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Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1079
🕑 Added 2024-12-02 12:07:23 +0000 UTCChapter 1079
'That's too harsh.'
The cruel combat mage's heart was slightly wounded.
Though people were buying poisons and curses they wouldn't normally buy because of Yi-Han, wasn't that just how business worked?
If they hadn't bought poisons and curses here, they would have been buying useless things elsewhere.
"By the way Senior, who is that dwarf senior?"
"Dirimpa? Ah. You wouldn't have run into her. She's a junior who usually stays underground."
"Ah."
Yi-Han understood what that meant.
While there were active dwarves who enjoyed drinking, singing and exploring outside (mainly eastern dwarves like Bungaegor), there were also dwarves obsessed with mining and minerals who stayed inside (western dwarves like Senior Jarun of the Steelshoe family were good examples).
Dirimpa must certainly be a western dwarf.
"Dark magic school shouldn't need that many minerals or gems, what's her major to stay underground?"
"What are you talking about?"
Direth tilted her head.
Minerals or gems?
"Um... staying underground... isn't it to save time finding minerals or gems?"
"No. It's to find buried bones."
"..."
When Setlad Anog, no, Yi-Han's expression became slightly subtle, Direth hurriedly explained.
She couldn't watch her junior's honor being tarnished.
"Junior. For reference, finding bones buried underground at Einroguard to use in dark magic isn't illegal at all."
"It doesn't seem to be an imperial law issue..."
Though a mage constantly searching for gems underground still had a relatively decent image, a mage constantly wandering underground searching for usable bones was a bit...
Was this why dark magic school was unpopular?
"Dirimpa does it purely for academic reasons."
Direth's words lengthened afraid her sister-like junior would be misunderstood as an evil necromancer.
"And how many rare ancient creature bones are deposited underground at Einroguard. Leaving them alone is a magical waste too."
Though still terrifying regardless of understanding, Yi-Han decided to pretend to accept it.
Because his respected senior's continued attempts to explain looked pitiful.
"I understand. Indeed. I'm ashamed of my prejudice."
"That's good. Talk with Dirimpa sometime later. She sometimes just gives good gems too."
"!"
Could she perhaps be a good person?
Yi-Han couldn't believe it. To think such a person existed in the world.
"Just gives them? Even so why?"
"Well, um, that is."
Direth hesitated.
Because she could clearly predict how her junior would react if she said this.
"...Dirimpa is interested in bones and not interested in gems, so sometimes she just throws them away due to space when finding them underground. So if you're lucky you can receive them before she throws them..."
'A crazy person. Must not associate with her.'
Yi-Han made a cold assessment.
Why was someone who should be in enchantment magic school in dark magic school?
*
The wave of requests ended.
The dark magic school students wiped their eyes checking the reserved amounts.
"Sniff. We can buy a new chimera corpse in second semester."
"Should we repair the water leak on second floor of Dark Shadow Hall first?"
"..."
Direth's heart felt like it was being torn seeing that sight.
'I'm sorry...!'
For juniors to live like that while she as a senior only researched her magic.
Even Professor Verduus wouldn't do that.
"Senior. At Einroguard everyone handles their own business. Surely you're not having strange thoughts like 'I'm below Professor Verduus'?"
"...Are you using mind reading?"
Direth was slightly surprised at her junior's sharp point.
Come to think of it, wasn't this junior also top student in illusion magic school?
"I'm not at that level yet."
'Yet?'
"And hearing earlier, Senior Dirimpa spits on gems when finding them and throws them on the ground so strictly speaking it's that senior's fault. Hmph."
"...I never said she spits...!"
Direth shuddered at the malicious description.
'Should I not have told him?'
Given her junior's character, a mage throwing away gems due to lack of space might feel more evil than magic criminals.
Though she told him in advance since he would find out eventually...
"Ah. Senior. What were we talking about?"
Just then Dirimpa came. Direth sent her junior a look saying 'don't say useless things' and explained.
"We were talking about requests."
"Asking about curses to defeat an evil magic criminal."
"..."
Direth looked again with eyes saying 'didn't I just say don't say useless things'.
Yi-Han felt slightly wronged.
Wasn't this useful talk?
"Indeed. But wouldn't curses be hard to subdue a magic criminal? No. You must have methods, Senior."
Originally curses were hard to be main attack means when facing fellow mages.
Being most easily blocked by magic resistance, there were many counter measures.
But Dirimpa trusted Direth.
Surely this dark magic school genius must have found secret methods to bypass such common sense.
'I don't have such things...'
Direth was bewildered.
From the start how could someone not even a combat mage have devised such methods?
The dwarf mage with shoulder-length red bobbed hair slightly looked around.
She seemed to have something she wanted to say.
"Dirimpa. You can say it if you want to say something. Se... Mr. Setlad here keeps his mouth shut."
