Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Magic Genius with Korean Patch
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Truth be told, finding lodging wasn't difficult at all.
Just walk into any place with a big inn sign, say "I'd like a room," pay up, and you're done.
Of course, if you wanted to shop around for the best room, check meal services or room conditions, it could get a bit more complicated. But still, it wasn't a big deal.
"Wow! That's amazing!"
"...It's not amazing at all."
But that assumed you could speak the Imperial Language.
Jeon was getting praised by Lena simply for securing them a place to stay.
"No! You really are amazing! You speak not just Imperial, but our Foxkin language too!"
"Hmm... Is that such a big deal?"
Come to think of it, even in his past life, people who were good with foreign languages got a lot of respect.
Bilingual, trilingual—it was all part of your resume.
Jeon himself had struggled to learn a foreign language back then.
Anyway.
The inn they'd found was called "Celleron's Morning"—a pretty generic name.
But the facilities were decent for the name: private rooms with small attached bathrooms, and the first floor doubled as a restaurant.
"Great! You got us a room, so dinner's on me! Order whatever you want!"
"I'll just show you that bracelet from earlier..."
"Whoa! This looks good! Seafood soup! Oh! And these grilled scallops!"
Excited about the room, Lena was flipping through the menu with glee.
'...Feels like I'm babysitting a cousin.'
Or maybe like taking care of a slightly older niece.
He wanted to check the inscription on the bracelet right away, but...
It felt wrong to demand it from someone so hyped up.
Plus, Jeon realized he hadn't eaten since entering Celleron.
'Even Mount Geumgang is best after a meal.'
He decided to eat first.
And honestly, looking at the menu made his own eyes spin.
'Finally! Real food at last!'
All he'd had lately was low-quality bread or soup.
Now he could finally dig into seafood and meat dishes.
"Soup, grilled stuff—anything goes, right?"
"Of course! Order it all!"
Since Lena was paying, Jeon ordered everything he wanted.
Lena added her excited picks on top.
"Ooooh!"
"Woooow!"
Soon, their table was packed with food, no gaps left.
The moment Jeon popped one into his mouth...
"D-Delicious!"
For the first time across both lives, Jeon lost his mind over food.
The perfectly salted port-city dishes, the meat and seafood he'd craved for so long—it was shocking.
He immediately buried his face and started inhaling it.
"Hey! Don't hog it all!"
Stimulated by Jeon, Lena shoveled food too.
By the time their frantic hands slowed, they'd demolished over half the table.
"Ah, so full."
How long had it been since he'd filled up on food this good?
Jeon rested his chin on his hand, savoring the fullness, then noticed Lena in a similar state across from him.
"...Why are you like that?"
He could understand his own binge after months of beggar food.
But Lena ate better daily—why'd she go so hard?
"Just... didn't want to lose to you."
They were both still closer to kids than adults.
How much could you really eat? She went all out just to not lose.
'How is she a noble's daughter?'
She seemed more like a thief who'd swiped a few Silvermont trinkets.
Her vibe was anything but noble.
Anyway, after wrapping up the meal, Jeon remembered what he'd forgotten.
"Alright, we've eaten. Now show me."
"Huh? Show what... Oh, right."
Lena blinked in confusion, then rummaged in her side bag as it hit her.
"Here!"
She handed over the silver bracelet Jeon had glimpsed before, inscribed with writing.
Typical noble item.
Basic bangle shape, but the accents and details screamed expensive, even to Jeon's untrained eye.
"But why do you want it? It's nothing special."
"It is to me."
As she said.
Inspecting it, it was just fancy jewelry—no magic processing or artifact vibes.
But that didn't matter to Jeon.
'Definitely. It's a rune.'
He'd been unsure at a glance.
Up close, his mind confirmed it—already whirring.
'Different from the ruins.'
At the ruins, deciphering the rune felt like his brain maxing out.
Now, it was a ticklish, almost-there itch.
And not just that difference.
'I get the meaning... but there's more.'
The first 'Compression' rune took ages to unpack its deep meaning.
This one? Meaning clicked instantly.
