Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 201

A Gamble with Time (4)

A typical mage must reach the level of a 3rd class to finally qualify as a “Magic Warrior.”

Considering that individuals with average talent achieve the 3rd class in their late twenties to early thirties by normal efforts, the path to becoming a Magic Warrior is not as easy as one might think.

T h i s w as c o p i e d fr om ki ngm tl . o rg
Becoming an official Magic Warrior is not the end.

By balancing missions with constant study and practice, one might barely achieve the 4th class, which would take several years, and by then, one might start to receive some recognition within the Magic Tower or guild.

In other words, achieving the 4th class requires an enormous amount of effort and a lot of time under normal circumstances.

“Ah, I’m telling the truth! Uncle, don’t you believe me?”

“Huh, these kids…”

Gerewin, the branch manager of the Steel Pine Adventurers’ Guild in the city of Lahendark, couldn’t hide his troubled expression as he looked at the two girls in front of him.

“So, you’re saying both of you are 4th class mages and you want to be part of the Karakorun Mountain expedition?”

“Well, it’s hard to believe…”

Other adventurers waiting inside the Steel Pine Guild office also glanced at the two girls.

The girl with hair as refreshing as a flowing blue waterfall and the girl with a black bob haircut were so beautiful that even adults would turn their heads.

Just standing there attracted gazes from all sides, and claiming they were 4th class mages only drew more attention.

“Don’t you see the Stella uniform? Look at this. It’s Stella. I also have the Stella Pocket Watch.”

The black bob-haired girl, Flame, pronounced it clearly, presenting the Stella Pocket Watch, and Gerewin received it with a reluctant expression, then widened his eyes.

“This is… the real thing.”

“Right? You can recognize that, right?”

“Yes, I acknowledge that you’re from Stella. But… it’s hard to believe you’re 4th class just in your first year.”

Flame and Aiselle had appeared in newspapers a few times, but not everyone memorized all the faces that appeared in the papers.

Moreover, although formal mages have their certifications updated upon achieving each class, students are not yet officially certified, leaving Flame and Aiselle without a way to prove their abilities.

Because it was extremely rare for teenagers to achieve the 3rd class, and only the top five prestigious magic schools like Stella produced such individuals, it wasn’t stipulated by law.

“Ah, seriously, Uncle, you’re frustrating!”

Flame hit her chest in frustration, feeling stifled.

Setting out from Stella with grand ambitions to find the sacred relic of Silver Age November was all well and good.

However, both Flame and Aiselle were 4th class mages but still young and inexperienced, and it was inefficient to travel alone in dangerous areas, so they decided to join an expedition team instead.

Fortunately… there had been an expedition with a similar purpose being organized for years.

But she overlooked the fact that society isn’t as accommodating to young mages as one might think.

“Even if it’s true, you’re too young. The Stella students sometimes come out on missions, but they were at least in their second year.”

By now, Flame had caught on. Gerewin seemed reluctant to include the high-profile students from Stella in the expedition.

Because if an accident occurred, the blame might unjustly fall on him.

Though Stella students are dispatched with a clause stating they are responsible for any injuries they suffer, the anxiety couldn’t be helped.

“Oh, really…”

Flame pressed her pink lips together, swallowing her frustration, when a tanned woman who had been sitting at a distant table drinking strong alcohol alone stood up and spoke.

“Gerewin. Let’s just take them.”

“Kaila… what are you suddenly talking about?”

“I’m interested in those kids. I’ll take responsibility, okay?”

“You’ll take responsibility?”

Phew.

Gerewin looked alternately at Kaila and Flame, then sighed deeply and nodded.

“Well, if you say so… in fact, if they’re 4th class Magic Warriors, they might still be a great help even with no experience.”

“Wise choice, Branch Manager!”

Thwack!

“Ouch!”

Kaila, who had slapped Gerewin hard on the back, approached the two girls, draping her arms around their shoulders and bringing her face close.

“Let’s go have a drink to celebrate our new companions.”
T h is was co p i ed f r o m k i n g m t l . or g

“…We’re minors.”

“Heh, so what?”

Aiselle found Kaila’s demeanor slightly off-putting, but Flame smiled broadly and clasped Kaila’s hands with both of hers, shaking them up and down vigorously.

“Let’s have a drink together, sister!”

“Yeah, you get me!”

“Of course!”

And the next morning…

“Heurk…”

Watching Flame, who had gotten utterly drunk despite being a minor, Aiselle sighed deeply.

“If you’re caught, you’ll be suspended…”

Despite clearly warning her, Flame had nonsensically claimed that her heart was mature and downed alcohol recklessly as if she had done so before. By the looks of it, she must have been a delinquent student.

“Sigh.”

Aiselle straightened the body of Flame, who was sleeping in an artistic posture, half hanging off the bed, and then left the room to take a shower.

Stepping outside the inn, she found Kaila, who had drunk heavily with Flame the night before, sitting on the main building’s steps, smoking while looking miserable.

“Hey, cutie. You’re up?”

“Yes. How’s your stomach?”

“Feels like I might die.”

“…We’re leaving today. Why did you overdo it?”
T h i s w a s c o pi e d fro m k in g m tl. o rg

“Oh, are you worried about me?”

“Not really…”

T hi s wa s co pie d fr o m k ing m t l . o r g
Kaila took a deep drag on her cigarette, exhaled a large puff of smoke, and stood up.

“Kid. Do you know why I said to bring you along?”

“Um, no, I don’t…”

“I’ve seen your faces in the newspaper a few times. Those ignorant guys probably don’t even read the paper properly.”

