Chapter 237
I Became the Successor of the Martial God
Chapter 237.
The Magic Tower has countless students.
They enroll in various magical subjects within the tower, nurturing and blossoming their innate magical talents.
“What should I take this semester?”
“Since I learned enchantment last time, maybe I’ll try defensive magic this time…”
“Huh? That professor isn’t great.”
“Really? Then I’ll skip.”
For each subject, there are multiple professors teaching the same course.
Students are free to attend the lectures of whichever professor they prefer.
“Oh, this professor still has seats left?”
“I kinda want to try this one…”
Thanks to this system, some subjects are popular while others are not.
There are subjects where classes fill up the moment they’re offered, and others that barely meet the quota.
“This kind of opportunity is rare. Maybe I’ll take Cryomancy this time.”
“It’s my first time attending Professor Harun’s lecture. It’s always full, so I couldn’t get in before.”
Among them, Cryomancy II was the former—a subject taught by Harun.
“What do you all think is the greatest advantage of ‘freezing’?”
“Advantage?”
“Yes, the advantage.”
True to its reputation, Harun’s lecture hall was packed with students.
The number easily reached the hundreds.
Unlike other lectures, this one had an unusually high number of female students.
“He’s so handsome…”
“I heard he’s a noble from some prestigious family overseas. Is that true?”
“Just look at him. If he’s not a noble, who is?”
The female students gazed at Harun as if admiring a work of art.
His sharp eyes, radiant golden hair tied at his waist, and flawless face—
His appearance was undoubtedly exceptional.
“Anyone? No one knows?”
“Sharpness?”
“Uh, um… hardness, maybe?”
“Good answer, but no. Then, how about that student over there?”
“M-me?!”
The students, mostly girls, threw out their own answers to the question.
Harun watched with a smile before pointing at a student who hadn’t spoken.
“Uh, um, uh…”
The student flustered, glancing around nervously.
Then, squeezing their eyes shut—
“…You can put ice in cola?”
The absurd answer made the entire lecture hall burst into laughter.
Harun was no exception.
“Haha, that’s also one of the advantages of Cryomancy. A glass of cola with ice on a hot day… sounds nice.”
“Ugh, I panicked…”
“It’s fine. I actually like creative answers like that.”
Harun chuckled and motioned for the student to sit.
Then, without a word, he scanned the room. The students fell silent on their own.
Slowly, he began to speak.
“Flexibility.”
“Flexibility?”
The students looked puzzled.
Harun smirked silently and placed dolls on the lectern.
“Freezing can, at times, become a sturdy shield to protect allies.”
He channeled magic.
Cold energy gathered in his palm, forming a small wall of ice on the lectern.
“Other times, it can become a sharp blade to harm enemies.”
This time, tiny ice blades formed and shot toward the wall, shattering it and striking the dolls behind.
“Is that all? It can also bind opponents, leaving them unable to move.”
A swirling blizzard froze the remaining dolls solid.
“Like this, cryomancy possesses the flexibility to adapt to any situation. As you wish…”
Harun flicked the frozen dolls with his finger.
They fell to the ground and shattered loudly.
“Mages often need long incantations, right? Cryomancy can buy you that time.”
The students, having watched the entire demonstration, focused intently on Harun.
The atmosphere was dead serious.
He then put on a playful expression.
“And, of course, it’s also useful for putting ice in cola on a hot day.”
Laughter erupted again.
The student who had given that answer earlier turned bright red once more.
Harun smiled faintly and was about to continue the lecture when another student suddenly asked:
“Professor, what do you think is the greatest advantage among those flexible uses?”
“Hmm, there is one.”
Harun lowered his head and pulled out a book with today’s lesson written in it.
“Being able to render your opponent completely helpless… That’s what I consider the greatest advantage of cryomancy.”
For a moment, his eyes gleamed ominously.
But since his head was down, no one noticed.
“Now, let’s begin the lecture. Today, you’ll be learning a B-rank…”
As the class proceeded, someone was secretly watching through magical surveillance.
“…….”
Jin Seo-yeon.
She observed Harun’s lecture from her office.
But there was no interest in her eyes—only suspicion.
‘That man, really…’
Jin Seo-yeon was wary of Harun.
Yoo Baek-jun had warned her to be cautious of him long ago.
‘There are many who resent me for inheriting the Magic Tower.’
Mages are a prideful bunch.
Unlike other families, they refuse to acknowledge succession by bloodline alone.
Of course, Jin Seo-yeon wasn’t just talented—she was exceptional.
But still.
“How much more do I have to prove in this tower…?”
She let out a tired sigh.
The biggest problem was that she didn’t have her own faction.
She wasn’t sociable by nature, nor did she ever feel the need for one.
‘If I had a sociable personality like him, things might’ve been easier.’
She thought of Yoo Baek-jun.
He had formed his own faction to oppose Yoo Tae-rang and even collaborated with others when necessary.
‘If only Harun would do something suspicious, I’d at least have a lead.’
But,
‘Harun isn’t making any moves.’
