Ch. 102 - Tae-Ryeong’s Godly Technique (5)
I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic AcademyThis chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Notes
Happy reading!
This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
Happy reading!
Chapter 102: Tae-Ryeong’s Godly Technique (5)
The ceremony for Maizen Tyren’s defeat was a modest affair.
Unlike the previous time, they refrained from the pomp and grandeur of gathering all the students.
Distinguished personalities such as the Stella Magic Knights, Stella Board of Directors, Stella Tower shareholders, and Stella Magic Research Council were present at the ceremony.
In addition, various representatives from the Magic Daily newspaper and other magic tower affiliates were present, making this event quite an honor for a first-year student.
The students being honored were Flame, Eisel, Hong Bi-Yeon, and other members of Hong Bi-Yeon’s faction, led by Ma Yu-Seong and Baek Yu-Seol.
While Ma Yu-Seong and Baek Yu-Seol defeated Maizen, others were also recognized for their bravery in confronting the enemy before the battle even began.
"Let us now present the awards."
In the spacious auditorium, around two hundred renowned mages gathered.
Orenha cast a bored gaze at Stella's students. He couldn't fathom the reason for attending such a bothersome event merely because they happened to prevent an incident at the world tree.
Despite his diplomatic and political expertise, their rationale eluded him. He was here out of sheer necessity.
Click! Click!
Cameras flashed all around.
Yes, those cameras were significant.
As the elf king's representative, Orenha personally bestowed the awards and captured the moment in photographs to spread the news.
"No matter what the dark mages did, Stella and the world tree maintain a strong bond!"
It was funny how childish politics could be, even when the smartest people gathered to play the game. Then again, if dark mages, who threatened the world’s safety, could be so childish, why couldn’t the world’s top magic institution follow suit?
"First-year, Class S, Ma Yu-Seong. You have become an exemplary role model for your fellow students..."
Handsome and beautiful boys and girls received accolades from the council's elders.
Although it was a formal and dull affair, it meant a great deal to those students.
Orenha stood by, ready to award the second medal engraved with the mark of the world tree. The faces of the students receiving two medals at once were filled with joy.
"Congratulations."
In a dry tone, Orenha handed them the medal, and Ma Yu-Seong responded with a cool smile and a nod.
"Thank you."
‘Hmm?’
For a moment, Orenha sensed something eerie from him, but upon reevaluation, the student seemed entirely ordinary.
He possessed greater power compared to others his age, but that was all.
'That was unpleasant.'
Feeling irritated that his senses had reacted to a mere student, Orenha maintained his composure.
If a sour expression got captured in a photograph and became a topic for the world tree elders, it would earn Florin’s resentment, something he desperately wanted to avoid.
“First-year, Class S, Baek Yu-Seol. Likewise…”
Next, he awarded a commendation to a small, unremarkable student who seemed to have some kind of boyish charm.
The rumor was that these two students, Baek Yu-Seol and the other one, had taken down a Class 6 dark mage, but looking at his appearance, it was hard to believe such a feat.
However, that was the extent of it.
Orenha couldn't find anything particularly intriguing about him.
“Congratula...tions.”
As he reached out to pin the medal on Baek Yu-Seol, a certain aura emanating from him made Orenha's skin crawl.
'This!'
He recognized it. It was the energy of Leafanel, Florin’s old friend.
He quickly glanced around, but it seemed he was the only high elf who noticed this energy.
To the uninitiated humans, the ability to perceive the energy of familiars simply didn't exist.
"Is there a problem?"
“It’s nothing.”
The council's magician inquired, but Orenha swiftly composed himself and awarded Baek Yu-Seol the medal.
Then, he began to contemplate rapidly.
‘Why do I sense Leafanel’s energy from him?’
No matter how much he pondered, there was only one plausible answer.
‘He’s the one who killed Leafanel.’
Of course, it was still merely a conjecture.
Divine Slayers inherently possessed corrupted souls, and high elves' senses would react keenly to such darkness.
Since he didn't sense any of that from Baek Yu-Seol, he couldn't be entirely sure.
However, his thoughts soon shifted.
Given that a dark mage had breached the divine barrier and invaded, who was to say that there wasn't a technique to hide a corrupted soul?
Even if they were students of Stella, it was nearly impossible for two Class 3 wizards to defeat a Class 6 dark mage.
Baek Yu-Seol might have claimed good luck, but what if he possessed abilities he couldn't reveal to others?
What if he indeed held the power of a spirit?
