Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-476

Professor Verduus looked at him with disdain.

"Can't even breathe? Baby?"

"Gasp, huff. Shut up!"

Kettle snapped at Professor Verduus and regulated his breathing.

To think he would have difficulty breathing like a new student who just entered Einroguard.

It was a shameful thing, but Kettle also had something to say.

'Anyone who saw what just happened would have had difficulty breathing.'

A 1st year student who was listening to the skull principal's character education was waging war with a spirit army in the deep punishment room.

...No matter how everything was possible in Einroguard, this was too much.

"Aren't you surprised by that, Professor!? A 1st year! A 1st year ironhead came all the way here!"

"I'm not surprised? I told you they came to save me?"

"...!"

Only then did Kettle recall that the 1st year student had recognized and called for Professor Verduus.

It was so shocking that he had erased the previous scene from his mind.

"I told you. They would come."

Professor Verduus spoke as if it was as natural as the sun rising and the moon setting.

Seeing that, Kettle blankly stood there, then came to his senses and thought.

'I see.'

He finally seemed to understand.

That new student was...

'Being deceived!'

He didn't know how he was being deceived by Professor Verduus, but Kettle made a resolution.

Perhaps it was fate that Kettle was imprisoned in this cell even after graduating.

To prevent a new student with outstanding magical talent from being deceived by Professor Verduus and having his life twisted!

'I will definitely stop it...!'

Kettle gritted his teeth.

When the new student returned to the front of the cell, he was going to persuade him somehow.

That there was no need to save Professor Verduus.

That he was being deceived right now!

This was a sacred duty that he had to do as a graduate.

-Come at me more! Keuha-ha-ha-ha! I said come at me more!-

Perhaps because he had accumulated resentment for a long time while working under the skull principal, Ferkuntra mocked the fleeing spirits.

Then, one of the spirit attendants summoned by Ferkuntra, who was wielding a refined thunderbolt, hesitated and looked back.

And then he charged forward again, swung, hesitated again, and looked back.

"?"

-?-

Both Yi-Han and Ferkuntra were puzzled.

"Why is he doing that?"

-Why are you doing that?-

■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■ ■■■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■.

-...-

Ferkuntra suddenly became quiet like a mute who had eaten honey.

Yi-Han asked out of curiosity.

"What did he say?"

-...That it's undignified as a ruler to be so high-spirited after borrowing the contractor's mana to win...-

"..."

Yi-Han decided to help instead because Ferkuntra seemed too embarrassed.

He was a spirit contracted with him after all.

"No, isn't that too harsh! Borrowing the contracted mage's mana is something a contracted being can naturally do!"

Of course, taking his side didn't make Ferkuntra's shame disappear. Ferkuntra resolved to be a little more composed and not mock his enemies.

"Just tell such an impudent spirit to go back?"

-Stop it... It's my fault.-

Ferkuntra, who had become slightly humble, declared calmly.

-You should know by now. No matter how much you nested here first, this is a situation you can't win! My mana is infinite...-

■■ ■■■ ■■■■■■.

'It's not you, but the contractor?'

Yi-Han somehow felt like he had learned a little bit of spirit language.

-...My contractor's mana is infinite... Resisting with the advantage of terrain is meaningless. Come out! There's no need to overwork other subordinates anymore.-

Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet.

At the end of the punishment room passage, which had been so fiercely flooded with water that it was hard to believe, an intense power gushed out.

At a glance, an existence that looked like a large mass of water slowly revealed itself.

Even just standing still, the slow flow of fluid shown inside it contained extraordinary power.

'It's the leader of this flood!'

Yi-Han could instinctively tell.

That the spirit in front was the one who caused this flood.

-You're out.-

Ferkuntra stared coldly ahead and spoke.

-Are you satisfied? The world is a sea of water. You've poured out enough.-

-Not at all...! The spirits who summoned me want more!-

The opposing spirit answered in a slow and wet voice, resounding.

