Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 42
I headed straight to a nearby caf the moment our team was formed.
It was to exchange names and build some rapport.
But man, there were students everywhere.
"Looks like this caf is packed."
"Oh, that place too."
"Guess we all had the same idea."
From the cafs to the restaurants, every spot in the academy where you could chat comfortably was jammed full of people.
A quick scan of the clusters showed they were all made up of six students and one instructor.
What now?
"Know any other spots we could go?"
"Hah, and you're supposed to be the teacher? You didn't even scout ahead?"
"How was I supposed to know it'd be this crowded?"
"How about we...?"
"Wanna hit the training room? Should have plenty of space there."
There wasn't anywhere decent to go.
Isabel scolded me as I wandered around lost for a place, but I had nothing to say. I suggested the training room as an alternative, but it got shot down immediately.
Isabel flat-out refused to go anywhere that reeked of sweat.
Lee Ji followed up, pointing out it was too cramped for seven people anyway.
Couldn't argue with that.
"How about the library? It's just before lunch, so it should be pretty empty."
"Ah! That's a good idea."
"...The library's quiet. I like that."
"Alright, let's head to the library and chat there."
We made a beeline for the library.
You weren't supposed to talk in the library, but luckily, no other students were around.
They must've all moved somewhere else to talk, just like us.
Still, we weren't supposed to make noise, but thanks to my daily visits and familiarity with the librarians, I managed to snag us thirty minutes.
Who would've thought borrowing books every day would pay off like this?
Once we sat down, I pulled a sheet of paper from my pocket.
It was the form for listing the students assigned to me as their instructor.
I jotted down each of their names and positions.
[Name: Lee Ji / Position: Guardian]
[Name: Seong Yeon-hwa / Position: Dealer]
[Name: Isabel Sirius / Position: Head]
[Name: No Yu-ra / Position: Ranger]
[Name: Seo Ye-rin / Position: Supporter]
[Name: Isis Walker / Position: Caster]
Writing down the six students' names brought a wave of fresh emotion.
Especially striking was that half were foreigners and five were girls.
But the real shocker was something else.
'Three supporting characters right off the bat.'
And these were the ones who shone as heroines by the protagonist's side.
Seong Yeon-hwa guarding the protagonist's flank with her sword.
Isabel aiding him with her magic and family influence.
Even Seo Ye-rin crushing enemies with her spear.
All the early-game heroines had ended up on this team.
'Never saw that coming.'
I figured I'd just be teaching whoever was left over.
I never imagined it'd be talented studentsheroines, no less. This feels bigger than I expected.
"But teacher, aren't we kinda all over the place?"
"...Our personalities are way too different."
"You think so? I actually think the balance is pretty good."
"That's the problem."
No Yu-ra's words got a nod from Seo Ye-rin.
All over the place? What're they talking about?
I thought it was great how each member had a clear role.
That's why I said the balance felt solid.
Isabel cut in.
She eyed me suspiciously and said,
"Let me ask again: are you really confident you can teach students with such different roles at the same time?"
"Of course. That's why I picked you all."
"You know the other instructors picked students that match their specialties, right?"
"Obviously."
Instructors each have their own strengths.
There's a reason they're professors or TAs at Chilseong.
But none of them had formed a team like mine, with six members covering every position.
They planned to teach their own specialties or majors.
Not like me, aiming for a setup where team members complement each other and fight systematically.
Can't blame them.
'I don't have a clear major or specialty to boast about.'
If I had to pick, swordsmanship.
But teaching it with this frail body wouldn't be easy.
So I switched gears.
If I don't have a standout major, I can just teach everything I know.
'Swordsmanship, spearmanship, axework, dark arts, strategyyou name it, it's all fresh in my mind.'
All the knowledge and know-how from the war.
Just teach that.
Of course, that's not all.
Players don't fight solo.
Later, leads like the protagonist or Seo Ye-rin will pull off one-against-a-thousand feats, but right now, they're just inexperienced first-years.
Players start in teams of six.
I can apply the formation I used most.
The Guardian, shielding teammates with their body.
The Dealer, handling close combat with weapons like swords, spears, or bows, and grabbing enemies by the ankles.
The Head, in charge of command and tactics, uniting everyone.
The Ranger, sensing dangers and foes all around with innate senses.
The Caster, a jack-of-all-trades using magic for any situation, sniping with big spells.
The Supporter, handling healing and buffs for the team.
Players nail their roles and shinethat's step one.
That's where I'll start teaching.
"You sure you can pull this off? Speak up now if it's too much."
"I can do it. You've been on this since earlier."
"...It's just common sense that it's impossible."
"Everyone, cut it out. We'll see once we try it."
A girl slipped between me and Isabel.
The girl with long black hair swaying at her waist wore a sword on her hip.
Her name was Seong Yeon-hwa, an exchange student from abroad.
From the martial world.
From a famed family known for swift and domineering sword styles, no less.
'In terms of rank, even higher than Namgung Seong-jin.'
A status at odds with her innocent, bright demeanor.
But what truly clashed with her image wasn't her statusit was her skill.
She was a swordswoman.
The top one among the first-years.
If my memory served, Seong Yeon-hwa had reached the pinnacle realm with her family's secret arts, reserved for the heir.
A realm where she could active-duty as a player without issue.
Yet her backstory was that she'd come to Chilseong for training.
She stepped between us.
I naturally shut my mouth, and Isabel fell silent despite not knowing her, overpowered by the subtle aura she exuded.
In the heavy silence, one girl shot her hand up.
The crisp motion evoked an image of a cadet drilled in discipline.
In contrast, her snow-white skin suggested she wasn't used to sunlight or outdoor work.