Furthermore, could he have enrolled at Stella Academy to hide that power and cleanse his reputation of killing Leafanel?
The pieces of the puzzle fit perfectly.
‘Baek Yu-Seol.’
He was the culprit who killed Leafanel, the very person Florin was desperately searching for.
If he captured him and offered him to Florin, he would surely gain her favor.
‘Not yet.’
At that moment, there was no concrete evidence.
Moreover, it would be more effective to build up gradually rather than immediately offering him to Florin.
The best timing would be when her grudges grew stronger and her worries deepened to the point where she couldn't suppress her emotions.
Anyway, she would soon retreat again to the deep castle in the primordial mountain range where she would only have limited awareness of external events. With his complete control over White Castle, he could restrict the information reaching her.
Orenha held his quivering lower lip tightly.
‘Yes, I'll wait until then!’
If it meant creating the most dramatic situation possible, he could endure the short wait without any problem.
Despite the shocking incident of a dark mage attack during the Familiar Contract Ceremony, the first-year students continued their classes as usual. There was no uproar of parents visiting to exclaim, "Isn't this dangerous?!" Stella was an institution specializing in training magic warriors to deal with dark mages.
Of course, many parents secretly hoped their children wouldn't become magical warriors, even though they enrolled them at Stella.
Most nobles were like that.
Holding the title of a magical warrior was considered an impressive achievement in the current magical society, and so, even if they didn't intend to fight dark mages their entire lives, sending their children to the academy to obtain the qualification was a common practice.
As a result, they couldn't protest against such incidents, lest they give the impression that their child was merely seeking the magical warrior qualification before retiring.
Time flew by, and summer arrived.
Around this time, a new subject was introduced.
Each year, around 50 to 100 students succeeded in forming contracts with Familiars, prompting separate education to build a bond with these mystical entities.
Professor Pedellote was in charge of the subject, Training Familiars.
Despite her considerable stature, Professor Pedellote seemed like an ordinary middle-aged woman from the neighborhood at first glance.
However, her warm smile left a lasting impression on the students.
"How much do you know about familiars? Familiars are mystical entities that evolve into animals. Most of them have beautiful and extravagant forms, and young familiars are particularly known for their cuteness."
While this class was not mandatory, it was immensely popular among female students.
The chance to observe adorable and gentle yet mischievous familiars throughout the class made it an enjoyable experience, not to mention earning them credits.
"Getting friendly with familiars isn't difficult. You just need to open your heart and try to understand them."
Lies. Eisel thought, sighing deeply. She had formed a familiar contract with a divine beast called thunder glacial bird, not the one she originally wanted. Despite its grand name, it was just a small, cute sparrow.
However, its personality was awful. It felt like a mix of a cat's sensitive temperament and a preschooler's attitude—full of pure malice. How could anyone get close to such a nasty creature?
It appeared that other students felt the same, evident from the dark circles under their eyes that reflected their exhaustion.
Professor Pedellote, on the other hand, appeared to be the only one gleefully smiling.
"To get closer to your familiar, you need to know what they like. Sometimes, giving them gifts will make them happy! It's also great to play with them frequently, and there are many ways to do that."
Blah blah blah. The students were barely paying attention until Pedellote summoned a giant tiger, instantly grabbing everyone’s attention.
“If you get close to them like that, someday you might even summon your familiar and stand on the battlefield together!”
Familiar Summoning intrigued them all.
The familiars contracted to form a bond with the students and had to reach their peak of friendliness.
Occasionally, magic warriors witnessed scenes where these familiars, in the form of dragons, flew around and fought.
This had ignited a burning passion in their hearts.
However, that didn't last long.
Soon they faced reality and deflated.
"Why?! What do I even want to do?"
"Ugh! You're annoying! You said we would have fun, so why are you playing tricks on me!"
“First you do this, then that! What am I supposed to do?”
The students' angry cries echoed in all directions.
Since each student's familiar was visible only to them, it created a comical sight as they vented their frustrations into the air.
Even Eisel was not much different.
“Peep?”
A blue sparrow, tilting its head, pecked at Eisel’s head. After having teased and annoyed her so much, it was now trying to act cute as she turned away in frustration.
"Ugh, I'm so annoyed..."
Thus, until the end of the class, she couldn’t get close to this cute yet annoying familiar she named Purumi.
{TN:- The name "푸름이(Purumi)" is a cute and affectionate way of saying "blue" in Korean. It is often used as a nickname for pets or endearing characters with blue features or personalities.}
"Don't be disheartened, everyone! We have plenty of time!"
