Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 70

Items (4)

Occasionally, Flame had dreams.

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Dreams of flying with pure white wings through a garden filled with multicolored flowers.

She would wander around with baby angels, holding hands and feeling dazed.

She would slide down rainbows, play on clouds, and swim in lakes filled with jewels.

– Flame! Do you want this too?

– Uh…

She received a golden ring from someone with vacant eyes. It seemed to emit its own light, as if it held the sun within it.

– You wear this on your head.

One man revealed his white teeth in a smile. Another man beside him slowly brought the golden ring towards Flame’s head. Flame continued to stare at it vacantly until…

“…Are you out of your mind, you bastards?”

Suddenly snapping out of it, she flung the ring to the ground.

“Hey! I told you, if you pull this crap one more time, I’ll pluck all your feathers and make a down jacket out of them!”

“Our wings aren’t made of down, though…”

“Are you cheeky? Come here and get beaten.”

“Eek! Sorry!”

At that, the baby angels… no, the adult angels quickly stepped back. Most of them were men, and they had three pairs of wings on their backs and golden rings on their heads.

Angels.

The most noble race that always looks down at the world from the heavens, they bowed their heads at Flame’s shout.

“Agh, I almost fell for it…”

Flame rubbed her head, checking to see if the angel’s ring was there.

Very occasionally.

Once a month, to be precise.

On the magic day, when her physical and mental strength weakened, such things would happen.

The angels would try to place a ring on her head to make her one of their kind and take her to the heavens.

If she let her guard down in her dream, she would be taken.

“Flame… could you please live with us in the sky?”

“Right. The ground is boring.”

“…You guys are even more boring, you know?”

What’s so fun about playing musical instruments and eating fruit every day?

“Don’t even dream of it until I die.”

The angels hung their heads sadly. Each of them had looks that could rival any idol group, and Flame felt slightly weak, but she wasn’t the type to be swayed by mere appearances.

“Didn’t I say I’d visit after graduation?”

“So just wait until then. If you pull this nonsense again, I’ll never go.”

“No, that can’t happen!”

“We’re sorry!”

“We were wrong!”

She didn’t understand why they were so obsessed. Even in the original story, angels appeared, but the details weren’t described.

If she had to guess…

Perhaps it was because there were no female angels.

She had never seen a female angel since coming here.
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Yet, they said that angel blood flowed strongly in her veins.

They didn’t know why, but if she wore the angel’s ring, she would fully transform into an angel and live in the sky.

‘I get that you guys are lonely, but I prefer being human.’

She didn’t even have any romantic thoughts.

Unless she committed a mortal sin in the human world, she didn’t want to voluntarily move to such a boring place.

“Anyway, send me back quickly. I have to go to school.”

“Okay…”

The angels slid closer to Flame and held out their palms. Then she felt drowsy again, and the world grew distant.

Until that moment, they smiled brightly at her and waved.

-Remember, Flame.

-No matter what happens.

-We will always protect you.

* * *

Morning class.

Flame stared at the blackboard with bleary eyes. The restless sleep made it hard to focus on the lesson.

“Are you okay?”

A friend sitting next to her asked cautiously. It was understandable.

They probably thought the lingering solemnity was due to last night’s grand funeral.

In a school that trains magic warriors, the funeral of a cadet who died during a mission is conducted with great ceremony.

The same was true for when Jackie died.

That girl was never popular and was even hated by many, but even so, when a classmate dies, tears are inevitable.

Many students cried at the funeral, sincerely mourning her.

…Flame didn’t cry.

She knew the truth behind Jackie’s death.

The incident with the Persona Gate was kept secret. So very few knew the truth.

People thought Flame was exhausted and struggling because she couldn’t forget the death of a comrade who faced life and death with her in the gate.

That wasn’t it at all.

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, the school’s mood didn’t get too gloomy.

The second exam period was approaching.

Living was hard enough without time for other thoughts.

During this time, Stella’s students turned into zombies. With their sunken eyes and haggard looks, they were almost indistinguishable from real zombies.

“Alright, let’s solve the next problem.”

At the professor’s words, the students made dying faces. Their minds were already overloaded with what they had learned so far, and now they had to cover more material for the exam.
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‘Why do I have to learn elements I don’t even use…’

Flame sighed softly as she calculated the trajectory for capturing monsters flying at a certain speed with earth-element magic.

Although she knew the original story, she didn’t know all the mathematical knowledge, so she had to study like the other students.

