Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1046

Chapter 1046

Yi-Han, who had been puzzled, belatedly recalled the scheme Jourin was plotting.

The evil scheme to thoroughly bind a mage.

Come to think of it, the target of that plan might not be the skull principal but Eandurde.

"By the way Eandurde. There's something you should know when meeting Jourin."

Yi-Han explained what he had heard with a serious attitude.

After hearing the explanation, Eandurde made an expression he had never seen before.

It was an expression as if not knowing where or how to begin speaking.

"Th...thank you for telling me..."

"If you're worried, should I go alone? Even if Jourin invited you, wasting your break would be troublesome."

Eandurde shook her head again.

Strong trust in her friend could be felt from that appearance.

'Eandurde is better than me.'

Yi-Han felt his eyes stinging for no reason.

To think Eandurde, who he had worried might not be able to make friends, would show such a reaction.

"Do you need help choosing a gift?"

"I think I'll be fine."

Eandurde spoke while staring straight at Yi-Han.

Yi-Han nodded at the firm confidence felt in that attitude.

"Indeed. You already have a gift in mind?"

"Yes..."

  *

Click!

Yi-Han blinked at the handcuffs fastened to his wrist.

He was freshly feeling how words don't come out when someone is too dumbfounded.

-My scheme has succeeded!-

Regardless, Jourin shouted triumphantly while beating the ground with her front legs in the middle of the cave.

"..."

To think he would be ambushed like this after visiting Jourin's mansion.

He probably wouldn't have been this surprised even if magic criminals or anti-magic extremists attacked Einroguard.

"...No... I was the target?!"

Yi-Han, who had just realized, shouted in a voice full of shock. Beside him, Eandurde carefully nodded.

The signs had been felt from the invitation letter itself.

[To Eandurde

Make sure to come play during break! I'll invite Yi-Han then lock him up in the mansion so we can keep playing together!

Jourin]

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"...You said to choose friends..."

'Ah.'

Seeing his junior stammering excuses, Yi-Han had to accept it.

I told her to do it!

"I didn't know this was the kind of friendship."

It was still dumbfounding thinking about it again.

Visiting the mansion, passing the main gate, stepping into the huge cave-like interior that appeared when opening this mansion's unique door...

Jourin who had been crouching in the darkness quickly jumped out and fastened handcuffs to Yi-Han's wrist. It was speed unbelievable for a dragon's bulk.

'Indeed a dragon race!'

While freshly realizing the power of dragons as a race even in this situation, Yi-Han first checked the handcuffs.

If he poured in mana like crazy to overload then burst them...

"!"

Surprisingly, these ordinary-looking handcuffs perfectly dispersed mana. He couldn't inflict any damage with pure mana impact.

"How?!"

-Jourin received help from brother! Other dragons helped with the crafting!-

"..."

Yi-Han recalled the advice he had given to Jourin's brother Uman and fell into self-loathing.

-Have you prepared against pure mana impact? Though not common, there are very rarely mages who...-

It seemed impossible to dig one's own grave this well even if trying deliberately.

Taking advantage of her contractor falling into self-loathing, Jourin quickly crawled over and snatched his sword. Then she tried to take his staff too but this time Yi-Han came to his senses and blocked it.

"Now now, Your Highness."

-Jourin would store the staff here.-

Thinking Jourin seemed to have become more brazen since they last met, Yi-Han spoke firmly.

"Remove these handcuffs."

......

"Your Highness?"

......

Jourin pretended not to hear again.

She had decided to pretend not to hear unfavorable words.

'No. Why has she become so Einroguard-like? Could it be from visiting Einroguard?'

Yi-Han left Jourin acting like a naughty seven-year-old alone for now and focused on undoing the shackles.

Rather than unlocking handcuffs made by a dragon, breaking the chains first seemed better.

'...They really were made by dragons. Though they feel like feathers.'

Yi-Han was freshly surprised while casting detection magic and dispersing mana to sense the handcuffs and chains.

Though light and soft enough not to feel any weight even while wearing them, when actually flowing mana inside they scattered intrusion like solid fortress walls.

To create such powerful and strange artifacts without seemingly using any special metals.

He wondered if they had used command magic. It was quite possible for dragons.

'Wait. This isn't the time to admire.'

It wasn't time to admire dragons' magic ability. First he needed to undo the chains connected to the handcuffs.

Yi-Han strengthened his detection magic and expanded the detection range.

No matter how perfect an artifact, once created it must inevitably decay and weaken.

He planned to rapid-fire magic at the weakest point until it worked.

Though it might be prepared against mana impacts from inside, it couldn't be invincible against all attacks from outside.

'Given how she snatched the sword first, there's likely rather a limit against such physical attacks.'

Crawl crawl-

Sensing the mana movement, Jourin quickly crawled onto the chain.

She covered the chain with her body to prevent attacks. Yi-Han was too dumbfounded to speak again.

"...Your Highness. Please move."

......

Jourin pretended not to hear and covered her head with her wings. Though Eandurde was her friend, she couldn't raise her head from embarrassment.

