Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

fferent from that of the Blue Dragons.

 

The members of the Blue Dragons were all from powerful families or members of the royal family, so there wasn't anyone taking command of them.
Rather, they moved in small groups based on their connections.

 

Princess Adenart, the most popular among the Blue Dragons, had several students following her, but she wasn't really in command of them either.

m

On the other hand, Jijel Moradi was at the top of the food chain among the White Tigers.

 

“How does he look like?”

 

“Like this.”

 

Dolgyu picked up a branch that had fallen and drew an accurate portrait of Jijel's appearance.

Yi-han was shocked when he saw the drawing.

 

'He's…!?'

 

It was the elf that had spoken to him in a friendly manner before the class started.

 

“I knew something was up.
He was being so kind to me with that pretty face of his…
turns out he was hiding his wicked nature.”

 

“Wardanaz, I agree that Moradi has a wicked heart, but I don't think that's got anything to do with appearance.
And what do you mean pretty? Wait, you thought Jijel was a bo-”

 

Whatever it was Dolgyu said next, Yi-han didn't hear.
He wasn't interested in whatever excuse Dolgyu had to defend that androgynous elf.

 

'But it's ironic.'

 

He had been planning on becoming close with the others through Jijel who acted friendly with him.

 

However, he ended up becoming friends with Dolgyu, who he initially had a conflict with.
On the other hand, it was revealed that Jijel had plotted against him.

 

'Was he trying to feel me out?'

 

Yi-han looked back to their conversation earlier.
He didn't recall saying anything of importance that could be used against him.

 

'I'm here to chillax and get good grades!' Though he had said something along that line, it was hardly a reason to target him using other students.

 

In fact, hearing something like that should have lowered Jijel's guard.

 

“I don't understand.
Why did Jijel target me?”

 

“There are several reasons I can think of.
The biggest reason is that you're a Wardanaz.”

“Is there bad blood between the two families?”

 

Yi-han was befuddled.
Was there some unresolvable hatred between Wardanaz, a mage family, and Moradi, a knight's family?

 

“No, at least none that I know of.
But by humiliating you, a renowned Wardanaz, his prestige and authority among the first years would rocket.”

 

“…”

 

Yi-han immediately understood what he meant and became grave.

 

In other words, he was being treated as an expensive trophy with a tag that said he was from the Wardanaz Family.

 

'It's quite an unpleasant feeling.'

 

It could be considered childish in a way, but it didn't stop him from being pissed.

 

“Not all the freshmen follow Jijel's command.
By proving that she's a charismatic leader, Jijel planned to make more students follow her.”

 

“Does ordering his classmates to beat up someone from another tower prove his charisma? What are the knight students thinking…”

 

Dolgyu looked down, feeling ashamed.
He, too, felt complicit in this.

 

“Hey, I'm not talking about you.
What are you feeling down for?”

 

“Thanks.
Anyway, let's continue.
Jijel is the type of person that always wishes to be at the top.
She'd do anything to prove her authority and dominance.
So I want you to be careful if you plan on taking this class in the future.”

 

If Yi-han continued to excel in , the students of the White Tigers would become jealous of him, and Jijel would manipulate their emotions to make them follow her.

 

Dolgyu then made a careful suggestion.

 

“You know, you don't have to take this class.
You can hone your sword during breaks.”

 

“Hmm, Dolgyu.”

 

“?”

 

“You see, I'm planning on taking as well…
is that class also crawling with people from your tower?”

 

“…Wardanaz.
I'm not trying to be rude, but…isn't the Wardanaz Family known for its mages? Just what are you…?”

 

Dolgyu couldn't help but ask the question that had been plaguing him.

 

***

 

Yi-han split up with Dolgyu after that and fell into deep thought.
What Dolgyu had suggested was the easiest solution to the problem.

 

– Avoid the classes that only the White Tigers partake in.

 

As long as he kept avoiding them, Jijel won't be able to pick a fight with him.
In his other classes, he would be moving with his friends from the Blue Dragons, so Jijel won't be able to target him.
She also wouldn't have a reason to come after him if they weren't in the same class.

 

However, he didn't plan on heeding this suggestion.

 

First of all, though Dolgyu didn't know this yet, he had selected these classes to get easy grades.
Furthermore…

 

'How dare he use me for politics?'

 

…he had his pride as well.
He wasn't one to take this sort of provocation lying low, especially given the reason behind it.
This was doubly true considering what he stood to lose.

 

Bam!

 

Yi-han returned to his dorm and opened the door leading to the first-year student's resting lounge.

 

There were some students already there, and they waved their hands at him when he entered.

 

“Guys!”

 

“…?”

 

“???”

 

“Today, I was targeted by the students from the White Tigers, simply because I'm from the Blue Dragons!”

 

There was a moment of silence.
What he said was so absurd that it took them a moment to digest what they just heard.

 

But the silence was broken by someone who flipped the table before him.

 

“…Those lumps of metal did what!?”

 

“So they think we're that easy, huh!?”

 

'Huh?'

 

The students of the Blue Dragons reacted much more strongly than he thought they would.

 

“Assemble everyone! Tell them that the bastards of the White Tigers laid their hands on Wardanaz!”

 

“If it was Gainando, we would've stayed silent.
But Wardanaz? Now they've crossed a line.”

 

“Are there any weapons? Find some! Let's go beat the shit out of them!”

 

Things began heating up, and Yi-han tried to calm them down a bit.

 

“Wait, guys.
I'm thankful that everyone thinks of me so fondly, but you're overreacting.
There's no need to-”

 

“Don't stop us, Wardanaz! We have a debt that we have to repay.”

 

“Yeah! There's no one here that didn't eat the meat you procured!”

 

Yi-han felt slightly sorry seeing how thankful they were despite being completely scammed.

 

“And there's also the matter of our pride!”

 

“Defeat the White Tigers!”

 

“Crush the White Tigers!”