Life of a Magic Academy Mage – 26



Chapter 26

The students who entered the magic academy mostly viewed magic not as a means but as an end in itself. It was rare for them to think ‘Hey I’ll learn fire creation magic to light fires during camping and water creation magic to drink water for free when I’m thirsty.’ Instead they aspired to polish their basics then learn the magic of their choice to explore new realms and gain enlightenment!

Given this Nillia had little interest in fire creation magic. After all lighting a fire was something she could do without a staff or spell. Given a stone and some twigs Nillia was confident she could start a fire. She would have preferred if her affinity had matched the water magic she had always been interested in…

“Nillia. Be grateful for the magic you possess.”

“Uh… Oh? Yeah I guess.”

Overwhelmed by Yi-Han’s aura Nillia nodded absentmindedly.

‘Did he just praise my magic??’

As a descendant of the prestigious Wardanaz family a family of mages he certainly would not tolerate her belittling her own magic. She turned her head away slightly embarrassed.

Of course Yi-Han was grumbling internally ‘If only I knew how to control mana I’d start learning fire magic first. How enviable.’

—

With their frozen hands and feet warmed their burning thirst quenched with water and their hunger satiated with warm bread and cheese they alleviated some of their fatigue.

‘It’s time to go outside and check on those undead pursuers.’ 

Yi-Han thought it was time to go outside and see if the undead were still around. Given the crazy principal’s personality it was likely they were still there.

“Nillia.”

“Okay. Let’s go.”

Realizing what Yi-Han was thinking Nillia quickly stood up from her seat. Stepping out of the cave they were greeted by pitch darkness. It was apparent even without walking far.

“…”

“Damn it.”

The lower side of the distant mountain still glowed as if a ring of fire surrounded it. It was a siege formed by the undead minions.

“Is he really crazy?”

“Is it… okay to say that?”

Nillia seemingly scared to insult the skull principal trembled slightly.

“It’s fine. No one’s listening. You can swear.”

“Really?”

“Nillia. Magic comes from free thinking. The principal would want us to insult him and think freely.”

Yi-Han had a knack for spouting nonsense with a serious face. With his sculpted features he spoke earnestly causing Nillia who knew little about magic to waver again.

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‘Is that so?’

“That principal that bad guy! He’s like a grizzly bear! May wolves snatch him at night…”

Rustle-

“Aaah! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” At the sound of rustling in front Nillia clung to Yi-Han crying.

Yi-Han with Nillia clinging to his chest slowly peeled her off like a leech casting a wary glance ahead.

“Nillia. Be careful. Someone’s here.”

The other party having noticed Yi-Han’s presence called out “Who’s there?”

“You first.”

“We’re from White Tiger.”

“Damn. Not all were caught.”

Yi-Han clicked his tongue. No wonder the undead hadn’t vanished; the White Tiger students had escaped the chaos and avoided capture. 

Once again rustling was heard and the White Tiger students appeared in complete disarray almost like beggars.

“Beggars?”

“No We’re from the White Tiger.”

—

“Punish the students who disobeyed the great principal’s orders and fled.”

“Punish the students who disobeyed the great principal’s orders and fled.”

Unlike Yi-Han’s group the White Tiger students who tried to break through the siege were met with countless skeletons waiting for them. The bone pursuers attacked with a clattering noise uttering chilling words. Moreover though the bone clubs they wielded were not fatal a single hit slowed their movements two hits halted their steps and three brought them down.

“Ah!”

“These cowards using numbers to… Argh!”

The White Tiger students who had honed their swordsmanship were soon rolling on the ground one by one defeated by the bone pursuers.

“Suppression complete.”

“Suppression complete.”

“Upwards! Escape upwards!” Jijel was the first among the White Tiger students to grasp the situation.

‘This wasn’t made to be broken through!’

Yi-Han never trusted the principal but Jijel having naively believed the principal’s words was under the delusion that they could break through the siege. But the fact that they faced was continuing downwards meant certain capture.

Jijel started leading the remaining students upwards towards the top of the mountain. Fortunately the bone pursuers did not pursue them up the mountain.

“Huff… Huff…”

“Moradi. Can we… Huff… escape upwards? There’s no path.”

“Summoned creatures by mages don’t last long. They’ll disappear over time.”

Had Yi-Han been there he would have pointed out ‘That’s for mediocre mages but would the principal’s summoned creatures be so weak?’ Unfortunately the knowledge of the White Tiger students about magic was very limited.

They nodded repeatedly finding Jijel’s words plausible.

“What do we do in the meantime?”

“Let’s wait. Rest and regain our strength. We should… No. First let’s find a place to rest somewhere sheltered from the wind.”

Following Jijel’s suggestion the White Tiger students began searching the area. They weren’t as adept in the dark or at moving around the mountains like Nillia but they had physical endurance. Despite the fatigue building in their muscles and the thirst parching their throats they kept moving without stopping.

Rustle-

“Did you hear that?”

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“Is it a wild animal?”

“If it’s an animal let’s catch it. I feel like my stomach’s stuck to my back.”

However the noise they heard wasn’t that of an animal but of human voices. The White Tiger students looked shocked. To think there were others out here in the middle of the night.

“Who’s there?”

“You first.”

“We’re from White Tiger.”

