Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 1095

Chapter 1095

‘This is troublesome.’

Yi-Han looked at the pile of letters with a serious expression.

People across the Empire were far more attuned to rumors than he had expected, and they certainly did not hesitate to take action.

It was not even the start of the semester, yet he had already received this many letters.

He could not begin to imagine how many more would arrive once the semester started.

‘At least it’s fortunate that once the semester begins, letters won’t be able to fly directly into my room.’

Who would have thought the skull principal’s censorship would be this helpful?

Yi-Han began by tearing open and dismantling the letters.

“Gainando!”

“!”

Gainando, who had been hiding in the closet playing mage cards, was startled.

Had he been caught?

“Gainando, who’s playing mage cards inside the closet!”

“...What?”

Gainando came out with a face full of awkwardness, embarrassment, and shame.

The friend who had been playing with him in the closet looked at Gainando with eyes full of reproach.

‘You said we’d never be caught.’

“I’m going to open these letters, so check for curses.”

“Okay...”

Gainando silently prepared his magic like a docile lamb.

If he worked diligently, perhaps the punishment for hiding in the closet might be a bit lighter.

“But Yi-Han, why are you checking for curses?”

Gainando wondered if these letters might be sent by Baldurguard students.

If that were the case, it was entirely possible that they might have cursed the letters before sending them.

“These are letters from all across the Empire, so I can’t let my guard down. I’ll sense it myself, but it doesn’t hurt to check again. You have the reagent, right? Confirm with it.”

Gainando nodded and took out his reagent pouch.

As a student of the dark magic school, performing a simple curse detection was something he could do with his eyes closed.

He pricked a bit of fresh blood from his fingertip and drew a simple magic circle. On top of it, he placed a silver scale to measure the weight of the curse...

“Gainando, you missed a character in your magic circle. Its efficiency will drop.”

‘How did he see that?’

Gainando was aghast at his friend’s remark.

Yi-Han had not even been looking this way, so how had he noticed?!

“Once you confirm there are no curses, read who sent it and pass it on.”

“Okay. I’ll start with the letters from Granden City. Here’s one from the mage Puyo, who runs the <Banyan Staff>.”

“I see. That person sent one as well.”

“Your friend Yonaire’s older sister also sent one.”

“Lady Maykin? I got one from her earlier. Did I put it over there?”

Yi-Han checked the letters suspiciously.

Surprisingly, it was true that Yoanen had sent another letter.

It read:

[To Yonaire's friend

I’m sending this in case you might refuse the request because of Yonaire’s words...]

“...How considerate. Put it next to me.”

“Asan’s brother also sent one. The Special Administrator from Granden City.”

‘Just how many letters came from Granden City alone?’

Suppressing his fear, Yi-Han opened the letter.

It said he had been deeply impressed by how Yi-Han solved Einroguard’s financial problems after meeting his twin sister, Haidan, during vacation. Believing in that ability, he had some tasks to entrust. He would like Asan brought over if he seemed qualified, but if not, Yi-Han should scold him...

‘I guess I’ll tell Asan that his family really misses him.’

Yi-Han quickly twisted the letter’s content for the sake of his friend.

If he did not bring Asan, then he simply would not bring him. Why ask someone else to scold him?

“Here’s one from the Greenbel family, oh, and brother Bogajun too.”

“!”

Prince Bogajun was one of the Empire’s countless ordinary non-dragon imperial members.

He did have some support from certain guilds, families, and magic towers, but from the perspective of Yi-Han—who had been tormented by dragons lately—he wondered:

‘Honestly, can a non-dragon imperial member ever become emperor?’

Even if all the nobles in the Empire banded together and said, ‘Your Majesty, perhaps it’s time to abdicate,’ it might still not be enough. And many great noble families were instead saying, ‘Ha ha, Your Majesty, please reign forever,’ so even for a dragon imperial member, becoming emperor seemed difficult.

How much more impossible would it be for an ordinary imperial member (Bogajun would be furious to hear it, but still)?

“He’s the one we met at the mansion last year.”

Yi-Han remembered that not only Bogajun but also Princess Judrantas, who competed against him (Yi-Han vaguely recalled she was twenty-somethingth in line), had looked at him with great greed back then.

“I’ll just set this aside for now. Gainando, put it to the side.”

“I-Is it because of me that you’re refusing to meet with another imperial member?”

Gainando looked at his friend with a slightly moved expression.

If Yi-Han continued to stay closely connected to imperial members other than him, it could negatively affect Gainando’s reputation.

Could it be that Yi-Han was considering that and hence behaving this way?

Yi-Han was taken aback.

Gainando was no fool, but he was not one to show any particular political insight.

“You thought of that yourself!?”

“Actually, I just repeated what Moradi said.”

  *

-Ah, really. Senior Yukbeltire and Adenart too, why do all these imperial members keep bothering Yi-Han?-

Deprived of his chance to play, Gainando grabbed Jijel as she passed by and complained.

Jijel looked at Gainando as if looking at the greatest piece of trash in the Empire.

He was whining about imperial members who pestered Yi-Han, yet he himself was the leader of these troublesome imperial members.

Still, Jijel suppressed her anger and tried to explain as calmly as possible. They were not alone in some remote wilderness near Einroguard, but in the capital’s mansion.

-...There might be political considerations. Even if they attend the same magic academy, if Yi-Han stays close to only one imperial member, it might cause misunderstandings. They wouldn’t want unnecessary external pressure either.-

Very few people in the Empire doubted or kept Gainando in check. But if he seemed extremely close with Wardanaz Family’s future great mage, it would become a different story.

It was sufficient evidence for people to think 'Perhaps that prince?'

