Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 133

Chapter 133

Aslan Seminar (6)

Despite Hong Si-hwa’s questioning, Hong Bi-yeon did not bat an eye. Rather, she had been waiting for this.

Of course.

Her sister would never stand by and watch her succeed.

“Ahem.”

“Hmm-hmm… I’ll just observe for now…”

“Me too…”

Accusations of plagiarism at the Aslan Seminar were a highly sensitive issue, and several mages coughed awkwardly, gauging the atmosphere.

The reason?

Most of the regular attendees here indeed brought ‘patchwork theses’ as Hong Si-hwa had put it.

They cobbled together other scholars’ theses to present, thus maintaining their eligibility to attend the Aslan Seminar.

It was a tradition.

No one had pointed it out until now.

But… Hong Si-hwa was different.

She genuinely prepared her own magic and presented unique and extraordinary theses each year.

That made her special.

And Hong Si-hwa had accused Hong Bi-yeon of plagiarism?

Such an accusation was no trivial matter.

Not only was it a sensitive issue that needed to be handled with care, but it also essentially meant starting a ‘political fight’ in the middle of the Aslan Seminar.

“What’s going on?”

“Did she accuse her of plagiarism?”

“No way…”

“But I heard her previous thesis was rejected?”

Even the students who were unaware of the full context could sense that things were not normal and started to read the room.
T hi s w a s c op i ed fr om k i ngm tl . or g

T h i s wa s c op i ed f r o m ki n gm t l . o r g
As the two princesses of Adolevit began to clash, the mood of the entire Aslan Seminar, a grand magic thesis presentation conference, started to shift.

“Well, it seems like a reasonable point.”

“Yes… I also reviewed the previous thesis, and it was indeed terrible and disappointing.”

Several members of the review committee, who had been bribed by Hong Si-hwa, discreetly nodded in agreement.

Given the current atmosphere, Hong Bi-yeon had no choice but to clarify.

She had to prove that the magic was indeed her own.

However, the process of proving it was extremely tricky and complicated, which was why plagiarism accusations were rarely brought up in such settings.

“…I see. That’s an interesting question, First Princess of Adolevit.”

Mage Arumun seemed to find Hong Si-hwa’s suspicion quite reasonable and nodded with a tired look.

“As everyone knows, if a mage is formally accused of plagiarism, they must prove the magic is their own through ‘Magic Analyze’.”

Every magic carries traces of its creator.

The order in which the magic circle is drawn, the number of strokes, the style of the symbols, how much the lines are used, how many circles are drawn, and the flow, rhythm, and intensity of the mana.

All of these traces are meticulously detailed.

This characteristic is akin to a human fingerprint, making it difficult to imitate unless one is the original creator.

In other words, if someone claims another’s magic as their own, professional analysts can easily expose the fraud.

“However, First Princess, you should be aware.”

Arumun looked at Hong Si-hwa as if seeing through her.

“Requesting Magic Analyze from a mage is a significant affront to their honor.”

T hi s wa s c opie d f r om k i ng m t l. or g
Debates about whether a mage’s magic was genuinely their own had occurred countless times throughout history.

Each time, the mage had to thoroughly deconstruct their magic in front of everyone to prove it, which was a greatly humiliating task for those proud mages.

Although it is no longer shameful in modern times where magic is common, the custom remains; unless there is ‘concrete evidence,’ Magic Analyze is not demanded lightly.

Thus, if Hong Bi-yeon failed to prove the ownership of her magic here.

Then Hong Si-hwa’s humiliating act could be justified…

However, if Hong Bi-yeon managed to prove it.

“Then you will have to bear the penalty, First Princess.”

Arumun said with a chilling look.

“…Of course.”

She nodded with a tilted smile. Starting a political fight at the Aslan Seminar had put her at odds with the General Chairman, but…

‘Still, if this makes Hong Bi-yeon come to her senses, it’s a big gain.’

Confident of her victory, Hong Si-hwa could afford such leisurely thoughts. However, the subtle smile Hong Bi-yeon had shown earlier lingered in her mind, making her uneasy.
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No matter how much of a genius, creating such extraordinary magic in just two weeks was impossible. Moreover, Hong Bi-yeon had no talent in that area, so she must have received someone’s help.

