Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-515

"Yes, I understand."

At Yi-Han's answer, Coholti looked at his junior as if he were adorable.

Where else would there be such a considerate junior? There wouldn't be such a junior in other schools or other schools.

"It's not that I'm afraid of Direth... Actually, I am afraid, but this is a bit... I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow."

"Haha, no. Isn't this what a junior should naturally do?"

Yi-Han answered without even taking a breath.

While Coholti was being moved by the sparkling eyes, a student passed by next to them.

'Who is it?'

There was only one reason to head towards the healing mages' tent where Yi-Han and Coholti had just come from.

An injured person from the crazy festival.

However, the student who had just walked looked very fine. Moreover, he was even floating.

'Where have I seen him? I haven't met that many seniors...'

Yi-Han soon realized the identity of the student who had just passed by.

"The senior who just passed by, isn't he a senior from the enchantment magic school?"

It was Anpagon, the enchantment magic senior who had prepared the midterm exam in place of Professor Beavle last time.

"Huh? Probably. Why?"

"I was wondering why he was going to the healing mages' tent when he looked fine on the outside."

"Maybe his internal organs are injured. His stomach, liver, or spleen might have turned to stone?"

Yi-Han took a step back at the sight of the senior making a terrible sound without changing his expression.

Not knowing that, Coholti chattered away to win the favor of his junior.

"...That's how I was able to steal the bones. Interesting, right?"

"Ah, yes."

"Right? I knew you'd find it interesting. Actually, bones are used not only for bone element magic but also for curses. Curse magic is one of the least researched areas even in dark magic, but it's so interesting... Speaking of internal organs, do you know about the heart-eating parasite?"

As befitting of Anpagon, who was considered the most sociable among the enchantment magic school, the healing mages recognized him as soon as he arrived at the tent.

"Ah, you are... um... enchantment magic... who was it?"

"Oh, senior... um... enchantment magic... your name?"

Anpagon spoke calmly without being surprised.

"Anpagon."

"I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry. We came to school to learn our own magic, not to memorize each other's names. Aren't we mages who focus on our own magic instead of wasting time on each other?"

At Anpagon's words, the healing mages sent a gaze of respect...

...instead, they sent a lukewarm gaze.

'Are these guys equating us with them?'

'Do we look the same as you guys from your school?'

The healing magic school students, who participated every time there was a dirty job at school, and the enchantment magic school students, who would be making artifacts in their workshop even if the school was destroyed, were absolutely not the same.

"So, so... why are you here?"

"Did you perhaps injure your internal organs? You look fine."

"Isn't there a junior from the Wardanaz family here? I heard there was definitely a 1st-year."

"..."

The healing magic students were dumbfounded.

To the extent that even the enchantment magic school guys, known for their lack of sociability, had heard about him, what on earth?

"Why are you looking for him?"

"I wanted to borrow his strength if possible."

"You're not here to borrow mana, are you?"

"What? Are you insulting me now?"

Anpagon asked back with a frown.

He lacked sociability, but Anpagon was not stupid enough to stay still when being insulted.

The healing magic students apologized awkwardly.

"I'm sorry."

"I apologize. Someone came to borrow mana."

'They're making absurd excuses,'

Anpagon despised them inwardly but didn't point it out. It was a waste of time.

"I came to see if I could get help in making a composite artifact. But it seems he's not here."

"Hmm, he went out for a moment at the call of another senior."

"Really? I'm a step too late, which school?"

"Dark magic school."

"Dark magic...? Ah. Right, he was also taking dark magic. Why did they request his help?"

Anpagon highly valued Yi-Han's artifact-related production abilities.

Even when making the same artifact, his ability to greatly enhance its performance and even omit some structures was an ability that any artifact craftsman would covet.

In the case of composite artifacts that combine several artifacts to amplify their power, it would exhibit even more powerful abilities.

It was possible because of his innate intelligence, mana sensitivity, and even the combination of his mana capacity.

Anpagon was so impressed that he didn't even tell the others in his school.

"..."

"..."

"?"

When the healing magic students looked at each other and remained silent, Anpagon was puzzled.

"I guess it's a secret that can't be told, I understand."

"Ah, no... um."

"Ye-yes, it's a secret."

***

When they arrived at the place where the ancient relic was, Coholti suddenly regretted it.

His mind, which had been lost for a moment, had returned.

'No matter how urgent it is, is it really the right thing to borrow the junior's mana to operate the relic??'

"Senior, is this it?"

"Huh? Uh-huh."

"Should I inject mana here?"

"That's right, but wait a mom..."

Woooong!

The relic, which had not budged even when mana was poured in and various potions were used as support, began to emit light and sound.

Seeing that, Coholti's mind slightly slipped away again, and his instincts as a mage took over his brain.

"Yes! Just like that!! You're doing great!"

"The relic has a unique shape."

"Huh? Ancient relics are usually like this."

The relic had a design reminiscent of a wardrobe for storing clothes.

It was an everyday object that was strange to be called a relic related to dark magic.

"Using everyday objects reduces the risk of theft or robbery, and even if something happens, it's less problematic. The appearance doesn't matter."

"Indeed."

Yi-Han kept filling it with mana without stopping while talking.

Compared to other magics, charging a relic was so easy and simple that it made him yawn.

He just had to pour mana into it.

