Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 275

Field Training (4)

The practical deployment of first-year A and S class students is conducted with the assistance of teaching assistants.

The teaching assistants are composed of graduates of Stella Academy, or mages of 4th class or higher who are enrolled in Stella Graduate School, as well as senior students in their second and third years.

Senior assistants accompany the first-year students on their missions.

“Rudelik. This is the list of students you will be in charge of.”

Second-year A class, Rudelik.

A top student ranked 39th in his grade.

Coming from a prestigious family of mages in the Poong Empire, he had risen smoothly through the elite course and was considered a very valuable talent, receiving special treatment within the country.

‘Talent? I’m on a different level.’

There are countless talents within the kingdom, but Rudelik was a student of Stella Academy.

Stella Academy accepts everyone equally, whether they are commoners or royalty.

Regardless of the pre-education or early education one received before entering, Stella purely looks at a student’s magical talent and ability to admit them.

Therefore, just entering this place allows one to hold the title of “genius.”

This was also why the Poong Empire, currently split into various factions and in desperate need of even a single talent, had no choice but to treat Stella graduates with great favor.

He had not yet achieved his dream.

Not just graduating from Stella, but reaching the A class… no, the S class.

‘This annoying teaching assistant work is just a stepping stone to that.’

For Rudelik, who had few connections, he had to endure all this troublesome work to look good to the professors, receive some compensation, and earn points.

‘I’m so desperate, but…’

Rudelik pretended to read the student list while subtly glancing to the side.

Second-year S class, Dokcheolgwang.

The madman who turned the school upside down with his ignorant Magic Martial Arts as soon as he entered.

Unlike other magic warriors, his fighting style of encircling his fists with magic circles and directly striking was something ordinary students couldn’t counter.

In one-on-one duels, Dokcheolgwang always emerged victorious.

Truly a genius among geniuses.

Although Dokcheolgwang was from the streets of the Poong Empire, not even a backwater noble, the moment he received the S-class label at Stella, his entire fate changed.

S-class students at Stella received more than just noble treatment.

‘Even though his origins are so lowly…’

It’s really unsightly to see him standing proudly in the S class, the same class that he, who had been educated in a prestigious family of mages, had aimed for.

S-class students are specially managed by not only the Stella faculty but also the World Magic Tower and the Academic Society, so they don’t need to do such annoying teaching assistant work.

If there was some profound reason, he could have acknowledged that geniuses are different and looked for something to learn…

“Hmm, this looks fun!”

Fun! It was infuriating to see Dokcheolgwang, who had applied to be a teaching assistant simply because it seemed fun.

“What’s so fun about it, you crazy bastard.”

Someone smacked Dokcheolgwang hard on the back, making a loud ‘thwack!’ sound as he read the mission application with a foolish grin.

It was Bandiyun, the second-year S class representative.

“This is a real mission, so take good care of the kids. But don’t interfere and mess things up. Got it? This is the first-year’s mission, not yours.”

“That doesn’t sound fun.”

Dokcheolgwang’s spirit slightly dampened as she spoke with a stern expression.

The only woman who could control the stubborn and unruly Dokcheolgwang.

‘…Why is she sticking with that stupid commoner? I just don’t understand.’

Rudelik frowned deeply.

Bandiyun came from a very special family in the Poong Empire.

Although not a noble, she was a woman from a completely different world than Dokcheolgwang, who was just a lowly beggar.

Her family was excellent, her magical talent was undoubtedly that of a genius, and her beauty was also outstanding.

She was undeniably the most brilliant among the second-year students, so he couldn’t understand why she was sticking with Dokcheolgwang.

‘Rather than a guy like that…’

As he glared at Dokcheolgwang, it was inevitable that his eyes would meet with Bandiyun, who was right next to him.

She slightly softened her stern expression that she had been using to look at Dokcheolgwang and casually waved her hand in greeting.

“Oh, are you the one who’s going to be a teaching assistant with me at the Persona Gate?”

“…I’m not ‘the one,’ I’m Rudelik.”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, nice to work with you. Hmm? Have we met before?”

Of course, they had.

As one of the Seven Wind Families of the Poong Empire, Rudelik and Bandiyun inevitably met once a year at the elders’ meeting.

When he was ten years old, Rudelik remembered Bandiyun from the moment he first saw her, but had she not?

They had been attending the same school for a whole year, yet she couldn’t even remember his name properly.

Even though the entire student body was close to a thousand, and they wouldn’t meet if their classes didn’t overlap…

He felt it was a bit too much.

“Sigh, we have met. Rudelik of the Poong Empire. Don’t you remember?”

“Uh… Ah! Oh, yeah. Nice to see you. You were so tiny back then, but you’ve grown a lot now?”

“I was taller than you even then.”

“Ah, well, anyway, let’s work hard together on this mission, okay? We got stuck with the most annoying Persona Gate.”

Bandiyun sighed deeply.

It might be bad luck for her, but it was a stroke of luck for Rudelik.

Bandiyun had apparently wanted to take on the mission with Dokcheolgwang, but they were separated by the professors, and she ended up being assigned to the Persona Gate mission with Rudelik.

It was a 3-risk level mission, suitable for first-year students, so it wouldn’t be too difficult for Rudelik, who had completely mastered the 3rd class and had ample field experience.

“Well, aren’t you lucky? The mission location happens to be the Poong Empire. You’ll get to go back to your hometown for the first time in a while, huh? Hmm…”

Bandiyun licked her lips as if intrigued, looking over the list of students assigned to her mission.

