Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 229

Chapter 229

T h is w as c o pi e d fr o m k i n gmtl .o r g
Start of the Semester (3)

After the genius Magical Engineer Rakan joined, the technology of the Alchemy Castle advanced at an eye-blinding speed.

…But, this absurdly novel-like scenario didn’t immediately unfold.

Rakan had just taken his first steps in Magical Engineering. While his genius would indeed make his presence felt in as short a time as six months to a year, for now, he was still in the early stages of his studies.

“Here, you said you needed this, right?”

Alterisha, who had become quite pleased after recruiting an excellent Magical Engineer, handed me a large, pristine white orb with a bright smile.

Its original name was ‘Force Vessel.’

It was an artifact that only mages who handled the Thought Entity could create, and thus, it was no longer producible with modern magical technology.
T h i s w a s c o pi ed f rom k i ngm t l .o r g

This was a trophy I acquired at the beginning of the semester after piercing the heart of a necromancer.

T h i s w a s c o p i e d fro m k i n gm tl . o r g
At that time, due to a lack of technical skills, I couldn’t properly utilize this precious item, but things were different now.

[Temporary Subspace Pocket]

With the advancements in Alterisha’s Alchemy Magical Engineering, it was now possible to craft a subspace pocket—essentially an ‘Inventory’—using that orb.

Although I was already an avid user of the space-expanding backpack, the weight, even when minimized, was still a burden for someone like me, whose agility was crucial.

Moreover, since I primarily engaged in close combat during battles, the backpack often got in the way.

However, with the Inventory, everything would be significantly more convenient. I could even use subspace freely in places where carrying a backpack wasn’t allowed.

“Are you going to create a subspace with this?”

Alterisha’s sparkling pink eyes gleamed with curiosity as she gazed at me. Whenever she discovered something new, she always had that innocent, childlike expression.

“That’s the plan, for now.”

“That’s amazing… Subspace is usually a patented specialty of high-level spatial mages.”

“Honestly, it’s not as great as what those specialists can do.”

“Still, being able to use subspace without being a spatial mage is impressive in itself.”

Well, that’s true.

However, using subspace required obtaining a Force Vessel from a Thought Entity mage and then acquiring a ‘Dimension Enchant’ from a spatial Magical Engineer, which was a rather bothersome process.

The two preceding steps were extremely difficult, and on top of that, you needed an Alchemy Magical Engineer with advanced skills, making it incredibly challenging for an ordinary mage to acquire.

“By the way, are you going to start working at Stella Academy in the second semester?”

“Uh…”

Originally, Alterisha’s job was as an assistant professor in the Alchemy Department at Stella Academy. To be precise, she was Professor Maizen’s assistant.

However, after Maizen disappeared and she unveiled her Alchemy Magical Engineering, she began working at the Alchemy Castle, and naturally, she started drifting away from Stella.

This development was something I had anticipated, as it was also depicted in the original game, but Alterisha seemed somewhat apologetic.

“I’m sorry. I’d like to continue going to the academy, but it seems I’ll be working here at the Alchemy Castle for the foreseeable future.”

“That’s great. You can fulfill your dreams here now.”

“…To be honest, it feels like I’ve already achieved them.”

Alterisha, smiling as she said that, immediately went to the corner of her office as if she had just remembered something and brought back a box.

She had a habit of stacking important items neatly in a box and placing them within easy reach, and it seemed she was about to give me a present.

And it turned out I was right. Alterisha pulled out a bracelet, a piercing, a dagger, and a piece of cloth from the box and proudly displayed them.

“These are gifts!”

“Oh…”

When I quickly examined them with my Bulbul Glasses, I could see they were indeed worth boasting about.

Individually, they weren’t powerful enough to turn the tide of a battle, but they could certainly help make a difficult fight more manageable.

Generally, that’s the usual purpose of items. It’s rare for an item to be so overpowered that just waving a staff would result in the annihilation of enemies.

Items are equipment that only shine when the user possesses strong power and knowledge.

“The things I gave you last time were so embarrassing to call complete, but… these will definitely be of help.”

“Thank you.”

As I carefully pocketed the gifts, Alterisha hesitated for a moment before quietly starting to speak.

“So, these days… I’ve been busy, but… I read the newspaper a lot… and…”

“Yes?”

“I’ve also expanded my social network a lot, so I occasionally hear news and stories that ordinary people don’t get to.”

“Uh…”

She seemed to be hesitating, then, with a worried expression full of concern, she carefully smiled.

“I hear stories about you from here and there. I don’t know what you’re up to, but be careful. And… if you have some free time, visit the Alchemy Castle often. I might not be able to return to Stella anymore.”

“You are the person who shared the most precious time with me.”

I didn’t expect her to say that.

Well, considering we had spent time together from the start of the semester, writing papers, studying, and presenting at academic conferences, it was only natural that we had become close.

Plus… to be honest, since Alterisha was the same age as me in reality, I felt even more comfortable with her.

So, I treated her with ease and opened up my heart.

But now that I had become so busy that I couldn’t visit her properly, it was understandable that she might feel a little hurt.

“…Oh my. What am I even saying?”

Alterisha’s face turned red, and she hastily put on her lab coat.

“I-I have a meeting scheduled, so I’ll be going now! See you next time!”

Bang!

As I watched Alterisha hurriedly close the door and leave, I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
T hi s wa s c o pi ed f r o m k i ngm t l.o r g

I never expected her to be so straightforward. It felt like I had just discovered a new side of her.

* * *

After returning to Stella, I went straight to the principal’s office.

