Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Yonaire quickly picked up on Yi-Han's words.

The willow tree, as if deeply impressed, praised the students. "Excellent. You've been protecting the plants amongst yourselves without a professor. It's not something just anyone can do."

"Thank you."

Feeling the atmosphere lighten, Yi-Han inquired about the stranger's identity. "Excuse me, but who are you?"

"Ah, you're freshmen, so you don't know me. I'm a professor here, teaching botany. Call me Professor Willow."

The professor was indeed aptly named.

Gainando seemed to recall the talking oak trees he had encountered in the forest, raising his hand cautiously to ask, "Do you have any relation to the talking oak trees?"

"I'm a willow, and they are oaks, little troll."

"Me? I'm human, though."

"Yes, and I'm a willow, not an oak."

Yi-Han realized he needed to be careful with his words around Professor Willow, who seemed to dislike being lumped together with other similar trees.

Professor Willow slowly walked over, waved his branches, and touched the fallen bull.

Deepening the wrinkles on his wooden knots, he said, "This is a bull raised by Professor Uregor. Always so careless, that dwarf."

'Damn. It really was the professor's bull.'

Yi-Han cursed the absent Professor Uregor in his mind. If one was going to strengthen a monster with potions, at least manage it properly, not let it loose causing such a ruckus.

"Did you subdue this bull with a paralysis curse?"

Professor Willow looked at the students in amazement.

It was extraordinary for first-year students to do such a thing. They shouldn't have been able to cast such a powerful paralysis curse.

"We used a weakening potion first, then the curse."

"Still, it must have been tough. Remarkable."

Professor Willow rustled his branches, and vines grew from the ground, wrapping around the bull and confining it within a wooden enclosure.

"I'll inform Professor Uregor about this when he returns."

"Have you been taking care of the plants here, Professor?" asked Priestess Siana cautiously.

"Yes. My garden is usually elsewhere. I was asked by Professor Uregor to take care of this botanical garden for today. It’s annoying, but what can I do when he has to meet the emperor’s officials?"

"Really? I thought he was going to the market with Professor Bungaegor."

Professor Willow stopped in his tracks.

"Is that true?"

"Yes. You can ask Professor Bungaegor later."

Professor Willow stood still, but the restless movement of the leaves on the tip of his branches indicated his mood.

"You're from the Wardanaz family, aren't you?"

Yi-Han was slightly startled when the professor suddenly guessed his name.

What?

"Don't be surprised. I've just heard about you from the other professors. Anyway, thanks for telling me."

Professor Willow expressed his gratitude in a gentle tone.

"Do you need anything? If so, let me know."

"We're planning to practice alchemy. Do you know where we can find useful ingredients or reagents?"

"Hmm..."

Professor Willow pondered.

Of course, the vast grounds of the magic academy were abundant with ingredients and reagents, but most of the places were a bit dangerous for freshmen.

Yi-Han observed Professor Willow's expressions with utmost attention.

It didn't matter that the other was a tree spirit-like being. As a professor, he couldn't escape Yi-Han's keen observation.

'Now!'

Yi-Han took a gamble with his next move.

"Perhaps, from Professor Uregor's Workshop, could we borrow... Ah, no, never mind. That was too impudent of me to ask."

Yi-Han bowed his head as if embarrassed, but Professor Willow rustled his branches as if it was a great idea.

"That's actually a good idea."

"What? But..."

"It's fine. When Professor Uregor returns, I'll tell him the bull wandered in and took some things. I'll select what you can take."

With that, Professor Willow headed towards the stairs leading to the third floor.

Priestess Siana looked at Yi-Han and said, "Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family really shouldn't join any evil cult."

"?"

As they stepped onto the third floor, they were greeted by pitch darkness, impervious even to light spells.

"Be careful not to lose your way. The paths here are notoriously complex," advised Professor Willow, swinging his branches. Suddenly, something in the darkness began to approach. It was a door marked 'Workshop 6'.

Clunk!

Professor Willow turned the doorknob and opened it. The workshop inside was engulfed in blue smoke, freezing everything within. Quickly, he shut the door.

"This workshop should be permanently closed."

Pushing aside Workshop 6, Professor Willow called up several more Workshops. Most were in disarray. Workshop 17 had distorted space, with water falling from a desk flowing upwards to the ceiling, and Workshop 29 was being consumed by a pitch-black darkness.

Yi-Han took out a piece of paper and meticulously noted down everything Professor Willow did. He wasn't sure when he'd return to the third floor.

'So that's how it is.'

Yi-Han roughly understood the layout of the third floor.

The reason there weren't many traps on the first and second floors was that the third floor itself was almost maze-like. If one didn't know what each Workshop contained and how to summon it, being on the third floor was essentially meaningless.

Breaking the magic with force in such a jumbled space was dangerous, as it could lead to disaster.

The solution was to learn everything step by step from the beginning.

Just like there was no shortcut to learning, the same applied to thievery.

'Workshop 6, swing left twice and then 6 times. Workshop 17, four times to the right, once up, and then 17 times. Workshop 29 is...'

"Found it."

Professor Willow located a suitable Workshop. Yi-Han quickly tucked the paper into his coat.

