Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 214

Old Story (10)

Today was quite a strange day for Aiselle.

As usual, after finishing lunch, she tried to sneak some cake behind the back of her maid, Pesila, but she got caught because of a large-scale cleaning operation.

Then, while secretly reading comic books in her hidden spot, a cat suddenly appeared, startling her into screaming, which got her caught again.

And to top it all off, she felt like playing with a ball today. But as she was playing by herself, the ball flew over the wall, and when she went out to retrieve it, she got lost.

Caught up in a special magical barrier, she completely forgot the way back home.

While wandering through the forest, she encountered a terrifying wolf monster.

She thought she was going to die.

How many times does a seven-year-old child have to experience the emotions of fear and despair due to a life-threatening situation?

Her lips turned blue, her whole body trembled, and her heart pounded madly. The fear still hadn’t subsided, but now, at least, she could feel somewhat relieved.
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It was because of the masked stranger.

She didn’t know his name or his face, but for some reason, being around this person made her feel at ease.

“…So, are we going the right way?”

Baek Yu-seol, who was following behind, asked. Aiselle, who had been confidently leading the way, hurriedly nodded.

“Y-Yes, this is the right way.”

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“The ‘right way’ you mentioned earlier was northeast, but now you’re heading northwest. The directions are different.”

“T-That can’t be true!”

Aiselle’s eyes spun in confusion. She was sure this was the right way, so why were the directions different?

“Sigh…”

The future Aiselle is smart and good at everything, but it seems she couldn’t help being a bit of a fool when she was a child.

Well, if a seven-year-old were too intelligent, that might be a bit scary in its own way.

As Baek Yu-seol was pondering what to do about this situation, a message popped up on the Bulbul Glasses.

[Analysis Complete]

[A ‘Wanderer’s Rule’ magic is installed in this forest, causing a deterioration in creatures’ sense of direction.]

“What?”

He widened his eyes in disbelief. Despite having access to the knowledge in the glasses and studying magic himself, he knew just how ridiculous this situation was.

“Are you saying there’s a magic spell cast over this entire forest…?”

That’s just insane.

Then, a sudden thought struck him.

‘Wait… A sense of direction deterioration magic?’

Magic, huh.

‘Then it’s possible to analyze it, isn’t it?’

[Yes, it’s possible because your sensory stats far exceed the threshold of this barrier.]

[Search Complete.]

After a moment, it felt as though the forest split open, revealing a clear path in front of him.

“Whoa… This is…”

[Beginning navigation.]

[Proceed straight for 7.3 km.]

[Then, turn right.]

“…Is this a GPS?”

The mood was suddenly shattered.

In any case, finding the way now wasn’t a problem.

“Hey, forget it. Just follow me.”

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“Huh…?”

Aiselle, who had been following behind, was stunned when Baek Yu-seol suddenly took the lead. She hurriedly caught up to him, still looking confused.

“W-Wait a minute! My father said that anyone who enters this forest will lose their way.”

“You got lost too. Use polite speech.”

“T-That’s because… I forgot the method my father taught me…”

Well, at that age, kids usually don’t pay much attention to what their fathers say. She probably forgot because she didn’t focus properly.

“This is really dangerous…”

Despite Aiselle’s anxiousness, Baek Yu-seol confidently strode forward.

Whenever dangerous beasts or monsters appeared, he dealt with them with a single strike, causing Aiselle’s eyes to widen in amazement.

“Wow…”

It felt satisfying, like showing off a game character’s ID to a younger cousin, but then he remembered that this power wasn’t truly his own, and a sense of self-pity washed over him.

‘…I’m going to train non-stop without even eating once I return to the present.’

How long had they been wandering through the forest?

When Baek Yu-seol suddenly stopped walking, Aiselle looked at him questioningly.

“Is something wrong?”

“Looks like your friends are here.”

“Huh?”

Soon, the bushes parted, and a group of knights clad in blue uniforms appeared.
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‘The crest of the Morf Duchy.’

Recognizing them instantly, Baek Yu-seol smiled faintly.

“…Reveal your identity.”

Among the knights, the man who seemed to be the leader approached and pointed his staff at Baek Yu-seol.

Baek Yu-seol lowered his staff and gestured toward Aiselle with his thumb.

“She got lost, so I was just escorting her back home.”

The knight glanced at Aiselle, as if asking if it was true, and she hastily nodded.

“Y-Yes, it’s true. He even defeated all the monsters!”

“…I see. Young Lady, please come this way.”

The knight’s words prompted Aiselle to run over to the group. However, even though she had vouched for him, the interrogation wasn’t over.

“Now, reveal your identity again.”

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“Baek Seol-gi.”

“…That’s the name of a rice cake.”

“That’s why I hate rice cakes.”

The knight frowned and seemed ready to press further, but Aiselle tugged on his sleeve and intervened.

“Don’t! He really helped me!”

