I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 97

Thanks to the valiant efforts of the elite First Celestial Knights, the first-year students of Stella were successfully rescued.

In reality, most of the students who operated in the first and second layers remained oblivious to the unfolding events, and even in the third layer, only a handful of students experienced the repercussions of the detected dark magic.

Although some students sustained injuries during encounters with corrupted divine beasts, their wounds were minor and posed no threat to their lives.

Stella Academy was immediately contacted, and three members of the council boarded a dedicated ship, swiftly arriving at Sky Flower Cradle to escort the students.

The council members were treated with the same respect as dukes and possessed enough power to have private audiences with kings, so the fact that three of them acted indicated how serious the situation was.

“Fortunately, it seems the students are unscathed."

Of course, there were those who, just before their rescue, grew restless, asking whether they could continue forming contracts with divine beasts and more.

As a result, Hong Bi-Yeon and Eisel astonished both the elves and the council by successfully forming contracts with 5-star divine beasts.

For students who had only been at the academy for a few weeks, it was nothing short of extraordinary to bond with divine beasts of such exceptional caliber.

And then...

Baek Yu-Seol and Ma Yu-Seong.

To the growing concern of those around them, the two students responsible for the dark mage’s defeat remained unconscious even after an entire day.

They needed an urgent transfer to an infirmary at Stella for hospitalization.

Fortunately, although Ma Yu-Seong's injuries were severe, they were rapidly healing thanks to his unique regenerative abilities.

As for Baek Yu-Seol, his condition was attributed to sheer exhaustion after pushing himself beyond his limits, resulting in collapse and unconsciousness.

This news provided some reassurance to those who had been deeply worried about him.

However...

During the course of their medical examination, a minor issue arose.

It proved impossible to thoroughly examine Ma Yu-Seong's body using magic.

Occasionally, individuals from distinguished bloodlines possessed special constitutions, using powerful spells to protect their bodies and conceal the secrets of their unique traits.

Ma Yu-Seong likely fell into this category.

Still, such cases were not entirely uncommon at Stella Academy.

However...

"What did you say about Baek Yu-Seol’s condition?"

When Dr. Rayburn asked, the nurse responded with a solemn expression, "He has mana leakage disorder."

"Hmm... I see..."

Rayburn removed his glasses and pressed his fingers against his temples.

"Mana leakage disorder..."

The term might be unfamiliar to most in the medical field, but those who understood its implications knew it was no trivial matter.

Mana leakage disorder.

It referred to individuals who were born without the innate inability to store mana within their bodies, making it nearly impossible for them to learn magic. It often led to their untimely demise before the age of 20.

Even with forty years of medical practice, Rayburn - who had treated countless patients - had rarely encountered this affliction.

Meeting someone with this condition, especially at Stella Academy, was beyond his expectations.

"How... How could someone with this condition be admitted to Stella?"

For those afflicted with mana leakage disorder, learning magic was considered an insurmountable challenge.

While technically not impossible, it demanded extraordinary effort, often deemed futile by even the most optimistic scholars.

Yet Baek Yu-Seol had managed to overcome his condition and successfully enroll in the world's most prestigious magic academy.

To accomplish that, just how much blood and sweat must he have shed?

What trials did he endure to wield magic with a body incapable of storing mana?

It was an unimaginable feat.

“This fact, Luna… Let’s keep it between us. You won't do something foolish like exposing the patient's condition, will you?"

Luna was a nurse with 27 years of experience. She had worked under Rayburn, who was renowned as one of the finest doctors, for a long time.

The weight of such a secret was undeniable, and Luna was not the type to let it slip easily.

However, there was a possibility that a select few individuals might already be aware of it because paper trails like medical records exist.

The rumors might not spread widely, but it wouldn't take long for those influential figures who desired this secret to find out.

‘What on earth... was this child's motive for enrolling in the academy?’

If he had only two years left to live, Rayburn would set aside all his responsibilities and embark on a journey.

Yet the child had chosen to enroll in the academy and pursue the path of learning.

Did he hope to find a cure for mana leakage disorder at Stella?

Sadly, such hopes were destined to be shattered.

No one in this world could treat it.

Even if a god existed, they would be powerless to intervene.

The god who created this world through mana would have no means to halt mana leakage or undo its consequences.

“This feeling of helplessness… It’s unbearable.”

Rayburn’s voice was heavy with despair as he removed his glasses, gripping them tightly in his hands.

Luna silently bore the weight of his words, unable to refute them.

Despite dedicating their lives to saving those on the brink of death, there were still patients they could not rescue.

And when faced with such patients, the sense of duty they carried as healers only deepened the sting of helplessness.

***

Ma Yu-Seong and Baek Yu-Seol were admitted to a spacious double room in the hospital at Stella Academy.

It wasn’t due to any particular reason… Stella’s hospital rooms had simply been designed to be spacious from the start.

As a result, their room became a hub of activity with numerous visiting well-wishers who left behind a growing pile of gifts.

Most of the gifts came from their fellow first-year students.

