Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

"It will take some time."

When the alchemists from the Paragranum Guild who returned said that, Professor Uregor asked back as if asking what they were talking about.

"What... are you trying to summon that it takes so long?"

"Based on the calculations after hearing from Yoanen Maykin, we thought that even if the overwhelming pressure is reduced, the lower spirits might just get crushed."

"It's not to that extent. ...Probably."

Yi-Han timidly refuted.

He had never seen a spirit get crushed in front of him until now.

"Since it will take time, it's better to check something else first."

"Something else?"

"Please wait a moment."

One of the alchemists got up and went outside.

Yi-Han and Professor Uregor looked at each other.

What are they doing?

"What is it?"

"Who knows...? I don't know either..."

After a few minutes passed, the alchemist returned with Professor Boladi.

"This person said he will help with the verification. Thank you again."

"It's something I should do as a professor."

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han and Professor Uregor lamented at the same time.

Out of the many professors at the academy, why on earth!

When a mage cast magic, it always left traces.

The moment they wove mana with their will to change reality, mana was emitted around the mage.

The mana emitted like this remained to some extent even after the magic ended, and sharp mages could catch such traces.

And one of the goals the alchemists of Paragranum wanted to achieve with this potion was to hide such emission of mana.

"It will be useful in combat."

Professor Boladi revealed a rare faint satisfaction in his voice. Yi-Han felt fear.

"Why such a potion?"

"There are rare plants and animals that are affected when they sense the lingering effects of magic. This potion will be of great help when dealing with such plants and animals."

"Also when training disciples."

Professor Boladi added from the side, but the alchemists didn't understand.

'This is driving me crazy.'

Until now, there were roughly three ways Yi-Han could detect when Professor Boladi was about to attack.

Emission of mana, killing intent, and visible movements.

However, in the case of killing intent, Professor Boladi not only skillfully controlled it but also used it for deception, so Yi-Han, who lacked experience, was at a disadvantage.

He was barely grasping it with the emission of mana and visible movements, but now one of them was disappearing.

Thwack!

When Professor Boladi, who drank a sip of the potion, swung his staff, Yi-Han barely blocked it. Fortunately, he was concentrating, so it was several times more difficult than usual.

Professor Boladi seemed to feel it too, as he nodded and requested.

"I want to receive a few bottles of this potion."

"We will send them to you when they are completed."

"..."

Yi-Han thought he should secure some for himself too.

He didn't know when he would have to fight with profess... no, other people.

What he felt while fighting with Professor Boladi was that it was quite difficult to aim for the gaps of skilled combat mages.

'Normal surprise attacks don't work instead.'

If it was normal, there was no way an invisibility magic and surprise attack wouldn't work.

However, it was different for combat mages.

Since the method of using invisibility magic for surprise attacks was so well known, everyone had one or two countermeasures.

To pierce the weakness of a combat mage, a creative method that could surpass the opponent's ideas was needed.

<Paragranum's Veil> could be one such method.

If an opponent who was revealing their presence right in front suddenly launched a surprise attack without any signs, even a skilled combat mage would be flustered.

"The spirit is ready!"

"Finally?"

Yi-Han grumbled while rubbing his sore arm.

If it had been summoned a little faster, there would have been no need to call Professor Boladi.

"Now, this way..."

When he opened the door and went out, a refreshing breeze shook Yi-Han's face and passed by.

Looking at the empty air, the form of a spirit in the shape of a bird wavered. Anyone could tell it was a spirit of the wind.

"Ah. If we become friends, is it possible to make a contract?"

Yi-Han asked with a brightened face.

The spirit Yi-Han could currently call was Ferkuntra, who was known for having poor cost-effectiveness in Einroguard.

Once called, it couldn't be called again for a while, so it was often the case that he couldn't call it when he really needed it, like an ultimate skill.

And even if called, it was questionable whether it could really be of help.

But that wind spirit looked really useful.

If he had such a spirit right away, he could have asked it to find the White Tiger Tower guys when they disappeared last time...

Flap flap!

As soon as Yi-Han came out, the wind spirit suddenly flapped its wings like crazy and returned to the spirit world.

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence fell.

The one who broke that silence was Professor Boladi.

"It couldn't deceive the eyes of the spirit."

"We will try to improve it further!"

The alchemists spoke with enthusiasm.

Such failure did not hurt the alchemists at all.

New discoveries were only possible with hundreds of failures.

Rather, small trials just before completion like now were only something to be grateful for. It could further increase the completeness.

"..."

Of course, it was inevitable that it would hurt a student.

Although it was the weekend, Yi-Han studied outside instead of returning to the tower.

In the garden in front of the main building, many 1st year students could be seen playing in groups of three or five.

"Wardanaz. Is it okay not to stop by the Immortal Phoenix Tower?"

"Don't ask stupid questions. It's obvious who Yi-Han considers as real friends. Right?"

Gainando answered on his behalf, feeling proud.

'It's because I feel sorry for watching the priests fight.'

Right now, the priests of the Immortal Phoenix Tower were sitting in the lounge like a conclave, determined to settle it.

-The next holy magic will be from our order…-

-No! We should respect the will of the person involved the most! Since he's learning enchantment magic, it should be our order!-

-Since he's learning divination magic, isn't it our order?-

-I heard he's trying to raise a Basilisk, so our order…-

Seeing that, even Yi-Han couldn't help but feel burdened.

