A Genius's Recognition
"■■■■■!!!!"
The magical beasts shrieked as they lunged forward, targeting the defenseless, terrified citizens fleeing for their lives. Flashing claws and bared fangs surged toward the people's backs.
Just as a scream was about to tear from someone's throat, a magic circle materialized in midair. As if shielding the crowd, it bound the lunging beasts, freezing them in their tracks.
Before the bewildered crowd, a blonde boy with languid eyes stepped forward unhurriedly.
"Do not fear. We are here to rescue you."
Having calmed the citizens with those few words, the boy—Dwaye Nineheart—waved his hand through the air. Sharp pillars of ice erupted from beneath the feet of the magically bound beasts.
As Dwaye examined the skewered beasts with a gaze full of academic curiosity, another scream echoed through the air.
Another pack of beasts had appeared, targeting the people on the opposite side of where Dwaye stood. But before Dwaye could cast another spell, an explosive burst of flames erupted, instantly swallowing the new threat.
Watching the spectacle, Dwaye muttered in complaint.
"...I could have handled that myself without you stepping in."
"Well, I know, but this is a joint assignment... I have to do something too."
As I approached after clearing the beasts, Dwaye's brow furrowed ever so slightly. It was obvious what he was thinking: 'What a waste. That was a valuable opportunity to test my magic on live targets...'
In truth, I knew Dwaye was more than capable of handling them alone. However, today's exercise was a joint training session. The objective was to experience a scenario where beasts invaded the city and to rescue the citizens as efficiently as possible through cooperation with one's assigned partner.
My partner was Dwaye from Class B. When I pointed out that I couldn't just stand idly by during a cooperative exercise, Dwaye smoothed his furrowed brow, looking disappointed but understanding.
As we guided and protected the citizens through the illusory city created by Professor Eve, Dwaye turned his gaze toward me.
"...By the way, you have grown noticeably stronger since I first saw you. I find it almost admirable how rapidly you have improved. Just how hard have you been pushing yourself?"
"Ah... Well, I wouldn't really call it 'pushing myself' that much..."
I unconsciously lowered my head at his words. Effort. Hard work. It was true that I participated diligently in every class and endured the grueling training sessions. If that were the sole reason I had grown stronger, perhaps I could have taken pride in it.
But the reality was different. My rapidly rising physical abilities, the sheer destructive power of my flames—lately, I had come to realize that I grew stronger every time my body came into contact with Magi.
It wasn't the fruit of my labor; my body was simply transforming closer to that of a Witch, naturally granting me power. That was why being praised for my "effort" by someone like Dwaye only filled me with shame.
When it came to sheer volume of effort, Dwaye was likely unmatched by anyone in the academy. How could I speak of effort in front of a guy so obsessed with magic research that he walked around with dark circles under his eyes every single day, making me wonder if he ever slept?
As I hung my head in embarrassment, Dwaye let out a soft snort.
"Ha. Are you suggesting it is purely because you are a genius, then?"
"N-No, of course not. Someone like me, a genius? No way... A genius is someone like you..."
Startled by the word, I vigorously shook my head in denial. At least within the academy, there was no one more deserving of that title than the boy standing right in front of me.
The magical genius, Dwaye Nineheart, was a figure who was hailed as the rival of none other than Yoon Siwoo in the original novel. Hearing such a monstrously talented individual call me a genius made me recoil, but Dwaye merely replied with a calm, indifferent expression.
"Well, of course I am a genius. An extraordinary one, at that."
It was the absolute truth, but hearing him say it so confidently with his own mouth left me dumbfounded. As I stared at him blankly, Dwaye spoke again.
"I realized long ago that my talent is objectively superior. Being a genius allows me to perceive slightly more than ordinary people do. Yet, even to my eyes, your rate of growth appears exceptionally outstanding. That is why I brought it up. It is blindingly obvious that such rapid progress must be built upon a foundation of immense effort. Is it not?"
I couldn't tell him the truth about the Witch, but just as I was about to deny his assumption out of sheer embarrassment—
"Even if we attribute your physical capabilities and the raw output of your power to talent, your technique has improved leaps and bounds. That, at least, belongs entirely to the realm of effort and mastery."
My half-opened mouth snapped shut at his words.
"In my entire life, I had never once considered that I might lack talent compared to someone else. But then I met him. A talent far greater than mine. In that white-haired boy who defeated me in our duel, I felt the gap in our innate gifts. Yet, I was not shocked back then. It was simply an immutable reality."
Dwaye closed his eyes quietly as he continued. When he opened them a moment later, his gaze was locked onto me, shining with intense clarity.
"However, I had imagined even less that I would ever be surpassed by someone in terms of effort. That was why I was shocked. Watching you challenge yourself over and over during Instructor Natalia's special class, eventually reaching the very end... for the first time in my life, I felt I had lost in a battle of sheer effort. That was the very first time I ever experienced the bitter taste of defeat."
His words brought back the memories of that day. The memory of enduring the grueling pain, pushing through until I finally succeeded. A result achieved solely through my own sweat and blood. A pure fruit of labor, entirely unrelated to the power of the Witch.
And looking at me, Dwaye said:
"I am a mage. A mage believes only in what they have witnessed with their own eyes. And you are, at the very least, the most hardworking person I have ever seen. So, hold your head high. Do not disparage your own efforts. You have earned the right to be proud of your hard work. After all, you are the one who made me feel defeat."
A sudden warmth swelled in my chest. Regardless of Witches or anything else, it felt as though the effort I had poured in until now was finally being recognized for what it was. Feeling a quiet sense of joy, I nodded.
A brief silence fell between us. Once the emotional swell subsided, a wave of embarrassment, followed closely by confusion, crept in. To be honest, Dwaye and I had barely spoken a few times and had almost no connection, so we weren't particularly close. More than anything, I had never pegged him as the type of person to say something like this...
