Chapter 12
Chapter 12
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Against Common Sense (2)
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Yoo Ji-tae got in a taxi with Bom.
He didn't bother flying or leaping through space. He wanted to talk with her on the way there.
"Where are we going?"
On the way from the taxi drop-off to the portal station, Bom asked.
"Lair."
"Why Lair?"
"I heard there was an incident at today's interview."
"Ah."
Bom fell silent, as if something had clicked for her.
What kind of incident had happened there? He was curious, but right now, he wanted to ask about something else.
As Yoo Ji-tae recalled, the Red, Gold, and Blue Dragons had clear trajectories. They moved in similar patterns each round and ended up becoming similar people.
But the Green Dragon was different.
The jobs she had taken were painter, sculptor, novelist. At a glance, they were all in creative fields.
However, in those professions, the Green Dragon had never stood out. While Red and Gold rose to become world-renowned figures, the Green Dragon had simply holed up in her room, drawing pictures.
The Green clan liked making things. He knew that much.
But drawing mediocre pictures in her room without any achievements or effort—looking back now, something felt off about it.
Back then, he hadn't been curious why. He had no interest.
So he hadn't asked.
Why she did these things. Why she did them this way.
So today, he intended to ask about that.
Yoo Ji-tae opened his mouth.
"Bom."
"Yes."
"What do you want to do?"
"Why?"
"Just curious. Yeoreum's into fighting. Gaeul gets a kick out of attention."
That was the core identity of the Red and Gold clans.
"We do like making things. Creation, crafting, landscaping, stuff like that."
"Besides that."
"Huh?"
"What do you want to do?"
A question about her personally, not the clan. Bom pondered for a moment, murmuring "Um..."
She didn't answer for quite a while.
"No desires at all? Nothing you want to have or do?"
"No. Not really sure."
"How about cooking?"
"I like it. It's fun to cook, and I'm happy when others eat it. But I never thought about becoming a chef during my playtime."
"Why?"
"It's not that fun."
After some thought, Yoo Ji-tae asked casually, as if in passing.
"If your clan likes making things, what about novelist or painter?"
"Wouldn't be bad. Some of our clan elders did that kind of work."
"Then, what about you?"
"......Not sure."
A half-beat late, Bom let out the words like a sigh.
"Actually, that's why I've been traveling all this time. I don't know what I should do. Making things like the others is fun, but not that fun."
It was a tricky answer. It meant the Green Dragon had lacked real drive even in past rounds.
No need to rush. There was nothing he could do right now—it was something to observe.
Yoo Ji-tae nodded and fell silent. This time, Bom turned her head to look at him and asked.
"What about you, Ajusshi?"
"...What?"
"What do you want to do?"
It was an unexpected question.
"By kidnapping us and protecting us, what reward do you get? Is there joy in the process for you?"
As always, she asked with that enigmatic expression.
Bom was looking into his eyes, but her gaze seemed to peer even deeper.
He shook his head. It wasn't a welcome topic for conversation.
"What happened at the interview?"
"Changing the subject, huh."
"......"
The girl outright blocked his path.
"I want to know about you too, Ajusshi."
He stopped walking as well and met her green eyes. Still an unreadable gaze.
Anyway, no meant no.
"......"
"......"
The two stared each other down for a long while. Finally, she grumbled "Stubborn..." and backed off.
As they started walking again, Bom answered Yoo Ji-tae's question.
"Nothing really happened at the interview. They just asked a bunch of questions, and I answered. That's it."
What kind of questions had gotten the Academic Affairs professors so worked up?
"Questions? About magic theory?"
"Ah. Yeah."
He could guess immediately.
Magic had been transmitted from the Otherworld.
And in the Otherworld, it had been created by dragons.
To put it in perspective, it was like a human asking about humans right in front of the Creator.
"But there wasn't anything you'd call an incident."
"Why?"
"I just answered a few questions. That's all. The interviewers' faces didn't look great, though."
What did that mean?
"They liked my answers to the other questions. But when I answered the ones about magic theory, they all got serious. Anyway, the atmosphere wasn't good."
"What were the questions?"
Bom rattled off some complex magic theory terms. It was about "mana concentration."
It was a plausible question. Their school was the ghost organization Pantheon School, and Bom was listed as a magic major. On the surface, it was just a major-related query.
"So how did you answer?"
Bom thought for a moment before replying.
"Adequately."
Lair Academic Affairs Office.
Having finished his work, Professor Myeong Jong stepped into the magic professors' lounge. Four professors were gathered, chatting excitedly.
They were all interviewers, just like Myeong Jong himself.
"Ah, Professor Myeong, you're here."
Myeong Jong chuckled.
"Aigoo. You busy folks already gathered to see that preliminary cadet?"
"Yes. When's she coming? Man."
The professors were either grave or thrilled, and one was openly buzzing with excitement.
