I Became a Terminally Ill Magic Genius at the Academy

“I still don’t really understand how we won.”

Yohan chuckled lightly at the sight of Kyle staring at the potion they made together.  

“We made a better potion, so we got a higher score. No need to overthink it.”  

“No, I get why we scored higher… But to be honest, I didn’t really do anything. All I did was mix the ingredients you brought.”  

“Yeah. But you mixed them perfectly in just the right proportions.”  

Without Kyle, they wouldn’t have been able to make a potion of this quality. 

If the ratios had been off, they might have ended up with a bizarre potion that maximized pain and had an extremely slow healing rate.  

“Yohan, the more I get to know you, the more I think you’re different from what the rumors say.”  

“Yeah. And how much do you really know?”  

“Well, I mean, it’s only been two days, but… Still, there’s all that talk, you know? They say that kids from the North are all bad-tempered, and the worst of them all is…”  

“Me?”  

“Yeah. That’s what people say. And it’s true that people from the North tend to be more aggressive.”  

Yohan just shrugged at Kyle’s words.  

“Rumors are just rumors. And yeah, I am a delinquent. Not exactly the kindest person, either.”  

Not just Yohan Hart—Kang Ji-hoon, the person behind Yohan, didn’t have a particularly gentle personality. 

He was often told he had a bad attitude. 

As he got older and more socialized, it changed a bit, and becoming a webtoon artist who mostly stayed indoors meant he didn’t hear it as much anymore.  

‘But back when I was a student, I heard it all the time.’  

He had a strong self-defense mechanism and never let even minor provocations slide easily. 

Those were times when he didn’t have even a sliver of tolerance.  

“From what I see, you seem pretty kind, though. Honestly, I don’t understand how you got that ‘delinquent’ reputation.”

Yohan didn’t bother explaining himself to Kyle.  

And with that, the Basic Alchemy class ended.

——-

“Ah! I get that Haverto’s talented, but why did he have to say something unnecessary and make us all have extra homework?”  

“I was seriously about to lose it.”  

“He got second place anyway, so why make such a big fuss? Just let it go.”  

The students mumbled as they quickly filed out of the classroom. 

Most of the conversation was about Haverto. Nobody liked homework, and naturally, no one was pleased with a student who ended up creating more of it. 

Haverto might have felt it was unfair, but to the other students, it was just annoying.  

“Those damn idiots…!”  

Of course, Haverto had no understanding of the other students’ irritation. He grabbed his potion-making partner, wearing a harsh expression.  

“Hey, do you think this makes sense? I made a potion with 2.5 times the effectiveness of the basic recipe, and they got ranked above us? Fine, okay, maybe there’s a reason. But Yohan Hart’s potion only had twice the healing effect of the basic recipe. Mine was better.”  

Haverto’s voice was full of frustration as he quickly spilled out his words. 

The male student standing in front of him, Jerry, nodded awkwardly, forcing a smile.  

“Right, we definitely had better recovery effects. It doesn’t make sense for us to get second place.”  

Jerry shook his head as he spoke. 

Haverto was a rising star among the central nobles. 

They’d been close for several years now.

Haverto was the type to obsess over trivial things and constantly boast that his family would become one of the Empire’s top five noble houses. 

Seeing him lose his temper over not getting first place, even though second place was a solid achievement, was nothing new.  

“This is definitely the Hart family meddling.”

“… Would they really go that far?” 

To be honest, it did seem like the potion Haverto and he made was of higher quality. 

A recovery effect of 2.5 times compared to just two times—a difference of 0.5, but a clear difference nonetheless. 

While Yohan Hart and Kyle Evergreen’s potion must have had other factors giving them an edge, it was hard to accept.  

‘But for the Hart family to directly interfere just to make sure they got first place in a basic alchemy class… That doesn’t make sense.’  

It appeared like an even more implausible scenario. 

Jerry was trying to assess the situation rationally, but it was clear Haverto was already on the verge of losing his temper.  

“Well, then there’s no choice.”

“What do you mean?”  

“The dormitory competition is coming up soon. I’m bound to face Yohan there.”  

“Yeah.”  

That was something pretty much the whole academy knew.  

“I was going to just win reasonably, but leaving it at that won’t be enough.”  

“And?”  

“I have to completely humiliate him.”  

Haverto clenched his fists as he spoke. 

Jerry scratched his head while looking at him.  

‘Ah! What kind of trouble is he planning now?’  

Whenever Haverto wore that expression, trouble was sure to follow, so Jerry couldn’t help but feel uneasy.  

However—  

‘Well, it’s Yohan Hart, after all. What’s the worst that could happen?’  

Considering Yohan’s notorious reputation as the delinquent of the Hart family, no significant trouble would arise from going up against him. 

His poor standing would make it easy to handle any fallout. 

So, Jerry decided not to dwell on it too much. 

Because of that, he didn’t notice Haverto’s hand slipping into his pocket, fiddling with something.  

———

After the Basic Alchemy class ended, Yohan sighed softly as he watched the students quickly leave their seats. 

Students typically wanted to leave the classroom as soon as a lesson ended, but today, their footsteps were especially hurried.  

‘Well, it’s lunchtime.’  

