Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Dropout of Class S (4)

In the evening, as the sun was setting, Hong Bi-yeon and I found an empty self-study room and sat across from each other with a desk in between.

Her intense stare was quite burdensome.

“…I don’t understand why you’re willing to pay a price just to learn the answers to three placement exam questions.”

T hi s wa s c op i e d fr o m ki n g m t l . o rg
“There’s a reason. You just have to tell me.”

Oh, sure. Whatever you say.

“But you only got these three questions wrong? Smart. I got all the other questions wrong. Aren’t you embarrassed to ask me?”

I was ranked 1,141st in our year, while she was a shining elite, ranked 5th.

“I’m not embarrassed. It’s more shameful to have gotten the questions wrong and still not know the answers. If I can find out the answers, I’ll ask anyone.”

Wow… That’s a very model student-like answer.

But it also feels like she’s looking down on me…

“Alright, let’s take a look.”

I put on the Bulbul Glasses and reviewed the questions again.

Indeed, it was an absurd set of questions.

Seriously. Putting nonsensical quiz-like questions in a magic exam.

‘Can I explain this properly?’

I agreed to this because of the offer, but I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.

It’s tricky. These questions are literally designed to test creative thinking, making them very difficult to teach.

T h i s w as c o p ied f r o m ki n g m t l . o r g
‘How do I explain this?’

But since we were already here, backing out would probably result in Hong Bi-yeon harassing me until graduation. That would be quite dreadful.

Besides, I didn’t want to give up the chance to have Terivon modified as a reward.

I needed to think of something. To buy some time, I asked her a random question.

“Before I explain, can I ask why you’re asking me?”

It’s not like she doesn’t have any friends. As a princess, surely there are many who would answer her questions.

She twisted her hair for a moment, then decided it wasn’t a big deal and spoke openly.

“Out of 1,141 freshmen, only three students, including you, solved the ‘Three Demonic Questions.'”

“…Huh?”

What does that mean?

“I heard they were ‘trap questions’ meant to be left unsolved. But you, Ma Yuseong, and Flame solved them. So, it’s become a bit of a headache for me.”

“Wait, those questions were traps? Meant to be left unsolved?”

“Yes. Didn’t you know?”

“What the hell…”

Only then did I realize why I ended up in S-Class and why Flame was wary of me.

Trap questions. Such things didn’t exist in the game. Or perhaps I hadn’t read about them.

‘No wonder the students’ reactions were strange when explaining the Three Demonic Questions…!’

I didn’t know the intricate details or developments of the world. I just enjoyed the game without following the story.

However, Flame, who had supposedly completed the entire romance novel, would be different. She didn’t know the game version’s story but would have a precise understanding of the events and settings in this world.

For instance, knowing in advance that the ‘Three Demonic Questions’ would appear during the entrance exam…

Flame could easily solve these trap questions with her knowledge from the romance novel. She intended to add her name to the list of geniuses like Ma Yuseong to emphasize her ‘uniqueness.’

A girl with genius comparable to Ma Yuseong!

But then, an inexplicable extra character who didn’t even exist in the original story suddenly appeared and interfered.

That means she became aware of Baek Yu-seol as a remarkable existence.

‘Damn, no wonder she’s wary of me.’

Realizing this, I felt a chill down my spine.

‘Crap, she has a reason to be wary of me.’

I sighed but held it in. I had already caused enough trouble.

“Your expression doesn’t look good.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

Hong Bi-yeon frowned slightly, displeased with my tone, but since I was already on the radar of someone far scarier, I wasn’t particularly afraid of her and just ignored it.

“Before I explain these questions, you haven’t forgotten you agreed to my request, right?”

“…Yes.”

“It’s simple. You know this staff, right?”

“Terivon.”

“I want you to commission the Adolevit royal blacksmith to modify it into a magic spear… or rather, a magic sword.”

For a moment, Hong Bi-yeon’s expression changed as if she had misheard me.

“You heard right.”

“…Cold weapons are used by low-grade mercenaries. Why would a mage like you use something like that?”

“My preference.”

Hong Bi-yeon remained silent. She seemed genuinely perplexed, but I didn’t plan to explain that I was a magic cripple.

“I think I’ve explained enough. Do I really need to explain my private matters? Will you modify the staff into a magic sword or not?”

“Fine. That’s a simple request.”

Royal connections are the best.

“Alright… I’ll briefly explain how to solve these questions.”

I recalled Hong Bi-yeon’s characteristics.

The strongest flame mage. While most genius mages used two or three attributes, Hong Bi-yeon used only flame magic to reach the pinnacle of magic warriors.

But was she like that from the beginning?

No.

T h i s w a s c o pie d f ro m k in g m t l. o r g
As a first-year student at the academy, Hong Bi-yeon was powerful but with clear limitations, eventually leading to her being outdone by Flame.

‘Her magic was too predictable.’

In this situation, this spell; in that situation, that spell.
T h i s w a s co pie d f r om k i n g m t l . or g

Hong Bi-yeon fought as if she were reading a textbook. Flame noticed this weakness and exploited it to achieve victory.

After this defeat, Hong Bi-yeon returned as a second-year student, stronger by an entirely different magnitude.

Th i s wa s c o pi e d f r om k ing mt l . or g
‘A shift in perspective.’

