Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

”Your words are too harsh...”

The squire looked at Jijel with a hurt expression.

Of course, it was a rare precedent to recommend someone from a mage family representing the empire, like the Wardanaz family, to the knight order.

It was also difficult to predict people’s reactions to that extent.

However, if it was a boy from the Wardanaz family, he was fully qualified to be recommended to the knight order.

Wasn’t it evident just from the fact that he had exterminated the anti-magic extremists together with the knights of the Chestnut Tree Knight Order last time?

If it was Wardanaz, he would raise the honor of the person who recommended him, not tarnish it.

It was good for Wardanaz as he could join an excellent knight order, and it was good for Moradi as she could gain the honor of recommending an outstanding talent…

”Moradi doesn’t want to be misunderstood that her family is close to the Wardanaz family.”

Yi-Han stepped up for Moradi.

After all, recommending someone to the knight order with her family’s name was a difficult action to take unless they were quite close, because if the other party made a mistake, it would tarnish her own honor as well.

The moment she recommended, people around her couldn’t help but think, ’Oh, they must be quite close.’

Of course, Yi-Han’s action wasn’t very helpful. Jijel immediately denied it.

”No? Why would I refuse intimacy with the Wardanaz family? What are you talking about, Wardanaz?”

From the perspective of Jijel, who had excellent political sense, it was something she absolutely couldn’t acknowledge.

Even if her family wasn’t a knight family, there was nothing to gain from rumors that she refused intimacy with a high noble family like the Wardanaz family.

”No... Hey...”

Yi-Han was dumbfounded by Jijel’s appearance of bringing the conversation back to square one when he tried to end it well.

Of course, Jijel also glared at Yi-Han with an absurd look.

’Why are you saying that our family doesn’t want to be misunderstood as being close to the Wardanaz family? What if the Wardanaz family takes offense to that?’

’No. Our family members don’t even read the imperial newspaper. They won’t care what you say.’

Dolgyu stepped up, unable to watch any longer.

”Wardanaz has said many times that he has no intention of joining the knight order at all. That’s why Moradi reacted hastily. Although the words were rough, please understand.”

”Yeah. That’s right.”

”Right. That’s it.”

Yi-Han and Jijel nodded their heads in relief.

In fact, from Yi-Han’s perspective, it was also very dangerous to be misunderstood as wanting to join the knight order.

There were few jobs as hard and arduous as knights.

If he thought about it a bit coldly, he could have reacted, ’What does that have to do with cursing?’ but the squire accepted it for now.

He was already acquainted with Dolgyu, and something else aroused his curiosity more.

”Wardanaz. I think you would be able to perform excellently even if you came to the knight order, so why? There are mages in the knight order too. They are respected a lot and help the knights. Moradi. The knight order in the north where your family is...”

’Shut up. You clueless bastard.’

This time, Jijel succeeded in swallowing it inwardly.

If he wanted to recommend him to the knight order, he should recommend him himself, so why did he keep telling Jijel to do it?

Fortunately, Dolgyu answered again.

”Wardanaz will stay at Einroguard even after graduation. Because he has to study magic with the professors.”

”Are you out of your mind, Dolgyu!?!?”

Yi-Han shouted in shock.

This time, Dolgyu made a slightly hurt expression.

***

It took some time for the squires and students to clear up misunderstandings and put their heads together.

”So, the six of us have to spend a day in that mountain range.”

At the squire’s words, Yi-Han carefully asked.

”Do you happen to know where to start?”

”Of course not! Haha. Wardanaz. Then it wouldn’t be an exam.”

’This clueless bastard.’

Yi-Han cursed the squire inwardly.

The Einroguard students were trapped inside, but what were these knights doing outside without finding out even that?

Professor Ingurdel would have been a bit more lenient with them.

”Wardanaz. This is a big problem.”

”Why?”

When Jijel whispered and asked, Yi-Han was puzzled.

Of course, they didn’t hear where to start, but this wasn’t a big problem, was it?

”We were originally going to enter the cabin and spend a night.”

”Was that the plan?”

”...Do these guys look like they’ll allow that?”

”What? No. Of course they’ll allow...”

Yi-Han, who was about to speak, hesitated.

The squires’ eyes were too upright and sparkling, more than he thought.

Huh?

”Wait. Everyone. I have one thing I’m curious about, well... there are friends like this among other friends. They hide a cabin in the mountains in advance and plan to take refuge there.”

As soon as Yi-Han’s words ended, the squire was disgusted.

”They do such a cowardly thing? Who on earth?”

”Wardanaz. We need to tell the professor now. Who is it?”

”...Well. I heard it in passing too.”

At the squires’ reaction, Yi-Han’s face became serious.

Yi-Han made an excuse for a moment and called his friends separately.

”No. Are all those from knight families like this? Isn’t preparing a cabin also a skill? We worked so hard to prepare the supplies to put in there.”

With a sincere voice, Yi-Han poured out his feelings to his friends.

What did those squire bastards who came from the city outside and lived comfortably know to say such things?

To make cabins in various parts of the mountain range without getting caught, Yi-Han and his friends worked hard in their busy schedules.

Going up secretly when on night duty, going up secretly early in the morning, going up secretly during free time during the day…

The supplies to put in there were also precious supplies that were difficult to obtain from outside.

How dare they ignore that!

”Among those from knight families, those who entered the knight order early tend to be more stubborn.”

Jijel agreed with Yi-Han’s words and explained.

Those who had been trained as squires from a young age to do their part in the knight order were strong-willed and didn’t know how to compromise.

That was fine, but the problem was that they imposed it on Einroguard students as well.

