Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-525

"Indeed, it was a strange question. Wardanaz, you probably don't have anyone like that."

"Uh... hmm. Yes."

Yi-Han, who had been quickly thinking of the skull principal, Professor Bagrak, Professor Beavle, and so on in his mind, managed his expression and answered.

"In a way, it might be a difficult method for a calm student like Wardanaz to use. This is a method for swordsmen rather than mages."

Both swordsmen and mages handled mana in the same way.

However, as could be seen from some extreme mages mocking swordsmen, saying, 'They handle mana with ignorant intuition, are they monsters?', the swordsmen's methods were a bit rough.

Unlike mages who built a foundation by discussing with each other through theory and scholarship, swordsmen were much more closed off.

Visions and enlightenment were only passed down orally within the family and leaks were almost absolutely not allowed.

As such, it couldn't help but be much less systematic and less theorized.

When they had to explain the technique of circulating mana inside the body to the extremities to activate functions, mages said this:

-The minimum amount of mana required next is equivalent to a three cubic centimeter mana stone, or the amount of mana used in a 1st circle light creation magic. The most efficient movements to guide this mana are as follows. The chant is...

In contrast, swordsmen conveyed it like this:

-Breathe deeply and feel the burning fire. Spread that fire to your arms. Spewing out a fierce wildfire...

However, even the swordsmen's methods, which were mocked like this, had their advantages.

"As far as I know, no matter how much knowledge and wisdom one has, in the end, it is the mage's will that changes the order of the world. Swordsmen also call upon power with their will. Imbuing this intention can be seen as amplifying that will."

Will.

Even with complex theories, chants, and reagents, in the end, the core of magic was the will to change the world.

The usual method was to temper this will as hard as steel and make it firm without wavering.

However, Professor Ingurdel was proposing a different method.

To make this will blaze up like a fierce flame and use its power!

'Interesting.'

While the other White Tiger Tower students were listening to Professor Ingurdel's words, intoxicated by swordsmanship and their pride as knights, Yi-Han had a slightly different thought.

That method reminded him of some characteristics of magic he had heard from the skull principal.

'Primitive magic?'

The magic outside the system that had been passed down from ancient times and was still occasionally discovered in the outskirts of the empire.

Many friends were either uninterested or looked down on it, but Yi-Han was far from such prejudice.

If there were advantages and it could be used, why refuse it?

Professor Ingurdel got up from his seat and stuck a solid steel rod into the ground.

Then he picked up a wooden sword and lightly swung it. He didn't even imbue it with an aura, the crystallization of mana.

Crack!

"!"

"...!"

The students' eyes widened at the phenomenon of the wooden sword cutting through steel.

Unlike the students who were simply surprised, Yi-Han felt something else.

'Strengthening magic?'

He felt a flow of mana as if a <Cutting Power Enhancement> magic had been cast on the sword.

"What did you feel?"

"I felt the profoundness of swordsmanship!"

"...I mean other than that."

"Isn't it?"

The White Tiger Tower student scratched the back of his neck as if embarrassed.

"It seemed like the cutting power was momentarily enhanced, am I right?"

"You saw well."

At Yi-Han's answer, Professor Ingurdel replied with a pleased expression.

"The intention to cut changed the nature of the mana imbued in the sword."

"...!!"

'Impressive.'

Yi-Han was surprised.

Although he said it as if it were simple, what Professor Ingurdel had just shown was truly remarkable.

Wasn't it like similarly realizing the magic that mages cast while studying theory, chanting spells, and even using reagents, just with senses and will?

Of course, the time it takes to get there would be much shorter for the former, but no one could deny the perfection of the latter.

"I know that anyone who holds a sword is interested in and dreams of aura. However, aura is just a place to pass through on the path of the sword. There's no need to be too tied to it. When catching a chicken, use a sword that can catch a chicken, and when catching a cow, use a sword that can catch a cow. Now."

The White Tiger Tower students, who had been listening to Professor Ingurdel's story with a moved expression, hesitated.

"Yes?"

"You've all rested enough, so get up. Originally, when you're exhausted like now, emotions are likely to rise fiercely."

"..."

Originally, when one became skilled at imbuing intention, one could make emotions blaze up while skillfully controlling their direction.

However, that was impossible for students, so they had to make their emotions blaze up first.

The easiest way was to roll them until they got angry.

"Get up. Come on. Get up."

"Argh! Argh!"

"Wa-wait! Just 5 more minutes!"

Professor Ingurdel picked up a wooden sword and hit the students sprawled on the ground until they got up.

The students, whose arms and legs had lost strength, tried to avoid it by rolling around, but Professor Ingurdel persistently followed them and hit them until they got up.

For the first time, Yi-Han was grateful for participating in the festival.

'St. Eaktus. Thank you.'

***

Kang!

"Put more emotion into it."

Kang!

"More!"

Kang!!!

"It's still lacking. The mana hasn't changed at all."

"Aaargh! Aaargh! Aaaaaaargh!"

"Good. That's how you draw out emotions."

"Gasp, huff."

As Dolgyu exhaled and knelt on one knee, Yi-Han spoke to him with a worried voice from the side.

"Should I cast a strengthening magic on you?"

"N-no. It's supposed to be hard... Gasp. Huff. And the professor is doing this for our sake..."

'With that mindset, it seems like it would be disadvantageous.'

