Life of a Magic Academy Mage – 42



Chapter 42

The explosion of unrefined mana dealt a fatal blow to Garakse who bore the brunt of it but it also shocked Yi-Han.

Yi-Han was thrown backward by the violent shake that coursed through his body.

“Ugh…!” The impact was much more intense than when he had taken a direct hit from Arlong’s sword strike.

Yi-Han regretted his actions.

‘Did I infuse too much mana?!’

He had poured in his full power thinking he needed to decisively finish off his opponent but it led to an unexpected outcome. His body was immobilized due to the shock. Fortunately all the enemies had fallen…

“Student Yi-Han!”

From a distance Professor Garcia hurried over.

Yi-Han was puzzled by his approach thinking ‘Weren’t the remaining attackers assaulting the professor?’

The answer to his question was immediately evident.

The attackers around Professor Garcia lay crumpled and sprawled as if they had been hammered down by a giant mallet.

Professor Garcia’s fists were stained with blood clearly not her own.

‘Aha… I forgot he’s a Troll mixed-blood…’

Yi-Han slightly regretted his intervention.

Even without Yi-Han’s involvement Professor Garcia could have probably defeated the attackers with her fists alone. Her Troll mixed-blood heritage made her physically formidable even without magic.

“How dare they!”

In the sky toward the academy a massive skull flew in accompanied by green flames.

Normally the sight of the skull principal would have been chilling but Yi-Han felt relieved.

‘I can rest now.’

Yi-Han closed his eyes and lay down wanting nothing more than to rest his aching body.

—

The skull principal rushed over with Professor Boladi.

The Empire’s anti-magic extremists were like mold or poisonous mushrooms growing in the shadows.

That they dared attack an academy professor…

“I’m sorry Professor Garcia Kim. My inadequacy put you in danger.”

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The Skull Principal bowed his head upon witnessing the aftermath of the fight.

“Oh no Gonadaltes. If they were from the <Twilight Dawn> Brigade stopping them in advance would have been difficult for anyone.”

Professor Garcia was taken aback by the Skull Principal’s sincere apology.

Professor Boladi spoke up “I disagree. As the principal of this academy you should have been able to prevent this.”

—

Professor Garcia looked at Boladi incredulously.

‘Even in such a situation some professors just don’t understand social cues!’

The Skull Principal wanted to retaliate with that but he refrained. This incident was indeed his fault. He should have thoroughly scouted the area. 

A sight caught his eyes and he asked “Is that an ancient artifact?”

“Yes. A powerful artifact that absorbs all surrounding mana.”

The Skull Principal clicked his tongue.

There were none as adept at combating mages as the anti-magic extremists.

“They even brought such an ancient artifact.”

“This is Garakse.”

Professor Boladi pointed to the warrior on the brink of death. Garakse was infamous in the <Twilight Dawn> Brigade known as the ‘Mage Killer’ for his exceptional skills in combating mages.

“Still breathing. I’ll take him to my prison. We’ll extract information about the <Twilight Dawn> Brigade from his mind. And yet…”

The Skull Principal looked anew at the battlefield.

Most of the attackers were incinerated or blasted apart by lightning and other spells clearly the work of Professor Garcia.

The professor not particularly adept at magic combat had managed to use her powers without causing destruction around her which was commendable.

However other scenes caught his eye.

Figures felled by sword strikes or <Lesser Control> magic.

At a glance he knew who was responsible. It was the boy from the Wardanaz family now collapsed and seemingly unconscious.

‘Why is that Wardanaz lad so skilled in swordsmanship?’

Even with good fortune it would take real skill to defeat Garakse.

The Skull Principal found this curious but refrained from waking the boy to inquire. Not all mages were solely focused on magic; they had their hobbies. Some took up horseback riding others knitting…

Swordsmanship could be one of those hobbies.

Noticing the Principal’s gaze Professor Garcia spoke up “If Yi-Han from the Wardanaz family hadn’t helped we would have been in real danger. Thanks to him the other workers were unharmed.”

“Indeed the boy had talent. To remain composed and successfully use magic in such a situation… he had a knack for magic combat. Professor Boladi did you teach him? Remarkable.”

“I’m not really surprised. The boy from the Wardanaz family has immense mana and shows strong focus in crises. It’s natural for him to excel in combat under these circumstances.”

‘I shouldn’t have brought that guy.’

The Skull Principal regretted his decision.

He had brought the accomplished battle mage for unforeseen circumstances but all he did was aggravate the Principal.

The vampire professor said along the lines of ‘For someone like Yi-Han this is expected’ but the Skull Principal disagreed.

Even he stingy with praise couldn’t deny the boy’s impressive feat.

A freshman newly enrolled had valiantly battled the notorious anti-magic extremists of the Empire. Moreover listening to Professor Garcia’s words his manner of fighting had amazed the Principal.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if the victory was due to sheer strength or extensive magic spells. But the Wardanaz boy triumphed by outsmarting stronger and more challenging adversaries. That was a talent only a good mage could possess.

The Skull Principal felt an itching in his nonexistent knuckles.

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He wished to take the boy as an apprentice in his workshop teaching him directly in the old-fashioned way.