"Um, I appreciate you recognizing my hard work, but why are you suddenly telling me this...?"
When I asked out of genuine curiosity, the solemn atmosphere vanished, and Dwaye replied with his usual languid gaze.
"I was concerned that you might be overexerting yourself with your training lately. Hm... You look decent today, but for a while recently, it seemed as though you weren't sleeping at night. Am I wrong?"
I flinched in surprise. It wasn't training that had kept me up at night, but... I thought I had hidden my insomnia perfectly while at the academy. How did he know?
As I gave him a wary, startled look, Dwaye answered nonchalantly.
"Curious how I found out? Well, you certainly tried your best to hide it, but I happen to be an expert in the field of cutting back sleep for the sake of training. Besides, as I mentioned earlier, geniuses tend to see a bit more than others. I can tell with a single glance."
Is that how it is... Geniuses are kind of terrifying... I thought. Still, the most fundamental question remained unanswered, so I pressed him again.
"But still, does that mean you were worried about me?"
"Yes. Staying up late is fine, but I felt you weren't taking proper care of yourself. I have been quite motivated by watching you lately, and I did not want someone I consider a rival to collapse. And above all, we are classmates attending the academy together. Effort is good, but moderation is key. Moderation."
Dwaye spoke in a calm, flat tone, but his words deeply moved me. I never expected to hear the word "comrade" from someone who seemed as indifferent as him... So he looks cold on the outside but is actually a tsundere?
Smirking inwardly, I stared at his profile before suddenly catching a massive contradiction in his words. I couldn't help but tease him.
"You know, it's not very convincing when someone with dark circles practically dragging on the floor tells others to do things in moderation."
"Unlike certain people, I meticulously calculate the exact threshold my body can endure before reducing my sleep, so it is perfectly fine. Besides, this is moderation for me. I cannot tolerate losing time for magic research just to sleep."
Seeing him answer with absolute sincerity, I felt a chill of something bordering on madness. Was this what it felt like to watch a top student pull all-nighters because they genuinely found studying fun? I asked him, looking slightly exasperated.
"...You really love magic, don't you? What makes you love it so much?"
"It is a field of infinite possibilities. It is impossible not to find it captivating."
True to his reputation as a magic otaku, Dwaye's eyes lit up the moment the topic was raised, his voice growing slightly louder than usual.
"Combat magic used to defeat beasts is fascinating, but do you not think the magic applied to daily life is equally wonderful? If one has the ability, magic is a discipline that can contribute to the survival of humanity more than any other—just like the Barrier my ancestor cast over the city. My dream is to create magic that will aid people for generations, just like my ancestor, the Great Mage Viole Nineheart. To achieve that dream, I have no time to waste on sleep."
"...You really respect your ancestor."
"Of course. The spell known as the Barrier is beautiful in its own right. It blocks the intrusion of Magi and serves as a seal... In any case, it is undeniably a magnificent spell. In that sense, this training session designed by Professor Eve is rather impractical. As long as the Barrier stands, there is absolutely no way beasts would ever run rampant inside the city like this."
"...Still, you never know. There could be unforeseen circumstances, like when the beasts controlled people last time."
"Ugh... That was merely because we failed to anticipate a beast capable of controlling humans even in a weakened state. Barring such exceptional cases, ordinary beasts can never exert their full strength the moment they cross the Barrier."
As Dwaye and I conversed, we eventually arrived at the shelter with the citizens in tow. Just as I was wondering if the other groups had finished yet, the loud thumping of rapid footsteps echoed from behind.
"Yahoo~! Looks like you guys are done too!"
"Ugh..."
At the cheerful voice, Dwaye grimaced and hastily erected a magical barrier, but it was utterly useless against the pink-haired girl-tank charging at terrifying speed.
The charging girl, Flone, threw her arms around Dwaye's barrier, crushing it to pieces as easily as a dry cracker.
Consequently, Flone clung tightly to the back of a thoroughly displeased Dwaye, beaming a radiant smile as she asked me:
"I saw you two chatting away on your way here! What were you and Dwaye talking about?"
"Uh... just a little bit about magic?"
"Ahaha! Dwaye is just so obsessed with magic! It feels like wherever magic is involved, Dwaye is always there! He's even helping Flone's papa with some magic circle construction!"
Construction? As I tilted my head in confusion, Dwaye peeled Flone off him with an exasperated expression and replied.
"Sigh... I am assisting with the installation of a teleportation-blocking magic circle commissioned by the Dolos family. It is an important task, and installing such a large-scale magic circle will serve as excellent experience."
"...Weren't you working as Professor Eve's assistant at the hospital last time?"
"I simply go wherever magic is required and where experience can be gained."
...He really is something else. As I shook my head in sheer admiration, Flone, who had been detached from Dwaye, lunged toward me with a shout.
"Hehehe, since Dwaye seems to hate it, I'll go to Scarlet instead!"
Remembering how I had mindlessly caught her last time only to be held hostage for nearly an hour, I quickly conjured flames around my body to prevent a repeat of that disaster.
Seeing my vehement refusal, Flone giggled with a hint of disappointment and muttered:
"Ahaha, what a shame. I could have gotten closer to Scarlet."
...Come to think of it, when she gifted me cosmetics last time, Flone had also noticed that I wasn't sleeping well. Is Flone a genius too, then?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, Marine rushed over from the distance.
"Flone! I told you not to wander off during training!"
With a sharp scolding, she delivered a flurry of forehead flicks to Flone, who immediately burst into a tearful pout. I let out a dry laugh at the sight.
A genius? Yeah, right. They do say there's a fine line between genius and idiot, after all.