Correcting the Villainess of the Academy - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Enrollment (2)

The principal in my imagination was an old gentleman with white hair, a white beard, and wearing horn-rimmed glasses, so I was a bit surprised by the woman’s identity.

I couldn’t associate the position of principal with her youthful appearance at all. I had just thought she was an acquaintance or staff member of the commander.

Come to think of it, she had definitely introduced herself as “Hae Wolhwa.”

I hadn’t heard the name before, but I remembered a person called “Hae-saem” being mentioned occasionally in my sisters’ conversations.

They said there were several instances where she nearly burned the commander alive out of rage due to the trouble he caused.

I guessed the person in question might be the woman in front of me.

Now that I thought about it, I heard that among powerful magicians, there were those who maintained their youthful appearance even in old age.

And if she was called a teacher by the commander and my sisters, her age might be quite advanced despite her appearance.

I finally understood a little why deep experience was evident in her eyes.

“I didn’t know you were the principal. I just…”

“Never mind that. Don’t worry about it. Originally, our staff should have picked you up, but I came out on my own because I was too curious.”

“Curious… about me?”

“Yes. Didn’t I just say that?”

Hae Wolhwa chuckled as she looked at me. Her airy laughter echoed softly in the greenhouse.

“It’s been 18 years since a student recommended by the Sashi family appeared, so naturally, my curiosity was piqued.”

“…”

“I never imagined that guy, who had no interest in politics, would directly nominate a student. And the one recommended is a boy wearing a suspicious mask on his face? Who would have thought such an interesting situation would arise? Hohoho…”

“This mask is…”

“Ah, don’t worry about that. I’ve already heard the rough circumstances and granted permission.”
T h i s wa s co p i ed f r o m k ing mt l . or g

“Th-thank you…”

“It’s nothing. Students expressing uniqueness have always been present at Cradle. After all, magicians are such an eccentric bunch.”

Hae Wolhwa waved her hand dismissively.

“However, any disadvantages in peer relationships arising from it will be entirely your responsibility. It’s not something I can do anything about.”

“…I’m aware of that.”

It was an unavoidable choice, but honestly, the prospect of attending the academy like this made me quite self-conscious.

The commander and my sisters might be used to it, but it’s natural for people who don’t know me to react like the guard earlier.

At least having the principal’s public approval was a bit of a relief… but I still wasn’t confident about fulfilling the commander’s requests.

“Yes, yes. But aside from the mask… I’m more drawn to a different aspect…”

The principal nodded and suddenly changed the topic. Then she abruptly started staring at me intently.

“Excuse me… Principal…?”

“How peculiar. So clear. Absurdly faint. How can such a magician exist? No, is he even a magician in the first place…?”

Hae Wolhwa muttered with a strange expression. For a moment, I felt my heart sink.

The commander had said that the power and the way I use magic should never be revealed to others.

I had been thoroughly warned to the point of irritation even before coming to Cradle, so I had long since become accustomed to naturally deflecting such inquiries. The same applied now.

Nevertheless, the current situation was extremely burdensome. The gaze of the experienced magician felt sharply piercing, as if it could penetrate the mask.

“Excuse me… Principal?”

Hae Wolhwa, her gaze fixed, narrowed the distance as if entranced. The faint breath I could now feel was so troublesome. This discomfort stemmed from personal reasons unrelated to her beauty.

“Ah?”

I couldn’t endure it anymore and woke up Hae Wolhwa. The principal seemed to come to her senses only after hearing my voice.

It suddenly occurred to me how fortunate it was to be wearing a mask. If it had been my bare face, I might have slapped her and ran away, principal or not.

“…Ahem, I apologize. Goodness, even at this age, I get absorbed mindlessly… I’m such a fool…”

“…It’s alright.”
T h is w a s c op i e d f ro m k i ng m t l .o r g

Hae Wolhwa, having averted her gaze, spoke in a tone filled with apology. However, it seemed her business wasn’t finished yet.

The principal placed her hand on her chin and became lost in thought for a while. After a few minutes passed, she finally relaxed her posture and looked at me again.

“Kid. I have a favor to ask of you… Would you be willing to hear it?”

***

This w a s c o p ie d f ro m k i n g m t l . or g
“A favor… you say?”

T h i s w a s co p ie d f ro m k i n g m tl . o r g
“Yes. I have a matter I’ve been pondering recently, and it seems there’s no one more suitable than you.”

Hae Wolhwa nodded upon hearing my question.

At first glance, I couldn’t quite understand her words. What kind of favor could the principal of a prestigious academy possibly have for someone she met today?

The situation itself was very burdensome, but if I answered incorrectly and went against her mood, it could become quite troublesome.

After much contemplation, I replied in the most polite tone possible.

