Life of a Magic Academy Mage – 53



Chapter 53

“What were you doing?”

“I was collecting some bread.”

“Hmm. Bread…”

“Yes. Bread is used like coins here. Roughly five loaves can be exchanged for a pen and ten for a sugar cube the size of a matchbox.”

Silence ensued.

The students of the Blue Dragon were able to live comfortably thanks to Yi-Han but students from other towers lacked someone like him.

They were desperately struggling for survival.

The hard bread that appeared at meal times was now being used as a substitute currency.

A currency to purchase various supplies!

“Wow… Can I take a look around?”

“Feel free to look as much as you want.”

Yonaire looked around the black market with great interest seemingly intending to buy anything useful.

Yi-Han unable to contain his curiosity also leaned in to look.

And he was surprised.

‘No way. There are quite a few useful things here?’

He wondered how much the students of the Black Tortoise could have gathered but there were more varied items than he expected.

Of course food was scarce.

Excluding various canned goods (which seemed to have been released when the priests arrived) there were all sorts of fake foods.

Fake cheese fake milk fake eggs fake smoked meat fake pickled fish fake coffee fake tea leaves… to the extent that one might wonder if it was harder to make these fakes.

But excluding food there were surprisingly many useful items.

Bags quills blankets lanterns fishing rods shovels and picks portable tents and sleeping bags ropes and chalk bows and arrows…

And most surprisingly…

‘Why are there so many artifacts?’

Ordinary-looking cloth capes leather belts stone bracelets necklaces.

They seemed like common trinkets but Yi-Han could feel the mana emanating from them.

Get notified for updates: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

It was certain. They were artifacts.

‘No matter how easy it is to get artifacts in this academy this is too surprising.’

Even a simple artifact was highly valued outside. They were not only expensive but also scarce making adventurers and mercenaries desperate to obtain them.

Owning just one artifact could attest to one’s experience as an adventurer!

Having an artifact with <Dark Vision> alone could serve as a guide in any dark dungeon and one with healing magic could be a lifesaver in critical situations.

However the situation was different at this academy.

It was after all a gathering place for those who knew and wanted to create artifacts.

Although the quality of amateur-made artifacts was hit or miss and unreliable the sheer number of artifacts was overwhelming.

Yet it was surprising that the freshmen had so efficiently scavenged and collected these discarded artifacts.

Yi-Han admired the practicality and skill of the Black Tortoise students.

“If I had been in the Black Tortoise communication would have been much easier.”

Had Yi-Han been at the Black Tortoise he would have joined the students in scouring the academy for supplies.

“Are you looking to buy one? I checked but there weren’t many useful items.”

Ratford whispered this perhaps thinking that Yi-Han was interested.

A student from the Black Tortoise glared at Ratford for interrupting their business.

‘This guy disrupting our business…!’

However Ratford unfazed continued.

“They say this cloak provides protection against sharp objects but in tests it only worked half the time.”

“Wait if it works half the time isn’t that still quite useful?”

“Indeed… Your optimism is commendable. It’s like seeing the cup as half full rather than half empty.”

“Merely uttering any words doesn’t count as praise Ratford.”

Yi-Han carefully examined the artifacts.

There was a reason why Ratford had said there was nothing useful: most of the artifacts’ effects were unknown or difficult to verify and some were gradually losing their mana.

Their enchantments were not permanent and were fading away.

Among these artifacts the recently mentioned protective cloak was somewhat useful though not exceptionally so.

The problem was…

“Do you accept credit?”

“Not even if a knife is at my throat. Mr. Wardanaz.”

‘Why is he being so formal…’

Yi-Han was baffled.

A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed!

But for the students of the Black Tortoise the issue of credit was quite significant.

Other tower students had already tried to engage in credit transactions.

Yi-Han was prepared to seek out their families for repayment if his fellow tower students defaulted but those from the Black Tortoise could not confront the empire’s great families.

Therefore credit transactions were strictly off-limits!

Understanding this Yi-Han nodded in agreement. The explanation made perfect sense.

“Then it can’t be helped. Well… I did bring various things considering it’s a barter market.”

Join our discord and ping me to update more chapters. Discord: https://discord.gg/93rmBjgP6B

Yi-Han lifted a basket.

He had brought various items for barter but now seeing the atmosphere he lost his confidence.

Should he go back and bring more canned goods?

‘I want to buy the artifacts before they are sold.’

“What did you bring?”

“I brought some freshly harvested fruits and vegetables and some eggs…”

“!”

“!!!”

There was a clatter and the sound of the Black Tortoise students getting up.

—

Surprisingly the students of the Black Tortoise were ecstatic over the fruits vegetables and eggs.

Not only the students selling artifacts but also others selling different items rushed to Yi-Han attempting to barter by any means.

“This pickaxe and shovel! They might have been made by dwarf craftsmen. If you have one you’ll always find a use for it…”

“I’ll trade you fake pickled fish fake coffee and fake tea leaves for that egg over there!”

“If I can get an onion I’ll give you this staff.”

In the midst of everyone lining up to force trades a student from the Black Tortoise who had traded the protective cloak for two potatoes was roasting them over a fire mocking his friends.