Hong Bi-yeon was aware of her lack of creativity. Her dorm was filled with related books.

But that realization came too late, in her second year.

‘I can’t give her an epiphany right now… but I can give her some decent advice.’

I turned the test paper towards Hong Bi-yeon and asked her seriously.

“First, do you know what a nonsense riddle is?”

“…Nonsense?”

“Yeah. You’ve heard of it, right?”

“I’ve heard the term, but I don’t know what it is.”

What? How can you not know nonsense riddles at your age? What did you do in your spare time?

Then I remembered she was Hong Bi-yeon.

‘Makes sense.’

Given her upbringing, it was understandable.

Seeing an opportunity, I quickly attacked.

“What’s between knee and knee?”

An abrupt riddle. But believing I wouldn’t ask a pointless question, Hong Bi-yeon’s expression turned serious.

She closed her eyes, tapped her arm with her fingers, and finally answered after some thought.

“The hollow of the knee?”

“Wrong.”

“The crotch?”

“Nope.”

She gave me a puzzled look, so I hurriedly answered.

“The answer is ‘and.'”

“…Why?”

“I said what’s between ‘knee’ and ‘knee.'”

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k in gmt l.o r g
Hong Bi-yeon looked at me with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance.

“No, seriously. This question has a similar vibe. Do you want to solve it?”

“…”

“Look at the question carefully. It’s made up of formulas and techniques you don’t understand. You know that, right?”

“Of course.”

“You have to solve it using only your creativity. But can you memorize creativity like you do with other things?”

“…No.”

“Exactly.”

I didn’t give her a chance to argue and continued rapidly, shooting my words like a machine gun.

“Do you know? Ancient mages only developed magic in small, gradual steps. But they added a drop of creativity to those tiny advances. And suddenly, the ‘Age of Great Mages’ erupted.”

“That’s… true.”

I read that in the tutorial story, but I never thought I’d use it like this.

“Do you know why that happened? Knowing many spells and techniques is important, but the most crucial thing for a mage is thinking transcendentally.”

“Transcendental thinking?”

“Yes!”

Hong Bi-yeon’s ears perked up at the familiar term. That made sense. Most of the words I was spouting were from quests related to her.

In other words, her biggest interest was pouring out of my mouth.

“Thinking beyond the boundaries and seeing the world differently. Even the slightest change can make magic explode in growth, as history has shown. But why do you stick to conventional thinking? Is magic just about memorizing spells and casting them?”

“Of course not.”

Hong Bi-yeon listened intently.

“Your ability to analyze, reason, and memorize might be better than mine, but you lack the most crucial thing for a mage: creativity.”

Honestly, it was almost nonsense. I was just sticking the words she liked onto random things I had picked up from comics.

“I used some complicated words, but you’re smart enough to understand, right?”

“Of course.”
T hi s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k i n gm t l . org

That’s funny. I didn’t even understand what I was saying.

But she seemed to have grasped something, looking more serious than before. What’s with this girl? Making me feel guilty for lying.

“You understood, so that’s good. As expected of a princess, you’re smart. From now on, I’ll teach you about ‘a shift in perspective.’ I can explain the solution to this problem, but you won’t be able to solve similar ones in the future.”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r om ki n g m t l . o r g

Understanding the last part, Hong Bi-yeon nodded.

“Alright, let’s start.”

Finally getting to the main part, Hong Bi-yeon focused intently.

“When a horse gets angry?”

Her expression froze.

After my lengthy explanation, presenting a nonsense riddle seemed absurd. Though she closed her mouth again, I continued.

“When a horse gets angry? What is it?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Marihuana.”

Hong Bi-yeon visibly wavered but didn’t argue. It was incredibly effective.

I kept attacking Hong Bi-yeon.

“What happens when you push and pull a bed?”

“I don’t know.”

“Badminton.”

“What if you don’t want to send it?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Give scissors or rock.”

Hong Bi-yeon, unable to keep up with my rapid-fire questions, started to look tearful.
T hi s w a s c op i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . or g

Watching her like this was quite amusing, like discovering a new form of entertainment.

But unlike before, no one protested. They were somewhat immersed in the nonsense I had spouted earlier.

“When the ground cries? Soil-soil. What plant cries when plucked? Burdock.”

This is fun. It’s so fun that I accidentally crossed the line while joking.

“What do seagulls like?”

After saying it, I realized this was more of a dad joke than a nonsense riddle.

‘Damn, this is too much.’

She wouldn’t accept the answer. Hong Bi-yeon seemed to realize I was talking nonsense, so what now?

But then.

“…Kki-rook?”

Hong Bi-yeon got it right.

T h i s w a s c o p ie d f r o m k i n g mtl . o r g
“Oh, oh? …You got it.”

Surprised, I answered, and a faint smile appeared on Hong Bi-yeon’s face. Wow, this is the first time I’ve ever seen her smile in the game or real life.

“Oh, as expected of the princess. Your creativity is exceptional.”

When I praised her without hesitation, Hong Bi-yeon’s face hardened, but her lips slightly curved up, indicating she was pleased.

“Hmm. Next question.”

So, I continued giving Hong Bi-yeon a ‘special lecture’ deep into the night.

End of Chapter

TL/N: I can’t grasp this nonsense riddle thing. But whatever, it’s a nonsense though.