-Aren't you going too far?-

The baby basilisk spoke looking at Jourin. Then Jourin answered in a sulky voice.

-Even though we're friends!-

-Ah, no...! Even friends should know what's wrong...-

-Jourin had even prepared gifts like this!-

Jourin swung her tail and pointed at the cave wall. Various monster meats frozen with cold magic, wrapped largely to give when meeting the baby basilisk again, lined the shelves.

Seeing those gifts, the baby basilisk floundered not knowing what to do. Yi-Han sighed.

If you're going to be caught by food, don't speak up in the first place!

"Your Highness. I was planning to stay at the mansion anyway even without such deception."

-Really?-

Jourin perked up her ears. Seeing her hearing return only for topics favorable to her, the influence from visiting Einroguard seemed certain.

"Yes."

-How long? 100?-

"...You mean 100 hours? Well that much..."

-Jourin meant 100 years.-

"..."

"..."

-...-

At words too unconscionable, not just Yi-Han but even Eandurde and the baby basilisk were speechless.

They had thought at least 100 days...

"Aren't you going too far?"

When Eandurde whispered, Jourin hesitated.

-This is how negotiations are supposed to…-

-This seems a bit wrong.-

-Why are you saying that when you're on my side!-

-...Sniff... Okay...-

The baby basilisk, not as strong-willed as Eandurde, lowered its tail.

Meanwhile, Yi-Han walked around checking the chain's range.

'Can I just not leave the mansion?'

The chain lengthened following Yi-Han's movements, but the moment he approached the mansion's door it stopped extending.

Jourin followed pitter-patter, worried Yi-Han might secretly break the chain.

-But Yi-Han. Is that bundle of luggage perhaps gifts?-

Yi-Han didn't answer and checked the window. It seemed not easy enough to leave through the window either.

-...!!!-

Jourin's eyes grew round at being ignored. She hadn't expected to be ignored.

'Hmm. Should I break the chain while Jourin sleeps? But her senses are keen so she'll probably wake right up.'

Yi-Han recalled how much stamina Jourin had.

Though she certainly slept a lot while at Einroguard dormitory, that was only in normal circumstances.

If she was determined not to sleep, she could probably endure much better than Yi-Han. She was a dragon after all.

'Perhaps I should persuade rather than forcibly break it.'

-Yi-Han…-

Jourin called her contractor while sniffling. Yi-Han sighed and answered.

"Your Highness. You shouldn't bind people arbitrarily like this no matter what."

-But Jourin learned this at Einroguard.-

"..."

Yi-Han cursed the skull principal inwardly.

Hasn't Jourin become twisted because he keeps pushing mages to seize what they want with their own power!

"You learned wrong. Einroguard's true teachings are harmony, cooperation, and brotherhood."

"?"

Eandurde looked at her senior as if asking what nonsense this was.

Though she had only attended for one semester, she couldn't find any of those three things.

"The true teaching of Einroguard is maintaining such values even in harsh environments."

-Really?-

-That doesn't seem right?-

Not just the baby basilisk but even Jourin was skeptical. Having become particularly clever after visiting Einroguard, she wasn't easy to deceive.

"If you don't believe me, ask the principal. He'll agree right away."

The skull principal would try to stop Jourin from practicing Einroguard's teachings if he didn't want to die.

Yi-Han spoke confidently believing this.

"Now, Your Highness. Trust your contractor and release him. Your contractor who will visit dragon court with you even if you demolish a castle later."

-...Jourin wouldn't do such things!-

Jourin grumbled at such unreasonable slander.

Why would she do such things?

-Then Yi-Han. How long will you stay?-

"By the way Your Highness. I brought gifts."

Yi-Han changed the subject when an unfavorable topic came up.

This was just a feeling, but he sensed if he said less than 100 years, Jourin would stubbornly refuse to release him.

Jourin's attention shifted elsewhere at talk of gifts. Yi-Han rattled the chain and took out toys.

"...Uh... is that... alright???"

Eandurde asked in bewilderment.

What Yi-Han took out was a very large bone-shaped toy. It looked like a dog toy enlarged.

"These handcuffs? It's fine. Much lighter than expected."

"...N-no, that's not it..."

While Eandurde was flustered, Yi-Han activated the magic on the dog bone, no, dragon bone.

This toy that he had admired seeing at the auction house was actually an item that even its creator, enchantment mage Gashufa, thought wouldn't sell.

It was originally made to train wyverns, but once made the wyverns showed no interest at all.

Since wyverns had violent and wild temperaments, they probably wanted more destructive and bloody rewards.

But Yi-Han discovered different value in this toy.

-Did you make this? It's truly excellent!-

-R-really? I thought it was a failure...-

-No! This is a masterpiece. I'll buy all you have here!-

-!!!-

When the Einroguard student highly praised and left, Gashufa was greatly surprised.

To think an Einroguard mage would say such things.

Could there be value in his work that he hadn't thought of?

"Now, Your Highness. Here we go!"

Whoosh!

When Yi-Han threw the bone, Jourin excitedly flew after it. Seeing this sight, Eandurde and the baby basilisk wore very complex expressions.

...Is this really okay?!