Admission (2)
The principal I had imagined was an elderly gentleman with white hair, a white beard, and horn-rimmed glasses. So the woman’s true identity came as something of a surprise. Her strikingly youthful appearance made it impossible to connect her with the title of principal. I had simply assumed she was an acquaintance of the director or perhaps a member of the faculty.
Now that I thought about it, the woman had definitely introduced herself as Hae Wolhwa. I had never heard the name before, but I vaguely remembered my sisters mentioning someone called “Hae Teacher” in their conversations. They said her temper had flared so violently because of the director’s antics that she had nearly burned him alive on several occasions. It seemed the person in front of me was none other than that very individual.
Come to think of it, I had heard that among the most powerful mages, some maintained the appearance of their youth even as they aged. And if both the director and my sisters addressed her as teacher, then despite her looks she was likely someone of considerable years. Only now did I begin to understand why such profound depth and experience lingered in her eyes.
“I had no idea you were the principal. I only thought—”
“Think nothing of it. Pay it no mind. Originally one of our staff should have come out to greet you, but I was simply too curious and came myself on a whim.”
“Curious… ma’am?”
“Indeed. Did I not just say so?”
Hae Wolhwa looked at me and smiled. A light, airy laugh—like wind slipping through cracks—echoed softly inside the greenhouse.
“Puhuhu… After all, it has been a full eighteen years since the Sa family last recommended a student for admission. How could I not be intrigued?”
“…”
“I never imagined that the man who once claimed to have no interest in politics would personally nominate an incoming student. And not just any student—a boy who walks around wearing a suspicious mask on his face, no less. Who could have predicted such an amusing turn of events? Puhuhu…”
“Um… this mask is—”
“Ah, there is no need to worry about that. I have already heard the general circumstances and granted my permission.”
“Th-thank you…”
“Not at all. It is a trivial matter. Students who express their individuality have never been in short supply at the Cradle. Mages have always been an eccentric bunch, after all.”
Hae Wolhwa waved her hand dismissively, as if the matter were of no importance.
“However, any disadvantages you may suffer in your relationships with fellow students will be yours alone to bear. That is not something I can intervene in.”
“…I am already aware of that.”
It had been an unavoidable choice, yet the thought of attending the academy in this state was still quite unsettling. The director and my sisters were used to it, but strangers would naturally react the same way the guard had earlier. At least knowing the principal had given her public endorsement eased my mind somewhat… though I still could not say with confidence whether I would be able to fulfill the demands the director had placed on me.
“Yes, yes. The mask is one thing, but… there is another aspect that draws my attention far more…”
The principal nodded, then abruptly changed the subject. Suddenly she began staring at me with piercing intensity.
“Um… Principal…?”
“How very strange. So clear. Terribly faint, yet so clear. How can such a mage exist? No—can this person even be called a mage at all…?”
Hae Wolhwa murmured to herself with an odd expression. For a moment my heart sank. The director had repeatedly warned me that both his Authority and the way I used magic must never be revealed to others. Having been drilled on the matter until my ears nearly bled before coming to the Cradle, I had long since learned to conceal it as naturally as breathing. I was doing so even now.
Even so, the current situation felt incredibly oppressive. The gaze of this veteran mage felt sharp enough to pierce straight through my mask.
“Principal…?”
Still staring fixedly, Hae Wolhwa began drifting closer as though in a trance. At this distance I could even feel her faint breath. It was deeply uncomfortable—not because of her beauty, but for purely personal reasons.
“Ah?”
I finally lost my patience and called out to her. Only then did the principal seem to snap back to her senses. I was suddenly very grateful for the mask. Had my face been bare, I might have slapped her and run away regardless of her position.
“…Ahem. My apologies. Even at my age, once I become absorbed I lose all sense of decorum…”
“…It’s fine.”
Hae Wolhwa spoke in a tone heavy with remorse after finally averting her gaze. Yet it seemed her business with me was not yet finished. She rested her chin on her hand and fell into deep thought. Only after several minutes did she finally relax her posture and look at me again.
“Child. I have a favor I would like to ask of you… Would you hear me out?”
“A… favor?”
“Yes. There is a certain matter that has been troubling me lately, and it seems to me that you would be the perfect person for the task.”