According to Professor Ingurdel's theory, to raise this emotion and change the mana, one had to genuinely explode with emotion.

Thinking considerately like that would rather be disadvantageous.

"Wardanaz."

"?"

When Jijel spoke to him, Yi-Han turned his head in puzzlement.

It was rare for Jijel to speak first unless there was a flood at the school or an evil mage appeared.

Jijel also looked exhausted, with fatigue all over her body. With the tips of her dual swords lowered, she spoke in a rough voice.

"Look over here for a bit."

"What? Don't curse me. Even if you curse me, you'll be the only one at a loss."

"I'm not trying to curse you. I don't have the energy for that, so look over here."

Both Yi-Han and Dolgyu turned their gazes in curiosity.

After staring intently at Yi-Han's face once, Jijel closed her eyes and nodded.

Then she swung her sword.

Swish!

Unlike the other students, this strike dug into the steel rod and left a mark.

Seeing that, Professor Ingurdel applauded.

"Well done! You exploded your anger very well!"

"..."

"..."

Yi-Han and Dolgyu simultaneously lost their words.

"Hey. I should practice too."

"Are you okay?"

"If I don't practice now saying I'm not okay, your friend will make me even more not okay in the near future."

"Mo-Moradi isn't that kind of... Well, she is."

"..."

Jijel, who was catching her breath on the side, looked at Dolgyu as if it was absurd.

This guy?

'I'm contemplating whether to think of the principal, Professor Beavle, or Professor Bagrak. Come to think of it, also...'

Yi-Han closed his eyes and immersed himself in deep meditation.

There were surprisingly too many people to explode his emotions at.

Professor Ingurdel, who was passing by, looked at him with interest.

'As expected, he doesn't have an opponent?'

Students from knight families inevitably had to grow up experiencing competition and struggle.

Because they constantly interacted and had confrontations within the family or between families.

As such, it was natural for them to have a strong competitive spirit.

However, someone from a high noble family like Wardanaz had no reason to grow up with competition and struggle.

Such etiquette, manners, and socializing were also helpful in life, but this time was an exception.

It must be difficult to explode with emotion...

Kwang!!!!!

"..."

"..."

Professor Ingurdel and the students looked at Yi-Han with shocked eyes after seeing the shattered wooden sword and the completely crumpled steel rod.

What kind of anger was this?

"...I got it!"

"Got what?"

"That bastard Wardanaz. He must still be full of anger because I kept talking about ballgame last time!"

'I don't think that's it.'

No matter how he thought about it, it wasn't the kind of anger that would arise from someone not listening well.

***

When all the students gathered, Professor Garcia opened her mouth with delight.

"Have you all been well?"

"Yes, Professor!"

"The reason why we're having the lecture here in front of the lake instead of in the classroom is..."

The students looked at the lake with tense gazes.

Could it be that they have to go into the lake?

'The weather is cold too.'

'Could it be the reason why she taught us underwater breathing last time?'

"...I thought it would be a bit of a mess to use it in the classroom. It seemed better to do it in a wide space."

"Then we don't have to go into the lake?"

"Huh? Of course not."

The students' faces brightened.

However, Yi-Han was cold.

"Could it be that a monster is coming out of the lake?"

"No."

"Ah. I see. Wardanaz. The lake itself is the monster! It's a lake monster!"

"...Should we just do it somewhere else?"

Professor Garcia, who had chosen a scenic spot as the lecture location to give the students a change of mood, slightly regretted it.

Only after comforting the distracted students could Professor Garcia get to the main point.

"The magic we'll learn today is close to self-defense. Although some people learn magic duels or combat separately..."

The students all turned their heads and looked at Yi-Han.

Yi-Han spoke in a chilly voice.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Ah, no. Just..."

"...Basically, there are students who are not used to fighting."

The students nodded their heads.

Using magic in a fight was surprisingly difficult. Even the White Tiger Tower students who were used to fighting found it so.

Even if they focused in a peaceful situation, there were times when they failed, so wouldn't it be even more difficult in the middle of a mentally disturbing fight?

"It's self-defense magic for those students."

"Oh..."

'This is a professor.'

Not only the other students but also Yi-Han was moved.

In fact, suddenly throwing iron orbs was closer to being a thug than a professor.

'Could it be defensive magic?'

"Now. First, the <Undead Repel> magic. It's a magic that surrounds you with an energy that the undead find repulsive, and if you have this magic cast, weak undead won't easily approach you."

"Undead..."

"Repel..."

The students moved their quills and took notes on the magic they would learn today.

"And one more thing. The <Undead Detection> magic. It's a magic that catches the unique negative energy emitted by the undead, and if you cast it in advance, you can catch undead lying in ambush."

"Undead..."

"Detection..."

"What else is there? This is a 2nd circle magic, but let's also learn <Lesser Undead Unsummoning>. You can use this magic to collapse and defeat weak undead."

"...?"

"???"

The students who were taking notes gradually felt something was off.

For self-defense magic, it was strangely undead-centric.

Why?

Among the students who felt something was off, Yi-Han, who was the quickest-witted, threw a question.

"Professor?"

"What is it?"

"Could it be that the principal is going to attack us soon?"

"Wh-what are you talking about, Yi-Han? Someone might misunderstand if they hear that."

"..."

"..."

The White Tiger Tower students who were taking rough notes also jumped up and started copying their friends' notes next to them.