“Damn. Not all were caught.”

Surprisingly they were students from the Blue Dragon.

—

“Come in.”

The White Tiger students hesitantly entered the cave. Their faces were filled with awkwardness. It hadn’t been long since they had fought with each other and receiving help now couldn’t have been comfortable.

“Sit down eat and drink”Yi-Han spoke impassively. 

Next to him Gainando whispered softly “We don’t even have enough for ourselves why…”

“Shh.”

Dolgyu nudged Gainando in the ribs.

The White Tiger students had suddenly appeared. Seeing their beggar-like state it was clear how much they had suffered in the dead of night. 

Originally Yi-Han could have driven them away. Having received such treatment from the White Tiger students no one would have complained if he had turned them away. However upon seeing their wretched state Yi-Han called them into the cave and shared food and drink with them.

Honestly it was touching.

‘Yi-Han is truly honorable!’

It was easy to show kindness to allies. The real challenge was showing kindness to enemies. Dolgyu hoped that Yi-Han’s generosity would serve as a moment for the White Tiger students to reflect and reconcile.

“…”

Only the sound of murmuring echoed quietly inside the cave.

Jijel cautiously tried to understand the situation.

‘How come the students of the Blue Dragon are here?’

Jijel hadn’t anticipated that Yi-Han would have followed her. Who would have expected students from the Blue Dragon not the Black Tortoise to resort to such vile tactics? Instead Jijel thought differently.

‘…They must have seen the map too.’

Otherwise there was no reason for them to be here at this hour. They must have arrived before the White Tiger students and hid in the cave during the commotion below. 

Jijel mulled over what to do chewing her lip. Though Yi-Han a descendant of the Wardanaz family had shown kindness that was one thing and this was another. Since her time in the Moradi family Jijel had been taught as such.

-‘Jijel. As you know the Moradi family never forgets a grudge. But there’s a hidden message behind it. It’s to repay kindness only when it is remembered.’-

Being swayed by emotions like gratitude was the most despised trait in the Moradi family. A person from the Moradi family should be able to coldly refuse even the desperate pleas of a lifesaver.

‘How can I use this situation? I need to curry favor for now.’

Meanwhile one of the White Tiger students hesitantly began to speak wanting to ask Dolgyu what was happening.

“Choi. Wha…”

Thud!

“?!”

The White Tiger student who was about to speak suddenly collapsed forward.

Dolgyu was startled by the sight.

‘What’s going on?!’

At first he thought the student had just collapsed from exhaustion. But that wasn’t the case.

Thud! Thud!

Other students also started collapsing forward as if they had eaten something bad.

“…Damn it!”

Realizing too late Jijel shouted sharply and spat out the water she was holding in her mouth. But she had already drunk too much her mind growing hazy.

‘Was there a drug in the water…?!’

“It’s too late. You realized too late” Yi-Han said coldly.

Jijel even as her consciousness faded glared at Yi-Han with a murderous look. Instead of the soft and slender expression she had shown when they first met a sharp and fierce expression like a blade’s edge appeared on her face. It was a true expression of Jijel that the White Tiger students had never seen before.

“We’ll see… Wardanaz…!”

The last thing Jijel saw before slipping into unconsciousness was the boy from the Wardanaz family looking down at her with a cold sculpted face expressionless.

—

‘Did I unnecessarily create animosity?’

Contrary to Jijel’s misunderstanding Yi-Han was somewhat regretting it inside. After all the White Tiger students who suffered this wouldn’t forget their grudge. But what could he do? The White Tiger students were the ones who had started it.

If someone hates you without reason give them a reason!

“What what what is this Yi-Han?!”

“There’s poison in the water!? I drank it too!?”

Dolgyu was so shocked that he could hardly speak. Gainando was the same. Yi-Han had deliberately plotted the conspiracy excluding the two. The reason was simple neither Dolgyu nor Gainando were adept at managing their expressions. Informing them could have caused problems.

“Gainando don’t worry. It’s not poison. And it wasn’t even in the water you drank. We’ll capture those guys and leave them where the bone pursuers are.”

Yi-Han’s decision to drug the water of the White Tiger students was not due to personal grudges.

Who could the skeletons down below be searching for? It was clear they were looking for the White Tiger students. They must catch these fellows quickly and offer them up!

“But…! Was it necessary to resort to such means?”

“Dolgyu think about it. If we had confronted them directly it would have been noisy and we would have been caught. And would Moradi have just stood by? He would have tried to get us caught too.”

Dolgyu was no match for Yi-Han in a verbal argument. As he listened Dolgyu felt himself being persuaded again.

“But still this is a bit… Anyway where did you get the drug?”

Yonaire with a slightly embarrassed expression raised her hand.

“I found some sleeping grass on the way up.”

Yonaire who could distinguish almost any flower or grass had spotted the sleeping grass with white stems on their ascent.

—

“Ah look at this.”

“What’s that?”

“Sleeping grass. If you grind it into powder and mix it with water it helps you sleep.”

“Let’s take it.”

“Eh?”

“Take it. We never know when we might need it.”

“We’re going to need this?”

Yonaire puzzled gathered the sleeping grass. She had doubted they would ever need it.

But surprisingly they did need it… Though she never expected to use it in this way.

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