I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 83

Stella Academy frequently organized field trips.

The sight of a majestic airship accompanied by dozens of large vessels soaring into the skies was truly breathtaking. Each one bore the Stella insignia and had the capacity to carry several hundred passengers.

“This is my first time experiencing an airship taking a warp hole.”

"It's not much different from a regular warp hole, is it?"

"Well, that's true."

It was uncommon to use a warp hole gate while onboard an airship.

Airship-exclusive warp hole gates were massive structures, and their operation was notoriously inefficient.

Because of this, there were fewer than twenty locations on the continent equipped with airship-specific warp hole gates.

Notable examples included the kingdom of the high elves, the Cradle of the Heavenly Spirit Tree, the dwarves' Black Iron Empire, and Stella Academy in Arcanium. Thanks to this, Stella's students often experienced airship warp holes during large events.

'This is so refreshing...'

Eisel savored the gentle breeze flowing through the airship. Though artificially generated, it still felt freeing.

She imagined it as a romantic voyage through the clouds aboard an airship.

Even if it was officially an educational field trip, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy the moment.

"Nom."

Eisel was eating a giant black bean sauce tteokbokki with her friends. It wasn’t just black bean sauce tteokbokki; it was giant black bean sauce tteokbokki.

"You pig! Eat them one by one." Claire wrinkled her nose as Hariren shoved four giant tteokbokki into her mouth at once.

"Gis is ow wa wen chu gu it. Hehehe."

(Meaning: This is how you're meant to eat it.)

"Eww! Swallow it all before you speak!"

"Ugh, it's really gross."

"Muhu."

The grosser it was, the more she enjoyed it.

Eisel gazed absentmindedly at the lively antics of her classmates.

When you think of Stella Academy girls, you expect them to have noble and elegant dining habits, but in reality, they’re so much different.

Of course, most of those girls were commoners, but still, it was quite a shocking sight.

"Eisel, why are you looking like that?"

"Oh, it’s nothing... I just, um... didn’t expect you to eat so wildly."

"Do you want some too? If you can't fit more than three in your mouth at once, you have to spit it out."

"Why are you teaching me such weird things again?"

"Hehe, hey, they say it's a trend nowadays? Eating a lot of extra-large jajang tteokbokki at once."

"Unlike you, Eisel is a fine lady, alright?"

"Nonsense. You can't judge people just by their appearance."

“Hey, do you see Flame over there? If she keeps her mouth shut, she looks like a proper lady, but as soon as she opens her mouth, she turns into a monster."

Eisel glanced at the adjacent table.

"Kwaaap."

Flame, who looked as though she couldn’t even finish a single strawberry with her dainty pink lips, was now shoving five giant black bean sauce tteokbokki into her mouth all at once.

Such a sweet and delicate face, twisted into something so absurd… The surrounding students could only sigh in resignation, as if mourning a wasted beauty.

"I wish I had a face like that."

"Please. I’d put it to better use than she does."

"Exactly. Your usual antics would probably be less shocking with that face."

"What? You crazy bitch, are you asking for a fight?"

It was the usual banter among ordinary female students. By now, Eisel was slowly growing accustomed to their quirks.

"Oh, right. Eisel, what do you think?"

The conversation shifted to Eisel, and she tilted her head.

"About what?"

"You know, Baek Yu-Seol."

After the incident, there wasn't a single person on campus who didn't know his name.

No, it wasn't just on campus.

Perhaps his name had spread throughout the entire Arcanium.

Aspiring mages from all over the world knew that he managed to snatch a coveted pass to the Aslan Seminar, a dream event for many, right out of Duke Atalek’s hands.

Not only that, but it was revealed he played a role as a co-developer of alchemy magic engineering, attracting swarms of journalists seeking interviews and forcing security to restrict access to him for days.

But at the moment, students' interests were focused elsewhere.

As students of Stella, while they were definitely envious of Aslan pass or the fact that he was a co-developer of the formula, it felt distant and overwhelming due to his great achievements.

They were teenagers first and prodigies second, so their focus naturally shifted to the drama unfolding in the academy.

“He was constantly ridiculed before. But now? No one dares to lay a finger on him."

"I heard the rumors spread by Senior Edmon turned out to be lies, so some seniors actually apologized."