The fortunate part was that the math formulas from her ‘hometown’ were similar, allowing her to progress faster than others.

Flame used magic formulas mixed with her hometown’s math equations, and when she presented them, it was enough to turn the academic world upside down.

Friends sitting next to her whispered.

“I’m doomed. There’s a problem I can’t solve this time. What should I do?”

“Ask the professor.”

Flame said nonchalantly, which made the girls look very annoyed.

“Ugh… that jerk of a magic theory professor, he always acts high and mighty when we ask questions. Does he really need to show off his knowledge that much? We’re students, for crying out loud.”

“Yeah. Besides, his look is patronizing. I can’t stand it.”

“Sigh, I’m jealous of you, Flame. You’re so smart.”

“What are you talking about? I have lots of problems I get stuck on too.”

“But you have someone you can comfortably ask, right?”

“What?”

Who? Flame was puzzled, and the girls answered.

“Baek Yu-seol, Baek Yu-seol. He’s really smart, isn’t he? How did he manage to be last place with that brain?”

“Maybe he did it on purpose. I heard it’s harder to get a zero than a hundred.”

“That could be. Ah, I should’ve gotten closer to him.”

“Don’t. Rumors are he has a crush on Aiselle.”

“Hmm… I figured. But honestly, Baek Yu-seol seems more wasted. Aiselle is…”

Flame’s glare silenced them before they could bad-mouth Aiselle.

In any case, the girls’ opinions reflected the overall school sentiment, so a few words of conversation quickly revealed the rumors circulating in school.

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‘Baek Yu-seol has a crush on Aiselle.’

‘But Aiselle is bullied at school, while Baek Yu-seol is quite popular.’

‘Conclusion, Baek Yu-seol is wasted on her.’

It was easy to notice if you paid a little attention. Baek Yu-seol did take care of Aiselle excessively.

Even recalling the original story that only Flame knew followed that pattern.

Most of the trials and tribulations Aiselle was supposed to endure had been blocked by Baek Yu-seol’s efforts, ensuring she had a relatively comfortable school life.

‘Originally, she would be struggling to find a part-time job by now.’

Baek Yu-seol had somehow figured out a way to ensure that Aiselle’s wallet was always full.

She had no idea. He ensured she never noticed his help, effectively preventing her financial problems. Thanks to him, Aiselle could lead a smooth school life without suffering from poverty.

“Oh, by the way, where does Baek Yu-seol study?”

The girls glanced at Baek Yu-seol, dozing off in the corner. Whatever he did at night, he always nodded off during class.

“Does he quietly study in the S-class study room?”

“Yeah. Sometimes there are kids in A or S class who act superior and don’t study with lower-ranked kids.”

“But Baek Yu-seol doesn’t seem like that?”

“Right. He just doesn’t have many friends. He doesn’t seem discriminatory.”

“Yeah. He’s cool and fun. And when he disses the professors, it’s refreshing.”

“Honestly, he’s probably an outsider by choice, right?”

“But why does he keep his distance from people?”

Why indeed.

Probably because he knew he’d eventually fade from everyone’s memory.

Flame smiled bitterly.

“Okay, next problem.”

The elemental theory class was a series of tedious lectures. The sight of students struggling to stay awake was quite pitiful.

“With 316mf of mana, an Arc Stone Ball spell is rushing towards the northwest direction. The Arc Stone Ball is a perfect sphere with a radius of 3.2 meters and rotates at 5,700rpm.”

The professor presented yet another bizarre problem. Ignoring the students’ groans, he continued.
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“The mage added 109mf of mana to enchant ‘acceleration’ and another 87mf to enchant ‘weight increase.’ How long will it take to reach a target 715km away?”

It seemed like an easy problem at first glance, but the 316mf mana variable made it a headache.

Adding acceleration to an earth-element spell would increase its speed, but using weight increase would enhance its destructive power, slowing it down again…

What does that mean?

It means the calculations are a real pain. It makes steam come out of your ears.

“Ugh…”

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“Ughh…”

“Urrgh…”

As the students started groaning, the professor pointed to someone who had been dozing off from the beginning.

“Alright, who wants to solve it? Yes, Baek Yu-seol, come up and solve it.”

“Baek Yu-seol! Stop dozing and stand up.”

“Huh… yes?”

Baek Yu-seol, who had been dozing off in the back, stood up with half-closed eyes and yawned as he stared blankly at the blackboard.

As the professor’s eyes twitched, Baek Yu-seol gathered himself and asked.