There had been over 120 preliminary cadets interviewed today. And since it was the tenth day, around 1,200 cadets had passed through the interview room so far—all magic majors.
Asking the same questions day in and day out, hearing largely similar answers. Even they were human, worn down by the grueling schedule.
Then, a slightly special preliminary cadet opened the door and walked in.
'Hello. I'm Yoo Bom.'
Professors at Lair were already beyond envy in social standing. Plus, as superhumans underwent skeletal evolution, they gradually became more handsome and beautiful, granting them some immunity to appearances.
Yet even these middle-aged men were startled by the stunningly beautiful girl who entered.
But looks didn't matter. It was interview time. They posed various questions to the cadet.
Matching her composed appearance, she answered in a calm voice, naturally addressing each question.
That much was fine.
While other cadets trembled, Yoo Bom proceeded smoothly without a hint of nerves.
In fact, as the conversation flowed, they even felt like she was taking the lead.
But the real shock came next.
'Explain the most efficient way to concentrate mana without attributes.'
In response to one professor's question, Yoo Bom naturally explained the concentration induction method for neutral mana.
For a full 15 minutes.
Whether due to her calm, precise pronunciation and voice, or her presence—they were captivated, hanging on her every word.
'......'
When the explanation ended, silence fell over the interviewers.
They were astonished.
Because it was so precise?
That too. Yoo Bom's mana concentration method perfectly outlined the conditions for focusing mana. Moreover, without using specialized terminology, she described phenomena step by step, leaving no room for nitpicking.
That was the problem.
It was too precise.
She had explained things that average preliminary cadets couldn't possibly know offhand.
The moment the interview ended, the professors huddled together, searching for papers similar to her induction method.
'Vladimir Concentration Induction Method'
Coincidentally, a previously restricted paper had been released by the Russian Federation just two weeks prior.
Which meant this preliminary cadet had fully comprehended that paper in a mere two weeks?
At just 19 years old?
A being that defied common sense.
The world calls them 'geniuses.'
"Come on, professors. You're all making too big a deal out of it."
At that moment, one professor raised his voice.
"Ah, Professor Nakamura."
It was the Japanese professor whose bald head gleamed. He was a magic professor but hadn't participated in the interviews.
"Even so, is that even possible? To even understand the Vladimir Concentration Induction Method, a smart superhuman needs at least a decade or more of mana-handling experience."
To illustrate, it was like a high schooler possessing the study volume of a typical grad student.
And explaining it through phenomena rather than jargon proved complete mastery.
"Right? We were shocked too. It'd be great if a kid like that ended up in our house..."
The professors exchanged glances.
There was one reason they were so excited.
Lair had a 'house' system. Groups that gathered and nurtured exceptional cadets, a program to carefully develop top-tier students.
And most professors belonged to one of the houses.
"Hey now, didn't you just recruit Kali the other day? Professor Wang's too greedy."
"Kehahaha. Doesn't our house deserve the number one badge this year?"
Lair was a world of endless competition.
Students who achieved high results in their houses—and their house professors—received substantial research funds and honors.
The funds were nice, but the honor was greater. There was a subtle pride battle among the professors. They hated losing.
You couldn't build on gravel. They needed cadets with exceptional potential.
That was why Yoo Bom's existence was such a shock to them.
"Enough with the competitive jabs. Anyway, what's her background? Any connections?"
"That's......"
Right after the interview, the curious professors had checked preliminary cadet Yoo Bom's profile.
19 years old. Two younger sisters, 18 and 17.
From Pantheon School.
Checking her identity left them frustrated.
Everyone at Lair knew Pantheon School was a ghost organization.
After the Great War ended, superhumans operating in the shadows had increased.
Secret strike teams of major guilds, government black ops, hidden heirs of prestigious families, and more. Numerous supers and organizations stayed out of the light to protect their interests.
To attract such talent, Lair imposed no strict restrictions on identities. There were rules, but they turned a blind eye.
In short: young, talented supers, come do school life here.
Only if a student hiding their identity committed a crime did they crack down on the concealed background.
So at present, they couldn't pinpoint Yoo Bom's exact identity.
"Tower master's daughter or something?"
"I was with the Tower until last year—no kids."
"Or disciple of that witch Valentine?"
"Who knows...... Oh, right—who's the guardian?"
Guardian. Name: Yoo Ji-tae. Age: 27.
This one had a thoroughly fabricated identity too.
"Think that cadet Yoo Bom faked her age?"
"Nah. I scanned just in case during the interview—her mana was young. Generously, early twenties."
"Hmph. Anyway, I think you professors are overdoing it. When the cadet arrives, I'll check her properly."
That was when the professors were continuing their discussion about Yoo Bom.
Bang—the door flew open.
A sturdy-built man with a hazy yet sharp aura stepped in.
"Ah, welcome, guardian. We've been waiting."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Yoo Ji-tae."
And from behind him, a girl with spring-green hair walked in.
"Hello."
The professors' eyes began to cloud with excitement.