Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

"You're making a fuss, but I don't know what Mortum did."

"Ah. That's..."

Yi-Han hesitated.

Even Professor Mortum looked at Yi-Han like he was crazy when he said, "Haha, I thought the undead were being controlled a bit strangely, but when I reduced the number, they're being controlled well. As expected, controlling more than ten was too much."

"I think he forgot because he was focusing on the fact that I was being greedy with undead control and ran into difficulties by increasing the number."

"Focused on that? Right. What did Mortum advise?"

"To reduce the number of undead controlled at once..."

The skull principal admired the all too obvious words.

"Really useful advice. Why don't you present it at the Dark Magic Society?"

"If the principal helps me, I'll prepare for it."

"If controlling a dozen or so undead is difficult, reduce it to one."

The skull principal grumbled, thinking that if he presented it, the society would be turned upside down.

"If you reduced the number, of course control would have become easier... Ah. So you were practicing bone explosion magic."

If he cast something like bone explosion magic on a skeleton summoned from the undead realm, he could get stabbed in the back, but a summon called by ancient necromancy was different.

Because he could combine it with all kinds of bone magic and show off his skills.

"Enough. Mortum must be busy these days too. I'll teach you."

"Is something going on?"

"Nothing much, just avoiding Professor Garcia... To cool down, I'll have to avoid her throughout this semester, so it can't be helped. Take out the bones."

Yi-Han took out the bones.

There were two types of bones obtained from the palace in the undead dimension.

One was a bone engraved with a strange pattern mixed with purple and black. It was a bone that senior Ogoldos found in a corner and packed for him.

And the other was a white bone. It was the bone the King of Ghouls offered.

"This one is easy to recognize. It seems to be around a viscount."

"...Ah, how do you know that?"

When the skull principal immediately recognized the bone mixed with purple and black, Yi-Han was shocked.

Is collecting the bones of the empire's viscounts your hobby?

"You don't think I'm talking about the empire's viscount now, do you? I meant a demon."

"Of course I thought so too. Why would an imperial viscount appear here?"

Yi-Han inwardly sighed in relief.

Demons appearing from other unstable realms had a rather strict hierarchy and fought fiercely to climb up that hierarchy.

If it was the bone of a demon with a rank around a viscount, it would be quite valuable.

"You're a remarkable fellow. To secure such a bone as a trophy."

"If you want it..."

"Hmph. Are you trying to make me a despicable fellow?"

The skull principal returned the bone to Yi-Han with a snort.

"A great mage may drive his disciple crazy, but he never takes away his disciple's magic."

"...I was going to suggest exchanging it for gold coins?"

'Why the hell is he so obsessed with gold?'

The skull principal couldn't understand.

A mage like Yi-Han wouldn't be collecting gold to live well, and a 1st year wouldn't need funds to run a guild or academy...

Is he preparing for a great magic experiment?

"Never sell this. It's an order."

"Pardon? No... I understand."

"I'll check every month, so don't try anything. Don't say you lost it either. Don't say someone stole it either."

"..."

Yi-Han was surprised.

How did he know?

"This is the reagent you need right now."

Why are dark mages obsessed with bones?

It was because high-quality bones were the easiest way to enhance the power of magic.

Summoning a skeleton with some random bone found on the roadside and summoning a skeleton using such a high-class demon viscount's bone were on different levels.

Especially for a dark mage like Yi-Han who was learning ancient necromancy, he had to become familiar with using and handling strong bones.

If he adapted in advance, wouldn't it be easier to handle even stronger bones later?

"Too strong bones won't be easy to handle, so this level is just right for you now."

"Is that so. ...A demon viscount?"

Yi-Han nodded and felt something off.

Is it really appropriate for a 1st year dark magic student to use a demon viscount's bone to control a summon?

"What's the problem?"

"Yes, well... I understand. Then what is this bone? Is it around a demon cactus?"

"Hmm."

The skull principal examined the white bone with no patterns.

Yi-Han didn't have high expectations for that bone.

First of all, it had no patterns, it was white in color, and unlike earlier, the quantity was small...

He suspected that the King of Ghouls had played a trick.

"Demon private? Demon hound?"

"Be quiet for a moment. This... I don't know."

"Is it that insignificant? Where is the King of Ghouls now?"

"No. It's not an insignificant bone."

The skull principal's voice became serious.

Even in the eyes of the skull principal, who prided himself as the empire's best bone expert, it was a bone he couldn't recognize.

It definitely wasn't an insignificant bone.

"It's definitely the bone of a powerful being... but I can't recognize it. Did it seal and erase its power..."

The skull principal, who was pondering, said to Yi-Han.

"I'll take it and investigate."

"Wouldn't it be faster to directly ask the King of Ghouls?"

"Well. Judging by his level, I don't think he knows what this is... but I will ask him. After the torture, no, interrogation is over."

Yi-Han pretended not to hear.

"Take it."

"Alright. Practice with this viscount's bone... Ah. How was the bracelet of ten thousand demons? Did any of them react?"

The bracelet where all kinds of demons trapped in the palace were sleeping.

It didn't easily react to a considerable shock, but the skull principal thought that if it was Yi-Han, he would awaken at least one within a relatively short period of time.

Because he was a fellow who lived such an intense daily life, of course...

"There wasn't any?"

"Oh. Is that so? I see."

