I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 56

Ninth Star Tower, Starcloud Cafe Terrace.

According to the academy's regulations, this space was open to any Stella student.

However, the steep dessert prices and the aristocrats' tendency to claim territories made it a favored haunt for nobles.

The terrace, in particular, was favored by nobles and their factions for gatherings.

Despite having access to club rooms, they seemed to prefer this venue to flaunt their influence.

Hong Bi-Yeon was no exception. If she failed to display her power regularly, others might see her as weak. She couldn’t afford to show any vulnerability.

‘It’s tasteless.’

She sipped the tea, which she found unappealing, and pretended to listen to the girls’ conversation.

"Oh, really?"

"That's right? Baron Coden’s son gave me a bouquet..."

"How romantic!"

"Is that so? I found it burdensome."

"As a woman, I envy it so much. I wonder if there's any man like that for me."

It was the typical chatter of noble girls. Their topics rarely strayed from shallow subjects.

What clothes are in fashion these days? What jewelry is in fashion? What food is popular?

Who’s dating whom?

Who caused what scandal?

Who confessed and got rejected?

It was a tedious cycle of empty conversations. Hong Bi-Yeon didn’t particularly enjoy the atmosphere here, yet she remained poised.

Each girl in this place belonged to a family with significant power. Gathering them like this served a purpose.

"Princess, haven’t you been reading the divine beast almanac this whole time?"

"Oh, right! Isn’t there a formal Familiar Contract Ceremony after the second exam?"

"Wow! You're preparing already? That’s amazing. I can’t even make sense of that book."

"That's right. The princess is indeed different from others, right?"

The conversation naturally shifted to flattery, as it often did.

It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was still boring. Hong Bi-Yeon responded vaguely, and the topic quickly changed again.

"Oh, by the way, have you heard about this? My father told me to keep it a secret..."

"What is it?"

"Recently, there was a commotion because a Stella assistant unraveled the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique. But you all know there's a co-author, right?"

"Of course."

"Actually, that co-author... is said to be a student."

"What? Are you serious?"

Hong Bi-Yeon, who had been stirring her tea absentmindedly, suddenly froze. For the first time in a while, the conversation piqued her interest.

"Still, we’re talking about a mystery that’s remained unsolved for over 300 years. Could a student really be the co-author?"

"But my father seemed certain."

"Ah... If Rachel’s father said so, it must be true. He is the head of the Information Bureau, after all."

"But who could it be? Someone who can solve unresolved mysteries with a student's status. It's likely someone from the Alchemy Department, right?"

As expected.

Whether it was the head of the Information Bureau or others, it seemed that those who hadn’t delved deep didn’t grasp the concept of this 'co-author.'

However, Hong Bi-Yeon had already uncovered the truth during an unrelated investigation.

Baek Yu-Seol.

He was the mysterious co-author of the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique.

"But why keep it a secret?"

"Who knows? Maybe they just slapped the name on without any real contribution."

"Oh my. That could be it. If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to show my face."

"Hohoho."

The girls' curiosity mirrored Hong Bi-Yeon's own.

Why? What was the purpose? What could be the reason for doing such a thing?

"Princess? Is something bothering you?"

Suddenly, one of the girls took an interest in Hong Bi-Yeon, allowing her to regain her composure. "It's nothing."

"Oh, is it because of the upcoming persona gate training?"

"That's right. Princess, you'll be participating again this time, won't you?"

Upon hearing their words, Hong Bi-Yeon nodded slightly.

‘Persona gate training…’

The persona gate was a realm that defied common sense.

Unlike dungeons, which required defeating a boss or destroying a core, Persona Gates demanded the analysis of patterns and mechanisms before dismantling them. They required rigorous preparation and study.

From density calculations and spatial distortions to topological geometry and soul isolation techniques, the mathematical knowledge needed was vast.

There were thousands of patterns and scenarios to memorize, making pre-study indispensable.

However...

The most crucial element was still combat ability.

No amount of intelligence could compensate for a lack of strength in clearing a persona gate.

Since persona gates were often used by dark mages, training to conquer them was the highest priority for magical warriors.

The upcoming persona gate training would be conducted in groups of 4 to 16, and the key was how they cooperated and strategized together.

Even for Stella's first-year students, who had an average level of Class 2, it was not easy to tackle a persona gate that was expected to be at a risk level of 3, especially since it was their first real combat experience.

Most of them would likely fail.

However, the evaluation focused more on teamwork, adaptability, and emergency responses rather than outright success.

Clearing it wasn’t required.

Of course, in the persona gate training, where most would inevitably fail, Hong Bi-Yeon was determined to succeed.

That way, she could prove her superiority.

That way she could gain recognition from her mother.

‘I hope I’m paired with capable people…’

***

After the gathering at the cafe.

On the way back to the dormitory.

As Hong Bi-Yeon was heading towards the dormitory alone, someone called out to her.

"Bi-Yeon!"

She stiffened up.

It was a voice she knew all too well.

A voice like a blade cutting through her defenses.

A voice she feared and despised more than any other.

Slowly, she turned her head.

There stood a woman with bright red hair tied tightly behind her head. She looked nothing like her and wore a relaxed smile on her face.

“Princess Hong Si-Hwa."