He knew it enabled Rune Magic too.
But the how escaped him.
'Compression' was deep but straightforward to cast.
This blocked at the execution step.
"Do you like bracelets? Why stare so hard?"
Jeon had been glaring at it intently.
Curious, Lena peeked over.
"Huh? Interested in the engraving?"
"...You know what it says?"
"Nope. Just heard it's copied from some ancient Foxkin ruin."
She didn't know—just chit-chatting.
'No wonder explorers copied wall scribbles blindly. They use 'em as jewelry motifs.'
At the ruin, he'd wondered why they traced unreadable runes.
Not just study—decor too.
'But what if it's a bad meaning?'
Ignorance let them engrave freely.
Luckily, this rune was positive: 'Guardian.'
Anyway.
'A bit more, and I'll get it.'
Still no grasp on casting it as Rune Magic.
His mind kept itching—like it'd click if he stared longer.
But the surroundings wouldn't let him.
"Lady Lena, there you are."
"...Risar!"
"...?"
Even focused on the rune, he should've sensed them.
But suddenly, a dozen men surrounded their table.
Silent approach, all sword-bearing.
'Here to fetch Lena?'
Silvermont knights, it seemed.
The one called Risar stepped toward her.
"Time to go home."
"No way!"
"...Taking the deed to withdraw funds? That's beyond childish whims."
"It's not a whim! I'm serious!"
Their brief argument played out.
Jeon, stuck in the middle, felt like a fifth wheel.
'...Wrap it up and go already.'
He'd gotten the room for the bracelet.
But he opposed her wandering—a naive kid in a harsh world.
"The world isn't safe enough for you to roam alone."
Risar echoed Jeon's thoughts exactly.
Jeon nodded inwardly—spot on—when Lena suddenly grabbed his arm.
"I'm not alone! I'm with him!"
"...Huh? What?"
What the—?
Jeon panicked at her abrupt move.
'Why decide for me?'
He'd said just the room—now he was her companion?
And he'd assumed the knights would end it quick.
Even a tomboy wouldn't defy a dozen knights.
"...The boy who speaks Foxkin."
Risar's gaze sharpened at Jeon.
Misunderstanding something.
As Jeon opened his mouth to clarify—
"So move aside!"
'This... 3rd Circle magic?'
In modern magic, circle complexity determined rank.
One shape like Jeon: 1st Circle.
Three like Lena: 3rd Circle.
Impressive for her age—grand mages hit 7th.
And Jeon wasn't the only shocked one.
"Lady Lena...!"
Risar's eyes wavered at her spell.
Her runaway stunts usually fizzled with grumbles.
First time using magic to rebel.
'The Empire, not Langley? Or that boy?'
Reason unclear.
But Risar couldn't back down.
'Maybe my fault.'
He knew her situation.
Indulging her "whims" might've encouraged it.
This time, no letting go.
"The Duke will be very disappointed."
"...When has Father not been disappointed?"
"Wh-What?"
"Fall back!"
"He said fall back! Everyone, move!"
Magic and aura clashing in the restaurant center drew shocked reactions.
Knights except Risar hurried patrons away.
In that tense standoff...
"Huh?"
Jeon alone faced something unexpected.
Watching Lena's blazing fox, the Guardian rune's execution flashed in his mind.
'Like this...?'
Mana stirred inside him.
No casting needed.
Just envision the fully grasped rune, infuse mana with its meaning.
This time, mana tinted silver.
"Risar! You're really not backing off!?"
"Lady. I can't overlook this."
Neither yielded.
Flame fox lunged at Risar; his aura sword swung.
-Stop right there.
That instant.
Between magic and aura, a silver-furred fox appeared.
"Ack, what!?"
"...!"
Too late to pull back.
Lena's spell and Risar's aura collided with the silver fox.
But only that far.
Blazing fox magic, dense silver aura—both vanished on contact, like a lie.
"Wh-What? Why'd my magic...?"
"This... Could it be...?"
As they froze in disbelief,
the silver fox shook itself contentedly and padded forward slowly.
"...It worked."
Its path ended at Jeon.