Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 892

Chapter 892

Just as herbivores instinctively sense the approach of predators, Yi-Han intuitively sensed the professor's scheme.

An Einroguard professor having many concerns because of Yi-Han might seem caring at first glance, but looking at the results, it was rarely good.

"What concerns? Perhaps concerns about how to creatively defeat me?"

"Oh. How did you know, junior?"

"..."

When Caten readily agreed to the words Yi-Han had thrown out hoping for denial, Yi-Han let out a sigh mixed with despair.

Jourin asked as if feeling sorry for him.

-Yi-Han. Should Jourin send a petition to the imperial nobles...-

"It's alright. No. More than that, Professor Ingurdel is really showing his true colors too. I thought he was one of the few kind professors at Einroguard!"

At his disciple's cry, Professor Boladi showed sympathy.

As there were few kind professors at Einroguard (Professor Boladi himself was naturally included), it was natural for his disciple to say such things.

"Junior."

"Yes?"

"From what I heard, you took your friends to a Spirit King's realm to solve a simple assignment that came up during lecture time..."

"That's a misunderstanding."

Yi-Han answered without changing his expression.

Visiting the Hornbeam King's realm was something that happened because coincidences overlapped, not something Yi-Han had deliberately aimed for.

Jourin looked at Yi-Han with a strange gaze.

'Strangely, lately I've been thinking Yi-Han is reaping what he sows... Gasp! Maybe Einroguard's magic is confusing Jourin!'

Jourin shook her head. It seemed Einroguard's powerful magic was scattering her judgment.

"Hmm. Anyway, that's why Professor Ingurdel has a lot on his mind. I wonder if we're disturbing him unnecessarily..."

"No. Professor Ingurdel will absolutely not think it's a disturbance. Let's go ask him!"

Yi-Han shouted, full of intention to interfere.

Whatever plans Professor Ingurdel was making, he intended to grasp them first and interfere if possible.

  *

"It's truly a difficult matter."

The elf professor wearing prosthetic legs and arms expressed his difficulties to the visiting knights.

Unlike Yi-Han's misunderstanding, Professor Ingurdel was not thinking things like 'How dare you pass my assignment so easily? Just wait until the exam.'

Rather, he was pondering an exam that could accommodate the Wardanaz family boy as well.

If he were a madness-filled Einroguard professor, he might have simply thought 'Why not just give the Wardanaz family boy a different exam?', but Professor Ingurdel wasn't quite at that level yet.

If he set the difficulty normally, it would be too easy for Yi-Han, but if he set it high, it wouldn't suit the other students...

"Who knew teaching would be this difficult."

"It's admirable, Professor Ingurdel."

"We support you, Professor."

Various knights and swordsmen visiting from organizations friendly with Professor Ingurdel, such as the <White Wood Knight Order>, <Fire Watch>, and <Cross Brothers Swordsman Guild>, cheered for Professor Ingurdel.

They offered all sorts of creative opinions to help the professor.

"How about conducting a many-versus-many duel and then having the knights gathered here attack that student separately? He won't notice in the confusion."

"I'll put a potion in the water that student will drink before the exam. His arms and legs will become heavy, so it will be appropriate training."

Brilliant suggestions that would have made Yi-Han immediately have Jourin send a letter to the emperor kept popping up.

Professor Ingurdel seriously pondered those suggestions, writing them down.

How could he give an appropriate exam to all students?

"Professor!"

"What's the matter, everyone?"

When Balpatan of the Moradi family and Palga of the Ukim family urgently knocked on the door and came in, Professor Ingurdel was puzzled.

It was rare for senior White Tiger Tower students to come looking for him so urgently.

"Is it because of the exam? But you two should be in different years..."

"That's not it. Can you help us? We're tracking intruders from outside, and these bastards are unusually fast."

"!"

The empire's strong ones inside raised their eyebrows.

It was surprising that there were outside intruders, and it was surprising that students were chasing them themselves.

A knight from the <Fire Watch> who didn't know much about Einroguard cried out as if it made no sense.

"There are intruders in Einroguard? Yet it's so quiet?"

"Huh? Uh, well..."

Balpatan was rather flustered at that cry.

Einroguard was a place where outside intruders regularly entered and regularly disappeared.

"...But who is this person?"

"He's from the <Fire Watch>."

"I see. ...Huh?? The <Fire Watch>?!"

Balpatan was even more surprised at the name of the famous imperial knight order.

It might have been different usually, but there was reason to be surprised now. Wasn't it almost exam period?

Einroguard students would think 'The falling leaf is predicting my grades!' just from seeing a falling leaf, so they couldn't help but react sensitively to such outsiders visiting.

"I came from the <Cross Brothers Swordsman Guild>."

"I'm from the <White Wood Knight Order>..."

"P-Professor. Did we do something wrong? Why are these people...?"

Balpatan wondered why on earth Professor Ingurdel was doing this.

Wasn't the exam clearly hunting a large chimera with petrification curse, spatial movement, and freezing venom?

Was there another exam Balpatan didn't know about?

"Ah. You don't need to worry, Moradi. They didn't come because of the 4th year exam."

Then this time, Palga, a 3rd year, clutched his chest. His face turned pale as if he might collapse at any moment.