-What? Then Moradi, you’re saying Yi-Han puts up with those nasty people because of me?-

-Not solely because of you, but balancing things out could partly be the reason...-

-Thank you! I’ll go confront those two right now!-

-Moradi. Hold back! You can’t beat that prince bastard here!-

  *

“...You actually didn’t get hit. Also, Moradi is overinterpreting things. She likes politics too much. I’m just avoiding a position where I’d be swamped with letters.”

“I see. Still, if someone asks, can I say it’s because of me rather than Adenart?”

“No.”

Gainando grumbled as he continued checking the letters.

It took almost half a day to go through all the letters from Granden City and beyond. Yi-Han sighed.

‘No matter how many times I refuse, there’s a limit. Even if I only accept the requests I must, the entire semester will be filled.’

There were even proposals from Baldurguard, Kalaroguard, and Petroguard.

Setting aside Baldurguard, why would other magic academies entrust requests to an external mage?

-Everyone attention!-

"!"

"Huk, huk! Is it Einroguard?!"

One of the dozing students, shocked by the psychic wave the skull principal had sent out, jumped up in a panic as if they had arrived at Einroguard.

“Phew, we’re still outside.”

-Their Highness wishes to personally escort you all.-

"Her Highness Jourin?!"

Yi-Han was shocked and argued with skull principal.

It seemed he had let his guard down because the vacation was ending, but maybe he should warn him that more letters could still be received.

The skull principal looked at his disciple as if he were insane.

-Of course it’s His Highness Uman. Have you lost your mind?-

"Ah."

As the students gathered noisily, Uman began his prepared speech.

“Thank you all for gathering. I am truly pleased to see the Empire’s young pillars who will shoulder its future!”

“Seems like a good person!”

The students, who had been murmuring, immediately changed their attitude.

They had worried because he was called an Inspector, but his way of speaking was oh so gentle.

After all, it was not easy to be more terrible than the skull principal.

'Hmph. Foolish ones.'

The skull principal sneered inwardly.

Right now, they looked at Uman with eyes full of anticipation, but once the semester began, they would yearn for his own rule.

“Uman has dragon’s blood, so he can carry you all and fly. It would be an honor for him if given a chance to soar through the sky with Einroguard’s talents on his back!”

"!!"

The students were astonished by these unexpected words.

“Isn’t that too much trouble? It feels more burdensome than helpful...”

“But aren’t dragons extremely rare in the Empire? How did His Majesty even come to have a dragon consort?”

“If Professor Bentozol hears this, he might faint.”

“Still, how often do we get to ride on a dragon’s back?”

“That’s true. It’s a lifelong honor to experience even once.”

Jourin, who had been holding Eandurde’s hand in one hand and sucking on a lollipop with the other, flared up at those words.

"Jourin can carry plenty too! Yi-Han!"

Yi-Han, who had been talking with his friends at the front, was startled.

The distance to Einroguard was quite far. If Jourin tried to fly there herself, she might exhaust herself and collapse.

‘Eandurde, I’m counting on you.’

Yi-Han turned away and sent a pleading glance at his junior.

If his junior, who was close to Jourin, could persuade her stubbornness, that would be best.

Whap!

Eandurde snatched the candy from Jourin’s hand and spoke in a stern voice.

“If you don’t stay put, no candy.”

"...Y-Yi-h..."

"Even if you call for senior, no candy"

"..."

Jourin held back her words with tearful eyes. Eandurde then returned the candy to her.

“You won’t snitch, right?”

"Yes..."

The baby basilisk, who witnessed all this while its master chatted with friends, wondered if it should just watch silently.

‘Isn’t this disrespect toward the imperial family?!’

But seeing Jourin happily sucking on the candy again, it seemed fine...

“By the way, when the new semester starts, it would be nice if we all go see a lake.”

“Alright.”

“And visit snowy mountains!”

“...Fine.”

“And deserts...”

“Enough! Choose one.”

At the friend’s strict response, Jourin was startled.

She had never seen such a cold reaction from Yi-Han before, telling her to pick just one.

"W-why..."

"Sister!"

While they were chatting, Uman approached. Jourin welcomed her younger brother.

“Uman! Why are you here?”

“The new semester is about to begin, so I have some things to tell you, sis."

Jourin nodded graciously.

Though in truth, the difference between the large human-shaped Uman and her was so great that there was not much dignity to feel...

“Once the new semester starts, Einroguard students must dedicate themselves solely to their studies.”

“Mm. That’s correct.”

"So, sis, please avoid contact with students too."

"...What?"

Jourin's complexion changed.

Huh?

“Your intention to observe Einroguard’s spiritual lands is indeed extraordinary, but you cannot hinder the Empire’s future pillars.”

“T-th-th-that’s...”

Jourin’s eyes spun wildly. Eandurde stood next to her with a look that said, ‘So that was the excuse?’

“E-Eandurde...”

“You’re already saying your farewells. How admirable.”

Even though Eandurde was a first-year student with high combat power, taking down Uman was impossible.

While Jourin stammered, Uman finished speaking.

“C-can’t I at least talk to Yi-Han? He’s my contractor??”

“Hmm... The contractor is an exceptional case. Please only speak to him in ways that do not interfere with his studies.”

“Y-yes! I’ll do that!”

Jourin’s voice was filled with relief at having at least kept contact with her contractor. Eandurde began to worry about whether this was really okay.

Uman bowed respectfully and walked away. Striding along, he spotted Gainando and spoke.

“Mage cards, I see.”

“Yes! Are you familiar with them?”

“If you are an Einroguard student, haven’t you outgrown mage cards by now? Please yield such amusements to younger children.”

Uman patted Gainando’s shoulder in encouragement and then left.

“...Wh-what was that just now?”