I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 67

This was why he didn't want to be the leader.

After clearing the persona gate and just before being transported out, the students gathered to decide who should be reported as the team leader.

It wasn’t much of a debate. It felt like the decision had already been made.

Still, Baek Yu-Seol stubbornly tried to nominate someone else.

Perhaps, in the novel, Eisel would have taken the role of leader.

In the game, Flame would have filled that position. And while it might not seem significant, it was, in fact, immensely important.

After finishing the strategy report for the persona gate as the leader, Elthman Elwin suddenly appeared.

In the game, Flame, who was the leader, would have had a private meeting with Elthman, which would later become a turning point.

But that no longer mattered.

It was already too late.

How did it end up like this?

Right after defeating the formidable blade spider, he had briefly lost consciousness.

After throwing his entire body into the final strike, he had quickly tossed a wire to reduce the fall damage but ended up slamming into a wall instead.

Fortunately, he hadn’t suffered any serious injuries, and thanks to Hong Bi-Yeon waking him up shortly after, he had managed to get back on his feet.

When he arrived at the ballroom, where the students were gathered, they were already discussing the leader.

So he subtly argued. "Ahem, I think it's better for Eisel to be the leader."

Since Eisel was chosen as leader in the novel, he tried nudging it in that direction.

If anyone objected, he was prepared to suggest either Flame or Hong Bi-Yeon instead.

However, the plan crumbled right from the start when Hong Bi-Yeon completely lost her temper.

‘Commoner, are you planning to openly give away the credit while I'm watching with wide-open eyes?’

‘What are you talking about?’

For some reason, Hong Bi-Yeon reacted like a switch had been flipped the moment he mentioned Eisel’s name. She glared at him as if she were ready to devour him whole.

‘Old man, no matter how much, this is just…’

‘I told you it's not like that.’

Flame, who rarely agreed with Hong Bi-yeon, also chimed in.

‘I think I did well, but not as much as you.’

To top it off, even Eisel refused.

And so, things had spiraled into this mess.

"Nice to see you. It's been a while."

Stella’s First Main Tower, Principal's Office.

From the highest vantage point in Stella, one could gaze out over not just the Academy grounds but the entire scenery of Arcanium.

In this Gothic-style room, Baek Yu-Seol now found himself sitting across from Principal Elthman Elwin in a one-on-one conversation.

‘I'm not a mage, and I don't have much to gain from him, so how did it end up like this?’

"Is this our third meeting? You seem taller than last time. You were... quite young back then."

“... Yes?"

‘What is he talking about?’

As he tried to make sense of the words, a faint memory suddenly flickered through his mind like a passing panorama.

A small village swallowed by a snowstorm.

A lonely field.

Baek Yu-Seol was standing there.

At that time, despite having a body that couldn’t use magic, ‘he’ was diligently training one spell, [Flash].

Then, by chance, a boy who discovered him approached and said, ‘You're fascinating.’

He didn't know that the boy was Principal Elthman Elwin of Stella Academy.

‘I'll write you a recommendation, so take our academy’s exam later. There will be bonus points.’

After saying that, the boy suddenly disappeared.

Suddenly, Baek Yu-seol snapped back to reality.

"Hmm..."

"Why? Do you have to go to the hospital? Is it an aftereffect?"

"It's not that."

Baek Yu-Seol shook his head.

Memories from another Baek Yu-Seol surfaced now and then, but they never felt like his own. It was more like watching fragments of someone else’s story.

So, he brushed it aside.

This was a rare opportunity to meet Elthman, and he couldn’t afford to waste it.

He had to gain something.

Eisel gained insights into magic here, and Flame was promised teachings about magic.

So what could he gain?

‘Well, there is one thing.’

Recalling every scrap of knowledge he had, Baek Yu-Seol prepared himself. Elthman Elwin was also a figure within Flame’s reverse harem, and because of that, quite a bit of information was researched.

He activated the function of the Sentient Specs he had worn in advance.

[Elthman Elwin]

[Top 10 in the World's Power Rankings]

[Alignment: Good]

[Spatial Attribute]

[An old man of 300 years]

And so on.

The records of a protagonist-level character were listed. 

Although his appearances in the story were brief, his presence had been so commanding that it left an unforgettable impression.

"What are you looking at?"

“Excuse me?"

"You’re looking into the air, not at me."

Caught off guard, Baek Yu-Seol froze for a moment as Elthman’s sharp gaze pierced through him.

"May I take a look at those glasses?"

When Elthman extended his hand, Baek Yu-Seol casually took off the Specs and handed them over. It wouldn’t matter if he figured them out.

Of course, that didn’t mean he planned to let his guard down.

"Yes, but please handle it with care. It's my mother's heirloom."

Baek Yu-seol's ultimate tactic: invoking his mother!

Elthman's hand trembled slightly.

Even if he was known as the strongest in the world within the realm, as the head of Stella and a moral human, he couldn't defend against the ‘mother’ tactic.

"I... I see..."

"When I’m anxious or uncertain, I wear these glasses. It reminds me of when my mother put them on me..."

