Chapter 118
Chapter 118
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 118
Chapter Title: You're the Best!
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"You're the best!"
"Hm."
It was a slightly early morning now that the sun had finally risen. The blue-haired woman with no trace of fatigue on her face, Shin Ga-yeon, was hiding behind a pillar, waiting for something.
Not that there was much to wait for, but there was only one thing she was waiting for anyway. For someone as free-spirited and scatterbrained as her, there was only one being she truly cared about.
"When's he coming?"
A black-haired guy who stood out. His speech was a bit rough, and he only cared about himself, but that was part of his charm.
The reason she was waiting here was simple enough.
She wanted to be on the same team as him for the practical finals. On top of that, lately her dad had been saying things like, "What about Lee Seong-hoon?" or "I like that guy. He's strong."
Stuff like how cool it was that he helped her little sister. There were plenty of reasons, but the biggest one was that she wanted to spend those three days of finals living and breathing together with him.
The practical finals lasted a full three days. If she could just team up with him, then for three whole days...!
"Sl-sleeping together, eating together─"
Kyaa!! Shin Ga-yeon clamped her hand over her mouth and bounced up and down on the spot right then and there. Just thinking about it made her heart race like crazy!
She calmed her pounding heart and ducked behind the streetlamp to rethink her strategy. There was one obstacle to teaming up with him.
That blonde girl stuck right by his side. Of course, she knew no one could compete with her looks.
Even she, another woman, found herself staring without meaning to. But still.
A woman didn't win just on looks alone.
Looks were just a bonus. Not the whole deal.
So, first strategy: play up her fragility.
It might sound stupid, but Shin Ga-yeon was dead serious. She swallowed hard and waited. Then, something appeared in the distance.
─We're screwed. It's all because of you. I have to go again today.
─Why's it my fault? Why do I have to go?! If everything collapsed because of my shots, shouldn't all the points go to me?!
─Only what you hit disappeared, and the rest was Kim Tae-hyun's work, so they probably went to him.
─Aaaargh!! I can't do that training anymore!!
─Me neither. Should we protest? Just the two of us. Two-person protest. Protests are trending these days.
─Should we? But I have a feeling we'll just get dragged there when training time hits.
─Yeah... true.
The black-haired guy came into view, walking with a glum expression. He was still a bit far off. She watched him bicker with the blonde, waiting for her moment.
'Just a little more.'
Just a bit. A little closer. Once he was in range, right away─
"Ow~ My head~ It's spinning~"
Korean textbook.
One word summed up her speech pattern. Shin Ga-yeon clutched her head and staggered. Before long, she collapsed flat in front of the black hair and the blonde.
This was her strategy. Appeal to his protective instincts with feigned weakness. Her ultimate killer move.
She'd seen it in a book just yesterday.
'Come on. Come to me!!'
She closed her eyes and waited. Nose to the ground, holding her breath. When he scooped her up in a panic asking if she was okay, she'd gasp for air dramatically.
But.
─What is that?
─Let's just go. Scams are everywhere these days. They say if you help someone collapsed on the street, they demand money.
─True. Better to just walk away. You're a genius today?
─How'd you know my old nickname?
─Was it a nickname? Doesn't seem like it to me? That's not a nickname, it's... Sorry.
─I like how quick you are to apologize!!
Huh? Shin Ga-yeon whipped her head around in confusion. But Lee Seong-hoon was already walking off into the distance.
"Huh?"
Huhhh? Shin Ga-yeon shot to her feet in bewilderment. She reached out an arm, but of course she couldn't reach.
"Hey! Aren't you gonna help?!"
She shouted, but the response that came back was─
─Couldn't hear her?
─Dunno. Let's pretend we didn't. Nothing good comes from getting involved. Guaranteed.
─Yep. Definitely a scam.
─Yeah. Almost got scammed there.
─But even if it wasn't me, you wouldn't have helped, right Seong-hoon?
─......
"This... isn't how it was supposed to go..."
Shin Ga-yeon's dazed voice echoed emptily into the void.
There was no morning training today. Why? Normally Shin Ga-yeon would text first if there wasn't any, but even without that, nothing came, and I didn't bother.
Later some angry emoji showed up, but I had no clue why.
And her little sister was acting weird today too. She came to school covered in wounds, and when I asked what happened, she went on about "proof of battle" or whatever.
I wondered if she was hitting that middle school syndrome phase. Didn't take long to figure it out, though.
I saw with my own eyes how she charged at Mikael during after-school hell training and passed out.
Looks like she has a new goal now. In the original story, Kim Tae-hyun was Shin Chae-yeon's growth motivation anyway.
But now someone stronger than him showed up, so she'll grow faster. Stronger.
She's not my maid, so I don't care, but her sister's my maid. The stronger the better.
"So."
What now. I was just sorting through what happened yesterday.
"Why'd you call me here?"
Isia was staring at me with a pouty face. Hand propping her chin, eyes narrowed, lips pursed out.
Like a "I'm mad at you" expression. Couldn't make sense of it. No reason to be mad.
I just called her to the clubroom after hell training ended because I had business with her at the dorm.
Where's the mad part in that?
"Everything about you screams 'mad trigger'. You get annoyed the second someone calls you."
"That's 'cause it's me. Maids come when called."
"I came, didn't I?"
