Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy Chapter 8 (Patreon)

Chapter 08

Originally, those within the Wardanaz family were unaware of the rumors or the image of their own family. The Wardanaz estate was larger than most castles, and their land was as vast as a modest city. It was unthinkable for those living or working there to speak carelessly about the Wardanaz family...

"Is there a problem with the Wardanaz family?"

"No... nothing at all. Absolutely no problem."

Nillia stepped back once more.

"I don't know what rumors you've heard, but they're all nonsense."

Despite Yi-Han's words, Nillia remained cautious. Yonaire reassured him.

"Ridiculous rumors always cling to noble families of the empire. Don't worry too much about it."

"Really?"

"Of course, the rumors surrounding the Wardanaz family are a bit extreme but..."

“...”

There was little comfort in her words.

As the two conversed, Nillia, with a firm voice, seemed to have made up her mind.

"Yes. There's no reason for me to fear the Wardanaz family."

"What rumors have you heard?"

Nillia hesitated, wondering if she should share. It was a bit awkward to discuss with the involved party…

-“The Patriarch of the Wardanaz family is actually a dragon. It flew in from the western continent during the undead frenzy and incinerated them all with its breath.”-

-“The bloodline of the Wardanaz family gained immense power to wield magic as a result of a pact with an ancient spirit, but at the cost of their emotions.”-

-“The mages from the Wardanaz family are said to be heartless. A city vanished due to the mages of the Wardanaz family during a separatist revolt in the empire.”-

And so on.

The image of the Wardanaz family was far more terrifying than Yi-Han had thought. To the commoners of the empire, they were like merciless magical monsters who appeared out of nowhere to wreak havoc whenever trouble arose.

"If a major incident occurs in the empire, wouldn't great mages naturally get involved?"

"Exactly. Don't worry about it too much."

Yi-Han felt unjustly treated, and Yonaire consoled him.

Watching this interaction, Nillia thought to herself, 'The rumor about them losing their emotions seems like a baseless one...?'

—

"Wait."

"?"

"Something's off. Look here."

Nillia pointed to the ground.

Covered in grass, the ground of the hill was nearly invisible, but Nillia, with her Dark Elf senses and experience in the 'Shadow Patrol', had detected a trail.

"See? A large creature passed through here."

"Isn't it too shallow for such a creature?"

"Good observation. It's definitely a smart one. It moved without leaving traces, making a mistake only here while eating this fruit."

Yonaire showed little interest. Her field of interest was alchemy. It was natural for her not to care about a hunter's tracking skills. Yonaire was busy looking around for herbs.

'Ugh.' Nillia felt slightly annoyed internally. When she was in the <Shadow Patrol>, everyone was on the same page.

They were all hunters or rangers, and even the villagers had hunters or rangers in their families, so any topic was easily understood.

-“I almost got in trouble. I was so determined to catch it because of its beautiful fur…”-

-“Hahaha! That's natural. In my youth…”-

Even mentioning a game seen while hunting could lead to an hour-long conversation. In contrast, there were too many different people here at the academy.

-"I was in the mountains, and..."-

-"Mountains?"-

-"Yes. I was hunting..."-

-"Hunting? Why?"-

-"Well, I'm part of the patrol..."-

-"Why not just buy it with money?"-

-"...Do you really want to die, you idiot?"-

-"Eek!"-

For Nillia, who had endured such conversations, Yonaire's reaction was somewhat irritating. But what could she do? 'Right. Not everyone is a hunter, so I must adapt.'

"Oh. Interesting. Anything else?"

"!"

Yi-Han's reaction was unexpected for Nillia. He listened intently with an expression of great interest.

Nillia, flustered, asked, "You find it interesting?"

"Is it not supposed to be interesting?"

"No, it's not that it shouldn't be interesting, but I didn't necessarily say it to amuse, although, of course..."

"???"

As Yi-Han became puzzled by the rambling response, Nillia realized she was speaking oddly and quickly got back to the point, "Okay! Anyway, when you find traces of such a large prey, it's best to be cautious. See how the grass is cut? It must have large claws."

"I see."

Yi-Han was naturally curious and enjoyed learning. Otherwise, he wouldn't have pursued graduate studies, even after being deceived by a professor. Not just magic, but even a hunter's wisdom was quite interesting to him.

"Can you identify what it is?"

"Not enough from this alone."

Nillia, folding her arms in disappointment, spoke.

There was a saying that an experienced hunter could identify a creature just by its tracks, but that was a fantasy. A hunter could only identify tracks if they were familiar with the creatures of that region. Without knowing what lurked nearby, it was impossible to identify it immediately.

"Besides, I've heard that around the academy, there are all sorts of strange monsters."

"Ah. I've heard that too."

Yonaire nodded.

Einroguard was situated on land rich in mana, which naturally attracted monsters. And separately...