Adopting the most emotional expression he could muster, Baek Yu-Seol delivered his lines flawlessly. Elthman, visibly shaken, quickly returned the glasses.

"They’re wonderful. Your mother had excellent taste."

"Thank you."

Exploiting the moral kindness of a good person left a pang of guilt in his chest, but what choice did he have? If his secret were to be exposed, his life would truly be in danger.

"I called you here to thank you. Because of you, we avoided what could have been a disaster. I don’t intend to publicize this incident. If students had died or been seriously injured, it would’ve been impossible to cover up."

When Elthman promised secrecy, it was as good as guaranteed.

No mages would dare to reveal this incident to the outside world.

Of course, a few rumors might still spread, making it hard to suppress completely.

"It seems there are pests infiltrating the school..."

In an instant, his expression turned cold, but it was only momentary. However, even with just that, cold sweat ran down Baek Yu-Seol’s entire body.

Elthman slowly looked at him and asked, "Was there a pest inside the gate?"

The legendary mage who gained the nickname ‘slayer’ for killing thousands of enemies asked him that.

Here, he had two choices.

Lie and say there were none, or tell the truth.

Baek Yu-Seol told the truth.

"Yes, there was. The deceased student, Jecky, underwent corruption."

"I see, it's unfortunate."

However, his expression didn't look the least bit sympathetic. Being affected by corruption meant that there were dark emotions within oneself from the beginning, and one didn't resist it.

To him, corruption signaled inherent weakness… a failure to resist temptation.

"Oh? Haha, no need to be so tense. I'm not here to interrogate you."

‘Then why are you looking at me with such an intimidating expression?’

"Besides, I was also curious about who the top contributor was in conquering the risk level 5 persona gate. Surprisingly, I saw a familiar face. You're only a first-year student, but you've already achieved two remarkable feats, huh?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Oh, this won't do. You seem bored. Coffee or tea? Do young people these days like carbonated drinks?"

Elthman’s warm smile sparkled, carrying his usual charm.

Others might not have noticed it, but this was the moment when the real conversation began.

In the game, Flame had picked coffee. She knew Elthman’s preferred blend by heart and had prepared thoroughly to match his tastes, allowing the conversation to flow seamlessly.

However, even there, there was another branching point.

Perhaps in the game, a choice like this would have appeared:

[Elthman Elwin offers you a drink. What would you like to drink?]

[A. Coffee]

[B. Tea]

[C. Carbonated drink]

[D. I want to have a sip of dew flowing from your twinkling eyes, which are deeper than the sea and shine brighter than the stars in the sky.]

Actually, he couldn’t quite remember the last option, so he made up something ridiculous. Still, choosing coffee usually led to a decent reward.

However, that might be all there was to it.

Somehow, users who played as Flame discovered a clever route to build deeper rapport by selecting tea.

Of course, it wouldn’t just be ordinary tea.

"I would like to have tea."

"Tea, good choice. I like it too."

When Elthman stood up to retrieve some green tea or black tea, he hastily added, "Oh, you wouldn’t happen to have riltea, would you? It’s something I drank quite often."

"Riltea?"

Elthman paused, a curious expression flitting across his face before he smiled knowingly.

"Yes, I do."

Preparing the tea didn’t take long. In the usual fantasy setting, an elegant secretary might appear to gracefully serve the tea, but Elthman handled it himself.

"Here, riltea. Not many people know about it, and even fewer are fond of it, surprisingly."

As Elthman set down the teacup, Baek Yu-Seol was reminded once again of the principal’s generosity.

And that was understandable.

This riltea was a discontinued variety, no longer available in the world.

It wasn't something to be readily offered to a mere 17-year-old student.

Baek Yu-Seol brought the teacup to his nose and inhaled.

‘Hmm, I don't know. No, to be honest, it's kind of revolting. It smells like a pig that only ate sweet potatoes for a month and farted.’

‘What's so good about drinking this?’

Gulp!

As he devoured the tea quickly, almost like slurping ramen broth, Elthman chuckled.

"Why don't you try enjoying the aroma?"

"It smells beautiful yet sorrowful, like cherry blossoms falling in spring."

"You read that in a book, didn't you?"

"You caught me."

"Haha, you truly are an interesting student."

Elthman laughed softly, though a faint sadness lingered in his gaze as he looked at the tea. With so few supplies left, it was clearly something he couldn’t drink freely.

"How much do you know about riltea?"

"Well, I don't know much about it."

He knew, but he pretended not to know.

"It's like a goose that lays golden eggs. That's a good analogy."

"Is that so?"

"In the western part of the continent, in the Loskaya Plains, there was a tribe that lived with the sky as their roof. They had nothing but their bodies, but they were the freest beings in this world. With just two legs, they could go anywhere in the world. Their passionate hearts embraced the whole world, and their sparkling eyes resembled stars in the dark. They were called the Rilt, a brave tribe that faded into history decades ago."

Elthman sipped his tea, and Baek Yu-Seol, maintaining a serious expression, listened as though watching a documentary.