She narrowed her eyes and worked those pursed lips hard, but still looked upset.
What was her deal? I pondered for a sec, but gave up since I couldn't figure it. Maids come when called. She came. End of story.
"I wanna go home."
"Won't take long... probably. Play on your phone or something."
"Boring."
What did she want me to do? I ignored the blonde rubbing her face on the desk next to me and looked at Isia.
She met my gaze for three seconds with that pouty face, then─
Whip.
Turned her head away. Nice. I win.
"You didn't just win a staring contest in your head and get happy about it, right?"
She reads me like a book. Ignore the grinning one. I explained the reason to Isia.
Only one reason I called her. Well, only one possible anyway.
Magic, obviously.
The crow spell I used yesterday. Liked it, so I wanna upgrade it, but needed advice.
The rune engraved with the crow's incantation. As soon as I touched the infused mana─
Bang!!!
With a loud pop, the crow appeared and perched on my finger.
"Huh?"
Isia let out a dumbstruck sound. And rightfully so—the crow wasn't just sitting there like a typical conjured familiar from magic.
It ruffled its wings, scratched its head with its foot, and occasionally pecked at my finger with its beak.
Couldn't stay still for a second.
"What is this?"
Isia asked.
Caw─!!
The crow answered. It tilted its head at Isia's blinking, stunned face, then flew toward Raphael, who was glaring at it from the side.
Caw─!!
"Let go, you point stealer!!"
I left the idiots making a fuss on my head alone and talked with Isia.
"Does that make sense? You didn't pull that from some space magic, did you?"
"Nah. It's magic. I wanna add another incantation to amp it up. Gimme some advice. What would fit well?"
"That's not the point right now. A summoned familiar from magic acting this alive?"
It had dragon mana infused, that's why. Couldn't say that, so I just showed her.
I snapped my fingers. Snap─!! With a crisp sound, the crow wrestling with Raphael vanished.
Melted into shadow and returned to its owner—me. Raphael, who'd been in a tug-of-war, toppled over and rolled on the floor.
"Pfft."
The blonde lunged at me of course, but even as she grabbed my collar and shook me, I listened to Isia intently.
"This... goes beyond student level. A familiar acting alive outside of commands... Even Lady Rosarines might struggle to make one."
"That ol', er, granny can totototototally do it. Ah. Stop shakikikiking me already!!"
I handed a card to the raging Raphael. Kept bugging me from the side, so go buy snacks from the vending machine or whatever.
Her fury from moments ago was gone—who knows where it went—and she beamed with a "I'll be back!!" before leaving.
So easy to handle. Thank goodness.
"So, shall we continue?"
"Ju-just the two... of us...!!"
What? I ignored the one covering her mouth in shock and got to my point.
"I wanna tweak this crow's incantation and add something else. So normally it flies around, but suddenly shadow spears pop out."
"That'd make it one-use though. Wasteful. Don't mess with the incantation like that—if you do what I say, it can attack and turn back into a crow. It'll cost more mana to summon, but long-term─"
Isia propped her chin and answered my serious question. I sketched the incantation on paper without looking, focusing hard.
I knew I kept a good maid.
"Thanks. You're the best when it comes to magic."
"So if you tweak this circuit, minimal mana─ What did you say?"
Didn't hear? I repeated to the startled Isia.
"You're the best."
"....."
Isia hid her face behind the book nearby at my words. What're you doing? I could see her ears bright red peeking from the pages.
I waited a while wondering what was up, and she peeked out halfway, asking shyly.
"Better than Sophia?"
Why bring up Sophia? She's a pureblood so she's strong, but in magic knowledge and talent, you're the top human genius.
"Why ask something obvious?"
This time there was a popping sound, and she buried her face in the open book.
"Don't look for three minutes!! I, I'm drawing the incantation!!"
"Huh? Oh... okay."
She said don't look, what can I do? I turned to stare out the window. Then something crept closer sneakily.
"I forgot to ask one thing."
"You're drawing the incantation."
"Just this one."
What? I kept staring out the window but perked my ears.
"Am I better than Raphael?"
Why ask the obvious? That blonde doesn't even know jack about magic.
"Obvi─"
Bam─!!!
Before I could finish, something kicked the clubroom door open. Majestic pose and expression.
Hands full of snacks, blonde hair fluttering. Eyes sparkling, she declared.
"I. Have. Arrived."
Quit the manga already.
"Oh. Saw that Leon guy on the way. His dark circles are no joke."
What're you on about?
"Lee Seong-hoon... Lee Seong-hoon... Lee Seong-hoon..."
The man with the nameplate reading Leon Grace gnawed at his nails. Sleepless nights had dragged his dark circles down to his cheeks.
How many nights had it been? He didn't even know.
Lee Seong-hoon. Ever since that man shattered his magic.
He hadn't slept a wink. He couldn't cast spells anymore.
Obviously Lee Seong-hoon hadn't done anything. It was just mental shock preventing him from maintaining his magic.
The so-called slump. From the moment he was born in this world, from when he gained cognition until now.
His incantations, carved without rest for the first time, had been dismantled in an instant by an amateur.
Scattered like child's play.
No pride left to speak of. So for the mage Leon Grace to wield magic again, there was only one way.
"Lee Seong-hoon..."
Regain his pride.