Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-457

Of course, they couldn't challenge the flooded dungeon. Professor Bagrak didn't allow his cherished disciple to dangerously challenge an incomplete dungeon.

"Of course, as a professor, you'll teach better than me. But since it's a matter related to giants, it's hard to concede this."

Ikurusha thought that if Yi-Han was to be tested by the giants, he should get used to it in advance.

If they clashed in an unprepared situation, unexpected accidents could occur.

If a young mage like Yi-Han harbored hatred towards giants due to such a mistake, how dangerous would that be?

If a grand mage with a title like <Giant Slayer> appeared in the future...

'I think I'll already harbor hatred.'

Yi-Han felt like hatred would bloom just from what Ikurusha had told the professors now.

"I will respect that."

Professor Bagrak conceded very graciously. He had no conscience.

-Then let's go meet the other giants. Are you ready?-

Ikurusha winked to ease Yi-Han's tension.

Of course, since he was a giant, it didn't have much effect.

Bang!!!!!!!!

"Hmm. It would be better to wait a bit more before going out."

It seemed another mountain goat had escaped outside.

Only after all the mountain goats were caught could Yi-Han go outside.

Behind Ikurusha, who was walking unsteadily, Professor Bagrak advised Yi-Han.

"Don't lower your staff in front of giants."

"..."

'I really want to hit him.'

Calling that advice now...

"Any other advice?"

"Giants are generally hard to predict."

Wise and intelligent giants like Ikurusha were rare, and it was difficult to figure out what most giants were thinking.

It wasn't for nothing that explorers traveling to remote areas of the empire feared giants talking to them.

If they got involved wrongly, they would be forced to participate in unreasonable bets...

"?"

Yi-Han tilted his head.

Professor Bagrak's words ended there.

"Nothing more?"

"Didn't I just say it?"

"...Aha."

So 'Giants are generally hard to predict' was the advice.

Yi-Han closed his eyes.

'I'd rather have giants.'

Giants whose thoughts he couldn't understand would be better than the professor next to him.

Bubble bubble-

When they arrived at the sloping pasture located on the mountain ridge where the giants were resting, a huge pot first caught their eye.

The giants were cutting rock chunks with tired faces and throwing them into the pot.

"?"

Looking again, it wasn't rock chunks but cheese. Yi-Han had never seen such huge chunks of cheese before.

-It's mountain goat cheese. Are you interested?-

"Pardon? Yes."

Yi-Han nodded for now.

Living in Einroguard, he couldn't help but be interested in ingredients.

Ikurusha approached a giant and gestured to give him the cheese.

-Hand it over.-

-Why...?-

-We have to treat the guest.-

-Why...??-

-Just give it!-

Smack!

Ikurusha got angry and snatched the cheese from the giant's hand. Then he cut a small piece and held it out to Yi-Han.

The giant behind him glared at Yi-Han with eyes mixed with sorrow, anger, and resentment.

"...Ah, no. You don't have to snatch it and give it to me..."

-Don't mind it. They originally get sulky easily. They'll get over it soon.-

Although Ikurusha said that, the giant's eyes staring at Yi-Han contained too deep emotions.

Yi-Han received the cheese with an uneasy feeling.

Clang!

"?"

The cheese that looked like a rock was as hard as a rock.

...Then isn't it just a rock?

"Isn't it a rock?"

-Hmm? Wait a moment.-

Ikurusha checked the cheese.

It wasn't a rock, nor was it cheese that had hardened from age, but it was indeed freshly made cheese.

-It's cheese.-

'Can't use it as an ingredient.'

Yi-Han gave up and returned the cheese to the giant. The giant snorted and blew his nose so hard that Yi-Han almost flew away as he took the cheese.

"Mr. Ikurusha. Uh, isn't it a bit dangerous to start like this when we need to build rapport with the giants?"

-It's fine. It's okay.-

'It doesn't seem okay.'

Yi-Han quickly grasped the situation.

Ikurusha was a wise giant, but as a giant, he wasn't very worried about getting along with other giants.

He believed that even if the giants got a little angry and sulky, they would soon become friends.

However, in Yi-Han's view, that was too optimistic.

'I'll have to approach them as much as possible.'

"Hello."

-...-

-...-

The giants sitting around the pot made an obviously displeased expression when Yi-Han came and hid their large brass bowls in their arms.

It was a face that said they didn't want to give food to Yi-Han.

'They look just like Gainando...'

"I didn't come to receive food. Everyone. I came to greet..."

-Give him some!-

Ikurusha ran over again and shouted.

Yi-Han covered his face with both palms and was frustrated.

-This... the human race can't eat it.-

-They can't even eat it well.-

The giants protested, but Ikurusha sternly scolded the young giants who were indulging in their appetite.

And he scooped a large amount of porridge from the pot with a ladle and put it in a bowl for Yi-Han.

"Th, thank you."

-He can't eat it anyway.-

-It's a waste of food.-

The giants grumbled and complained. Yi-Han felt even more uncomfortable.

'I must eat it deliciously no matter what.'

Now that the atmosphere had flowed like this, he had no choice but to eat it deliciously.

Yi-Han looked down at the bowl.

"..."

'Isn't it lava?'

Seeing the bright red liquid boiling and bubbling, he couldn't tell if it was porridge or lava.

"...I'll eat well."

Yi-Han cursed the professors of Einroguard and brought the porridge to his mouth.

'Ugh.'

It was a taste that made him scream for the first time in a while.

A spicy taste that seemed to have condensed all the flavors of spicy, salty, bitter, and sour.

Yi-Han concentrated all his mind and maintained a smiling face. And he scraped the porridge bowl clean.

