ignoring the skull principal's absurd rebuke, Yi-Han threw another question.

"By the way, Principal. Do you know a lot about the Paragranum Guild?"

'He refuses the privilege, but...' The skull principal asked back in a dumbfounded voice at Yi-Han's brazen question right after what he had just said,

“I do know a lot. But why should I tell you?”

"Aren't the Immortal Phoenix Tower priests fighting because of me? Answer me as a reward."

“...You piece of trash! I give up.”

The skull principal was honestly impressed.

Such shamelessness.

“What do you want to know?”

"I'm worried if I can pass the test of those people invited by the Professor."

“They are quite picky fellows.”

The skull principal acknowledged.

The alchemists of the Paragranum Guild were so stubborn that their test criteria were bound to be quite strict.

It would be difficult to pass with a mediocre level of completion.

“But as I said earlier, even if magic has no gaps, there are gaps in the mage.”

"?"

“You don't understand. I'm saying to impress those alchemists in other ways.”

"...Uh, like dropping them in a lake and then saving them?"

For a moment, the skull principal almost reflected on his educational policy.

'No. That must be because of the other professors.'

Having quickly finished rationalizing, the skull principal answered.

“Not such a crazy method... but soft and gentle methods. Like how you impressed the other students.”

"...Oh, by any chance..."

Before Yi-Han could ask, 'You mean impress them by hitting them with a wooden sword and then saving their life?', the skull principal quickly said,

“Not the White Tiger Tower, but the Immortal Phoenix Tower!”

"Aha… But is it okay to do it that way? We should do it fair and square with alchemy..."

“What nonsense are you talking about? How can a 1st year beat an alchemist from Paragranum in a fair way? It's a victory if you extract the secret method by any means necessary.”

"..."

'Did I bring them for nothing?'

Professor Uregor thought while having a meal with the alchemists.

Come to think of it, there weren't only Paragranum among the empire's alchemist guilds.

Wouldn't it have been better to have guilds that didn't have a history of occupying a capital building and trying to set it on fire?

"Ahem. They are all outstanding students."

"Yes. The students of Einroguard are indeed remarkable."

The alchemists of Paragranum brought their forks to the ceviche dish with sauce, frowned, and pushed the bowl aside.

However, Professor Uregor was too distracted by the evaluation of the potions made by the students to notice it.

"Re, really?"

"Yes. There are no residues, and the colors are neatly separated. It's a well-made potion."

"Then there will be students who pass?"

"No, there won't be."

"..."

'Did I really bring them for nothing?'

Professor Uregor made a displeased expression.

In front of the students, he sternly said, 'If you do well, you will be able to satisfy the alchemists from that guild!', but from a professor's perspective, it was natural to favor the students' side.

If the students achieved some results, it would save face as a professor and make him proud, but if the students were all eliminated, he would inevitably get upset, wouldn't he?

However, the alchemists of Paragranum were stricter than expected.

"If they made it this well, you should acknowledge..."

"No. Professor, you know the rules of our guild well. Only those who create a new potion can enter."

'You crazy bastards, that's your guild's entry requirement...!'

Hearing that they were testing 1st year students with the actual guild entry requirements made him dizzy.

"Then what about this potion? Hasn't it been improved quite well?"

"It's an excellent potion, but changing silver grass to dewdrop flowers is too... ordinary. It seems to lack a spark."

"..."

Knock knock knock-

"Professor?"

"Come in."

When a student taking the alchemy lecture knocked on the door, Professor Uregor hurriedly put away the potions and answered.

"I prepared the potion as you said... Ah, were you having a meal?"

"No. Since you brought it, let me see it."

Professor Uregor took the potion the student held out.

It seemed to be based on the Night Mist Potion with two components changed, but unfortunately, it was a bit obvious.

Changing a specific ingredient to an ingredient with similar properties was something anyone could do.

Still, it's quite well made...

"It's not good."

"This will be difficult to pass."

"It's impossible."

"...I'm sorry!! I'll make it again!!"

"Wa, wait! Wait a minute!"

When the student shouted and turned around to run out, Professor Uregor tried to stop him somehow.

But the student was already far away.

"...From now on, tell me first."

"Yes. I will do that."

The most frustrating thing was that the alchemists of Paragranum didn't feel anything strange about what had just happened.

The alchemists only talked about alchemy among themselves, whether the student ran out or not.

"So using a new ingredient there..."

"I think it's better to redesign it from the beginning."

"It would be an inefficient method, so why..."

"Ahem. Ahem."

"Ah. Are you trying to give advice?"

"...Not that, don't you have any advice for the student who just came?"

The alchemists were lost in thought for a moment.

And they spoke in unison.

"Make it again and come back?"

"...Forget it."

Even after that, students who made potions came one by one and were eliminated.

When the visits suddenly stopped, Professor Uregor realized that the rumor had spread.

'Ugh...'

It was understandable that the students were scared and didn't come.

But if it continued like this, the students would suffer a big blow to their pride, and Professor Uregor's own pride would also...

Knock knock knock-

"Are you there?"

"!!!"

At Yi-Han's voice, Professor Uregor's eyes widened.

