Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Feeling awkward, Professor Ingurdel changed the subject.

"Still, as Sir Jangcliff is an outstanding knight, his teachings will be of great help. But when did you become able to draw up mana to such a high level?"

"It's not a high level, I'm just using mana considering the waste..."

"...Anyway, as Sir Jangcliff is an outstanding knight, the form you just learned will be helpful!"

Yi-Han looked at Professor Ingurdel with slightly suspicious eyes.

He felt like the professor was just glossing over it because he didn't know how to handle the situation.

"He was indeed very strong."

"Although the Chestnut Tree Knight Order is often said to be too obsessed with formalities, Sir Jangcliff is an exception."

"?"

Huh?

'Didn't he just naturally insult them just now?'

Professor Ingurdel didn't seem to realize that he had insulted them. Yi-Han decided to just let it go as a disciple.

"Moreover, as he is well-versed in all kinds of swordsmanship in the empire, he will definitely be of help..."

"But not as much as you, Professor."

"Ah, no, that's not true."

Professor Ingurdel denied it unexpectedly firmly.

Yi-Han was surprised because Professor Ingurdel never spoke empty words when it came to swordsmanship.

"Is that so?"

"It's because I'm not as sociable as Sir Jangcliff."

"...Aha."

Yi-Han immediately understood.

Indeed, it was natural for someone who visited and investigated imperial swordsmen one by one to have broader knowledge than someone who wielded a sword while roaming the battlefield.

'Although he misunderstood my level.'

Yi-Han was doubtful whether the form Sir Jangcliff taught him would really be helpful.

It was already enough to forcibly learn high-difficulty magic that didn't match his level.

Was he really at the level to learn this?

"...That's why I'm worried."

Yi-Han confided honestly to Professor Ingurdel.

It was better to ask an expert than to overdo it and get hurt.

"Is that so? I understand. I've been through that too."

Professor Ingurdel readily accepted Yi-Han's concerns.

"You've been through that too, Professor?"

"Yes. I was distressed because my skills didn't improve as quickly as I thought."

"?"

Yi-Han wondered what he was talking about.

"No, Professor. It's not that I'm distressed because I want to use the technique but my skills aren't improving, it's whether I should forcibly learn a technique that doesn't match my current ski..."

"But skills don't improve quickly just because you're impatient. I understand your desire to use the technique as soon as possible."

Professor Ingurdel laughed heartily.

Yi-Han regretted asking for nothing.

"In the end, there seems to be only one answer."

"Consistent training?"

"That's too obvious, I was talking about a life-or-death duel..."

"..."

"You don't have to be too impatient, you'll have plenty of opportunities if you're at Einroguard."

"Hearing you say that makes me even more impatient."

After finishing a pleasant conversation with Professor Ingurdel and returning to the tower, Yi-Han realized that the priests had already left for the lecture first.

'Oh no. I'm a bit late.'

The priests usually arrived before the start of the lecture, earlier than the students from other towers.

Yi-Han grabbed his books and left the tower to catch up quickly.

'Is the part covered in healing magic today the liver? No, was it the stomach?'

While the academic aspect was important for all magic lectures, it was especially so for healing magic.

One had to understand the various body structures of all races, memorize the possible diseases, and learn the most efficient healing methods in advance.

Even the White Tiger Tower students who had firmly decided to learn healing magic to help knight orders were shaken to the point of thinking, 'Can't they just hire separate healing mages?' due to the amount of knowledge they had to learn.

For students like Yi-Han who lacked time, they had no choice but to squeeze in and learn during their spare time.

Yi-Han moved his feet while organizing his thoughts in his head.

But...

"?"

There was no one in the lecture hall.

'What's going on?'

For a moment, Yi-Han thought he had come to the wrong place.

[Basic Healing Magic Additional Advanced - If you walk about 15 minutes southwest from the main building, you will see two rock pillars. Turn right there and follow the trail to reach the Blade and Keystone Hall where the lecture will be held.]

'That's correct, isn't it?'

Yi-Han, who looked at the note written by the skull principal, tilted his head.

He had definitely followed the note he received from the principal when he entered Einroguard.

'Strange. Although the principal is a crazy mage, he's not the type to play pranks with this.'

"Sit down."

"!"

Yi-Han was startled by the rough, hoarse voice coming from inside the lecture hall.

Professor Alkasis Lagrinde was standing inside the lecture hall, using a sword as a cane.

"Uh... have the other students not arrived yet?"

"They're all sitting over there."

The dark elf professor sat back down as if she was tired just from standing up and pointed forward with the scabbard.

"You just can't see them."

"...???"

Yi-Han felt chills for the first time in a long time.

What the hell is this...

'It's not good to learn one-on-one with a professor.'

From personal experience, a professor who taught one-on-one without other students was likely to be a bit crazy.

Yi-Han thought that Professor Alkasis might have fallen into a slight mania due to fatigue.

"...They're your seniors, so you can't see them. Sit down. Don't make me say it twice."

"..."

Only then did Yi-Han realize what she meant.

So this place is...

'It's not the 1st year lecture hall!?'

Surprisingly, it was a lecture hall where 2nd year and above students gathered, not 1st years.

Yi-Han looked at Professor Alkasis, dumbfounded.

Even Professor Bagrak didn't do this.

