Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

In the early morning of cold winter, the melodious song of birds echoed in Arcanium.

Even in Arcanium, Stella Academy’s territory was considered vast, and with all of the necessary arrangements, students did not have to leave the premises for the entire academic year.

The academy also housed many private spaces for nobles.

A lonely, dark room.

Hong Bi-Yeon was sitting on her knees. Hong Yi-El, a natural flame-element professor known as ‘Silver Thorn,’ stood before her. She gazed at Hong Bi-Yeon with her piercing eyes.

“Three incorrect questions?”

After receiving that cold expression, Hong Bi-Yeon bowed her head, causing the shiny silver hair, the object of envy of all the female students, to fall chaotically.

No excuses were uttered. Hong Bi-Yeon’s mother always said, ‘If a problem is not solved correctly, it must be your fault for not studying properly.’

Slap!

Accompanied by a piercing sound, three more slaps echoed in a row.

“Lift your head.”

Her mother slapped the test papers on Hong Bi-Yeon’s face.

Some scattered while some flew hard enough to hit her in the face, but she did not seem to care.

“Do it again until you understand it properly. From beginning to end.”

It was such a humiliating experience.

This Class Placement Test was strangely difficult.

Even for the three questions she got wrong, the correct answer rate was less than 10%, so there was nothing to be ashamed of for failing them.

However, it was disgraceful.

The other Class S students, who could be said to be her rivals, answered one or two of those questions correctly. Still, the three students who answered all three questions were ordinary and did not have prior study or preparation at a magic academy.

“Even Ducal Princess Eisel of the fallen Duchy of Morph got two questions right. If you can’t get the questions right—questions that even those bugs can solve—it means you’re no better than them. Do you understand? Think of yourself as a bug, and try to solve the problems again.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Hong Bi-Yeon looked back at the examination paper with blank eyes.

This exam, which tested creativity, logical reasoning, and thinking ability, was full of questions that her head could not comprehend.

Problems are made up of unfamiliar techniques, spells, and formulas.

How was she supposed to solve these problems?! She just lived according to what she was taught and interpreted what she had learned.

“Do you find it harsh? It’s all for your own good. You… You shouldn’t be like me. If you grow up to be the shame of the kingdom like me, who was kicked out and has to become a puny professor… No, absolutely not.”

Even though it was a disgrace to the kingdom, not everyone could be a professor at Stella Academy. It was an academy of the best mages.

However, Hong Bi-Yeon’s mother wanted more than Stella’s professorship.

For example, the Adolevit kingdom.

It was impossible for her mother, Hong Yi-El, because she lacked talent.

So she took care of Hong Bi-Yeon like a precious gem.

Since Hong Bi-Yeon had exceptional talent, something that she did not have, it shone like a diamond.

“I am doing this for you. You… You have to become better than your sister. Huh? Do you know how your mother feels?”

‘I do not know.’

“Yes, Mother.”

Nevertheless, Hong Bi-Yeon replied that she understood.

Even after her mother left, she still could not understand the problems.

So, the question arose.

What was the identity of the students who solved the problem? How could there be a mage in the kingdom who could solve a problem even she couldn’t solve? After all, she was someone who had been studying magic since she was three years old.

‘So why am I tormenting myself?’

Burying a resentment deep in her heart, she grabbed the test paper with her slender hands.

‘If I don’t solve this problem today, I won’t be able to get out of this dark, private room with only dim lighting.’

_______

Baek Yu-Seol was not proud of it, but he had been pretty good at hanging out with people in his previous life.

When he entered Stella Academy, he tried to build a good relationship with his classmates. It was a new life, and it was possible he would never find his way back, so he wanted to try to live to the fullest.

But, Baek Yu-Seol was in class S.

Class S was full of oddballs who showed no signs of sociability.

Baek Yu-Seol’s efforts were ruined from the beginning.

“Sigh…”

A sigh came out.

Unlike Classes F to A, which had several classes in one grade, Class S only had one class. Of 1,141 students, only 41 were in Class S, so he thought it was logical.

When he opened the classroom and entered, more than half of the students were self-studying. The gloomy atmosphere made him feel as if he were going crazy.