In ancient times mages passed down their knowledge through a one-to-one apprenticeship.

But such practices were inadvisable in this day and age.

If he took such action with the Wardanaz boy complaints would arise from the professors the Wardanaz family and even the Emperor.

-Principal! A mage must learn more than just magic. You know the harm caused by twisted peculiar mages who neglect social interactions!-

-Os Gonadaltes. If teaching magic that way was acceptable I would have done so. Is that all you can do? Pitiful.-

-Os. I funded the academy to nurture future talents of the Empire not to foster deranged individuals! What are you doing with such a valuable student? Are you challenging me?-

Apparently one-to-one teaching by a great mage carried a high risk of corrupting and warping the student’s character.

‘This era really complicates things.’

The Skull Principal sighed with a sense of loss.

What could he do? It was a rule he had established himself.

Once the boy from the Wardanaz family had entered the academy the Skull Principal knew there would be numerous opportunities to meet and teach him in the future.

The Principal fervently hoped that in a few years the boy would come under his tutelage. Then he could research and impart all manner of forbidden arts and knowledge!

“Clean up the scene. Reward the workers for their role in this incident; they deserve it. And don’t forget to secure that ancient artifact” the Skull Principal ordered his summoned creatures.

It was vital to erase any traces to prevent unease in the towns surrounding the magic academy.

“What are you doing Professor Boladi?” the Skull Principal asked with a mix of curiosity and inquiry.

He had noticed Professor Boladi scrutinizing a fallen attacker.

“I was examining these attackers. Some of them seem to have succumbed to an unusual form of attack.”

“Hmm. Indeed… how did the Wardanaz boy take them down?”

Both Professor Boladi and the Skull Principal pondered this mystery.

The wounds from sword cuts or shots from metal balls were easily identifiable. But some attackers bore injuries as if they’d been bludgeoned by a massive hammer.

What could it be?

‘Could he have manipulated rocks? Using a <Lesser Control> spell?? Even with overflowing mana that should be impossible… Did he actually do it?’

“…That that was me. I knocked them out with my fists” Professor Garcia admitted with an embarrassed gesture.

—

Upon waking in a plush bed the first thing Yi-Han saw was the Skull Principal’s skeletal face.

‘Is this a nightmare?’

“Student Yi-Han. You’ve done incredibly well” the Skull Principal said.

Professor Garcia was also there.

“Oh no. I just did what I needed to do.”

“Even so credit was due where credit was due. You were impressive.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course your attempt to sneak out of the academy was another matter.”

‘Damn it.’

Yi-Han cursed inwardly.

His hatred for the Empire’s anti-magic extremists surged anew. If it weren’t for them he would’ve been in the town by now!

“I’m sorry Yi-Han. To have performed so well and yet…” Professor Garcia said with an apologetic expression.

“What’s there to be sorry about? Rules are rules. A reward is a reward and punishment is punishment. More importantly how did you breach the underground storeroom passage? It’s not a place one can pass through in just a week.”

The Skull Principal asked genuinely curious.

The storeroom behind the central staircase on the first floor of the main building was a challenge many freshmen attempted.

Not just for escape attempts but for hungry students the food storage was a destination worth selling one’s soul for.

Knowing this the Skull Principal often scattered keys that could access the area behind the central staircase.

But to directly breach the underground storeroom passage from there was unexpected even for him.

How did he evade the storekeeper even if he managed to exercise iron-like self-control and touch nothing in that vast storeroom?

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Yi-Han clammed up and feigned ignorance.

Caught he had no choice but to vehemently deny everything.

The Skull Principal read Yi-Han’s mind and smiled slyly.

“You’re no ordinary boy. But too bad the underground storeroom passage will no longer be accessible.”

‘Damn it!’

Suddenly the Skull Principal’s tone turned serious.

“Listen Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. For standing against the Empire’s anti-magic extremists to protect the workers and the professor I on behalf of the academy offer you my sincere thanks.”

“!”

“As a token of gratitude I decided to bestow upon you the famed sword ‘Morning Star’.

“Thank you… Wait isn’t this the sword that the enemy was wielding?”

Yi-Han caught off guard failed to ask whether it was really appropriate to give a real sword to a student brimming with youthful energy. In fact that should have been his first question.

Should he break it down then?

“Well I’ll put it to good use” Yi-Han swiftly accepted.

He understood in just a second.

‘I’ll sell it later.’

Professor Garcia was slightly taken aback. Yi-Han had accepted it too quickly for her liking.

Had Yi-Han continued to refuse she had planned to persuade him by saying “The fault does not lie with the sword. It was merely wielded by a villain. Use it rightly and guide it on a just path Yi-Han.”

“And take this as well. It’s a pass to leave the academy grounds.”

“…!!”

Yi-Han was much more thrilled to receive the pass than the sword.

The boy who was always expressionless and rarely showed emotion was now ecstatic leaving even the Skull Principal dumbfounded.

“But that sword is far more valuable!”

“Thank you Principal! I’ll serve with utmost loyalty!”

“Yes yes.”

Even the Skull Principal was slightly overwhelmed by the boy’s fervor.

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