Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

Chapter 619

Fortunately, Balpatan didn't notice that expression.

"She's too strict, I tell you."

"Haha. That's right."

Still, as he was a senior, Yi-Han spoke kindly.

"But shouldn't you do the scheduled training?"

"What nonsense. Knights are people too, how can they live only doing training?"

"?"

Yi-Han tilted his head.

Even Yi-Han, from a mage family, had trained under Arlong, so shouldn't Balpatan, from a knight family, do it even more rigorously?

"I thought knights were supposed to be devoted to training..."

Alcicle said that too. Balpatan waved his hand.

"That's all old stories or distortions from fairy tales. These days, knights do train, but social activities and friendships with other friends..."

"What did you say, Balpatan?"

When a stern voice was heard from behind, Balpatan almost fell over in shock.

"...are important to some guys who don't even know which family they're from! Wardanaz. Knights live on blood, sweat, and iron. Understand!"

"Ah, yes."

Yi-Han and Alcicle looked pitifully at Balpatan, who had collapsed awkwardly with his posture crumbling.

The one who had entered through the back door was an elf knight as tall and slender as Yi-Han.

The elf knight had her long golden hair tightly tied back in a single ponytail, and she wore thick magic-treated heavy armor as naturally as if it were comfortable clothing.

No matter how much magic was cast on it, knights rarely wore heavy armor in everyday life due to its weight and discomfort during combat.

The fact that she was walking around so naturally in such heavy armor showed how strong she was as a knight.

'Is that person Moradi's younger... no, older sister?'

"Hello. Are you Miss Jicklin of the Moradi family by any chance?"

At Yi-Han's question, the elf turned her head and nodded.

"Welcome to the Moradi family. Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family. Mr. Alcicle of the Pengerin family. I have prepared gifts as a sign of goodwill."

"Oh."

Both Yi-Han and Alcicle were surprised.

To be treated so seriously for an unofficial visit where they just came along with the skull principal to hang out casually, not an official visit.

This made the recipients feel even more embarrassed.

"Ah, no. It's fine. We're not qualified to receive such..."

However, Jicklin shook her head firmly.

"The Wardanaz family supports the empire's magic, doesn't it? Of course you're qualified to receive it. Likewise, the Pengerin family stopped the rebellion of the beaver mixed-bloods. I've always respected you."

'It sounds strange when put together with the Wardanaz family.'

Alcicle felt bitter inside.

Of course, any family would fall behind the Wardanaz family in terms of contribution to the empire when put together, but hearing it face to face like this was quite embarrassing.

Just let it pass!

"Th-thank you. If you ever visit the Wardanaz family, I'll prepare a gift too."

Yi-Han said as he accepted the sword Jicklin offered.

It was a sword made of high-quality steel, cleanly refined. It was well-balanced and even looked good enough to have value as a decorative item.

'Can I sell this later?'

"Are you inviting me?"

Jicklin asked back without changing her expression. Yi-Han was slightly flustered.

"Pardon?"

"I asked if you're inviting me."

"Uh... yes?"

Of course, it was just a polite remark, but when the other person spoke like that, it was impossible to deny it.

When Yi-Han said that, Jicklin nodded.

"Then let's set a time together later."

"..."

Alcicle was about to say politely, "Please visit sometime," but swallowed his words after seeing what happened to Yi-Han.

Jicklin looked at them seriously.

"Before we have an in-depth discussion about today's visit... Balpatan. Why are you here? Today's training?"

"I, I did it all."

"You must have been short on training yesterday, why aren't you making it up?"

Balpatan's eyes darted up, down, left, and right.

Feeling the crisis, Balpatan sold out his junior.

"Oh right! This Wardanaz here led the Chestnut Tree Knight Order and won against those anti-magic extremists!"

"...!"

Yi-Han was shocked.

'As expected, these knight bastards are all untrustworthy!'

How could he betray like this, just like a White Tiger Tower student!

Balpatan continued the story with all his might.

While the achievements this junior had made this year were just interesting stories to the knights, to someone like Jicklin who was made of loyalty, honor, and chivalry, they were eye-opening stories.

"The King of Ghouls... anti-magic extremists... King of Frost Giants... good at swordsmanship too..."

"Wait."

When Jicklin extended her hand and stopped Balpatan's words, Balpatan flinched, wondering if he had made a mistake.

Was it too obvious?

"I'll hear it directly. Balpatan. Go make up for yesterday's insufficient training."

"...Understood."

Balpatan walked out, sending a sad look like a cow being dragged to the slaughterhouse.

Jicklin sat down without changing her expression. Yi-Han and Alcicle looked at each other, feeling unnecessarily suffocated.

'This was supposed to be just a light greeting before the banquet, isn't it getting too difficult?'

Alcicle said with his eyes.

It was better when they were chattering noisily with other knights; this knight named Jicklin was so serious that just sitting still made the atmosphere suffocating.

Alcicle, born into a noble family, wasn't used to this kind of situation.

'That's right.'

'I have a good idea though.'

'What is it?'

"Miss Jicklin of the Moradi family. I have some special sardines I left in my room, may I go get them?"

"Please do so."

Alcicle bowed his head and quickly slipped out.

Seeing this, Yi-Han was shocked once again.

'As expected, these mage bastards are all untrustworthy!'

To make an excuse and slip out alone.

Yi-Han was angry at himself for not coming up with that idea first.

"??"

The junior looked at Yi-Han, who had clenched his fist, with puzzlement.