"Yeah..."
"Whatever..."
Leaving Professor Pedellote, who seemed to be enjoying herself alone, Eisel and the students left the lecture hall together.
“There’s a 30-minute break before the next class…”
It seemed like there was some free time, so she thought of going back to the Class S classroom to take a short break.
"Phew..."
Lately, she had been feeling like her energy was draining away.
‘Maybe I should start taking some supplements.’
The incident during the Familiar Contract Ceremony was one thing, but meeting the person she despised so much, and by chance... finding out about Baek Yu-Seol’s incurable disease took a toll on her.
It wasn't her body that felt exhausted.
It was her heart.
Was there anything she could do?
That thought wouldn't leave her mind.
"Hey, Eisel!"
"Huh? Yeah?"
As she walked down the corridor absent-mindedly, she heard Hariren's voice from afar.
Hariren ran towards Eisel with an excited expression and fired off words rapidly. “You’re so amazing, Eisel! Did you see the notice?”
"No?"
"Quick, quick!"
Leading Eisel, Hariren rushed towards the bulletin board in the main tower classroom.
Even Eisel, who had good stamina despite living vigorously in her own way, found herself breathing heavily as they hurried.
Students from all grades were gathered around the bulletin board, chatting lively.
“Oh, now that I think about it…”
When the summer season approached, various events took place.
Aslan Seminar.
Academy Tournament (Duel & Battle Royale).
Arcanium Grand Festival.
Many events were held.
Among them, the most notable ones were undoubtedly the Aslan Seminar and the Academy Tournament.
The Aslan Seminar, in particular, was a debate presentation attended by the most attention-worthy geniuses among magic aspirants worldwide.
Many elites from all over the world were eager to participate in the Aslan Seminar, and if they qualified, their faces and names would be featured in the Magic Column, the most prominent column in the magical world.
Naturally, everyone's attention would be focused on them.
The following names were written on the board:
[Emerging Rising Star of the Year]
[Eisel Morph]
[Selyen]
Eisel’s name was clearly displayed.
"What... What is this?"
Unexpectedly finding her name in a place she never expected, she was taken aback and couldn't even utter a word.
"Hey, you're really amazing!"
Hariren shook her shoulder in excitement, barely letting Eisel regain her composure.
"Unbelievable..."
She had been labeled a traitor’s child and was constantly criticized, so she hadn't expected this at all. Perhaps the thesis she submitted about ice magic on the day of the entrance ceremony had earned her the spot.
"I… I...”
She stammered, trying to contain the overwhelming emotions that surged within her. Failing, she could only cover her mouth with both hands.
A voice approached from behind, breaking her thoughts. "Hello? You must be Eisel?"
Eisel turned to see a girl standing there, her name tag clearly stating “S-2 Selyen.”
She was one of the participants from Aslan who attended Stella this year.
Selyen’s long black hair flowed freely as she adjusted her glasses, and with a faintly sinister smile, she extended her hand for a handshake.
"So, we'll be attending the seminar together. Nice to meet you."
"Ah, yes... Senior,” Eisel replied, still feeling flustered as she shook the hand.
However, despite her smile, there was something about Selyen's demeanor that didn't seem genuine.
It was as if she was looking down on her.
"Oh, by the way. I read your paper on the day of the entrance ceremony. You did make some interesting discoveries.”
Selyen’s tone carried a hint of dismissiveness.
"Ah, thank you,” she murmured, not sure how to react to her comment.
"But it was kind of mediocre," Selyen continued, smirking slightly. "Sure, it was an interesting discovery to handle ice in that way, but that's about it, right? You stumbled upon a new spell by chance. Let's face it; you're just an ordinary high school student with average abilities. Even if you claim otherwise, this is probably the extent of your skills."
Her words stung, but Eisel understood why she had sought her out—to provoke a reaction.
However, she had grown accustomed to such situations, so she simply turned away, maintaining her composure.
"Oh yes, Senior, you’re truly remarkable. Your discerning eye probably wouldn’t deign to notice the magic of a junior like me. I look forward to seeing your magic at the seminar.”
Eisel replied politely, pulling her friend Hariren along with her toward the classroom.
Selyen's expression didn't bother her. She had learned not to let the opinions of those who disliked her affect her mood.
After all, it was just one senior from the second year trying to pick a fight.
"Anyway, the sky is clear, and the clouds are drifting away," Eisel hummed to herself, feeling that the recent stress in her life made such trivial matters seem like child's play.