Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 808

Chapter 808

There was no answer.

But Yi-Han persistently kept calling.

Like Professor Verduus who only spoke to his disciple's ear, Yi-Han repeatedly called out to the mad doppelganger.

[...What is it?]

A faint illusion finally flowed out.

The mad doppelganger was expressionless as usual, but the slight wrinkle between his brows revealed his displeasure.

"Hello, Master."

[Calling me like this, you must have completed it.]

The mad doppelganger threw aside the huge lump he was holding in one hand. Yi-Han asked curiously.

"What's that?"

Instead of answering, a familiar voice flowed out from the huge lump. It was Antagondal's voice.

-Stop being arrogant and quickly... come back... you... damn brat...-

Yi-Han pretended not to hear and ignored it.

No matter how pitiful the magic criminal was, Yi-Han couldn't go rescue him.

What if Yi-Han ended up in that state?

[I don't know.]

'I already understand everything, though.'

[So, lowborn? Did you call to show me magic?]

"Ah. I called like this because I had something to ask."

Yi-Han answered and asked about substitute materials for juniper, perilla leaves, and talc in Dobruk's Soul Amplification Potion.

At the unexpected question, the mad doppelganger revealed his anger.

[I told you to handle lightning, not play with ingredients?]

"I'm sorry. Your disciple is so stupid that when I got stuck, I had nowhere else to ask. Only you came to mind, Master. Sob sob."

As long as attack magic wasn't flying at him, Yi-Han could use eloquent speech as much as he wanted.

The mad doppelganger was very displeased but finally opened his mouth.

[Didn't I hear before that you were interested in various schools?]

[Though displeased that you're not focusing despite your slow achievement, I might as well answer since it's come to this.]

It was a question about magic after all...

[It's a trivial trick.]

"Pardon?"

[Lowborn. Do I still need to explain more?]

"Yes. I would be grateful if you could."

'You didn't explain anything.'

Yi-Han cursed inwardly.

How could he act like he had explained everything when he hadn't explained anything?

It wasn't just Yi-Han who was cursing inwardly; the mad doppelganger also started explaining with a face suppressing the desire to beat up his disciple beyond the illusion.

[Dobruk's Soul Amplification Potion (it had a different name when the mad doppelganger was alive) was a potion that created a kind of out-of-body effect by temporarily cutting the soul from the body.]

As time passed, its composition changed, but the mad doppelganger realized what kind of potion it was and for what purpose the composition had changed as soon as he heard it.

[In ethereal alchemy, juniper can be substituted with pagoda tree, and perilla leaves with Saururus chinensis. But it's all meaningless.]

When the mad doppelganger was alive, they didn't use juniper or perilla leaves.

It was to strengthen the out-of-body effect even if stability decreased.

But now this potion is a composition that pursues stability even if the effect weakens a bit.

Substituting with pagoda tree or Saururus chinensis might temporarily seem to improve the effect, but stability would decrease again.

Strictly speaking, that wasn't a complete substitution. People who compromised roughly in this aspect couldn't become good alchemists.

[The exact correct answer is 'there are no materials that can substitute'.]

'What kind of trap question is this?'

Yi-Han was furious at the outside guest.

A guest who didn't even seem to have gold coins at first glance was suddenly asking such a question.

He should have noticed from when he was with the Baldurguard students, this person was clearly extremely rude.

"Thank you, Master."

[Wasting time on such a prank…]

"I'll answer again. Please wait a moment!"

After turning off the illusion, Yi-Han answered.

"There are no materials that can completely substitute."

Garal was startled.

This was a problem even fairly good alchemists would fall for.

Rather, alchemists who knew more were more likely to fall for it. Anyone who knew the effects of juniper or perilla leaves and knew materials with similar effects would answer like that.

But that was a trap.

The balance of this potion was quite precarious and peculiar, and substituting just because the effects seemed similar would immediately produce a different result.

One had to remember the effects of dozens, hundreds of ingredients in their head, and know the subtle and minute changes that would occur when put into this potion to avoid being fooled...

"Haha! You're wrong!"

One of the Baldurguard students behind shouted with a voice full of joy.

"Juniper can be substituted with pagoda tree, and perilla leaves with Houttuynia cordata! Too bad!"

The other students marveled at their friend's knowledge.

As expected of the top student in alchemy lectures, it was truly chilling intelligence.

'You're wrong, you idiots...!'

Garal screamed inwardly, feeling embarrassed on their behalf.

Not only was the answer itself wrong, but Houttuynia cordata couldn't even be substituted. If you put in Houttuynia cordata, the soul would stick tenaciously.

"Isn't it Saururus chinensis instead of Houttuynia cordata?"

The Einroguard student asked curiously, as if he knew that. Garal felt his face burning even more.

"Saururus chinensis? Uh... u-wait. Wait a minute. Was it Saururus chinensis?"

"If you put in Houttuynia cordata, the soul would stick tenaciously, wouldn't it?"

"It... it was Saururus chinensis. That's right."

The Baldurguard student belatedly admitted his mistake.

Then his friends encouraged their friend's courage and honesty.

"Oh, I'm proud of your honesty!"

"That's right, friend! You got the answer right anyway!"

'What exactly did he get right?'

Yi-Han felt bewildered by the Baldurguard students' conversation.

Weren't the herbs completely different?

Surely they weren't considering it roughly correct just because one ingredient was right?

'I feel like common sense is collapsing.'

He could somewhat understand why the seniors disliked Baldurguard students.

If you kept talking with them, you would feel like your world was crumbling.

"That's not important. What's important is that you gave a completely wrong answer!"

"Excuse me, but this side was correct."

