Chapter 217
Chapter 217
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: Early Morning on Opening Ceremony Day
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Early morning on the day of the opening ceremony.
Wearing my uniform for the first time in a while, I walked down the street of the Wizard Academy, where the scent of spring wafted everywhere.
—Hey? That's Senior Kim Sunwoo.
—Wow. I'm a real fan, but this is the first time seeing him in person.
Whispers from what looked like prospective first-years reached my ears.
It had been a while since I'd heard such embarrassingly flattering words.
Feeling awkward, I pretended not to hear and strode forward briskly.
As I headed toward the auditorium like that, I spotted a woman with light brown hair standing alone with a bored expression.
She seemed to sense my presence and turned her head to look at me.
“Senior!”
Choi Seo-yoon approached me with a bright smile. At the same time, the whispers grew louder.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was waiting for you, Senior.”
“……Oh, really?”
Her unexpected answer caught me off guard.
Choi Seo-yoon flashed a cute eye smile and looked up at me.
“Uh…… but it feels like you've gotten a bit taller in just two weeks.”
“Nah. No way you've grown in two weeks.”
“No, really. It's subtle, but you've definitely gotten taller.”
Is that so?
At her words, I took a moment to look over my body.
I didn't feel any changes like getting taller.
Of course, the effect of Gretel's fruit I'd eaten before was said to gradually alter the skeleton, so it could still be working.
And since my body was still in its teens, my growth plates might still be open.
“Anyway, let's hurry. You're the student representative today, right?”
“Yeah, actually, time's already getting tight.”
“……If it's tight, you shouldn't have waited.”
“As long as I'm not late.”
Choi Seo-yoon replied coolly and walked with me toward the auditorium, chatting away.
We soon arrived at the auditorium's main entrance.
As we entered, countless students waiting inside came into view.
Among them, the first-years gazed at me with curious eyes, whispering among themselves.
I felt like a monkey in a zoo, but this kind of attention might turn into points later, so I'd just roll with it.
“Kim Sunwoo!”
Just then, Lee Seo-jun, who had been preparing for the student representative oath on the platform, spotted me and came over.
He then turned his gaze to Choi Seo-yoon beside me.
“Seo-yoon's here too.”
“Hello.”
Choi Seo-yoon bowed her head politely in greeting.
I glanced up at the platform for a moment before speaking.
“Getting ready for the oath, huh.”
“Yeah. School tradition and all.”
Muttering that, Lee Seo-jun glanced at me, then suddenly asked as if something had just occurred to him.
“Oh, right. You said you had something to talk about with Wizard Yoo Ah-yeon. Did you meet her this time?”
Yoo Ah-yeon? Why bring her up out of nowhere?
“Yeah, I did. Why?”
“Well, from what I heard last time, it sounded like you two had some important talk.”
“……Why are you suddenly concerned about that?”
“Just in case you forgot. What did you talk about?”
“Just various things.”
Lee Seo-jun gave a wry smile at my half-hearted response before speaking again.
“Oh, and you know classes got reshuffled, right? Where'd you get placed?”
Classes at the Wizard Academy change every year.
The one I was assigned to this time was 'A'.
No change from my second year.
“A Class.”
Lee Seo-jun looked disappointed at my answer.
“Really? Too bad. I'm in B Class.”
B Class, huh.
Just like in the original story.
If it's the same as the original, then Shin Young-jun and Lee Hyun-joo are probably in B Class too.
And Yoo Ah-ra and Yoon Ha-young would be in A Class. Of course, my interventions might have changed some details.
Either way, from third year onward, classes aren't that important.
90% of my course selections match Lee Seo-jun's, so even in different classes, we'd see each other every class period.
—Screeech!
Just then, a piercing mic feedback echoed through the auditorium.
[Testing. The entrance and opening ceremonies will begin shortly. The three grade representatives, please come to the platform.]
Lee Seo-jun looked toward the platform and gave Choi Seo-yoon a glance.
She nodded.
“They're calling us. See you later.”
“Yeah. Do well.”
Before I knew it, the entrance and opening ceremonies had ended.
Except for Eun Seol-ah hitting a major snag during the student representative oath due to nerves, which made everyone laugh, it wrapped up smoothly.
As soon as the events finished, the preliminary class gatherings began as announced.
“Sunwoo!”
A familiar voice greeted me as soon as I entered the classroom.
“Yoon Ha-young.”
We'd exchanged messages occasionally, but it had been a while since seeing her face, so I felt glad.
“Wow. Same class as you again. Lucky. I was worried since there aren't many familiar faces.”
