Ch. 128 - Aslan Seminar (2)

Chapter 128: Aslan Seminar (2)

In the city of poems, Camelon, there were quite a lot of hidden events.

Each alley whispered tales and mysterious secrets due to the enchantment cast by Progenitor Mage, and the magic merchants living here had a profound story to tell.

Truly, it was the holy land of events.

However, as an Academy student, one couldn't easily enter Camelon, so those numerous events were merely out of reach for players, just like a tantalizing illusion.

Hence, among the few ways to enter Camelon, a 'Pass to the Aslan Seminar' was quite important for the players.

Baek Yu-Seol didn't care much about Camelon’s events, but there was one thing which piqued his curiosity.

[Lirama Fortune Telling]

There was a unique NPC here who foretold the future.

It was said that if the player had chosen Flame, then upon their first encounter, the NPC immediately threw those words: ‘Ah, the child chosen by fate has arrived. Come here and tell me your story.’

Initially, it seemed like the NPC recognized the player, but if approached with a different character, the NPC spoke entirely different lines.

If approached as Ma Yu-Seong, he'd say, ‘Ah, the child who don’t belong to either side has arrived,’ and if as Hae Won-Ryang, ‘A conflicted child at the crossroads of choice,’

Due to the fortune-teller NPC's ability, players with various characters visited for a while, but Baek Yu-Seol didn't know what destiny held for him.

Not for any particular reason, but since he was the only player with character Baek Yu-Seol who didn't come to Camelon.

Therefore, he was curious.

Will the fortune-teller's prophecy work in reality or not?

Will he predict something for him?

Will there be a useful insight?

Did they anticipate his arrival?

‘Is this the place?’

The fortune-teller’s house was tucked away deep in the maze-like alleys, making it quite hard to find.

Despite checking the map several times through his thick spec, he kept passing by.

"Ugh!"

With a strong push, he forced the creaky wooden door open.

When did he last oil these hinges?

When he went inside, there was a musty smell of old books in the air. It was heavy enough to compel him to escape.

However, he strived on, and entered further to find a small, stern-looking grandmother glared at him with fierce eyes.

Then, abruptly, she uttered, "... An unexpected unwelcome visitor has arrived. This is not where you should be. Get lost."

"Yes?"

Baek Yu-Seol was genuinely taken aback as he never anticipated such a response.

‘Wait, at least let me say something?’

"I-I came to have my fortune read... about marriage or something..."

"Your fortune cannot be read."

"Why not?"

Grandma glared right through him and shook her head.

"Nothing can be seen from you."

‘Huh. Isn’t this a complete scam?’

As he was about to leave in disbelief, the door creaked open loudly, and Flame came crashing down.

"Agh..."

She stood up with difficulty while rubbing her forehead, and made eye contact with Baek Yu-Seol.

It seemed as if she had accidentally opened the wrong door.

"Uh, why are you here?"

Looking at her, he pondered in silence.

In the game world, did Character Flame inevitably arrive here?

Baek Yu-Seol thought that since he had come, Flame wouldn't come.

That was a misconception.

Whether as a player or not, Flame was Flame in the end.

Baek Yu-Seol was about to say more to her, but before he could, the fortune teller opened his mouth.

"The child chosen by fate has arrived."

"... What?"

"Huh?"

At that, Baek Yu-Seol couldn't help but be flustered. The exact line he heard in the game was uttered by the fortune teller.

‘What's going on?’

Since she treated him so badly, he thought the game and reality were different.

But why did she recite the line from the game to Flame?

… And why didn't it happen to Baek Yu-Seol?

"W-what is that... Oh, sorry. I thought I was just touching the wall, and I didn't know there was a door."

"I know, child. It was your fate to come here. Come, sit. I'll tell you a story."

"I'm actually busy right now..."

"The Aslan Seminar will be delayed by 30 minutes due to the worsening condition of the Chairman's illness."

"Oh, really?"

Flame blinked and looked at Baek Yu-Seol, and he nodded.

It was true.

It was always like that in the original game.

Well, Baek Yu-Seol thought it was just something he often saw, but... it was strange since the fortune teller also knew about it.

‘Is she really an accurate fortune teller?’

It seemed like she had some magical ability, which was why it was puzzling.

Why would she say such a thing to Baek Yu-Seol only?

"Um, yeah..."