If it was just luck that he awakened the holy magic of the two orders by chance, and he couldn't awaken it the next time...

The priests wouldn't show it, but they would be very sad inside, wouldn't they?

"I don't want to go back to the tower right now."

"Right?! See, see!"

"But Gainando. Are you doing your assignments properly? Open the <Basic Imperial Geometry and Arithmetic in Depth> book."

"I... I didn't bring it out."

"Go and bring it."

Gainando walked towards the tower with his head drooping and muttering. The Blue Dragon Tower friends hurriedly opened their books and lowered their gazes.

Of course, there were people who didn't do that.

In the case of the princess, she was staring intently at the open book regardless of whether Gainando walked or not.

"Why is she doing that? Does she have overdue assignments?"

"Ah. Because of the alchemists from Paragranum."

"We simply cut ties, but it seems the princess pointed out a few areas for improvement and sent it back to them."

Yi-Han had already passed, but the other students hadn't.

Most of the students gave up on the merciless evaluation, but some of them received specific points and were clinging to it.

'Wait a minute. Did those guys, who are like Professor Boladi, explain properly?'

In Yi-Han's view, the alchemists of the Paragranum Guild were the alchemist version of Professor Boladi.

Wouldn't they become Professor Boladi if those people became a bit more proactive and aggressive?

[...It's a good idea, but there are still many unresolved issues in the details. It would be better to supplement a way to completely conceal the energy. The method written here cannot conceal the energy. If you come back with a way to conceal the energy…]

"..."

Yi-Han was shocked to see the potion the princess was researching.

Surprisingly, she was researching a potion similar to <Paragranum's Veil>!

Of course, there were many gaps due to the difference in skills, but it was sufficiently amazing to have completed it to that extent.

Yi-Han carefully asked.

"Did the alchemists not say anything strange?"

"??"

The princess, who was concentrating, didn't notice Yi-Han's call at first, but belatedly realized and was flustered.

"What are you... talking about?"

'They didn't say anything at all.'

Given the alchemists' personality, there was no way they would advise, 'Actually, we are completing this all right now, so try this and that.'

But at the very least, couldn't they say, 'Currently, this has too many parts to fill and is too difficult for a 1st year student to complete, so how about trying a different potion?'

Even Professor Uregor would show that much consideration.

But they just said nothing and went, 'Oh, keep trying.'

'They really are less fierce Professor Boladis.'

Yi-Han felt sorry for the princess's continued suffering, so he casually said.

"Didn't the alchemists seem a bit strange?"

"...?"

The princess tilted her head.

Honestly, all mages were strange. Compared to the professors here, the alchemists weren't particularly strange.

'I asked the wrong question.'

Yi-Han regretted it.

The other person was also an Einroguard student, so they probably wouldn't have been particularly strange.

"Like the alchemists seem to know too well about this potion..."

"They did answer right away...?"

The princess stared blankly at Yi-Han, not knowing what he was trying to say.

It seemed like he was trying to say something, but she couldn't quite grasp it.

"Doesn't that remind you of something?"

"...Ah. The alchemists of Paragranum are skilled? So... since they have a high probability of receiving the potion supply project for the capital's knights that the alchemy guilds in the capital are trying to get... the power structure of the future capital's alchemy guilds could be shaken!"

The princess looked at Yi-Han with an admiring gaze.

Yi-Han had a lot to say, but he held back and answered.

"...That's also correct, but just try adding water lily, golden pheasant flower, and white rose quartz here."

Yi-Han, who became too lazy to speak indirectly, just told her the ingredients needed right now.

It was a part of the manufacturing method for <Paragranum's Veil>.

"!!!!"

The princess looked at Yi-Han with several times more surprise than before.

To come up with the manufacturing method just by reading it once.

It was a flash of inspiration just like the alchemists of Paragranum.

The realm of innate talent that she couldn't even dare to follow with her own skills!

"How on earth..."

"Friends! The professor is calling! Let's go!"

When someone suddenly ran over and shouted, the Blue Dragon Tower friends threw their books and jumped up.

The students from other towers next to them also hurriedly gathered their belongings and started running.

Yi-Han, who hadn't fully grasped the situation yet, ran along and asked.

"What? What's the situation?"

"To help the professor prepare for the lecture!"

"...Do you all voluntarily run like this for that?"

"He's giving us food!"

"Ah..."

Yi-Han was impressed by the sight of the Blue Dragon Tower friends running without exception.

If it were during the 1st semester, they would have lounged around saying, 'What, we have a lot of food anyway...', but seeing them like this made him feel proud for no reason.

"Should I just stay in a different tower in the 2nd year too?"

"?!?!?"

The princess, who heard Yi-Han's muttering alone next to him, turned pale and waved her hand.

The one who called the students was Professor Bungaegor.

"From here to here, dig a ditch and a path, and dig very deep here. Dig it so that even if something comes out, it can't escape from inside."

"Yes! Professor!"

Seeing his friends smiling brightly, Yi-Han was shocked.

"You guys, do you know what this preparation means... No. Forget it."

Yi-Han decided to keep it to himself.

What's the point of finding out that a terrifying thing will appear in next week's <Basic Riding Training in Depth> lecture?

"Professor Millei will also use it, so you have to dig well."

"..."

Even the Summoning Magic lecture?