"Yes. Alright. Actually, I heard about a demon. They say there's a demon summoned to the surface without a contract."
"!"
Not just Direth but even Yi-Han's eyes shone.
A demon?
Though easy to forget since they often appeared as pathetic slaves in Einroguard or certain family territories, demons were basically one of the empire's greatest dangers.
Beings who crossed from other realms trying to corrupt and torment mortals' souls.
No matter how plausibly they used their shells, they were ultimately beings close to natural disasters.
But separate from that, as mages it was hard to deny demons' usefulness.
Secrets from other realms continuing from very long ago.
Demons possessed knowledge about numerous great magics and mysteries.
And separate from that, demons were excellent summons just as labor force too. Among summons contractible from realms, few races were as capable as demons.
"A demon..."
"As Einroguard dark magic school we can't miss this opportunity. Must catch and use the demon."
"??"
Dirimpa was bewildered at the other's rough speaking.
Apart from the fierce attitude, just looking at the content spoken he seemed like someone who knew dark magic school well.
"Are you perhaps a professor's friend?"
"No, no. Don't mind it."
Direth slightly kicked her junior's heel with an invisible motion.
Stop it already!
'Kuk.'
"It's certainly as Sir Anog says. It would be good to have a usable demon. The demon summoned last time returned when the contract ended."
Methods of controlling demons were largely divided in two.
One was directly summoning through strict magic contracts from realms.
Though experienced and evil mages easily deceived and used demons even in this process, not anyone could do it.
The other was subduing and subjugating demons descended to the continent.
Unlike the former, they could be used much more freely without restrictions.
"But we don't need lower or intermediate demons that much. They can't do much..."
"They say it's above that."
"What?"
Direth's eyes grew slightly larger.
The demon her junior spoke of was more powerful than expected.
"If such a demon is wandering shouldn't we report to the knight orders?"
"Strictly speaking it's not wandering they say."
Dirimpa explained what she heard from a noble met in the hall.
-D-dark magic school everyone. Could I perhaps consult briefly about a demon...?-
-??-
-Well you see, I... bought an expensive ancient relic... at a secret auction...-
Demons hiding in ancient relics was common.
Few prey were as favored by demons as people blinded by sudden riches.
But there was one thing demons hadn't expected - people's response levels had risen as time passed.
Imperial noble mansions were full of protective magic or barrier magic cast by mages.
Especially nobles who frequently bought ancient relics would properly cast anti-demon magic too.
That response saved the noble. Instead of escaping outside the mansion, the demon released from the relic became trapped in mirrors inside the mansion.
Though taking a hit, the demon didn't give up and kept appearing from mirror to mirror trying to persuade the other.
-Don't you want power? Hm?-
-I don't want it! What power would an imperial administrative officer need!-
-Don't you want authority? Hm?-
-I'm retiring next year!-
-Wealth? Don't you want to grow this mansion dozens of times larger? Youth? Revenge? Release me and make a proper contract!-
"Wow. The response was better than... expected."
Direth was slightly surprised.
Perhaps because he worked as an administrative officer he was more thorough than expected.
Of course it would have been best not to buy things like ancient relics from suspicious places like secret auctions in the first place...
But afterward, completely ignoring without speaking any words to the demon was certainly a good response.
"Not calling the knight orders must be because he doesn't want to make it bigger."
Yi-Han opened his mouth as if understanding.
Since a demon was summoned due to a relic bought from a suspicious place, he wouldn't want to publicly announce it.
Wouldn't everyone be happy if reliable Einroguard dark mages handled it and took the demon too?
The noble would be happy his worry disappeared, the Einroguard dark magic school students would be happy getting a demon, the demon would be happy getting an owner...
"Hmm. It would be good to get a demon. Should we go check? Whether it's a demon we can subjugate at our level or not."
"That would be best right?"
Dirimpa nodded at her senior's agreement.
Such a demon might be more useful than expected. Especially coming from an ancient relic stimulated curiosity.
If really lucky it might be a powerful high-ranking demon!
"That's probably not it. If it was such a demon it likely would have escaped before getting caught in restrictions."
"That's certainly true."
"...?"
Dirimpa stared at the large combat mage.
Huh?
"...Are you perhaps coming together?"
This was a request received by Einroguard dark magic school.
Even if coming together, there was no money to give and no demon to share...
Setlad nodded.
It wasn't because of money or demon.
A much purer reason made Setlad move.
"Yes. A fight with a demon. I absolutely can't yield. I already feel my blood boiling."
At the other's attitude revealing belligerence befitting the rumors, Dirimpa whispered to Direth in bewilderment.
"Is this really alright, Senior? You know it's more dangerous if someone just relies on strength and causes trouble when subduing demons."
"...He's not someone who acts recklessly..."