While the students from the first and second years might not fully comprehend the situation, those who had directly experienced the rampage of the dark magic-infected divine beasts in the third year felt the true threat to their lives.

Naturally, the information spread and the names of Baek Yu-Seol and Ma Yu-Seong started appearing prominently in newspapers worldwide:

[Sky Flower Cradle Infiltrated by Dark Mage]

[Did Two Stella Students Vanquish Them?]

[What is the Identity of the Dark Mage?]

[Their Determination to Protect Everyone Led to the Defeat of the Infected Divine Beasts]

Reports ranged from factual accounts to wild speculations, each adding to the growing intrigue.

Eisel sat quietly in the hospital room. Her gaze lingered outside the window after reading the multitude of articles about Baek Yu-Seol and Ma Yu-Seong.

The once bustling room was now tranquil, with only a few sporadic visitors.

Eisel took solace in slicing fruits and enjoyed the silence of the room.

Today was supposed to be the day when the Gourmet Club held its usual gathering.

But with only three members, two of whom were bedridden, any activities had become impossible.

Taking a bite of the apple prepared by Flame, she savored its crisp sweetness.

She pondered the saying about sitting quietly in the hospital room, slicing apples while waiting for the patients to wake up, realizing that it was an overused cliché.

However, despite her efforts, there were no signs of Ma Yu-Seong and Baek Yu-Seol awakening.

The doctor had assured everyone that both of them had sufficiently recovered and should have awakened by now, leaving everyone perplexed.

Speculations arose that the excessive release of mana during the battle might have played a role, but the true reason remained unknown.

However, the nurse's encouragement that they would wake up soon and not to worry provided some solace.

But how could she not worry?

"Sigh..."

Eisel exhaled softly, her thoughts heavy as she idly passed the time.

Then, without any warning, the door to the hospital room swung open.

"Huh?"

Her heart sank.

A chill ran down her spine, and her body bristled with anticipation.

There she stood.

Eisel’s breath caught as her eyes locked onto the figure in the doorway.

"Oh? Well, well..."

A mischievous smile curved across her lips.

Thump.

Thump.

Eisel’s heart pounded heavily. Her pupils trembled, lips quivered, and her palms grew damp with cold sweat.

Eisel Morph.

The girl who had plunged into the abyss.

The girl who had miraculously clawed her way back.

The girl whose soul burned with hatred.

And standing before her now… Hong Si-Hwa Adolevit.

The woman who betrayed Eisel’s father, Isaac Morph.

The woman who took his life.

Their eyes met, and an uncontrollable urge surged through Eisel’s veins.

‘Kill her right now.’

She wanted to rip out Hong Si-Hwa’s heart, to make her suffer as her father had.

But her body refused to move.

The weight of her rage bore down like an unrelenting boulder, pinning her in place.

Even as her eyes bulged with veins, she could do nothing but glare intensely.

"So, you're that child, huh? Hehe, you've grown up so beautifully. Would you consider marrying me someday?"

“With what face did you come here?”

Eisel forced the words out, her voice dripping with venom.

Hong Si-Hwa tilted her head, touching her chin as if genuinely puzzled.

“Hm? Is there a proper face for visiting the sick? I can’t quite say. Am I wrong to come check on the ones who saved my younger sister? Or maybe…”

With a sly smile, Hong Si-Hwa approached Eisel, slightly bowing her head.

"Do I need permission from a traitor to be here?"

"You...!"

The air in the room turned icy, a freezing chill spreading in every direction.

Yet Hong Si-hwa remained composed as she calmly walked toward Baek Yu-Seol.

“You’ve been taking such good care of them, haven’t you? Are you expecting some sort of reward for your devotion?”

“I’m not looking for a reward,” Eisel snapped. “Not that I’d stoop to your level.”

"Oh, humans are all inherently materialistic. There are only those who pretend otherwise. Look, even now."

Hong Si-Hwa pointed alternately at Ma Yu-Seong and Baek Yu-Seol.

“These boys have something you’ll never have… greatness. Power. And unlike you, they aren’t the children of a traitor.”

"That's..."

“What’s wrong? Did I strike a nerve?” Hong Si-Hwa’s voice dripped with mockery.

“Call it pathetic, call it pitiful… either way, that’s the truth. I’ll even give you that much credit.”

As Eisel gritted their teeth, Hong Si-Hwa mocked even that expression.

“But then again,” Hong Si-Hwa added with a smirk, “are you still hanging around because you know the secrets these two are hiding?”

"What?"

What nonsense was she spouting now?

Eisel tried to retort, but Hong Si-Hwa casually threw a chart at her. "He won't last long."

‘Did I just hear what I think I did?’

Eisel stared blankly at Hong Si-Hwa, but she paid no attention and instead focused on the sleeping Baek Yu-Seol.

At that moment, Eisel felt a faint trace of emotion, or so she thought. 

It was just a fleeting illusion in Hong Si-Hwa, who seemed devoid of any feelings.