She had been watching him as Yoo Baek-jun advised, but Harun showed no signs of suspicious activity.
He was just an ordinary magic professor.
‘…Should I just kill him?’
Yoo Baek-jun wouldn’t have spoken without reason. From the start, Harun had been someone who unsettled even Jin Seo-yeon.
If he really was a traitor, it’d be better to kill him now and be done with it.
‘No. The backlash would be severe.’
Harun had influence.
He was popular among his students, and his reputation extended beyond them.
Other professors respected him too.
‘It’d definitely cause a huge problem.’
Jin Seo-yeon hadn’t yet solidified her position as the Tower Master.
Killing someone like Harun would only strengthen opposition against her.
‘In the end, I need evidence…’
Her fingers tapped the desk repeatedly as she pondered.
Buzz—
“…Hm?”
She felt a vibration from a magical item in her pocket.
When she took it out, a hologram-like projection appeared before her.
“What’s the occasion?”
—You told me to contact you if I needed anything. Gotta make use of what I’m given.
“It’s been over a month, so I thought you forgot about it. This is unexpected.”
It was a communication artifact.
Unlike ordinary ones, this one projected lifelike, full-scale holograms of the users.
“Oh my, you’ve gotten shorter.”
—Hey, don’t casually say things that hurt a man’s pride.
Jin Seo-yeon looked at the projection.
Yoo Baek-jun.
He was scowling at her.
“Did someone hit you? Why do you look so grumpy?”
—No, it’s just Seol-yeong, this brat…
He let out a heavy sigh.
—I stopped giving it meat because it's been gaining weight, and it pounced on me like a wild beast.
“So you got hit.”
—Yeah, hurts like hell.
From the other side of the screen, a ‘Grrrowl!’ was heard, followed by Seol-yeong briefly passing by.
“…It does look a little chubby.”
—I told you, it's fat! This pig… Oof!
Jin Seo-yeon stifled a laugh as she watched Yoo Baek-jun and Seol-yeong bicker.
The scuffle didn’t last long.
“Why’d you call? You don’t usually do this without a reason.”
—I figured you’d be worrying a lot by now.
“Worrying?”
Yoo Baek-jun stared straight at her.
—Yeah, about Harun.
“…….”
Jin Seo-yeon’s eyes widened slightly.
“…Did you read my mind?”
—What nonsense? How would I read your mind? Am I a mind reader?
“No, well… right.”
It was a silly question.
—Just leave it be.
Yoo Baek-jun’s sudden words made Jin Seo-yeon’s eyes go round.
“What?”
—Let them start a rebellion. Don’t stop them.
“…Does that even make sense?”
It was an absurd answer.
Knowing there were people plotting a rebellion but letting it happen?
Who knew how big it could grow?
—It’s certain Harun is the mastermind. Cutting off his head would suppress the rebellion beforehand.
“I know that.”
—The problem is the factions within the tower. Those who want you as Tower Master, and those who don’t.
“…They really hate me, huh.”
Yoo Baek-jun gave a bitter smile.
—If you kill Harun, they’ll just go deeper underground. You’d be planting a ticking bomb in the tower.
“Hah, funny. And what if Harun succeeds in his rebellion?”
—They’ll all come out at once, thinking it’s the perfect opportunity. They don’t want you as Tower Master, after all.
“And if they all come out…”
Jin Seo-yeon already knew what he was getting at.
—Why hesitate?
Yoo Baek-jun knew what answer she wanted and gave it.
—Just kill them all. That’s the end of it.
“…Not bad.”
It was a proposal she liked. She had planned to kill the rebellion’s leaders anyway.
Just as Yoo Baek-jun had done.
“But to do that, I’d need to know the movements of Harun and his faction.”
—Harun isn’t moving, is he?
“No, I’ve been watching his faction, but there’s no unusual activity. That leaves only one possibility.”
—Staggler.
Jin Seo-yeon nodded.
She already suspected Harun was collaborating with villainous organizations.
“Thinking about it, it’s strange that there’s no suspicious activity. At least I… haven’t sensed any signs of rebellion so far.”
—That just means they’re being careful. Just as you’re watching them, they’re watching you.
“Right. It’s not easy to move.”
In that case, there was only one way.
—I’ll handle Staggler.
“I’ll play dumb for now. Let them lower their guard.”
—So you’re saying you’ll just laze around while I work?
“Oh my, am I?”
Jin Seo-yeon widened her eyes innocently, as if she genuinely didn’t know.
Yoo Baek-jun sighed. She had helped him countless times, and despite her words, she wouldn’t just sit idle.
She’d be busy preparing in her own way.
—Hey, by the way, how are you managing the golem blueprints I gave you?
“…I’ve been keeping them safe?”
—What are you talking about? Staggler’s been using them.
“Huh?”
This was news to her.
Jin Seo-yeon mentally ran through the list of those in charge of golem production.
Including the one at the very top.
“That’s…”
Her face twisted in displeasure.
She glanced at the screen showing Harun’s lecture.
“…I don’t like this.”
For once, she looked genuinely annoyed.