Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-470

"Is it not possible?"

"Of course it's not possible."

Yonaire usually affirmed Yi-Han's words, but this time was different.

The dance and socializing lecture was one of the few lectures at Einroguard where one didn't have to focus on studying.

'This is not allowed, even for Yi-Han.'

Yi-Han grumbled, saying, "It might lack discrimination," and "A good lecture should have clear evaluation criteria," while preparing dishes for the banquet.

Many ingredients had been lost due to the flood, but there were also new ingredients. Yi-Han placed the fish and shellfish his friends had caught on the charcoal fire.

He also prepared to grill vegetables like green onions and asparagus from a cabin whose owner was unknown.

"Yonaire. Did you mix it all?"

"Here."

Yonaire held out the bowl in which she had mixed egg yolk, milk, and flour. Yi-Han took it, checked the condition, and placed it next to the cookies. Custard cream went well with any dessert.

'Grill more fish... How much flour and rice were left? There's soup I made yesterday, so I'll add some ingredients to that. It would be good to serve pudding and cake generously. Should I make it with apples and sponge cake? The skull principal said to let those who will eat the food with sleeping pills eat it. It would be convenient to grill other fish and chicken on skewers, right? Ah. How much paste was left? I should make more. Should I make it with red pepper powder and garlic? The White Tiger Tower bastards like it a bit spicy... No. Do I need to take care of those guys separately? Nah. Let's just make it for them.'

Renjid, who was from a famous imperial chef family, saw Yi-Han simultaneously progressing several dishes and spoke out of concern.

"Wardanaz. The friends will eat well anyway because they're hungry, and even if you put in so much effort, they won't know what's what, so don't put in too much effort and do it moderately..."

"What are you saying!!!"

"Renjid, you bastard. Who are you to tell Wardanaz to do this or that?"

The Blue Dragon Tower students shouted in outrage.

The Blue Dragon Tower friends, who usually maintained their dignity, were jumping up and down like the White Tiger Tower, so Renjid was very flustered.

"Ah, no. I'm also from a chef family..."

"Just because you're from a chef family, you can say anything? Is that it?!"

"No matter how much you're from a chef family, Wardanaz has been cooking in real combat at Einroguard for a year! Can you follow that real combat experience?!"

The Blue Dragon Tower students were extremely sensitive, fearing that the rare opportunity to eat a feast prepared by Yi-Han would disappear.

Even other Black Tortoise Tower students slightly agreed.

"Renjid. I respect your family and skills, but let's not interfere when someone else is cooking."

"Right. And Wardanaz originally enjoys challenging high-difficulty tasks like that."

"..."

Renjid looked at his friends with doubtful eyes.

They were friends from the same tower, but in this case, Renjid was on Wardanaz's side.

As a chef, he couldn't help but feel a sense of kinship when seeing such an unreasonable task.

'These guys aren't just blurting out nonsense to get one more dish, are they?'

Saturday morning.

The spider mixed-blood professor Crinbal, who taught the dance and socializing lecture, cheerfully greeted the students again today.

"Now! Good job, everyone. Come in while stepping! The exams are all over, right? Huh? Why don't I see student Gainando?"

"He's eating and sleeping."

Despite the warning, the students who had eaten the skull principal's snacks at yesterday's banquet were still fast asleep.

Professor Crinbal spoke regretfully.

"How tired must they have been from the exams to even give up dancing and sleep!"

"It's not particularly because of the exams..."

"Since the exams are over, today is a really good day to dance. Don't you all think so?"

"Yes!"

"Forget all about the exams!"

"Yes!!"

'Is that okay?'

When Professor Crinbal cheerfully shouted, the students responded loudly.

"How is everyone? Joyfully!"

Yi-Han unconsciously turned his head and looked out the window outside the lecture room.

The water that had risen up to the bottom was swaying and scattering gloomy fog.

'Hmm. I shouldn't look out the window.'

"Then, let's dance again, continuing from last time! Students, change partners clockwise every time I ring the bell. You have to meet many partners to become a good dancer!"

Ding-

"Wardanaz."

"Anglago. ...Why are you looking at my feet?"

"Ah, no? It's just that dancing is difficult?"

"Are you perhaps thinking that you can step on them now? Do you want to die?"

"Ah, no?? I didn't think that at all??"

Ding-

"Nillia."

"Wardanaz. Wasn't the last picnic really too much?"

Nillia must have had a lot of pent-up feelings because as soon as she held Yi-Han's hand, she poured out her grievances.

'Hmm. She must have felt really wronged.'

Her eyes and voice were filled with a sense of injustice.

"The principal is originally a bit crazy."

"That's one thing, but everyone only admired the princess's spirits during the talent show, even though I also summoned spirits!"

"...That... I see. That's what you meant. Well, you..."

Yi-Han was about to say, 'You had the spirits do fish penetration shooting, and the princess had the spirits show an illumination parade,' but he held back.

It was clear that Nillia was telling this to Yi-Han because she couldn't tell her other Black Tortoise Tower friends.

Well, these days, both Yi-Han and Yonaire were busy, so Nillia probably had nowhere to complain...

"You?"

"Since you're from the Shadow Patrol, ordinary imperial people don't notice that extraordinariness. Only people who know a bit would notice."

"...Nah. It's not to that extent."

Nillia denied it while feeling shy, but it was true that she felt much better. The angle of her ears had changed.

Yi-Han exchanged glances with Yonaire, who was stepping next to him. Yonaire gestured with her eyes as if telling him to leave it to her.