'No. He probably doesn't have any disciples in 2nd year or above.'

"Professor. I'm actually a 1st year..."

"Should I embroider '1st year' on your coat? Sit down."

Professor Alkasis's words carried a strong weight that if he made her more tired, she would make him a dissection subject.

Yi-Han sat down for now.

Looking again, the lecture hall was chilling in a different sense.

A lump of meat was placed on each seat, and that lump of meat was moving around, becoming the target of magic. Invisible mages were practicing.

-Welcome. Junior.-

As Yi-Han sat down, letters were engraved on the desk. Yi-Han accepted it half-heartedly.

"...Nice to meet you too..."

Although he thought he had become somewhat familiar with Einroguard, who would have known he would learn in such a ghost lecture hall?

"Sorry for stopping in the middle of the lecture. Everyone, listen while cutting."

Slice slice slice-

Hearing the sound of cutting meat, Yi-Han sighed.

"You might find it strange for a 1st year student to listen... You all know, right? Did you hear? Yes. I'm glad I don't have to explain..."

Professor Alkasis spoke in a sincere voice.

However, Yi-Han couldn't help but be puzzled.

'How do they know what?'

He couldn't help but be curious about what conversation had taken place between the 2nd year and above healing magic seniors without his knowledge.

"Then I only need to explain to you. You know you don't need to learn with the 1st years."

"No..."

"Be quiet. Don't make me say it twice."

"..."

Yi-Han cursed Professor Alkasis inwardly.

"It's more of a waste to group you with the 1st years. From now on, practice with the seniors."

"What about the parts I haven't studied yet?"

"Catch up through self-study. As the top student of the year, that should be enough."

"..."

Yi-Han was at a loss for words.

He didn't become the top student of the year for this!

-Sorry our professor is a son of a bitch.-

Letters were engraved on the next desk.

At first, it was a bit creepy that he couldn't see or hear the seniors, but Yi-Han adapted quickly despite his complaints.

In fact, when he thought about it, this kind of lecture wasn't necessarily bad.

'It's enough that desks or chairs don't fly at me.'

Except for disliking being told twice, Professor Alkasis was a pretty decent person.

When asked, she answered properly and didn't scold him even if he made mistakes.

Bang!

A scabbard flew behind Yi-Han and strongly struck the desk. Then it returned to the professor's grip.

After that, the sound of cutting meat became incredibly fast and precise.

'You don't directly attack students. How kind.'

Yi-Han decided to accept what happened in front of him as positively as possible.

Today's practical lecture was about finding and excising a tumor hidden inside a lump of meat (a slime made for healing magic practice).

There were various ways to find the tumor.

One could use a search spell, rely solely on the sensation of the fingertips, or even find it while making incisions.

The important thing was that the slime must not die.

'Was the scabbard flying because the slime died?'

"I told you not to kill it, are you not focusing!"

Professor Alkasis shouted and threw her sword.

'Hmm. If you kill it, a sword flies.'

Yi-Han's hand movements became even faster and more precise.

The tense atmosphere that he could die if he killed it made Yi-Han utilize everything he had learned.

"With the vigilance gone, he'll probably run away..."

"I think so too."

The seniors whispered while watching the professor.

There was an old saying about the carrot and the stick.

It was a very classic method of drawing in the other party by alternating between rewards and punishments...

...Professor Alkasis preferred the stick and the stick.

Look at that 1st year junior now!

Isn't he sitting alone in a lecture hall where no one can be seen, dissecting a slime?

If they thought they were in that situation, it seemed like they would develop non-existent trauma.

"Shouldn't the professor get permission from the principal and lift the magic only during the lecture?"

"As if he would allow that. Why don't you also ask him to open the school gates and allow outings?"

"You bastard..."

Bang!

A scabbard flew in. The seniors hurriedly focused again in fright.

-Still, shouldn't we at least give him some advice?-

-Indeed.-

The seniors weren't Einroguard students for nothing. They communicated with each other using magic letters, avoiding Professor Alkasis's eyes.

It was a convenient magic for secretly communicating during lectures, where the letters written on the desk with ink would wriggle and fly to the other person.

-I'm close, so I'll do it.-

-Thanks. Phil.-

Phil slightly turned his gaze to help the junior.

Fortunately, there was time left thanks to getting a decent slime.

'<Disease Detection> or <Vitality Assessment>... too difficult? Something easier... it would be easy if there was a vitality amplification potion, but there won't be one.'

While pondering what method would be helpful, Phil suddenly felt something strange and looked up.

Yi-Han was already holding a knife and cutting the slime.

"!??!?!"

Phil almost screamed.

The junior was going in too boldly.

'No!'

This was a mistake that quite a few students had made before.

Trusting the slime's vitality, roughly figuring out the location, then boldly cutting in and trying to excise the tumor.

However, most of them failed and had to be severely scolded by Professor Alkasis.

This wasn't easy enough to succeed just by roughly figuring out the location. This slime died more easily than one might think.

Poke-

But Yi-Han reached the tumor without any difficulty. At the same time, he threw colorful stones with his other hand.

"Hmm."

And then he corrected the direction again and carefully began to excise the tumor.

"..."

Phil was shocked.

To think he would use divination magic here.

It wasn't like he was wielding a dragon-slaying sword to catch a slime...!