al_squad
patreon
Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 856
🕑 Added 2024-09-18 08:09:16 +0000 UTCChapter 856
"I surprisingly see potential in you, kihihi."
Ragesa said that and then called a Death Knight.
The Death Knight at the main gate came running, puzzled.
-What is the matter?-
"Do you see this sailboat here?"
-I do see it.-
"I'm trying to hand over this sailboat to this Wardanaz family boy here. Would you be a witness?"
The Death Knight, not understanding what she meant at first, asked back.
-Is a witness really necessary for this?-
"Ah. It's Beavle's sailboat. Of course, it's technically mine since I funded the research, but Beavle isn't the type to care about such things."
-!-
The Death Knight immediately understood what Ragesa meant.
And he called his colleagues.
-Hey!-
-What is it?-
-It seems the ownership of this sailboat that Professor Verduus was researching with Lady Ragesa's funds is being transferred to Young Master Wardanaz here. All of you, be witnesses.-
-Oh my! Understood! If Professor Verduus shamefully covets his disciple's property, we'll throw him into the hottest and most painful spot in the deep punishment room!-
-I swear as well!-
The Death Knights enthusiastically swore without anyone needing to go first.
Yi-Han said in bewilderment.
"No. There's no need to go that far. It would be too troublesome."
-No. We're doing this because we want to imprison him.-
"..."
Ragesa patted Yi-Han's shoulder as if she understood everything and said her farewell.
"Well then, take care. Future Imperial Mage Administrator."
"Yes. Have a safe..."
Yi-Han, who was politely seeing Ragesa off, stopped mid-sentence.
'No. Such rude words when saying goodbye?'
As expected of a pirate!
*
"Hello, Senior."
Monday morning.
Yi-Han greeted as he moved his steps to the kitchen club's pantry on the 7th floor.
Falcrius, who would normally be wearing a huge apron and deboning unidentified monster meat, was sitting at the table in neat school uniform, reading a book.
"?!"
Surprised at that sight, Yi-Han asked.
"Perhaps..."
"Oh. Wardanaz. You came?"
"Are you lacking the grades needed for graduation?"
Falcrius, who usually always laughed heartily, asked with a gloomy face.
"Did I look that way to you?"
"N-no. You always just worked in the pantry."
"I have to prepare for the midterms this week."
As next week was midterms, even Einroguard students couldn't be the same as usual.
Since everyone was similar in their first year too, Yi-Han nodded.
"So that's why you're studying here."
"Study... It's a bit different from studying."
"What?"
"This is the midterm that juniors will take."
"???"
Yi-Han tilted his head, not understanding Falcrius's words.
Why was Falcrius looking at the midterm that juniors would take?
"Why are you... Ah. Did the professor perhaps ask you to help with the preparation?"
Falcrius chuckled at the absurd question.
"Puhuh. Unless it's an exceptionally crazy professor, they wouldn't ask a disciple who's not even a 5th year to help prepare the exam!"
"..."
Huh?
"This is a club tradition, Wardanaz. You don't seem to know."
Originally, clubs were closer to gatherings to maintain common hobbies, interests, and traditions rather than survival meetings to make a living.
It was easy to misunderstand, but Einroguard's clubs also had their own dignity and traditions.
One of those traditions was helping juniors!
Many clubs in Einroguard, including the kitchen club, had seniors step up to help juniors prepare for exams.
'No. There was such a culture?'
Yi-Han was surprised.
To think there was such a culture in Einroguard, which was like a cold and desolate desert.
"What do you mean by helping with the exam? Do you explain parts they don't understand, or summarize key points?"
"Puhuh. Well, there's that too. But helping could also include raiding the professor's magic tower to find out the exam questions in advance."
"..."
Yi-Han started to feel something was off.
No matter how he looked at it, this didn't seem like the warm senior-junior friendship he had initially imagined.
Falcrius continued explaining.
Of course, answering questions or summarizing key points as his junior had just mentioned was good help too.
But when clubs competed honorably with each other, more active, sometimes extreme methods would naturally come out.
Like finding out exam questions by raiding the professor's magic tower, or preparing cheating methods for the exam...
"Why go that far?"
"That's what I'm saying, Wardanaz. I'm really sorry too. If those other club bastards competed fairly, there would be no need for this..."
Falcrius looked up at the empty air as if regretful.
If there were only places like the kitchen club in Einroguard, what a cheerful and harmonious school full of laughter it would become.
'I don't think so.'
"Puhuh. Come to think of it, it might be fortunate that you joined several clubs. If you had only joined one, how much would they all have fought? Usually, they don't touch other juniors, but for you, Wardanaz, they might have..."
"..."
"Anyway, Wardanaz. You came at a good time! Honestly, as a member of our club, I should help you as a senior, but you'll probably do well on your own."
"I can't do well on my own. Please help me."
Yi-Han answered quickly.
He had no intention of not accepting help for the exam, regardless of anything else.
"Uhahaha! Of course. Then choose a lecture."
"What?"
"You're taking too many lectures for one club to handle. We decided to divide them up after talking with the other club guys."
Originally, seniors were supposed to help with the lectures their juniors were taking, but things changed when a junior taking all schools' lectures appeared occasionally.
Wouldn't it be better for each club to divide and take charge rather than the club seniors collapsing?
"..."