-The anger accumulated by the mages here... summoned me! How can someone who is being enslaved and worked like a slave by a mage understand that anger?-

-...I was trying to show mercy, but how dare you!-

Ferkuntra was extremely furious at the spirit who had poked his sore spot.

In an instant, his body swelled up, and lightning began to flash with clouds above the punishment room ceiling.

Then, as if the opposing spirit wouldn't just take it, he summoned rain and wind to push away Ferkuntra's clouds and submerged the floor of the punishment room corridor.

-Everyone, step aside. I will handle this!-

Ferkuntra pushed the summoned spirits to both sides as if he didn't need their help.

The space of the punishment room corridor expanded and expanded, stretching as if it couldn't be any wider. It was a sight as if space itself was screaming.

However, compared to the fight that was about to unfold, even this expanded space felt narrow.

Thunder and sea clashed in the underground of Einroguard.

-Where does a nameless bastard who can't even be named refuse my generous offer?-

-Did you think I would fall for your trick... slave of the grand mage!-

"?"

While Yi-Han was thinking, 'Did Ferkuntra use a trick? When did he use it?' the spirit shouted.

-To hide the grand mage next to you and babble about negotiation... Even if I were the most insignificant spirit, I wouldn't fall for such a trick!-

-...-

"..."

Ferkuntra and Yi-Han simultaneously lost their words.

-No...-

-You miserable fool who can't see even with eyes and can't hear even with ears, he's a student!-

"I’m a student!"

However, even when the two shouted, the other party didn't listen.

Ferkuntra was dumbfounded.

To think that his great reputation was being ignored because of the skull principal's notoriety.

No, it wasn't even because of the skull principal's notoriety.

The other party was just a fool who stupidly misunderstood!

-Shut up... It's no use!-

'This is driving me crazy.'

-I, the protector of the great sea and rain, will summon a storm with my name and authority!-

-Summoning a storm in front of the owner of thunder and lightning?-

The two spirits clashed again.

The opposing spirit transformed its round shape into the form of a wrestler.

-The mages... continued to pollute the water and defile the land... They will pay the price for their anger!-

"..."

Yi-Han felt remorseful even though it wasn't something he had done.

How much of a mess did the seniors experiment in Einroguard for the spirits to accumulate such anger?

'Well, considering the chimeras and slimes roaming around, there's no way the seniors managed properly.'

Ferkuntra snorted and struck down the opponent's weapon, then thrust in lightning.

-Such petty tricks!-

Then, the opponent's form rippled, and a powerful wave of force burst out. Even from a distance, one could feel that it had taken a heavy blow.

Ferkuntra didn't stop the attack.

The fight shown by transcendent beings from other realms was completely different from the battles of mages. Ferkuntra struck a nearby wall once, tore out the metal, and wove it with lightning to complete a boiling vajra.

With a barrage of attacks, the spirit's form was brutally torn apart.

The beaten spirit split and transformed his body to barely escape.

"!"

And his eyes met Yi-Han's.

"..."

The spirit, who had initially tried to take a defensive stance thinking it was the skull principal, hesitated when he felt that Yi-Han's appearance was somewhat different.

-...Oh...-

"I'm a student."

Yi-Han answered firmly.

-No... a trick...-

"I'm not undead."

-Die!-

Bang!

Ferkuntra slammed the confused spirit into the wall.

A cell was smashed with a crunch, and the spirit was deeply embedded.

"Wait! I was in the middle of persuading!"

-What? Persuading what. Just force him to return!-

"He’s already heavily injured, so we should be able to resolve it with words."

-I'm the one who got hurt!-

The words about being the skull principal's slave left a deeper wound on Ferkuntra than any attack.

Ferkuntra grumbled and crackled, but stopped attacking and didn't pour out any more attacks.

-...I apologize for ignoring the proposal.-

The opposing spirit, who had been deeply embedded, came out and apologized.