Since it was lunchtime after the alchemy class, and given that the students were all at an age where they needed plenty of food to grow, their minds were probably set on rushing off to eat. 

Kyle had already packed up his things and headed to the cafeteria.  

But why was Yohan sighing? 

The reason was simple.  

“Ugh. I don’t feel like eating.”  

Yohan muttered softly as he got up slowly. 

It’s easier to feel like eating when the food is delicious. 

But when it’s mediocre and looks unappetizing, it’s hard to muster any enthusiasm.  

“Why doesn’t this academy have anything like a convenience store?”  

The fault lay in the way he himself had designed this world.

Realizing that complaining would only be like spitting in his own face, Yohan leisurely began to walk. 

Even if he didn’t want to eat, what choice did he have? 

He had to eat something. 

And so, Yohan was on his way to the cafeteria.  

“Excuse me, Yohan?”  

If only Professor Norman Ford hadn’t stopped him, he would have made it to the cafeteria for lunch.  

“Yes, Professor?”  

“If you have some time, could we talk for a moment?”  

A professor asking to speak to you after class? 

In Yohan’s experience, that was rarely a good sign. 

It had been the same for Kang Ji-hoon back when he was in university. 

Seniors would always approach him with similar requests.  

——-

“Hey, Ji-hoon.”  

“Yes, hyung?”  

“To be honest, you’re the fastest and best quality artist among us, right?”  

It was true. 

Kang Ji-hoon would draw all the time, except when he was eating. 

In a world where people believed that drawing wasn’t about the hands but the butt—the longer you sit, the better you get—it made sense that his drawing speed was quick.  

Still, he joked once in a while.  

“That’s quite a sudden compliment.”  

“No, listen.”  

“Sure.”  

“If you’re not careful, a professor might invite you out for a meal. You need to refuse that.”  

“And if I don’t?”  

“Well… If you’re curious, then don’t refuse.”  

His senior’s expression had been quite sinister when he said that. 

——

And now, standing before him, Norman Ford was looking at Yohan with nothing but a kind expression. 

Yohan hesitated for a moment. 

While he was on his way to eat, his goal was to fill his stomach, not to enjoy the food. 

Naturally, it was something he could delay.  

‘But getting associated with a professor is bound to be a hassle.’  

In the end, Yohan opted for even a bland meal over a conversation.  

“I was actually just heading to lunch…”  

“Then let’s have lunch together. I’ve asked for some food to be brought to my office. The meals for faculty are quite tasty.”  

“Let’s go.”  

But as always, choices can change.

At the mention of sharing a faculty meal, Yohan immediately agreed to join Professor Ford.

——-

As soon as Yohan arrived at Professor Norman Ford’s office, he blinked in surprise.  

Smoked pork.  

Large shrimp with a golden layer of melted cheese perfectly seared on top.  

Soft, fluffy-looking bread, and soup steaming hot.  

It was real food.  

“Looks like the food is already prepared. Lucky we don’t have to wait.”

Professor Ford said with a smile, and Yohan nodded in response. 

He hadn’t really felt hungry until he saw the feast laid out before him, but now his thoughts were filled with nothing but the desire to eat.  

“Well then, let’s dig in.”

“Yes, Professor.”  

Norman Ford suggested they start with the meal, and Yohan didn’t hesitate to pick up his fork and knife.  

‘Now this is a proper meal.’  

Yohan enjoyed the delicious food with a pleased expression on his face. 

Seeing this, Professor Ford spoke to him with a relaxed smile.  

“Yohan Hart?”  

“Yes, Professor Ford?”  

“Do you know why I gave a higher score to yours and Kyle’s  potion compared to the one made by Haverto and Jerry?”  

“Since you assigned that as our homework, am I allowed to answer now?”  

“If your answer is correct, then there will be no need to do the homework later.”  

At Professor Ford’s words, Yohan responded promptly.  

“I didn’t watch Haverto make his potion from start to finish, but I did notice that the ingredients he used were quite rare.”  

Haverto used unicorn horn and ground spirit stone—both extremely expensive ingredients. 

Naturally, this meant the potion’s production cost was sky-high. 

“Since you emphasized the inefficiency of alchemy in the very first lesson, I doubt you deducted points simply because the ingredients were expensive.”  

“……”  

Professor Ford didn’t reply, so Yohan continued after taking a sip from his drink.  

“However, I assume you found it disappointing that he didn’t fully utilize those rare ingredients.”  

Using such precious materials to achieve only a 2.5 times increase in recovery effectiveness? 

It was bound to be disappointing. 

And moreover, the recovery speed remained unchanged. 

The cost of production was likely ten times higher, but the speed of recovery stayed the same. 

In other words, pouring 2.5 regular recovery potions would achieve the same effect.  

“In contrast, our potion utilized common ingredients and maximized everything: a twofold increase in recovery effect and a roughly 1.5 times faster recovery speed. For a patient on the brink of death, a 1.5 times faster recovery speed could be the difference between life and death.”  

The faster the recovery, the more likely it is to save someone who might otherwise die. 

While alchemy was inherently inefficient, a good potion was one that made the most efficient use of its ingredients.  

Upon hearing Yohan’s answer, Professor Ford chuckled.  

“Correct.”