Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-455

"There are often fools who think everything will be solved if they can just recite spells well. I won't say who specifically, but I'll give you a hint: it's one of the imperial family members in your year."

"Just say it's Gainando."

"Knowledge is more important than spells. Think of a tower built by a mage who thinks he can just stack rocks and it will become a building. It may maintain its shape for a while thanks to mana, but how long will that mana last?"

"Hmm."

Yi-Han recalled the magic he had used so far.

Unlike other mages, Yi-Han often greatly increased the duration with his overwhelming amount of mana.

'How long can it last?'

"...That was a rhetorical question. I wasn't telling you to calculate it. You absurd fellow."

The skull principal looked at his disciple as if dumbfounded.

The question he had just asked meant 'Since magic is an act of overturning the order of the world with will, don't be arrogant and try to understand and follow the order as much as possible,' not 'How long can you last by ignoring the order and relying only on the amount of mana?'

"Ah. I see."

"Sand, rock, wood... The elements you are dealing with now are basic, and going further, even when using the same earth, it is divided into gravel, sand, or clay, and granite, limestone, or basalt..."

The earth element magic and sand-rock transformation Yi-Han was dealing with were basic magic in magical construction, and going deeper, one had to understand the properties of various materials and know how to understand load and stress.

How to grasp the inner space, put in the main beam, distribute the weight of the roof...

Yi-Han, who was nodding and listening, suddenly became curious and asked.

"But will there be an occasion to apply what you just told me today?"

It was too professional to be just a casual conversation.

"Not today, right?"

"?"

"But you'll learn it all anyway when you become a 2nd year. Things like <Basic Magical Architecture> or <Basic Magical Materials>..."

"No, I won't."

Yi-Han stopped making the tree sprout and became serious.

After repairing the cracked parts of the stone house, replacing the blown-away supports of the pier with newly sprouted trees, and diligently repairing other damages...

The skull principal stepped in for large-scale repairs, and Yi-Han handled the small ones.

"It's all done."

"..."

Yi-Han had a very complicated expression.

At this point, he was starting to realize.

'Damn it. He really came out to do maintenance work.'

There were no wicked plots, suspicious exams, or hidden treasure warehouses.

The skull principal saw Yi-Han's expression and chuckled.

"You arrogant fellow. Don't make that face just because you failed a few spells."

The earth element magic and transformation magic Yi-Han had learned today were sufficient achievements.

The skull principal knew well how much the other professors were squeezing Yi-Han.

Even if he didn't push him further here, the other professors would torment him on their own.

'I'll have to write it in the lounge.'

"Yes... thank you..."

"Since you worked hard, take some food."

The skull principal summoned food from thin air with a single glance.

Round wooden barrels full of beer and mead, and piping hot feasts freshly made from the kitchen.

Yi-Han nodded with a smile.

"Thank you."

'I must never eat it now.'

One of the rules of Einroguard was to never eat the food the skull principal gave during the exam period.

It was very suspicious that the hearty feast was piping hot.

There was clearly an intention to make hungry students eat it even though they knew it was a waste.

The skull principal clicked his tongue when he realized Yi-Han wasn't falling for it.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of monopolizing it without sharing it with the students?"

"If there are any wronged students, I will tell them to settle it with a duel."

"..."

The skull principal cursed Yi-Han.

Oppressing other students just because he was good at magic.

'That wicked fellow!'

Meanwhile, a death knight came running from afar.

-Master.-

"Yes. Since the work is finished, I'll be going back soon. Are the professors preparing well?"

-Yes.-

It wasn't only the students who suffered during the exam period.

The professors also had unexpected hardships while preparing for the exams.

The skull principal ordered some professors with prior convictions to be called to the lounge separately to have their content inspected by the skull principal first.

"Nothing unusual happened?"

-Professor Ingurdel is very discouraged. Perhaps if you give him gold coins as a reward to comfort him?-

"Who says such old-fashioned things like an ancient knight? Mages these days don't rejoice when given gold coins."

'?'

Yi-Han thought it was nonsense, but the skull principal was confident.

"So why is he discouraged? Tell him not to worry too much since the flood will end someday. The students won't die just because their hands get a little wet."

"..."

Yi-Han had to hold back from attacking the back of the skull principal's head.

-That's not it…-

The death knight pointed at Yi-Han as if it was a good thing and explained what had happened.

When he explained that Yi-Han had fallen into a state of selflessness and climbed the warship again to recreate that state, the skull principal literally burst out laughing.

"Hahahahahahaha!"

"..."

"..."

The death knight and Yi-Han stared blankly at the skull principal, but the skull principal laughed without caring.

He laughed and laughed and laughed again.

And as if he would laugh until the end of the world...

"Ah. Sorry. It was too funny. No wonder you looked tired, you did such a thing. Professor Ingurdel is really a diligent person. If I had been there, I would have helped."

"It's really unfortunate."

"Be careful on your way back. If you want to try again next time, let me know."

'The opponent is the principal. The opponent is the principal.'

Yi-Han endured while cursing Moradi and the skull principal.

He must never fall for that provocation.

'Is it because I lack strength? Do I lack strength?'

"..."

Flip flip flip!

The faintly heard sound of pages turning. The unfamiliar scenery unfolding before his eyes.

The black book the skull principal had given was floating in the air with its pages exposed.

"No..."

