Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 248
Chapter 248
A Noble Soul (1)
***
Mages have come to look up to high places. Not in a comprehensive or symbolic sense, but literally preferring high locations.
Of course, this applied to everyone, especially humans and elves who used the upper floors of buildings according to their social status, but mages had an even stronger obsession with high places than them.
Traditionally, it was natural for those using higher floors in magic towers to have higher ranks, but the noble Archmages were not satisfied with just high floors and extended their domain to the sky.
‘Pillar of Lacellon’
This institution, also called the Light Green Tower, is very unique in that it has only seven affiliated mages.
However, all seven members are 8th class mages, rarely found in any other magic tower, and the tower master is even one of the 9th class mages, ‘Toa Legron’, making it highly recognized despite its small scale.
Although it couldn’t be officially registered as a magic tower due to various reasons such as insufficient minimum personnel, annual minimum research, minimum magical contribution, violation of magical world laws, and deviation from the magical world… the word ‘official’ seemed to have no meaning to them.
“It’s a boring place, unlike before.”
Eltemon Eltrine, the principal of Stella Academy and a 9th class spatial mage, leisurely crossed his legs and admired the view of the Light Green Tower.
If one were to define this magic tower in one word, it would be a tower that floats and moves freely in the air.
However, currently, its floating height was not even 10m, but that wasn’t the point of amusement. It was because Toa Legron, the tower master of the Light Green Tower, simply didn’t want it to float any higher, but if he wished, it was the only magic tower capable of circumnavigating the world.
“It can’t be helped. I’ve grown old too.”
“Time is inevitable.”
Both Toa Legron and Eltemon Eltrine, who said this, had the appearance of teenagers, causing the attendant serving tea to break out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, knowing that these individuals were among the less than ten greatest sages in the world, he could refrain from making any comments.
“It’s been almost half a year since we last met.”
“What half a year? It’s been half a century.”
“Has it been that long already?”
Toa Legron.
A boy with dark brown hair and yellow eyes resembling a desert. When I saw him as a child, he had the appearance of a man in his 20s. It was the first time facing each other as boys, so it was quite awkward and… uncomfortable.
As Eltemon swirled his teacup with his gaze lowered, Toa Legron spoke.
“I heard there was a commotion in Arcaneum.”
“There was.”
“I heard a witch nearly turned the entire city into a wasteland…”
Toa Legron narrowed his eyes and spoke to Eltemon in a low voice, as if threatening.
“What have you been doing all this time?”
Eltemon continued to swirl his teacup without changing his expression and then spoke.
“I’ve been busy.”
“Liar. Do you think I don’t know that you’ve been just watching? You’ve always been like this.”
Eltemon laughed at his words.
“You ask even though you know well? That’s right. I no longer interfere with worldly affairs.”
“Speak plainly.”
“How picky. Fine, not worldly affairs… but all events happening in the world. All stories. I don’t interfere. I don’t plan to in the future either. Well, I can’t tolerate vermin crawling into my precious nest though.”
“Is that so?”
Toa Legron tapped the table with his finger and said casually.
“You’re enduring well in that rotten nest of vermin with that personality of yours.”
Should I jokingly reply that it’s a spot-on remark? It doesn’t seem to have much meaning. If the other person had a personality that disliked jokes, I would have responded with humor, but this old man is too shrewd for such tactics to work.
However, before Eltemon could answer, Toa Legron continued.
“But even in such a nest of vermin… there are occasionally useful rhinoceros beetles, so to speak.”
It wasn’t difficult to immediately understand the meaning. As Eltemon’s expression gradually sank, Toa Legron said.
“Eltemon. It’s time for you to do something useful for once. My master wants that child who hunted the witch.”
When an unexpected figure was mentioned, Eltemon was slightly surprised and opened his eyes wide. However, he calmly replied without being flustered.
“That senile old hag, is she still alive?”
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if she were dead? She’s clinging to life more tenaciously than anyone in the world. And don’t call her an old hag. She’s someone with a different perspective on age than humans.”
Eltemon frowned and spoke in a sharp tone.
“…Taking that child away is a bit troublesome, even for an old hag.”
“Your trouble is not my concern. But you know too, don’t you? My master… always gets what she wants.”
“Well. Even if it’s your master, it seems impossible this time.”
“I didn’t know you cared for that child so much. It’s regrettable, but it can’t be helped. This is your fault too. It’s not just anything, but hunting a witch… it would be stranger if it didn’t catch attention.”
The name Baek Yu-seol is widely known throughout the magical world, but in reality, there’s a limit to that fame.
He’s only seventeen, and even his most outstanding achievement is just hunting dark mages of 6 to 7 risk levels at best.
From the perspective of Archmages who have lived for hundreds of years… it’s just a bit of gossip, like a frog killing a toad, nothing more, nothing less.
But a witch is different.
A witch is a very threatening existence even from an Archmage’s perspective.
From an ordinary person’s point of view, they might think he just hunted a slightly more formidable dark mage, but the more experienced a mage is, the deeper they think about the meaning of witch hunting.
Historically, mages who have successfully hunted witches are extremely rare, so the name Baek Yu-seol would have reached the ears of even reclusive sages by now.
So, even that ‘damned old hag’ who has completely cut ties with the secular world would have heard the news about Baek Yu-seol.
‘This is… really annoying.’
Eltemon frowned deeply, but that woman is full of greed, and once she sets her sights on something, she’ll definitely try to get her hands on it.
‘Should I resist?’
No. That’s dangerous.
That socially inept old hag might even half-destroy Stella Academy.
