Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 67

Items (1)

This is why I didn’t want to be the leader.

After the Persona Gate conquest was completely finished, right before we were transported back outside, the students gathered to discuss who would report as the team leader.

Honestly, it wasn’t a heavy discussion. It was almost as if it had already been decided who would do it.

Nevertheless, I firmly intended to recommend someone else.

In the original romance fantasy, Aiselle was probably the leader.

In the original game, Flame would have been in that position.

This may seem trivial, but it’s incredibly important. After finishing the report on the Persona Gate conquest as the leader, Eltemon Eltrine suddenly appears.

At that time, Flame, who took on the leader’s role in the original, had a private conversation with Eltemon, which later became an opportunity…

But that’s not important anymore.

It’s already too late.

How did it come to this?

Right. Clearly, right after defeating the Major Blade Spider, I temporarily lost consciousness. After headbutting that massive body with my entire being, I quickly fired a wire to reduce the impact of the fall but ended up hitting the wall incorrectly.

Fortunately, there were no major injuries, and thanks to Hong Bi-yeon waking me up, I managed to get up shortly after.

Then, as I was being supported by other cadets and arrived at the ballroom where all the classmates were gathered, we just happened to be discussing the leader.

So, I subtly made my suggestion.

‘Hmm-hmm, I think Aiselle would be better suited as the leader.’

Since Aiselle was the one leading in the original, I tried suggesting it. If the other students objected, I planned to recommend Flame or Hong Bi-yeon, depending on the situation.

But, Hong Bi-yeon threw a fit right from the start, so it was dismissed.

‘Commoner, are you planning to steal the credit right in front of my eyes?’

No, what are you talking about?
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m ki n g mtl .o r g

It seemed as if the mention of Aiselle triggered something in Hong Bi-yeon, and she looked ready to devour me.

‘Oh dear, even if that’s the case…’
This w a s c opi e d f r o m ki ng m t l . org

‘No, it isn’t.’

Even Flame unusually agreed with Hong Bi-yeon.

‘I think I did well, but I still think it’s not as much as you.’

Aiselle also refused.

So, it ended up like this.

T h i s was c o p i e d f r o m k i ng mt l .o r g
“Nice to meet you. It’s been a while.”

Stella’s First Main Tower, the Principal’s Office.

Located in the highest place in Stella, it provided a clear view of the Academy’s branch and even Arcaneum.

In this somewhat Gothic-feeling place, I was having a private meeting with Principal Eltemon Eltrine.

Since I’m not a mage, there’s nothing much I can gain from him, but how did it come to this?

“Is this our third meeting? You seem taller. Back then… you seemed very young.”

“…Pardon?”

What is he talking about?

As I tried to comprehend, a memory suddenly flashed before my eyes like a panorama.

A small village amidst a snowstorm.

In a deserted clearing.

I was standing there.

Back then, ‘I’ was… training with only the [Blink] spell, handicapped by a body unable to use magic.

At that time, a boy who found me by chance approached and said.

‘You’re interesting.’

I didn’t know. That the boy was Principal Eltemon Eltrine of Stella Academy.

‘I’ll write you a recommendation. Try taking our school’s entrance exam. You’ll get some extra points.’

The boy said that and then suddenly disappeared…

I snapped back to reality.

“Hmm…”

“What’s wrong? Shouldn’t you go to the hospital? Is it an aftereffect?”

“It’s not that.”

I shook my head. The memories of another ‘Baek Yu-seol’ often flashed through my mind like this. But they never felt like my own memories. It was just like watching a scene from a movie.

So, I quickly forgot about it.

T h i s w a s co pi e d fr o m kin g m t l. o r g
Anyway, it’s not common to have a private meeting with Eltemon Eltrine, and I can’t waste this golden opportunity.

I have to gain something.

Aiselle gained enlightenment about magic here, and Flame received a promise for magical guidance.

So, what can I get?

‘…I do have one idea.’

I have to use all the knowledge I know. Eltemon Eltrine was also within the reverse harem range of Flame, allowing for extensive research on him.

I activated the function of the Bulbul Glasses I had prepared in advance.

[Eltemon Eltrine]

One of the World’s Top 10 Powerhouses

Good (善)

Spatial Attribute

300-year-old geezer

▼And so on…

There was a list of records akin to a main character. Although his screen time was minimal, his presence was overwhelming.

“What are you looking at?”

“…Pardon?”

“You’re staring into the air, not at me.”

While reading the Bulbul Glasses, Eltemon Eltrine smiled and said that. My heart sank.

“May I take a look at those glasses?”

Eltemon extended his hand, and I, maintaining a facade of nonchalance, took off the glasses and placed them on his hand. After all, there was no reason to be caught.

Of course, I wasn’t just going to hand them over.

“Yes. But please handle them carefully. They’re a memento from my mother.”

Baek Yu-seol’s ultimate guilt trip move.

Invoke the Mom Card!