”But the White Tiger Tower kids are good at compromising.”

”Yeah. ...What?”

”...It’s not to that extent, right, Yi-Han?”

Jijel and Dolgyu protested without realizing it.

Being from a knight family, being told that they were good at compromising didn’t sound like a compliment.

”Aren’t you good at compromising?”

”On what basis are you slandering like that?”

”Last time, one of your tower students sold wooden swords on the black market. If you check, there will be a few kids without swords.”

’Crazy bastards.’

Jijel cursed the students of the same tower inwardly.

They were really embarrassing kids wherever they went.

”That... they must have been really hungry. Very, really hungry.”

”Hey... Choi. Just shut up.”

Jijel gestured to the clueless orc friend. The more he spoke, the more he was sinking into a quagmire.

”What’s important now is not how good our tower is at compromising.”

’You guys asked.’

Yi-Han thought so, but he kept his mouth shut for the sake of his friends.

Dolgyu, who had his head bowed deeply, and Jijel’s ears were turning red.

”It’s about how to deal with those unhelpful guys. The exam will start soon. We don’t have time.”

”You’re right...”

Yi-Han was lost in thought.

Professor Ingurdel had put them together so that mages and knights could cooperate harmoniously, but it had the opposite effect.

It was an obstacle itself for the three who were planning to find the cabin in the mountain range and enter it right away.

After pondering, Yi-Han carefully said.

”There’s only one thing that comes to mind.”

”Me too.”

”I also thought of one.”

The three looked at each other as if surprised.

They all had the same thought at the same time?

Dolgyu was very happy inwardly.

’There’s a reward for fighting together for a year!’

Usually, he was always anxious because Jijel and Yi-Han’s relationship was not very good, but seeing this, he felt a bit of hope.

In the end, it was trials that made camaraderie strong.

”Then shall we all say it together? Three. Two. One.”

”Let’s subdue them after putting them to sleep.”

”Let’s subdue them after knocking them out.”

”Fair and square with skills... Huh?”

Dolgyu was startled.

The answers of the other two friends were a bit different from what he expected.

In a situation like this, wasn’t it the right improvisation to give up because there was no choice and overcome it by coordinating with the three squires?

Jijel also tilted her head.

Of course, that was a bit different concern from Dolgyu’s.

”Can we put them to sleep?”

”I made a sleeping potion with my friends. We can say it’s for cold prevention.”

”Ah. That would be much more peaceful. Okay. Let’s do that.”

Yi-Han and Jijel quickly reached a conclusion.

Let’s tie up the three squires after putting them to sleep and take them!

”Why, Dolgyu? Is there anything to supplement?”

”...It’s nothing. I was going to say let’s subdue them fair and square with skills.”

”Haha. You’re right.”

”It’s nice to have the same idea.”

At the words of the two friends, Dolgyu smiled desolately.

***

Rattle, rattle-

”I didn’t know we would move by carriage!”

Labda of the Engge family was amazed.

He didn’t expect to move through this mountain range by carriage. Einroguard wasn’t a school for mages for nothing.

”Labda. You were definitely a master of absorption swordsmanship, right?”

”I’m not a master yet. I still have a long way to go.”

At Yi-Han’s words, Labda spoke humbly. However, an undeniable pride was felt in his appearance.

The swordsmanship of the Engge family focused on the mysterious technique of absorption, a rare swordsmanship even in the empire.

Knights already had pride in their family’s swordsmanship, but in Labda’s case, that pride had to be even stronger.

”That’s amazing. I’m also practicing the mysterious technique of absorption, but to apply it to swordsmanship... It’s hard to even imagine.”

”Than... Huh?”

Labda felt something strange.

’How is he practicing it?’

In the first place, could the mysterious technique of absorption be practiced?

”Now, everyone drink this.”

Yi-Han handed over a round glass bottle containing a potion. The squires looked at it with a curious gaze.

”What is this?”

”It’s a potion that helps endure the cold.”

”Oh. Thanks.”

Gulp gulp-

Seeing the squires drinking the potion one by one, Yi-Han smiled with satisfaction.

”Is it possible to figure out where the carriage is going?”

”Not at all. It doesn’t seem to be moving in the usual way.”

Jijel, who had her eyes closed and was checking the direction the carriage was moving, frowned.

Putting aside the fact that there were no windows, this carriage had been showing physically impossible movements since earlier.

Going up a slope and suddenly falling down, then moving backward…

It was clear that it had flown or teleported several times in the middle.

Thud, screech!

The carriage stopped and the door opened. It was a signal to get off.

Yi-Han and his friends tied up the sleeping squires and carried them down one by one. Then the driverless carriage turned around and quickly disappeared downward.

”The snow is getting heavier...”

Dolgyu groaned and checked the surroundings.

He had a feeling that the thickening snowfall would not be easy to deal with.

”I heard there are giants in this mountain range. I hope we don’t encounter giants.”

”You don’t have to worry about giants. There are no giants now.”

”I see. Thanks... Uh, Yi-Han. But how do you know that?”

Dolgyu asked, but Yi-Han couldn’t answer.

He was concentrating on checking the location of this area on the map.

”Found it. If we walk about 30 minutes from here, we’ll reach the cabin I prepared.”

”Ugh... What on earth happened...?”

Labda tried to get up with a drowsy voice.

Jijel forcefully struck Labda’s solar plexus with the pommel of her sword. Labda fell asleep again with a single cry.

”What happened?”

When Yi-Han, who had taken his eyes off the map, asked, Jijel shrugged her shoulders.

”It’s nothing. Let’s go.”