“Oh, I see…”

Th i s w a s c op ie d f rom ki n g m t l . o r g
“Yeah, so I got curious. What would students from Stella be like at the ‘Karakorun Mountain Range’? Do you know why we’re going on this expedition?”

“Of course.”

Th i s w a s c o p i e d f ro m k i ng mt l . o r g
The Karakorun Mountain Range had long been famous for its inexplicable phenomena.

Th i s w a s c o pi e d f ro m k i n g m t l. o r g
Adventurers had gone missing only to appear ten years later in the same spot without having aged a day, or an old child’s diary, written three years in the future, was found discarded on the ground.
T h is wa s co p i e d f rom ki n g m t l . o r g

In addition to that, a falling object would stop mid-air for years before suddenly dropping and causing a fatal accident, and items believed to have been made in ancient times were found looking brand new, making it a place full of mysteries.

Although countless adventurers had challenged the secrets of the place, they often returned empty-handed.

For this reason, expeditions had not been organized as frequently as before. There was nothing to gain even if you went.

“Well… if it hadn’t been for the recent disappearance incident, we wouldn’t be doing this nonsense.”

In fact, the reason for organizing such expeditions was obvious. It’s because the children of high-ranking individuals went missing, and wealthy people, desperate to grab at straws, commissioned adventurers.

Magic Warriors and adventuring mages are fundamentally different categories.

Unlike Magic Warriors who break Persona Gates and hunt Dark Mages, adventurers specialize in solving such mysterious incidents…

Yet even those adventurers had given up on the mysteries of the Karakorun Mountain Range.

“Nonsense…?”

“Yeah, exactly. It’s bound to be fruitless.”

She flicked her cigarette.

“This year marks my 12th anniversary as a mercenary, and it’s my fifth time in Karakorun. But it’s always a bust. There’s nothing to find, no matter how many times you go.”

Most likely, the adventurers didn’t know, but the inexplicable phenomena occurring in the Karakorun Mountain Range were likely caused by the ‘Sacred Relic of Silver Age November.’

Though Aiselle was aware of this, it didn’t necessarily change anything.

Knowing what was there didn’t guarantee finding it.

“So, I thought of bringing you along this time.”

“…What?”

“I thought, if you’re Stella students, you might have some brilliant ideas. Plus, rumors say both of you are geniuses who only come once in a thousand years?”

“That’s an exaggeration.”

“Ahah, don’t be shy. Anyway, I look forward to our collaboration on this expedition.”

With that, Kaila retreated into the inn.

“Whew…”
Th i s w a s cop ie d f r om k i n gmt l.o r g

Aiselle understood that having someone who treated them well in this unfamiliar expedition was a relief.

‘Why do I feel so uneasy though…’

What could it be?

This strange and ambiguous feeling.

I still don’t know.

* * *

In conclusion, Flowerseorin’s judgment was correct. By spending time in the city at night, rather than engaging in a duel, the resonance of the sacred relic could be invoked.

As a result, I successfully absorbed a part of Flowerseorin’s ability.

[You have absorbed some of ‘Red Spring March’s Blessing’ from Flowerseorin.]

The moonlight fades, and the sun rises.

On a quiet early morning when everyone is asleep.

Flowerseorin secretly took off her veil and embraced the warm sunlight. Watching her with her arms wide open as if to embrace the sun, a sense of satisfaction filled me.

But not everything was good news.

[Warning! Absorbing more of the target’s ability might trigger a curse brand.]

In the end, I faced a limitation.

Even though I hadn’t fully absorbed Flowerseorin’s curse, I had deeply received Red Spring March’s Blessing to the point where it couldn’t be managed with Mana Leakage Syndrome.

[Blue Winter December’s Blessing protects you from excessive energy!]

Fortunately, another of the Twelve Divine Moons’ Blessings prevented the overflow of excessive energy…

But this isn’t enough.

Flowerseorin’s Blessing needs to be accepted at least two more times, and it would take me a few more years to grow perfectly.

‘How did Flame manage this?’

In the original game, ‘Character Flame’ was known to have resolved Flowerseorin’s curse in one fell swoop.

Perhaps… I speculate.

Maybe by completely conquering Flowerseorin’s heart with the power of love, she overcame the curse of Red Spring March with that intense emotion.

Does this sound ridiculous?

Let’s not expect too much from a romance fantasy game. The word ‘romance’ itself is already a fantasy, and adding ‘fantasy’ once more makes this world full of absurdities.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes… I’m very happy…”

Flowerseorin smiled as she embraced the warm sunlight. It is impossible for someone like me to steal her heart.

So, I must resolve her curse in my own way.

Growth is needed.

Explosive growth to the point where I can handle Flowerseorin’s curse.

But… the more you rush growth, the slower it becomes, and it’s only by taking the long way around that it accumulates steadily.

Therefore, the remaining option is to accept the power of another Twelve Divine Moons.

Have I already met two of the Twelve Divine Moons and accepted their power, isn’t it too hasty?

Absolutely not.

I believe the Twelve Divine Moons are the key concepts guiding this world in the right direction.

Therefore, I plan to meet as many of the Twelve Divine Moons as possible before graduation.

Even if I can’t receive their blessings right now, there are still several Twelve Divine Moons I can visit and meet, so it’s not entirely impossible.

‘Visiting shouldn’t be a problem.’

There’s not much left of summer vacation anyway, and I don’t expect to turn the Twelve Divine Moons’ hearts to receive their blessings in such a short period.

Just facing them and increasing favorability for now is satisfactory.

So, the next Twelve Divine Moons to meet…
T h i s w a s co p ie d fr o m ki n g m t l . org

‘Silver Age November.’

With the very special ability to handle the silver time and living hidden in the world, mingling with people, that unique deity.

I’ve decided on that person.

End of Chapter