Flame looked at Baek Yu-Seol, and hesitated before sitting down across the fortune teller.

Quietly, he left the fortune-teller’s place.

As long as he was there, the fortune teller wouldn't speak up.

"Sigh."

Baek Yu-Seol was in a bad mood.

Camelon, White Magic Tower, 109th floor.

'The Hall of Progenitor.'

The Aslan Seminar was held on the top floor; the 109th floor of the massive floating tower which was known as the White Magic Tower.

It reflected the mages’ desire to reach higher grounds.

This seminar was attended by a staggering number of people, with as many as twenty-three elevators provided for the convenience of the upper-class mages, some of whom even utilized temporary warp holes.

There was no need to explain how impressive the facilities of the White Magic Tower were.

The official attendance of mages at the Aslan Seminar typically didn’t exceed 200, and there was rarely any fluctuation in that number.

It was quite peculiar.

Even if a particular family held a 'permanent attendance pass,' it would be impossible to attend if they didn’t have a mage in their twenties.

Why was that?

The reason was quite obvious.

To regularly attend the Aslan Seminar, most prestigious families adopted talented children into their lineage.

So, it could be said that half of the people attending were puppets who merely stuck the name of a prestigious family on their foreheads.

It was an unhealthy cycle which was ruining the essence of Aslan Seminar.

In the case of the renowned 'Dromian' Family known for ice magic, they annually adopted around 100 talented children from the Northern Territories.

But apart from the most exceptional one, they either sold off or disposed of the rest.

“We sincerely apologize to all the attendees for the delay of the seminar.”

Although the host apologized, he didn’t have the apologetic expression.

It felt as if he was conveying, 'Our chairperson is unwell, what are you all going to do?'

Despite their worsening condition, the chairperson attended the Aslan Seminar. Perhaps it was their determination to see that year's rising stars.

'What on earth...'

Flame listened to the host's words while absentmindedly recalling the recent events.

'That fortune-teller, she's really something, isn't she?'

Most fortune-tellers engaged in shallow tricks like gathering information beforehand and pretended to know it in advance.

However, the one she just encountered was different.

She had the insight to see right through the fact that she was a transmigrated person.

One could discover the worsening condition of the chairperson.

However, Flame had stumbled upon the place by chance, but the Fortune teller claimed it was destiny, and offered some meaningful advice and a few gifts.

'Your destiny has become entangled. You must have many questions and things you wish to ask.'

'... Yes.'

'Go seek out the child born with the blessing of ice.'

'Ice...'

‘Alright. With that child, try studying the constellations. You might gain some insight into the path you're meant to take.’

Honestly, she didn't quite grasp the meaning.

So, she wanted to ask Baek Yu-Seol, but unfortunately, she couldn't meet them because he rushed quickly.

Baek Yu-Seol was gazing at the host from a slight distance, lost in thought. It was impossible to discern his thoughts.

"Now, we will have a speech from the chairman of the Mage Association, Mage Aryumon."

Claps!

There was no cheering.

Polite applause momentarily filled the hall, and the speech by this year's chairperson began.

"Thank you for gathering here. I'm unwell, so can I keep this brief? If not, then... well..."

"Yes, of course, Chairman."

"Thank you..."

It was expected to be a dull and clichéd speech, but due to the chairperson's health and the delayed time, the speech was made shorter and faster.

‘He's quite handsome…’

Flame blankly stared at the chairperson.

The head of the Magic Society, Aryumon, appeared to be in his early twenties, but his real age was 150 years apart. The mage looked worn and haggard due to severe illness.

Yet, that wasn't entirely unpleasant.

Some fans of the original novel admired this decadent aspect.

However, due to the rarity of interactions between the president of the society and the main character Eisel, the couple pairing didn't actively happen among fans.

"... With this, let's proceed with the Aslan Seminar.”

Clapping was louder than before.

Flame ceased pondering.

It was time to truly focus on the Aslan Seminar.

‘The Aslan Seminar is a survival game.’

At least, that was what Flame, who had read the original novel, thought.

The essence of the Aslan Seminar lay in 200 geniuses from various races and prestigious families.

They came together to present their theories, and critique each other's ideas.

In simple words, it was about discrediting another genius's knowledge, mock their magic abilities, mock their character, and shake their mental fortitude.

That was the only way to survive in the Aslan Seminar and secure a guarantee for the next year.

