al_squad
patreon
Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 15
🕑 Added 2023-12-29 12:50:51 +0000 UTCChapter 15
"It is indeed challenging," he mused.
Controlling the orb with sheer willpower was no ordinary task. Like the student who had been hit by the orb he was controlling earlier, the orb could fly off on its own if one's concentration wavered even slightly. It was an unfamiliar sensation, akin to suddenly having a third arm.
Fortunately, for Yi-Han, he didn't have to worry about collapsing from depleted mana. In fact, he hadn't felt any drain in his mana at all, even as he continuously drew circles with the floating orb.
Professor Boladi, without uttering a word, just stared intently at Yi-Han.
‘Is he looking at me because my mana isn't depleting?’ Yi-Han wondered why the professor was staring. It couldn't be because Yi-Han was too adept at controlling the orb too quickly (to Yi-Han, the circles still looked rather uneven), nor could it be that Yi-Han's stamina in controlling the orb for an extended period was fascinating.
‘No, it's just that there's no one else to look at.’ But then, Yi-Han realized belatedly that the professor was simply staring without any particular thought in mind. If the professor had been curious about his abundant mana, he would have simply asked.
After all, with Yi-Han being the only one in the classroom, the professor had nowhere else to look. Yi-Han focused on diligently moving the orb, regardless of the professor's gaze or words. The meaning of it all was unclear to him...
‘Just think of it as earning grades by diligently moving it,’ he thought to himself.
The magical orb that would grant grades as it spun. With that mindset, he could do it indefinitely.
Yi-Han had become excessively adept at enduring unfair situations from professors.
—
‘How fascinating,’ Professor Boladi thought, genuinely intrigued. His expression betrayed nothing, but he felt a sense of wonder he hadn't experienced in a long time.
The reason was the freshman before him. Every year, freshmen flooded into the <Repetitive Training of Basic Magic Combat> course, only to disappear like the ebb and flow of the tide. Last year, not a single student had returned.
However, Professor Boladi was unconcerned. His contract with Principal Os Gonadaltes was to teach the <Repetitive Training of Basic Magic Combat> course every year, not to gather a large number of students.
In fact, Professor Boladi would sit in the classroom at the appointed time, even if not a single student showed up, and only rise after the lecture time ended. To others, this might have been incomprehensible, but it was a principle he upheld.
Years of such repetitive dedication had accumulated, and now, an unusual freshman had broken that monotony.
A handsome boy with a robust, sculpted appearance, unmistakably a student of the Blue Dragon. His actions and accent suggested he likely came from a noble family of the empire.
Yet, here he was, continuously and quietly focused on spinning the orb, without any complaint.
Even students from the lowest-ranked Black Tortoise, who attended this course, would usually storm out, cursing and questioning its purpose. But a Blue Dragon student concentrating so quietly was unusual.
Moreover, the fact that he showed no signs of fatigue while continuously moving the orb was telling of his innate mana.
Had Professor Boladi been more sociable with other faculty members, he might have learned about Yi-Han's mana capacity, at least in a general sense, from a conversation with Professor Garcia Kim, the troll instructor.
But Boladi preferred not to mingle with other professors, as it was not a part of the contract he had with the principal.
Thus, while he surmised that Yi-Han possessed a significant amount of mana, he had no idea just how extensive it was.
‘I hope he continues to stay,’ Boladi thought to himself.
Professor Boladi, while lecturing, for the first time hoped a student would remain in his class.
If this student continued to attend, it would be the first time Professor Boladi could advance to the next topic in his teaching history.
—
"I really found a great lecture!" Yi-Han spoke earnestly.
He usually didn't extend such kindness, but Yonaire and Gainando were exceptions. Yonaire could potentially become a business partner later, and Gainando might earn some friendliness credits from his mother. It never hurt to be nice to friends from good families.
"I don't think anyone else will come to listen. You can pretty much count on getting an A+ if you do."
"...Hmm..."
Yonaire's face showed a look of deep contemplation, wondering how to politely refuse Yi-Han's suggestion. The idea of attending a lecture that no one else attended was unappealing, but it felt rude to refuse since Yi-Han recommended it so earnestly.
"...No. It's okay if you don't want to listen," Yi-Han told Yonaire. He had no intention of forcing anyone. He had only recommended it because it was an easy way to earn a good grade for the semester.
"Hmm. Tell me more about it," Gainando seemed intrigued.
"What does it teach?"
"There’s an orb artifact created by the professor. You infuse it with mana and make it float."
"Oh. And then?"
"You draw circles with it to practice."
"I see. And after that?"
"That's it."
"..."
"..."
Both Yonaire and Gainando looked at Yi-Han in disbelief.
"Is... is the professor a fraud?"
"Fake or real, what does it matter? It’s the scores that are important."
Yonaire was amazed. When she had first enrolled, Yonaire had thought she was probably the most practical thinker among the students. Many of the Blue Dragon students, coming from noble families, often had rigid ways of thinking, something Yonaire had noticed several times.
But talking with Yi-Han made her realize how vast the world and high the sky were. This boy from the Wardanaz family took practicality to an insane level, beyond even Yonaire’s reach!