"Monsters created from experiments roam near the academy. Discarded magic potions often give rise to rare slimes."

"..."

Yi-Han was incredulous.

'Don't these mages have any safety protocols for their experiments?'

From magic potions to artificially created beings. Such things should be managed carefully. But casually discarding them naturally led to such problems.

"We need to be more careful."

"Good point! We'll move while following these tracks. It'll reduce the chances of a surprise attack."

"Can I learn to read tracks too?" At Yi-Han's question, Nillia blinked. Thinking he might have said something rude, Yi-Han added, "If it's too difficult to teach, feel free to ignore..."

"It's not easy at all, and you might give up halfway. Do you know how difficult this skill is?"

"If you're willing to teach, I'll try my best not to give up."

"Hmph. I'll teach you then, but let's see how far you get!"

Yonaire asked in a whisper, unheard by Nillia, "Do we really need to learn this?"

"Why not? It looks fun."

"???"

—

"There it is. Cleansing Grass."

While Nillia and Yi-Han were on guard, Yonaire discovered some herbs.

Hidden among the thick undergrowth, the sight of the herbs drew Yi-Han's admiration.

'She actually found them.'

"There are only two."

"..."

"..."

"Just one more to find... Why is everyone silent?" Yonaire turned her head, realizing why the others had fallen quiet.

A massive pig was glaring intensely in their direction.

"Judging by the mana emanating from it, it must have eaten something wrong."

Sensing the mana from the pig, Yi-Han commented calmly. Whether it had consumed spilled potions or had been subject to some experiment...

"This isn't the time for that! Be careful!" Nillia whispered urgently.

This pig was no ordinary animal. With its heavy build and surprisingly agile movements, a pig with tusks was even more dangerous. Moreover, this one seemed to have reverted to its wild instincts, far from a domesticated animal. And if it had acquired mana from consuming something strange, it was better considered a monster.

"Think of it as a wild pig! Don't provoke it and everyone slowly back away!" Nillia instructed the others.

Yonaire steadied his trembling legs. Yi-Han, supporting Yonaire, slowly retreated.

The pig, snorting and puffing steam from its anger, boldly advanced toward them.

"Simply retreating will only make us vulnerable."

Yi-Han stopped, holding his staff firmly with both hands, like a spear.

'Right... He's from the Wardanaz family.'

Nillia suddenly remembered Yi-Han's family background. A descendant of the Wardanaz family of the empire, a family known for producing great mages. He might have learned some magic before coming here.

'Didn't he say earlier that his role was to drive away wild animals and monsters?'

Nillia asked Yi-Han in a low voice, "Are you confident?"

"Can't be sure, but maybe?"

"If you fail, grab that redhead and run! I'll distract it!"

Nillia was the fastest at navigating hills and forests among them.

She didn't doubt Yi-Han's magic, but as an experienced hunter, she always prepared for contingencies. If things went south, Nillia planned to lure the pig away herself.

Yi-Han seemed touched by Nillia's words, and so did Yonaire.

"To go to such lengths for us..."

"It's not like that! I'm the only one who can do it, that's why!"

"Regardless, thank you. We'll count on you if things get rough."

Yi-Han then focused, ceasing any further conversation. The pig was closing in.

'Three. Two. One.'

Yi-Han counted calmly, measuring the distance to his adversary. Nillia, watching from behind, swallowed nervously. What magic was he planning to use against the pig?

Crack!!!

A clear sound echoed from the pig's head. Yi-Han had chosen to wield his staff.

—

-"The sword is the king of weapons, but you should not rely solely on the sword. Swordsmanship should prepare you for situations without a sword. Sword, spear, club, dagger, bare hands – all of these."-

-"I see."-

-"...Not my place to say, but you don't complain?"-

-"Why?"-

-"Ah, never mind."-

Arlong was not one to easily teach or pamper someone, even if they were a direct descendant of the family. He taught Yi-Han with the same strictness and rigor as he had been taught himself. And Yi-Han learned exceptionally well. Another noble might have complained, 'Why should I have to do such strenuous work?' But Yi-Han was the complete opposite.

-‘I pay to exercise, so why not do this? It's manageable.’-

During his graduate studies, he had wanted to exercise but couldn't. Now, with Arlong teaching him everything meticulously, he had no reason to be dissatisfied. Moreover, whenever he was physically exhausted, servants would rush to him with food, drinks, and magic potions...

-"Yi-Han, you must be wondering by now. Why I don't teach you how to imbue weapons with aura, like other knights."-

-"I hadn't even thought about it. Can someone like me, still learning, reach such a lofty level?"-

-"...If it's not for the aura, then why exactly did you decide to learn swordsmanship??"-

Arlong stopped teaching midway and looked at Yi-Han in disbelief.