Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1041

Chapter 1041

Feeling very wronged, Yi-Han protested.

"I really grew them with dragon's breath. Here are the records."

Yi-Han took out records he had written himself.

This was thanks to Professor Willow who had instructed him to keep records anticipating participation in the horticulturist club.

The Great Artist received the records her junior held out and read them silently with a serious face.

"Hmm... Indeed... I see... If that's the case... Wait. Why Einroguard... You grew these yourself?!"

The artist almost dropped the records in surprise.

She seemed more surprised than when hearing about the skull principal's school getting a new youngest disciple.

"Yes. How else could I, a student, receive an invitation to the horticulturist club if I hadn't grown these?"

"I thought you were just invited because you're the principal's disciple."

"..."

Though Yi-Han looked at her as if dumbfounded, the artist ignored it.

Actually, she was the one who should be dumbfounded now.

'Well, the horticulturist club isn't such an easy place, they wouldn't just let someone in carelessly for being that madman's disciple.'

"Where did you get the dragon's breath? Did you get it from that madman's vault?"

"No. I have a contracted dragon."

"..."

The artist was even more shocked.

"Who!? Wait. Let me guess. ...Could it be Prince Uman??"

Even amid her shock, the Great Artist displayed sharp deduction.

Dragons weren't an easy race to meet. This was even more true in the current empire rather than ancient times.

Then the dragons most likely to contract now would be the children the emperor bore himself.

Among them, the dragon who was relatively active and would match the youngest's personality...

'High chance it's fourth prince Uman.'

A brave dragon who hated injustice and the skull principal and protected justice.

That dragon might have quite a possibility of contracting with the youngest...

"No. It's Princess Jourin."

"Why?????"

"Even if you ask why, I didn't choose..."

That's true!

The artist quickly accepted this.

No matter how much a mage wanted to contract, dragons wouldn't accommodate them. Contracts with dragons proceeded entirely by the dragon's will.

"I thought that dragon was a recluse like other dragons..."

'Recluse?'

Yi-Han tilted his head.

Since information about dragons wasn't well spread, it seemed even mages like the Great Artist had misunderstandings.

"Though shocking, it's not incomprehensible. As a dragon, she must have recognized your magical talent and fate?"

"That's not it, she just played alo..."

"Though I heard much from Prince Uman, to think such a connection would form. Amazing."

'Could that dragon be the culprit?'

Yi-Han slightly suspected the absent Black Dragon.

No matter how he thought about it, the Great Artist seemed to have some misunderstanding about Jourin.

"Anyway, let's talk about the dragon contract later. Other members are waiting."

The club members had been waiting looking like they were dying of curiosity.

As the artist and Yi-Han whispered in conversation, the atmosphere strongly suggested the mandrakes might be real.

"Could it really be true?"

"We said it was impossible."

"But if it's impossible, there'd be no need for such a long conversation..."

Having finished talking, the artist declared firmly.

"Everyone listen. I've confirmed the records."

"How did you judge them, my lady?"

"Before that, there's one thing I need to say."

"?"

Yi-Han looked at his senior.

What was she going to say?

"Would it be alright if I purchase these mandrakes first?"

"..."

"..."

The horticulturists looked at the artist's brazen expression as if dumbfounded.

So they are real!

  *

Click!

"I unlocked it."

"Excellent, Ratford. I'm impressed every time I see it."

Salko nodded and praised his friend's skill.

Though originally an excellent thief, Ratford's skill had truly improved by leaps and bounds since entering Einroguard.

He could easily unlock not just ordinary locks but all sorts of magical locks and seals.

Thanks to this, they could easily find work at the auction house. There were quite a few chests and boxes that adventurers had excavated but not yet opened.

"White Tiger Tower guys couldn't even dream of this."

While carefully refining a broken statue, Salko spoke proudly.

If knight family bloodlines were White Tiger Tower's pride, this kind of adaptability in situations was Black Tortoise Tower's pride.

No one could find work faster than them in this situation...

"..."

"..."

Ratford dropped the magic lockpick he was holding. Salko also dropped the magic hammer he was holding.

Gainando was walking before their eyes wearing all sorts of gaudy ornaments.

"...Have you finally gone mad?"

"What? No! I bought these with money I earned!"

Gainando flared up at the sudden accusation.

However, Ratford advised seriously.

"You should convert what's left to money and turn yourself in now. That would be better."

"...Why are you like this too! I really earned it! All the mage cards I put up sold! For high prices too!"

"What?"

Salko found it hard to believe.

To think such children's toys sold for high prices.

"People just can't understand. To think such things sold for high prices."

"Hmph. Jealousy won't help."

"It's certainly strange. The cards Lord Gainando put up shouldn't have had such high market prices."

Befitting someone from a guild background, Ratford didn't dismiss the value of mage cards.

At that accurate analysis, Gainando quietly hid his remaining stack of cards deep in his pocket and spoke.

"Must have been lucky. I've lived virtuously after all."

"..."