Eltemon’s hand trembled.

No matter how powerful he is, even being the principal of Stella, as long as he’s a morally upright person, he can’t withstand the ‘Mother Attack.’

“I see…”

“When I’m nervous or troubled, I often wear these glasses. They remind me of when my mother put them on me…”

With a distant expression, I spoke, and Eltemon’s hand trembled a bit more. He barely glanced at the glasses before handing them back to me.

“They’re wonderful glasses. Your mother had excellent taste!”

“Thank you.”

Using someone’s morality felt a bit guilty, but what could I do? If my secret was discovered, my life could genuinely be in danger.

“I called you here, well, because you helped prevent a crisis. I’m not planning to make this incident public. If many students had died or been injured, it would’ve been hard to keep it a secret.”

If Eltemon decided to keep it secret, it would truly remain a secret. No mage would dare to reveal this incident to the outside world. Well, maybe a few ants might try to stir things up, but it wouldn’t be perfectly kept.

“It seems some pests have infiltrated the school…”

For a moment, his expression hardened, but it was really brief. Even so, cold sweat ran down my entire body.

Eltemon slowly looked at me and asked,

“…Inside the gate, were there any ‘pests’?”

The legendary mage, known as the ‘Slayer’ for massacring tens of thousands of Dark Mages, asked me that.

Here, I had two choices.

Lie and say no, or tell the truth.

I chose to tell the truth.

“Yes. There was a Dark Mage Erosion phenomenon observed in Jackie, the student who died.”

“I see, a pity.”

But his expression didn’t reflect any pity. Being affected by Dark Mage Erosion meant that there were negative emotions within oneself from the beginning, and they did not resist it.

He absolutely despised those who let themselves be consumed by dark magic.

“Hmm? Haha, don’t be too tense. I’m not here to interrogate you.”

…Then why are you scaring me like that?

“Also, I was curious about who the primary contributor to the conquest of the 5-Risk Persona Gate was. How surprising, you’re a familiar face. You’re just a first-year, but you’ve already accomplished two significant feats?”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Ah, this won’t do. You look bored. Coffee? Or tea? Do young people these days prefer soda?”

With a glittering smile, Eltemon asked.

Others might not know, but this was the beginning of a proper conversation.

In the original game, Flame chose coffee. She knew what kind of coffee Eltemon liked and, having studied his preferences, she could lead the conversation naturally.

However, even in the game, there was another ‘branch.’ If it were a game, it might have had such choices.

[Eltemon Eltrine offers you a drink. What would you like to drink?]

[A Coffee]

[B Tea]

[C Soda]

[D A sip of dew from your eyes shining brighter than the stars hanging in the sky, deeper than the sea]

Actually, I don’t remember the last one well, so I made it up. Anyway, choosing coffee would get you a ‘decent level’ reward from him.

But that’s all there is to it.

Players controlling the Flame character found an amazing way to increase Eltemon Eltrine’s favorability: choosing tea.

Of course, it wasn’t just any ordinary tea.

“I’d like to have tea.”

“Tea, huh? I like it too.”

Eltemon stood up to fetch some green or black tea, and I hurriedly added,

“Ah, do you have any ‘Rilt Tea’? I used to drink it often…”

“…Rilt Tea?”

He looked at me with a curious expression, then smiled meaningfully.

“Yes, I do.”

It didn’t take long to prepare the tea. Usually, in movies, a mechanical butler would appear elegantly to serve tea at such times.

“Here, Rilt Tea. Few people know about it, and even fewer like it. You’re quite the exception.”

Eltemon placed a cup of tea in front of me. By the way, I’ve always thought Eltemon was remarkably generous. Especially, he seemed to care deeply for his students.

That makes sense.

This ‘Rilt Tea’ is a discontinued variety, and it’s no longer available in the world.

He wouldn’t casually offer it to just any seventeen-year-old student.

I tried not to show it and enjoyed the scent of the Rilt Tea.

…Hmm. I don’t get it. Honestly, it smells terrible, like a pig that’s been fed only sweet potatoes for a month passing gas.

Why do people even drink this stuff?

Slurp!

I slurped it down as if I were drinking ramen soup, and Eltemon chuckled.

“Why don’t you savor the aroma?”

“It smells beautiful yet sorrowful, like cherry blossoms falling in spring.”

“…Did you read that in a book?”

“Caught me.”

“Haha, you’re an interesting student.”

Eltemon laughed and looked at the Rilt Tea with a bittersweet expression. There were only a few left, so he couldn’t drink it easily.

“How much do you know about Rilt Tea?”

“Not much, to be honest.”

I know, but I pretended not to.

T h is w a s c op ie d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g

“Is it?”

“On the western continent, in the Roskaya Plains, there was a tribe that lived under the open sky. They had nothing but their bodies, but they were the freest people in the world. With just their legs, they could go anywhere, and their burning hearts held the whole world. Their glittering eyes were like stars flowing on the plains. They were called the ‘Rilt.’ A brave tribe that faded into history decades ago.”

