WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Surviving in the Magic Academy

Chapter 159

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159.

I looked at Biogan. He was letting magical power flow out as he examined his surroundings. His movements as he slowly searched the area were cautious to the extreme.

Watching him, I gave a light shrug. He would not find anything no matter how thoroughly he searched. The place we were in right now was just a small clearing I had thrown together in a hurry so I could talk with him.

Because I had made it so quickly, I had not put in any traps. I had not planned to, either. What need was there to make traps? If it came down to it, I just had to subdue him with the others.

That was why I had prepared this place. If he intended to escape, he would be able to get out at any moment. Because of that, I thought even he would feel a little more at ease here.

Of course, escaping would not actually be easy. I could feel magical power wavering beyond the clearing. The others had stepped away for a moment so we could talk. That was the result of me persuading them that I had something to discuss with him.

In that situation, if he tried to escape, the others obviously would not just stand by and let him go. He would not want to take that kind of risk for no reason.

Judging by how he looked now, though, he still had not let go of his suspicion. Well, of course. It had not been long since he had been revealed as a traitor.

Of course, I had no intention of doing anything to him. If I pressured him like that, I would only invite resistance in the end. From my position, since I wanted a conversation, it would bring nothing but losses.

“First, I’ll make us somewhere to sit. We can’t exactly talk while standing around.”

I smiled slightly and waved a hand. Magical power flowed along my fingertips and across the ground, slowly drawing a magic circle. The magic circle trembled lightly, and soon the ground began to rise.

The mound of dirt formed the shape of a table and chairs under the control of magic. They maintained perfect balance and gave off such a fine sheen that it was hard to believe they had been pulled from a pile of soil.

I nodded in satisfaction, then took the first seat. After that, I pointed across from me.

“Then please sit. If standing is more comfortable, you can stay as you are. Well, you don’t need to worry too much. As you just confirmed for yourself, I’m the only one nearby.”

I felt Biogan looking at me. I met his gaze. Those sharp eyes held a little magical power, as if they were measuring me.

As if sensing that gaze, the Cassian puppet moved a little closer to my side. It lightly tapped its sword and faced Biogan.

As long as it was standing guard, taking me hostage would be impossible. That was also why I could stay here alone like this. Pulling my own body out was at least possible.

Biogan soon looked away. Then he examined the table and carefully sat down. His cautious nature had not gone anywhere, because he raised his magical power and carefully felt around the area.

It soon became a kind of barrier, building a layer of film around us. It was a structure meant to cut us off from the outside. I did not bother blocking his magical power.

If this made him feel more at ease, the conversation would be easier. Biogan must have finished all his preparations, because he soon drew back all his magical power.

I quietly stroked my chin and stared at him. As if avoiding my gaze, he gently closed his eyes. Sitting there in silence, he looked incredibly still and taciturn.

Seeing him like that, he really did seem to have the sharp atmosphere of a swordsman. I had almost been fooled by that appearance. I had almost thought a swordsman would never betray us.

I crossed my arms and nodded. But in the end, I had uncovered the whole truth. Mm... perhaps I had sensed something suspicious about him from the start. No, I definitely had.

A magic-swordsman? There was no way something like that existed. How could a mage become a swordsman just because he held a sword? Swordsmen and mages were different from the very root.

In the end, a fake could never reach the real thing. I glanced at the Cassian puppet. That thing was exactly such a case. It merely used the information of the swordsman called Cassian, but in the end, it was nothing more than a puppet.

In that sense, the fake sword-user in front of me might be an even more dangerous existence than an ordinary mage. To know that no one was as honest as a swordsman and then try to imitate that. How sinister could someone be?

I shuddered slightly. If I had not sensed that suspiciousness from the beginning, I would not have been able to judge him as a traitor like this. In the end, my sharp eye had shone through.

Well, enough self-justification. With that bitter smile, I looked at Biogan. He was waiting quietly with his eyes closed, saying nothing. It looked like he was waiting for me to start the conversation.

I tapped the table and let magical power flow from my fingertips. My magical power ran across the table, then began pulling a tea set out from within it. I took one of the cups, poured tea with magic, and held it out to Biogan.

The magical power flowing around us had gone rigid, as if sensing the tension coming from Biogan. First, I needed to loosen this mood a little.