“But, Young Lady. This is… the ‘Morf Forest,’ which no one except the bloodline of the Morf Duchy can enter. Outsiders cannot enter here by ordinary means, so we must investigate how he got in…”

“I’ll tell father!”

“Ugh…”
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The ultimate declaration.

When the eldest daughter of a duke says, ‘I’ll tell father,’ it’s at least an SSS-class move, something a mere knight couldn’t possibly counter.

‘So this was that kind of place.’

I should have realized it when Aiselle referred to this place as the ‘front yard.’

No entry for outsiders.

It seems I won’t be able to beg for a meal after all.

However, having saved young Aiselle from an untimely death in this timeline, I felt that I had done all I needed to do here.

“I took a wrong turn. If you could show me the way out, I’ll leave quickly.”

Thinking that there was no benefit in getting further entangled with Aiselle, and that disappearing would probably be better for everyone’s sake, Baek Yu-seol spoke up.

…But.

“Wait a moment.”

A deep voice echoed through the forest.

Thud! Thud!

The entire magic knight squad immediately turned around and knelt on one knee toward someone.

‘S… Seriously?’

Cold sweat ran down Baek Yu-seol’s back as he looked at the man who had arrived at the forest.

Blue eyes identical to Aiselle’s, but with brown hair that bore no resemblance.
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The very person the heroine always trusted and relied upon in memories of a world.

‘Isaac Morf.’

The legendary character appeared before him at this very moment.

“You saved my daughter from the forest?”

His tone was light, but to those who heard it, it definitely wasn’t.

His voice carried an overwhelming presence, imbued with mana.

Though history recorded him as an 8th-Class mage, one might speculate that… if he had lived just a bit longer, he might have reached the 9th-Class—a level of mana pressure that was truly immense.

‘This guy is truly terrifying…’
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The way his mana weighed down on the surroundings was so unique that even though he had approached, it was barely noticeable. Or rather, the mana surrounding Isaac Morf was so powerful that it was felt long before he even got close, making it difficult to realize it was him.

‘I’d be in big trouble if I had to fight this guy.’

Isaac glanced briefly at Baek Yu-seol, then smiled warmly and opened his arms towards his daughter.

“My dear, you got lost in the forest?”

“Father!”

Aiselle ran to him, and that was when Baek Yu-seol started to feel uneasy.

His intuition was warning him that it would be best to leave this place as soon as possible.

“I’m glad to have witnessed this father-daughter reunion. I’ll be on my way now.”

“Hmm? Haha, no way. You saved my daughter, my benefactor. I can’t just let you go like this. It’s almost dinner time; at least let me treat you to a meal.”

“…I’m not really hungry.”

“Is that so? Then could you at least join us for dinner? I feel that I would regret it for the rest of my life if I let you go just like this.”

This… is definitely not good.

He has no intention of letting me go.

If I refuse here… he’ll probably drag me along by force. It’s better to listen to him while he’s still showing goodwill.

“Understood. I’ll just attend the dinner.”

“Great! I’ll have them prepare Princess’s favorite, Harvrimyu Potato Salad, especially for tonight!”

“Yay~!”

Seeing the childish behavior of young Aiselle and the seemingly ordinary Isaac, who didn’t give off the impression of being the Duke of Morf, everything felt strangely unreal.

And another thing.

Why did I end up traveling back ten years in time, and why did I end up encountering them of all people?

‘The Duke of Morf ten years ago…’

Even someone like Baek Yu-seol, who didn’t care much about the story, was familiar with one significant event.

The darkening of Duke Morf.

And the betrayal.

It seems I’ve gotten myself entangled in the timeline where that event takes place.

* * *

The dinner was surprisingly modest, considering the grandeur one might expect from a duke. In truth, it was still more extravagant than what most other nobles would have, but it was smaller in scale compared to the royal feast I had seen before.

Well, it’s not like a daily meal with just a father and daughter needs to be grand every day.

Apparently, they usually ate simple meals in his private office, so tonight’s dinner might actually be considered special.

“Nom.”

“Our little princess, you’ve got food all over your face again.”

“Don’t call me princess!”

Aiselle seemed embarrassed by the word ‘princess’ and kept glancing at me whenever she heard it.

“You used to like it…”

Isaac looked a bit hurt but then smiled again as he wiped the Harvrimyu sauce off Aiselle’s cheek. If I remember correctly, this sauce was made from a Harvrimyu mushroom, something similar to truffles on Earth.

The scent was so intense that just watching them eat was driving me crazy.

But I mustn’t take off my mask just for the sake of this meal.

“Are you really not going to eat?”

“Yes. Because of certain circumstances.”

“Hmm, what circumstances would prevent you from eating? Perhaps you can’t take off the mask?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Anyone with some awareness, even a child, could figure out the situation. There was no need to lie.

“Very well, then. I won’t force you to take off the mask. I have no intention of threatening the person who saved my daughter. However… I can’t help but be curious about you. Would you mind answering a few questions if possible?”

