Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 47

Leafanel’s Green Key (1)

I don’t usually dream much. However, occasionally, when I’m extremely tired or haven’t slept properly, I do.

When I dream, I often return to my childhood. It wasn’t particularly a happy memory. Back then, I had a family, and experiencing the happiness I’ve lost and can never regain is a sad dream, not a happy one.

“…Yu-seol student.”

A sudden voice woke me with a start.

“Are you okay?”

“Ugh, my back hurts. I must have dozed off for a moment.”

“It’s already morning. Will you be okay during class?”

“I’ll just sleep during the class.”

“That’s not good for a student…”

T h is wa s c o p i e d f r o m k in g m t l .org
“I still do well in my studies.”

Though it’s all thanks to my glasses for cheating.
T h is w a s c op ie d f r o m k in g m t l .org

Alterisha laughed softly as if acknowledging it.

“When you’re wearing glasses and just sitting quietly, you seem like a different person. Usually, you look like a delinquent student, but at those times, you seem like an intellectual model student.”

“That’s my true self.”

“Well… Being positive is good.”

“Yes. Is the research going well?”

We were currently in Alterisha’s lab. I was there late into the night to work on the Random Aeration Cross Formula with her. I only gave small hints; Alterisha was solving most of it.

“Yes. There’s progress. Once we find the solution through repeated trials and errors for the remaining parts, it will be almost done.”

“That’s great. Just a bit more effort.”

“…I need to.”

She smiled happily but soon wore a worried expression.

“But… is this right? This is something the professor has spent half her life researching.”

“Sigh.”

I can’t tell if she’s kind-hearted or foolish. Even after having her research stolen, she could still say such things. If it were me, I would have grabbed her by the collar by now.

“Don’t think about such useless things. What does it matter if she spent half her life on it? You didn’t steal Professor Maizen’s research. We’re just better than the professor, and that’s not a crime, right?”

Even though I felt a bit guilty saying it, I had no choice but to comfort Alterisha.

Th i s w as co pi ed f r o m k in g m t l.o r g
“Yes… Thank you.”

“If we get caught being here, we’ll get demerits, so I’ll get going before sunrise.”

“Be careful. See you in class later.”

“Oh, right.”

Come to think of it, today was Friday. Since I had something to do, I took out something I had been holding onto.

“A club founding… application?”

“Yes. My friends and I are trying to start a Gourmet Club, and we need an advisor. Could you be our advisor?”

“Of course. After all, I’ve received so much help from you.”

She signed without hesitation.

“I’ll try not to bother you too much.”

“It’s okay. Just include me in your gourmet explorations later.”

“Of course.”

With the club founding requirements perfectly met, I left the lab, trying to hide my satisfaction.

It was time to start moving in earnest.

Since the previous incident, Stella students could no longer use airships or warp holes without a special purpose pass. Even if someone used them secretly, it left a record, and they would soon be caught.

That’s why I was so obsessed with obtaining the special purpose pass.

“Hmm… Training? And you’re applying for an outing pass under the Gourmet Club?”

“We also train under the guise of gourmet exploration.”

Lee Han-wol looked at me with suspicion but didn’t say much.

Though I did make a mistake before, he genuinely believed I was ‘going for training and then rescued my friends upon hearing they were in danger.’

“Well, fine. Just don’t cause any trouble.”

Thanks to Ma Yuseong’s help, our club was successfully founded, and we now had the freedom to go out.

Moreover, as the club president, I could go out alone without any issues.

‘This is great.’

I never thought I would receive this much help from Ma Yuseong. I must repay the debt someday.

“Ah.”

After leaving the Stella premises, I took a deep breath of fresh air. Staying inside the school was suffocating in many ways.

Just a short train ride from Stella, there was ‘Rodeo Street’ in Arcaneum.

This place was filled with vibrant students even from Friday lunchtime, as many youths without afternoon classes came out to play. With cherry blossoms blooming in spring, there were especially many couples.

Rodeo Street, also known as the street of culture and arts, was similar to Daehakro in Korea.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d fr om k i n g m tl . o rg
It was a lively place with theaters, movies, music, musicals, theme parks, magic parks, arcades, and other leisure facilities. There were also many spaces for students to date, like promenades filled with paintings and music or cafes, making weekends particularly busy.

Of course, I wasn’t part of a couple and didn’t go out to have fun, so I ignored all those and used an airship.

[Welcome to Angelalien.]

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f rom k i n gm t l . o r g
Surrounding the floating city of Arcaneum, there were as many as 12 satellite cities. Four of them were also floating cities like Arcaneum, and the remaining eight were built on mountain tops or over large lakes, among other diverse locations.

I often passed through the eastern floating city, Angelalien, as it was convenient to travel worldwide from there.

“Groan…”

“Student, it’s the last stop. Wake up.”

Th i s w a s c o pi ed fr o m k i n gm t l.org
I had been sleeping with my face pressed against the train window and had arrived at my destination before I knew it.

“O_O.”

The distance was quite far, but with regular use of warp holes and a train ride, the entire journey took less than two hours.

Getting off the train slowly, I looked around in awe at the scenery before me.

“Damn… This is insane.”

