Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-539

After the cheers ended, Yi-Han, who had come down, asked the giants.

"So what do I need to help you with today? Did the goat escape again by any chance?"

They were called goat, but if you put 'mountain destroyer' in front of it, they were actually closer to monsters than goat.

Having seen the mountain destroyer goat in person, Yi-Han thought that even if the basilisk fully grew up, it would lose to the mountain destroyer goat.

'First of all, the difference in weight class is too big.'

-No. The goat didn't escape.-

-We caught a wyvern and put it in with them, and they're having fun playing among themselves. They must have been bored.-

Yi-Han heard that they had caught and put in the ruler and terror of the mountain range, but he ignored it as if he hadn't heard it.

He was afraid that if he asked, 'A wyvern?' here, the giants would drag him to show him.

"I see. Then if there's no work..."

-Follow me! I want to show the mage!-

-Woo! I'm going to put him on my shoulder!-

-No! I'm going to put him on my shoulder!-

"Haha. Everyone. It's good that you're fighting over me, but please don't fight over me."

As the giants fought and tried to pull Yi-Han, Yi-Han's voice became a little urgent.

The giant who won the giant version of rock-paper-scissors (a game where they hit each other's faces with either rock, paper, or scissors) grinned and put Yi-Han on his shoulder and started walking.

-Those guys. To become so close... Have a good trip.-

"Don't forget that the final exams are coming up soon."

Hearing Ikurusha and Professor Bagrak's words from behind, Yi-Han covered his ears as if he hadn't heard them.

The giant carrying Yi-Han asked, puzzled.

-Why are you covering your ears?-

"Originally, when there's something you don't want to hear, it's good to cover your ears like this."

-Ooh. From now on, when Ikurusha speaks, I should cover my ears!-

***

Balpatan of the Moradi family, a 3rd-year student, was regretting.

Come to think of it, no matter how necessary the work was, it was a mistake to travel together with a guy from the enchantment magic school.

'There's still a long way to go, Balpatan! You almost got your sword taken away last time, and you're still acting so loosely. Even though you're a 3rd-year student!'

Balpatan hit his chest, blaming himself.

Seeing that, Anpagon, another 3rd-year student, asked bluntly.

"Have you finally lost your mind?"

"Shut up. Seriously. Why are all the guys who study enchantment magic so ill-mannered? Don't the seniors say anything?"

"What are you talking about? I'm the most polite one."

"..."

Balpatan shuddered at those words.

What was even more chilling was that Anpagon didn't seem to be lying.

'Fortunately, I don't specialize in enchantment magic.'

In fact, the White Tiger Tower produced the most enchantment magic majors when you thought about it.

Enhancement magic that manipulated the caster's or others' bodies also belonged to enchantment magic.

However, even as the grade level increased, it was rare for White Tiger Tower students to deeply delve into enchantment magic itself.

Most White Tiger Tower students shifted to enhancement magic applications, and pure enchantment magic was mainly chosen by students from other towers.

It could be because the magic was difficult, or because the moment you went into pure enchantment magic, you had to walk half the path of an artifact craftsman...

...A significant number of White Tiger Tower students were advocating the convincing theory of 'I'd rather die than hang out with enchantment magic professors and students'.

Balpatan was one of them.

'Is it that crazy professors make their disciples crazy, or is it that crazy disciples are drawn to crazy professors in the first place?'

Honestly, in Balpatan's eyes, Professor Verduus and the enchantment magic students making artifacts under him looked similar.

"Okay. Okay... Let's say it was my fault for talking to you."

"Of course it's your fault."

Balpatan unconsciously looked around.

'Should I draw my sword?'

Even though Balpatan was known as one of the more polite and kind students in the White Tiger Tower, Anpagon and other enchantment magic students' talent for provoking the temperament of other magic students went beyond that.

'Endure it.'

However, Balpatan endured.

There was one thing he wanted to ask.

That was the reason why he chose someone like Anpagon as his travel companion in this mountain range in the first place...

"Let's take a break for a bit. We have plenty of time as long as we arrive before the sun is overhead."

"I don't trust your calculations."

'Should I really just draw my sword?'

Anpagon swung his staff to calculate the direction and then nodded his head.

"We can rest."

"..."

"..."

The two students sat down and ate and drank without saying a word.

Anpagon drank a recovery potion in a transparent glass bottle, while Balpatan drank the fresh blood of a red lion stored in a leather water bottle. Both were advantageous for recovery.

Balpatan glanced at the peak, their destination.

Among the countless mountain peaks of Einroguard, the place they chose as their destination today was the Giant's Stone Sling Peak.

Anpagon needed the negative stone essence at the top of the peak for his research, and Balpatan needed the bark of the frost stone tree for tanning the newly acquired leather.

Originally, there was no reason to travel together, but Balpatan had something to ask, and Anpagon needed a useful vanguard. After all, it was an area where giants appeared.

"Hmm... Come to think of it."

Balpatan moistened his throat and brought up the main topic.

Now that he had listened to that annoying enchantment magic guy, it was his turn to ask a question.

"I heard there's a peculiar guy among the 1st-years taking enchantment magic. Is that true? At the festival..."

Anpagon nodded his head.

"Right? But why don't the other guys taking enchantment magic know when I ask them?"

"Because I didn't tell them."

"..."

'This trashy bastard...'

Balpatan was appalled.

It was normal to tell other people in the school about a useful junior.

Not simply because of one's own mood, but for the sake of that junior, shouldn't their name be widely known?