“How stupid. You profit by selling good items not by begging with bad ones.”

“Shut up! You just got lucky finding that cloak!”

“Hey. Want to trade a bite of potato for a few loaves of bread?”

“No thanks. Eat your bread yourself.”

“I heard potatoes aren’t as tasty as they used to be. Bread might be better.”

Despite his friends’ taunts the student treasured the potatoes roasting them carefully.

As he peeled the fully roasted potato its warm white flesh softly revealed itself. The Black Tortoise student blew on it and then popped it into his mouth.

“…!!”

Even without saying a word it was evident the potato was melting on his tongue.

Yi-Han watching was a bit taken aback.

‘How starved is he?’

A plain roasted potato without salt or butter shouldn’t be so effortlessly enjoyable.

Yet his reaction said otherwise.

“…Everyone gather around. I’ll cook for you. Yonaire can you help?”

Yonaire nodded. They exchanged a look.

‘Let’s not charge for this one.’

‘Agreed!’

Although Yi-Han usually insisted on being paid thoroughly the sight of those famished faces made him reluctant to charge them a single silver coin.

And he had another motive in mind.

‘If I treat the Black Tortoise students to a meal before entering the mountains might I not win their favor?’

He was already in a permanent state of hostility with the White Tiger students but he might still be able to befriend those from the Black Tortoise.

Yi-Han skillfully chopped the freshly harvested vegetables and seasoned them simply.

As he sprinkled salt and pepper and mixed them the Black Tortoise students watched in shocked amazement.

But the shock was only just beginning.

Yi-Han heated oil and stir-fried the vegetables until they turned golden brown spreading a mouth-watering aroma around.

One by one the Black Tortoise students began to gather around the pot like zombies.

Yi-Han then opened a can of tomatoes scraping every last bit from the bottom with a spoon into the pot. He layered the vegetables and let them simmer creating a thick enticing tomato and vegetable stew that was hard to believe had been hastily prepared.

As soon as it was ready Yi-Han generously served bowls of the stew to the waiting Black Tortoise students.

Then silence fell. The only sound was the scraping of spoons against bowls.

The faces of the students who had finished eating were filled with gratitude and emotion.

Ah this is what a meal is supposed to be!

We had forgotten something for so long!

“Let’s… give Mr. Wardanaz a round of applause…”

“Please be quiet.”

Yi-Han shoved a potato into Ratford’s mouth who was trying to disturb the pleasant atmosphere.

—

Despite his refusals the Black Tortoise students insisted on giving something in return stuffing various trinkets into Yi-Han’s pockets.

As a result Yi-Han ended up with two backpacks on his back one side holding a lantern and a fishing rod and the other a shovel and a pickaxe.

“You… look so cool?”

Yonaire admired his avant-garde fashion. Ratford agreed.

“You look like an experienced adventurer.”

It was hard to tell if Yonaire was mocking him or genuinely impressed.

Yi-Han sighed and set down one of the backpacks. Inside a chess set a card set and a dice set rattled.

He had gained more than just the Black Tortoise students’ affection and trust.

In addition to the protective cloak he had acquired a few quite useful artifacts.

A pair of Lesser Stealth Boots (which remarkably reduced noise when worn) Chalk of Smoke (which created a cloud of smoke when thrown and broken) and a Bracelet of Sight Detection (the stone on the bracelet turned red at a certain probability when someone was looking)…

‘No. But these must have been made by upperclassmen. Why would they make such things?’

Yi-Han was suspicious of the intention as he looked at the works of the upperclassmen from the artifact production class.

This was definitely a way to escape the professors’ notice right?

Rattle-rattle-

“?”

While examining the artifacts Yi-Han turned his head towards a sound inside the backpack.

To his surprise a bone hand was moving and crawling out of the backpack.

“…?!”

For a moment Yi-Han thought the Black Tortoise students had repaid his kindness with treachery.

But then he remembered none of them had the skills to sell such a complicated magic trap.

Rattle!

The bone hand flew towards him merging with an unidentified bone Yi-Han had received from Professor Mortum in his pocket.

The bone now extending from hand to forearm floated in the air and waited obediently in front of Yi-Han like a dog waiting for its meal.

“…No. No. No.”

Yi-Han tried to resist but the bone crept closer and gently nibbled on the tip of his finger drawing a single drop of blood.

That action created a mental connection with this incomplete bone summon.

“Sit.” “Stand.” “Turn around.” “Go fetch.”

“…”

“…”

Yonaire and Ratford looked at Yi-Han with complex expressions.

Seeing their friend suddenly commanding a bone summon and seemingly venturing down the path of dark magic was bound to stir mixed feelings.

‘The professor really gave me something strange. Well it’s not like the professor would give anything normal.’

“Wouldn’t it be better to get rid of it?”

Pitter-patter!

At Yonaire’s suggestion the bone summon trembled and clung tightly to Yi-Han.

Though it was only a summon of a hand and forearm bone it somehow evoked a sense of pity.

“…Ah no. Cancel. Cancel. I’m sorry…”

Yonaire found herself retracting her earlier suggestion unable to maintain it.

Hi if you like the story please rate and review this novel on novelupdates. Thanks!