Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Meanwhile, the summoning mages next to Professor Millei warned in a stern voice.

"If you continue to disgrace the summoning mages attending the festival, I'll let you know that the pit over there is still empty."

"It, it's true...!"

"Please let him control the golem just once! Then you'll know that we weren't talking nonsense!"

"What kind of absurd thing are you saying...!"

Before the anger poured down like lightning, Yi-Han opened his mouth.

"I'll just show you."

"...Huh?"

"I did control it earlier."

"Really?"

The nearby mages were startled.

"The paper bird must have been quite difficult just now..."

"It's fine."

"Professor Millei. Shouldn't you stop him?"

The mages were worried that the outstanding talent might get injured due to overconfidence.

However, Professor Millei slowly shook her head as if it was alright.

"I appreciate your concern... but it's not good to stop someone who wants to try it themselves. Just watch for a moment. If it's dangerous, we can stop right away."

'...The teacher seems really excited now. Am I seeing it right?'

'I think she's definitely expecting it now.'

The seniors were dumbfounded by Professor Millei's appearance of hiding her anticipation and pretending not to know.

Was she pretending not to know to subtly brag about something that could be simply explained to outsiders right now...?!

Golems had an innate charisma that made it natural for golem summoning mages to take pride in them.

The sight of a mere 1st year student controlling a golem with innate skill turned the seated summoning mages into a crucible of enthusiasm.

-Wooooow! Did you see that? He moved the legs!-

-Uooooh! Did you see that? He moved the arms!-

-Kyaaaah! Did you see that? He turned the head!-

"Ugh. If I were a golem, I'd receive such praise too."

"..."

While Gainando was talking nonsense, the golem summoning mages watched as if enchanted.

The mages next to Professor Millei who had praised Yi-Han's magic earlier asked with genuine curiosity.

"How in the world does he control it like that?"

Other mages focused their ears while pretending not to.

How in the world?

"I just controlled it with mana."

"Just with mana? Then the consumption would be too severe, are you okay?"

"Yes."

"..."

"..."

While the mages at the scene were trembling with shock and awe, the golem summoning mages who were also surprised flinched.

Huh?

"...Wait. Dark mage bastards. What you said earlier is different, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That there's a secret method..."

"When did we say that? You misunderstood."

"..."

The golem summoning mages glared at the dark mages as if to kill them.

However, there was nothing particularly wrong with what the dark mages said. In the end, the golem summoning mages loosened the strength in their eyes and accepted it.

"Fine. I admit it."

"Surprisingly, you admit it readily?"

"Well, that student is a summoning mage. If you think about it, it's something a summoning mage accomplished, so there's no reason to stubbornly deny it."

"What nonsense are you talking about!? He's a dark mage! He's learning dark magic!"

The golem summoning mages and dark mages fiercely argued for over ten minutes about 'which school of magic is Wardanaz?'

Yi-Han, who had finished the golem summoning, saw that conversation and was disgusted.

'I must never get involved.'

Why such a pointless conversation?

"Alright. Let's both compromise."

"Yeah. Let's acknowledge that both sides have some stake."

Seeing them even reconciling, Yi-Han shook his head.

"Why such competition..."

"Ah. There's a reason for it."

"?"

A mage kindly explained.

"Doesn't it determine which academic society or gathering you can invite them to depending on which school of magic they belong to? That's why they're doing that."

"...???"

The infinite study of magic was often out of reach for even outstanding individuals to explore alone.

At such times, what helped were other mages of the empire who majored in the same school of magic.

The new opinions shown by mages with different perspectives in academic societies or gatherings often awakened mages who had hit a wall.

One of the most important things in these academic societies or gatherings was...

"Inviting outstanding mages."

"I see... Wait. Then if the two sides compromise like that, what happens?"

"Both of them get to invite?"

"..."

Yi-Han's face contorted in agony.

"Isn't it a bit... presumptuous to invite a 1st year student?"

"Haha. It's the skill that matters. Not inviting a mage who has demonstrated such magic, even if not from Einrogard, would be laughable to any school."

Unaware of Yi-Han's discomfort, the mage continued to press the point. Yi-Han endured the pain with patience.

"Good work."

'Those detestable...'

Yi-Han choked up at Professor Millei's words, feeling a surge of indignation.

After making him do it!

Thanks to that, Yi-Han was set to continuously receive invitations from both the golem specialist summoning mages and dark mages who participated today.

'Endure it. The other party is a professor.'

Yi-Han slowly tried to back away.

For now, he had done everything he had to do today.

He showed summoning magic at the festival, and even showed the golem that he didn't need to show...

It was safe to say he had exceeded a perfect score.

Right then, a familiar face appeared from behind.

It was Professor Mortum.

"Ah. Professor Mortum!"

The dark mages recognized Professor Mortum's face and were delighted.

The disciple of the notorious grand mage Gonadaltes, and the great dark mage who inherited the advancement of the empire's ancient dark magic!

"Ahem. Did Wardanaz show any undead?"

"He didn't show any?"

"Oh well."

Professor Mortum was disappointed.

Of course, in front of Yi-Han, he had prophesied something like, 'Your skills will be revealed even if you stay still,' but Professor Mortum was a dark mage, not a divination mage.

Even Professor Mortum couldn't know whether Yi-Han would really show his abilities as a dark mage or not.