"Puhuh. For your reference, I'd like to take charge of the <One Drop of Potion Instead of Complex Magic> lecture. Our club members are generally good at alchemy."
"That's certainly true."
Except for a few exceptional cases, alchemists were also proficient in cooking and brewing.
Yi-Han had no intention of spitefully asking for something like Professor Boladi's <Understanding Intermediate Combat Magic>, so he decided to request the alchemy lecture.
Bang bang bang!
-Hey! Why is the door closed!-
-Kitchen club! Aren't you doing business today?!-
At the sound of someone knocking from outside, Falcrius poked his head out and shouted.
"We're not doing it because we have to prepare for next week's exam!"
"What... What are you saying! You did it even during exam periods last year?!"
"Last year we did it during exam periods because we had no money. We've saved enough this year, so we're not doing it! Uhaha!"
Falcrius burst into laughter full of leisure.
Unlike last year, this year's sales figures were different from the start, thanks to a junior who brought suspiciously high-quality ingredients.
Thanks to that, they could close as they pleased like this.
"This... This can't be!"
"I woke up early and ran here to eat tomato egg soup..."
The seniors collapsed with expressions as if the sky had fallen.
They had been looking forward to it greatly, as the quality of meals from the kitchen club had improved significantly compared to last year.
Yi-Han felt sorry and poked his head out, saying in a small voice.
"...Shh. Be quiet. I'll prepare meals for just the two of you."
"Wa... Wardanaz!"
"This 2nd year is like a kind nanny!"
"?"
Yi-Han paused.
"Wasn't that just an insult?"
"It, it was meant as a compliment...?"
The seniors were puzzled.
Wasn't this nickname given because he took good care of them?
A little later.
While the two starving seniors hastily cut the rye bread they had brought and dipped it in soup, Yi-Han continued the conversation he was having earlier with Falcrius.
"So how do you help?"
"Puhuh. For the <One Drop of Potion Instead of Complex Magic> lecture exam, half of it is ultimately securing reagents. The other half is making them."
With senior-like experience, Falcrius pointed out the core.
This alchemy lecture by Professor Uregor was notorious not only for the difficulty of production itself but also because students had to secure reagents themselves.
"At least now you can go around the Einroguard territory to get them, but when you go to more advanced courses, they say you have to get gems! Puhuh. It's completely crazy!"
"You're right!"
Yi-Han responded in an indignant voice.
"What alchemy with gems! Crazy bastards!"
"Wa, Wardanaz. What's wrong? Are you perhaps hungry? We do have to use gems someday..."
Alchemy wasn't just about potions, but a study of exploring all kinds of substances.
No matter how expensive, they couldn't never use them.
Falcrius cleared his throat once and said.
"To know what reagents are needed, we need to check the professor's magic tower or herb gardens."
"And borrow some while we're at it, right?"
Falcrius gave a thumbs up at his junior's excellent learning.
"But this year, the security seems a bit stronger. You know Professor Uregor's cabin located south of Gaksu Pavilion, right? Do you know who's guarding the vegetable garden there?"
"I wonder?"
Yi-Han was puzzled.
As he was in charge of managing that cabin's vegetable garden, it was a place he knew relatively well.
Had additional security been added?
"Professor Bentozol! Puhuh. Can you believe it? Professor Bentozol is guarding it himself!"
"..."
Yi-Han had to concentrate to manage his expression.
Professor Bentozol, who loved animals, was doing chores instead to make time for Yi-Han.
"I, I see... It will certainly be difficult."
"But we still have to try to break through."
"Um. I have something to say."
A 3rd year student who had not only emptied the tomato egg soup but also wiped clean even the remaining bread crumbs called Falcrius.
"I know about a secret herb garden Professor Uregor made in the mountains."
"What?! Really? How did you find out?"
"I stayed on a cliff for a few days because of an assignment, and I saw the professor passing below."
"Puhuh. You were lucky."
'Am I the only one who finds it strange that he stayed on a cliff for a few days?'
Yi-Han thought to himself.
Falcrius took notes of the 3rd year student's testimony with interest.
"I see, I see... Good. We should check this place too. We should sweep up everything we need. Don't you have anything? The junior deliberately lit the cauldron and served us a meal."
"Uh, well..."
Unlike his friend, the senior who had nothing to report about Professor Uregor was flustered and blurted out.
"I... I do know who attacked Professor Uregor's ingredient cart last summer."
"What! This is interesting too. We can negotiate with the professor. Tell me the name!"
"Carnela from the Hormasi family..."
While Falcrius was talking with the two students, other members of the kitchen club arrived one by one.
The students seemed to immediately realize what they were doing when they saw Falcrius interrogating and recording various things.
"You're preparing for the midterms."
"Wait. Isn't Wardanaz taking all school lectures? Can we handle them all?"
"He said he talked with other clubs and divided them up."
"Phew. That's a relief."
"Puhuh! This should be enough. Everyone, let's depart! We'll have to move hard all week to help our juniors with their exams!"
"Yes!"
Following Falcrius's shout, the members gathered with high spirits and departed.
When Falcrius distributed pickled tentacle sandwiches he had prepared in advance for breakfast, the members' spirits rose even higher.
So the members didn't notice at first.
'...Huh, why is Wardanaz coming along?'
The 2nd year junior was mixed in so naturally.
This wasn't something 2nd years had to do!