I smiled warmly and shook the teacup. Then the sweet scent inside met my magical power and spread in every direction. Those stiff strands of magical power were also pushed away by that fragrance and slowly disappeared.

I poured a cup of tea for myself and took a light sip. An artificially made flower melted on my tongue, revealing layer after layer of sweet flavor.

It was tea made from leaves that put the mind at ease, the kind any mage would like. So Biogan would surely like this tea too. Then it was time to begin the conversation in earnest.

“Mm, as for why Biogan betrayed us, I won’t ask. I’m sure there’s some story behind it.”

I gave a light shrug. At my words, he opened his eyes slightly and glanced down at the teacup in front of him. I met his gaze and smiled brightly.

Why did you do it? That was a question Gunda had thrown at him several times on the way here. But Biogan had not given a clear answer. He had only answered with silence.

Judging by how things were going, he clearly would not tell me the reason at this negotiation table either. So there was no need to ask again.

Also, that was not a very important issue to me. He was not even a real swordsman, so what did it matter what kind of story he had? More important was the fact that I had finally faced the traitor.

“Rather than matters of the past, I would like to discuss something productive. I don’t know who is behind Biogan. I also don’t know why they are targeting us. So I would like Biogan to introduce me to that opponent.”

Biogan frowned slightly. I could see a little suspicion in his eyes. I gave him a small shake of my head and raised both hands.

“I’m not trying to harm that person. It’s the opposite. I intend to cooperate. As I said earlier, that is the path that can move things in a direction that helps everyone. That’s why I prepared this meeting.”

Saying that, I quietly studied Biogan’s face. Perhaps my words tempted him a little, because that suspicion softened somewhat.

“Of course, if you refuse, we’ll have to eliminate Biogan for safety. But if I talk with that side and reach a proper agreement, we’ll have no reason to drop Biogan either. In the end, the conflict will have been properly settled.”

I finished speaking with a bright smile. There was no need for me to explain any further. It would be better for him to go through the process of accepting it himself than for me to keep persuading him.

Biogan crossed his arms and sank into thought. I quietly watched him. If he rejected my proposal, surrendered, and left the competition, it would be a big loss for me too. His strength was at the core of this meat shield group I had planned.

But there was no way Biogan would reject this offer. He was not a swordsman, but a mage. A mage, always armed with reason, was bound to thoroughly calculate their own benefit.

A good while passed like that. Then Biogan, having organized his thoughts, opened his eyes and met my gaze. Just as I expected, he slowly nodded.

I smiled brightly at him. Of course, in my heart, I lowered my trust in him by another level. This was also the final crossroads for confirming whether he was a swordsman or not.

But he had chosen betrayal once again. In that sense, even calling him a fake sword-user felt too generous. It would be more fitting to call him a true mage instead. Hiding those inner thoughts, I lightly clapped my hands.

“Then would you send the communication? We’ll have to move soon too. Wouldn’t now be the best time to talk?”

After hesitating for a moment, Biogan seemed to make up his mind and felt inside his clothes. Then he took out a small mirror. Inside that mirror, which was only about the size of one finger joint, I could feel complex, wavering magical power.

He placed it on the table, then began drawing a simple magic circle near it. The magic circle, with magical power flowing through it, raised a small screen into the air centered around the mirror.

It was the result of amplifying the magic engraved in the mirror. I stroked my chin and observed it. That could be called a kind of communication device. It was an object with a function similar to my mirror bugs.

My eyes quietly sparkled. I had wondered how Biogan was sending information, but I had not expected him to have something like that. No wonder it had been so hard to find traces no matter how much I searched.

I felt a little impressed by the unknown opponent. Unlike my mirror bugs, communication methods like that had very complex structures. Because of that, their price was also considerable.

And yet, they had thought to bring something like that in advance. Seeing how thoroughly prepared they were, their skill seemed quite impressive.

I watched as the screen gradually grew clearer. Once the screen fully settled, it began to give off a dark light. Then magical power wavered, and soon it drew the silhouette of a person beyond it.

[I received the urgent report earlier, but I didn’t think you would contact me this quickly. I believe I told you to be careful with its use, since there are only two uses left now. Did something happen?]

I stroked my chin while listening. I had heard about mirrors like that a few times, but this was my first time seeing one being used directly. That was why I only now learned that there was a limit to the number of uses.

