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Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 764
🕑 Added 2024-08-19 12:34:32 +0000 UTCChapter 764
"W-Wardanaz."
"Are you sure you thought this through?"
Ymirg and Raphael whispered hesitantly from behind.
No matter how positively they tried to look at it, it was difficult to interpret an empty safe as "financially sufficient."
Yi-Han nodded coolly.
"Yes. The dark magic school has enough money."
"...??"
"???"
The two wondered if Wardanaz had perhaps discovered some secret assets or safe of the dark magic school that they didn't know about.
But Yi-Han had his own thoughts.
'Raising prices significantly will only reduce buyers anyway. And it would be like advertising that the dark magic school is poor.'
If they raised the mushroom field prices, Einroguard students were more likely to steal or find other sources instead of buying reluctantly.
Moreover, if rumors spread that the dark magic school was poor?
'We'd lose out on any deal.'
Although he was only a 2nd year, Yi-Han was quickly grasping the harsh economic world of Einroguard.
This too was a world of survival of the fittest where showing weakness meant being devoured.
"Senior Agdung. Could you explain to them about the abundance of our dark magic school?"
"Uh?"
Agdung was flustered at the sudden call.
He didn't really know much about the economic situation of Einroguard's dark magic school.
"I'd appreciate it."
"Hmm."
But he couldn't dare ignore words from the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple.
Feeling his life threatened, Agdung racked his brains as much as possible.
"How abundant the dark magic school is... Ah, I was served honey tea as soon as I arrived."
"That's amazing!"
The other seniors were amazed, as it was certainly impressive.
In the case of the enchantment magic school, they wouldn't even offer a glass of water whether an outsider came or not.
'Was the dark magic school richer than I thought?'
"That honey tea was made for Senior Direth and other seniors to drink..."
"Pardon?"
"It's nothing. Please continue."
Yi-Han made a complicated expression.
He had made it for the hardworking seniors to drink, but to think the professor would use it to show goodwill to outsiders.
But it couldn't be helped. This too was a fate he had to bear as the professor's disciple.
"They also have several times more new disciples entering than our Kalaroguard."
"Is that so?!"
"??"
Not only the seniors, but even Yi-Han was slightly surprised.
Was that so?
'Well, if both have zero, several times is correct...'
"Also, the school's upper-year students are extremely busy with missions pouring in. You can tell just by seeing this 2nd year student helping with my work."
"Senior Agdung. I think that's enough."
Yi-Han quickly cut him off.
He felt the Einroguard seniors might notice something strange if this went on any further.
*
"Everyone. Be careful of your breathing when picking mountain ring mushrooms."
Agdung advised as they harvested mushrooms from the field after the deal was done.
Since mountain ring mushrooms themselves were reagents used in curses that dispersed or reduced mana, if a mage accidentally inhaled the powder emitted from the mushrooms, it would damage their mana.
"It's best to cover your face with cloth. Even better if you cast a simple wind barrier spell."
"I see..."
Yi-Han nodded at Agdung's advice and expressed his gratitude. Then he picked mountain ring mushrooms with his bare hands and filled a basket.
"..."
Agdung watched the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple walking away with an expression of shock.
As expected of the Mage Administrator's disciple, every action was extraordinary.
'Come to think of it, his classmates in the school might be unusual too.'
Agdung suddenly had that thought and looked around at the other friends.
"Gainando. I told you mist cloud mushrooms are sensitive to temperature and will vaporize if handled wrongly. I gave you ice."
"Waaah. It's cold."
"Did you learn cold resistance magic just to use when eating shaved ice! Use it quickly!"
"..."
Was that not it?
As Agdung was slightly confused, a wave of ominous magical energy surged from afar.
Agdung frowned at that wave. It was a familiar wave for a dark magic school mage.
'Is it a contaminated being or corrupted being?'
Contaminated beings were monsters reborn as separate mutants when continental magical substances accidentally fused with mana of different properties.
Typical contaminated beings were wastewater or slimes carelessly thrown away by mages in their workshops causing problems.
Corrupted beings were monsters born when beings from other realms fell to the continent and lost their essence, unable to overcome the different realm environment.
Various berserk spirits, demons, and very rarely even angel-like beings could be seen among corrupted beings.
Both could become quite troublesome enemies, but experienced mages always had ways to deal with them.
Moreover, the dark magic school specialized in dealing with such contaminated and corrupted beings.
"What's the matter?"
Yi-Han, sensing something was amiss, quickly ran over to Agdung's side.
Although he was farther away, his sense for detecting mana was so keen that he picked up the wave from that distant place.
Agdung wasn't surprised.
As the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple, it wouldn't be strange if he had detected it much earlier than himself.
"It seems to be a contaminated or corrupted bei... being. I'm debating whether to use <Contaminated Ones, Retreat!> or <Resolve Towards Corruption> first. Which one do you want to use first?"
Agdung asked, forcibly restraining the honorifics that kept trying to come out.
Yi-Han was flustered at that question.
"...I don't know either of them."
"?!?!"
Agdung was startled at Yi-Han's answer.
He had naturally assumed the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple would have learned them.
<Contaminated Ones, Retreat!> was a 3rd Circle defensive magic that blocked the approach of contaminated beings, and <Resolve Towards Corruption> was a 4th Circle defensive magic that blocked the approach of corrupted beings, both suitable defensive magic for extermination.