"Mana leakage disorder. It’s a congenital condition. Those afflicted cannot store mana in their bodies and die before the age of twenty. That’s what Baek Yu-Seol is suffering from. You claim to be close to him, yet you didn’t know?”

"No, that's... That can't be..."

It couldn’t be true.

Because Baek Yu-Seol, the genius among geniuses, could effortlessly control Flash, the most outrageously difficult magic in history...

And yet, he had a condition where mana couldn’t be stored in his body?

A condition that made learning magic extremely difficult?

"Well, isn't that interesting? Imagine achieving what even prodigies couldn’t, with a body that resists magic itself. Doesn’t that make you curious? I certainly was.”

Eisel’s hands shook as she skimmed through the chart, thrown by Hong Si-Hwa.

It wasn’t a lie.

Or rather, was there any reason for her to come here and lie in the first place?

"Is it really... true...?"

As Eisel silently read the chart, Hong Si-Hwa approached with a smile on her face.

“You thought you knew him, didn’t you?”

“Living together, training together, trusting him… You must’ve felt like you were close enough to share everything. But no. He doesn’t share his secrets with you.”

Eisel froze.

Because it was true.

Baek Yu-Seol always acted like he knew everything about her… her past, her struggles, even her pain.

He had guided her, supported her… yet what did she truly know about him?

Not even his hometown.

Not his parents.

Not his story.

She knew nothing and was not told anything.

"So, how about you stop with the pointless pretense? Honestly, it's quite bothersome to see a loser like you prancing around... It rubs me the wrong way."

As Hong Si-Hwa spoke, she approached Eisel to deliver the final blow.

"That's enough. Stop embarrassing yourself.”

Startled at the familiar voice, Eisel shrank back, trembling, and distanced herself.

Hong Si-Hwa maintained the same expression she had while intimidating Eisel and slowly lifted her head.

"Oh my, who is this? Isn't it my pretty little sister?"

At the entrance of the hospital room was Hong Bi-Yeon.

"Please choose the right time and place to tease someone. It's embarrassing to go somewhere and call yourself a princess of the Adolevit Kingdom."

Perhaps those words were a little provocative, as Hong Si-Hwa's expression hardened slightly.

"Oh... really? But... By the way..."

She approached Hong Bi-Yeon and said, "Do you think you have the right to lecture me about the dignity of a princess?"

She flinched.

In the past, those words might have been enough to crush her under the weight of guilt and insecurity.

But not anymore.

“Yes. I too, as a princess, have the qualifications of a queen."

“Confident now, are we?” Hong Si-Hwa sneered. “Or perhaps shameless? A usurper who exploited someone’s death to rise to power?”

Hong Bi-Yeon bit her lip, a flicker of doubt flashing across her face.

Eisel, who had been silently observing the exchange, clenched her fists.

She was done being passive, done letting others trample over her.

Even if the beast before her bared its fangs, she would face it head-on.

So she forced open her mouth, and as if trying to suppress a groan, spat out, “You're the shameless one, you know?"

"What?"

“Snooping around and flaunting secrets you dug up without permission. What kind of act is that?”

"Oh, so that's what you meant."

"It's true, isn't it? Even though he didn’t want his secret revealed, you dragged it out and are acting all high and mighty about it.”

Hong Bi-Yeon seemed slightly stung by those words as well, as she averted her gaze.

"Yes, you're right. I know less about Baek Yu-Seol than you do. But at least I can listen to him honestly and openly without prying like someone else."

As Eisel responded, Hong Si-Hwa looked at her with a peculiar expression.

It wasn't an expression of anger, nor was it one of happiness.

It hovered in some strange middle ground… an emotion too ambiguous to name.

‘Does someone like her even feel emotions?’

Although Eisel mustered a strong retort, she clenched her fists tightly, unsure of what kind of insane words the woman might spew next.

"Well, I suppose you could say that."

Hong Si-Hwa’s lips curved into a sly grin, and just like that, she turned away.

Moving with a dancer’s grace, she glided out of the hospital room.

"Young people these days are so full of energy, aren't they? I hope to see more of that kind of attitude in the future!"

With those words, she vanished with light steps.

"What... What was that?"

Feeling as if a whirlwind had swept through, Eisel stared blankly outside the hospital room.

Outside, nurses and Stella Academy’s security guards stood frozen, caught between confusion and unease.

Nevertheless, they didn't dare confront and evict the two Adolevit princesses.

“She’s really gone… Right?”

Still wary, Eisel peeked out into the corridor, double-checking to make sure Hong Si-Hwa had left.

Meanwhile, Hong Bi-Yeon quietly tucked a small fruit box into the corner of Baek Yu-Seol’s already overflowing desk.

Her gaze lingered briefly on his sleeping face before she turned and silently exited the room.

After briefly gazing at Baek Yu-Seol’s sleeping face, she turned her body and walked out of the hospital room.

And just like that, the hospital room fell silent once more.

Sigh...

The weight of the past week pressed down on Eisel’s shoulders.

An exhausting whirlwind of chaos, confrontation, and unrelenting tension… finally, it was over.