[First-year S class, Baek Yu-seol]

She was a bit upset that her mission was separated from Dokcheolgwang’s, but perhaps it was fortunate that she would be able to carry out the mission with a student she had been watching with interest.

Bandiyun smiled faintly, a rare sight.

“Shall we go see our little ones, then?”

The first-year A and S class students receive different orientations depending on their assigned missions.

It’s a place to receive a brief mission briefing and decide on the operation method, so non-attendance is not allowed.

Rudelik went to the classroom where the first-year students assigned to the Persona Gate mission were gathered.

Thud! Bang!

Bandiyun burst through the door and glanced around the classroom.

Rudelik, who followed her in, also checked the members and slightly hardened his expression.

Among the roughly ten students, two stood out.

He had seen them on the list beforehand, but the presence of two high-profile new students, Hong Bi-yeon and Baek Yu-seol, was quite a burden even for Rudelik.

‘…So that’s Baek Yu-seol.’

The school grounds were so vast that this was practically the first time he had seen him in person, despite being enrolled at Stella.

He had seen him from afar during some matches, but facing him like this made it even more ridiculous.

‘I heard that he’s been running around hunting Dark Mages on his own.’

It’s impressive.

Rudelik hadn’t even fought a Dark Mage properly when he was a first-year.

But honestly, even Rudelik back then could have easily handled a few Dark Mages if he had wanted to.

The reason he didn’t was that first-years were still in a period of passionate learning, and he didn’t want to deviate from the framework set by the professors.

‘It’s not like anyone can’t do it, kid.’

Rudelik made a mental note of Baek Yu-seol and then looked at Hong Bi-yeon.

Contrary to the rumors of her being a selfish princess, she sat upright and stared at them.

Compared to other arrogant first-year S class students who were lying down, sleeping, or even late, she could be considered relatively well-behaved.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Bandiyun, a second-year S class student who will be accompanying you on the Persona Gate mission. This is a second-year… uh, what class again?”

“A class.”

“Right. Rudelik from A class.”

“It’s Rudelik.”

“Anyway, that’s not important.”

It is important.

“You’ve all practiced Persona Gates before, but the real thing is completely different.”

Bandiyun said with a serious expression.

“Practice clearly shows you the direction to make it as easy as possible, but a real Persona disorients you so that you lose your way.”

No one knows why Persona Gates suddenly appeared in this world.

The advent of beings from a completely different world, beyond.

Why do the Dark Mages keep summoning Persona Gates to the present world?

What secrets are hidden in that world?

And why do they keep trying to assimilate mages into their world?

“One thing is certain: Persona Gates are not friendly to you. The sky, the land, the water, even the air – everything there will be hostile and try to devour you.”

Some of the first-year students seemed nervous, and the sound of them swallowing their saliva could be heard.

‘Cute.’

Rudelik had already cleared Persona Gates twice, so the new students who were about to enter for the first time seemed cute and young to him.

“Preparing for a Persona Gate takes a long time, and the actual clearing time is also very long. Even though it’s the lowest level, 3-risk, we might need to allocate up to a week. You all knew that when you applied, right?”

While all the students nodded, Baek Yu-seol alone did not.

‘Damn it, a week…’

He wanted to go back to the days when he just sat at his desk, dozing off with his face buried in textbooks.

No, he’d rather study.

Why hadn’t he realized back then that studying was such a comfortable and enjoyable thing?

If he could, he would devour all the textbooks and become the top student.

Or maybe not?

“We leave tomorrow at 6 AM. A graduate teaching assistant will accompany us, but they won’t enter the Persona Gate.”

In other missions like monster hunting or dungeon exploration, veteran mage warrior teaching assistants quietly accompany the students, staying out of sight.

However, this is not possible with Persona Gates.

Some Persona Gates have a limit on the number of entrants from the start, and the moment you enter, everyone is assigned a ‘role’.

If a teaching assistant doesn’t fulfill that role, they could be consumed by the Persona.

But if they actively participate, there are often cases where the teaching assistant ends up clearing the entire mission by themselves, so it couldn’t be helped.

“Although we are seniors with field experience, unlike dungeon or monster hunting, we can’t handle every crisis. We might get separated inside, or even become hostile to each other. But one thing is certain.”

Bandiyun said with a confident smile.

“As mages of Stella, we have never failed, and this time will be no exception.”

Her words seemed to ease the tension a little, and the expressions of the first-year students brightened slightly.

It was Bandiyun’s way of speaking, intentionally inducing tension and then instilling confidence to maximize mission performance.

After that, Bandiyun explained in detail the preparations and plans for clearing the Persona Gate, while Rudelik quietly observed Baek Yu-seol.

“Yawn…”

He seemed to be listening to the explanation, but his frequent yawns showed his boredom and unruly attitude.

‘Tsk, these new students these days.’

When Rudelik was a first-year, he wouldn’t have dared to even lift his head in front of seniors, but these students were clearly spoiled.

He recalled that there was an incident at the beginning of the semester where Baek Yu-seol had a dispute with some idiot from the second-year C class.

It was wrong for a first-year to challenge a second-year in the first place, and didn’t Baek Yu-seol lose that time?

In the end, that’s Baek Yu-seol’s true level.

‘I’ll be watching to see how you perform this time.’

If Baek Yu-seol acted out of line as a student of Stella, Rudelik was fully prepared to firmly correct him as a second-year senior.

End of Chapter