It was said that the Morf Forest was tightly sealed off with a special magical barrier, preventing anyone from entering.

There wasn’t any great treasure hidden within, but rather, a terrifying beast was said to be sleeping there.

It had been sealed for over a hundred years and had been dormant for so long that security had slackened, which is why no one noticed when Aiselle entered the forest.

Given that the intrusion came from within the mansion, it was understandable. Of course, those guards who failed to notice Aiselle’s antics would likely lose their jobs.

“Hmm… My story, huh.”

“Yes.”

What should I say?

I obviously can’t tell him that I came from the future, and it feels odd to say that I’m still a student.

“I’m just… A wandering adventurer.”

A profession that is commonly used as a disguise and one of the hardest to identify.

An adventurer.

In other words, a vagrant.

Or a drifter. Or a homeless person.

“An adventurer. That’s quite a romantic occupation.”

“Thank you.”

“I heard from my daughter that you slashed a Sharp Wolf with a single stroke.”

“…Yes.”

“A sword… I’ve seen many mercenaries wielding swords, but I’ve never seen anyone who could hunt a Sharp Wolf with a single strike.”

Naturally.

It’s common sense.

Using a sword alone can’t cut through the mana-infused skin of a beast. I only managed because of the Mana Leakage Syndrome.

“Even with a good magic sword, it usually takes at least two to three risks, even with cooperation… That’s the average level for street-level mercenaries.”

“That’s right.”

“But the beast you hunted was a 5-Risk monster. Even veteran magic warriors would have to be extremely cautious to hunt one.”

Ah, I see where this line of questioning is going.

“In addition… There’s something strange about you. Normally, mages leak tiny amounts of mana from their bodies. I have a special ability that allows me to detect that.”

It seems Isaac Morf had abilities I didn’t know about, even the Bulbul Glasses didn’t have much information on him.

“But with you, I don’t feel any mana at all. It’s as if… you’re disconnected from the world. Even that mysterious aura surrounding you—I can’t quite figure out what it is.”

Isaac Morf had already set down his fork and knife, clasped his hands, and was staring intently at me.

“So, who exactly are you?”

What should I say in response to that?

I had no choice but to answer in the same way.

“…As I told you, I’m an adventurer.”

“Very well. I’ll take your word for it.”

He seemed to come to his own conclusion and nodded, then turned to Aiselle with a gentle smile.

“Princess, are you done with your meal?”

“Yes. I want to go to my room.”

“Let’s call for Pesila, the maid.”

As she left the dining hall with Pesila, Aiselle kept glancing back at me. Something seemed to be bothering her.

“Now that the child is gone… I’ll get straight to the point.”

A request from Isaac Morf. I could sense the serious tone, so I nodded with a firm expression.

“First, I need to say this.”
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After a brief pause, he spoke.

“I won’t live much longer.”

“…What?”

The sudden statement left me speechless.

“No, what do you mean by that…”

“Please understand that I can’t explain the reasons. However, this request is sincere. I won’t be able to protect my daughter for much longer. In fact, keeping her close to me might end up harming her. When that time comes…”

Isaac Morf looked me straight in the eye as he spoke.

“Could you protect my daughter, even if only for a short while, until she can stand on her own… No, even if she just stays alive…”

His request was so sudden and absurd, but I listened quietly without any objections or reactions.

“Do you know why I’m asking you, a complete stranger whose face and identity I don’t even know, to do this?”

I thought about it briefly, but I didn’t have an answer.

“…It’s because I’m that desperate.”

It seems Isaac Morf was already aware of the fate that awaited him. That’s why he was trying to prepare for it. I couldn’t bear to meet his sorrowful gaze, so I lowered my head.

“I have a special ability to gauge a person’s character just by talking to them. You’re a bit eccentric and whimsical, but not a bad person. If anything… I’d say you’re righteous.”

Isaac sighed and stood up, gazing at the wall.

There, a family photo was hanging, showing him, his late wife, and their only daughter.

“So, I’m asking you. If you refuse, I can’t force you, but…”

“I’ll do it.”

I had intended to avoid getting involved with future connections.

But…

Was it truly a coincidence that I ended up in this precise timeline where such a major event was about to unfold and happened to meet Aiselle and Isaac Morf?

Or was it fate?

I don’t believe in coincidences or fate. But rejecting this request in this situation would make me a heartless person.

“…Thank you. Truly.”

Isaac nodded briefly and looked at the photo in silence. Then, as if casting a spell, he began muttering softly to himself.

“It’s inevitable. It can’t be helped. But… even if it’s for the greater good, I can’t sacrifice my daughter…”

He wasn’t talking to me.

Isaac Morf.

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He was talking to himself.

He was trying to hypnotize himself. What could possibly be so terrifying that even someone like Isaac Morf would tremble and try to brainwash himself like that?

If only I didn’t know anything… But knowing what little I did, my heart felt heavy.

There will likely be nothing I can do.

End of Chapter