Life of a Magic Academy Mage – 25



Chapter 25

‘Impossible. It can’t be’ thought Yi-Han as he tightly closed his eyes. But the reality was harsh. 

“You’re caught! Right from the first week! Ha! Hahaha!”

“Wha… what exactly??” asked Nillia her voice trembling as she struggled to grasp the situation.

Calmly Yi-Han responded “It seems we’ve fallen into the principal’s trap.”

Though he didn’t know how Jijel had found an escape route it was clear they had been dancing in the palm of the principal’s hand. The problem was not just that Jijel was caught but Yi-Han and his group had followed her too!

“Caught from the first week means they must have seen the fake map I spread around the empire! Today you’ve learned a lesson: never trust a map whose source is unclear. You can’t tell if it’s a real treasure map or a trap set by an evil lich!”

There was a moment of stunned silence.

‘Can you believe this guy?’ Yi-Han was dumbfounded.

It seemed the skull principal himself spread fake escape maps everywhere. And the freshmen who might not even come across it let alone see it… 

‘He’s definitely enjoying this.’

Despite the professor’s words about teaching students Yi-Han knew too well about such professors. They were just enjoying themselves.

“Students of the White Tiger listen! The escape is over. Now it’s time to return. The rules are simple: I won’t intervene but I’ll send pursuers. Avoid them and return to the tower! If caught you’re guilty. If not you’re innocent! Use any means necessary even take down my pursuers!”

As he spoke a massive skull appeared in the dark night sky with green lights and began spewing undead minions from its maw.

Bone hounds and pursuers made of bone started falling onto the mountain one by one.

“Run!!!” whispered Nillia desperately her eyes filled with terror.

“Calm down Nillia.”

“How can I be calm?! We might die if caught!”

“No. We won’t die.”

Unlike Yi-Han who was accustomed to crazy professors and had spoken privately with the principal Nillia saw the skull principal as a tremendously frightening being.

“Really?” she asked hesitantly.

“We’ll probably just end up in detention or something.”

“Detention?! With torture devices… never to be released…”

“I doubt that.”

Nillia’s imagination was running wild. Yi-Han covered her mouth and surveyed their surroundings.

‘Skeletons?’

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There were rustling sounds in the bushes and bone pursuers were moving around them. The bone hounds were barking.

“Let’s fight! For honor! For chivalry!”

The White Tiger students drew their wooden swords ready to fight.

‘It doesn’t really seem like a situation about honor or chivalry.’

Yi-Han was curious about how escaping from the academy related to honor or chivalry.

“There’s only one thing we need to do now” Dolgyu said in a low voice. This was a situation where their different tower origins held no meaning.

“You’ve pointed out something important Dolgyu.”

“Yeah. I’ll take the lead and…”

“Let them draw attention while we make our escape.”

Dolgyu looked at Yi-Han incredulously. However Nillia Yonaire and Gainando quickly agreed. “That’s a good idea!”

Dolgyu started to speak but held back. Yi-Han was the leader of their group now not Dolgyu.

‘We need to break through the thinner part of the encirclement.’

Observing.

Yi-Han wanted to dash out immediately but he restrained himself. More often than not it was better to wait and be patient than to rush out in a panic. Yi-Han waited to identify the weaker part of the encirclement. Fortunately the White Tiger students were creating a distraction screaming and running buying them time.

‘This opportunity cannot be wasted. But isn’t this too much?’

Yi-Han hiding and observing from the bushes was startled. The undead were spewed continuously from the floating skull in the black night sky an overwhelming number as if to prevent escape by sheer volume.

‘I underestimated the principal’s madness!’

Yi-Han sighed internally. The principal was crazier than he thought. He had expected the students to have some chance of escape given the declaration of guilt if caught and innocence if escaped. But the principal had blocked their path seriously. No perhaps he thought he was already being lenient here.

‘The thought process of these professors is twisted.’

Perhaps the skull principal sincerely thought ‘This much should be enough for the students to grow as they break through the encirclement?’

The problem was that Yi-Han was the one who had to break through it.

‘What now… Even if the White Tiger students draw their attention it seems futile. Should we just surrender?’

Every pathway down was guarded by bone pursuers lighting torches. Behind them more bone pursuers. And even more behind them… The number had increased so much that the bottom of the mountain felt as bright as day.

‘Wait a minute.’

Yi-Han deep in thought realized something odd. The bone pursuers leading the bone hounds were completely ignoring Yi-Han’s group.

‘That’s strange.’

Sure Yi-Han’s group was hiding in the bushes and the White Tiger students were attracting all the attention by running down madly. But if they knew Yi-Han’s group was nearby the bone hounds should be searching or approaching. Yet the bone pursuers and hounds were chasing only the White Tiger students downhill.

