Life of a Magic Academy Mage – 39



Chapter 39 

It was said that when a person loses one sense the other senses develop further to compensate. But even with this in mind the warehouse keeper’s senses were astonishingly sharp. He was blind yet he detected Yi-Han and Ratford.

‘Were his senses auditory? No we made no sound. Olfactory? But with all this clutter around here? Could it be… an ability to detect mana?’

As Yi-Han pondered whether to confront or flee the warehouse keeper spoke again.

“So it was the principal. My apologies.”

“…???”

The warehouse keeper without approaching any closer simply turned and walked away. Ratford was half-fainting in fear but Yi-Han concentrated to grasp the situation.

‘What just happened? Why did he mistake me for that mad skull principal?’

Another student might have acted rashly under the pressure or made a mistake in this incomprehensible situation. However Yi-Han thought persistently.

“It must be the mana!”

The ability to detect mana. If the warehouse keeper had detected Yi-Han and Ratford by sensing their mana it made sense. Yi-Han’s mana was enormously vast as the professors had said. It was possible that the blind warehouse keeper felt a similarity between his mana and that of the principal.

‘But does that make sense? The principal and I…’

Yi-Han was not entirely convinced but decided to operate under that assumption for now. He couldn’t just stay put.

“Hey snap out of it.”

“Wh-what just happened? How did…?”

“That’s not important right now.”

There wasn’t time for explanations and Yi-Han himself wasn’t too sure. But to Ratford it sounded different. The young lad from the Wardanas family had even prepared a way to deceive the underground warehouse keeper!

‘He’s a big deal! This guy is really a big deal!’

The rumors were an understatement. A freshman with the magical skill to deceive a warehouse keeper.

“Okay I understand.”

“?”

Yi-Han was puzzled by Ratford’s sudden formal speech but there was no time to question it.

“Let’s move. Don’t touch anything here.”

“Indeed… touching them might give us away and he seemed to have memorized everything.”

“Right. There are alarm spells as well.”

Yi-Han felt a pang of regret for not being able to touch the items in the warehouse. But considering the principal’s sinister plans he knew this warehouse was a trap for unsuspecting freshmen. Soon someone would be caught here!

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“We mustn’t be fooled and need to keep moving. Find a way out.”

Yi-Han instead of fixating on the warehouse decided to look for an exit.

“Over here!”

Ratford found the direction of footsteps by listening closely to the ground. The warehouse in its size felt almost like a vast labyrinth. Ratford’s skill in picking up sounds was extremely useful.

“Very well done.”

“Phew. Thank you.”

“But why the formal speech…?”

“Please follow me.”

Ratford hurriedly moved forward. Lingering in the warehouse could lead to more trouble! Yi-Han might be fearless but every moment here terrified Ratford.

“It was definitely this way??”

But Ratford had to stop looking confused and alarmed.

They had followed the direction of the sound they heard only to find a solid wall where they expected a passage.

“Was it really this way?”

“Yes… it seemed so…”

“I think I understand.”

“!?”

Unlike Ratford who had only ever picked similar locks Yi-Han was from Earth. His imagination in such situations was much broader.

“Look here. There are smudges on the wall where hands have touched. If we touch these it might open.”

“…!”

Ratford was astonished once again. He was surprised both by the secret door that opened in such a manner and by the boy from the Wardanaz family who had noticed it.

How did he…!

With a click touching the smudged parts indeed made the bricks slide aside revealing a pathway. It was a corridor so long that its end was out of sight wide enough for two or three carriages to pass and the walls and ceiling sparkled with light assuring them they were on the right track.

‘Finally!’

—

There were several rules for the workers who transported supplies needed by the magic academy.

Never talk about how to get into the magic academy.

Never talk about what you see in the magic academy.

Never initiate conversation within the magic academy.

Besides these there were other rules like ‘Be careful not to break the glass bottles’ or ‘Don’t mishandle the scrolls’ but the most representative ones were as mentioned. The workers followed these rules more seriously than anyone else. They didn’t want to break them and end up trapped in a mage’s workshop turned into a frog. It wasn’t a joke; one mistake could mean being trapped in the magic academy forever. That was the frightening aspect of the magic academy and there was a reason why the nearby villagers respected yet feared it.

So when a priest and a beggar appeared from the opposite end of the passage the workers said nothing.

Hmm they’ve appeared!

“…”

“…”

Yi-Han and Ratford were quite baffled.

The carriages at the end of the passage and the workers busily loading and unloading them. Not only were they blatantly facing each other but the workers were deliberately ignoring them.

What’s going on?

‘Is it a rule?’

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Yi-Han quickly surmised from the workers’ deliberate avoidance of eye contact. A place like a magic academy wouldn’t lack tight security. It was natural for workers entering such a place not to show unnecessary interest.

