Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Aslan Seminar (2)

In the City of the Progenitor, Camelrn, there are many hidden events. Each alleyway imbued with the magic of shadows contains hidden stories and mysterious secrets.
T his w a s co p i e d f r o m k i ng m t l. o r g

The mages living here all have deep personal stories.

In short, it’s a treasure trove of events.

However, as an academy student, one couldn’t easily enter Camelrn, rendering these numerous events mere fantasies for the players.

Therefore, the ‘Aslan Seminar Attendance Ticket,’ one of the few ways to enter Camelrn, was quite significant for the players.

I wasn’t particularly interested in Camelrn’s events, but there was one thing I was curious about and wanted to visit.

[Fortune Teller Lirama]

A peculiar NPC predicting the future resided here. If the player was ‘Character Flame,’ the fortune teller would say upon meeting them:

‘The child chosen by fate has arrived. Come, let me tell you a story.’

At first, it seemed like the NPC recognized the player, but when approached with a different character, the fortune teller would say something entirely different.

If approached with Ma Yuseong, the NPC would say, ‘A child who doesn’t fit anywhere has come.’

If approached with Hae Wonryang, the NPC would say, ‘A child conflicted at the crossroads of choice has come.’

Due to the fortune teller’s penetrating manner of speech, many players tried visiting with various characters, but Baek Yu-seol did not know that.

This wasn’t due to any particular reason, but simply because I, the only player of ‘Character Baek Yu-seol,’ had never visited Camelrn.

Thus, I was curious.

Would the fortune teller’s prophecies work in reality?

Would they predict something for me too?

Would there be a single insightful statement piercing through me?

Did they foresee my arrival?

‘Is this the place?’

The fortune teller’s shop was in the depths of a maze-like alley, making it difficult to find.

Even though I repeatedly checked the map through my Bulbul Glasses, I kept passing by it.

Huff!

As I opened the wooden door with all my might, a loud creak echoed. When was the last time this hinge was oiled?

Entering the place, the musty smell of old books filled the air, almost making me want to flee immediately. But I held my breath and moved deeper inside, where a short old lady glared at me with frightening eyes.

Then she spoke abruptly.

“An uninvited guest has arrived. This is not where you belong. Leave at once.”

“What?”

I was genuinely taken aback to receive such a line.

Kicked out right off the bat without any other words?

“I came to have my fortune told… Maybe about my marriage luck…”

“I cannot read your fortune.”

“Why not?”

The old lady glared at me, shaking her head.

“I see nothing in you.”

Geez. Was this a complete scam?

I was about to leave in disbelief when the creaky door opened noisily and someone stumbled in.

“Ahhh!”

A girl with neatly tied black bobbed hair, Flame.

Apparently, she opened the door incorrectly and entered, rubbing her forehead and meeting my eyes.

“Hey, why are you here?”

I thought quietly as I looked at her.

In the game world, ‘Character Flame’ inevitably reached this place. My assumption that Flame wouldn’t come because I did was a mistake.

Whether player or not, Flame was still Flame.

I tried to say something to her, but the fortune teller spoke first.

“The child chosen by fate has arrived.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

I was stunned. The old lady recited the exact line I had seen in the game.

‘What’s going on?’

I thought the game and reality were different since she had turned me away. But why was she repeating the game’s line to Flame?

…Why didn’t she say that to me?

“Oh, um, sorry. I thought it was a wall but it was a door.”

“I know, child. You were destined to come here. Sit down and listen.”

“I’m quite busy right now…”

“The Aslan Seminar has been delayed by 30 minutes due to the worsening condition of the General Chairman.”

“Huh…?”

Flame blinked as she looked at me, and I nodded. It was true; it always happened in the original game.

I was used to seeing this message, but it felt odd that the fortune teller knew it.

‘Is she really a fortune teller?’

It seemed she had some mystical ability.

Thus, the question remained.
T hi s wa s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g mt l . o rg

Why did she speak to me the way she did?

“Uh, okay…”

Flame hesitated, looking at me, and then sat opposite the fortune teller. Seeing that, I quietly left the shop.

As long as I was present, the fortune teller wouldn’t speak.

“Tsk.”

I felt annoyed for no reason.

Camelrn, White Tower, 3-109th Floor.

‘Progenitor’s Throne.’

