Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Academy’s Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 61
Suddenly added schedule.
While the other students followed along in a daze, Seo Ye-rin was different.
She was curious. She wanted to witness firsthand her teacher's standing, seeing him receive an objective evaluation through the test.
'At least B-rank or higher, right?'
The ranking system evaluated players from F to S.
Among them, B-rank was like a threshold.
Most first-year prospects had skills comparable to C-rank, reaching B to A by graduation. But some barely failed to cross B-rank.
That's why in the player industry, especially among academy students, a B-rank player license was a major wall.
Of course, A and S were huge walls too.
But B-rank held special meaning as the first wall students faced after graduating into society.
"Teacher, you'll breeze past B-rank, right?"
"Of course. There are questions about his teaching, but the traces of magic and mana left across the academy from that raid prove his skill beyond doubt."
Isabel responded calmly to Ji's concern.
Even during their engagement, Seung-woo had drawn attention from both families with his exceptional magic skill and talent.
She hadn't seen it herself lately, but judging from the magic and mana remnants from the recent raid...
"B-rank is baseline. I'd say he could pass an A-rank test."
"Guess academy TAs are on another level."
Everyone exchanged such chatter.
From what they said, his passing was already a done deal.
Even the quiet Seo Ye-rin, though she didn't voice it, was convinced her teacher wouldn't fail a mere B-rank test.
'No way Teacher would fail like they say.'
Not just because he was a TA, or the benefactor who saved her and Yu-ra, or the teacher who taught her spear arts her grandfather wouldn't.
'...He's definitely hiding something.'
This was something the whole team sensed subtly.
Teacher was strong. He'd practically handled the academy raid alone, proving it.
But there were other clues.
During guts training, his insight captured enemies faster than Seong Yeon-hwa, who had honed her warrior senses.
A mage giving guidance to her, Ji, and other non-mages. Well, the latter hadn't yielded noticeable results yet, so it was iffy.
'The personal curriculum Teacher gave me... Following it made my movements feel lighter.'
A mage's knowledge of martial arts that non-mages couldn't grasp.
Even if he was just deeply interested in martial arts, the variety and depth were extraordinary.
Seo Ye-rin, born with talent but suppressed by her grandfather until now, could tell.
The two subtleties he'd taught her.
They were advanced martial arts above her level.
Yet not overly difficult.
Perfectly a half-step ahead of her realmprofound but easy to learn.
How could he teach her something so perfectly suited?
It wasn't just teacherly talent. Far from innate genius either.
One thing she could assert.
Teacher Seung-woo had trained in martial arts.
A wide variety, to a considerable level.
'Magic and martial arts...'
Could a mage master martial arts to a high level?
Opinions varied, but with magic swordsmen among rankers and high rankers on the system list, it seemed possible.
Though still mostly theoretical.
People respected theory but rarely followed abstract principles. Theory was just theory.
The world was full of shortcuts and hacks.
'Like me, pursuing spear arts and healing studies together...'
But Seo Ye-rin was one of the rare weirdos who shunned shortcuts.
'Healing studies,' or 'healing magic,' was worlds apart from spear arts. Unlike swordsmen learning other martial arts for enlightenment.
Martial arts like swordsmanship converged to one flow despite differences.
But spear arts and healing studies shared no common ground from start to finish. She didn't expect sudden insights from studying both.
She just wanted to learn both, so she did. She knew it wasn't smooth sailing.
And right before her was proof someone succeeded at something similar.
'...Teacher.'
Their first meeting and impression had been the worst, but now he was her guide and teacher.
His notoriety and rumors abounded, but up close as a student, his demeanor and actions differed greatly from the gossip.
Impossible to pin downSeung-woo.
She wanted to know.
Craving knowledge about him.
With no one to teach her, her obsession with books and guidance made curiosity her greatest, sole desire.
So she wanted to delve deep into Seung-woo, hoping his secrets weren't trivial. Better deep and fascinating if exploring anyway.
Fortunately.
Do you have a preferred monster?
"Magma Tortoise. Possible?"