The Workshop they entered now looked more like a typical alchemist's Workshop, filled with various alchemical tools and flasks.

The students entered with slightly frightened expressions, having seen the previous Workshops.

"Here, take these."

Professor Willow began to sweep up alchemical tools and flasks, throwing them one by one. Yi-Han, unfazed, deftly caught them and placed them carefully into a leather bag he had brought.

"Did I give too much?"

"Not at all, Professor. I'm just grateful."

As soon as Yi-Han's leather bag was full, he would hand it to his friends and take out a new one.

His speed of swapping bags was so quick that even Professor Willow might mistake it for an artifact swap.

"This should be enough for your practice. I didn't give anything too dangerous, or anything that Professor Uregor is too fond of."

"That's more than enough."

Professor Willow carefully tidied up the Workshop which appeared to have been ransacked by thieves, using his branches.

The scattered tools found their way back to their rightful places, and the opened drawers closed once again.

Noticing some withering potted plants in a corner, Professor Willow's expression soured, and he summoned a watering can.

"I'll help," volunteered Yi-Han, stepping forward.

'I must make a good impression.'

Although Yi-Han doubted Professor Willow would snitch to Professor Uregor, human affairs were unpredictable.

Moreover, there was no harm in making a good impression on a professor. After all, Yi-Han might attend Professor Willow's class someday.

Unaware of Yi-Han's ulterior motive, his friends rolled up their sleeves to help, but Yi-Han shook his head.

"Go back, all of you."

"Why? Wardanaz? We can also..."

"Professor Uregor might return at any time. Take the bags and head back to the dormitory."

"!"

His friends marveled at Yi-Han's command.

Indeed...!

Ratford, visibly impressed, spoke up. "You're truly remarkable. I have nothing left to teach you."

"Don't flatter me, Ratford. There's still much I need to learn from you."

Yonaire, sensing something odd about the situation but not wanting to disrupt the warm atmosphere, stayed quiet.

"Then, Wardanaz, I'll move ahead."

"See you at the dorm!"

The students grunted as they hoisted the bags and descended. Yi-Han, noticing Yonaire still present, looked puzzled.

"Why?"

"I thought it'd be good to have someone to help you. Even if I'm not with them, they can still carry the bags."

"Thanks."

"What's this about, it’s nothing."

"Wait. Should I...?"

"Don't ask if you need to apologize."

Yonaire warned, extending a finger. Yi Han changed the subject.

"...thanks to Jena."

"Is that a southern dialect?"

As he spoke, Yonaire picked up the watering can.

Truth be told, Yonaire hadn't expected Yi-Han to be adept at tending plants.

Caring for plants was more difficult and complex than one might assume. Even the simple task of watering varied greatly.

Some plants needed less water, others more. On hot, sunny days, they needed extra watering, while on damp, cloudy days, less was required.

Common plants were one thing, but rare and delicate ones were even more challenging. It was a task requiring both knowledge and intuition.

Yonaire had confidence in this area, having nurtured plants while reading alchemical tomes back home, but Yi-Han...

"You're doing well," commended Professor Willow in an admiring tone.

Both Yi-Han and Yonaire were not novices in handling plants.

Yi-Han, sensing Yonaire's surprised gaze, asked quizzically, "What's up?"

"Oh... no, just... you water them so well."

"I've done it plenty of times."

Yonaire wasn't the only one who had walked the path of plant care. Yi-Han had done the same.

Initially, it was a semi-forced hobby due to the professors, but a hobby once developed seldom fades away.

In his previous life, he had tended to the professors' plants; in this life, out of boredom, he had cultivated the Wardanaz family's garden.

Yonaire looked at Yi-Han with a mix of joy and admiration in her eyes.

People with niche hobbies were always overjoyed to meet others who shared their interests.

"You too...! Did the servants at your family's estate also ask why you bothered with such tasks?"

'Not really.'

Yi-Han was slightly taken aback.

The Wardanaz family was quite laissez-faire, not minding whether Yi-Han practiced swordsmanship or plant care.

But Yi-Han didn't want to disappoint Yonaire, who was kindly helping him.

"Of course, I did. But I never minded. I thought it would be helpful for alchemy someday."

"Yi-Han..."

Yonaire looked at Yi-Han with an expression that suggested she would award him the 'Best Friend Medal' if such a thing existed.

Yonaire was not the only one moved. Professor Willow was also touched.

"To meet students who care so much for plants... Follow me, everyone."

Leading the way, Professor Willow descended the stairs. Yi-Han and Yonaire, quickly wiping off the water, followed him.

'Is he going to give us something more?'

Yi-Han felt a subtle sense of anticipation, fueled by the joy in the professor's voice. After all, wasn't this why he had volunteered to stay back?

Upon reaching a corner of the second-floor botanical garden, Professor Willow stopped and pointed to the plants.

"Here, water all these plants from this point to here."

"?"

Yi-Han's face stiffened at the unexpected turn of events.

Could it be that Professor Willow was one of those extremely rare professors who rewarded hard work with more work?

If that was the case, it was indeed a terrifyingly daunting prospect.