"Oh my. Didn’t I tell you to call me Sister?"

Her half-sister, Hong Si-Hwa Adolevit… a woman destined to be her rival simply because one was a legitimate heir and the other a bastard.

She had come all the way here.

"What brings you here?"

"Oh, I just wanted to see my little sister. Do I need a reason for that? Besides, some interesting things have been happening lately."

It was a lie.

Hong Si-Hwa never acted without a purpose.

"Don’t look at me like that. Alright, I’ll admit it. There’s another reason. I heard there’s a rather fascinating commoner at this school... And guess what? He’s living out the forgotten knight’s chivalry of old."

How did she know?

Such questions were meaningless.

Hong Si-Hwa knew everything.

When Hong Bi-Yeon’s face stiffened, Hong Si-Hwa covered her mouth with a hand, feigning elegance as she laughed softly.

"Oh my, could it be that even my little sister is interested in this so-called knight? Well, it’s only natural. A knight who devotes himself entirely to his princess… truly, isn’t that every girl’s romantic fantasy?"

A princess’s romantic fantasy.

On the surface, her words seemed harmless, but Hong Bi-Yeon knew better. It was a calculated maneuver, a ploy to set the stage for something bigger.

After all, both Hong Si-Hwa and Hong Bi-Yeon were princesses vying for the crown. And to claim it, they needed to discover and secure rare talents… like Baek Yu-Seol.

Especially if that talent came in the form of a commoner.

No family. No allegiance. No ties.

A blank slate with overwhelming potential.

There was no reason to hesitate.

"Anyway, I have a tiny - really tiny - interest in this commoner. Could you introduce me?"

"If you want to see him, go and find him yourself."

"Ah, but didn’t all the top officials from the towers try to approach him and fail? He seems completely uninterested."

As she said, something was off about Baek Yu-Seol.

She recalled the incident with the necromancer from before.

Many towers and organizations had sent him love calls. But strangely, he had rejected all of them.

At the time, Hong Bi-Yeon hadn’t thought much of it.

But now…

Now it felt different.

He could have risen to prominence simply by revealing his talent.

Why would he reject such an opportunity?

Baek Yu-Seol was undoubtedly a commoner.

Yet instead of reaching for the golden rope dangled in front of him, he avoided the spotlight entirely.

However, the problem was that no matter how much investigation was done, nothing could be found about him.

It was as if he had completely erased his existence from the world… his past shrouded in mystery.

"So many people tried and failed. It’s kind of eerie, don’t you think? Do you know anything about him?" Hong Si-Hwa pressed.

When Hong Bi-Yeon turned her head without answering, Hong Si-Hwa walked briskly and suddenly extended her finger in the direction where Hong Bi-Yeon’s gaze was directed.

“So, what I’m saying is, could you introduce me to him? Huh? You’re classmates, so you must be close, right?”

“No, sorry. Figure it out yourself.”

"My little sister is so mean!"

She playfully threw a tantrum, but Bi-Yeon didn't even pretend to listen.

Then, Hong Si-Hwa spoke in a subtly mocking tone.

“You’re nothing more than a concubine’s daughter. Why are you so difficult?”

At that moment, Bi-Yeon’s expression crumpled.

“I’m not merely the daughter of a concubine. I’m a princess with legitimate claim to the throne.”

"Oh, that’s right~ Because your dear sister died, didn’t she?"

Hong Bi-Yeon’s eyes reddened at Hong Si-Hwa's obvious provocation but she quickly regained composure.

This wasn’t new.

Hong Si-Hwa was a psychopath… devoid of empathy, tears, or warmth. She even used the death of Bi-Yeon’s kind and beautiful older sister as a tool for provocation.

‘Stay calm. It will be resolved when I become the queen.’

With that resolve, she turned to leave, and Hong Si-Hwa did not follow. She just stood there, smiling brightly from a distance like a cheerful but slightly lacking child.

After putting distance between them, Hong Bi-Yeon collapsed onto a bench, utterly drained.

"Hooh..."

"Princess, are you alright?"

"Rin."

Yeterin, dressed in a crisp suit, approached and handed her a cold drink.

Finally, Bi-Yeon felt like she could breathe.

Rin was one of the only people Bi-Yeon could trust… aside from Teacher Hameryl.

They had been together since they were young.

"I was a little annoyed, but I’m fine. After all, there’s no point in arguing with crazy people."

"I apologize for not being able to be of help."

"It’s fine. I don’t expect you to be."

As Hong Bi-Yeon was about to get up, Yeterin seemed to remember something and took an envelope out of her pocket.

"By the way, while investigating the commoner you mentioned before, I happened to come across this."

Yeterin handed her the envelope with Baek Yu-Seol’s name written on it.

"It's a submission of Baek Yu-Seol’s student work for a certain subject. It contains information about his past. Unfortunately, it's a copy as I couldn't retrieve the original since it’s an assignment."

"Oh, really?"

An assignment, huh? She vaguely remembered a class that required students to write about their personal histories.

“Hmm…”

She felt a bit hopeful. No matter how much they investigated and dug, Baek Yu-Seol remained a perfect blank slate with no information whatsoever.

What was his past like? Curiosity filled her as she tore open the envelope.