I glanced toward Yoo Ah-ra, who was sitting alone by the window.
“What about Yoo Ah-ra?”
“I'm close with Ah-ra too, but the more friends, the better, right?”
“Hmm. True.”
Answering that, I walked over and sat behind Yoo Ah-ra. Not because it was in front of her, but because the window seat felt more comfortable mentally.
As I sat, Yoo Ah-ra glanced back.
“Hey, same class again.”
“Yeah.”
Yoon Ha-young sat next to me and unleashed her stockpile of stories.
What she'd done over break, what training she'd undergone, how much stronger she'd gotten. We chatted about that.
“So now, the destruc……
Yoon Ha-young paused mid-sentence.
She'd probably been about to mention the 'Power of Demon Destruction' but caught Yoo Ah-ra's eye.
“Destruc?”
When Yoo Ah-ra asked, Yoon Ha-young gave an awkward smile.
“No, nothing.”
“What is it?”
As Yoo Ah-ra pressed, Yoon Ha-young gave another awkward smile and looked at me.
I returned a small wry smile to her.
Seeing that, Yoo Ah-ra narrowed her eyes.
“……What? Some secret between you two?”
“Huh? Uh…… well, not exactly……
Yoon Ha-young trailed off with a blatantly suspicious reaction.
She's so pure she can't lie well. Especially not to Yoo Ah-ra, whom she sees as a close friend.
“It's a secret between us.”
When I said it coolly, Yoo Ah-ra narrowed her eyes.
“……You have so many secrets.”
“I'll tell you when the time's right.”
Yoon Ha-young was the one surprised by my words.
“Huh? Is that okay?”
“Yeah.”
Yoo Ah-ra's trustworthy.
She wouldn't go blabbing about the Power of Demon Destruction.
Plus, she'd already indirectly experienced Yoon Ha-young's power during the demon incursion before.
As we chatted about this and that, the door slid open with a rattle.
A young woman in glasses strode confidently to the front of the classroom.
Her entrance quieted the somewhat rowdy classroom atmosphere.
“Hello, students. I'm Lee Hee-young, and I'll be in charge of 3rd Year Class A for the next year.”
“Woo-hoo—!”
A small cheer erupted at the appearance of the familiar and welcome face.
Lee Hee-young was known even within the Wizard Academy for her gentle and kind personality as 'Angel Teacher.'
Naturally, having such a nickname proved her outstanding character, enough to earn a good image from students.
“There are a lot of familiar faces. I assume the students who took Manifestation Studies in second year know me well.”
At her words, the Manifestation students nodded in agreement.
“Third year is the final year at the Wizard Academy, so I'll do my utmost to support you all in making the most of this last year and ending on a high note.”
Lee Hee-young looked over the students.
“Hmm. Since today is just the preliminary gathering, we'll keep it to simple introductions and announcements.”
Lee Hee-young soon spoke with a playful smile.
“First off, as third-years at the Wizard Academy, you probably already know what tomorrow's schedule holds without me announcing it, right?”
“Public test!”
“Correct. Tomorrow is the all-grades public test. Third-years aren't scored on it anymore, but as seniors, I'd love for you to show the underclassmen something to be proud of.”
“Yes!”
The students' energetic response rang out.
With that, the final year at the Wizard Academy.
Third year had begun.
Time flew by.
Two days passed.
In yesterday's public test, I easily wowed everyone with silver compressed manifestation without any issues.
No need to go golden; this was enough to make an impression.
Of course, with plenty of new faces, the points rolled in nicely.
“The 'mana formulas' that make up magic circles contain truths of the world so profound they could be called mysteries.”
And now.
I sat at my desk, listening to a boring theory class.
The class was 'Magic Circle Analysis and Application.'
“……Based on this hypothesis, we conclude that the world is constructed on the principles of 'mana formulas.' All laws of the world are described by formulas.”
“Even after thousands of years of research, humanity still hasn't fully understood mana formulas. Countless formula researchers say that the moment humans comprehend everything about formulas, we'll know everything about the world.”
“At that point, humanity will become the true masters of the world. We'll be free from the world's laws and even able to alter them at will if we wish. Of course, that's purely theoretical, impossible at humanity's current level. As such, magic circles involve various……”
I listened quietly to the teacher's lecture, feeling the cool spring breeze blowing through the window cracks.
Glancing outside, I saw Choi Seo-yoon surrounded by first-years at the sports field.
As expected from someone who naturally attracts attention, she didn't look annoyed.
I smirked and looked back down at my textbook.
“……As for application methods, there's device magic using recognition. A way to turn specific objects into keys. This method……”
The textbook covered device magic.