Hae Wolhwa nodded at my puzzled reply. For a moment the words didn’t quite register. What kind of request could the principal of a prestigious academy possibly have for someone she had only just met today? The situation itself was burdensome, but refusing carelessly and offending her could cause no end of trouble. After careful consideration, I answered in the most respectful tone I could manage.
“…May I hear the details first before deciding?”
“Of course. A very commendable attitude. Prudence is one of the most important virtues a mage can possess.”
Perhaps my effort had paid off; Hae Wolhwa nodded with a satisfied expression.
“…And I should mention in advance that if this request would cause even the slightest harm to the director or my sisters—”
“There is no need for concern. Though they graduated long ago, those children were once my precious students. I would never ask anything that might harm them.”
Before I could even finish, Hae Wolhwa shook her head firmly.
“…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Not at all. Seeing how close you all are warms my heart as well. Pay it no mind.”
A faint smile touched Hae Wolhwa’s lips.
“On the contrary, I believe it would be of some help to them. It would certainly not be harmful. Now then, where should I begin…”
The principal took a sip of tea, gathered her thoughts for a moment, and began to explain.
While the exact timing varied from person to person, a mage was said to be at their strongest immediately after their Awakening. After that, their power would gradually decline along with the aging of their body. Put another way, the Cradle—which gathered young mages who had only just Awakened—was one of the places in the nation where the most powerful mages gathered in abundance.
Moreover, a significant number of the Cradle’s students came from prestigious families. Naturally, the political currents and shifts that occurred within the Cradle exerted considerable influence on the outside world as well. It was no exaggeration to say that the Republic of Korea was a nation sustained by mages. Without them, the entire country would have been reduced to ruins by demons, monsters, black mages, and rebels. Thus mages were the most vital resource of all—yet while demand overflowed, supply had always been insufficient.
The children of noble families attending the Cradle constantly strove to secure talented individuals. Unless it severely impacted their studies, the professors did not particularly restrain such activities. After all, the Cradle had been established with that very purpose in mind.
At first glance it seemed like a place where a single spark could cause an explosion at any moment, but because so many interests were intricately intertwined, a delicate balance had been maintained over the years. Though minor disturbances had occurred countless times throughout its history, there had never been a single major incident that shook the institution.
Until last year.
After two young ladies from two different great families enrolled at the same time, everything changed.
“…Hoo.” The principal let out a heavy sigh. Her face clearly showed how much the subject pained her. “Have you ever heard of the Five Founding Families, child?”
When I lived in the village I had paid no attention to such matters, but while learning the minimum required etiquette before enrollment, I had heard the names from my sisters.
Black Lotus Sa. Heavenly Baek. Red Fire Yeon. Moon Shadow Hae. White Light Jin.
Among the many distinguished and ancient mage families, the direct descendants of the five mages who first Awakened at the dawn of the age were known as the Five Founding Families.
The two female students the principal spoke of were the young ladies of the Baek and Yeon families respectively. The two houses were practically mortal enemies; it was no exaggeration to say their relationship was irreconcilable. That same hostility was naturally reflected within the Cradle.
Both possessed peerless beauty, and their skill surpassed not only the other students but even active-duty soldiers and veteran hunters. Their abilities were so evenly matched that neither could claim superiority, and unfortunately their personalities were polar opposites as well. Followers flocked to each of them like clouds, and the covert power struggles those students willingly engaged in had given the Cradle a terrible headache last year.
The number of incidents that occurred during the past year exceeded the total of all accidents from the previous five years combined. No fewer than seven students had been expelled.
The fierce political warfare had continued for some time, but the scales had now tipped decisively in favor of the Baek family’s young lady. The root cause lay in how vastly different their personalities were.
Unlike the Baek young lady, who treated everyone with kindness regardless of background and drew students to her, the Yeon young lady’s aristocratic arrogance and fierce temperament had caused even many students from similar backgrounds to turn away from her. Moreover, by the narrowest of margins, the Baek lady had never once lost first place in either academics or duels throughout the entire year.
“…And now, after a full year has passed, the victor is all but decided… Truly, just thinking about last year still gives me a headache…”
Having finished her lengthy explanation, the principal took another sip of tea to moisten her throat. Although the story had been rather interesting, one question had formed in my mind as I listened. It was extremely difficult to see any connection between the favor she wanted to ask and the tale she had just told.
When I cautiously voiced that doubt, the principal gave her characteristic smile and finally revealed the main point.
“…I would like you to lend your strength to the child from the Yeon family.”