Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-473

"Ah, no."

"What are you looking at? Do you think I'll buy it?"

Salko and Jijel immediately expressed their refusal.

No matter how brave and fearless the leaders of each tower were, they didn't have the guts to buy a suspicious artifact that even an outstanding mage like Yi-Han reacted to like that.

And that was actually close to being stupid.

"Hmm. That's a shame. It's a pretty good helmet."

"..."

"..."

The two were dumbfounded inwardly.

Whether they liked Wardanaz or not, no one could deny the sense of responsibility Wardanaz had, but...

That was that, and that helmet was definitely a scam.

"Can't we sell it to other seniors later?"

"That's not what's important, Wardanaz."

"Ah. To juniors when new students come in?"

"...No! I mean the sacrifice. The sacrifice."

Jijel crossed her arms with a cautious expression at their conversation.

Certainly, the story that this situation could be ended by offering a sacrifice was a bit tempting.

"Wardanaz. Listen without misunderstanding."

"Usually when someone says that, it can only be misunderstood... Well. Go ahead."

Jijel glanced at where Gainando was and spoke.

"A bloodline like that friend's could be a satisfactory sacrifice for the spirits. What do you think?"

"That's a good idea."

Salko also exclaimed in admiration.

For Salko, who originally considered the noble family guys an eyesore, a friend like Gainando who only relied on his lineage and acted up was someone he wouldn't miss no matter when or where he disappeared.

"...Did you two perhaps eat the principal's alcohol? What nonsense are you spouting?"

Yi-Han asked back in shock.

"Think about it carefully, Wardanaz. You're also objectively a good sacrifice, but we're making this suggestion because you can't be left out."

"Wardanaz. Honestly, weren't you also annoyed when that prince was playing around without working? Those who don't work shouldn't eat either..."

For a moment, he was almost tempted, but Yi-Han held onto his reason.

No matter how much he wanted to end the flood, he couldn't send a friend to an angry spirit.

What if Gainando, who would have grown up in the spirit world if he were to be sacrificed, returned later and declared revenge on all the people of the Empire?

"No. And I have one question. You two..."

"?"

"Why are you only thinking of students as sacrifices to offer? We can find other proper sacrifices, right?"

"...Oh."

Salko was at a loss for words.

So was Jijel.

That's true?

Yi-Han clicked his tongue at the two.

'They've become too immersed in Einroguard.'

His friends, who were originally kind... No, even if they weren't originally kind, they weren't this extreme before, but they had changed so radically.

It was a pity.

"For now, think about it a bit more. Other than offering students. Since it's the weekend, I need to bring one more cabin. Mr. Devouring-ship fish! Please take me out for a bit!"

-It's... break time...-

"I checked the break time. Your strength should be fully recovered by now. Don't make excuses. Mr. Devouring-ship fish, you are stronger than you think you are."

-I want to rest...-

"Then will you attack the principal?"

-...I'll go...-

The devouring-ship fish answered with sad eyes like being dragged to a slaughterhouse while holding back tears.

Salko and Jijel clicked their tongues at Yi-Han.

'I'm not going to do it, but...'

'...Wardanaz seems to have become too immersed in Einroguard.'

The reason Yi-Han went out with his friends and the devouring-ship fish on the weekend was simple.

He was thinking of fishing for another of Professor Uregor's cabins and borrowing it.

"Listen carefully! To the one who finds the cabin first, I'll give five of the Maykin family's fancy chocolates, to the one who hooks the cabin first, I'll give three bottles of honey wine and three salami sausages, and to the one who unlocks the door and enters first, I'll give the right to take anything from the cabin's food supplies first!"

"Hooray! Long live Captain Wardanaz!"

"We are the pirates of Einroguard!"

-Crazy... bastards...-

The devouring-ship fish muttered, but the students blinded by greed paid no attention.

The pirates, no, the search party consisting of students from the Blue Dragon Tower, White Tiger Tower, and Black Tortoise Tower went around Einroguard, checking the floating objects.

"?"

Yi-Han, who was also checking, discovered a strange phenomenon and hesitated.

A glass bottle was floating and being pushed towards him from far away.

'What is it?'

The bottle itself wasn't strange, but among all the floating objects, it being pushed straight towards him without a single scratch felt like some kind of magical phenomenon.

Yi-Han carefully fished out the glass bottle. Inside was a single rolled-up paper letter.

[Help me!

Beavle Verduus]

"..."

Yi-Han looked around once and put the paper letter back into the glass bottle.

Then he threw it far away.

-What... did you throw...?-

"It's nothing."

-A glass bottle... or something...-

"Mr. Devouring-ship fish. Would you like to raid the principal's office once?"

The devouring-ship fish shut its mouth.

A moment later.

"..."

A glass bottle flowed in from a different direction than before. This time, his friends also noticed it.

"Wardanaz. What's that?"

"Co, could it be a treasure map?"

Yi-Han frowned and opened it.

[Help me! Wardanaz!!

Beavle Verduus]

"..."

"..."

An awkward atmosphere flowed among the students who were watching from the side.

Yi-Han put the paper back into the glass bottle with a steel-like expressionless face and threw it away.

"It's a letter sent to the wrong person."

"Uh... uhh?"

"Wasn't Wardanaz written on it...?"

"You saw it wrong."

The students fell silent at Yi-Han's words.

There were many things they wanted to say, but this was a ship, no, on top of the devouring-ship fish, and the captain's authority was absolute.

"That's right! I think we saw it wrong!"

"These days, such fake letters are becoming a big problem in Einroguard!"

Yi-Han nodded satisfactorily at his friends' solid support.

"Now. Let's find the cabin again..."