‘Stay calm. If I remain calm they won’t suspect anything.’

Only a very few freshmen had ever successfully escaped the academy. The likelihood of the workers suspecting Yi-Han and Ratford thinking ‘Oh? Are these freshmen escaping?’ was very slim.

As long as Yi-Han didn’t give himself away…

‘In times like these act confidently.’

Yi-Han said calmly without a change in his expression.

“Can we leave now?”

“Sorry priest. Please wait for 30 minutes. There’s a little more cargo to load.”

“I understand. May I ride along?”

“Oh of course.”

The worker thought Yi-Han was very kind and polite for a priest. He could have just silently sat in the best seat of the carriage but he even asked for permission.

The worker couldn’t have imagined that Yi-Han was a new freshman. Yi-Han seemed too natural and carried an aura of dignity for a fresh newcomer.

No worker doubted Yi-Han.

“…”

Ratford looked at Yi-Han with eyes full of admiration.

Had they overpowered someone with physical strength or magic it wouldn’t have been as impressive.

But to deceive so naturally and obtain what they wanted was remarkable. No need for long complicated words or heavy bribes. A true thief could deceive others with just a glance and posture.

‘I still have much to learn!’

Ratford was grateful for this new insight into the art of thievery today.

Sometimes a single real-life experience teaches more than ten years of training. This was one of those moments.

—

With a clunk the work was finished and the carriages began to depart. The carriage Yi-Han and Ratford were in was the last of the six.

Even after loading everything the workers didn’t exchange unnecessary words. From this Yi-Han felt anew how fearsome the academy was.

‘If even the outside workers are managed like this…’

Though one might think of an imperial academy as a warm and nurturing place Yi-Han knew the world was not so simple. This magic academy was like a symbol of the empire and the mages. And both the empire and the mages had enemies.

To those enemies this magic academy must be an abhorrent existence.

Even without considering such enemies there would be many coveting the treasures within the academy. In a way such tight security was only natural.

‘Of course that doesn’t justify locking up freshmen and preventing them from leaving.’

That seemed more like the principal’s hobby.

The carriage ahead suddenly jolted. Yi-Han puzzled peered outside.

“…!!!”

Shockingly a familiar face was climbing onto the front carriage. It was the Troll Professor Garcia Kim.

‘Have we been caught?’

Yi-Han felt his heart sink.

But then he realized they hadn’t been caught yet. If they had been the carriage would have been surrounded and Yi-Han and Ratford would be coming out with their hands raised.

So the reason the professor was on that carriage was…

‘Damn it. This is really messed up!’

Yi-Han guessed what might have happened. Even professors being human would go out. It just so happened that his outing coincided with theirs.

“Out… outside could it be…?”

“Shh.”

Yi-Han gestured to Ratford to keep his expression in check.

“We haven’t been caught yet. We’ll continue as planned. The town is big and it’s dark outside so if we’re careful getting off we won’t be caught.”

At Yi-Han’s words Ratford nodded.

Then he was slightly startled.

‘But who’s the thief here?’

Shouldn’t Ratford be explaining this to Yi-Han?

The halted carriage started moving again with a jolt.

Yi-Han concentrated trying to remember as much as possible.

In case something went wrong and they failed…

‘I will never give up.’

Yi-Han clenched his fist then felt embarrassed.

…getting all worked up about sneaking out of academy late at night…

—

Professor Garcia carefully held a package in both hands a task given by the principal.

-When you get outside the Emperor’s chamberlain will be waiting. Hand over this completed artifact to him.

Professor Garcia was not just visiting the town for leisure.

The magic academy might look peaceful from the outside but inside it was as hot as a furnace. Gathering the empire’s outstanding mages in one place made this in a way inevitable.

Creating artifacts for the Emperor was also one of the tasks the mages of the magic academy had to do…

Professor Garcia had been assigned the task of quietly delivering the completed artifact this time. Uninformed people might think ‘Why deliver it quietly to the royal family?’ but such thoughts were foolish. Making a loud and bold offering only brought trouble. It attracted unnecessary attention like flies to honey. A mage ought to think practically.

Thunk-

“Yikes!”

“Huuh!”

The workers beside her tensed up and straightened their posture when they slightly bumped into Professor Garcia. It was scary enough that she was a professor at the magic academy but being a troll added another layer of fear. It was hard to decide which aspect was more terrifying.

Professor Garcia chuckled. She had seen it many times but the workers’ reactions were always amusing.

“Everyone take up arms!”

“??”

Professor Garcia was puzzled by the worker’s cry. Even if they were frightened this seemed excessive.

“Professor! There are some suspicious people up ahead! Please get inside the carriage!”

“…!!”

Only then did Professor Garcia realize that something unusual was unfolding on the road ahead.

‘Who could they possibly be?’

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