Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy
chapter-540

While Yi-Han was flustered, letters started being added to the note.

-Because that idiot Moradi ruined things now...-

"??"

-Iamgoingtokillhim-

"????"

'There's more than one of you?'

Chaotic letters that seemed like they would come out if two people were fighting over a quill pen and paper.

As time passed, the writing stopped, and Anpagon began to properly explain the situation.

He had come with Balpatan to find reagents, but a small argument broke out...

'A small argument?'

Yi-Han looked around.

He saw the remnants of the forest that had been brutally torn apart by magic.

If this was a small argument, what level would a serious fight be?

-So why are you with the giants? Were you caught?-

-Ah. It's not like that. I'm helping the giants with their work.-

-?-

"?"

The writing that had been appearing on the note for a moment stopped.

Yi-Han was puzzled as to why the seniors were acting like that.

-Why are you helping the giants?-

-Because I became close with them.-

Silence again.

As the seniors fell silent, Yi-Han carefully wrote.

-I'm sorry, but as a junior, let me say one thing. I don't think it's a good idea for you two to argue right now.-

As soon as he wrote, a reply came up.

-We weren't arguing. Anyway, I got it.-

-But didn't you say you were Gainando last time?-

Yi-Han slyly ignored the last part as if he hadn't seen it.

***

"How can he even become close with giants? I don't understand."

"Anything can happen at Einroguard. You still lack in your studies."

"Don't talk nonsense. So do you have any friends or seniors who are close with giants?"

"..."

Anpagon shut his mouth.

Honestly, he couldn't even imagine what kind of things one had to do to become close with giants.

What do you have to do...?

"But why is there no answer to the question about the name?"

"That's not what's important right now."

Anpagon answered Balpatan's words in an irritated voice.

With the giants wandering in front of their eyes, what did it matter whether that junior had said his name was Gainando or Wardanaz before?

He must have misheard or something!

"We need to dissuade the giants."

"Ah. Right."

At first, they thought the junior might be deceiving and disguising himself among the giants, but if he had actually become close with them, it was more advantageous.

Of course, it was still unbelievable, but...

'I must ask him later.'

'I'll have to ask later.'

Even Anpagon, who was usually uninterested in others as an enchantment magic student, was curious.

-To make the giants back off...-

"Wait."

"What? Why are you stopping?"

"Who's going to pay the price?"

"You should pay."

"What an interesting bullshit. Just bark, don't do that."

"Yeah. By the way, you should know that you're within my range now."

"Do as you please. If you want to brag about being stupid enough to make noise in front of giants."

The two, who had been bickering, finally couldn't overcome the situation and came to an agreement.

They decided to split the cost of asking the junior in half.

-If you can make the giants back off, the following rewards will be...-

-Rewards?-

The two looked at each other at the junior's answer.

And then they spoke at the same time.

"It's because you put in trash!"

"Your rewards are trash."

***

Yi-Han was slightly moved.

'The professors don't give any rewards when they make me work, but the seniors are different.'

In fact, the professors hadn't made him work, but had given lectures, but Yi-Han didn't care.

They said they would store ten sets of armor made from red lion leather, ten wind barrier scrolls, five jars of moonlight honey, etc. near the Blue Dragon Tower.

Originally, he would have done it even if they had just asked, but he couldn't help but be even happier with such rewards.

"I know where the culprit went. Please follow where I point."

-Ooh!-

-Mage is smart!-

When Yi-Han confidently shouted, the giants moved their steps, delighted.

Yi-Han looked in the direction where the seniors were likely to be and gave a slight nod.

It was a signal for them to get out on their own.

'Hoho. Perfect.'

Yi-Han was proud of the sight of the giants walking away.

It was the appearance of a junior who was undoubtedly remarkable to anyone who saw it.

Although they weren't visible, Balpatan and Anpagon must have thought Yi-Han was remarkable.

"..."

"..."

Balpatan and Anpagon watched the giants walking away with their mouths wide open.

He had confidently said to trust and leave it to him alone, so they had doubted it, but they didn't expect him to command the giants so easily.

"Gi... Giant controller...!"

Yi-Han had no idea that he had gained an additional nickname among the seniors without even knowing it.

-But why are we going this way?-

"The culprit always leaves traces. There are traces of mana left here."

Pointing ahead with his staff, Yi-Han spat out whatever words he could think of.

It wasn't a difficult task.

It was as easy as blinking an eye for Yi-Han, who had been trained at Einroguard, to roughly lead the giants, create distance, and then say, 'Oops, sorry, we lost them'.

-Indeed! The rock here is broken!-

"That's exactly it."

-The tree here is also shattered! It's true that they ran this way!-

"?"

Yi-Han, who had been babbling, paused.

The giants' reactions were somewhat strange.

'Huh?'

Currently, Yi-Han and the giant were walking in a completely different direction.

They were walking somewhere deep in the mountain range, not toward the peak.

Naturally, there was no reason to find traces of people.

But the rock was broken and the tree was shattered.

'Something's strange...?'

-There! Over there!-

-It's that guy! Old man Yaksha! It's old man Yaksha! I knew it!-

"????"

Yi-Han was startled and widened his eyes.

Beyond the forest on the opposite side, a Yaksha was walking, clearing away trees and rocks.

With a huge build rivaling a giant and a ferocious appearance reminiscent of a ghost.

Yakshas were also not a common race to see in the empire, like giants.

The Yaksha turned his head when he heard the giants shouting and said.