‘Could it be… the principal doesn’t know we’re here?’

Yi-Han had naturally assumed the principal knew they were hiding being a far greater mage than him. But what if the principal wasn’t actually there?

‘I won’t intervene but I’ll send pursuers. Avoid them and return to the tower!’

Now that he thought about it it was unclear whether the giant skull in the sky was really the principal. It wouldn’t be strange if it were a distant projection or an illusion.

‘In that case we just need to evade the pursuers’ sight!’

It was better to escape hidden than to be caught and flee.

“Let’s go up.”

“What??”

“We can’t avoid being detected below. Look at their numbers. As soon as we collide the pursuers will swarm us.”

At Yi-Han’s words Nillia’s eyelashes fluttered in apprehension.

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“But there are no pursuers above. Let’s climb up and either bypass them or hold out. That has a much higher chance of success.”

“Okay!”

“?”

Nillia agreed so readily that even Yi-Han who had suggested it was taken aback.

“I was the one who suggested it but… are you sure we should agree without much thought? We don’t know what’s on the upper path.”

“It’s much better than being caught and trapped in the torture devices of the punishment room!”

“As I said before you seem to have a misunderstanding.”

—

After cautiously ascending for about thirty minutes Nillia spoke in a low voice.

“There’s a cave. Let’s go inside.”

“Monsters?”

“None. It’s a small cave and there’s no sign of life. I threw a stone in.”

Nillia tapped her long ears as she spoke.

“We’ve moved too much. I’m fine but the others need to rest.”

“That seems wise.”

Nillia Yi-Han and Dolgyu were fine but Yonaire looked tired and Gainando seemed near death. They had been walking in the dark and had fled in panic to evade the pursuers so it was no surprise they were exhausted.

“Light!”

Entering the cave Yi-Han used magic. A light blazing like the sun filled the cave. Yonaire hung her cloak at the entrance to block the light from escaping.

“They won’t follow us here will they?”

“Don’t worry. We didn’t hear any pursuit on the way here. They must all be gathered at the bottom of the mountain.”

Nillia reassured Yonaire. Fortunately Yi-Han was right. The pursuers called forth by the principal hadn’t noticed Yi-Han’s group and hadn’t come up higher on the mountain.

“The question is how long those pursuers will remain.”

“Maybe I should have tried to break through.”

As Dolgyu spoke regretfully Yi-Han shook his head.

“No. Forcing our way through would have been impossible.”

“Why is that?”

“Knowing the principal’s character he would never leave such a glaring weakness exposed.”

“…”

“…”

The other students thought ‘How does he know that?’ but respected Yi-Han’s opinion and remained silent.

“Regardless of whether we wait for them to disappear or find a way around we should rest first. Let’s eat something for now.”

“Agreed!”

Yi-Han distributed the sausages bread and cheese he had brought to everyone. Gainando popped a dwarven honey candy into his mouth and savored it with closed eyes. He seemed to be missing sweets after several days.

“Oh no. We’ve run out of water…”

Nillia pulled out the leather water pouch with a dismayed expression having run out of water from walking continuously.

“There’s no need to worry. We have magic.”

“!”

“Spring forth!”

As Yi-Han waved his staff and exclaimed a glob of water materialized out of thin air. Nillia hurriedly brought the leather pouch to it.

“That’s amazing Yi-Han!” exclaimed Dolgyu.

To Dolgyu of knightly lineage and slower to learn magic than other tower students Yi-Han’s magic seemed almost miraculous. 

Gainando and Yonaire clapped their hands delighted like children.

“Just what I needed!”

“Thanks to you we have water to drink.”

After filling her pouch Nillia carefully closed it and said enviously “I wish I could learn water magic too…”

“You’ll master it quickly once you get the hang of it” Yi-Han said sincerely.

In fact this magic wasn’t overly difficult and once one grasped the feel for it it could be used quite easily.

“I hope so” replied Nillia. Then picking up her staff she began to chant a spell.

“Blaze forth!”

Whoosh!

A small spark ignited in the air then leaped onto the tinder Nillia had gathered creating a cozy campfire. The crackling sound accompanied the warmth eliciting sighs of relief from everyone who had been chilled to the bone from the cold night’s travel.

“Phew. I’m glad it worked on the first try. I succeeded last time but was still nervous.”

Nillia seemingly more attuned to fire successfully conjured a flame spell on her first attempt. Then turning to Yi-Han she said “I envy you. I’d rather have water magic than fire.”

“…”

“What why?!”

Nillia stammered in confusion as Yi-Han glared at her wondering if she had said something wrong.

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