Why was he acting like that?

"Mr. Yi-Han of the Wardanaz family."

"Ah. You can call me casually."

"I understand. Wardanaz."

'Isn't that too casual?'

Yi-Han realized he had to be careful even with jokes in front of this person.

"Is there anything uncomfortable about your visit to our family?"

"The knights are too botherso... No, nothing."

Yi-Han changed his words, fearing that if he said the knights were bothersome, they might all be called out and punished.

Jicklin nodded seriously and asked again.

"Is there anything you're curious about during your visit to our family?"

Eandurde, who was next to him, unconsciously wiped the sweat from her forehead.

For Eandurde, who had only experienced battles in the arena, this was a suffocating conversation she had never experienced before.

Strangely suffocating!

"There's noth..."

"Then is there anything you were disappointed about during your visit to our family?"

'This is bad. I need to think of something.'

Yi-Han concentrated, seeing his junior suffering.

If he didn't answer, this clumsy knight would keep repeating a few set topics.

His junior wasn't someone who would bring up a topic first either. It was up to Yi-Han here.

"Ah. I have a question. Which craftsman made that armor?"

"Are you interested in armor?"

"Huh? Yes."

"Hmm. It's armor I've cherished since I was young, but if someone of the Wardanaz bloodline is interested, I could give it as a gift out of respect..."

"It's really fine!"

Yi-Han hurriedly stopped Jicklin.

This elf knight was a formidable opponent.

No matter what topic he brought up, she absorbed it like quicksand.

What kind of topic should he bring up to face this person?

***

Balpatan, who had escaped outside, forgot about his junior and instead of focusing on training, he busily searched for Jijel.

Even Balpatan had a conscience.

"Jijel, Jijel!"

"?"

Jijel, who was reading a magic book in casual clothes, was puzzled by the sight of her relative running over in a hurry.

"What's the matter?"

"It's big trouble. Miss Jicklin is trying to make your close friend faint! Your mage friend!"

"...?"

Jijel raised her eyebrows, not understanding.

She wasn't surprised that her older sister Jicklin was making someone faint. That had already happened several times.

Jicklin, who wasn't skilled in conversation and was taciturn and serious about everything, had the power to suffocate listeners wherever she went.

It was like an annual event that happened every year at the fortress when new visiting knights, out of respect for the excellent knight Jicklin, would visit her and end up collapsing from suffocation.

What surprised Jijel was the talk of a close friend.

The only mage among the outside guests currently at the fortress was the skull principal.

No matter how you looked at it, being a close friend with the skull principal was a bit...

"I don't think I'm close friends with the principal?"

"What are you talking about? Wardanaz! I'm talking about Wardanaz!"

Jijel spat out the tea she was drinking onto her relative's face. Balpatan used a knight's technique to twist his body and avoid it.

"What are you doing?!"

"Wh... What... No. No..."

Jijel, who was struggling with a coughing fit, put down her magic book and regained her composure.

"Let me confirm one by one. When you say Wardanaz, do you mean Yi-Han?"

"That's right. You're close, aren't you?"

"...When, how, and why did he visit?"

"I heard he came with the principal?"

"...!"

Jijel realized her mistake.

Come to think of it, that boy from the Wardanaz family was the top disciple who had been receiving the principal's full affection since his first year, destined to inherit evil magic.

Of course, he could have come along when the skull principal visited the fortress.

'How could I miss this.'

Jijel blamed her own judgment. She should have checked who came along, of course.

"But why do you say we're close?"

"Huh, aren't you?"

"..."

Jijel pondered.

Is it okay to say we're not close here?

'It might sound strange to unnecessarily say we're not close with the Wardanaz family, not only within the family but also to other knights in the fortress. They might misunderstand that we have a bad relationship or hold a grudge.'

"...We are."

"Huh?"

"We're close. I said we're close."

"Why, why are you glaring like that? Did I do something wrong?"

Balpatan was flustered when Jijel answered while glaring as if she would kill him.

He couldn't understand what he had done wrong.

"So why is sister trying to...Wardanaz?"

"She heard about guests arriving and came to see them."

"Wait. If I didn't hear about it, it probably wasn't an official visit, so how did sister hear about it?"

"...The knights skipped training and went to chat with them and got caught...?"

"..."

Jijel looked at Balpatan with a gaze of shock and dismay.

Even the great Balpatan felt ashamed when he received such a gaze from a younger relative.

"I... I went after finishing my training."

"..."

"N-now's not the time to discuss right and wrong. When I left, I saw they were suffocating. Go and stop Miss Jicklin. She listens to you."

'Should I really kill him?'

Jijel got up, vowing to make this relative's winter vacation a living hell.

If it was an unofficial visit, they should have just quietly entertained them and let them leave, but what's this about the family's knights and even knights from other parts of the north coming to chat?

***

"So just by reducing this casting speed...?"

"That's exactly right. As expected, Miss Moradi. You're excellent. Among battle mages, the craz... I mean, outstanding ones are skilled at this technique."

"I'm surprised. Do battle mages always train like this? But if you focus on casting speed like this, doesn't it lack destructive power?"

"You're right on point. As expected, Miss Moradi. You're excellent."

"You flatter me."

Balpatan and Jijel looked at each other in surprise at the conversation coming from inside the room.

"What, he didn't collapse??"

"It's the first time I've seen sister so talkative..."

'That's considered talkative?'

Balpatan was horrified by Jijel's words.

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