Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 235

Chapter 235

Witch (2)

***

Recently, Hong Bi-yeon had been spending more time alone.

This was quite unusual, given how she would typically gather her faction members at every opportunity to assert her influence.

Of course, it wasn’t that she had stopped holding gatherings altogether.

About two or three times a week, she would still enjoy tea time with the noble girls in her faction, discussing current events at the academy and keeping tabs on the trends in society.

“…It’s bitter.”

Hong Bi-yeon said, almost unconsciously, as she sipped her tea, surprising herself.

‘Bitter taste…?’

She wasn’t sure.

All she knew was that it left an unpleasant sting on her tongue, a sensation she couldn’t quite describe.

“I-I’m so sorry, Princess. I must have ruined the tea today…”

Seeing Hong Bi-yeon frowning, the girl who had served the tea became fearful.

“It’s fine. Tea is supposed to be bitter.”

Hong Bi-yeon didn’t know much about flavors, but giving a response like that wasn’t hard.

The girl sighed in relief at Hong Bi-yeon’s indifferent reply, while others quickly changed the topic to steer the conversation.

“That’s right, Princess. What do you think of the Witch Restaurant?”

“The Witch Restaurant?”
T h i s w as c o pi e d f r o m k i n g m tl. o r g

“Yes. It’s a mysterious restaurant that appears and disappears across the entire Arcaneum.”

“That’s right. Lots of our classmates are talking about having been there. Aren’t you curious?”

“Hmm…”

Hong Bi-yeon swirled her tea, her crimson eyes reflecting even more red in the tea’s surface.

“Not really. I’m not interested in such rumors.”

Though she didn’t show much interest, the girls found the topic of the Witch Restaurant fascinating, and their conversation blossomed around it.

While quietly gazing at her tea, Hong Bi-yeon sensed someone approaching from behind.

It was Yetherin, her personal bodyguard, who handed her a yellow envelope.

“Princess, I looked into the documents you requested.”

“…Did you?”

A few days ago, Aiselle had come to ask her about the [Morf Forest].

T h i s w a s c o p i e d f ro m k i n g m t l .or g
At the time, Hong Bi-yeon had brushed it off, showing no interest.

But since Aiselle had personally come to ask, there was likely a reason behind it.

Although she didn’t plan to invest much time, she thought it might be worth satisfying her curiosity.

However, inside the yellow envelope was mostly blank paper stamped with a large seal.

[Classified Information]

Hong Bi-yeon’s brow furrowed.

“Yetherin. What is this?”

“It’s highly classified, so I couldn’t bring the documents outside the palace.

But, as the princess, you are certainly allowed to review them at the palace anytime.”

“I see.”

Unless it was a document intended for the queen’s eyes only, Hong Bi-yeon had access to all information.

Still, this was a bit suspicious.

‘Morf Forest…’

It was the location of a significant incident that occurred ten years ago, where Grand Duke Isaac Morf went berserk after succumbing to dark magic, and Princess Hong Si-hwa herself had stopped him.

This event was famous for establishing Hong Si-hwa’s reputation, and very few people were unaware of it.

But why were the records of Morf Forest so thoroughly concealed?

Was there a reason for it?

“You’ve done well.”

As Hong Bi-yeon flicked her fingers, the papers ignited in midair, burning to ash without leaving a trace.

‘…It seems I’ll have to dig a little deeper.’

A smile crept onto Hong Bi-yeon’s lips.

A classified document that seemed to deliberately hide something.

The intent was obvious.

Someone was desperately trying to conceal a shameful secret.

And most likely, that someone was none other than Princess Hong Si-hwa.
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If Hong Bi-yeon could uncover her weakness, she was willing to invest as much time as needed in pursuit of it.

***

Returning to the Stella Student Dormitory, Aiselle recalled the strange events she had experienced at the Witch Restaurant.

What was that peculiar waitress trying to convey with her cryptic words?

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‘Hmm, it was definitely suspicious…’

Could she be a dark mage?

While that possibility couldn’t be entirely ruled out, the idea of a dark mage running a restaurant seemed a bit absurd.

Moreover, with the Witch Restaurant being so widely talked about all over Arcaneum, no dark mage with a death wish would remain there for long.

‘I don’t know.’
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Even as she stood under the hot water in the shower, thinking intently, Aiselle couldn’t figure it out.
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But dismissing it entirely left her feeling uneasy. There were too many lingering doubts.