Reflecting the mage’s tendency to favor high places, the Aslan Seminar was held on the top floor of the colossal White Tower, which floated in triple layers in the air, at the 109th floor.

With an enormous number of people using the space, there were as many as 23 elevators, and upper-class mages even used temporary warp holes. The White Tower’s facilities were undoubtedly top-notch.

The number of official mages attending the Aslan Seminar averaged just under 200, with little variation over the years.

It was quite peculiar.

Even though some families had ‘fixed attendance rights,’ if they didn’t have young mages in their 10s-20s, attendance should be impossible.

Why was that?

The reason was quite simple: to attend the Aslan Seminar every year, most prestigious families adopted talented children.

Thus, about half the attendees borrowed the names of prestigious families, serving as mere puppets.

This bad cultural cycle was gradually tarnishing the essence of the Aslan Seminar.

The ‘Dromian’ family, famous for ice magic, adopted 100 talented children from the North each year, discarding or killing all but the most exceptional one. This led to unfortunate incidents linked to the Aslan Seminar.
T h i s w as c o p i e d f ro m k i n g m t l .o r g

-We sincerely apologize to the audience for the delay of the seminar.

The host apologized without much of a concerned expression.

‘What can you do if the chairman is sick?’ his face seemed to say.

Despite his worsening condition, the General Chairman attended the Aslan Seminar, likely to see this year’s rising stars.

‘What’s with this…’

Flame thought about the recent events as she listened to the host.

‘That fortune teller was the real deal…?’

Most fortune tellers use cheap tricks, gathering personal information in advance and pretending to know everything.

But the fortune teller she met was different. She seemed to see through even the fact that she was an ‘incarnate.’

Knowing quietly about the General Chairman’s condition worsening.

Flame had only happened upon the place by chance. Yet the fortune teller called her visit fate and offered significant advice along with some gifts.

‘Your fate is tangled. You must have many questions. Many things you want to ask.’

‘…Yes.’

‘Seek the child blessed by ice.’

‘Ice…’

‘Yes. With that child, read the stars. You might faintly glimpse the path you should take.’

Honestly, she didn’t understand half of it. She wanted to ask Baek Yu-seol, but unfortunately, she couldn’t meet him due to rushing.

Baek Yu-seol was looking blankly at the host from a slightly distant seat, his thoughts unreadable.

-Now, there will be a speech by General Chairman Mage Arumun, who made this seminar possible.

Clap clap!

There was no cheering. The hall was filled with dignified applause, and soon the chairman’s speech began.

Thi s wa s c opi ed f rom k i ng m tl . o r g
“Thank you for gathering. I’m sick, so can we keep it short? If not, well…”

-Y-Yes, General Chairman.

“Thank you…”

As expected, it seemed it would be a tedious and obvious speech. However, due to his illness and the delayed time, the General Chairman gave a short and quick speech.

‘He’s handsome…’

Flame stared blankly at the General Chairman.

General Chairman of the Magic Society, Arumun.

Though his appearance was that of someone in their early 20s, his real age was 150, and the mage appeared gaunt and frail due to severe illness.

T h i s wa s cop i e d from k i n g m tl . o r g
Yet, it wasn’t an unattractive look. Some fan circles of ‘Princess Love’ even adored his decadent charm.

In the story’s progression, the connection between the General Chairman and the main character Aiselle was rare, so unfortunately, the coupling didn’t become active.

“Let’s start the Aslan Seminar.”

T h i s w a s c o pi e d f r o m k i n g m t l .o r g
Clap clap!

The applause grew even more intense.

Flame stopped worrying.

From now on, it was time to really focus on the Aslan Seminar.

‘The Aslan Seminar is a survival game.’

At least, that’s what Flame, who had read the original novel, thought.

Two hundred geniuses from numerous races and prestigious families gathered to present their theses and critique each other. That was the essence of the Aslan Seminar.

Tear down other geniuses’ knowledge.

Demean other geniuses’ magic.

Insult other geniuses’ character.

Shake other geniuses’ mental strength.

Only by doing so could one survive the Aslan Seminar and hope for next year. Surviving as long as possible in Aslan meant being remembered as a greater genius.

Flame didn’t care much for the fame of Aslan, but she hated losing.