‘Don’t study so hard. Hang out and have some fun. Just take me for an example…’

Baek Yu-Seol quietly went to the back seat, sat down, and slowly looked around.

He knew many faces. Characters only seen as animation productions on 2D or 3D screens had become real people.

Moreover, since most of them were popular in the game, each of them would become a famous celebrity in five to ten years.

The Crown Prince of the Skalven Empire and the heir to the Full Moon Tower, etc.

Of course, not all were famous in a positive sense.

There was a possibility that the five or so mages sitting here, including Ma Yu-Seong, would betray the magic world and turn against them. Since he had the ability, he would become a feared enemy.

‘I think it would be better if the female protagonist stopped that, but…’

‘Who knows what will happen?’

Baek Yu-Seol glanced at the black-haired girl sitting in the back-right corner. She was absorbed in her self-studying. He had to forget the Flame he knew. The girl he was looking at was the original Flame who had never been confronted by other players.

Not even Baek Yu-Seol knew what future she would create. All he knew was information about fragmentary events in the future.

‘It’d be bad to catch her attention. She still thinks this world is just a normal romance fantasy novel.’

If Baek Yu-Seol started taking a step different from the original novel, she would become aware of his existence.

‘Anyway, I feel very self-conscious.’

Some students in Class S also glanced at him as he observed them.

Why did an inferior student named Baek Yu-Seol get admitted to Class S? They must have raised questions about him. They were here trying their best, but it could be annoying if someone like him mixed in without any clear effort.

“Is that him?”

“He looks a little nerdy…”

“No, my father contacted the faculty and asked them himself. It must be the girl in the corner with him.”

“Hmm… Maybe they’re capable?”

Rather than looking annoyed, they seemed to be… wary.

‘It can’t be. Is it a problem that I’m in Class S?’

Baek Yu-Seol was bound to be a little more nervous about the peaceful Class S students than he thought.

It was said that the number of students in Class A who went to the faculty office to question his acceptance in Class S while they were rejected had already exceeded ten. It did not matter to them as much that they could not get here; instead, they had difficulty convincing themselves that a trash student like Baek Yu-Seol was in Class S.

But the surprising thing was that they all got the same answer.

‘Baek Yu-Seol deserves to be in Class S.’

That was right.

So he decided to take it easy. To be honest, Class F was full of idiots. He wanted to sit in the Class S if he could.

Of course, he wondered if it would be as easy as it seemed…

Every class placement depended on the individual’s rank in each test. There were times when Class F students succeeded in climbing up to A; on the contrary, there were times when genius students fell from A to F.

There was no exception in Class S. However, once one reached class S, it was very rare to go down again.

Come to think of it, there was one male student who stayed in Class A all the time in the game and barely made it to Class S later. Baek Yu-Seol could not recall his name, but he remembered he was not particularly impressive.

As they observed one another amid the silence, he took out a small box from his pocket.

[Stella’s Pocket Watch]

A watch that served as a student’s proof of identity in Stella, the most prestigious magic academy. It was a very special item and was treated much higher than any other magic warrior identification.

It was said that if he had this, he would receive great treatment. It wasn’t something he earned with his efforts, but he still felt proud.

After a short time passed, forty students had gathered in the classroom. There were only forty people in an auditorium which could easily accommodate two hundred people, so it felt somewhat empty.

At exactly eight o’clock, the classroom’s front door opened and someone entered.

It was Lee Han-Wol, the professor in charge of Class S. With his appearance, the air calmed down. In the overwhelming atmosphere, some students gulped nervously.

With dark skin, countless scars smudged all over his face, and a massive body full of muscles, he seemed like he could kill someone.

So it was difficult to make eye contact properly.

“Nice to meet you all. I am Lee Han-Wol.”

No explanation was needed.

Class 7 magic warrior, Lee Han-Wol.

His reputation was resounding. He led almost hopeless battles to victory in numerous battlefields and dungeons, and rumors spread that the number of dark mages he had successfully hunted had reached four digits.

Until 500 years ago, combat mages were treated like savages. Magic was mostly academic, like a scholar sitting at a desk and studying elegantly.

But it was different in modern times. It was an era where combat mages despised scholarly ones.