‘Is it really okay to just ignore it?’

The more she thought about it, the longer her shower lasted.

After standing under the warm water for thirty minutes, her head felt as hot as her body.

“Phew…”

After finishing her shower, Aiselle tidied up, changed into her pajamas, and perched herself neatly on her bed.

Then, something caught her eye—a certain item she had stashed away in the corner of her dorm room.

It was an ordinary-looking broomstick. But this was no ordinary broomstick—it was something she had found at the ‘Witch’s Hut’ in the Stella Dome’s training area.

It gave off an odd magical aura, which was why she had brought it back to her dorm.

However, when she had consulted the professors about it, they had all shaken their heads, saying they couldn’t sense anything unusual.

Considering that the professors were far more skilled mages than she was, Aiselle had nothing more to say.

‘What could this be…?’

No matter how much she examined the broomstick, she couldn’t discover anything.

Aside from the strange, unsettling magical aura, there was nothing particularly remarkable about it.

Perhaps, no matter how long she held onto it, she would never find out.

Wouldn’t it be better to take it outside and consult an expert?

It might cost a bit to appraise, but at least her curiosity would be satisfied.

‘Should I just go and get it checked out now?’

Looking at the clock, she realized it wasn’t too late.

As long as she returned before 10 p.m., she had enough time to visit one of Arcaneum’s magical item shops and have the broomstick appraised.

Having made up her mind, Aiselle quickly changed clothes and prepared to head out.

But just as she was about to leave the dormitory, a thought crossed her mind.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to ask Baek Yu-seol first?’

Come to think of it, was there any need to go out and get an appraisal done?

Baek Yu-seol, who seemed to know everything, was right nearby.

Even if he didn’t know, there was no harm in asking.

With that thought, Aiselle turned away from the dormitory entrance and headed toward the male dorms instead.

It was her first time visiting the men’s area, and she felt strangely nervous.

But since all the S-Class male students seemed to be out, the place was eerily quiet.
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Knock-knock!

When she knocked on Baek Yu-seol’s door, a response came quickly.

“Who is it?”

“It-it’s me. I have something to ask.”

It was her first time visiting someone else’s dorm, especially a male student’s, so her voice shook slightly.

Had Baek Yu-seol noticed?

Click!

The door opened, and Baek Yu-seol looked at her with a surprised expression.

“What’s going on?”

“Uh… I have something I want to ask.”
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“Really? Come in.”

“Huh? Is that okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? Come in already.”

When Baek Yu-seol gestured her in with a nod, Aiselle nervously stepped into his dorm.

The interior was surprisingly plain.

While other S-Class girls had decorated their rooms to express their individuality, were all the boys like this?

Or was it just that Baek Yu-seol didn’t care to decorate?

Whatever the case, she learned that he wasn’t one to fuss over interior design.

“You have a lot of snacks…”

“Yeah. I got them as gifts. That one’s from Flame. Want some?”

“A-ah, no, thank you.”

Aiselle, startled by his offer, found herself oddly fixated on his words.

Gifts?

Was it normal for teenagers these days to exchange such things?

Come to think of it, she had received a lot of help from Baek Yu-seol recently, but she had never given him anything in return.

Had it become too one-sided?

Should she prepare a gift for him?

If so, what should she get?

Judging by the pile of snacks, he seemed to like treats.

But gifting snacks as a token of gratitude seemed a bit… lacking.

“Why are you zoning out?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I was just… lost in thought.”

“Anyway, what brings you here?”

“Ah, right. Can you take a look at this?”

Aiselle carefully took the broomstick out of her bag and showed it to him.

Baek Yu-seol’s eyes widened as he quickly took out his glasses and put them on.

“Hmm… You found this in the training area, right?”

“Yes! How did you know?”

“I just had a feeling.”

Baek Yu-seol frowned deeply.
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‘A witch’s broomstick, huh…’

Come to think of it, hadn’t rumors about the ‘Witch Restaurant’ been spreading all over Stella recently?

At first, he hadn’t paid much attention, thinking it would pass. But now that Aiselle had found the broomstick, ignoring it was no longer an option.

‘So, the episode is progressing again…’

The story’s plot was simple—almost cliche.

Aiselle unknowingly obtains a witch’s broomstick and ends up being mistaken for a witch.