-Why are you fools chattering in front of your elder again?-

-Woo! Old man Yaksha! You broke trees last time and broke trees this time too!-

-You ignorant ones. Clearing away dead and rotten trees helps the trees next to them.-

-Don't lie! You shattered even the healthy trees!-

"..."

Yi-Han felt a slight pang of conscience.

It was because the ones who had shattered the healthy trees were Yi-Han's seniors.

-If you have a problem, come at me. Little ones. I'll take you on even in wrestling, which you like so much.-

-Uh...-

-That Yaksha is too strong.-

-We can't beat him...-

The giants showed a flinching and discouraged appearance.

It seemed they had faced that Yaksha a few times and had a tough experience.

"Aren't you advantageous in size?"

-Yaksha uses strange techniques.-

-We can't win...-

As they were saying that, the Yaksha took a step closer.

Stimulated by that, one of the giants beat his chest and shouted.

-I won't run away in front of the mage! Watch!-

The giant rolled his feet and charged fiercely. The surrounding trees flew away at the force.

The Yaksha said as if it was absurd.

-Why can't you young ones ever think about your own size?-

-Ugh! Ungh!-

The giant clashed with the Yaksha and tried hard to overpower the Yaksha with strength.

Then the Yaksha laughed and said.

-You should have accumulated good deeds. The things you little ones do are at best neutral deeds. What are you going to do with that kind of strength?-

"!"

Yi-Han was amazed by the supernatural flow of mana felt from the Yaksha's exterior.

Originally, the rare races of the empire were born with unique abilities that were difficult to imitate even with magic, but the Yaksha's ability was unique even among them.

The ability to materialize the good and evil deeds around him into tangible power!

The Yaksha himself transformed the good deeds he had accumulated into his own strength, and the evildoers who clashed with the Yaksha could only struggle with their own evil deeds.

The giants had no evil deeds, but they also had no proper good deeds, so they were being pushed back like that...

'It's a really amazing ability.'

Yi-Han understood why mages were so interested in primitive magic or such supernatural powers despite having created such a great field of study.

It was hard for a mage not to be interested in the rare flows and patterns that couldn't be seen in magic.

-Uh... I'm going too!-

-Woo!-

As their comrade was being pushed back, the giants rushed to help. The Yaksha laughed and received the giants' charge with his other arm.

-Do more. More! You little ones!-

-I'm going too!-

"Uh. Wait..."

Yi-Han was startled when the giant who had him on his shoulder charged.

It was good that he was angry when his friends were being pushed back, but did he forget about the little mage on his shoulder?

-Woo!-

-Where are you... Ugh!-

As the giant carrying Yi-Han charged, the confident Yaksha let out a scream and tumbled backward.

-Huh?-

-Huh huh?-

The giants themselves seemed to have not expected this result, as they looked at each other in surprise.

-Uh... Uh uh! We won!-

-We beat old man Yaksha!-

Yi-Han, who had been dangling from the giant's shoulder using the mysterious principle of suction to avoid falling, barely climbed up.

While the giants were excitedly clapping each other, the Yaksha got up with a dumbfounded expression.

-What is this? What kind of good deeds did you accumulate while I was gone to become so heavy?-

-The mage's cooking was delicious. My body has become that much stronger too!-

As the giant carrying Yi-Han shouted triumphantly, the Yaksha was wondering what nonsense he was talking about, then belatedly discovered Yi-Han.

-Why is a young blood bag from Einroguard here?? And with the giants??-

When the Yaksha asked in surprise, Yi-Han realized anew that being close with the giants was not common.

'Is that why the seniors were surprised earlier? No way. They're Einroguard students, so they wouldn't be surprised by this.'

"I'm close with the giants."

-...What nonsense...-

-We're close!-

-It's friendship, old man Yaksha!-

The Yaksha waved his hand as if he had a headache at the giants' shouts.

Then he narrowed his eyes and glared at Yi-Han. As if trying to judge how much ability he had.

-Good deeds... What...?-

"Oh, have I accumulated a lot of good deeds?"

-How can you not know when you're the one who accumulated them!-

The Yaksha was appalled, but his initial hostility had subsided a bit.

He judged that a mage who had accumulated that many good deeds wouldn't be an evil person.

-This is perfect timing. You little ones. Follow me. There's something you can help with.-

-I won't listen to old man Yaksha!-

-Last time too, you made us work and didn't give us anything!-

The Yaksha sighed as if he had a headache and explained.

-Didn't I tell you? If we had left that glacier alone, it would have collapsed and covered the cave where you sleep.-

-If you make us work, you have to give us a reward!-

-...Where's Ikurusha? Ikurusha?-

When his words didn't get through, the Yaksha looked for Ikurusha.

Ikurusha was the only giant he could communicate with.

"Um. Everyone. Why don't we listen to what he has to say first?"

Yi-Han persuaded the giants.

Listening to what the Yaksha was saying, he didn't seem like a bad person.

Rather, he seemed closer to Ikurusha.

The way he was frustrated by the giants' words but still tried to take care of them somehow...

-Hmph. Speak.-

-We're only listening this time.-

-???-

The Yaksha's eyes widened as he stared at Yi-Han.

He couldn't believe that an outsider, and a mage at that, was commanding the giants so well.

-Right now, a troublesome fellow has settled in the swamp. Because of him, the surrounding forest is all dying. You little ones will have to help a bit.-

-Ha! Another trick! Trick!-

"Uh... If the forest all dies, won't the trees you like die too?"

-Is that so? What should we do then?-

"We have to stop it, right?"

-Hmph. I'll help out against my will!-

-...Do you have any thoughts about not returning to Einroguard and working here instead?-

The Yaksha seriously offered to the young blood bag from Einroguard.