For instance.

‘Baek Yu-seol…?’

That boy had walked a unique and groundbreaking path, comparable to legendary arch-mages from history books she had read.

Even if he had suddenly come up with an original fire magic, it wouldn’t be surprising.

But it didn’t matter if it was Baek Yu-seol or not.

Ultimately, Hong Bi-yeon wouldn’t be able to prove the magic was hers.

“Alright. I will personally conduct the Magic Analyze along with the review committee.”

The fact that Arumun himself would conduct it made Hong Bi-yeon a bit nervous, but she soon calmed herself.
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Having such a prominent figure do it might be even more effective.

“We will take some time to review and discuss the thesis.”

Since the review committee had to go through all the theses at least once before attending, it wouldn’t take long.

At most, around 30 minutes.

However.

The internal discussion took less than 10 minutes.

“…The review is complete. Hong Bi-yeon, prepare yourself.”

People murmured at that. No one had expected the internal discussion to end so quickly.

Arumun, slightly less tense, reviewed the thesis once more.

‘This is… remarkable.’

The reason it took only 10 minutes was quite simple: the magic was incredibly straightforward.

Did that mean the thesis was of lesser value? No, its value had actually increased.

‘Creating such a groundbreaking magic with such simple formulas and theories…’

The fact that the theory behind a magic that advanced fire magic itself could be explained at a high school level was not a matter of her logic or knowledge being insufficient, but rather a testament to her exceptional ‘paradigm shift.’

“Unfold the operational formula and explanation of the magic simultaneously.”

“…Yes.”

At Arumun’s instruction, Hong Bi-yeon nodded and raised her staff.

A typical magic circle appears to be a simple combination of circles, lines, and symbols.

But everyone knows that it actually contains countless modifiers. These modifiers are encoded, making it difficult to interpret just by looking at the magic circle.

According to Baek Yu-seol, magic is like a combination of ‘mathematics and programming.’

Unfolding the complex computer languages and mathematical formulas used in programming all at once.

That is the operational formula and explanation.

Hwoosh!

With a slight sweat on her brow, Hong Bi-yeon drew a red magic circle in the air.

Flame Circle

A 4-class magic.

For now, it required most of her mana and left her exhausted after use, but she wanted to showcase her best magic here.

Whoosh!

As a round flame floated in the air, some people gasped, their eyes wide.

“Fl-Flame Circle…”

“A 4-class magic?”

“Isn’t she just a first-year student?”

“How can she…”

Most of the 20-something Magic Warriors present had already surpassed the 4-class level, so the Flame Circle itself might not seem remarkable.

But her young age was the issue.

“My goodness… Like Aiselle Morf earlier, has she reached 4-class magic at just seventeen?”

“How many geniuses can one generation produce…?”

The reactions started to turn positive.

Seventeen years old and a 4-class mage?

That meant she was a genius among geniuses, rare even once a century, and such a mage creating that magic seemed entirely plausible.

Watching this, Hong Si-hwa’s expression stiffened.

She had heard stories about her sister’s rapidly improving magic skills, but achieving such feats at that age…

‘She’s much faster than I was.’

Hong Si-hwa had barely reached 4-class at eighteen.

A one-year difference might not seem like much, but during the teenage years, reaching a certain level a year earlier was a huge difference.

A child reaching 1-class at nine years old might become a 7-class mage, whereas a child reaching 1-class at twelve might max out at 5-class.

However, it was still uncertain.

Just because her magic skills had skyrocketed didn’t mean her creativity had also improved.

“Let’s simply ask a theoretical question.”

Arumun, who had been examining Hong Bi-yeon’s thesis with a critical eye, finally spoke.

“Generally, fire magic systems adopt ‘Distalin’s Third Law’ and ‘Euler’s Law’ at the beginning and end of ignition. But this magic employs the ‘Powder Rule,’ a relic of the old days. This Powder Rule has a severe issue: if the ignition point fails to reach the target’s critical point, all the mana burns away. How did you solve this problem?”

Without hesitation, she answered.

“If the target isn’t ignited, it absorbs oxygen from the air to create a small ignition point. The reason for incorporating wind attributes in the third operational formula was precisely this.”

