Chapter 54
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Magic Competition (1)
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"No way. No way. There's no way this could be possible."
Seo-hyun spun around in circles right there on the spot.
"Two... even two is unbelievable... Am I dreaming right now...? No, this is reality... Five... five is just..."
The number of simultaneous casts Yoon Seo-hyun could currently perform was five.
On par with Kang Tae-hyun.
But their training periods were worlds apart.
Seo-hyun had been handling magic since she first learned to walk.
In terms of time, that was over ten years.
Yet he had managed it in a mere three months at best.
There was no way he could have been stupid enough to hide his power.
Hiding it at the apprentice academy would only drop her ranking and risk expulsion.
Which left only one conclusion: he had truly mastered simultaneous casting in just three months.
"Ah, you're driving me crazy."
Thud.
Tae-hyun placed a hand on the head of the endlessly circling Seo-hyun, calming her down.
"Ah... uh... eek... uh... ugh..."
Seo-hyun couldn't string words together properly, like a broken robot.
"Anyway, I'm busy. I'm heading out."
"Uh... ugh..."
Tae-hyun took off his sparring uniform and handed it to her.
He headed toward the training hall entrance.
Then he glanced back suddenly.
"Oh, and knock before entering my room. I'm a guest here."
"..."
Seo-hyun silently watched him disappear from the training hall.
The moment I got back to my room, I stuck a piece of paper on the door that read 'Knock Please.'
I also asked the butler for a curtain I could draw whenever I wanted.
I reviewed the notes I'd compiled again.
"The monsters that showed up at Gwanghwamun... were nagas, huh."
Level 3 monsters with human upper bodies but snake tails for legs.
They normally inhabited swamp-type dungeons but occasionally ventured out of gates to hunt humans.
To deal with nagas, you needed powerful aquatic combat skills.
Nagas moved swiftly in water-filled areas.
Not fast enough to be untouchable, of course, but the terrain had to be factored in.
'The most important thing... is civilian safety.'
Killing the monsters mattered, but not a single civilian could lose their life.
At minimum, casualties had to be minimized.
That meant luring the monsters together with irresistible bait, just like with the pigmen incident.
"...Yeah. Alright then."
Scribble-scribble-scribble.
I jotted down every countermeasure that came to mind.
Here was where the top note-taker shone.
I lost track of night falling as I pored over my research.
Yoon Jeong-yeon's room.
Moonlight mingled with candle flames, casting a hazy glow in the dim room.
Yoon Jeong-yeon was knitting, her favorite hobby.
Seo-hyun sat nearby in a rocking chair, lost in deep thought.
"Sis."
"Hm?"
After much deliberation, Seo-hyun spoke up.
She asked cautiously.
"Think about it. He's eighteen."
"Yeah. Eighteen."
Yoon Jeong-yeon replied in her gentle voice, indulging her little sister.
"And he can do five simultaneous casts."
"So?"
"Get this—the crazy part? Magic isn't even his specialty. His martial arts are nearly perfect too."
"And?"
"Plus, his growth rate is insane."
"Hmm... is it now?"
Yoon Jeong-yeon neatly finished the end of her scarf.
"Is he even human? Well... definitely not human, but is he even a living being...?"
Pfft! "What, someone like that exists?"
"Yeah! Isn't it nuts?"
"...Impressive, sure. Though his magical growth lags behind the family head."
"No, that's not..."
To Yoon Seo-hyun, his growth rivaled even the current Yoon Family head, Yoon Su-ah.
But Yoon Jeong-yeon, unaware of the details, couldn't grasp it.
"...Haa... never mind..."
Creeak-creeak.
Seo-hyun slumped again, rocking the chair furiously.
"...Well, if it's true."
Yoon Jeong-yeon said as she folded the finished scarf with care.
"Don't let him get away."
"...Don't let him get away?"
"Yeah."
Seo-hyun twirled her fingers, deep in thought.
Yoon Jeong-yeon smiled at the sight.
"But no falling for him, okay? You know the curse..."