To survive as long as possible in Aslan, she needed to be remembered as the superior genius.

Flame didn't particularly care about the reputation brought by Aslan, she was the kind of person who didn’t like to lose.

‘Anyone who gets in the way, I'll tear them apart.’

"Sigh..."

Eisel took a deep breath as she prepared to take the podium.

Unfortunately, she was the first presenter.

With nearly two hundred presentations scheduled, the Aslan Seminar spanned an entire day.

Early on, everyone typically had robust energy, so she anticipated a barrage of attacks.

As a result, established attendees or those from prestigious families usually presented later, while the rising stars presented earlier.

‘Just stay calm and stick to the plan.’

‘My thesis is flawless. It's innovative, something no one has ever thought of before.’

… However, the issue arose when she couldn't solidify that unique idea into a theory and ultimately needed significant help from Baek Yu-Seol in the end.

Since there was only she and Baek Yu-Seol who knew this fact in the world, it was not a problem.

Yet, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Magic had its individuality and characteristics. Though they both had the fire element, Hong Bi-Yeon had an explosive magic, while Arshuang's magic was more refined and controlled.

Eisel’s magic was characterized by a budding life force, and Baek Yu-Seol surprisingly grasped her essence and incorporated it into her thesis.

Still, Baek Yu-Seol’s influence remained strongly imbued in her magic.

‘But what if someone were to sense Baek Yu-Seol essence in my thesis instead of Eisel Morph’s?’

‘...That's highly unlikely.’

For that reason, how much did Baek Yu-Seol truly contribute and help?

Taking a deep breath, she tried to relax and face the podium.

‘In one minute from now, I'll reveal my magic to everyone.’

’This would be the moment where I would be acknowledged for my abilities as Eisel, not just as the 'daughter of the traitor Morph.'

‘Failure is not an option.’

"Huh, who's this? Isn't this Eisel Morph? From that Morph Family?"

As she tried to maintain composure, someone approached from behind.

"Huh? Who are you?"

It was someone she didn’t know.

With white hair and red eyes which resembled snakes, the young man sported the emblem of 'Argonda University' on his chest.

While being recognized as a prestigious student of Argonda was noticeable, what caught attention more was...

‘... The Dromian Family?’

They were famous for their ice magic, so it was impossible for her not to know.

At one time, their name was synonymous with the Morph Family as the foremost authorities in ice attribute magic.

However, a crucial distinction existed between Dromian and Morph.

"Pure blood."

The Morph Family was overwhelmingly gifted in ice magic across all lineages.

It grew stronger with each generation, to the extent that even Eisel’s generation was inherently born with the 'Blessing of Ice.'

However, the Dromian lineage was different.

Initially, they were adept in ice magic akin to Morph. However, as generations passed, their magical lineage grew increasingly faint.

Ultimately, they resorted to clandestinely adopting individuals gifted in ice magic, and barely maintained their reputation through this means.

It was all too obvious how inferior the Dromian felt compared to the Morph Family.

However, the Morph Family became extinct...

How would the Dromian react?

Eisel could tell by looking at the slight curl of the young man's lips.

‘So delighted, aren't you?’

Eisel was already well aware of the unfortunate history between the Dromian and Morph, but witnessing it first hand made her feel even more bitter.

"Welcome, Eisel Morph. I'm Keika Dromian. Let's support each other as representatives of our respective family."

Then, as if remembering something, Keika added, "Oh... you don’t have a family left to represent? Anyway, as fellow ice mages, let's determine whose magic is superior. It was truly regrettable when your family perished, and we lost a rival. Today, the world will truly see who excels."

"Yes."

After saying this, Keika lightly tapped Eisel’s shoulder and walked past her.

Then, inwardly, he smiled.

‘What luck!’

There was no way that the thesis of Eisel, who previously struggled in the streets like a beggar, could possibly surpass the knowledge compiled in Dromian's thesis by the finest ice mages.

However, in the eyes of the world, such things were merely propositions without much relevance.

‘Dromian's magic would ultimately surpass Morph’s. I thought I could never erase the title 'Second Authority in Ice Magic,’ but after the extinction of Morph, it seems possible.’

And today, if Dromian's name could surpass Morph’s... Gaining the family's head position might not be far off!

The smile on Keika’s face intensified.

Comments