No wonder people did not use them often. At that moment, a streak of golden light flashed through my mind. The mirror bugs and puppets I had scattered through the tower were all operating semi-permanently.

Perhaps because of that, aside from fixed costs, they did not earn that many points. But what if I introduced some kind of limit like that? I could make them break little by little as time passed.

Ohh, then points might pour in even more. Everyone was already addicted to the convenience, after all. I could feel all kinds of ideas springing up.

But I only neatly filed those thoughts away in one corner of my mind. Right now, it was time to talk about something more important. I quietly composed myself and looked at Biogan.

Biogan nodded to the person beyond the screen, then glanced at me. He must have been telling me to speak. I gave a light cough and turned the screen toward me. Then I bowed deeply to the other person.

“I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Evron. We met before. I asked Biogan to contact you because I wanted to talk. It’s good to meet you like this, at least. Miorang.”

I spoke with a friendly smile. But the figure beyond the screen, Miorang, only remained silent, perhaps a little flustered after seeing me. I could feel him carefully studying my face.

I observed him as well. He was a young man with a very good-natured impression. As if showing that he belonged to the same association as Gunda, he was wearing thick armor.

I had not expected him to plant a traitor among us. I remembered how he had appeared before in the park while leading the others. It had been to extract information about us newcomers. Had that been groundwork for this? I still could not know.

[...Aha, is that so? It seems you were caught in the end.]

Miorang’s eyes slowly sank. He seemed to understand the whole situation. He lightly clicked his tongue and glanced at Biogan. In that gaze, I could sense a hint of reproach.

“There’s no need to blame Biogan. Biogan hid his identity well until the very end. The real problem was Ugo’s trap from before. From there, I was able to slowly narrow down the suspects.”

[Ugo, you mean. Tsk. I sent him to wipe out your people. But I never thought the two of you would cooperate. I was surprised when I heard that from Biogan.]

Miorang narrowed his eyes and looked at me. It seemed he believed the false information I had used to fish out Biogan. I lightly shrugged. Apparently, my lie had worked well.

“Ah... do you think I would cooperate with that madman? That was a kind of deception. It was to filter out the traitor like this, and further, to reach Miorang. Since we’ve met like this in the end, I would say it was quite successful.”

Miorang closed his mouth at my words. I could read a little panic in his eyes. Biogan was the same. I smiled at him as his eyes widened slightly.

Of course, he had shown signs of doubting that information until the end. But because even Jurban moved, he must have had no choice but to send it to Miorang as it was. And in the end, things had reached this point.

If we compared strength alone, Biogan or Miorang was definitely stronger than me. But when it came to using tricks like this, I did not fall behind either. To survive, I always had to keep my head working.

But I had not created this meeting simply to brag about myself. It was to cooperate with them. And before talking about that cooperation, there was something I needed to point out first. I stroked my chin and opened my mouth.

“More than that, there’s something I don’t quite understand. I assume you put in considerable effort to turn Biogan into a traitor. But were we worth doing that to?”

I glanced at Biogan. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed. When had he betrayed us? Before our group was formed, or after? I could not know.

“Our group is ultimately nothing more than newcomers. We’re participating in the competition for the first time, so our skills are relatively low. Yet I didn’t expect you to create a traitor like this, and even prepare traps on top of that.”

Miorang looked at me, then let out a low sigh. After crossing his arms, he slowly opened his mouth.

[...Interesting. Since you revealed one truth, I suppose I should tell you one as well. There are several reasons, but the biggest one is Jugang.]

I tilted my head slightly. Jugang. It was a name I had heard for the first time. Miorang met my eyes and took a small piece out from his clothes. It was the token used in the association heads’ wager.

[I heard you have one more of these pieces. That means you eliminated its owner.]

I also took mine out from my clothes. Miorang stared at it, then finally nodded.

[Just as expected. Now I know where all the pieces are. Jugang was the owner of the piece you took. They placed third in the previous competition. When I tried tracking their movements, the trail cut off at the outskirts. The only ones who had moved near that place were your group. So naturally, I had no choice but to be wary.]

I fiddled with the piece. The owner of that giant ape puppet had been a ranked competitor from the previous competition? No wonder. Even while fighting them, I had thought something felt strange.