'If two people praise her in a row, she'll fully recover.'

"You understand. Originally, the students here have no eye for..."

Ding-

"Dolgyu."

"Yi-Han. Is your arm okay?"

"Why the arm all of a sudden?"

"You hurriedly grabbed the pot the prince knocked over earlier. It must have been quite heavy."

"Ah. I grabbed that using mana, so it's fine. I was wondering who it was for a moment when you said prince."

"..."

Dolgyu hesitated, not knowing whether to admire his friend's skills, which had become proficient enough to use mana on his body in such a short time, or to be flustered by his attitude of not knowing who the prince was.

"Did you do well on the exams?"

"I did well thanks to your teaching. Thank you again, Yi-Han."

Yi-Han nodded with satisfaction at Dolgyu's smiling face.

"Those other White Tiger Tower bastards who studied together at that time..."

"..."

"Dolgyu? Why is there no answer?"

"..."

Ding-

"Dolgyu? Dolgyu? Are you ignoring me now..."

"Oh. Did you fight?"

Jijel looked at Yi-Han with a rare expectant gaze.

"No. When I asked if those White Tiger Tower bastards did well on the exams, he suddenly became mute."

"..."

Jijel silently remained silent, then suddenly tried to step on Yi-Han's foot. Yi-Han moved his foot as if he had expected it.

"Anglago already tried to do that. Moradi. You're late."

"That guy really has no helpful side at all."

"I think he has at least one."

"Try saying the same thing to the prince of your tower."

"Gainando? Gainando has a helpful side..."

Yi-Han hesitated while speaking. Jijel smirked as if she had expected it.

"What side are you talking about? Tell me."

"Gainando is... hmm..."

"What is it?"

Yi-Han chose the strategy Dolgyu had used earlier.

Silence.

"..."

"...Hey."

"..."

"Hey, now that you're at a disadvantage...!"

Ding-

"Ah. Asan. Thank you for helping me last time."

"It was nothing. But Wardanaz. Why is Moradi cursing next to you?"

"She's probably doing it to Anglago, not me. Don't mind it."

"It seems like she's doing it to you... Hmm. It's probably not important. Ah. I received a letter, and my brother mentioned you."

"What did he say?"

Daihal of the Dargard family, Asan's brother.

Since he worked as an imperial administrator in Granden City, Yi-Han had also met him during the break.

"He told me to be at least as good as you."

"...I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? The letter's content was good?"

"That was good...?"

Asan was genuinely satisfied with the letter's content.

Unlike the usual content expressing disappointment, this time he was quite happy to receive some recognition and be told to work hard.

"If he had told me to emulate Gainando, I would have been 100% angry. But if it's you, well..."

"Ye, yeah. If you're satisfied, it doesn't matter. But Asan. Later, won't you have a serious talk with me about your family?"

"Ah. Speaking of family, my sister also mentioned you. She said to invite you this break and have you record your life."

"...Why?"

"This is my guess, but could it be to use as a textbook for those working at the Bronze Dwarf Bank?"

"Asan. Let's just have a serious talk about your family tonight."

Yi-Han pondered how to tell Asan, 'Your family is a bit strange.'

Ding-

"Princess."

Adenart bowed her head with the most dignified movement among the students.

Even compared to the Blue Dragon Tower students from high noble families, it was difficult to match the princess's experience in attending balls.

Gainando was a bit of an exception...

"Wardanaz."

The princess lightly cleared her throat, then prepared to praise Yi-Han's dedication and sacrifice toward his fellow students this year, apologize for misunderstanding him at first, and talk about the political structure and situation of the imperial noble families these days, which everyone liked.

"Was breakfast to your liking?"

"Ahem, yes."

'Didn't he just say ahem?'

The princess, who was about to speak but had her turn taken, suppressed her cough and nodded.

It was an acquired ability trained through rigorous practice.

"Which fish did you like?"

"...The angler...?"

"Ah. It was properly fattened, right? I think I grilled it well with charcoal. How was the apple pudding?"

The princess's face brightened as she recalled the taste. Yi-Han spoke as if he had expected it.

"The appl... No, the apples salvaged from the cabin were quite fragrant. The sponge cake was a bit unsightly when I first made it, but as I kept making it..."

Yi-Han eagerly explained how he made it.

The princess, who had been listening with great interest, suddenly wondered why she was listening to this.

'Why is he telling me?'

Someone like Wardanaz never acted carelessly. Every action had meaning.

"By the way, I'm worried that my friends will be a bit hungry in the 2nd semester. When the flood ends, they will return to their respective towers, but will they eat their meals on time?"

"They will overcome it...?"

The princess tilted her head even after answering because she couldn't grasp Yi-Han's intention.

Of course, after Yi-Han went to the Immortal Phoenix Tower, the Blue Dragon Tower students screamed, "The level of our diet has dropped! It's the end of the tower!" but the princess didn't think it was such a big problem.

Of course, it was difficult to be hungry and lose appetite, but shouldn't Einroguard students face it with composure?

Although it was difficult to be hungry and lose appetite, the princess was also facing it with dignity.

"Ah. If it's a request to help other students while you’re gone..."

The princess thought Yi-Han was making such an honorable request and was about to accept it right away.

"No. It's not that. Rather, are you alright, Princess? Can you take care of yourself well when you return?"

"...!"

The princess was finally appalled.

Could it be...

Was Wardanaz thinking of her as someone obsessed with food?