‘I’ll tear apart anyone who gets in my way.’
Th i s wa s c o pi e d f r o m k in g m t l . o r g

T hi s was co p ied fr o m kin g m t l .o r g
“Whew…”

Aiselle took a deep breath, preparing to step onto the stage.

Unfortunately, she was the first presenter.

With nearly 200 presentations, the Aslan Seminar lasted all day, and it was known that the initial presentations faced more attacks due to everyone being fresh and energetic.

Thus, prestigious families or regular attendees opted for later slots, while ‘rising stars’ took the earlier slots.

‘Don’t get nervous. Just do what you’ve prepared.’

My thesis is perfect.

There are no flaws.

I included a very ‘special idea’ that no one had ever thought of in this thesis.

…However, if there was a problem.

I couldn’t fully translate that special idea into ‘theory’ and ended up receiving significant help from Baek Yu-seol.

That’s not really a problem. Only Baek Yu-seol and I know this fact.

Still, the anxiety is inevitable.

Each magic has its own individuality and characteristics. Though both are fire-based, Hong Bi-yeon’s magic is explosive, while Arshuane’s is refined.

Aiselle’s magic was characterized by ‘blossoming vitality,’ and Baek Yu-seol remarkably understood her trait and integrated it into the thesis.

Even so, Baek Yu-seol’s scent was deeply embedded in her magic.

What if…

What if someone detected the ‘scent of Baek Yu-seol’ in my thesis instead of ‘Aiselle Morf’?

‘…That won’t happen.’

Baek Yu-seol worked hard to help me avoid that.

“Huff!”

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, and looked at the stage.

In one minute.

I will stand there and present my magic to everyone.

For the first time, I will be recognized for my ability as ‘Aiselle,’ not as ‘the daughter of the betraying Morf family.’

I can’t mess this up.

“Oh, who do we have here? Isn’t it Aiselle Morf? From the Morf family?”

Just as she was trying to calm down, someone spoke to her from behind.

“…Yes? Who are you?”

She didn’t recognize the person. The young man with ash-gray hair and snake-like red eyes wore a badge from ‘Argonda Graduate School.’

Being a student from the prestigious Argonda was noticeable, but what caught her attention more…

‘…The Dromian family?’

Dromian, renowned for their ice magic, was impossible not to know.

They once held the greatest influence as authorities on ice magic alongside the Morf family.
Th i s wa s co p i ed f r om k i n g m t l . o r g

However, there was a crucial difference between the Morf and Dromian families.

‘Pure bloodline.’

All members of the Morf family possessed overwhelming ice talent. It grew more pronounced with each generation, and in Aiselle’s case, she was even blessed with ‘ice.’

But Dromian was different.

Initially, they wielded ice magic equal to Morf, but as generations passed, their magical bloodline gradually faded.

Eventually, they secretly adopted children with ice magic talent, barely maintaining their reputation.

One could easily guess the level of inferiority Dromian held towards the Morf family.

But then.
T h i s w a s cop i e d f r om k in gm tl. o r g

The Morf family was annihilated.

…How did the Dromian family react?

Obvious, given the smirk on the young man’s face.

‘You were that happy, huh.’

Aiselle had heard about the bad blood with the Dromian family, but seeing it firsthand made her feel even more bitter.

“Nice to meet you, Aiselle Morf. I’m Kaika Dromian. Let’s do our best as representatives of our respective families.”

Then Kaika added as if he had just remembered.

“Oh… You’re not the family representative, right? Anyway, as fellow ice mages, we’ll see whose magic is superior. When your family was wiped out, I felt bad losing a rival, but today the world will see who’s truly superior.”

“…Yes.”

Kaika said, lightly patting Aiselle’s shoulder as he passed by.

And then, he smiled inwardly.

‘What a stroke of luck!’

There was no way the magic of Aiselle, who had been wandering the streets like a beggar, could surpass the thesis compiled from the collective knowledge of Dromian’s greatest ice mages.

However, to the world, such trivial facts wouldn’t matter. They would simply compare the results.

‘In the end, Dromian’s magic is superior to Morf’s magic.’

Since the fall of the Morf family, Dromian had been stuck with the shameful title of ‘second authority on ice magic.’

But today, by crushing Morf under the name of Dromian…

‘The position of family head isn’t far away!’

Kaika’s smile grew even wider.

End of Chapter