I had eliminated them very early in this competition. Maybe because of that, the territory and puppets they had created had not been fully refined yet.

Even so, I still vividly remembered how hard it had been to deal with them. If that mass production system had started running properly, I would not have been able to even approach.

There had been an actual crisis too. If I had not prepared a simple trick using the Cassian puppet’s regeneration, I would have been the one taken down instead.

Jugang, huh. I had not even known that name until now, but I had finally learned it. I scratched my head. In the end, had the traitor and the trap both come from something I caused?

Ugo’s attitude suddenly made sense. Miorang and Ugo must have approached carefully because neither was certain about the strength of our group. They had tried to judge our strength through each other.

Of course, I was sure that was not the only reason. They probably had something hidden too, just like me. But there was no need to dig all of that out here. Hearing this much was enough.

“Then since we have each spoken a truth, I suppose we can say a little trust has been built. In that case, shall we stop talking about the past and discuss something a little more productive? This piece, I’ll give it to Miorang.”

I lightly flicked the piece. It spun once in the air and came back into my hand. Miorang frowned slightly and looked at me.

[Why?]

“Because this is nothing but a headache for me. Eliminating Jugang was only a coincidence too. If I have this, Ugo will definitely try to target me again like last time. I faced him before, and his power seemed hard to withstand. So I think it’s right to hand this over to someone stronger than me.”

I flicked the piece again. This time, instead of coming back to me, it headed toward Biogan. Biogan quietly opened his eyes and caught it.

“Also, this will be a token of the cooperation we’ll build from now on. So I’ll leave this with Biogan. He’ll deliver the piece to Miorang.”

[Cooperation, you say.]

Miorang said that while glancing at Biogan. Like Ugo, he seemed to have quite a strong interest in the piece. Perhaps there was some story there that I did not know.

Of course, that had nothing to do with me. To me right now, it was only a useful tool. I gave a light shrug and continued speaking.

“Yes. What I want is only one thing. I think Miorang is probably paying quite a bit of attention to it too. A magical beast hunt. If we resolve that, I’ll let both the piece and Biogan go.”

[A magical beast, you say. I don’t think you can find any magical beasts in this competition.]

That was true. In this dense jungle, there was not a hint of a magical beast to be found. There were only endless trees. Of course, there was something similar to magical beasts.

The ones staying in that black sea separating the center and the outskirts. But those were not beings people like us could hunt. That was not what I was aiming for. I quietly tapped my chest.

“We are intelligent people, are we not? So everyone acts according to common sense. That is why I greatly admired Miorang. You showed how to fight based on the rules of this competition, and further, the rules of the association. To think you would create a traitor and try to collapse a group from within. It was truly excellent.”

I lightly clapped my hands and laughed. Then I looked between Biogan and Miorang and continued.

“One cannot resent such a method. It happened within the rules, after all. In such cases, wouldn’t it be fair to say the person who suffered from it was at fault? I can only respect such actions.”

[Oh, you and I understand each other.]

Miorang stroked his chin. I smiled at him and bowed my head. Then I narrowed my eyes and tapped the table.

“But I learned that someone in this competition hunts people. I nearly suffered from it too. I don’t think we need to treat someone who breaks the rules like that as a person. It would be more accurate to see such a person as a magical beast.”

[...Aha, so that is the kind of magical beast you mean.]

Miorang quietly nodded. I saw a faint smile rise at the corners of his mouth. He too seemed to have realized who I was talking about.

“That is why I arranged this meeting through Biogan. I thought it would be difficult to catch that magical beast with only the strength of our group. It should be the same for your side. So I was wondering what you think about the two of us joining forces to subjugate this dangerous magical beast first.”

Facing each other, we smiled at one another. Even without saying anything, it somehow felt as if the conversation was moving along smoothly. That must mean we were reading each other’s thoughts that well.

[That is an interesting idea. It catches my interest.]

Miorang spoke. It was a faint expression of agreement. I also nodded slightly. My enemy in this competition had been clearly decided. And there was a saying that the enemy of an enemy was an ally. So there was no reason not to cooperate with them.

Time passed as we talked like that. Then the screen gradually began to blur. The duration of the magic had run out. I lightly bowed toward the screen as it slowly faded away.

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