"Well, if you guys don’t want to attend, that’s fine. Next is <Basic Swordsmanship>."
"...Really? You're attending that too?"
"Wardanaz. It seems a bit..."
Their protests fell on deaf ears; Yi-Han wouldn't listen. If it wasn't a mandatory lecture, he would choose based on his own criteria. After all, that was the rule at the Einroguard Magic Academy!
'Should I really be stopping this?'
Gainando seriously considered running to the principal for advice.
—
The <Basic Swordsmanship> lecture had far more students than the <Repetitive Training of Basic Magic Combat>.
More than ten students had gathered in the main building's south front yard, waiting for the instructor.
'No way. There are more students than I thought?'
Yi-Han quickly realized why. The students present were from the White Tiger, known for their imperial knightly lineage. They had come to learn magic but were naturally skilled in swordsmanship and approached the subject with a serious attitude.
While students from other families might have learned swordsmanship, they wouldn’t come this far to continue their training. However, the White Tiger students were different.
"<Repetitive Training of Basic Magic Combat> was a lucky incident, after all."
Yi-Han felt a slight disappointment, but then realized that being the best among a group of one like in <Repetitive Training of Basic Magic Combat> was unusual. Moreover, he had consistently trained in swordsmanship himself.
"Who's that?"
"Isn't he from Blue Dragon?"
Just as Yi-Han was surprised, the students of the White Tiger were also taken aback, murmuring amongst themselves. They hadn't expected students from other dormitories to attend.
"I know who that guy is. He's from the Wardanaz family."
"The Wardanaz family... The famous family of mages in the empire!"
"But why would someone from that family attend this class?"
"Did he come here because he learned a bit of swordsmanship from a private tutor at home?"
"There's a limit to underestimating swordsmanship."
Most students exhibited strong resistance. While there were individual differences, the White Tiger students took pride in their swordsmanship and trained seriously. In contrast, other noble families usually learned swordsmanship merely as a form of self-defense or cultural refinement, only skimming the surface. Naturally, their attendance in the class caused some discomfort.
Yi-Han noticed these reactions.
'What do I care?'
And, of course, he didn't mind them. He was not foolish enough to get entangled in petty rivalries with teenagers.
"Hey."
When Yi-Han ignored the reactions, one student stepped forward. His physique, honed as expected of a knight family, combined with the unique muscles of an orc, presented an intimidating figure even through his tattered school uniform.
The student stood before Yi-Han and looked up at him squarely. Yi-Han returned the gaze as if to say, 'What now?' Despite the orc's menacing appearance, Yi-Han had far too much experience to be intimidated by such a thing.
"Got something to say?"
"Yeah. You're from the Wardanaz family, belonging to the Blue Dragon, right?"
"That's right."
"You seem to be mistaken about this class. It's a serious swordsmanship class, not one where we just swing around for show."
"Got it. Thanks for letting me know."
"..."
Even when spoken to kindly, Yi-Han's disregard made the orc's expression turn sour.
"You don't seem to understand. This isn’t just waving around swords like high nobles do. We'll be sparring with each other, and you could get seriously hurt if you're not careful. The other students won’t go easy."
"Well, if I end up facing you, I'll be careful not to hurt you. If that's what you're worried about."
"..."
The orc took a moment to grasp Yi-Han's words. Realizing what Yi-Han meant, his face flushed with anger.
Just then, a soft cough sounded.
The instructor arrived to begin the class.
"Everyone, could you gather around, please?"
The professor's voice was gentle and kind, but his appearance was the opposite. Despite belonging to the typically beautiful elf race, the professor's appearance exuded an aura of intimidation. Scars and wounds covering his face and body created this impression. One arm and one leg were prosthetics, and one eye, altered by scars, appeared different in size from the other.
"I am Professor Ingurdel. I will be teaching you swordsmanship this semester."
The elf professor continued, leaning on a long sword like a staff.
"Many of you here at Einroguard have come to learn swordsmanship, either to improve your skills or to keep them from rusting. I assume you all have some experience in swordsmanship."
Yi-Han felt a slight sting at the professor's words. Of course, that wasn't bad, but his main reason for attending was more for the grades.
"So, I won't be teaching swordsmanship from scratch. It would be better for everyone to refine the swordsmanship they have already learned."
The students from knight families listened to the elf professor with eyes shining brightly, obviously more familiar with swordsmanship than magic. For them, discussions about swordsmanship were far more appealing than those about magic.
Tap-tap-
"?!"
Yi-Han turned his head. Someone was tapping on his arm. The one tapping was a fellow student. An elf, while belonging to the same race as Professor Ingurdel, presented a starkly contrasting image.
The elf had short, golden hair that barely touched the nape, and a delicate, androgynously beautiful appearance.
'He looks like he'd be popular with the ladies.'
"What is it?"
"You're from the Wardanaz family, right? I was curious why someone from your family would want to learn swordsmanship."
The elf approached him in a lively yet not frivolous manner, clearly more adept at interacting with people than the student who had confronted Yi-Han earlier.
"I thought it would be easy to score well since there are fewer students attending."
"..."