In this world, the dark mages constantly opened gates by drilling holes in reality, and the mages were responsible for blocking them.

Therefore, it was natural that the professor in Class S was Lee Han-Wol.

It could be seen that the mages in Stella came to learn how to fight.

Lee Han-Wol’s eyes slowly examined each student, and finally, they met with Baek Yu-Seol’s.

“A lot of outstanding students are gathered here, as well as a very unusual student.”

The first half referred to everyone but Baek Yu-Seol while the latter sentence was meant for him. Only an idiot would fail to understand.

Either way, he accepted Lee Han-Wol’s gaze with ease.

“As you all know, this is an academy that trains combat mages. As so-called magic warriors, you will go through advanced courses for the next three years.”

As Lee Han-Wol began to speak, all the students focused. His voice had a spirit that enveloped the entire classroom.

“Innumerable seniors have given up because the enemies we have to deal with are powerful, and the academy’s classes are harsh. I do not expect y’all to come along. However, I want you to show your will to the best of your ability.”

“In this world, everything reverts to magic. The technology behind all the objects used in daily life, as well as dungeons and gates, is all made of magic. Heck, even demons are magical creatures.”

“The source of life is also magic; even the reason why clouds float and we can walk on the ground is explained by magic.”

“It is the duty of our magic warriors to stop the dark mages, a group of mages who try to stain our world with the Underworld.”

‘It’s not my duty.’

Baek Yu-Seol was just sitting in this academy to survive; honestly, he didn’t even know if he could endure the training.

“Some students have been admitted to this academy because of their obligation to eradicate the dark mages, and there are other students who have entered because of money. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter. As long as you have the courage to fight against them with a firm will…”

Just when Lee Han-Wol was about to deliver a wonderful speech.

The back door opened, and a student barged in.

“…”

Every student’s attention was focused on the newcomer. From the back door, a woman with long silver hair—no, a girl—walked in with an imposing gait.

It was Hong Bi-Yeon.

‘Late…?’

She was late, which was pretty unusual for someone who valued ​​principles more than anyone else. Noticing closely, Baek Yu-Seol found that her cheeks were flushed red.

‘What happened already?’

He had a rough idea of ​​her family’s circumstances. He did not know the details, so he tried to check her details with the Sentient Specs in his mind, just in case.

[Hong Bi-Yeon Adolevit]

[Villainess]

[Uses Fire Magic]

[Eats reed ginseng candies]

[Prefers being alone sometimes]

[Only drinks espresso brewed in ‘Akalia Style’]

[Her mother is a bitch]

[Guaranteed to die]

After confirming that, Baek Yu-Seol took a deep breath. He could only grasp limited information from it. Initially, Hong Bi-Yeon was a famous character, and most of the information written here was already known.

‘Why wasn’t I a little more diligent in the past?’

It would have been a great help if he had recorded it in more detail.

‘Well, at least I’m not a complete stranger to the characters.’

Most of them knew why that death was recorded. In a way, it was worse compared to Eisel’s.

Eisel died solely because of Flame, but Hong Bi-Yeon’s death was caused by both Flame and Eisel.

‘Should I say that it couldn’t be helped since it was the fate of a wicked woman?’

Baek Yu-Seol knew she was destined to die anyway, so he wanted to save her if he could.

However, Baek Yu-Seol’s nose was small, so there was no point in poking it in someone else’s business. After all, it was safe to say he was the weakest in this academy, so who could he help?

After Eisel, she was a woman who wore an aura of misfortune all over her body. He had no choice but to keep his distance from that woman as much as possible.

“Go to your seat and sit down.”

Hong Bi-Yeon nodded at Lee Han-Wol’s words, glanced at the seat in the right corner, and then looked at Baek Yu-Seol.

She strode over to where he was and sat right behind him.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

‘… What?’

160 empty seats in a lecture hall that could accommodate 200 people, so why did she have to sit behind him?

‘Is it a coincidence?’

‘Paranoia is a man’s sin. Let’s not think useless thoughts.’

No matter how hard Baek Yu-Seol tried to pretend he was calm, the stinging gaze from behind was impossible to ignore.

For some reason, it felt like his school life was twisted from the start.