Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 274

Field Training (3)

***

There were many different words to describe Flame.

Excellent Grades, Beautiful Appearance.

Exemplary Conduct, Outstanding Physical Abilities.

A true Jack of All Trades.

However, even she had one fatal weakness: teamwork.

In group projects, where members divide roles and each handles their tasks, it’s generally considered sufficient to simply fulfill one’s own role.

However, Flame inherently found this impossible.

It wasn’t that Flame, who had already expanded her network to include not only first-years but also second and third-years, had any issues with interpersonal relationships.

Perhaps it was because she had already experienced university life once on Earth, but she had a habit of trying to handle everything herself.

There was a time when she was accused of ‘not trusting her teammates’, but now, being in a group with Flame essentially guaranteed an A+ without having to do anything, making her quite popular in that regard.

“…Student Flame. You want to challenge a monster hunt alone?”

“Yes. Is that not allowed? If it isn’t, please make it allowed.”

“No, it’s not that…”

An ace student like Flame stood out even here, where A-class and S-class students applied for missions.

Several A-class students approached her, asking her to join their groups.

For some reason, they were all male students, but Flame brushed off all their requests and ultimately submitted her mission application alone.

She could have cooperated this time if she wanted to, but the reason she didn’t was simple: points.

Classes like these ‘field missions’ were heavily weighted in the grading, so rather than half-heartedly cooperating, she aimed to secure points by defeating a high-ranking monster alone.

“Well, it’s not that it’s not allowed… The school is aware that you’ve reached the 4th-class. But you haven’t officially been granted the 4th-class certification yet.”

“That’s right.”

“So the level of monsters you can challenge is significantly lower.”

“Hmm, if the level is lower, wouldn’t it be easier? I’ll just beat them up quickly.”

“Well… Alright, I understand. You want a high-level monster, right? Should I choose the most difficult one among those you can challenge alone?”

“I would appreciate that.”

However, the teaching assistant flipping through the mission briefings seemed unsatisfied and scratched his head.

“There aren’t any monsters particularly suitable for a solo challenge. The ones that could be considered difficult have already been taken by groups of three or four. And even those are only 3-risk.”

“Then is there nothing?”

“There is, but…”

The teaching assistant showed Flame the mission briefing.

[2-risk Mini Melebit Extermination]

[1-risk Remnants of the Kair Tribe Extermination]

[2-risk Monster Bear Hunt]

[2-risk Steel Cockroach Extermination]

All of them were either hunting 2-risk monsters or exterminating multiple low-level monsters.

Those missions were more tedious than difficult and wouldn’t yield many points.

To earn high points, one needed to defeat a monster of 3-risk or higher through cooperation, which was impossible to do alone.

“Damn it, this is annoying…”

As Flame scowled and read through the mission briefings, Feng Hwarang suddenly interjected and pointed at one of them.

“Are you interested in doing this one with me?”

“Huh?”

The mission he pointed to was [2-risk Monster Bear Hunt]. It was such a simple mission that she hadn’t even considered it.

“No? Why would I do something boring alone with you? If it was a fun one, maybe, but you’re not fun.”

“…I may not be fun, but as a companion, you can rely on me.”

“Nah. I don’t like my backside, so I don’t want to entrust it to anyone.”

“Then how about this?”

Feng Hwarang rolled his eyes to look at the teaching assistant. The way he looked made it seem like he was glaring, causing the assistant to flinch involuntarily.

“What happens if an unexpected situation arises during the mission?”

“An unexpected situation… like what…?”

“For example, what if the monster is stronger than indicated?”

“U-Usually, in that case, additional points would be awarded, right?”

If a mission is deemed more dangerous than indicated, the magic warrior has the right to abandon it.

Alternatively, if they proceed with the mission, they receive additional compensation corresponding to the risk, along with a reimbursement.

In other words, completing a ‘2-risk mission that turns out to be a 3-risk’ would yield more points than completing a ‘3-risk mission’.

“Huh… Are you…?”

As Flame looked at him with suspicion, Feng Hwarang simply nodded silently.

‘What the hell. Is this really a 3-risk mission?’

Just in case, she carefully read through the detailed mission briefing.

[Location: Southern Haoya Plains]

“Ah.”

Then she realized.

The Feng Empire.

Feng Hwarang, the direct bloodline of the Feng family that ruled the entire Southern Haoya Plains.

If he wanted to, Feng Hwarang could modify the details of any mission in the Southern Haoya Plains.

Of course, he couldn’t deviate from the given mission framework, and the teaching assistant would be monitoring from behind…

But finding a 3-risk level mutant Monster Bear wouldn’t be a problem for him.

‘This is a bit tempting, but…’

Still, going on a mission with Feng Hwarang felt unsettling.

“How about it? Are you interested now?”

“No.”

So she gave a firm answer. No matter how much Flame was obsessed with points, she wouldn’t fall for such an obvious scheme.

She didn’t seem to have this kind of awareness before, but lately, she had become quite sensitive to the behavior of male students, constantly worrying about romantic relationships.

Yes, she knew very well what Feng Hwarang had in mind.

That’s why she had to cut it off cleanly.

Pretending to go along with it, taking advantage of the situation, and then rejecting him would be worse than trash.