With his current magic, he could certainly stop her, and maybe even predict victory… but it’s not worth the cost if Stella Academy gets destroyed in the process.
Then there’s only one option left.
‘I’ll have to leave it to Baek Yu-seol’s soul.’
* * *
As Arain entered the hospital room, I closed the door and used the pad to mark it as ‘In a meeting’.
The doctor would be coming soon, but the conversation with Arain was more important.
“Please sit.”
There were no chairs.
“…On the bed.”
It wasn’t very stylish, but what could I do? I plopped down on the bed, but Arain didn’t sit and looked out the window.
Then he suddenly spoke.
“You’ve done well. You performed the mission even more excellently than I had thought.”
“…Well, it was doable.”
To be honest, if it weren’t for Flame’s dramatic help at the end, things would have gone badly long ago, but a man should know how to bluff sometimes. As I shrugged my shoulders and spoke as if it were nothing, Arain nodded.
“To be honest, I didn’t think you’d do this much. My expectations for you were quite low.”
“Uh… is that so?”
“So, I’ll apologize. Do you remember the members of the Stella Knights I assigned to you?”
“Sort of?”
Those incompetent, stubborn, useless guys.
“They were specially recruited. Due to contractual reasons with Stella, I had to accept knights from noble families, but no matter how much I tried to use them, they were useless, so I assigned them to you.”
As he said this, Arain handed me a magazine.
[Weekly Magic Parade]
It’s a famous magazine. There’s even a saying that the mage chosen as the monthly model becomes the trend of the month, so its influence was quite significant.
“Huh?”
Apparently, this week’s issue had already come out, with the word ‘Witch’ written prominently on the cover.
[Stella Knights Set Out to Hunt a Witch!]
[But the One Who Actually Caught the Witch Was a First-Year Student of Stella?]
[Where Were They and What Were They Doing?]
I didn’t need to read further to understand. The Stella Knights are currently… probably being heavily criticized.
“Uh, well, I’m sorry…”
“There’s no need to be sorry. It’s rather good. They must have received quite a shock by now. They’re walking around unable to lift their heads due to shame.”
If he says so.
“Rather, despite me assigning such fools to you, you not only successfully completed the mission… but even hunted a witch.”
The moment the word witch left Arain’s lips, a sudden chill ran through the hospital room. He probably didn’t intend it, but his mana started to emanate unconsciously.
“…What was that witch’s name?”
“It was… Melisher.”
“I see.”
He turned to me, made eye contact for a moment, and then unwrapped the bandages he always wore around his wrist and held it out to me.
There, a tattoo of a flower pattern imbued with black light was engraved.
Even without the Bulbul Glasses, I could tell immediately.
That is a witch’s curse.
Seeing my surprised expression, Arain spoke in a bitter voice.
“A long time ago, I faced a witch and was defeated, suffering great injuries. I think I got off lightly for the price of confronting a witch as a mage.”
“…I see.”
“I probably won’t live long. Since realizing that death is imminent, things right in front of me have become more noticeable.”
After contemplating death, he must have suddenly thought.
That all he has left by his side… is the Stella Knights.
He has no sense of chivalry.
Unlike a knight, he acts roughly, carries out missions violently, and commits illegal acts without hesitation, truly a person far from honor.
But while he lacks chivalry, it doesn’t mean he’s not sincere about the Stella Knights.
He was sincere about the Stella Knights, and wanting to change many things before he died… he was making numerous attempts, even pushing himself.
One of those attempts might just be me.
Giving a temporary knight qualification to a mere seventeen-year-old boy was very unlike Arain.
“I… even if I die, I want the Stella Knights to maintain their current reputation, or even become more renowned.”
“I didn’t know you had such deep affection for the Knights.”
“It’s not deep affection. The Stella Knights are currently all I have.”
The only thing he possesses.
Even if he tries not to get attached to it, it’s natural to develop an attachment.
“I… am looking for a suitable successor to protect the Knights after me.”
Even if he doesn’t explicitly say who it is, anyone could guess at this timing. I have enough sense to understand that.
‘Commander of the Stella Knights…’
It’s not bad, rather an extremely good position. Who would refuse the position of the most renowned knight commander in the world?
The same goes for me, but there was one thing that bothered me.
And that was.
‘He doesn’t have to die.’
Currently, a ‘witch’s curse’ is an incurable disease. Aside from the reason that mages can’t defeat witches, they can’t even find them in the first place, and even if they kill them, there’s no way to lift the curse.
But when I was playing Aether World Online, a small number of female gamers who were completely enamored with the character Arain didn’t sit idle…
Based on their astronomical financial power, they prepared dozens of computers, mass-produced numerous characters, and engaged in the crazy act of endlessly designing alchemy, magical engineering, and storylines.
This insane act, which once made headlines in the news, finally bore fruit, finding a way to break Arain’s curse.
And that record was uploaded and shared on internet communities, fully preserved in my Bulbul Glasses.
‘Is the knight commander position tempting?’
Yes, of course it is.
Just sitting in that position would allow me to live comfortably for the rest of my life.
‘But to the point of killing Arain?’
That’s something I can’t accept, not just as a matter of conscience, but as a human being.
Moreover… if Arain could be made an ally, he could become one of the most reliable forces.
If there’s a way to save him, it’s right to do everything possible to save him.
Thinking this, I politely declined his offer.
“I will not do it.”
He might be disappointed now, but I didn’t explain my reasons.
I just hoped he would understand that this was all for his sake.
End of Chapter
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Molart_Note
Certeza que a Hong bi yeon tava ouvindo tudo e vai entender mal a situação
(vai achar que ele rejeitou isso por ela kk)