When veins bulged on Salko's fist gripping the magic hammer, Ratford hurriedly tried to stop him.

"C-calm down."

"I am calm. I'm going to hit that guy calmly."

While the two whispered, Gainando spread his arms wide with a generous attitude and shouted.

"Look! Since I earned this much, I'll bestow greatly upon you too!"

"Is that true?"

"Of course! We're all from Einroguard after all."

"..."

Salko's expression softened slightly. The hand holding the hammer also relaxed.

"Don't waste too much. No matter how much you earned, if you waste it it'll disappear in an instant."

"Don't worry. I've calculated everything."

Gainando showed intelligence befitting a Blue Dragon Tower student and explained his plan.

"First 1/3 will be reinvested in mage cards. Seems they make more money than expected."

"...Well, fine. I understand."

"And 1/3 I'll use myself."

Gainando spoke while pointing at his gaudy ornaments. Salko had to endure an expression like he was dying to avoid looking at them.

"The remaining 1/3 is for Yi-Han's gift."

"...?"

"???"

Salko and Ratford looked at each other.

The calculations seemed wrong?

"Now what's left is for friends' gifts."

"...There's nothing left though?"

"Huh?"

Gainando paused.

Counting the gold coins, there really was nothing left.

"Ah. I made a mistake. I started with 1/4 then changed to 1/3. Must have made a mistake because of that."

"I see, so that's what happened."

"Can't be helped. I'll have to cancel bestowing upon you."

"..."

  *

"Didn't you just hear the prince's scream?"

"I didn't hear anything...?"

'Did I hear wrong?'

Siana tilted her head.

Well, this wasn't Einroguard, so there was no particular reason to hear Gainando's scream.

"This is a cursed item."

"Indeed! Could you perhaps look at this too, Sister?"

"This is just a mage who cast magic wrong screaming."

"Damn it! I thought it seemed suspicious!"

The Presinga Order was one of the empire's foremost expert groups on curses, and quite a few people tried to give work to Tijiling wearing that order's priest robes.

While sorting truly cursed items from items that looked cursed due to wrongly engraved text, Tijiling asked.

"But is it alright for you to stay here, Siana?"

"Ah. If I'm disturbing your concentration..."

"That's not it. I thought you might want to take on Flameng Order work."

The Flameng Order was also an order with considerable demand in places like this.

Since all their priests were alchemy experts, people immediately called them when they needed help with reagents.

However, Siana shook her head.

"I was planning to originally but..."

"?"

"...Some crazy nouveau riche bought all the reagents before the auction even started!"

Siana spoke as if still angry.

Though sometimes you suffer losses swept up in misfortune, this was truly a bolt from the blue.

Because some nouveau riche swept up the reagents, work opportunities flew away too.

Not just that. Her plan to replenish useful reagents by participating in the auction after finishing work was ruined too.

"Wouldn't it be more fun to go around with other priests?"

"No. I enjoy it more here."

Tijiling, usually reserved and quiet in expressing emotions, showed a slightly happy expression.

Siana thought inwardly.

'I don't want to go to the other priests...!'

Both Sharukal the shark mixed-blood and Nigisor the fire spirit mixed-blood had far too strong personalities.

One kept looking only for items related to the sea while the other searched for ways to increase fire element power to a suspicious degree...

And the most frightening point was that they had become even more active after becoming friends with Wardanaz.

If they were like this in 2nd year, by 3rd year they might connect the tower lounge to the deep sea or summon eternal fire in the fireplace.

Though Siana had thought she stood out quite a bit when at her order, compared to those two priests she was very ordinary.

Siana felt freshly grateful to Tijiling. Immortal Phoenix Tower needed such a steady priest.

But no sooner had the words ended than Nigisor appeared.

This priest student emitting blazing heat held out a newly acquired lantern and asked.

"Ah. Sister Siana. I found quite a good lantern... Could you recommend reagents to fill it with?"

"What's the purpose?"

"I want to trap demon flames inside."

"You got... demon flames?"

"No. But I think I could get some if I ask Lord Wardanaz. I heard his family has quite a lot."

"..."

"To store those flames without extinguishing, I think we need to replenish the power inside this lantern so could you recommend..."

"Ah! Come to think of it, I had an appointment with the order priests!"

Siana jumped up.

The moment she recommended something there, she would have to go with Nigisor to Yi-Han and say 'Please lend us some demons'.

And she really didn't want to do that.

  *

"Instead of refusing so coldly, why not make a promise?"

The artist spoke shamelessly, befitting someone who was once the skull principal's disciple.

After fierce battle (gold coins and gems went back and forth), the artist was ultimately the one who obtained the mandrakes.

Naturally the members were curious when new mandrakes would appear but...

...Yi-Han couldn't promise that.

Because he needed Jourin to grow them!

"You can't use them so arbitrarily."

"What's the problem when you've contracted? That side will act quite arbitrarily too anyway."

"..."

Yi-Han was almost persuaded for a moment.

Certainly, contracts with dragons had that aspect.

'...No. Must not waver!'