How to Live Comfortably as an Abandoned Prince

Chapter 167. Be Careful of That One

Radel headed to the year representatives’ office.

He had received word that since all the members had gathered at the Academy before the semester started, they should hold a meeting after a long while.

This time, it was not one of Professor Kaylin’s pranks, but a genuine year representatives’ meeting.

“Hello.”

As Radel entered, Anesha and Patien greeted him warmly.

Shartea was also sitting by the window drinking tea, and she returned Radel’s greeting.

Although the semester had not yet begun, Radel felt as though he had returned to a familiar daily routine.

“It’s been so long! I heard news about you even where I was!”

“I saw you just a few days ago too, right? Still, seeing you here makes me even happier, Junior!”

Anesha and Patien looked at Radel with eyes full of curiosity, as if they had countless questions.

They were seniors who truly loved interesting rumors.

“I heard you’ve been touring workshops lately?”

“Of course. You’ve already been to the Alchemy Workshop, and I bet you’ve been to the Beastology Workshop too, right?”

“I’ve never even been to the Beastology Workshop myself. How was it?”

Radel answered while recalling the Beastology Workshop.

“It was interesting. I got to see a lot of magical beasts you don’t usually encounter. But is it normal to visit other workshops before choosing a major?”

“Not really. If you’re not careful, you might get dragged away on the spot. You need to choose your major carefully.”

“Yeah, yeah. You have to be careful.”

Anesha and Patien laughed after making remarks that sounded half-joking, half-serious.

Considering the personalities of the Academy professors, it did seem like if one casually asked for a tour, they might be taken to a workshop and never let go.

In fact, talented students being seized by professors and dragged into workshops was apparently quite common.

According to the seniors, after showing someone around, some professors would say that the place was only for majors and refuse to let them leave unless they signed a major application.

Hearing that, Radel’s expression became subtle.

‘Isn’t that basically coercion…?’

The eccentricities of Academy professors were always something new to hear about.

“Still, visiting all the workshops is pretty rare.”

“I heard something like this happened once before with a student who had priority major selection rights.”

“Really? I think I’ve heard that the principal toured all the workshops back when he was a student.”

“Oh yeah, I know that one. It’s famous.”

It was well known that the current Academy principal, Cromwell Bondis, had completed every major at the Academy before graduating.

According to the seniors, back then, the rule had been strictly one major per person.

The professors, fighting to claim Cromwell, supposedly engaged in battles where lives were on the line, and as a result, the one-major-per-person system was abolished.

Since then, students had been allowed to choose multiple majors if they wished.

Radel was stunned yet again.

They had fought life-and-death battles over a single student…?

He could only confirm that Academy professors had always been strange, both then and now.

“Thanks to that, I was able to do a double major.”

Patien said proudly.

The confidence of a student double-majoring in Transformation Magic and Summoning Magic showed clearly.

“Honestly, it’s kind of absurd. One major alone is already overwhelming. It’s not common for people to do multiple majors.”

“Everyone could do it, they just don’t because it’s annoying, right? I just decided to put up with that little bit of annoyance.”

Patien grinned and asked Radel,

“So now you only have the Summoning Magic, Transformation Magic, and Combat Magic workshops left?”

“That’s right.”

“Then it’ll soon be your turn to visit the workshop I belong to.”

Then Patien leaned closer to Radel, as if sharing top-secret information, and whispered,

“I’ll tell you a secret code that my friends and I use in secret.”

“What is it?”

When Radel asked, Patien discreetly spread his fingers.

“It’s our trump-card code. When you go to a workshop, the first thing you should check is the seniors’ fingers.”

He explained that if a senior had one finger extended, it meant the professor’s anger was at level one, and if three fingers were extended, it meant anger level three.

“If you end up choosing a major, you’ll need the skill to read your professor’s mood.”

If all five fingers were extended, signaling anger level five, it meant the professor was in a very bad mood and you should escape immediately.

He said that while he didn’t know about other workshops, this code was secretly used in the Summoning Magic and Transformation Magic workshops.

Radel looked at Patien with eyes full of respect.

As expected of a seasoned double-major student, it was truly a masterful survival technique.

After hearing plenty of information about majors from Anesha and Patien, Radel spoke to Shartea, who had been quietly reading a book.

“Shartea-senior, you’re a Combat Magic major, right? I suppose I’ll see you at the Combat Magic Workshop.”

At Radel’s words, Shartea set down her teacup and spoke.

“…There’s something you need to be careful about if you come to the Combat Magic Workshop.”

She had planned to tell him if he chose Combat Magic, but judging by the situation, it seemed better to warn him in advance.

In any case, it was something he wouldn’t be able to avoid even if he tried.

Sensing the change in Shartea’s mood, Radel tensed slightly and asked,

“Something I need to be careful about?”

If he was going to the Combat Magic Workshop, being cautious made sense.