Eltemon took a sip of his tea. I, embodying a documentary audience, kept a serious face.

“The only tea the Rilt enjoyed was this Rilt Tea. They should have kept it to themselves, but they showed it to humans, and that was their downfall.”

Rilt Tea had a peculiar addiction. There were no actual addictive substances, but it made you want to keep smelling it.

Of course, Rilt Tea didn’t gain explosive popularity.

If compared to Earth’s food, it would be like mint chocolate or Hawaiian pizza…

No, more like something even more polarizing.

Think of it like the fruit ‘durian’ or ‘fermented skate.’

Some people hated the distinctive smell so much that they wouldn’t even touch it, but those who fell for it went crazy with enthusiasm.

Rilt Tea gained popularity in a very niche market, but due to its low production, mass distribution was impossible.

Humans got greedy.

The Rilt tribe must have had an enormous stockpile of Rilt Tea, but they were only distributing a little to humans for their consumption.

So.

They burned the Rilt tribe.

Along with the recipe to make Rilt Tea.

“This Rilt Tea must be one of the few remaining in the world.”

Honestly, by this point, you might wonder what the point of all this is. Are we supposed to feel guilty while drinking it? Maybe Eltemon didn’t intend that, but still.

Anyway, the story ended.

For the first time, I let my expression change.

Very, extremely, as if puzzled.

“…Is that so? That’s strange.”

T h i s w as c op i e d f r o m k i n gm t l .o r g
“What is?”

“This Rilt Tea… I used to drink it often at home.”

“Haha, your mother must have liked it.”

T hi s wa s co p i ed f r o m ki n gmtl . or g
“No. We still drink it. Even in the dormitory.”

At my words, Eltemon’s expression changed for the first time.

“…Do you have any left?”

Eltemon asked urgently, but I shook my head. He showed a disappointed expression. But it was too soon to be disappointed.

“I don’t have any left, but I know the recipe.”

Clatter!

As soon as I finished my sentence, Eltemon dropped his teacup onto the table. Thanks to his impeccable sense of balance, the cup didn’t spill, but he was clearly surprised.

“Is… is that true?”

“Would I lie to the esteemed principal?”

He leaned in close, his face showing rare excitement.

“How, how do you know the recipe?”

Please, don’t ask such things. It’s embarrassing.

“Um, my mother taught me…”
T h i s w as co pi e d f ro m k in g m t l.o r g

“Ah, your mother…”

So I used my ultimate move. Hit with the ultimate guilt trip, Eltemon calmed down a bit but still couldn’t let go of his obsession with Rilt Tea.

“Would you consider selling the recipe to me? I’ll pay handsomely.”

Selling the recipe… It’s not a bad idea. Rilt Tea is very niche. Even more so than durian or fermented skate.

He would pay a decent price, but that’s not why I brought this up.

“Well…”

“I said I’d pay handsomely.”
T h i s wa s c o p i e d f r om ki n g m t l .o rg

His patience was running out. So, I decided to get to the point.

“Anyone can give me money, but not everyone can give me what the principal can.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Your magical engineering enchantment.”

“Hmm?”

“I’d like your help with it, just once.”

Eltemon’s eyes widened at my unexpected request.

No wonder. His magical attribute was space.

In modern times, there’s only one practical use for spatial magic.

‘Warp Hole.’

A legendary invention that dramatically shortened distances. Except for Warp Holes, there’s no other practical use for spatial magical engineering.

But I have one.

Using Alterisha’s ‘Alchemy Magic Engineering’ to hunt necromancers, if I can process the ‘Force Vessel’ I acquired and have a 9-class spatial mage enchant it…

An excellent subspace, or ‘inventory,’ would be created.

Exactly, an inventory.

Subspace can only be used by mages who have mastered the 8-class spatial magic, making it extremely rare in the world.
T h i s w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n g mtl . o r g

But since the development of alchemy magic engineering, anyone can use subspace if they pay a high price.

With the help of 9-class mage Eltemon Eltrine, I could get the best inventory.

“Think again. The recipe for Rilt Tea is currently extinct. You could get a substantial price. But my magical engineering isn’t practical. Do you understand what that means?”

“Yes. I understand. But as a mage and an alchemist seeking the truth of matter, receiving the essence of your magic is the most valuable gift in life.”

Eltemon’s expression grew more curious and complex.

Not knowing my true intent, Principal Eltemon must be having mixed feelings.

In the game, how was it portrayed?

Proposing a deal to get a recipe from a student might make him feel guilty, and amidst all that, receiving genuine respect for his magic, thinking it’s the most valuable experience in the world, would make him feel quite strange.

As expected, Eltemon looked at me with an expression that seemed both uncomfortable and pleased, yet somehow wrong.

“…Fine. If that’s what you truly want, let’s make a deal.”

Yes!

End of Chapter