Surviving as a Mage in a Magic Academy

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He treated the sausage like treasure and looked around to make sure no one would steal from him.
Then, he made a skewer out of it and placed it inside the fireplace.

 

The sausage was slowly getting cooked, accompanied by a melodious sound.
The meat from the boar was of high quality, and the smell that permeated the air stimulated his empty stomach.

 

“Heheheh…”

 

“…”

 

“…”

 

He didn't realize that Yi-han and Yonaire were watching him like some pitiful creature.
He took out a potato from his other pocket.
This too had been something he purchased from Yi-han.
Carefully, he placed it beneath the fireplace.

 

“Heheheheh…”

 

“…Gainando.
Nobody's going to steal from you, so just eat like a normal person, will you?”

 

“?!??”

 

Gainando jumped up, realizing for the first time that Yi-han and Yonaire were there.

 

“W-when did you guys come in!?”

 

“We were watching as you cautiously skewered the sausage.”

 

“D-did not!”

 

“Hey, the sausage is going to burn at this rate.
You should take it out.”

 

“My precious!”

 

Gainando quickly took it out in a panic before staring at them with vigilant eyes.

 

“Gainando, you really think Yonaire and I are going to steal your sausage?”

“C-course not.”

 

However, he didn't lower his guard.
Giving up, Yi-han turned to Yonaire instead.

 

“It's quite serious.”

 

“Everyone's getting hungry again.”

 

Gainando hadn't turned crazy or anything.
Everyone was having trouble getting food.

 

The only saving grace was that Yi-han brought back some food every once in a while from Uregor's hut.
Otherwise, they would've been in an even worse position.

 

“The meat's going to run out by the end of the week…We might need to hunt again on the weekend.”

 

“Will we be okay?”

 

“We'll have Nilia accompany us.”

 

Yonaire nodded at his words.
Nilia, the dark elf, was a veteran huntress.
She was indeed a reliable companion to have, though the person in question might scream “Why me!?” later on when she was notified of this decision…

 

“Professor Uregor's quite petty,” Yi-han complained.

 

The professor was a rather stingy dwarf.

 

He had told Yi-han that he could have free access to the hut, but he acted miserly whenever Yi-han tried to bring food back.
He was okay with Yi-han cooking and eating right there and there, but he would nag him about bringing anything back.

 

– Stop right there.
That's the bread I baked to have in the evening! And when did you even hide a jar of jam in your pocket? You don't need it!

 

– Sir, I've tended your farm for you.
It's just a jar of jam!

 

– You've had your fill! Why do you need more!? You ransack the place every time you visit!

 

“Now that he has his guard up, smuggling food out won't be easy.”

 

“I wonder if there'll be an opportunity to-”

 

Yonaire gasped when she realized what she had been about to say.
The academy was starting to influence her in a bad way.

 

***

 

Garsia, also known as Professor Troll, gave a wry smile seeing the students enter the classroom.

 

As someone that cared a lot about the students, he was quick to notice even the most minute changes.

 

First, the first week at the academy was nearing its end, and the students were all in a hungry state.
He didn't fully agree with the principal's ideology, but it was true that nothing was as effective at getting students to move as hunger.

 

The hungry students would do everything in their power to acquire food.

 

'Good luck, everyone.'

 

Second, tension was already beginning to form between students of different towers.
Since they all came from different backgrounds, it was natural that they would see each other as competitors.

 

In particular, and have historically always been at odds against each other.

 

The reason couldn't be more obvious.
On one side, there were students that grew up in powerful families that valued tradition.
On the other, there were students that were raised as knights near the Empire's borders.

 

According to the principal, it was apparently to have the students on their toes.

 

Only competition would lead to growth!

 

“Now, settle down everyone.”

 

Though they weren't as shocked as when they first met the professor, the pressure that came from Garsia was still as powerful as ever due to the troll blood running in his veins.

 

Students of both towers sat down quietly.

 

“Last time, we learned the spell known as .
Though none of you were able to successfully cast it, there's no need to feel down.
Magic isn't something you can learn quickly, and while you might have some trouble in the beginning, you'll improve rapidly once you get the hang of it.
Having said that, was anyone able to cast successfully?”

 

Yi-han raised his hand while yawning.

 

'It took all night.'

 

He had felt pressured after seeing everyone from the Blue Dragons say they mastered the spell.

 

As a true-blue Korean, he refused to be pushed out of the competition without putting up a struggle, and as a result, he spent the entire night practicing .

 

Though it didn't take a massive amount of mana for each attempt, anyone else would've fainted in the middle.
Yi-han, on the other hand, was completely fine, only slightly tired.

 

“…?”

 

Yi-han quickly felt something was weird.
No one around him had their hands raised.

 

'The hell's going on!?'

 

“Ohhh…”

 

“He's a Wardanaz alright.”

 

“As expected…”

 

The students of the Blue Dragons clapped lightly, feeling both envious and proud.

 

'Take that, White Tigers! We have Wardanaz!'

…was what passed through their minds.

 

“Hey, you.”

 

Yi-han, still confused about what was going on, asked the student who sat beside him.

 

He was the guy that claimed he had mastered .

 

“I thought you mastered the spell?”

 

“Oh, you heard that? Well…I actually wasn't able to pull it off in the end.
But I was close, so I thought it'd be fine if I said I mastered it.”

 

“…”

 

He had been tricked!

 

'These freaking showoff nobles…!!'