After all, the major professor there was none other than Professor Lillian.

Professor Lillian’s obsession with combat was terrifying.

She was the type who would clap her hands and call it a fight worth risking one’s life even if one student died while sparring.

Entering her stronghold meant Radel needed to be mentally prepared.

He might even have to duel Professor Lillian one-on-one.

“Yes. There are a lot of people who want to fight you.”

He hadn’t expected there to be seniors who wanted to fight him as well.

“You might not be able to use swordsmanship, so be careful.”

There was genuine concern for Radel in Shartea’s words.

True to being Professor Lillian’s disciples, the Combat Magic majors seemed extremely aggressive.

If even Shartea-senior was telling him to be careful.

Radel decided he needed to steel himself before visiting the Combat Magic Workshop.

At that moment, Anesha, as if remembering something, asked Shartea,

“Come to think of it, isn’t Estina-senior coming back this semester?”

At that, Shartea’s expression darkened.

She even furrowed her brow, as if she had heard a name she didn’t want to recall.

Shartea shook her head, as though trying to erase unpleasant memories, then spoke to Radel.

“Especially be careful of that one. You might already know, but they’re completely insane.”

Was she telling him to be careful of someone named Estina?

At Shartea’s ominous warning, Radel searched his memory.

‘Who was it? A Combat Magic major, I think….’

It was definitely a name Radel had heard before.

Perhaps someone from the imperial family.

‘Right, the Fourth Imperial Princess!’

Radel recalled the forgotten name.

Estina Mercure Cretian.

One of the strongest candidates for the throne.

“Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“Senior!”

When Radel went to the meeting spot to head to the Summoning Magic Workshop, Patien was already there.

He said he had come in place of Professor Marianne to guide Radel to the Summoning Magic Workshop.

“Haha, I heard Anesha guided you around before. It sounded fun, so I asked the professor if I could do it too.”

Patien handed Radel a single leaf, saying he had prepared it to welcome him.

“What is this?”

“A leaf of the World Tree. You need this the first time you go.”

Patien placed the leaf on Radel’s palm and recited an incantation.

Then, a breeze blew from deeper within the forest where they were standing.

Whoooosh.

When Radel closed his eyes against the sudden wind and opened them again, a massive tree stood before them.

“This is…?”

Radel was more shocked by its overwhelming size than by the tree’s sudden appearance.

Its circumference looked well over a hundred meters, and its top was so high it was impossible to see.

There were windows and doors embedded in the tree, all made to human scale, yet from the outside they looked incredibly small.

As Radel stood there stunned, Patien explained,

“It’s one of the descendants of the World Tree. Enormous, right?”

Only then did Radel understand the true nature of the Summoning Magic Workshop.

Unlike other workshops, this one had been built into a living tree.

It was possible because the Summoning Magic professor, Marianne, was an elf.

The World Tree was a sacred tree protected by elves, something ordinary people could go their entire lives without ever seeing.

If this was its descendant, the immense size made sense.

Radel felt the pure, natural mana flowing from the workshop.

The tranquil mana of the tree enveloped the space.

Such high-purity mana.

Just looking at the workshop made his mind feel cleansed.

“It’s incredible. How long has it been here?”

“I heard Professor Marianne planted it herself when she came to the Academy.”

Then just how old was Professor Marianne…?

Radel briefly tried to calculate how long it would take for a World Tree descendant to grow this large, then shook his head and cast the thought aside.

There were things in the world one didn’t need to know.

“Let’s go inside.”

Patien familiarly opened the door to the workshop.

As they entered together, the air grew even clearer.

Even though they had moved from outside to inside, there was no sense of stuffiness.

‘Is it because we’re inside a tree instead of a building?’

As Radel marveled, Patien gestured inward.

“Here it is, the Summoning Magic Workshop. You could call it the cradle of summoning magic at the Academy.”

Only then did Radel take a proper look at the inside.

Inside the tree-carved workshop, plants were growing, and butterflies, bees, and small birds fluttered about.

It felt believable to call it a massive greenhouse rather than a workshop.

And there were other beings moving about the space as well—spirits.

Water spirits, fire spirits, earth spirits, even the rare wind spirits—the four great elemental spirits were all present, along with many other kinds of spirits Radel had never seen before.

We should sprinkle water here!

Great, then I’ll go over there and keep the flowers warm.

It was a scene that naturally warmed the heart.

However, the atmosphere on the other side was different.

It was so alien that even the spirits avoided it.

That was where Professor Marianne stood.

“Senior, I think Professor Marianne is over there.”

Professor Marianne wasn’t alone.

Summoning Magic seniors were gathered with her.

Seeing the group, Patien swallowed nervously.

He looked tense, as if he had noticed something.

Only then did Radel’s gaze shift to the seniors’ hands.

They were holding up three fingers.

He recalled the secret code Patien had taught him at the year representatives’ meeting.

In other words, anger level three.