"...Tch. I know. Don't worry. I've been in love with magic for sixteen years."
Yoon Seo-hyun looked glum, wistful.
Then her eyes flashed as she retorted.
"I never said it was a guy!!!?"
"Oh? Hohoho~ Is my Seo-hyun going through puberty?"
"Argh, seriously! Sis!!"
Seo-hyun dashed over and hugged Jeong-yeon's neck, whining.
Jeong-yeon played along with her sister's antics and took her hand.
"Seo-hyun."
"Yeah?"
Seo-hyun clung tightly as she answered.
Jeong-yeon stroked her hair.
"I hope you and Ah-young can get along... like old times..."
"..."
Seo-hyun said nothing.
Jeong-yeon just kept stroking her hair.
"I love both my little sisters."
"...Yeah."
For a while, Seo-hyun clung to Jeong-yeon.
The flickering candle sufficed to heighten the mood.
And a sudden memory from the past chilled her heart.
Ten years ago.
"Miss...! Seo-hyun miss...! You'll fall!"
Thud-thud-thud.
Six-year-old Seo-hyun ignored her nanny and raced across the floor.
"Eee-hee-hee, hee-hee! Siiiis!!!"
Bam!
Seo-hyun flung the door open and dove straight into Ah-young's arms.
"Sis... Sis. Play with me."
Eight-year-old Ah-young.
She had been deep in magic training.
Though her little sister had barged in mid-session, Ah-young didn't show it.
She stroked Seo-hyun's head.
"Shall we? What should we play?"
"Hide-and-seek! And red light, green light!"
"Okay."
Ah-young took Seo-hyun's hand to leave, but her private tutor blocked them.
"No. The young miss is in the middle of magic training."
Seo-hyun's nanny followed, bowing repeatedly in apology.
For Yoon Family children, magic training was paramount.
"...Argh, why! Just a little playtime is fine."
Seo-hyun shouted boldly.
But the private tutor stood firm.
"Seo-hyun miss. Ah-young miss is training. Please step back."
Ah-young hung her head, looking glum.
She caressed Seo-hyun's cheek.
"Seo-hyun, let's play later. Sorry."
"...Ugh... no... I wanna play now. Play nowwww."
"Young miss."
As Seo-hyun threw a tantrum, the tutor spoke sternly.
"This is the family head's order. Even you can't interrupt training. Nanny, please take her out."
"Y-yes. I'm so sorry. It's my fault for not watching her... Sorry. So sorry."
"Waaah... waaaah!"
Childhood Seo-hyun burst into tears from the injustice.
No adult scolded the crying child.
No matter their duty to training, they couldn't mishandle Yoon Family heirs.
"...What is this?"
But the commotion soon settled.
Everyone in the room dropped to their knees.
Seo-hyun sniffled toward the door.
Overwhelming presence.
Yoon Ji-ae, Yoon Family's second-generation head and A-Rank Hunter.
Mother to the seven sisters.
Younger sister to the twenty heroes' Yoon Ji-yeon, who succeeded her as second head.
Her expression was dark.
Even the crying child fell instantly silent before her aura.
Yoon Ji-ae asked again.
"...I asked, what happened."
"S-sorry!"
Ah-young rushed forward on her knees.
She covered for her sister, blaming herself.
"It's because I slacked off... I'm sorry. Punish me."
"..."
Yoon Ji-ae showed no expression.
No trace of love in her face, eyes, or emotions.
She raised her sisters solely as mages.
Young Seo-hyun trembled, clutching her nanny's leg.
Ah-young kept her head bowed low.
To her own family...
Something that should never happen between kin.
"Lift your head."
"...Y-yes! Family head!"
Ah-young's face brightened as she looked up.
Slap!
A sharp slap echoed through the room.
Ah-young touched her stinging cheek.
Yoon Ji-ae spoke, expressionless.
'...S-Sis...!'
Seo-hyun could hardly calm her shock.
"Don't disappoint me. You are the chosen ones."
"...S-sorry... sorry... Family head..."
