Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-308

At first, when Yi-Han said he would vanquish the undead inside the cave and collect the ingredients, Gubon tried to dissuade him, saying it was too ambitious.

The mission of vanquishing undead was challenging enough, let alone collecting rare herbs, which were typically hard to find and often the reason adventurers joined guilds.

Gubon feared that attempting both could lead to failure in either or a wasteful exhaustion of energy.

However, Yi-Han attentively listened to Gubon's concerns and calmly, without any emotional reaction, explained in detail.

According to the book, the terrain behind the cave was currently suitable for herbs to grow, and if undead emerged from inside the cave, the potency of the herbs would be affected by it, increasing the likelihood of obtaining them...

Although Gubon didn't know much about magic or herbology, Yi-Han's words carried a definite persuasiveness.

Moreover, that wasn't the end of it.

Yi-Han even planned to capture the rare monster, the Rapella squirrel.

Ordinary adventurers didn't do that. There was a reason for solving one mission at a time.

Ordinarily, Gubon would have objected to such a greedy plan, given the uncertainty of mission completion. However, he found himself unable to do so. The plan was just too perfect and meticulously crafted.

If not for his face, he would have thought he was someone who had been active as an adventurer for about ten years.

"Einroguard students are usually capable of this much."

Yi-Han humbly spoke for the honor of his friends.

The White Tiger Tower students stared at Yi-Han with wide eyes.

'What are you saying?'

'Only you can do that...!'

"I have nothing more to say. It seems we can proceed right away as it is..."

Gubon trailed off.

Even though he was cautious, there was something he had to say.

"Do you have everything prepared for the journey and camping?"

At Gubon's words, Anglago snorted as if telling him not to worry.

"No need to worry. It's not like we've only camped once or twice."

"It wasn't a camping trip where you had servants carrying food and various camping tools, was it?"

"..."

At Yi-Han's question, Anglago was at a loss for words.

No, how did he know?

Yi-Han sighed and said,

"It's best to forget the experience of camping with other knights from your family. At that time, they would have provided convenience for everything from preparing the campsite to preparing water for washing, warm meals, and night watch shifts. If you want to travel alone, you have to prepare as much as possible."

At Yi-Han's words, Gubon was surprised once again.

He couldn't believe he was really a first-year student.

How could a first-year student anticipate so calmly and composedly...

"Open your backpack. Let's check what you have. Even if not nails or hammers, do you not have any rope? In case something happens? And you need cloth too. Preferably one soaked in oil, if possible. Is salted pork the only food? It'll be insufficient, but that much should be fine. Bring a leather water pouch too. You left out the flint and steel because of magic, but don't waste mana unnecessarily and bring those too."

"..."

Gubon was completely overwhelmed.

The sight of him checking the supplies more skillfully than a fairly seasoned adventurer.

Seeing that, Gubon wondered why he was here.

It seemed like it would go well enough without a seasoned veteran...

"Mr. Gubon. I'd like to ask for some advice."

Not knowing Gubon's inner thoughts, Yi-Han called out to him. Gubon felt very burdened.

Yi-Han was already doing better than Gubon.

'I packed rather carelessly...'

Many seasoned adventurers weren't that thorough either. Unless they were going to a really dangerous place, the basic principle was 'Let's save silver coins and make do with our bodies'.

"It seems excellent."

At Gubon's words, Yi-Han urged him as if asking why he was saying that.

"Why are you saying that?"

"Surely there must be parts you want to point out. There's no way there aren't."

"Ah... no..."

There really isn't!

Bijidek, Gubon's colleague, looked at him with eyes that said, 'How can you give advice here?'

"Indeed. Is the color of the backpack important too? This is information I didn't know. As expected, a seasoned adventurer is different."

Yi-Han wrote it down with an admiring expression.

Matching and changing the camouflage color of the backpack according to the terrain. As expected, the advice of an adventurer who had experienced a lot of real combat was different.

Bijidek whispered in a small voice,

"There's no such thing."

"I... I just couldn't think of anything," Gubon admitted, hanging his head in embarrassment.

Of course, he had never tried changing the color of his backpack for each terrain he went to.

When he didn't know when and where he would go, did it make sense to change the backpack every time? Adventurers didn't have enough money to waste silver coins like that.

Dolgyu, who was walking in front, asked,

"But isn't it a bit strange? Wouldn't it be annoying and bothersome to change the backpack every time?"

"They probably camouflage it with grass or dirt that can be found nearby."

"Aha."

"..."

Gubon shuddered at the sight of the Einroguard student figuring out ten things on his own without being told one.

What the...

"But since we can use magic, there's no need for that. It can be replaced with the <Lesser Color Conversion> spell."

Dolgyu admired Yi-Han's words.

"As expected of you, Yi-Han, who took all magic classes like a madman."

"What did you just say?"

"Ah, no. Sorry. It's a habit of speech from the friends in the same tower..."

"It's fine. Dolgyu. It's not your fault, it's the fault of the other guys."

"We... we didn't do it."

"We didn't say anything."

Anglago and Raphael denied it, but Yi-Han ignored them.

"By the way, Wardanaz. I remember that the <Lesser Color Conversion> spell wasn't covered in the lecture. When did you learn it?"

"No. I just saw it in a book too. If I practice, I should be able to do it before we arrive."

"That doesn't make sense..."

"Colors, change."