A single massive tree known as the Third World Tree. Hundreds of roots spread like an umbrella, and beneath it was a vast garden.

The World Tree, or the Sacred Tree’s unique green aurora gently enveloped the world, making everything below seem filled with happiness.

This place was called ‘Orchard of Flower Radiance.’

It was an open area where anyone could enter and pick fruits.

The view from the top was incredibly beautiful, making it a popular resort spot and a famous screenshot location in the game.

‘It can’t compare to the game’s graphics.’

I walked through the orchard, marveling at the colorful branches and vibrant fruits.

“Welcome, mage of Stella. We welcome human mages.”

As I stepped out of the train, a man with pointed ears and slightly tanned skin approached and spoke.

An elf. As expected in the elven territory, there were many elves around. I greeted him with the elven greeting I had memorized.

“I’m grateful for the beautiful garden you’ve cultivated. I would like to express my gratitude to Mother Earth and the World Tree.”

“May your sincere heart reach Mother Earth.”

His deep, charming voice and broad shoulders made it clear he was a ‘male’ elf.

To explain, elves are born without genders. They may take on masculine or feminine forms, but initially, they have no reproductive organs. Only when they find true love do they adopt a gender that matches their partner.

Hence, it’s common for an elf to be born feminine and later become male, or vice versa.

Before their gender is determined, most elves have similar body shapes and slightly androgynous voices, making it easy to differentiate.

I walked around, taking in my surroundings. Many elves, recognizing my Stella uniform, approached and greeted me with gratitude. This was because Eltemon Eltrine once saved the dying Second World Tree from a fire.

The concept of war between humans and other races was now a thing of the past. The mages of Stella were very close to other races, so much so that they had exchange programs with the elven magic school, Starflower Tree Magic School, to foster friendship each year.

‘Exchange students, huh…’

T h i s wa s c o p i ed from k i n g m t l.o rg
Starflower Tree Magic School was also a massive institution, and numerous events unfolded there. I might need to visit once, but I was unsure if I’d get the chance to be an exchange student.

“Nice to meet you, mage of Stella.”

“Yes. You are beautiful, ma’am.”
T h i s w as co p i ed f r o m ki ng m t l.o r g

“Oh, hohoho.”

It was said that mages were treated like heroes by civilians, and indeed, many people were kind even to a mere student like me.

There were not many mages trained in offensive magic, and the test to become a magic warrior was notoriously difficult, so the number was limited.

‘Indeed, elves live up to their reputation. There are many handsome men and beautiful women.’
T h i s w a s c o pi e d f r o m k in g mtl . o rg

Walking among the beautiful people, my eyes feasted on the sights. Of course, while elves are generally attractive, they aren’t so beautiful as to blind you at a glance.

They just have a higher average of good-looking individuals, while ordinary elves look ordinary.

To draw a comparison, think of Uzbekistan on Earth. There are many handsome and beautiful people, but they don’t possess overwhelmingly superior beauty to humans.

In the game, characters like Ma Yuseong or Hong Bi-yeon were often described as having unparalleled beauty compared to any elf.

However, there was one elf with a unique appearance buff.

The Elf King, Flowerseorin.

They had the presence of a benevolent goddess, captivating many male players. Flowerseorin had the most fan art, and they were one of my favorite characters as I preferred older women.

Despite their appearance, Flowerseorin had never experienced true love, so they hadn’t yet chosen a gender. After being saved by Flame, they eventually chose to become male.

There was no option in any route where Flowerseorin chose to become female, leaving countless men in despair with a comical story.

‘Hmm. I would like to see what the Elf King looks like before becoming male, but… there’s no need to risk my life out of curiosity.’

Someday, after purifying their curse with the blessing of ‘Soft Red Spring March,’ it might be possible, but facing them head-on could be deadly.

Due to the cursed trait, [Lovesickness], anyone who met Flowerseorin’s gaze would fall hopelessly in love regardless of age or gender, eventually dying from unrequited love.

Anyway, recalling the past settings, I wandered around the outskirts of the World Tree and discovered a small path.
T h i s w a s cop ie d f r om k i n gm t l .o r g

“Oh, is it here?”

I entered one of the many hidden paths among the World Tree’s branches. This area was off-limits, but there were no guards.

If someone tried to harm the World Tree, it would defend itself and alert the elves of the danger.

Sweating profusely, I climbed for a while and found an unusually open space with strange root formations.

“Let’s see, it should be around here. Isn’t it? Yes, it is.”

I tapped the map on my Bulbul Glasses, confirming my location.

“Yes, this is it. I found it.”

Taking Leafanel’s Green Key from my pocket, I approached a tree that had grown gray like a rock.

The entrance to the hidden dungeon, the Garden of Spirit Leafanel, was through this hidden tree.

Just as I was about to insert the key, I hesitated. The warning on the key troubled me.

[Warning! If you open this entrance, another person possessing the key may notice.]

Of course, countless players had verified that this warning was meaningless.

Despite the same warning in the game, no players experienced any special events, leading to disappointment.

“What could possibly happen?”

With that thought, I firmly inserted Leafanel’s Green Key and turned it.

Click!

[The door to the Garden of Spirit Leafanel opens!]

End of Chapter