“The Rilt tribe enjoyed only one tea, and that was riltea. It would have been enough for them to enjoy it among themselves, but it was a burden to introduce this tea to humans.”

Riltea had a strange allure. It wasn’t addictive in a chemical sense, but once someone fell for its unique aroma, it was hard to resist.

Of course, riltea didn't explode in popularity.

If one compared it to earthly food, it would be like mint chocolate or Hawaiian pizza…

No, it was even more of an acquired taste, similar to durian or fermented skate.

Some people disliked it due to its unique smell and wouldn't even put it in their mouths, but those who fell for it became fanatical, like madmen, captivated by its unique charm.

Riltea gained popularity among a very small fraction of the population, and due to its tremendous addictiveness, the consumer base kept growing.

Unfortunately, the production volume was low, making it impossible to distribute large quantities.

Humans became greedy.

The Rilt tribe's warehouses were filled with an enormous amount of riltea, but they only drank it among themselves, barely distributing small quantities to humans.

Humans burned down the Rilt tribe, destroying their recipe along with them.

"This riltea is one of the few remaining in the world."

Honestly, at that point, one might wonder what the point was.

Should he drink it without any reservations? Perhaps Elthman didn't intend it that way.

Anyway, the story was over.

And for the first time, Baek Yu-Seol relaxed his expression with a sense of doubt.

"Is that so? That's strange."

"What's strange?"

"This riltea... I used to drink it often at home."

"Haha, so your mother liked it too, I see."

"No, I still continue to drink it. Even in the dormitory."

At that, Elthman ’s expression changed for the first time.

“Huh? Is there any more left?" Elthman asked anxiously, but Baek Yu-Seol shook his head.

In response, he showed a disappointed expression.

However, it was still too early to be disappointed.

"There's none left, but I know it. The riltea recipe."

Clatter!

The moment he finished speaking, Elthman dropped the teacup onto the table. Perhaps due to his amazing sense of balance, the cup didn't spill, but he seemed genuinely surprised.

"T-That... Is that true?"

"Would I lie to the esteemed principal who is like heaven itself?"

He leaned toward Baek Yu-Seol with an unusually excited expression.

"How on earth did you come to know the recipe?"

‘No, please, don't ask me that. It's embarrassing.’

"Ahem, my mother taught me..."

"Ah, your mother..."

So he roughly unleashed his secret technique.

Elthman, who was hit by the unexpected move, calmed down momentarily, but his obsession with riltea remained unchanged.

"Would you be willing to sell the recipe? I’ll pay handsomely."

Selling the recipe... It was not a good idea. Riltea was an incredibly tricky recipe. Even more so than durian or fermented herring.

He might agree on the price, but in the first place, Baek Yu-Seol didn't bring up this topic to make that small amount of money.

"Well, I'm not sure."

"Ah, I'll pay generously."

Elthman couldn't hold back his impatience. So Baek Yu-Seol gradually stopped playing hard to get and got to the point.

"Money is easy to come by. But the principal’s knowledge? That’s priceless."

“What do you mean?"

"I’d like to receive help with magic engineering enchantment."

"Hmm...?"

"I want to receive that help just once."

Baek Yu-Seol’s words were quite novel and surprising, causing Elthman 's eyes to widen.

And Elthman had a reason for that. His magic attribute was spatial, after all.

In modern times, there was only one place where spatial magic was practically used.

The warp hole.

A revolutionary invention that greatly reduced the distance in the world.

Apart from the warp hole, which was a very convenient and comfortable means of transportation, there was no suitable place to use spatial enchantment.

Yet Baek Yu-Seol had something else in mind.

Using Alterisha’s alchemy magic engineering, if a necromancer was hunted and looted for a force vessel, and if a Class 9 spatial mage could enchant it…

A very excellent extradimensional space, an inventory, would be created.

Yes, an inventory.

A subspace like that could only be used by mages who had mastered Class 8 spatial magic, making those who could handle it incredibly rare in the world. However, after the development of alchemical magic engineering, anyone could use subspace if they paid a high price.

Moreover, with the help of Elthman, the Class 9 mage, he would be able to obtain a top-grade inventory.

"Think again, will you? Riltea recipe is currently discontinued. You can get quite a hefty price for it. But my magic engineering is completely impractical. You know what that means, don't you?"

"Yes, I understand. But as a mage and an alchemist who seeks the truth of matter, receiving the essence of your magic is the most valuable gift in life, far beyond any amount of money."

Elthman's expression became more and more strange, as if he hadn't expected to hear that.

Principal Elthman, ignorant of Baek Yu-Seol’s goal, must have had a number of wandering thoughts by now.

How was it expressed in the game?

Elthman would feel guilty about proposing a deal to rip off a recipe from a student, and in the midst of that, Baek Yu-Seol received sincere admiration when he said that witnessing his magic was the most valuable experience in the world, more than money.

So it would feel very strange to Elthman.

As expected, Elthman seemed uncomfortable but also in a good mood, yet there was also a feeling that something was wrong as he looked at Baek Yu-Seol with a questioning expression.

"Alright. If that's what you truly want, let's make the deal."

‘Yahoo.’