Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-511

Nillia raised her hand and interrupted Yi-Han's words.

"Why?"

"Well, I haven't been to the territory of the deep-sea spirits, but it's dangerous, isn't it!"

"Yeah. It was dangerous."

"Then why did you go in there?"

"I was tricked."

"..."

Nillia had nothing to say when her friend said he was tricked.

If he was tricked, it can't be helped!

"So I fought the spirit that attacked me..."

"You fought?!"

"Nillia. If you keep interrupting, I can't tell the story."

"Ah, no..."

Nillia felt wronged.

No matter how she thought about it, this was not her fault.

"Anyway, I fought, but fortunately, a spirit who knew Upinum came and helped me. When I asked that spirit to introduce me to a spirit I could make a contract with, it agreed."

"I see."

Nillia, who was about to nod at her friend's words, tilted her head.

"But aren't deep-sea spirits brutal and dangerous?"

"That's why I asked them to make a contract with harmless and kind spirits from other territories."

"I see... Wait. They can make a contract with spirits from other territories?"

"Seems possible?"

"???"

Nillia felt like the common sense she had learned was shaken.

Huh?

No matter how strong a spirit is, they can't arbitrarily command spirits from other territories, can they??

"Do you want to see the spirit I made a contract with?"

"Huh? Yeah. Show me."

Nillia was flustered but accepted because she wanted to see the spirit Yi-Han had made a contract with.

"In the name of law and contract, I call upon you."

With a relatively short and simple spell, the pattern glowed, and a spirit of flame came out from the spirit realm.

It was a spirit of flame that looked like a small sparrow.

'It's ordinary?'

Nillia was slightly taken aback.

She had prematurely worried that something like a dragon might come out because it was Wardanaz summoning it.

But come to think of it, summoning such spirits was usually the norm.

Moreover, hadn't Wardanaz always been reluctant to limit the power of flame magic?

"You made a contract with it because of flame magic, right?"

"Yeah. A flame spirit seemed to be the most suitable after all."

Even if Yi-Han could somehow use other magic, flame magic consumed too much mental power.

In that case, it was better to leave it to a spirit.

Nillia lightly glared at the flame sparrow spirit. It was not a sincere glare, but closer to a pretense to intimidate the spirit.

"You have to listen well!"

Even if they were lower spirits, they were not easy to handle.

Powerful spirits were powerful in their own way, and weak spirits were weak in their own way, acting arbitrarily.

Especially in the case of flame spirits, there were many that had a hasty personality and liked to play tricks, so one had to be more careful.

-...-

The sparrow spirit stayed still on Yi-Han's shoulder in a stiff posture without moving an inch.

For a moment, Nillia thought the spirit's time had stopped.

"...You have to listen well?"

"Couldn't it hear what you said, Nillia?"

As soon as Yi-Han's words fell, the sparrow spirit flapped its wings and nodded its head.

"Seems like it heard."

Flap flap!

"You only need to nod once."

Flap!

Yi-Han patted the obedient sparrow spirit as if it were admirable.

It felt even more admirable and cute because he had made a contract with difficulty.

He was worried because other friends had a hard time handling spirits...

'He's lucky,' Nillia thought

Yi-Han must have been lucky to meet a kind sparrow spirit.

But then…

"..."

When she thought about it…

Nillia had seen a similar sight to that sparrow spirit in the mountain range.

The prey surrounded by the Shadow Patrol usually had that expression.

'...Isn't it scared!?'

No matter how she thought about it, that was a contract made by following through coercion and threats rather than a normal contract.

"What's wrong? Nillia."

"Ah, nothing? I was just thinking that you two have a very good relationship?"

At Nillia's words, Yi-Han nodded with a very proud face.

When her friend showed such an appearance, it became even harder for Nillia to tell the truth.

"The spirit is really kind and diligent? It listens well too...! It's rare to meet such a spirit! That's right!"

"Haha. Thank you. Nillia. Actually, it's not that big of a deal, but I was lucky."