The treatment was different between knowing in advance what kind of junior they were and having a favorable impression, and not knowing at all.

"Why don't you tell them?"

"Because it wasn't worth it."

"What do you... Forget it."

Balpatan came to his senses after trying to delve deeply into the enchantment magic school.

Come to think of it, the more he got involved with these guys, the more headaches he got.

"Anyway, that junior. Right? The one who went crazy with a sword that time. Did he use enhancement magic?"

"I don't know."

Anpagon really didn't know.

He speculated that what the junior used might have been dark magic rather than enhancement magic, but he wasn't sure about this either.

In the first place, they had gone to the punishment room together after the festival ended...

"Ha. You sneaky bastard. Are you hiding that too? Tell me a little."

"How can I tell you what I don't know? Did you leave your head at the tower by any chance?"

Balpatan endured once more.

There was still something he wanted to ask.

"Okay. That junior. I asked the dark magic guys, but they kept being vague. It seems like he's also taking dark magic..."

"That's right."

"What? Dark magic? That's really unusual."

At first, Balpatan thought Yi-Han was excellent in swordsmanship and very talented in enchantment magic, so he showed such a presence, but hearing about dark magic, Balpatan was amazed.

"There's something I'm curious about that junior, and there's a rumor going around that he's from the Wardanaz family. That's not true, right? Isn't he Gainando? I looked it up, and he's a prince, right?"

"..."

Anpagon looked at Balpatan as if he were looking at a bug crawling on the ground.

No matter how ignorant he was, how could he confuse the Wardanaz family with the imperial family?

"Listen... First of all, the Wardanaz family is a great noble family of the empire. They are a great noble family famous for magic, but the imperial family..."

"...This bastard, really! Who doesn't know that! I'm asking what the junior's name is!"

Balpatan, who finally exploded, drew his sword.

No matter how much he tried to ask nicely, this guy's attitude was simply unbearable.

Just bury him and then ask!

"As expected, you're coming at me like that. I was prepared."

Anpagon immediately activated an artifact and spoke. A thick barrier protected Anpagon.

Balpatan exploded even more.

"Transform and strike down!"

As the chant burst out, Balpatan's hand suddenly transformed into the front paw of a giant monstrous bird.

It didn't end there. A chilling sharpness frosted on the tips of the claws, and it swung quickly with a speed that even a skilled swordsman would have difficulty avoiding.

Screech!

The front paw entered, tearing through the thick barrier.

However, Anpagon calmly took out the next artifact.

By the time they reached the 3rd year at Einroguard, even if they weren't majoring in combat magic, they had to be able to protect themselves to survive.

Faint doppelgangers appeared and scattered in all directions. The quality wasn't very high, so if you focused a little, you could identify them, but in a situation like this, that short time was enough.

Balpatan roared again.

"Giant's fist, strike the enemy!"

A huge fist made of an invisible force struck where Anpagon's doppelgangers were.

There was no need to distinguish the identities of the doppelgangers one by one; he could just sweep them all away, a combat style befitting a White Tiger Tower student.

Crash!

Anpagon, disgusted by the savagery, avoided the falling branches. The surrounding trees were collapsing due to the huge attack.

"Giant's finger..."

"...Wait, behind! Look behind, you idiot!"

"You filthy bastard. What are you saying? Just get beaten up first!"

"You stupid idiot! I'm telling you to look behind!"

Balpatan quickly turned his head while preparing for an attack.

Then he saw huge giants dragging clubs and walking slowly behind them.

"...!!!"

"!!!"

The two 3rd-year students froze on the spot.

No matter how much they trained in magic at Einroguard and were respected as mages outside, it was meaningless in front of giants.

As 3rd-year students, they knew well how troublesome giants were.

Not only was magic not very effective, but communication was also difficult. If they caused a commotion and angered the giants, it would become really annoying.

"Bre... Breathe quietly. Invisibility. Invisibility potion!"

"Are you satisfied? You should be. Because they'll find out since you destroyed all the trees!"

"Shut up. Before I finish you off, giants or not."

As they were talking, the giants approached closer.

The giant asked, looking at Yi-Han.

-Who broke the trees here? Looks like mages.-

"They are very bad people. Could it be the professors?"

-Want to replant these trees.-

"I understand."

Yi-Han nodded his head.

Planting trees was relatively easy.

Compared to finding the escaped goat and somehow dragging them back, planting trees was...

-Want to catch the person who broke the trees.-

"Oh dear. Do you want to catch the professors? It won't be easy."

Yi-Han answered roughly while looking around at the broken trees.

However, the giants were more serious than expected.

-It doesn't seem like it's been long since the trees were broken.-

-I think we can find them! Mage, help us. We'll find them!-

'Huh?'

Yi-Han, who was pondering how to plant the trees, was startled by the giants' reaction.

'Not long ago?'

He couldn't understand why someone would come to the high parts of the mountain range this early in the morning, break trees, and leave.

'They didn't even cut the trees to take them... Is it to vent anger?'

For a moment, Yi-Han imagined the skull principal spinning around and breaking trees.

It was funny, but the principal or professors didn't seem like the type to do that.

'This... It's been cut sharply. Enchantment magic? This looks like it was hit by a huge force.'

Looking around, Yi-Han quickly realized that there had been a magic fight here.

"I think here..."

Rustle-

"?"

Yi-Han paused as a piece of paper quietly flew onto his palm.

-Save me, junior-

Balpatan, Moradi

"..."

What were they really doing here?