Far too harsh for eight-year-old Ah-young.
Six-year-old Seo-hyun felt it too.
Her sister, slapped because of her.
Too much for a child to bear.
"Remember this. The weak are trash, vermin unworthy of this place. Train your magic to the extreme and become stronger than anyone. Never slack."
"...Understood, Family head..."
"...Yoon Seo-hyun. Do you understand?"
"...Y-yes... Yes... sniff... yesss..."
Seo-hyun answered through tears.
The weak are trash.
Yoon Ji-ae's constant mantra.
She brainwashed Yoon Seo-hyun.
Sitting her on her lap, stroking her hair, she said.
"Remember. The weak are trash... My Seo-hyun must reclaim the family head, right? You must find her... Yoon Ji-yeon, the first head."
"...The weak are trash... I must reclaim the family head..."
"Yes... good girl..."
Six-year-old Yoon Seo-hyun began her fall under Yoon Ji-ae's influence.
Only the strong survive.
You were chosen for your innate senses and unique talents.
Never forget why you came from the orphanage.
Yoon Seo-hyun repeated it endlessly—before bed, upon waking, at meals.
"The weak are trash... the weak are... trash... We are the chosen."
Thwack!
"Kyaa!"
Ah-young tumbled back from Seo-hyun's attack.
Now eight, Yoon Seo-hyun had finally surpassed her sister.
"...Haa... huff... ugh..."
Ah-young struggled to her feet.
Seo-hyun showed no expression.
Yoon Ji-ae clapped approvingly at the sight.
No one could stop her tyranny.
Yoon Ji-ae was the family head.
A position beyond challenge.
Yoon Seo-hyun looked down at her sister impassively.
"The weak are trash, Sis."
"...Seo-hyun..."
The second head's brainwashing made the children strong.
And corrupted them.
Ah-young refused to accept the reality before her.
The gap between Seo-hyun and Ah-young only widened after.
The more Seo-hyun trampled her, the more Yoon Ji-ae's favor she gained.
To Seo-hyun, that was love from family.
It was right.
Winning her big sister's affection.
Her last remaining family in the world were her sisters.
So Seo-hyun thoroughly crushed Ah-young.
And Ah-young was utterly cast out.
Yoon Ji-ae's words tormented the young girl.
"Useless thing."
"At least emulate half your sister's ability."
"I can't stand the sight. Get out."
"How did trash like you get in."
"Does food even go down your throat? Pathetic weakling..."
Life in the old Yoon Family was pure hell.
Discrimination as a failure was inevitable.
Her hellish life lasted until Yoon Ji-ae was ousted.
S-Rank Hunter Yoon Su-ah rejected all of Yoon Ji-ae's deeds and rose as new head.
The Yoon Family's core leadership, supporters of Yoon Su-ah, banished Yoon Ji-ae.
She protested, but Yoon Su-ah, an S-Rank, was unbeatable.
Yoon Ji-ae vanished.
No one knew her whereabouts after.
...But the rift, now vast, persisted even after the head changed.
"...I don't know."
Seo-hyun buried her face in Jeong-yeon's chest to hide her feelings.
She wanted to apologize.
But didn't know how to approach.
'I don't know that stuff... I don't know anything...'
All she'd learned was magic.
If someone had taught her, would things have improved?
She didn't know how to say kind words or apologize.
Puberty, maybe.
She didn't even know that.
She had no idea how to face her past actions honestly.
The first day of the Magic Competition.
Mages had already flooded the Yoon Family estate.
The atmosphere was festival-like.
Reporters with cameras swarmed everywhere.
Streets buzzed with spectators, mages showing off tricks with magic tools.
Fitting the world's grandest magic festival, the scale was immense.
"Registration's that way, huh."
Not just hunters—adventurer mages and academy cadets were everywhere.
Every mage had gathered to prove their magic.
I pulled my hoodie low.
"Alright. Time to win this thing."
Of course, I'd take the top prize among all these mages.
For that high-grade mana manual.
I strode toward registration.
(To be continued next time)