The basilisk wrapped around Yi-Han's wrist made a tapping sound with its tail as if dissatisfied.

They were paying too much attention to a mere lower spirit.

"Next time we enter the spirit realm, shall we go to Upinum's territory together?"

"...Is it really okay to go there? Really?"

At that moment, Professor Millei called Yi-Han.

"Yi-Han."

"Yes. Professor."

"When you enter the spirit realm, even if a passage to another territory opens up, you must not enter that territory. Understand?"

Professor Millei called Yi-Han and explained without rest how dangerous it was to deviate from the originally set path this time and how lucky he was.

Nillia averted her gaze at the rare sight of her friend, the top student of the year, being scolded.

The skull principal was puzzled when Yi-Han looked to be in a good mood.

“What? Did you master the magic he learned last time?”

"No. I made a contract with a spirit."

“Oh. What spirit? Did you find an ancient spirit by any chance?”

"I made a contract with a lower flame spirit?"

“…”

The skull principal looked at Yi-Han with a contemptuous gaze as if looking at filth.

“You other tower top students, don't act like this guy.”

"..."

"But isn't Wardanaz the top student of the year?"

At Salko's question, the skull principal ignored it as if he hadn't heard.

The composition is the same as last semester. It would be more interesting if it changed.

For the failing students, there is the punishment room.

For the top students, there is a reward.

According to the skull principal's doctrine, the top and second-place students of each tower were allowed access to the Tower of Rewards.

A place where one only needs to overcome the trials on each floor and take the rewards!

However, the students who had already tasted the bitter experience in the first semester were not fooled.

"We don't need rewards. Principal."

"Can't we just go back?"

“There's no need to be humble. I know you want to receive it. Now. Starting with the White Tiger Tower!”

"The punishment room seems better."

When Yi-Han muttered, the skull principal next to him rebuked in an annoyed voice.

“How dare you say such a thing?”

"?"

“Thanks to you, the number of failing students decreased this semester! There aren't even enough people to take to the punishment room, and you dare to say such a thing?”

"...Ah, yes. I apologize."

Yi-Han regretted listening seriously.

'It was just nonsense.'

“Enter!”

Adenart, who was standing next to him, lightly greeted as if asking for a favor. At that sight, Yi-Han newly realized that he had indeed become close with the princess.

'As expected, bribes are the best.'

If he kept offering things to eat like this, by the time he became a 2nd-year, he might be able to ask for a light guarantee.

If a guarantee was too much, then at least a letter of recommendation when doing business...

[The Challenge of Cooperation

Sometimes the most difficult thing may be cooperation, students. Help each other.]

"?"

Yi-Han was puzzled by the explanation of the challenge.

'Isn't it easy?'

Basically, unless they had a bad relationship, Yi-Han was on good terms with the princess.

No matter what kind of challenge came out, it didn't seem like it would be very difficult...

'No. Considering the difficulty level of the tower, there might be a harsh challenge.'

Perhaps the trial would force the guarantee he had intended to ask for later.

Yi-Han vowed that if such a thing came out, he would never fall for it.

Creak-

The door opened, and the students from the White Tiger Tower, Black Tortoise Tower, and Immortal Phoenix Tower, who had entered first from the other direction, walked in.

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han and Adenart frowned at the same time.

An unexpected situation unfolded, but Yi-Han calmly shouted without panicking.

"Everyone, don't move! We can cooperate with each other!"

At Yi-Han's shout, Jijel and Salko nodded their heads in disbelief instead.

"Why don't you put down your staff and talk?"

"Why are you talking while pointing your staff this way?"

"This is like a habit. Anyway, don't move."

"..."

The two were dumbfounded but did not move hastily for now.

They knew very well that Wardanaz never made empty promises in such situations.

Usually, he was lenient enough to forgive Gainando for stealing food from the warehouse, but Wardanaz was someone who could become cold-hearted at any time when a situation arose.

'Even if we counterattack, it would be reckless now.'

'If we use Moradi as a shield, can our Black Tortoise Tower students escape?'