With a single attempt, the color of the backpack turned green. Yi-Han nodded.

"It's similar to iron transformation, but it's easier. Thanks to that, I succeeded on the first try."

"..."

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's nothing..."

The White Tiger Tower students turned their gazes away with a mixture of sadness and resignation.

The veteran adventurers, Gubon and Bijidek, whispered to each other in confusion.

"Isn't the atmosphere a bit strange?"

"I'm certain... aren't they friends?"

The dynamic seemed more like a strict hierarchy between superiors and subordinates rather than close friends from the same knightly background.

They should be in the same year...

'It must be a misunderstanding?'

After passing through the city gate of Granden City, following the imperial road, and then deviating onto a path shown on the map and through the bushes, the destination, Burnt Hill, came into view.

Arriving in the early evening meant they had arrived very quickly.

Everyone had good stamina and even had horses, and above all...

"As expected, having two veterans with us allowed us to arrive at once without getting lost."

...thanks to finding the way without getting lost even once.

The two adventurers laughed awkwardly without saying a word.

'We...'

'...didn't really do anything.'

It was Yi-Han who, consulting the map alone, determined the route, muttering to himself, 'Is it this way?' 'It's this way,' 'Let's turn here,' and arrived at the destination on his own.

Even when the two of them, who knew this area well, tried to give advice, there was nothing wrong with his directions.

"Now then..."

"We still have enough energy, so let's go in."

Raphael spoke enthusiastically.

As someone who learned dark magic to exterminate criminal dark mages, he was very proactive in exterminating the undead.

Gubon was delighted.

The time had finally come for him to give advice as a seasoned adventurer.

"That's..."

"No. Raphael. We might not be tired, but there's no need to enter a cave infested with undead at dusk. Their power strengthens after the sun completely sets. Even if we're not tired now, it's better to set up camp and wait until tomorrow morning."

After saying that, Yi-Han looked at the two adventurers and asked,

"Is that alright?"

"...Yes, yes. It's a good method."

"Thank you."

The two adventurers, beyond bewilderment and absurdity, began to feel a deep sense of doubt.

...Did we really need to come?

"We'll take care of the camping preparations!"

"???"

When the two adventurers declared firmly, Yi-Han and his friends tilted their heads.

"Shouldn't we usually prepare together?"

"No. Originally, people like mages don't do this kind of work."

Gubon's words were correct.

In a party, dirty work was shared, but there were always exceptions.

High-level personnel like mages or priests, or those from knight families who did the work of several other adventurers, couldn't be assigned chores. That was rather a waste.

All the students here were mages and from knight families...

"Indeed. I understand."

"Then we'll..."

"No."

Yi-Han refused.

"If you two aren't around, we'll have to do it ourselves, and if we can't do it then, it'll be a problem. We need to learn how to do it too."

"Huh?"

"Th-that much preparation is needed?"

The White Tiger Tower friends, who were just thinking of resting, asked in a hesitant posture.

However, Yi-Han was serious.

"Yes. Think about it carefully. When we have to camp at Einroguard, we won't be able to get help from other adventurers."

"Why would we camp at Einroguard?"

Gubon asked, not understanding. The magic academy students pretended not to hear.

"Now. What should we do first?"

"First, light a fire and..."

As Gubon tried to take out the flint and steel, Yi-Han immediately swung his staff.

Whoosh!

"The fire is lit."

"...If there's a water source nearby, it's good to fetch water. If you secure fresh water, it'll be useful in many ways..."

Splash!

"Brought it. What's next?"

"..."

Seeing the huge mass of water floating in the air, Gubon and Bijidek mumbled and quietly took out a wooden barrel to store the water.

"The surrounding bushes should conceal the firelight and block the cold wind, but it's slightly insufficient. Just piling up some dirt would..."

Thud thud thud!

In an instant, a pile of dirt was heaped up and became a simple earthen wall.

"Is this enough?"

"...Yes. Now, if an intruder comes, we can set up a simple trap to know..."

Yi-Han brought out the magic he had learned while making fireworks with Professor Beavle.

It was a magic that bestowed the illusion of light on paper, and when the paper was torn, the illusion of light would be summoned.

Flash!

Anglago asked without much thought,

"Did you learn that on the way here too? That's amazing."

"What nonsense are you talking about? You know magic can't be learned that easily. It's a magic I learned directly from the professor during the semester."

"...No... hey...!!"

While Anglago was at a loss for words, feeling too wronged and absurd, Yi-Han finished working while going around the surroundings.

"How is it?"

"It seems there will be no problem at all if we just keep watch properly now."

"You all heard, right? Remember the order well."

Yi-Han spoke to the White Tiger Tower students.

The White Tiger Tower students weren't surprised by this series of magic. They nodded as if it was natural.

"Don't worry, Wardanaz. We remembered it well."

"If it's this much, we should be able to do it sufficiently too."

'No...'

Gubon and Bijidek were confused by the feeling of common sense collapsing.

What should have taken 2-3 hours originally was finished in a few minutes now...

Was this kind of reaction even reasonable?

'Are all mages like this??'

'There's a reason why mages are expensive...! They're really worth being expensive!'

Of course, the mages who participated in parties didn't do this kind of thing.

They had to save mana consumption anyway, so no one used magic for this kind of preparation.

Because they had the misfortune of meeting Yi-Han, the two adventurers' common sense about mages was strangely changing.