He finally came to his senses and accepted the fact that the other party was not the skull principal.

Yi-Han also responded kindly.

"I think we were a bit too harsh too."

-What was!-

Ferkuntra was about to have a fit, but Yi-Han ignored him and continued.

"If it's alright with you, how about ending the spirit flood and returning now? Of course, I understand the spirits' anger, but the longer the flood lasts, the more desperate methods the mages will use. It's better to wrap it up here..."

The opposing spirit silently nodded.

Once defeated, the loser is not allowed to say anything. They were just grateful for the mercy.

Yi-Han let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed to be well resolved.

There was no need to offer Gainando as a sacrifice, and there was no need to forcibly return the spirits who were angry because of Einroguard's students.

Of course, the principal's punishment room was a bit destroyed, but...

'This wasn't done by me. It was an inevitable part.'

-I'd like to know the mage's name.-

The spirit asked with respect.

No matter how violent and angry a spirit was, in a situation like this, he couldn't help but feel gratitude.

To think he would refrain and step in to mediate in a situation where he could have been finished off.

"Yi-Han."

-Yi-Han... Yi-Han. I will remember that name. Do you have any water-related spirits among your contracted spirits?-

"...No."

Yi-Han became slightly disgruntled.

Who are you kidding?

'They run away when they see me...'

-You don't like water-related spirits?-

"...No, the spirits avoid me when they see me."

-Ah.-

The spirit immediately understood.

For weak spirits, the pressure of such mana was an aura that was difficult to endure, unless it was a powerful being like Ferkuntra or himself who had accumulated many achievements and feats.

"..."

-...-

-...-

When the air became awkward, Ferkuntra glared at the enemy.

-Such a tactless bastard...-

The spirit also felt it and changed the subject.

-If it's alright, I'd like to give you a gift.-

"Oh. Anything is fine."

Yi-Han gave an expectant look.

The powers of spirits were always precious gifts.

Moreover, if it was a spirit that could cause a flood of this magnitude...

-What would be good... For a mage, and a young mage at that, how about the power to freely change the shape of water?-

"...It's fine."

Yi-Han declined.

Because he could already do it!

If you were going to give it, you should have given it before I got hit by Professor Bagrak...

-Oh, is that so? Then the ability to turn water into steam...-

"I know how to do that too, but..."

-...-

The spirit was noticeably embarrassed.

After pondering a few times, the spirit finally seemed to think of something good and opened its mouth again.

-Paaah-

A new spirit pattern was engraved on the back of Yi-Han's hand. The spirit spoke in a friendly voice.

-My true name is Upinum. Upinum. I will never forget the mercy the mage showed today.-

"Wait, tell me what power it is before you g..."

Before Yi-Han could finish speaking, Upinum returned with self-satisfaction.

Yi-Han slightly suspected that the other party had given it and quickly ran away in case it overlapped with something.

"Professor? Professor, are you there?"

When Yi-Han returned, Verduus shouted as if he had been waiting.

"Quickly open it!"

"Yes. Please wait a moment."

"Wait!!"

Kettle shouted loudly.

"Wait, you're being deceived!"

"Pardon?"

"I'm saying you're being deceived by Professor Verduus! Professor Verduus is not someone worth saving like that! You're being deceived right now!"

"..."

Yi-Han was at a loss for words.

Because...

'I'm the one who stole but he got imprisoned instead...'

"I can see that you have unbelievably outstanding magical talent. I can also see that you're unbelievably kind. But come to your senses! You're being deceived right now!"

"He’s not being deceived!"

Professor Verduus protested as if asking what nonsense he was talking about.

Yi-Han and the professor were a disciple and teacher who respected each other.

How could he say that?

"What will you do for him if he releases you!"

"Huh?"

"I'm asking what you will do for him if he releases you! For that new student!"

"A chance to work in my workshop?"

"...Hey, you little shit!"