'Did he just pass by?'

Professor Mortum looked around and searched for Yi-Han.

And after finding Yi-Han, he shouted.

"Ahem. Mr. Wardanaz. Summon some undead!"

"...!"

"!!!"

Yi-Han had to put on a skeleton warrior summoning show for a while.

Only after the dark mages showed a sea of tears, saying, 'Is the new grand mage only appearing now?' did Professor Mortum apologize.

"Ahem. Sorry about that. I didn't know you had already shown it with a golem."

"..."

"But while golems overlap with the realm of summoning magic, undead are pure dark magic. So it wouldn't have been bad to do it."

"..."

"...Are you perhaps angry?"

"Me? No."

"Ahem. That's a relief. Even after the festival ends, the dark mages will stay in a nearby town for a few more weeks, so how about visiting once? It will help with dark magic."

"Isn't going out prohibited?"

"...Ahem. Ahem."

Professor Mortum felt a strange pressure and coughed.

It was as if the pressure he felt when the angry Professor Garcia stared at him intensely was rushing in.

"Th, that's right. I made a mistake."

"Wardanaz. They're summoning spirits over there, want to go together? You could summon spirits, right?"

At the voice of other friends passing by and calling Yi-Han, the mages participating in the festival pricked up their ears.

Professor Mortum quickly intervened and dissuaded them.

"No, that's not it! He can't summon spirits. You guys seem to be very mistaken!"

"Huh? Is that so? Wardanaz, before, you su..."

"Now! Hurry up and go watch! The spirit summoning is starting now!"

Only after sealing the students' mouths could Professor Mortum let out a sigh of relief.

His disciple's sulky expression seemed to have softened a little bit too.

"Excuse me. Professor Mortum."

"What is it?"

"Can he really not summon spirits? Can't you make him try once?"

"...Ahem. Get lost."

As a tough week ended and the weekend approached, smiles and anticipation appeared on the students' faces.

Although it was a cold and hungry school life, at least on weekends, relatively pleasant things remained.

If they finish today's lecture, it's the weekend!

'Once this is over, it's the weekend.'

'Although there's still class duty left.'

'Although there are still assignments piled up.'

'Although we have to go secure food.'

Thinking like that, the students who were moving their feet paused.

Huh?

"...?"

"Wardanaz, why are you coming this way?"

The lecture they were going to attend now was <Basic Dance and Socializing in Depth>.

They knew that in the 1st semester, Wardanaz didn't attend this lecture. The Blue Dragon Tower students speculated, 'This lecture must be too easy for Wardanaz.'

"I'm going to attend starting from the 2nd semester."

"Why? Didn't you say you weren't interested?"

Gainando asked without much thought. Then Yi-Han asked back with a serious face.

"Did you finish all the assignments for other lectures?"

"...Wh, what did I do wrong??!"

Yi-Han was forced to attend the lecture due to the skull principal's evil cheating.

Naturally, he wasn't in a good mood.

'The summoning magic festival would have been better.'

At the summoning magic festival, every mage he saw harassed him to show magic, but at least there was a sense of fulfillment that he was getting closer to an A+.

In comparison, the dance and socializing lecture...

"Yonaire. What kind of person is the professor?"

Yonaire, who was covering her mouth and yawning, wiped the slightly gathered tears and answered Yi-Han's question.

"A very famous person in the empire's social circles. Have you heard of Crinbal Greenbel?"

"I don't really read the social section in imperial newspapers..."

"Actually, I didn't read it either, so I heard about it for the first time in the 1st semester."

Both Yi-Han and Yonaire were the type of people who would read the economics section of imperial newspapers over and over again, but skim through the social section.

Articles like a new club opening in the capital, a new social gathering being formed, or a socialite starting a trend with a flashy dance made them drowsy if they read more than one line.

"What I'm curious about is the personality... Anyway, it's not a mage from Einroguard, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then the personality should be fine?"

"...Huh?"

Yonaire tilted her head.

Something was strange with the logic.

"Is... is that so? I don't think so?"

"Ah. Does the personality seem strange?"

"Ah, no... The personality is good."

"Then it's right, isn't it?"

"???"

Yonaire couldn't refute Yi-Han's oddly logical argument and missed the timing.

"Now! Everyone, come in. Open the door wide and come in! Light footsteps! Dignified expression! No matter how tired you are, you must forget your worries at least when dancing!"

In the middle of the lecture room decorated like a ballroom, a spider mixed-blood dancer in a flashy tailcoat was waiting.

It was Professor Crinbal Greenbel, who was in charge of the lecture.

Clap clap clap!

Professor Crinbal continuously clapped and welcomed the students.

"Student Gainando! Why do you have such a gloomy face! Now! Walk in while stepping as we learned last time!"

"Sob. I keep losing in Mage Cards, so I'm angry."

"Even if you lose in Mage Cards, dancing will comfort you! Now! One, two! One, two!"

Yi-Han, who was relieved by the professor's hearty and kind appearance, suddenly remembered something and asked Yonaire.

"Does this professor give good grades?"

"Huh? Yeah, this professor is quite generous with them."

"..."

Yi-Han suddenly recalled his past self who went to Professor Boladi's lecture room that others didn't attend in the 1st semester to get grades easily.

"...Sigh. I should not have looked for shortcuts..."

"??"