T h i s w as c o p ie d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
When playing Aether World Online, Stella Academy was sometimes depicted as a small nation or a vast magical tower, making it extremely difficult for an ordinary student to meet with the principal for a consultation. However, I had secured an appointment in advance, so there was no problem.

The 1st Main Tower.

At the top of this massive tower, where the core powers of Stella Academy gathered, was a space reserved solely for the principal.

The area easily exceeded 100 pyeong in terms of simple square footage, but with Eltemon Eltrine’s unique space-expansion magic, the interior of the main tower had become so spacious that it sometimes felt like an entire sports field.

I had heard somewhere that the size could shrink or expand depending on Eltemon’s mood, making the cleaning staff’s job all the more exhausting.

“It’s been a while since we had a consultation like this. Did you have a good summer vacation?”

Eltemon asked with a smile as he handed me a cup of ‘Rilt Tea.’ I had no idea what kind of flavor this tea, which emitted a nauseating stench, could have, but since it was given by the principal, I accepted it anyway.

“Yes, well… it was a fulfilling vacation.”

“Yes, it seems so. In just that short time, I see two more stars in your eyes.”

“…What?”

Did I somehow stick glow-in-the-dark star stickers on my eyes?

“So, the fact that you requested this consultation… does it mean that it’s finally ready?”

Eltemon was full of curiosity, and since he looked like a teenager, it gave the impression of a child eagerly waiting for Christmas presents.

Although his inner thoughts were probably pitch-black.

“Here it is.”

I handed over the [Temporary Subspace Pocket], which was the masterpiece that Alterisha had finally completed. Eltemon examined it with a flushed expression.

“Wow… this is amazing. Imprinting space onto the soul… Hmm, with this, it should definitely be possible.”

No matter how much a 9-class mage, who had reached the pinnacle of magic, might ascend, they still couldn’t reach the ultimate end.

In fact, it was said that upon becoming a 9-class mage, one realizes that there is far more they don’t know than they do.

Other mages might claim to have understood most of the world’s truths by mastering magic up to levels 7 or 8 within the limited realm of 10.

However, upon reaching the 9-class, one realizes a world of 100, or even 1,000, and feels how insignificant they truly are.

Thus, history shows that the 9-class Archmages typically experience an intense ‘sage time,’ as it’s called, and end up abandoning all worldly pursuits to live in seclusion, studying all day long in places untouched by the world.

Those who remain active in society, like the principal of Stella, the Tower Master of the Tower of the New Moon, and the Tower Master of the Tower of the Full Moon, are the exceptions.

“Good. We can start right away.”

“Really?”
T hi s w a s c o p ie d f r o m k ing m tl. o r g

“Yes. But as you know, this… is going to hurt a lot, right?”

“Uh…”

I was aware.

Even in Aether World Online, when inscribing subspace, the characters would scream, and most of their health would drop drastically.

If even the mentally resilient protagonists screamed in pain… I couldn’t even begin to imagine how painful it would be, but I decided to believe firmly in the blessing of Red Spring March and my mental fortitude.

“It’s fine. Please start right away.”

“Good choice. I’m itching to try it out myself. Take off your shirt and lie down here.”

I gulped and followed Eltemon’s instructions, lying down on the bed.

It was going to be excruciatingly painful… but surely I wouldn’t end up dying, right?

* * *

As the evening sun set, the streets of Arcaneum were filled with youthful vibrance.

While it was mandatory for ‘Magic Warrior Cadets’ from the five prestigious magic schools of Arcaneum to live in the dormitories provided on campus, the same did not apply to the students of the Magic Department.

Most of them secured lodging at a low cost in Arcaneum or the upper city and commuted to and from school, and those students were probably among them.

Gathering in groups, they chatted animatedly as they headed somewhere.

And…

In the middle of the street where those students passed by, someone stood, silently observing them.

Draped in an entirely black robe with a face barely visible, this person exuded an ominous aura… but for some reason, none of the students noticed their presence.

Thump!

“Huh?”

Someone bumped into them.

“What’s wrong?”

T h i s w a s co p ie d f r o m k in g m t l . o rg
A friend asked.

“Um… I’m not sure. Let’s just go!”

But the student, who had bumped into the figure, quickly forgot about it and continued on their way with their friend.

The black-robed figure watched the students one by one with narrowed red eyes, then exhaled a frosty breath.

-…She’s not here either, the witch.

T hi s w as c op i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
I had received certain information that the ‘Witch’ would definitely be in this place, but for some reason, I couldn’t sense her presence anywhere.

-Another wasted effort…

The black-robed figure then turned into mist, dissipating into the air, leaving nothing behind.

Even so, the students continued to wander the streets, unaware, and laughing, as if nothing had happened.
This wa s c o pi e d f r o m kin gmtl .o rg

“…Hmm.”

Then, from between the alleys.

Ma Yuseong, who had been secretly observing the black-robed figure, cautiously poked his head out.

“Interesting fellow…”

T h i s w as c o p i e d fr o m k ing m t l. o rg
He stroked his chin, smiling as he looked at the spot where the black-robed figure had stood for a long time.

But his antics couldn’t continue for long. Unlike the black-robed figure, Ma Yuseong was far too conspicuous.

“Hey, isn’t that Ma Yuseong?”

“He looks even more amazing in person.”

“Wait a second. Let me clean my eyes and take a proper look.”

As students began gathering around him, Ma Yuseong flashed an awkward smile and quickly disappeared from the scene.

‘I really don’t like witches…’

With a bad premonition that something unpleasant was about to happen in Arcaneum, he left in a foul mood.

End of Chapter