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“Excellent. Next question, please.”

The reviewers took turns questioning Hong Bi-yeon. Simply asking about the thesis’s theory was something anyone could answer through rote memorization.

But if the question pinpointed a detail only the inventor would understand?

They would think.

‘Why was this part done this way?’

As soon as doubt arises, it’s over.

“To answer the next question…”

However, Hong Bi-yeon had no hesitation in her answers. She thoroughly analyzed the core points, answering even the review committee elders’ sharp questions without faltering.

“Hmm. I think that’s sufficient… Mage Hong Si-hwa, do you have any questions as the one who raised the plagiarism suspicion?”

Arumun passed the final question to Hong Si-hwa. When the mic turned on, she asked after thoroughly analyzing the thesis.

“Hong Bi-yeon? Your magic interestingly includes the ‘Varsa Yew Repetition Design.’ But it doesn’t seem to affect the operation of the magic… What purpose does it serve?”

It was quite a plausible question.

Indeed, Hong Bi-yeon’s magic had several patterns in the magic circuit that seemed to serve no purpose.

However, she answered coolly.

“I added it because it looks pretty.”

“…What.”

“…Huh.”

The answer was so absurd that everyone’s jaws dropped. Hong Si-hwa, the one who asked, was no exception.

“You said… because it looks pretty?”

Indeed, it did look a bit pretty.

The arch-shaped pattern around the circle made the magic circle look like a flower.

“After completing the magic, it seemed too simple and plain, so I wanted to decorate it prettily since it was my first creation. Is there a problem with that?”
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Of course, there wasn’t.

She could draw rabbits or lions in the magic circle if she wanted.
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However, given that every part of the magic circle is packed with runes and circuits, adding a floral design out of boredom after completing the magic suggested that Hong Bi-yeon was not entirely normal.

“You might not remember, but that flower was Big Sister’s favorite flower.”

Now able to mention her deceased sister, Hong Bi-yeon’s words silenced Hong Si-hwa.

Her face was hardening, but she didn’t seem to notice.
T h is w a s c o p i e d fr om k i n g m tl . o r g

Arumun, observing the situation, ended it.

“Let’s move past the theory part.”

Theory passed lightly.

“Next, we will analyze the magic’s fingerprint.”

Time to find traces of Hong Bi-yeon within the magic circle.

‘You’ve prepared well enough, little sister.’

These were areas she could pass through thorough study. Many plagiarists had done the same.

But from here on, it would be different.

The essence of the magic, the creator’s breath and traces, the mana’s scent and fingerprint could not be hidden.

A thorough investigation would reveal…

“We’ll skip this part.”

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However.

“…What?”

“W-Wait a moment!”

Arumun’s sudden statement shocked everyone, including the review committee and all the mages present.

“Why?”

Arumun looked at Hong Bi-yeon intently and spoke softly.

“I once worked as a profiler for magical crimes. Although I hid my name, few people know that… and I pride myself on being quite good at it.”

Crimes caused by magic are relatively easy to track. You just follow the mana traces.

Modern technology allows us to even determine when and where a particular magic was used.

Hence, criminals have become more meticulous.

Just as modern Earth’s criminals erase their fingerprints, mages erase their traces from their magic circles.

And those who analyze such magic circles to find traces are ‘profilers.’

For Arumun, a former excellent profiler, it was child’s play to sense the scent of a magic cast by a seventeen-year-old mage.

Whoosh!

“This is the magic based on Hong Bi-yeon’s thesis.”

Arumun drew a red magic circle in the air. It was the same Flame Circle as Hong Bi-yon’s.

“Comparing the direction of mana flow, rhythm of the flow, the handwriting of runes, and the scent… they all match Hong Bi-yeon’s exactly.”

“…No way…”

No one could argue.

This was the opinion of the General Chairman and a great 9-class mage, Arumun. Who could dare to dismiss it?

“I don’t side with anyone. I dislike young ones engaging in political fights here. However, credit must be given where it’s due.”

He looked at Hong Si-hwa and declared clearly.

“This is… undoubtedly Hong Bi-yeon’s original magic.”

Hong Si-hwa’s face turned icy.

End of Chapter