Experienced orthodox dark mages usually learned these magics...
"You really haven't learned these two magics?"
"I'm sorry."
Usually it was Gainando who mainly apologized for not learning magic, but this time Yi-Han apologized unusually.
'What did I miss?'
Yi-Han wondered inwardly.
He definitely hadn't heard about those magics in last year's dark magic lectures.
Did he miss it because he was absent for a week?
'Damn. Should I have checked the dark magic lecture first?'
"Ah, no. There's nothing to be sorry about! Don't apologize! Don't apologize!"
Agdung cried out in dismay when the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple apologized.
Then he explained what the two magics were.
"...These are magics like this."
"...Senior. I'm a 2nd year."
"That's right? ...Oh, r-right?"
Only after receiving Yi-Han's glaring gaze did Agdung realize.
The other party was still a 2nd year!
'Why didn't I notice this obvious fact??'
He clearly knew it in his head, but he hadn't connected this fact at all.
Because he was too focused on the fact that he was the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple...
'...Right. No matter if he's the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple, he's still a 2nd year...'
Agdung reflected a little.
Even if the other party was the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple, to suggest using magic he hadn't even learned yet.
"...I'm sorry. Could you call your friends? I'll set up defensive magic on the field."
"Yes. I'll help too."
"Thank you."
Agdung laughed, rattling his bones, at Yi-Han's words.
'I should take responsibility for this.'
As the highest year student even though from a different school, Agdung sensed the approaching enemy's wave with a sense of responsibility.
Yi-Han, who was waiting beside him, asked Agdung.
"Senior. Do contaminated beings and corrupted beings emit the same type of mana?"
"Ah. To be precise, they're a bit different. They both feel like violent and distorted mana, but contaminated beings feel more like existing mana that's been altered, while corrupted beings are closer to feeling reversed..."
"I see. Senior. In my opinion, what's approaching now seems to be a contaminated being."
"!?"
Agdung was flustered when the junior suddenly answered. It wasn't close enough yet for the identity to be discerned.
"Why do you think that?"
'Can he distinguish from here?'
If that difference could be felt from this distance, it was truly an unbelievable sense.
It was already amazing enough for a mere 2nd year to sense the mana wave itself...
"First of all, isn't this area where Einroguard seniors consistently conduct magic and research? I think the probability of contaminated beings appearing is much higher than corrupted beings. Generally, corrupted beings have a much lower probability too."
"That's a sharp opinion."
Agdung agreed, chewing his bone jaw.
As expected of a clever student, he was approaching calmly even in a situation where he could be flustered.
"And when I focused my senses, it feels like altered mana."
"..."
"Senior?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
"Pardon?"
"No. It's nothing. Then let's prepare to cast <Contaminated Ones, Retreat!>!"
Agdung quickly changed the subject.
If he made a few more mistakes here, the Imperial Mage Administrator's disciple might perceive Kalaroguard itself as a strange place.
Of course, it was a strange place, but originally imperial magic school students all tried to hide the embarrassing points of their magic schools, except for Baldurguard.
Their magic schools were always embarrassing existences, but they should be embarrassed among themselves, not reveal it to outsiders.
"Black stone, cloves, sacred bone fragments, golden hair. Oh no. I'm out of golden hair."
"Will this hair do?"
"Oh. That's good!"
Yi-Han called his friends and instructed them to pluck some of Gainando's hair. Gainando's scream drifted across the field.
"Contaminated ones, fear the mage who handles that power. Contaminated ones, fear the mage who handles that power..."
Repetitive chanting.
It was a technique to increase the power of magic by repeating the same incantation over and over.
To cast defensive magic on a wide area like the mushroom field, they had to increase the power like this even if it took time.
"Phew. Let's take a break."
Agdung paused the incantation for a moment, feeling his bone joints aching.
Changing the flesh to undead made one relatively free from stamina issues, but that didn't mean there was no pain or consumption.
"The bone here in the arm is a bit worn. I should replace it before it breaks."
"Isn't that inconvenient?"
At Gainando's question, Agdung laughed as if to say 'What are you talking about?'
"When I can replace it like this, how rational a method is this? Like this... take out... the bone... and... put in... a new one... There!"
Gainando wanted to say 'I just wait and it heals even if my skin gets scraped', but he couldn't bring himself to say it because Agdung had worked so hard to replace the bone.
'Dark mages all seem too strange.'
"Alright. Let's start again."
"I'll help you too."
Yi-Han, who had been carefully observing how the magic was cast while Agdung did the first work, opened his mouth.
With a senior dark mage present, it was a situation where mistakes could be covered even if made.
Knowing that, Agdung gladly accepted. For such stamina-requiring work, it was good to have a reliable assistant.
"That would be helpful. The west side is almost done now, so could you just finish up the west side a bit? I'll start on the remaining areas..."
"Contaminated ones, fear the mage who handles that power."
With one incantation, powerful magic encircled the mushroom field.
Seeing that, Siana clenched her fist as if regretful.
"Mr. Agdung cast it in two times...!"
"I-I thought it would take two times too..."
"..."
Agdung just watched the conversation of the Einroguard 2nd year students with a dazed look.