Seung-woo summoned the highest-rank monster available for a B-test.
Things wouldn't be boring.
* * *
After Simon's visit, the demons had moved swiftly.
The grand operation was set for nine tonight.
Less than half a day left.
"Move it! Those who can hide in crates, do so. Those connected to tycoons everywhere, disguise yourselves quick!"
"Branch chief! We're short on explosives here!"
"Handle it yourself! Do I have to spell everything out?!"
The demons prepared various tasks.
Amid their orderly bustle, one demon rushed in, drenched in sweat. Considering demons' steel-like stamina, who knew how far he'd run.
"What's this? You're on external opswhy come all the way here?"
"B-Branch chief! D-Disaster!"
"Can't make out your trembling voicethat's my biggest headache right now."
"Not the time for jokes. Look at this. Shadow traces found in a remote corner of the collapsed third branch."
The branch chief examined the black something he brought.
Recognizing it, he clicked his tongue.
"Shadows? Tch, Assassination Brigade? Bad luck getting tangled with that psycho bitch."
The Assassination Brigade wasn't a guild or clanmore a one-woman army. Exactly one member in the brigade: her, the officer commanding all troops and mistress of shadows.
Tangle with that assassin-for-hire, and nine times out of ten, you died in some freak accident.
Or maybe ten out of ten.
"Th-that dangerous, Branch chief?"
"You're such a dimwitfirst with Simon, now this. How'd an idiot like you become a demon?"
He'd grabbed his head at basic questions in the cave before.
Now even worse, aimed at him.
Demons lived in the shadows; not knowing the legendary assassin went beyond ignoranceit was suicidal negligence.
Who turned this moron?
His brain was a mess.
Raking his scalp raw, the branch chief held back his rage.
They were prepping the grand op.
He'd vent laterafter, by wrecking the recruitment department that made this fool.
"She's a monster. Human faster and stronger than demons. Sure, outliers exist, but she's different for us."
Her real significance to demons was specific.
"She assassinated a noble once."
She was the noble slayer.
Seventy-two nobles, including a viscount.
Technically assassination over regicide since she hadn't fallen to demonhood. She disguised flawlessly, fooling the lofty nobles and striking boldly.
Even with the culprit in plain sight, no one spotted her disguise until the end. Other nobles couldn't admit it.
Before their pride, even truth must bow.
Thus, she was branded not a disguised assassin, but a demon traitor who slew sky-high nobles and fled.
Too tangled to explain fully, he summarized for the junior.
"Know the tale of nobles trapped on a remote island ten years ago?"
"C'mon, I know that. Don't underestimate me... "
"I am. So shut up and listen."
"Eek..."
Disgusted by the horned man's pout, the branch chief continued.
"Status window-blessed rankers and high rankers cornered them on the island; the system sealed it to keep them in."
"Then the leaderless plebs pushed freakish demigods as interim brass?"
"Shut your useless yap. I'll talk alone now."
"Y-Yes, si!"
"Speak and die."
Gulping hard, hand over mouth, the junior looked killable. Suppressing murder, the branch chief pressed on.
"Rankers schemed then; one was the Assassination Brigade leader. The traitor now recognized as a system ranker."
Well, never a demon anyway.
"Anyway, her schemes made nobles below viscount quake with assassination fears, meaningfully shifting the war. She's that dangerous. If she meddles, it's not just setbackstotal wipeout."
Still, they had a hero candidate.
No worriessheer power outmatched her, with that figure beside them.
Or so they thought.
Until another demon brought disaster news via absence letter.
"N-No way! Impossible!"
"Fake letter? Yeah, must be fake. Has to be. This is fake."
"You! Confirm properly? Why's the candidate bailing? What about others? If no hero, at least send a monster, rebel, or ghost!"
"Branch chief..."
"Goddamn it!!"
Starting with the Mage Hunter, nothing went right.
The branch chief slammed his head against the wall, soiling his neat suit and horns with dirt.
This wasn't reality. A dream.
He wanted to believe that.