Let's see, her name was Isis, right?
"What, got something to say?"
"I have a question."
"Shoot."
"It's fine teaching us according to our positions. But that brings up one issue."
"Issue?"
Isis answered my question.
"Efficiency."
"Efficiency, huh."
She nodded.
"Teaching each position means less time for the others. I'm worried we'll fall behind other students in total knowledge."
If we were all mages, just teach magic. But with different skills, our study time would lag.
Easy fix for that.
"Don't worry about time. Teach it all the same day and train together."
"That solves the efficiency problem, then."
Isis nodded, convinced by my answer.
But for every person convinced, there's always a dissenter.
Thud!
"...You're serious?"
Thud. Isabel slammed the table and stood.
The mood chilled instantly, but I nodded.
I signaled her to go on.
She glared at me and said,
"You know old families pass down techniques as exclusive assets, right?"
"Obviously."
"What you're saying is sharing those assets with outsiders. You get that?"
"That's why I said itI know."
"What?"
Old families accumulate and pass down info and techniques across generations.
They might decline or evolve over time.
And most students here wield such inherited skills.
Seo Ye-rin's spearmanship, Seong Yeon-hwa's swordsmanship, Isabel's magic.
Training them together means techniques leaking outonly a matter of time.
A huge loss for the families.
But not our loss, right?
"Families matter, but we matter more."
"...You can talk."
"Huh?"
What'd she say?
Too quiet to hear.
If she'd said it snippily like before, it'd come through fine.
Why the sudden whisper?
Right then.
Isabel snapped her head up.
Her face was ice-cold.
"How dare you say something like that!"
"...Huh?"
The atmosphere turned frigid.
What? Did I say something wrong?
* * *
He and I were bound by a betrothal.
A prenatal engagement. A deal struck before we were even born, without consulting usan outdated relic.
But Isabel had never once hated it.
'Because he's so handsome.'
She was too young back then for more sophisticated words.
Appearance isn't everything, but for a ten-year-old girl, it was the highest praise.
Baek Seung-woo was someone she couldn't help but love.
And it wasn't just Isabel.
Everyone adored him.
The driver with forty years of safe driving. The elderly gardener grandpa. The baker lady who patted her head, calling his cookie-munching cheeks adorable.
Even her strict mom and dad.
'Everyone loved Seung-woo.'
Impossible not to.
His smile watching roses bloom prettily. Rolling in the flowerbed, petals in his hair. Falling asleep beside her. Hugging anyone regardless of looks or status.
All of it was pure charm.
How could you not love him?
How could you not adore him?
'Especially in the flowerbedeven Mom said he looked prettier than her.'
A man suited to flowers.
Not an easy label.
Flowers and men don't typically mix.
But Seung-woo was different.
His looks and every gesture outshone the blooms.
Though Grandma watched him with pursed lips for some reason.
That wasn't Isabel's concern.
No boy could suit flowers like that.
Especially rosesSeung-woo's favorite.
He'd often gaze blankly at the colorful rose garden.
One day, Isabel thought:
If he loves roses so much, I'll make him a rose gift.
A beautiful bouquet and crown woven from roses.
The crown especially, with its large blooms like a jeweled coronet.
It had to be pretty for her favorite person.
(She removed all the thorns, by the way.)
Young and clumsy with magic, she stubbornly did it herself instead of asking the gardener.
Ended up pricking her hands full of thorns, bleeding a lot, crying from pain, then crying harder when Mom found out.
Still, Isabel rubbed her eyes with tiny hands, bravely bandaged up, and forgot her tears as she ran to Seung-woo with the crown and bouquet.
'Back then, I just wanted his praise.'
The pain in her hands was drowned by her pounding heart and growing excitement.
Will he smile?
Bet he's thrilled.
Maybe even kiss my cheek as thanks.
Her face and heart flushed beet red with anticipation.
"Hee hee hee, hope he smiles."
She didn't ask for much from him.
Just being near, watching that smile up closeit made Isabel happy.
So please.
'Smile like you used to.'
But why
'Why can't I remember that smile?'
She couldn't recall it.
She thought it'd be unforgettable forever.
Why won't it come back? She traced her memories upward.
Ah, got it.
'Ever since the day Grandma and Grandpa died'
Stop.
'He never smiled again. Not once.'
Stop thinking.
Memories she never wanted to revisit crept up.
Faded ones.
At the end: a massive inferno.
Roaring, eerie purple flames spread on the wind through the garden.
Beautiful red roses bloomed into black ash scattering on the ground.
At the center: Seung-woo, with a cold expression she'd never seen.
He burned the garden full of their memories without a second thought.
Then reached out to her.
Crack!
And casually tore apart the crown and bouquet she'd made.
Vines and petals ripped weakly, fell, and burned.
The garden, crown, and bouquetirrecoverably scorched.
She stared blankly.
Tears welled in her eyes.
"...Why?"
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Droplets soaked into the parched earth.
Her shoulders trembled.
"Why? This is our gardenwe tended it together!"
"...Not anymore."
Stoic-faced, he walked toward Isabel.
One pace away.
She reached for his hand, but his moved faster.
Slapthe sound of a hand on cheek, and Isabel crumpled to the ground.
Her cheek swelled red.
Isabel touched it in disbelief.
What followed was swift.
Her furious parents confronted Seung-woo over hitting their daughter.
He, now family head in place of his late grandfather, suggested breaking the engagement over the assault.
Her parents agreed they couldn't entrust their daughter to such a boy, and it was all settled while Isabel was confined to her room.
She never saw Seung-woo again after that day.
Thus ended her first love.
Leaving an indelible scar on Isabel's heart.