Device magic, huh.
Suddenly, Kim Chang-hyun's photo came to mind.
According to Shinbi, some device was hidden in the photo.
To unravel the secret complicating my mind, I first needed to figure out what device was hidden.
［Recognition Magic］
［A method utilizing the 'mana response' of magic circle formulas. Recognizes various forms and images of mana from external sources……］
……Come to think of it, the device doesn't have to be in the photo itself.
It could be that another device recognizes the photo.
Of course, Shinbi said some device was hidden in the photo, but that doesn't necessarily mean the device is physically inside it.
A device that recognizes this photo as a device…… that means this could serve as a kind of 'key.'
Then, a key to what place?
A dungeon? Ruin? Lab?
Or a key to activate some mystery?
“Student Kim Sunwoo?”
The teacher's sudden voice snapped me back to attention.
Looking around, some students from other second-year classes—who weren't in mine—were eyeing me eagerly.
“Yes?”
“You seemed to be spacing out during class.”
“Sorry.”
I apologized coolly, and the teacher smiled faintly.
“I heard you have a solid grasp of formulas, so I guess my class feels boring. Then, why don't you come up and解釋 this formula?”
The teacher projected a hologram.
An advanced formula filled with complex magic equations.
Clearly not something a student could solve.
Moreover, '解釋' rather than just 'reading' ramps up the difficulty dozens of times.
But it was no problem for me.
“Yes.”
I stood confidently, went to the hologram, and解釋 the formula.
As long as I have Outsider's benefits, this is a piece of cake.
Successfully解釋 it, the teacher's eyes filled with bewilderment.
“……Uh. Um. Yes, perfect, right? Haha.”
After fumbling for a moment, the teacher snapped back.
“Ah! You can return to your seat!”
I went back.
Yoon Ha-young, sitting next to me, nudged my side with her elbow and gave a thumbs-up.
I smirked and reached into my drawer for my writing tools to resume note-taking.
Then, I felt the texture of paper inside.
Curious, I pulled it out to find a neatly folded letter.
……What the?
I examined the paper's contents.
To. Kim Sunwoo
I know your hidden secret. If you want to talk, come to the park in front of the school at 7 p.m. after classes.
“……What is this?”
Knows my secret?
The sudden event without warning left me greatly flustered.
5:55 p.m., after all classes ended.
Choi Seo-yoon was walking toward the library with Song Seung-ah to review today's theory lessons.
“Seo-yoon, Senior Kim Sunwoo's popularity is no joke lately, huh?”
At the mention of Kim Sunwoo's name, Choi Seo-yoon flinched slightly.
“Popularity?”
“You haven't heard? That senior's all the rage right now.”
She knew to some extent.
People around her had been talking about Senior Kim Sunwoo a lot lately.
Especially among the new first-years, quite a few admired him, and Eun Seol-ah's gaze was the most intense.
“And honestly, that senior's been looking good lately. His vibe's totally different, and his face is decent enough, right?”
At those words, Choi Seo-yoon whipped around to face Song Seung-ah.
“……What do you mean by that?”
“Hey, why get so serious? I'm just saying what others think.”
Song Seung-ah grinned teasingly.
“Anyway, that's the vibe. Senior Lee Seo-jun's too handsome to even approach, but Senior Kim Sunwoo's more approachable (?), like a friendly type, so people like that.”
She continued with a sly smile.
“Seo-yoon~ Aren't you worried about getting stolen away? You've already half-claimed hi……
Choi Seo-yoon glared daggers, and Song Seung-ah shut her mouth.
“That senior's not interested in dating yet. Seems like he doesn't trust people easily. I'll slowly get him to open up.”
Song Seung-ah was the flustered one at Choi Seo-yoon's words.
“……What? Why are you so serious about it?”
“Because I am.”
“Hmm. I'll cheer you on, but watch out. Lots of competition. Hehe.”
“……Mind your own business?”
They were bickering as usual when—
—Kyaaack!
A piercing scream erupted from nearby. Not one, but several people.
Clearly, some horrific accident had happened.
“What was that?”
“……The park?”
The two exchanged looks and ran toward the screams.
It wasn't far, so they arrived in under two minutes.
And at the same time.
They witnessed a shocking scene.
Choi Seo-yoon stared at the sight before her in horror.
“W-what is this……
A crowd gathered in front of the park.
Candles surrounding the area in a heart shape.
In the center, a first-year girl I'd never seen before held out a bouquet with a deeply flushed face.
And.
Standing in front of her, the man—Kim Sunwoo—stood with a troubled and bewildered expression.