Yi-Han felt a slight throbbing in his head.

No matter how much Yi-Han thought he 'lacked strength' before falling asleep, he didn't expect it to come like this.

"I'm sorry, but I need to rest a bit today."

It wasn't an exaggeration, he really needed to rest.

Hadn't he just swam in the sea all day and followed the skull principal around doing maintenance work on Einroguard?

Rest was essential as there were exams waiting tomorrow as well.

Flip!

However, no matter what Yi-Han said, the black book didn't care.

3rd circle magic, <Gonadaltes' Boiling Power>.

It was an enchantment spell, specifically in the enhancement magic category.

Since it was a magic cast on living beings, not inanimate objects, it had a higher difficulty level, and above all...

'I know that concentrated types have a high risk of failure or side effects.'

Enhancement magic had to be cast even more carefully than enchantment magic.

If enchantment magic failed, it ended with the artifact or material being destroyed, but if enhancement magic failed, arms and legs could be broken.

And among them, concentrated enhancement magic was even more dangerous.

Instead of raising the overall physical functions, it was a magic that focused on raising only specific functions.

Naturally, the performance was much more powerful, but there were risks accordingly.

Since it was concentrated to obtain such effects, the side effects were not insignificant if it failed.

Of course, there were side effects even if it succeeded...

"But since it's a magic created by the principal, is it different?"

?

"..."

The book had no mouth, but Yi-Han could feel the intention of 'What are you talking about?' from the book's fluttering motion just now.

"...Let's just practice. There might be an occasion to throw a punch at the principal later."

Morning.

Yi-Han woke up from his sleeping bag. The ceiling of the library gradually brightened, and the light pushing away the darkness beyond the barricade caught his eye.

His arms and legs still felt the phantom pain of being torn apart, showing how much he had been tormented by the black book.

<Gonadaltes' Boiling Power> showed pain hotly as expected when it failed.

'I really shouldn't touch enhancement magic.'

Yi-Han understood why enhancement mages received expensive silver coins.

And he also understood why enhancement mages sometimes got grabbed by the collar.

No matter how much mercenaries or adventurers were in a hurry to receive magic, they couldn't help but have their eyes rolled back with these side effects.

People were originally different when they were in a hurry and when they were not.

"Gainando. Wake up. We have to eat breakfast."

Yi-Han tapped Gainando, who was rolling around next to him, with his foot.

Gainando, who usually woke up at the mere mention of breakfast, was deeply asleep today without even pretending to hear.

'What's going on?'

Yi-Han frowned. Something felt off.

Tap-

When he flipped Gainando over with his staff, there was chocolate on the corner of his mouth.

Among the feasts the principal gave yesterday, there was definitely...

'Chocolate cake.'

Yi-Han called his friends.

And he told them to hang upside down anyone who couldn't wake up now.

"Should I write 'I stole and ate food that I was told not to eat at night' at the bottom?"

"Yeah. Don't let them down right away even after they wake up, let them stay a little longer."

"Don't worry, Wardanaz. I'm very skilled at this kind of punishment."

Salko winked as if to leave it to him.

In a guild with strict discipline, thieves were not forgiven.

"Punish one to warn a hundred. Don't feel bad, Wardanaz."

"I didn't particularly feel bad..."

"Those who have exams in the morning, come out quickly! The devouring-ship fish is waiting!"

The voices of his friends shouting from the pier outside the library could be heard.

Yi-Han nodded and finished preparing to leave.

"Isn't everyone ready? Let's leave soon."

"Wait. Wardanaz hasn't come."

"Doesn't he have no exams in the morning?"

"No. Wardanaz definitely has them. His schedule is always packed."

"..."

Yi-Han suddenly felt bitter when he heard the conversation at the pier.

It was even more so when he saw his friends stop talking when they saw Yi-Han.

"Let's go."

"Y, yeah. Wardanaz."

"You worked hard yesterday, are you okay? Moradi was worried about you."

Yi-Han nodded and pushed the White Tiger Tower student who had just spoken off the devouring-ship fish.

Splash!

"Puhah! Wh, what are you doing?!"

"Sorry. I slept less, so my foot slipped."

Yi-Han thought if there was anyone more bitter than him at Einroguard as he pushed the lecture hall door with his staff.

Then surprisingly, there was someone who looked even more bitter than Yi-Han waiting.

It was Professor Bagrak.

'What?'

Yi-Han was surprised.

To think that the crazy professor, who looked like he would kill people expressionlessly even when killing, was making such a bitter expression.

"Professor?"

Yi-Han called out to Professor Bagrak on the raft. Professor Bagrak, who was standing on the water, saw Yi-Han and opened his mouth.

"This midterm exam is..."

"..."

Even the top student of Einroguard, who had overcome all kinds of dangers and trials, couldn't help but be nervous now.

What the hell is it?

"...canceled."

"!!!!!!!!!!!"

Yi-Han was startled.

He would have been less surprised to hear that Einroguard was closing its doors.

"Is that really true?!"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because of the flood."

Professor Bagrak explained slowly as if it was quite painful and agonizing.

Originally, there was an underground dungeon prepared for the midterm exam.

It was a very fun and beneficial comprehensive underground dungeon made by combining all the magic of the schools Yi-Han was learning.

'O spirit of water. Thank you.'

Yi-Han vowed to thank the water spirit when he met one in the future.