“…Can I hear it first and then decide?”

“Of course. That’s a very good attitude. Prudence is one of the important virtues for a magician.”

My effort seemed to have an effect, as Hae Wolhwa nodded with a rather satisfied expression.

“…And let me say this in advance, but if it’s a favor that could harm the commander and my sisters in the slightest…”

“Don’t worry about that. They may have graduated long ago, but those children were once my precious students too. I would never make a request that would harm them.”

Hae Wolhwa immediately shook her head before I could finish my sentence.

“…I apologize. I didn’t mean it that way.”
T h is was co p ie d f r o m k i n g m t l. or g

“No, no. Seeing your close bond makes me feel good too. Don’t mind it.”

Hae Wolhwa smiled lightly.
Thi s w as c o p i e d f r o m ki n g m t l . o r g

“Rather, I think the opposite. If it can be of even a little help to those children, it definitely won’t be something that harms them. Now, where should I start…”

The principal took a sip of tea, caught her breath for a moment, and began her explanation.

Although the timing varies slightly from person to person, magicians are strongest immediately after awakening, and their abilities gradually decline with the aging of their bodies.

T h is wa s c op ie d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
In other words, Cradle, a space where young magicians who have just awakened are gathered, is one of the places where the nation’s most powerful magicians congregate.

Moreover, a significant portion of Cradle’s students were children of prestigious families, so naturally, the political currents and changes occurring within Cradle had a significant impact on the outside as well.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Republic of Korea was currently maintained by magicians. Without them, the entire country would have been turned into a wasteland by the Demon Tribe, Magical Beasts, Dark Magicians, and rebels.

Therefore, magicians could be considered the most important resource, but they were also the ones in short supply despite the overflowing demand.

The children of prominent families attending Cradle always strived to secure talented individuals. Unless it seriously hindered their studies, the professors didn’t particularly restrict the students’ activities. After all, Cradle was a space established with such purposes in mind.

From what I heard, it sounded like a place where a bomb could go off at any moment, but because various interests were intricately intertwined, a certain balance had been maintained so far.

Throughout history, there had been countless small disturbances, but it had never been shaken by a major incident.

T hi s w a s c o p ie d f rom k i n g m t l . or g
However, last year, everything changed after the young ladies of two prominent families enrolled simultaneously.

“…Phew. Have you ever heard of the Five Founding Families?”

The principal let out a deep sigh. Her face was clearly showing signs of a headache.

It was a story I had no interest in when I lived in the village, but I had heard the names when learning the bare minimum etiquette from my sisters before enrollment.

Heukryeon Sashi.

Paechun Baek.

Jeokhwa Yeon.

Wolyeong Hae.

Baekgwang Jin.

Among the many special and historically significant magician families, the direct descendants of the five magicians who first awakened during the Dawn Era were referred to as the Five Founding Families.

The female students mentioned by the principal were the young ladies of the Baek and Yeon families, respectively.

The two families had a relationship so hostile that it was no exaggeration to call them mortal enemies, and that sentiment was directly reflected in Cradle as well.

Both were born with unparalleled beauty, and their abilities far surpassed not only students but also active-duty soldiers and even veteran hunters.

Their skills were so similar that it was impossible to determine superiority, and as if that wasn’t enough, their personalities were completely incompatible.

Those who proclaimed themselves as followers gathered like clouds around each of them, and the covert struggles voluntarily waged by such students caused Cradle to suffer greatly last year.

The number of accidents that occurred in that one year was greater than the sum of all accidents over the past five years, and last year, a staggering seven students were expelled.

Such fierce factional strife continued for a while, but now the scales had tipped decisively in favor of the young lady from the Baek family.

The cause was the vastly different personalities of the two, which could be described as incompatible.

Unlike the young lady of the Baek family, who treated students benevolently regardless of their background, the young lady of the Yeon family was born with aristocratic arrogance and a fierce temperament, causing even a considerable number of students from similar backgrounds to turn their backs on her.

T h i s w as c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m tl . o r g
Moreover, although by a narrow margin, the young lady of the Baek family had never missed being ranked first in academics or duels.

“…Now, after a year has passed, the winner is almost certain… Ah, just thinking about last year still gives me a headache…”

T hi s w a s co pi e d f r o m k i n gm t l .o r g
The principal, having finished her long explanation, gulped down tea to wet her throat.

Although it was somewhat intriguing, a question arose in my mind after hearing the story.

It was because I found it extremely difficult to discern the connection between the favor the principal wanted to ask and the story she had just told me.

When I cautiously expressed that confusion, the principal smiled with her characteristic expression and finally brought up the main point.

“…I want you to lend your strength to the child of the Yeon family.”

End of Chapter