"It's really delicious."

-Amazing. A human ate that.-

-I can't believe it.-

The giants murmured and were amazed.

Other races didn't eat the giants' food well.

Even seasoned explorers would say 'I'd rather cut off my arm and eat it than eat this' and be disgusted by the giants' food...

The giants' eyes changed slightly favorably. Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.

'Somehow, I took a step.'

It seemed he had barely regained the lost favor.

Actually, if only Ikurusha hadn't snatched the cheese...

Rattle-

"You want some?"

When the basilisk egg rattled, Yi-Han scooped a spoonful of the remaining porridge and poured it on the egg.

Then the basilisk egg convulsed like crazy.

Rattle rattle rattle rattle!!!

"...You said you wanted to eat it..."

He said he wanted to eat it himself, but who knew he would hate it so intensely.

After finishing the meal, one of the giants pulled out a densely grown tree, wiped his mouth, and called Yi-Han.

-You. Follow me. I'll guide you.-

"Ah. Yes. Thank you."

The giant moved his steps slowly. Yi-Han tried to check the location and terrain while looking around.

He had to avoid this area as much as possible even after the flood ended and the water receded.

'I'll have to write <Beware of Giants> on the map.'

In the distance, Professor Bagrak, who was sitting with Ikurusha, pointed at something with his finger.

It was the staff.

"..."

Yi-Han cursed the professor and picked up the staff again.

If it was going to be like this from the beginning, he should have just been with the giants...

-Here pasture. We raise. Goats.-

"Isn't there a fence?"

-They break it.-

The giant answered, shaking his head. Yi-Han could quickly understand what he meant.

'Well, with that sound earlier, they would easily break the fence.'

No matter what kind of fence they made, with the size of a giant, they would easily break it.

"Where are the goats now?"

-...-

The giant looked at Yi-Han with a reluctant gaze.

Other mages might have been flustered by the giant's incomprehensible behavior, but not Yi-Han.

He had seen similar gazes somewhere many times.

When he asked Gainando, 'Where did you put the cake I gave you last time?'...

"I hate eating goats. I have no intention of eating them at all."

The giant looked at Yi-Han with a satisfied gaze. A satisfied smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

-They're over there. Inside the cave. We lock them up.-

A huge rock was placed at the entrance of the cave.

It was an excessively large rock to lock up mountain goats, but to Yi-Han, who had heard the sound earlier, that rock felt like a sheet of paper.

"They can't come out with that rock?"

-They come out. Sometimes. So we have to catch them.-

The giant grumbled.

He seemed sad that the mountain goats didn't listen to him.

'Things I can do...'

Yi-Han followed the giant and checked the surroundings and the daily routines of the giants.

1. Taking care of mountain goats.

2. Catching mountain goats if they escape.

3. Preparing meals, etc.

Helping with these tasks was very important as it could make him close with the giants...

'No. Can I even help?'

No matter how much he thought about it, they weren't tasks that Yi-Han could help with.

Moreover, Yi-Han was more concerned about the fact that he had to face these giants during the final exam.

He might have to fight mountain goats, giants, or perhaps giants riding mountain goats.

-We caught them last time too. But we caught them this time too.-

"Oh dear."

Yi-Han spoke without much thought to comfort the grumbling giant.

"I'll ask Mr. Ikurusha to give you some snacks."

He didn't know if the giant had snacks or if Ikurusha would allow it, but Yi-Han said it anyway.

It was a habit from comforting the whining Gainando.

-Really?!-

However, the giant's reaction was too intense than expected.

-Really?!-

"...Uh, no. Uh, please wait a moment."

-Okay. Take it.-

When Yi-Han asked, Ikurusha accepted as if it wasn't very difficult.

He could sufficiently help Yi-Han, who was working hard to get close to the giants, to this extent.

Thud-

When Ikurusha held out a dark, lumpy stick, Yi-Han was flustered.

"What is this?"

-Dried jerky. They all like it because it's made with a special blend of spices.-

"...Thank you."

Yi-Han also learned how to make it from Ikurusha for now.

Since the giants liked it, he might have to learn how to make it.

'But I don't know how far snacks can go with giants who are not all like Gainando.'

1 hour later.

-Human legs hurt. I'll carry you.-

-Get out of the way! I'll carry you!-

The giants grabbed each other's collars and fought over who would carry Yi-Han on their back.

Seeing that, Yi-Han thought inwardly.

Getting close to the giants might not be as difficult as he thought!

"Sage, parsley, cloves, turmeric, geranium... five spoonfuls each... boil thoroughly... grind the meat... hmm... what flavor is this supposed to be..."

As Yi-Han sat at the table, muttering ingredients and reagents, lost in deep thought, other alchemy students glanced at him.

They couldn't help but be interested since it was a potion-making method studied by the top alchemy student.

"What is it? What kind of combination is that?"

"Priestess Siana. Do you happen to know?"

"...It's too dangerous a potion to tell the purpose... ahem. Ahem."

When a question was thrown at her, Priestess Siana slyly changed the subject.

Then the other students were even more surprised.

"Is it a highly toxic potion?"

"Something related to dark magic?"

"Why is Wardanaz preparing that? Is it related to this exam? Does Her Highness happen to know?"

"..."

Adenart blinked her eyes in surprise.

Then her friends interpreted it for her.

"As expected, it must be a dangerous potion."

"He must be doing that so other students don't recklessly attempt it and put themselves in danger."

"But why is Wardanaz researching that?"

Just then, Yi-Han closed the book and got up.

His friends carefully asked.

"Wardanaz. What are you going to use that for?"

"Hm? I'm going to feed it to the giants."

"...!!"

"!!!!"