The most reliable card had arrived.

"Is it Wardanaz!"

"...Yes? It is, but why..."

"Come in! Come in!"

Professor Uregor personally opened the door.

At the sudden welcome, Yi-Han gave a very wary look.

Just as rain comes when swallows fly low, when a professor acts kindly, something bad happens.

"Here, the top student in the alchemy lecture!"

"Oh."

"Indeed."

"Amazing."

"..."

The alchemists of the Paragranum Guild were very clumsy at pretending to be interested.

Yi-Han thought inwardly.

'Even Gainando would show more interest when hearing the test content than that.'

"...Forget it. Take out the potion you brought."

"Pardon? I didn't bring it."

"What?"

Professor Uregor was startled.

"Why didn't you bring it?"

"I didn't come to submit a potion, but to help you with your work, Professor."

To be precise, it was closer to coming to figure out the alchemists of Paragranum, but Yi-Han said that out of consideration for the professor.

Professor Uregor was touched.

No matter what, there was no other student like Yi-Han.

What other student would actively think of the professor and come to find him like this?

"You...!"

"Were you having a meal?"

"Meal... I don't know if I even ate anything. Those alchemists over there are draining people's energy."

"Then why did you invite them?"

"Don't say annoying things that are true."

Yi-Han, who entered the workshop with Professor Uregor, looked around the table where the alchemists were sitting.

It seemed they had barely touched the meal and only talked about alchemy. Surprisingly, it was a sight often seen among professors, so Yi-Han wasn't surprised.

"Shall I prepare something?"

"Forget it. Don't do that."

"It's alright."

"No. Really, don't do that. I don't want to feed those guys anything more. If they're hungry, they'll ask to bring something from the kitchen."

"..."

At Professor Uregor's narrow-minded words, Yi-Han was impressed.

No matter what, inviting them and then acting like that. It was something an ordinary person couldn't do.

"But what's that?"

Professor Uregor asked, looking at the luggage Yi-Han was holding.

"Ah. I tried making meatless meatloaf with friends from the Black Tortoise Tower. I was going to give it to friends from the Blue Dragon Tower on the way..."

If meatloaf was a dish made by mixing meat and various ingredients to increase the quantity and then baking it well into a lump, the Einroguard-style meatloaf was a dish made by removing the meat and baking the remaining ingredients.

Outside, the Blue Dragon Tower students would say, 'Is this even food?', but inside, they would say, 'So this is food' and devour it.

"If you really want to serve something, you can serve that."

"Pardon? I don't want to."

"I'll let you take as many ingredients as you want when you leave."

"Feel free to use it."

Yi-Han held it out without hesitation.

Professor Uregor, who said it himself, was dumbfounded and asked back.

"...Is it okay to ignore the effort and heart put into making it together?"

"Professor, do you think about such things one by one when making potions?"

"Whoever taught you did a really good job."

Professor Uregor grumbled and took out the meatless meatloaf, cut it, and held it out.

"It seems like everyone ate too little, so have this while talking."

"Thank you."

'Isn't this cursing?'

Yi-Han was slightly worried inwardly.

If people who had been eating delicious food outside came and ate this, they might react, 'Is Einroguard looking down on us?'

"!"

As Yi-Han worried, the alchemists showed a surprised reaction. Yi-Han whispered in a low voice.

"Then why did you serve something like this?"

"It's very interesting."

"...?"

"????"

Yi-Han and Professor Uregor looked at each other at the unexpected reaction.

The alchemists continued, showing interest.

"To deliberately put in ingredients that are rarely used. It's a new attempt."

"It's much more interesting than the previous dish."

"...??"

Yi-Han tried a bit of the ceviche dish left on the side.

Professor Uregor was an outstanding alchemist, which meant he was also an outstanding brewer and chef.

The ceviche, made with a perfect process without sparing ingredients, was fresh and refreshing. It was incomparable to the fake meatloaf.

"...?????"

'Is their tongue broken?'

"Is there a reason for choosing these ingredients?"

"Uh... yes. Well, the professor taught me that an alchemist should always make new attempts even when making food."

The alchemists of Paragranum let out low exclamations and looked at Professor Uregor and Yi-Han.

And Professor Uregor also looked at Yi-Han as if dumbfounded.

"But is it really delicious?"

"Food is not eaten for taste, but to take in nutrients."

"It's not about enjoying the taste, but enjoying the new attempts contained within it."

'I made food for those kinds of guys.'

Professor Uregor lamented.

He regretted not just pouring beer into a boot and giving it to them as a new dish.

"If it's not rude, may I ask the student's family and name?"

"I am Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."

"Yi-Han!"

The alchemists showed a surprised look.

Yi-Han thought they were surprised to hear the name of the Wardanaz family.

'Do they have a connection with the Wardanaz family?'

"I heard a lot of praise about you from Yoanen Maykin. Didn't you work at her workshop two months ago?"

"...I did, but..."

"It's amazing to meet you like this. I wanted to see you after hearing what Yoanen Maykin said."

"...What on earth did she say?"

'Honestly, I'm curious too.'

Professor Uregor thought that while listening from the side.

What on earth did this guy do during the vacation?