In the worst-case scenario, a ‘Witch Hunter’ might even come after her and attack.

“Have you encountered anyone suspicious lately?”

“Uh… I’m not sure. Why are you asking? What is this thing?”

“It’s nothing special. Just a broomstick.”

Despite his words, Baek Yu-seol snatched the broomstick from Aiselle.

“This is now confiscated.”

“What?!”

“I like the design. I’ll hang it on the wall for decoration.”

“…Is that really your taste?”

“I should get a matching dustpan to complete the set. Do you have one?”

“…No.”

“Anyway, it’s mine now. You can go to bed.”

“That’s not fair!”

“What’s not fair about it? Want me to buy you a new broomstick?”

“No, that’s okay…”

Aiselle pouted.

She hadn’t expected the broomstick to be confiscated.
T h i s w a s c o p i ed f r om k i n gm t l. or g

“I guess I’ll head out now.”

“Do you want to take this with you?”

“…Alright.”

Baek Yu-seol handed her what looked like ‘gum that tasted like pizza candy,’ and Aiselle quickly took it before hurrying out of the dorm.

Click!

As the door closed behind her, she sighed deeply.

She hadn’t come to have such a one-sided conversation.

And she hadn’t intended to just sit there awkwardly during their rare alone time.

‘…But why did he take the broomstick?’

Could he really be the type to decorate with an old broomstick?

In the end, she hadn’t learned anything about the broomstick—it only left her with more questions.

‘It’s probably… nothing.’

***

The next day.

As she shared lunch with Flame, Aiselle brought up last night’s events.

“Oh, by the way, do you think Baek Yu-seol has a hobby of collecting broomsticks?”

“Huh? What nonsense is that?”

Flame gave her a strange look, as if she had just heard something ridiculous.

“You know how I’ve been getting a lot of help from him lately?

I thought I should give him a gift, but I have no idea what he likes.”

“Really? Hmm… What does that guy even like…? But why a broomstick?”

“Well, I found this strange broomstick in the training area the other day.

It gave off weird magical vibes, so I brought it to Baek Yu-seol to check out.

But then, he suddenly said he wanted it and just took it from me.”

“…What? A broomstick?”

This time, Flame’s reaction was more intense.

Her spoon, which had been moving constantly, stopped mid-air as she re-asked the question.

“Are you sure? You found a broomstick.”

“Y-Yes, I did.”

“…And he took it from you?”

Aiselle nodded, as if it wasn’t a big deal, but Flame let out a deep sigh.

“That was a witch’s broomstick.”

“…What?”

The word came out of nowhere, and though Aiselle recognized it, her mind failed to process it.

“A… a witch’s broomstick?

Like… the witches I know?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“Agh… come on, that’s such an obvious joke, it’s not funny…”

Witches?

Why would witches suddenly be involved?

Flame always liked to make jokes, so it wasn’t too far-fetched to assume she was just teasing.

But contrary to Aiselle’s rationalization, Flame’s expression remained completely serious, with no signs of humor.

“It’s a witch’s broomstick, for sure.

And as you know, if you hold onto a witch’s item for too long, you’ll start smelling like a witch.

That’s going to be bad for you.

In fact, a ‘Witch Hunter’ might come looking for you.

That’s the worst-case scenario.”

“…No way.”

Aiselle had heard of Witch Hunters.

They were individuals who gave up everything to hunt down witches.

They used any means necessary to capture witches, and they were just as dangerous—if not more dangerous—than witches themselves.

They were so feared by the magical community that even mages had eventually surrendered to them.

If there were more Witch Hunters, even a few more, it was said that the entire magic world might have been overturned.

“No, wait.

If what you’re saying is true… then why did Baek Yu-seol take the broomstick?”

“Isn’t it obvious?

He took it to protect you.

As strange as that guy is, there’s no way he’d decorate his room with a broomstick, right?”

“I suppose that makes sense, but…”

If that were really the reason, then…

“Wouldn’t that mean… a Witch Hunter might go after Baek Yu-seol instead?”

Flame, who had begun moving her spoon again, froze in place.

Witch Hunters were dangerous.

More dangerous than anyone else in the world.

Even Baek Yu-seol might not be able to handle them so easily.

Worry crept in alongside doubt, and neither of them could finish their meal.

End of Chapter.