Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Ghost Story (5)

When the cadets of Stella usually gather, they meet in places like cafes or terraces and hold tea parties. This is the very epitome of a noble-style gathering… but isn’t it unnecessary for commoners to do the same?

So, Flame went to a chicken restaurant.

“…Chicken?”

“Seasoned chicken.”

T his w as c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l .o r g
“Uh, no, the chicken…”

“I said seasoned chicken. Are you not going to eat?”

“I will eat, but…”

“Oh. You like this kind of stuff.”

Aiselle hesitantly stabbed the chicken with a fork. Anella, sitting next to Flame, was already gnawing on a drumstick.

“You unprincipled girl. There are three people and only two drumsticks, and you took one?”

“Mmm! Mmph!”

…Though it seemed she took it by non-peaceful means, Anella gave it up to Flame.

“Oh. You can eat. I’ll allow it.”

“Okay…”

It seemed strange to need permission to eat such a thing, but she felt too self-conscious to just eat.

“Eat a lot. This big sister is treating!”

Aiselle liked instant food. Pizza, chicken, hamburgers. Of course, since the prices were not that affordable for commoners, she couldn’t have them often.

There’s a backstory that when she was invited to a grand noble banquet, she ignored the luxurious meal and eyed the cheap chicken pieces, which made Jeremie and Hae Wonryang fall for her.

‘In that aspect, she’s similar to me.’

Flame also preferred instant food over noble cuisine.

Caviar, foie gras, truffles?

Though she never had them, she felt she wouldn’t like them even if she did.

Steaks and fancy dishes? Just quickly grilled pork belly, wrapped in lettuce with some sauce, was the best.

The three girls silently enjoyed their chicken with cola—definitely not beer.

“So, what’s the reason you suddenly came?”

“Ah, well…”

“Why? Are you curious about that guy’s whereabouts?”

“No, I’m not! Seriously, that’s ridiculous.”

When Aiselle snapped angrily, Flame chuckled. She took a sip through her straw and casually dropped some information about Baek Yu-seol.

“He’s staying in some western city right now. He has some business there. I don’t know exactly what, but since it’s him, it must be important.”

“I see…”

Suddenly, Aiselle felt doubt about her daily life.

Is there any meaning in my current life, where I only study like crazy? While someone is steadily building a tower to save the world, is it right for me to be so engrossed in studying?

‘…No, I’m doing the right thing.’

The reason Baek Yu-seol doesn’t study is that he’s accumulated vast knowledge through countless regressions. To get closer to him, she needed to study even harder.

“Ah, I don’t know. Where could he have gone in a situation like this?”

The school’s atmosphere was unsettling.

It was clear that the ghost stories circulating within the school were linked to the recent incidents, but she had no clue how to solve them.

However.

The truth was, Aiselle might know how to enter the 7th Main Tower…

The reason she wasn’t sure was because she had heard this story a long time ago from her father.

A ghost story her father told her playfully, as though trying to scare a little child.

She pondered whether to share this story with Flame.

“Hmm…”

Flame waited quietly for Aiselle.

In the original romance fantasy novel, Aiselle didn’t consider the information she had about the 7th Main Tower ghost story as important.

Because of this, she playfully mentioned it to Hae Wonryang, who, being curious, delved deeper and it greatly helped in solving the ‘Dark Mana Erosion’ incident later on.

But reality was different.

Aiselle and Hae Wonryang had nearly zero interaction, and only two people knew about the ghost story now.

T h i s w a s c opi e d f r o m ki n g m tl . o r g
However, Flame couldn’t use Aiselle’s knowledge arbitrarily. That knowledge couldn’t be known unless it was from Aiselle’s father.

So, she waited quietly.

Waiting for Aiselle to open up first.
T his w a s c o pi e d f r o m k i ng m tl .o r g

“Nom.”

While Anella, clueless, munched on chicken, Flame and Aiselle put down their forks and spent time lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Aiselle made up her mind and spoke first.

“…Actually, there’s a secret about the 7th Main Tower.”

“A secret?”

“Yes. Some say the 7th Main Tower never existed, and old photos show it was there and then disappeared.”

“That’s right.”

There was still much debate about whether the 7th Main Tower really existed.

“It existed. Until 50 years ago.”

Aiselle began to speak slowly.

“Abeline Stabererk. You know who he is, right?”

“…I do.”

Readers of the original romance fantasy novel ‘Princess Love’ would have heard his name at least once.

In this world, there were individuals who left achievements and fame that made them worthy of being called ‘protagonists’ of their respective eras. 200 years ago, it was ‘Eltemon Eltrine,’ and half a century ago, it was ‘Abeline Stabererk.’

Abeline Stabererk, who left behind accomplishments so enormous it was hard to believe one person could achieve them all.