If there were no feelings involved, politely refusing the offer from the beginning was a matter of respect for the other person.

“…Are you uncomfortable with us doing the mission alone?”

“What?”

But Feng Hwarang’s words caught Flame off guard.

“You don’t have to worry about that. I already anticipated that you might feel uncomfortable. I also knew you would refuse.”

“Oh… Is that so.”

“Then how about this? We raise the level of the ‘unexpected situation’ to 4-risk.”

“4-risk? Is that possible?”

“Yes. And in addition, you can choose whoever you want to bring along on the mission. Someone who can share the burden and is a suitable partner for cooperation. For example… someone like Baek Yu-seol.”

Flame’s tone noticeably rose in surprise.

“Why are you suddenly bringing him up?”

“Just… I thought you might want to bring him along.”

“No way. I’m definitely not bringing Baek Yu-seol.”

“There’s no need to be stubborn…”

“I’m not being stubborn.”

Flame snatched the mission briefing from Feng Hwarang’s hand and began to skim through it, up and down. It was obvious she was trying to hide her flustered expression, but he didn’t mention it further.

“There are still a few people who haven’t properly applied for a mission yet. Then I’m really going to bring someone else?”

“Yes. Anyone is fine.”

Although it would be even better if that ‘anyone’ wasn’t Baek Yu-seol.

Swallowing that thought, Feng Hwarang was about to wait quietly.

“Hey!! Anyone want to go earn a ton of points with me!!”

**.9!!”

Suddenly, Flame stepped onto the central platform, waved the paper from side to side, and shouted, almost making him yelp.

“What?”

“It’s Flame?”

“She’s asking us to go earn points?”

“I’ll go.”

“Hey, hey, don’t go. That girl is totally crazy. Who knows what kind of insane stunt she’ll pull?”

“Why is she crazy? She’s just nice.”

“You don’t know her. That’s all an act, I’m telling you.”

Some A-class students hesitated, wanting to approach but unable to. There was still a significant faction of A-class nobles who were wary of Flame, a commoner who had made it into S-class, and the commoners were inevitably influenced by them and couldn’t act freely.

The other S-class students seemed to have already chosen their desired missions and weren’t moving, so everyone was just watching each other.

Then, Hae Wonryang stepped forward first.

“Oh, you’re in?”

“What kind of mission is it?”

“It’s marked as 2-risk, but there’s going to be an ‘unexpected situation’. The mission might become very, very difficult. Are you still in?”

“The mission will become difficult…”

Hae Wonryang immediately understood Flame’s intention. As someone constantly striving for the top spot and always concerned about points, he couldn’t refuse such an attractive offer.

“I’m intrigued. Are all the unexpected situations within your calculations?”

“Oh, come on~ Of course not.”

“I’m in.”

“Alright, then next! Anyone else?”

As Hae Wonryang stepped up, Ma Yuseong, who always stuck to him like a leech, immediately approached Flame.

“Monster hunt? Is that fun?”

“I don’t know? But it’ll probably be more fun than the mission you chose.”

“Then I’ll do it. The one I chose seems too boring.”

“Oh, I like that. Then anyone else? Anyone else want to join?”

With Ma Yuseong unexpectedly joining, Hae Wonryang’s expression crumpled, but there was nothing he could do.

In fact, the moment he joined, this outcome was almost inevitable.

“Hmm, no one else? Then let’s apply like this.”

Jumping back down, Flame ran to the teaching assistant and added Ma Yuseong and Hae Wonryang’s names to the mission application.

“Feng! Is this team okay?”

-…Yes.”

Feng Hwarang glanced at Ma Yuseong and Hae Wonryang, who were standing behind her, and sighed.

He hadn’t expected to go on a mission alone with her.

He had simply hoped to create an environment where he could stand out to her.

But of all people, the two most undesirable rivals had joined.

‘…I’ll just have to do my best.’

He had already prepared himself for the fact that winning Flame’s heart wouldn’t be easy. But he would do everything he could.

Even if he failed in the end.

He would accept it calmly.

“Well, that’s quite a team.”

The teaching assistant shook his head and stamped the mission application with a thud.

The entire team was composed of the top ten students in the grade, all of them elite.

He felt sorry for whatever monster they would be facing.

“Well… It doesn’t seem necessary, but you still need to attend the mission orientation, so head over to that lecture hall.”

“Yes!”

As Feng Hwarang headed to the lecture hall first, followed by Ma Yuseong and Hae Wonryang bickering, Flame glanced at them and whispered to the teaching assistant.

“Um… Once you apply for a mission, you can’t add more people, right? Not many, just one more person…”

“Hmm? Well, it’s not impossible. Who are you adding?”

At the teaching assistant’s words, Flame hesitated for a moment and then glanced at the A and S-class mission application status.

[Persona Gate]

[S-class Baek Yu-seol, S-class Hong Bi-yeon]

Flame’s pink lips were slightly bitten, distorting their shape.

“No. I don’t think there’s anyone else I need to add. I’ll be going now.”

“Oh, alright…”

What was it? What could have caused the cheerful and lively girl’s mood to suddenly drop?

The teaching assistant carefully read through the mission application status that Flame had been looking at, but he couldn’t figure out the reason.

He simply thought that this girl’s personality was truly unpredictable.

End of Chapter