"Oh, yeah. I saw it too."

The reason why seniors were apologizing to him wasn't because he had become an untouchable figure.

Even if he was a co-developer of the formula, his power was nothing compared to real nobility.

Instead, it was Baek Yu-Seol’s consistent demeanor that left an impression. He treated seniors with respect, carrying himself politely as if determined to rebuild his image.

Moreover, the majority of the seniors who had been harassing Baek Yu-Seol were forced to do so under Edmon's orders.

Of course, there were still a handful of seniors who resented him out of jealousy. But after witnessing his performance in the recent duel, they didn’t dare to confront him so easily.

"By the way, Eisel, can you introduce us to him later?"

"What?"

"You're really close to him."

"Oh, no, not really."

‘Close? It’s not nearly like that.’

"What? Really? I thought you two were dating."

"Wha-What?!" Surprised, Eisel yelled, spewing the juice in her mouth.

"W-Well, what I mean is, why would you think that all of a sudden?"

"Why? It's just that whenever something happens, Baek Yu-Seol always looks after you, right?"

"Right. Yeah, do you remember? During the mock battle with the monster, you probably didn't see it, but Baek Yu-Seol was so cool flying around with a sword, saying he would protect only you."

"Honestly, he looks a bit young and innocent, but I think he'll be quite handsome when he grows up. Don't you?"

"Yeah, he's cute."

As the stories about Baek Yu-Seol poured out like a tide, Eisel’s mind began to spin.

"What’s with that reaction? Baek Yu-Seol makes it so obvious that he likes you."

‘Is that so? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't mind if it’s true…’

'What am I thinking?'

But the more she thought about it, the more she saw the truth in it. He was always there wherever she went, always taking care of her. 

“I've been watching you all this time.”

‘The meaning behind his words…’

The sweltering heat showed no sign of fading.

Romance had always been a perplexing subject for Eisel.

It was strange.

She’d received plenty of confessions from boys before, yet she’d never paid them much thought.

But for some reason, it was difficult to brush it off so easily now.

‘Why’s that?’

It had been like that from the beginning.

During the necromancer attack at Marthevis Cemetery, why did he appear there alone?

During the mock battle with the monster, did he really need her to defeat the monsters?

Even if he had teamed up with someone else, his strategy would have been more than enough to handle the situation.

The club activities, the persona gate, and every little detail in between.

"Maybe because Eisel keeps putting up walls, it feels like he’s stopped trying lately?"

"Yeah, that's right. Hasn't he been getting closer to Princess Hong Bi-Yeon?"

"Oh my, what a player. I wonder if even the princess would be tempted by an ordinary person?"

"Hey, stop it. It's been a complete mess lately, you know? I heard that the way the princess looks at Baek Yu-Seol has been favorable lately."

"No way."

"It's like a romance novel, you know? Love that transcends social status! That's what going to the academy is all about!"

Love stories were the favorite topic of gossip among the girls.

Just like typical teenagers, quick to react to rumors, they eagerly shifted the focus of their chatter to Hong Bi-Yeon. And every time Eisel overheard those whispers, her chest felt heavier.

‘Could it be true...?’

‘You’ve been expressing your feelings so diligently. Did you stop because I didn’t notice?’

‘Why does it matter?’

‘After all, romance is a distant concept for me. I wouldn’t have enough time even if I worked without resting, so how can I make time for dating?’

Besides, she had no interest in him.

That was what it should have been.

‘Why is there a growing sense of unease and loss in a corner of my heart?’

***

After finishing the meal, Flame went out to the balcony of the airship alone, partly to aid digestion.

“Hooh, that’s better.”

With a loud, satisfying burp, she patted her slightly bulging stomach, feeling refreshed.

Yawning as she stretched, she was caught off guard when someone suddenly approached from the side.

"Hey, I have a favor to ask."

It was Baek Yu-Seol. He casually sat on the floor and started rummaging through his expanding backpack.

Flame frowned as if annoyed. "What's up, old man?"

"Can you grow a flower for me?"

"Do I look like a flower vending machine?"

Baek Yu-Seol pulled a small potted plant out of his backpack.

Flame looked at it with a puzzled expression. "Here?"