Unable to endure any longer, Garal spoke with a deep sigh and self-loathing.

"What?!"

"What nonsense are you talking about! Juniper can be substituted with pagoda tree, can't it?!"

Zandanni of the Alzadek family asked back as if he couldn't believe it.

He had clearly learned that it could be substituted.

Could this mage named Garal have learned incorrectly?

"If you substitute with that, the out-of-body effect changes. The stability changes too. The Soul Amplification Potion has such a precarious balance that the moment you substitute, it's as good as becoming a different potion."

"But isn't it similar?"

"Not by alchemists' standards."

"Such... nonsense..."

Zandanni and his friends were greatly shocked.

They thought they could definitely get revenge, but instead they were being humiliated like this.

Unable to stand it anymore, Yi-Han stepped in first to generously smooth things over. No matter what, he couldn't just leave guests who had come from outside.

"This kind of question tests an alchemist's ingenious wit, so even outstanding alchemists can make mistakes. Your skills are plenty excellent."

"...Thank you. You are truly honorable!"

"Even at Einroguard, 2nd years who know juniper can be substituted with pagoda tree are rare."

This was sincere.

To begin with, the Soul Amplification Potion itself was a potion made by upper years (if it were a lower year potion, Yi-Han would have already memorized it), and usually there was no occasion to see its composition.

"We're not 2nd years, though?"

"Ah. ...Are you 3rd years?"

"We're 4th years."

"..."

Yi-Han was shocked to hear that the students in front of him were Baldurguard 4th years.

So people in their graduation year had come and were doing this???

'Are they crazy? No, no. Even if it's their graduation year, they can still go around. They might have prepared everything in advance.'

Yi-Han, regaining his composure, gritted his teeth and asked.

"If you're 4th years, shouldn't you be preparing for graduation? Is it alright to visit like this?"

"Haha. Outstanding mages are those who are prepared from usual."

'I mustn't kill them. I mustn't kill them...'

Yi-Han endured once again.

"Still... Don't you have things to do? Have you perhaps finished all preparations?"

"Things to do? Not particularly... Ah! You mean the graduation ball!"

Fortunately, Garal, who had been waiting, couldn't stand it anymore and interjected.

If he hadn't, Yi-Han might have buried a few Baldurguard students here.

  *

"...So we visited for such a fair and square competition."

"Aha."

After hearing the full explanation, Yi-Han looked at the students with eyes full of contempt.

Not content with just playing around in their 4th year, to visit for such a trivial reason.

Yi-Han resolved to definitely participate, casting an invisibility spell, when the seniors later jeered and threw stones at the Baldurguard students.

Garal cleared his throat and opened his mouth.

"Your skills are excellent. Are you a 4th year?"

"I'm a 2nd year."

"...My ears must be cursed. What did you say?"

"I'm a 2nd year."

"...Please, I beg you, could you keep your year a secret from them?"

Garal spoke desperately with sincerity.

When a mage much older than himself pleaded so pitifully, Yi-Han's heart softened slightly.

"Th-that's not difficult, but..."

"Thank you. Whew. I feel like I shouldn't have taken this mission. For just a 2nd year to be this good..."

Garal sighed at the unexpectedly high level of Einroguard students.

It wasn't easy to appropriately break the other's pride. He couldn't just suddenly ambush or attack them.

If he requested too aggressive a provocation or competition, he might be attacked by Einroguard students before breaking their pride...

The subtle riddle from earlier was relatively easier, but when Yi-Han solved it in one go, his confidence disappeared.

"Einroguard's level is generally excellent."

"It really seems so. Sigh."

While the two were talking, Zandanni threw a question with a curious expression.

"What should I call you?"

"Please call me Yi-Han."

Yi-Han deliberately hid his family name and only said his given name.

Since people usually said their family name together, if he only said his name, they would misunderstand on their own.

"What about your family?"

"??"

Yi-Han was slightly flustered at the unexpected response.

How did they know he was of noble origin?

"Wait. There are those Kalaroguard bastards!"

Fortunately, before Yi-Han could equivocate, new guests caught their eye.

Kalaroguard students were gathered ahead, loitering around.

"Those vulgar bastards. Look at how shamelessly they're walking around!"

"What happened?"

"Those bastards attacked us last year!"

"Oh... How?"

Yi-Han asked as if he wanted to hear the detailed story.

Fortunately, the Baldurguard students didn't notice.

"They cowardly summoned undead."

"..."

Yi-Han had to suppress the words 'What's cowardly about that?' from coming out.

It was really difficult.

"And then they put us in a mud pit..."

"It's the Baldurguard bastards!!"

"Attack! It's fine to attack inside Einroguard!"

The Kalaroguard students also discovered this side and shouted.

Yi-Han wondered whether he should ask why it was fine to attack inside Einroguard, or if he should try to stop the fight first.

"Everyone stop! If you attack, we'll have no choice but to defend."

"Tch. So you brought an escort. You cowards."

While Yi-Han was pondering, Garal stepped forward. Seeing the outside mage, the Kalaroguard students also took a step back.

However, Yi-Han could sense as a dark magic school student that those students hadn't completely canceled their magic yet and were watching for an opportunity.

[How long should I wait?]

"!"

When the mad doppelganger flowed out and asked, Yi-Han hurriedly said.

"Please wait a little longer. Outsiders are attacking right now."

[Outsiders? Attacking?]

"Yes."

[Do you need advice?]

"Oh. Yes. I'd be grateful if you could."

Yi-Han answered, recalling the useful explanation he had heard earlier.

[Sweep them all away and bury them in a pit.]

"...Is there no other advice?"