In fact, even before Coholti's words were finished, the wardrobe glowed and swayed. It seemed like the closed lid would open at any moment.

"Isn't it done?"

"No matter what, already... it's done?!"

Coholti was startled.

He had doubted it, but it was really done!

"Thank you so much. Junior. I will definitely repay this favor! Oh, watch me summon it!"

Coholti chanted a spell and opened the lid of the wardrobe.

As the swaying lid opened, the light disappeared, and a brief silence fell.

And then, with an eerie whistling sound, a ghost army began to pop out from inside.

"It worked! It worked!! Do you see?!"

"Senior."

"Do you want to try controlling it? Wait! I'll teach you the command..."

"Ah, it's not that, I came out while treating patients, so I have to go back now, can I go back now?"

"...Can't you watch a little longer? It's not fully deployed yet, but if it deploys a little more, it will be ama..."

Coholti felt pathetic but still lingered, feeling bad about just letting him go.

***

"What? Have the dark magic guys gone crazy? How did they summon something of that level?"

"Are they swimming in money? Damn it. If I had known they had that much money, I should have raided them."

The students gathered at the scene naturally noticed the anomaly.

The summoning of a dark magic relic that occurred with an intense mana wave.

They couldn't figure out where they had procured that mana from.

They wouldn't have stupidly filled it with a mage's mana, and they must have mobilized all kinds of expensive reagents...

How did they obtain that?

With numerous summons behind him, Coholti was sitting imposingly. The students felt a thrill at the sight.

'It's not easy to feel thrilled by dark magic...'

'Aren't those guys overdoing it??'

'It's impressive, it will leave a strong impression.'

One could say that even if they showed off at this kind of festival, all that remained was meaningless pride.

But that wasn't the case.

First of all, meaningless pride was also quite important (especially for the students of each tower)...

For the students of various schools of magic, it was an opportunity to promote their school and let the students of other schools know the superiority of their school's magic.

That ghost army must have left a strong impression of the dark magic school.

'Well, even if it left a strong impression, they won't learn dark magic.'

'They'll just find it interesting.'

The students didn't care much.

Even if dark magic showed off, there was no need to keep them in check.

Kwoooooo-

"?!"

"What is that?"

However, it was a little different for schools other than dark magic.

When Anpagon, a 3rd-year in enchantment magic, brought out a composite artifact reminiscent of a ballista, everyone was startled.

How did he complete such a composite artifact in this short time?

"What? Did everyone prepare to show off their magic at the festival except me? There's no time to throw stones..."

"How many did he combine for that? It looks like dozens?"

"Didn't he make it in advance and bring it out?"

"No. That's impossible. For that level, it has to be assembled on the spot... how?"

Even Coholti was very surprised by the result of the enchantment magic school.

'What is it? How did he make it?'

Although he had borrowed a power close to cheating, didn't that opponent make it alone?

It seemed there was a genius in the enchantment magic school that even Coholti didn't know about.

'...Hmph, it doesn't matter, we also have a genius no less than that guy,'

Coholti decided not to envy the other school.

...Of course, that junior belonged to all the schools, but to that extent...

***

"It seems to be starting now."

Yi-Han, who had returned, sat in the tent with the healing magic students and stared at the realm crack.

The air was ominous, but thanks to the cessation of throwing stones at each other, there was actually less work to do.

'Hmm, it would be nice if something gets summoned every time this happens in the future.'

Yi-Han was having a very terrible thought inwardly while staring at the realm crack.

Of course, the seniors would suffer a bit, but that was none of Yi-Han's business.

Just like how the seniors did nothing for him when the frost giant appeared or when the spirit absorption occured.

-The heat of war awakens me.-

Yi-Han looked around at the sudden voice.

The healing magic seniors were munching on snacks made of honey and glutinous rice fried in oil, chattering about which side would be summoned.

'What is it? Is it the principal?'

-The heat of war awakens me!-

"!!"

Yi-Han finally realized the identity of the voice.

Surprisingly, the voice was coming from inside the bracelet of ten thousand demons.

-The heat of war awakens me!! Bring me a weapon, so that I may behead the enemies and obtain blood!-

Yi-Han unconsciously looked at the seniors who had gathered to throw stones.

Could it be that deep in Yi-Han's subconscious, there was a desire to behead those seniors?

'Surely not.'

-Bring me a weapon... wait a moment...-

The voice seemed to have come to its senses belatedly.

The bracelet of ten thousand demons was a place where demons defeated by the King of Ghouls were sealed.

It was natural for demons who had been sealed for a long time in such a place to have confusion in their self and memories.

The demon who had come to its senses kept asking questions to Yi-Han.

Where is this place, what kind of guy are you, a mage, how did you come to possess me, and what war is about to break out now?

"...It's not a war, it's a festival."

-War is another name for a festival!-

"No, it's just a festival..."

-Blood, pain, and screams call me! Fear me. I am Anpursas!-

Suddenly, the bracelet burned and engraved a new pattern on Yi-Han's wrist.

It was a pattern that served as a passage for the demon Anpursas to go in and out of the bracelet.

Realizing the identity of the pattern belatedly, Yi-Han was startled and closed the pattern.

If such a pattern was left open, the demon could pop out of the bracelet without permission.

But it was too late.

Anpursas, who had escaped through the passage, occupied a corner of Yi-Han's body and clung to it, then began to scream.

-I will not return inside until you give me a chance to fight!-