"...It's not the 3rd year exam either. They all visited to help because I'm worrying about the 2nd year exam."

"..."

"..."

The seniors seriously pondered what on earth this year's 2nd years had done wrong for those strong ones to visit en masse.

Even if they had attempted to assassinate the principal, they wouldn't receive such punishment...

"More importantly, student. Please continue with the intruder story. It doesn't seem like a time to be calmly talking about exams when intruders have entered."

The swordsman from the <Cross Brothers Swordsman Guild> spoke with a serious attitude.

Now that outside intruders had entered a place with weak mages, they needed to put the whole territory on alert and strengthen vigilance.

Students should only gather during the day and not come out at night...

"Hmm. Einroguard doesn't handle things that way."

Professor Ingurdel cleared his throat slightly and spoke to his friend.

"What do you mean it doesn't handle things that way?"

"Well... Um... Einroguard has many intruders... and the students are all strong so..."

Though he felt a bit lame even as he spoke, Professor Ingurdel did his best to explain Einroguard's school rules.

As intruders visit steadily so often, they don't make a fuss just because one or two enter!

"No! How can you be so lax with the empire's most outstanding mages?"

"Hmm. Ingurdel's words have a point. Isn't it confidence in how outstanding Einroguard's magic and mages are? This pride of these mages that they can solve things themselves is truly wonderful."

"..."

"..."

The two students inwardly muttered, 'No, the skull principal forcibly decided this.'

"Is that so? I'm worried that Einroguard's rules are too lax. What if the mages are attacked? How could a wise person like Lord Gonadaltes set such rules."

"Uurghbughbugh."

"Look at these praiseworthy students. Didn't they step forward first for their juniors? It seems we don't need to worry so much."

The two who had been mumbling words due to the taboo paused and then exchanged glances.

"Th-that's right. Einroguard seniors all take the lead for their juniors."

"I see. So even though the rules seem lax and strange, there was a reason for everything... Even so, Professor Ingurdel. As a member of the swordsman guild, I can't just sit still when intruders have entered. I want to help the students."

"It's perfect timing since the students asked for help anyway. Let's go together, everyone. Did you say the intruders were fast?"

"Uh, yes... But..."

When Professor Ingurdel and the empire's strong ones all stood up, Balpatan and Palga hesitated slightly.

In fact, the reason the two had come looking for Professor Ingurdel wasn't out of a sense of responsibility to deal with the intruders for their juniors.

Greed!

'It's someone who got their hands on the principal's treasure. We absolutely can't let others take it...!'

'We have to catch them first...!'

There were fewer students at Einroguard who coveted the skull principal's treasures than one might think.

Any student with a bit of sense knew well how difficult and dangerous it was.

But if another student tried to challenge the skull principal's treasure?

Einroguard students would all cheer and support them without exception.

After all, the skull principal's treasure had to be released outside before they could steal or take it again.

This intruder incident was similar.

The intruders were unforgivable, but since they had already stolen the skull principal's treasure, our students would use it well instead!

As there were quite a few students thinking this way, it was natural for these White Tiger Tower students to come looking for the professor.

Ordinary methods wouldn't work to win in fierce competition.

"What's wrong, you two?"

"...Ah, well. We stepped forward for our juniors, but we're not sure if it's right to receive help from outside guests..."

"Hahaha! What wonderful seniors! Einroguard students must be happy to have such seniors!"

Professor Ingurdel's friends laughed heartily and opened the door to go outside.

Palga hesitated and then spoke to Balpatan.

"Senior. Aren't we being a bit too much like Blue Dragon Tower..."

"Shh. Be quiet."

  *

Temporarily out for intruder search

Professor Ingurdel

"!"

Yi-Han was surprised to see the writing on the door.

The intruders were surely the adventurers who had infiltrated to rescue Antagondal (if no more had been added in the meantime).

"But why did the professor step out?"

"Junior. In my opinion, the professor is probably trying to catch the intruders to use in the exam."

"How does that make any..."

Yi-Han trailed off as he was about to speak, seeing Professor Boladi.

The person who had done something similar last year was right in front of him.

"...Come to think of it, it seems to make sense."

-I-is that so?-

Jourin tilted her head, not understanding why Yi-Han had accepted it.

No matter how she looked at it, it seemed like nonsense...

"In that case, there's nothing we can do, junior. Well then..."

"No. Let's follow Professor Ingurdel. Let's follow him and interf... no, ask him a bit about the exam."

"Do we really need to go that far?"

Though Caten couldn't understand, he couldn't break his junior's iron-like will.

Yi-Han insisted that he needed to find Professor Ingurdel and learn right now, using all sorts of flowery words and far-fetched stories about magic, saying that only then would Caten's magic grow later.

"A-alright. If you say so, junior..."

"Please believe me. More than that, I don't understand. I could understand other seniors, but why is Professor Ingurdel personally moving to catch intruders?"

Einroguard professors were absolutely not leisurely people. Especially during the period before exams.

It didn't make sense that he would step out personally when it wasn't enough to leave it to the Death Knights.

"Hmm. There is one thing I can guess."

"What is it?"

"I heard that the intruders stole the principal's treasure. I think it might be because of that. If it's an important treasure, it's not strange for the professor to step out personally..."

"..."

As the false rumor he had created came back to him, Yi-Han deeply reflected.