It was said that his life story alone could fill dozens of volumes of fantasy novels. Unfortunately, in the original story, his content was summarized briefly and he didn’t appear properly.

However… in the end, his fate was far from protagonist-like.

He committed the worst crime considered in the magic world—becoming a Dark Mage after betraying the magic world.

He killed three members of the Elder Council and rendered the former Tower Master of the Full Moon Tower mana-crippled before fleeing. It was said he still lived, ruling over the Dark Mages.

Many believed Abeline was quietly hiding after betraying the magic world, but Aiselle knew his current whereabouts.

‘Dark Mage King.’

Th is was co p i e d f r o m king m tl . o r g
He was the Dark Mage, known to possess the greatest power in this world.

Why he betrayed the magic world wasn’t important.

The immediate information needed was that Abeline Stabererk isolated the 7th Main Tower in an unseen world and hid something within it.

“Inside the 7th Main Tower, there’s no treasure or legendary artifact. At that time, Abeline said he hid ‘the truth’ in there.”

“The truth…”

“Yes. No one knows exactly what truth, but…”

Perhaps, it was related to why Abeline betrayed and left the magic world.

Anella spoke casually.

“But that truth might not be a big deal. Principal Eltemon isn’t looking for it.”

“Well… I don’t know about that. But maybe, we could find that place. If we do… are you willing to go in?”

T h i s w a s c o pi ed f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
This part had to be approached carefully. It was asking Flame to take on sacrifices and risks.

However, Flame responded unexpectedly. She nodded without a moment’s hesitation.

“Of course, I’ll go. Is that why you dragged it out so long?”

“I see…”

T h i s was c opi e d f r o m kin g m t l. o r g
Hearing that a remarkable mage like Flame would accompany her, Aiselle felt relieved and calmed down.

T h i s wa s c o pi e d f r om k i n g m t l . org
Then, first…

Believing she could trust her, Aiselle was about to tell a ghost story she knew when suddenly.

“Hey, there’s a commotion at the 4th Main Tower?”

“Come quick, something’s going on.”

“What? What’s happening?”

Suddenly, the surroundings became noisy.

If it was loud enough to cause a commotion in a restaurant, it must be serious.

The moment Flame heard the students, she jumped up and ran. Aiselle followed her, and Anella, clueless, trailed behind.

The 4th Main Tower was nearby, and they arrived at the source of the commotion on the 30th floor in corridor D-17, where staff were already controlling the scene.

“Quiet! All students, step back!”
T h i s was c o p ied f rom ki ngm t l .o r g

“Go back to your dorms! If you don’t listen, you’ll get demerits!”

A crowd of students and the staff trying to control them made it hard to see anything clearly.

The corridor windows were all shattered, and the floor was wet, but something stood out.

[Archmage, are you afraid of the truth?]

[What are you trying to hide so desperately?]

On the soaked corridor floor… bright red letters floated eerily.

Th i s wa s c o p ie d f ro m k i n gm t l . or g
The professors tried to erase it with magic, but it seemed to be in vain, as they were sweating profusely.

‘Of course, it won’t work.’

Flame understood why the professors couldn’t erase it with magic. Those letters were written in the ‘Other World.’

Ordinary magic, which could only interfere with reality, couldn’t erase even such simple phrases.

“Stop.”

Suddenly.

A young boy’s voice stopped all the commotion. The students fell silent as if they had turned mute, and the professors, stiff and nervous, stepped back awkwardly.

The crowd parted like a miracle, and a boy walked through.

Eltemon Eltrine.

Always smiling and relaxed, he now wore a stern expression.

Walking silently over the watery corridor, he clicked his tongue upon seeing the floating letters.

Then he took out a scroll and sealed the letters within it.

People, seeing this, reacted with admiration for the principal, but Flame saw it differently.

Why did he use a scroll instead of his own magic?

The answer was obvious.

Even his spatial magic couldn’t touch it.

So he had to use a scroll imbued with another mage’s magic.

Eltemon surveyed the crowd with a grim expression and asked a professor quietly.

“Is anyone hurt?”

“No injuries, but…”

The professor answered gloomily and pointed to the back. There, three familiar-looking girls were huddled together, trembling.

They looked familiar.

Th i s wa s c o p i e d f r o m ki n g mt l. o r g
Their aura of nobility was unmistakable.

The girls wore brooches adorned with red rubies, proudly displaying their affiliation.

‘Uh?’

When Flame felt something was wrong and the thought crossed her mind.

The professor said something unbelievable.

“First-year S class cadet Hong Bi-yeon… has disappeared into an unknown Other World space.”

That was…

An unprecedented disaster Flame had never anticipated or imagined.

End of Chapter.