"A hanbaram flower, please."

"Huh?" Flame’s expression became noticeably more perplexed. "That's a bit difficult for my level..."

No matter how talented she was with the plant magic of the elves, it was difficult to summon high-grade flowers.

The hanbaram flower was a famous flower that only looked in one direction wherever it was located, thanks to its trait [Absolute Sense of Direction].

Because of this peculiar ability, it was highly valued for navigating dungeons and ruins, earning it an unusually high rating as a magical plant.

"I'll buy you a meal later."

"Yeah, yeah. Fine, whatever..."

Baek Yu-Seol placed the flowerpot on the floor, and Flame squatted down, holding out her hands.

She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing.

"Hup!"

After a while, the magic should have been activated, but nothing happened.

Baek Yu-Seol waited patiently.

"Hup! Hrrr!"

Flame’s face turned bright red as she strained, but the flower remained dormant.

"Are you trying to lay an egg or something?"

"Ugh, damn it. Just shut up, will you?"

"What are you doing?"

"I have to give it some force, but I don't know where to channel the force..."

It was a disadvantage for humans to possess foreign magic.

Compared to elves, angels, or dwarves who could naturally manipulate that magic, Flame had to learn that sense later in life.

It was like trying to flap wings or wag a tail… when you didn’t have either.

A frustrating and painstaking task, to be sure.

But in the end, effort paid off.

“Oh, it sprouted."

"Hoo, huh... Damn it, it's so exhausting."

Flame wiped sweat from her forehead as the hanbaram flower finally bloomed. It had been harder than she expected, but the outcome was satisfying enough.

"But what’s this for?"

She threw the question as she thought the place where the next episode would take place.

“Old man, you’re not thinking of going down to the fourth layer, are you?"

"Of course." Baek Yu-Seol chuckled. "Why else would I have asked you for this?"

Baek Yu-Seol had a long list of tasks to accomplish during this episode.

First, he intended to obtain the heart of the sacred tree for Leafanel. Second, he planned to meet one of the Twelve Divine Moons.

Deep within the roots of the Heavenly Spirit Tree lay the Pink Spring Moon.

Of course, it was impossible to make a contract with the Divine Moon right away. He didn't expect to achieve everything in one go.

But there was hope.

He held onto the plain flower necklace… proof of his friendship with Leafanel.

The Pink Spring Moon was known for being very close to the divine spirits, so Baek Yu-Seol thought that she might show some favor to someone who was friends with a divine spirit. Even if she didn’t show any favor, he planned to slowly build rapport through conversation.

"Hm, the fourth layer, huh? What are you going to do down there... Ugh!"

Suddenly, Flame clutched her stomach. Baek Yu-Seol, who had been admiring the flowerpot with a satisfied smile, immediately tensed.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Did forcibly casting a high-level magic give her side effects?

Flame turned pale and said, "No... I just ate too much earlier… And I pushed myself too hard… My stomach…"

"Oh, is that so?"

"I'll go... to the restroom."

"Enjoy yourself."

Leaving behind Baek Yu-Seol, who looked dumbfounded, Flame hurriedly left.

'Restroom, restroom!'

Her situation was critical. Anyone unfortunate enough to block her path was sure to be shoved aside without hesitation.

However, just as she turned the corner, she unfortunately encountered Hae Won-Ryang. He leaned casually against the wall as if waiting for someone. But when he noticed Flame, his stiff expression softened, and he spoke up.

"Flame, I need to talk to you about something."

"Sorry! I'm in a damn hurry right now!"

"Wait..."

"Move! I’m about to explode!"

But Flame was already past the point of patience, brushing him off with a scowl before storming away.

Hae Won-Ryang lowered the hand he had reached out to Flame and slowly turned around.

Just moments ago, he’d seen her and Baek Yu-Seol sitting together, teasing each other in that cozy little corner.

What were they whispering to each other in that secluded place, to the point of their faces being so close?

What kind of words could have made Flame smile so brightly?

The questions gnawed at him, yet he forced himself to resist the urge to dwell on them.

His chest ached, but he clenched his fists and focused on the beliefs that had guided him this far.

‘This... isn't my emotion.’

However, his beliefs gradually began to waver.