The skull principal wrote a letter behind him while seeing Yi-Han off.

[To Boladi Bagrak

Yi-Han Wardanaz is frustrated after being defeated by a statue using spatial magic. Help him out.

Os Gonadaltes]

Looking at the letter flying to Professor Bagrak, the skull principal smiled brightly.

How fortunate is a disciple with such a teacher!

"Do you happen to know a student named Wardanaz?"

"...We don't know such a person!"

"Do you happen to know a student named Wardanaz..."

"Who is that?!"

The Blue Dragon Tower students feigned ignorance at the questions from the mages who came from outside.

And they immediately sent a paper bird to Yi-Han. Although they couldn't make the paper bird chirp, they could engrave a few letters on the paper bird.

[Danger. Outsider. Question.]

Yi-Han, who was with the students attending the summoning magic lecture, frowned.

"I don't know why dark mages from outside are looking for me..."

"..."

A White Tiger Tower student hiccuped, but Yi-Han didn't notice.

"Everyone, please do me a favor. If someone asks if there's a Wardanaz, just say you don't know."

"It's not difficult. Wardanaz."

"You don't have to worry. Yi-Han."

"Tr, trust us. Wardanaz."

"?"

When the White Tiger Tower students answered too readily, Yi-Han was puzzled.

"What's wrong with you guys?"

"Wh, what?"

"Normally, you would nag, saying, 'Why should I help you?'"

"Wh, what do you take us for? When did we ever do that?"

The Black Tortoise Tower students next to them added.

"You guys originally did that?"

"Right. You guys did that."

"...When outsiders come, Einroguard students should unite their strength."

The White Tiger Tower students were becoming more and more skilled at making excuses.

Perhaps it worked quite well, as the students from other towers didn't inquire further.

"The paper bird keeps spinning to the right, does anyone know why it's doing that?"

"Paper bird, please, just go straight. Paper bird. Paper bird. ...Hey, you little bird bastard!"

There was a more urgent task in front of them.

Soon, the festival of summoning mages (mixed with some dark mages) would be held, and to receive points from Professor Millei, they had to show something with the paper bird.

Summoning a paper bird was now something that all students taking summoning magic could do, but...

Improving it was no ordinary feat.

What many students chose was 'command recognition'.

Originally, a paper bird summoned with a magic circle only followed set commands, but if that function was added, additional commands could be given.

What a small number of skilled students chose was 'voice addition'.

They made it possible to have conversations even from a distance by putting voice information into the paper bird.

...And Yi-Han was alone studying remote viewing magic.

The trick Professor Millei had shown with the paper bird last time.

This trick of moving the paper bird and sharing its vision with the mage himself looked simple, but the principles behind it were extremely complex.

Summoning the paper bird, creating vision for the eyeless paper bird, connecting consciousness so that the mage could see that created vision, and by this point, it was more convenient to directly control it, so control was also needed...

"Wardanaz. Isn't it too difficult?"

"Last time, when I tried to add voice, you sided with the professor, right?"

"..."

The friend who spoke wrongly and received Yi-Han's murderous intent quietly shrank back.

The sin of agreeing when Professor Millei said it was better to do something more difficult had not disappeared yet.

'I just agreed because the professor said so...!'

"I, I didn't do anything?"

Nillia whispered from the side, and Yi-Han nodded approvingly.

"But Nillia."

"Yeah?"

"It would be better to redraw that line in the magic circle. It's crooked, so if you circulate mana three times, the line will probably break."

"..."

Nillia muttered inwardly, 'You're the one who should be doing something difficult,' and fixed it.

Meanwhile, a few external dark mages timidly approached Professor Millei.

Professor Millei, who was having a conversation, pointed to Yi-Han. The dark mages bowed their heads several times and thanked her.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"Damn it. I thought dark mages couldn't ask such things."

"??"

Nillia was puzzled next to him, wondering what he was talking about.

Even if dark mages weren't sociable, surely they wouldn't be unable to ask questions.

...Right?

"Are you student Wardanaz?!"

"Yes... well..."

"I want to ask about golems!"

"Ah... is that so?"

Yi-Han began to guess why the dark mages had come to find him.

Seeing them talk about golems...

"Wait. The fact that you came to find me because of golems... could it be that the guys who carried wooden swords on their waists mentioned me?"

"Pardon? Uh... I think they did."

"..."

"..."

"Hey. Let's go prepare somewhere else."

"Get up quickly. That Wardanaz guy is going to beat up the White Tiger Tower guys soon."

"Priest. Please get up quickly."

"Wa, wait. Where are you going?!"

The White Tiger Tower students desperately tried to hold onto their friends from other towers, but their friends coldly shook them off.

Fortunately, Yi-Han did not carry out bloody revenge. It was because the dark mages were still in front of him.

"That golem, I just repaired it, I didn't make it."

"Pardon? I know."

"...??"

Yi-Han was slightly taken aback by the dark mages' reaction.

Huh?

"If you repaired it instead of making it, isn't it not that amazing?"

'It's amazing, you crazy bastard...'

A student next to him thought inwardly.

Even just repairing it was amazing.

The dark mage seemed to think the same way, as an answer came back immediately.

"That's also amazing... but what we're curious about is golem control."

"Golem control?"

"Yes!"

"I just did chores to some extent..."

"Yes. But ordinary mages can't really do chores with golems."

"..."

Ah!