Plop plop-

This time, several glass bottles were being pushed in a group.

Yi-Han, thinking it couldn't be, went down under the devouring-ship fish and ran on the water to gain distance.

Then the glass bottles turned towards where Yi-Han was and slowly flowed.

[Come quickly! It's hard to make artifacts because I have to be wary of the guard's eyes!]

[Is it because there's no reward? Okay! I'll lend you my tools! This is a real privilege!]

[I'll yield a bit more! You can use my workshop when making artifacts! I won't tell you to get lost even if you stay up all night next to me!]

Seeing them follow like this, it was clear that Professor Verduus was designating Yi-Han and sending the letters.

'Magic can become this terrible!'

Yi-Han felt like he understood the feelings of the Empire's anti-magic extremists.

To think that such a good technology could be abused like this.

'Moreover, he has a talent for draining motivation.'

Actually, Yi-Han was a bit worried about Professor Verduus too.

The situation where the professor was in the punishment room was clearly a joyful situation, but...

...If it was a situation where the professor was bearing the sins of the students instead, the story would be a bit different.

About half of the reasons why Professor Verduus went to the punishment room were Yi-Han's responsibility.

'The other half is his own karma, though.'

So he had been thinking of visiting the punishment room on the weekend to check if he was okay, probe to see if he had noticed the truth, and meet the senior he had met during the last lecture to bring him some food.

Although Professor Verduus's portion was a bit small, it wasn't that he hadn't thought about it at all.

But seeing these letters, even the desire to go had completely disappeared.

What kind of crazy negotiation condition was this, saying he would make him work if he saved him?

"Guys. I'm sorry. I'll go save Professor Verduus and come back."

Yi-Han's friends weren't surprised at all.

"Okay. Have a safe trip."

"Negotiate well when saving the professor. You have to get as much as possible."

"If it seems difficult to save him, just tell him to stay there! He'll be able to come out on his own!"

No one found it strange that Yi-Han was going to save the professor, leaving the other students behind.

The devouring-ship fish muttered in a low voice.

-Crazy... mage bastards...-

The air in the punishment room was dark and gloomy. It felt like students' screams could be heard from somewhere far away.

Moreover, the water that had risen up to the knees but hadn't completely submerged made the atmosphere even more eerie.

The darkest and most painful place in the dark and painful Einroguard, the punishment room!

Even a fairly crazy student wouldn't voluntarily come here.

It wasn't simply because the air was stale, but because this labyrinth located underground was that dangerous.

If you entered by mistake, you could lose your way in the complex paths that changed every moment and become a new prisoner...

"Mr. Ferkuntra! Mr. Ferkuntra! Mr. Ferkuntra!!"

Yi-Han knocked on the wall and called for the guard.

He put strength into his voice by pouring mana into his throat, even though he had mana left.

"Mr. Ferkuntra! Mr. Ferkuntra! Mr. Ferkuntra!!"

"You're a 1st year?! How are you walking in the corridor?!"

"Awesome, ironhead! Set Einroguard on fire!"

As Yi-Han walked down the corridor while shouting, the prisoners inside cheered.

"Shout louder! Make the guards come!"

"No! Lower your voice! If the guards come, they'll take you away!"

"Give us some food before you get caught!"

"You idiot, where would an ironhead have food?! We're at a point where we'd chew on shoe leather!"

-Quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet!-

Thunder and lightning were heard from far away in the corridor, and an avatar in the form of a warrior came running.

The avatar spewed lightning from all directions and cast magic at the students trapped inside.

-I told you to be quiet!-

"My aspiration for freedom will not be silenced by the spirit's whip, argh!"

-Shut up, you who cheated during the exam!-

"It was just self-defense in Einroguard, ugh!"

"..."

Yi-Han, who was watching the seniors' unsightly resistance, was caught by the warrior and dragged to the other side.

The seniors trapped inside whistled, stomped their feet, and shouted.

"Newbie, welcome to the club!"

"Everyone comes to the punishment room once or twice! Don't be too scared! You'll get out quickly in your 1st year!"

Yi-Han felt a bit sorry and answered.

"I'm not trapped!"

"Yeah! That's what you want to think!"

"Actually, we're not trapped either, we're just here to contemplate... Argh!! Stop zapping me, you lightning bastard!"

Ferkuntra, who had been resting in the closed punishment room while having other spirits do the work, looked at Yi-Han with a displeased face.

Why was he coming here and causing a commotion when the punishment room was already crowded due to the exam period?

"I have a favor to ask."

-This flood is not something I can stop. Even if I could, I have no intention of doing it.-

Ferkuntra arrogantly refused.

Yi-Han understood his feelings.

Since he had contracted with such a powerful spirit at a young age, it was natural for him to want help when faced with such a difficult situation.

However, a contract with a spirit was not omnipotent.

It was only possible within reasonable terms, so Ferkuntra had no intention of agreeing to such a huge task as stopping this spirit flood...

"Huh? No, I came here because I wanted to visit someone trapped in the punishment room."

-...-

Ferkuntra was dumbfounded.

It was embarrassing, but more than that, a 1st year student came to the punishment room for the purpose of a visit.

'Is this guy fearless??'

Well, of course he would have come believing in his contract with Ferkuntra, but...

-...Okay. Who do you want to visit? What's the name?-

"Beavle Verduus."

-Beavle... Beavle Verduus...-

Ferkuntra checked the names of the trapped students.

But something was strange.

-Are you sure you said it correctly? It's strange? Among the students...-

"Ah. It's not a student, but a professor."

-...What are the other disciples (of that professor) doing, and why did you come!?-

In the end, Ferkuntra couldn't hold back and shouted.