"Um. Everyone."

Priestess Tijiling carefully raised her hand.

"I don't know exactly what this challenge is, but I think it would be a loss for everyone to keep each other in check like this."

"That's true. Let's all trust each other."

Yi-Han said while still pointing his staff. Jijel and Salko didn't even think of pointing it out.

He would keep holding the staff even if they pointed it out anyway!

Salko asked with his arms crossed.

"Wardanaz. You entered last. Do you know anything about this trial?"

"No. I don't have any particular additional information. But I have a guess."

Yi-Han coldly looked around at his friends and said.

"Maybe it's a trial where we have to attack each other and reduce the number of people to overcome it."

"..."

"...?"

There was a brief silence.

Even Adenart next to him tilted her head and looked at Yi-Han.

"Where did you get that information...?"

"Isn't it natural for a trial like that if they gather students from different towers and test their cooperation?"

When Yi-Han spoke as if it were so obvious, Adenart wavered slightly.

That...

Is that so?

When the boy from the Wardanaz family spoke so seriously, it seemed like there was a basis for it...

"Now. Let's cooperate with each other and choose the number of people we can reduce in a way that we can all agree on. Understand?"

"It sounds crazy, but if what you say is true, there's no other way. Rather than fighting and being annihilated..."

Salko answered with a heavy heart.

-You green young mages!-

A ghost mage emerged from the center of the tower.

The ghost, holding a staff in a translucent form, looked around at the students with glowing eyes.

-You will not be able to overcome this difficulty with shoddy magic. Can you cooperate with each other and defeat me?-

"?"

"...?"

When the ghost mage appeared instead of 'killing each other to reduce a few people' as Yi-Han had said, the students blinked their eyes.

Salko asked hesitantly.

"Isn't this a trial where we have to reduce a few people among ourselves to move forward...?"

-What? Why are you having such a terrible delusion?-

The ghost mage looked at Salko as if it were absurd.

The goal of this trial was for students from different towers to join forces and defeat a mage stronger than themselves, not a trial that forcibly reduced the number of people.

"..."

"..."

-?-

When the students silently stared at only one friend instead of answering, the ghost mage also turned his gaze in wonder.

At that moment, Yi-Han immediately struck magic.

"Flash forth!"

-Not bad!-

The ghost mage was startled but deflected the lightning by swinging his staff like a skilled mage.

At the same time, a fierce wind swirled around, and fierce rock fragments shot out like buckshot.

The students quickly took cover behind their respective shelters.

Yi-Han immediately shouted to his friends.

"Everyone, attack that ghost!"

"Wardanaz, just now, you clearly..."

"Salko! Is this the time to say useless things?!"

At Yi-Han's shout, Salko felt slightly wronged but had no choice but to shut his mouth.

Certainly, the important thing now was to defeat the ghost mage in front of them.

And there was no better commander than Wardanaz in this kind of battle.

As Salko shut his mouth and prepared to fight, Jijel thought to herself.

'I really want to hit him just once.'

It was not for nothing that the challenge said 'sometimes the most difficult thing is cooperation.'

She wanted to swing her sword with all the accumulated feelings, regardless of the ghost mage.

"Moradi. I'm casting magic on the sword!"

"Okay."

Jijel prepared magic behind the shelter and focused on her hearing.

If she carelessly poked her head out, she might be attacked instead. In this situation, she had to grasp the opponent's movements through her hearing.

'The opposite side. The Blue Dragon Tower side.'

Realizing it was safe, Jijel sent a signal to the Black Tortoise Tower side.

It was a signal to get up right away and attack the enemy from behind. Tutanta also replied that he understood.

"Three. Two. One. Now!"

The students who immediately got up tried to launch an attack on the ghost mage.

However, what caught their eyes was Yi-Han, who had defeated the ghost mage together with Adenart while breathing heavily.

"..."

"..."

Jijel crossed out 'Cooperation' from <The Challenge of Cooperation> with the sword she was holding.