“Um… but…”

“What? Can’t solve it?”

The professor smirked as if he had expected this, and Baek Yu-seol asked blankly.

“What are the calculation conditions…?”

“Conditions?”

“Gravitational acceleration?”

“…What?”

“Are we assuming standard mana pressure and atmospheric pressure? What about air resistance and friction?”

At the absurd questions, the professor gritted his teeth and shouted.

“Disregard all that. No friction, no air resistance, no gravitational acceleration!”

Baek Yu-seol thought for a moment and then said, half-asleep.

“Um… but if there’s no friction, the Arc Stone Ball will just spin in place and can’t move forward…”

The professor clutched his neck.

* * *

After the lecture, as Baek Yu-seol tried to leave the classroom, several students’ eyes changed.

It was lunchtime.

They intended to approach him subtly and invite him to lunch.

Lately, study groups where students ate and studied together were popular, and many students wanted to discreetly recruit Baek Yu-seol to gain some advantage.

Regardless of his class behavior, his grades were top-notch.

Before they could make a move, Aiselle hurried towards him.

‘I’ve been struggling with so many things lately!’

Though she felt sorry for the other students, she figured he would study with her since they were closer.

She reached out to grab his shoulder, but…

“Commoner, do you have lunch plans?”

Hong Bi-yeon, who had been waiting outside the classroom, preempted her.

Freeze.

Everyone trying to approach Baek Yu-seol stopped as if time had frozen. Aiselle did the same, her hand outstretched.

“…It’s not for personal reasons. I want to discuss something important.”

“Important?”
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“Yes. If dining with me is uncomfortable, I’ll leave.”

“Well, not that uncomfortable.”

Important… discussion?

Aiselle silently watched Baek Yu-seol’s back, curious about what he would say.

“Black Pork Lunch Special Set.”

…It was the same playful tone he used with her.

“I’ll buy.”

“Let’s go.”

Just like that, they planned their lunch, and the other students walked away disappointed.

But Aiselle couldn’t move easily.

Something felt off… and strange.

It was a peculiar and embarrassing feeling.

‘A sense of loss.’

She had always taken his presence for granted.

He approached without hesitation, breaking down the thick walls she had built around herself, and entered deeply into her life.

And he had… taken up a huge space in her heart.

She had come to think it was natural for him to be with her.

As she followed him, he guided her.

But… was that really just her thinking one-sidedly?

Had she ever accepted him as much as he had approached her?

‘…What am I thinking.’

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Embarrassed by her own thoughts, Aiselle shook her head and turned away.

‘Today’s lunch… I guess I’ll have to eat at the cafeteria.’

As she gathered her textbooks to leave, someone blocked her path.

“Hi?”

“…Yes?”

A girl with pretty wavy brown hair like ramen noodles. Her name was Harillen. Aiselle had heard of her.

But she wasn’t a famous student. She was just notably sociable, unlike the political atmosphere of the A-S classes. Below B-class, it was like any ordinary school.

Harillen was from B-class, and as a peripheral noble, she wasn’t very concerned with status.
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For this reason, Harillen was known as an ‘insider’ who mingled with everyone regardless of rank, and Aiselle had occasionally envied her.

A normal high school girl.

With plenty of friends.

Only concerned with studying and friendships, like Harillen.

“I’ve heard a lot about you lately.”

“Really?”
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“Yeah. My friends want to get to know you better. How about joining us for lunch?”

“Want to get to know me? That’s…”

“It’s true. Ahem. Honestly, there are ulterior motives. Many want to hear your story directly… and you’re really smart. Right?”

“Well… I guess?”

“We’re going to study after lunch. It’s easier to study with peers than to ask professors. We’d like to learn from you.”

“Oh…”

As Aiselle hesitated, Harillen frowned.

“If anyone says bad things or acts out, I’ll break their necks, so trust me just once, okay?”

“Such violent language isn’t good!”

“Uh? Ahaha! You’re different from the rumors. You’re cute. Anyway, you’re coming, right?”

After some hesitation, it was hard to refuse. Aiselle glanced at the spot where Hong Bi-yeon and Baek Yu-seol had disappeared.

What could they be talking about? What was the ‘important discussion’? The thought of Baek Yu-seol being with the girl she hated the most made her anxious, but she held it in and spoke to Harillen.

“Alright… just this once. Let’s go.”

“Great! Come on, let’s go! The others are waiting!”

Thus, Aiselle joined Harillen’s very normal(?) friends for lunch.

End of Chapter