Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 276

Field Training (5)

***

At dawn, as the sun began to rise.

Thirty airships floated in the sky above Stella Academy.

It was impossible for so many airships to take off at once due to air traffic regulations, but the sight of those massive vessels ascending sequentially was quite a spectacle.

Bandiyun and Rudelik, leading ten first-year cadets, had to transfer between airships three times and take two trains before finally using a warp hole to reach the Poong Empire.

Major nations and organizations like the Adolevit Kingdom, the Scalven Empire, Alchemy Castle, and Arcaneum were mostly located on the Central Continent, but the Poong Empire was situated in the Southern Haoya Plains.

Long-distance travel was a common occurrence on such a vast continent, something one had to get used to. After nearly three to four hours of travel, they finally arrived at the Poong Empire.

The Southern, Haoya Plains.

The Poong Empire, the land of wind.

A hub of southern trade, with seven great rivers flowing through the continent, it was a place where numerous races gathered and lived harmoniously.

Adventurers traveling with the wind and clouds could rest at the Lotus Inn under the moonlight, beastmen welcomed wandering merchants and embraced new cultures, and those seeking freedom could relax and fish in the Fresh Lake.

The Poong Empire’s attire differed greatly from that of the Central Continent’s nations. Seeing the people who favored loose, breathable clothing, Baek Yu-seol felt a sense of familiarity.

“It’s almost like, Hanbok.”

Baek Yu-seol slowly surveyed the Poong Empire’s capital, ‘Taeyusan’.

He had often visited the Haoya Plains for various reasons, but this was his first time in the Poong Empire. The culture was quite unfamiliar.

“Oh… The architecture here is fascinating.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“It’s like the buildings are wearing straw hats.”

Contrary to the impression that it was a nation founded by travelers, the Poong Empire boasted a grandeur comparable to other nations.

Moreover, unlike the European-style atmosphere of Aether’s Central Continent, the Poong Empire’s Eastern-style architecture was quite unfamiliar to the Stella students, who were engrossed in sightseeing.

“Alright, is everyone gathered?”

Bandiyun lined up the ten students and spoke.

“We’re not here for a vacation. Right? It’s a shame since the Poong Empire is such a beautiful place with much to see, but we need to head straight to our mission location.”

And that location was, surprisingly, very close by.

Bandiyun used Psychokinesis to display a map in the air and pointed to a location with her staff, a western alley of the capital Taeyusan.

“Persona Gates rarely appear in cities. Investigators are still researching why this is the case, but… Anyway, the important thing is that this is our mission.”

“Some of you are from the Poong Empire, and some aren’t, but I assume you’ve all studied the culture beforehand?”

Rুদelik asked, and the students nodded.

Due to the nature of their missions, Magic Warriors were often dispatched to other countries. As a result, a Magic Warrior license served as a passport that was valid in almost any country.

There were instances where a nation might refuse entry based on a Magic Warrior’s origin, but generally, they could go anywhere. Therefore, Magic Warriors needed to study the history, culture, and even language of each nation.

“Most mages, including Stella students, use ‘Camelrn’, but the locals don’t.”

In the Aether World, there was a common language similar to English on Earth, which was Camelrn.

Originating from Camelrn, considered the birthplace of magic, it was the language used by the Progenitor Mage and had become the common language among mages.

All magical systems, including magic words and runes, were based on Camelrn, so mastering this language was essential for any mage.

In other words, mages had to know at least two languages: their native tongue and Camelrn.

“Is there anyone here who can speak the Poong language? It might appear inside the Persona Gate, so we need to be prepared.”

Most students didn’t raise their hands.

Unlike other languages with similar structures, the Poong language had a very unfamiliar structure.

However, there were two exceptions.

Hong Bi-yeon and Baek Yu-seol.

But Baek Yu-seol only half-raised his arm, causing Bandiyun to tilt her head.

“Why are you only raising your arm halfway? Do you know the language but can’t speak it?”

“No, it’s not that… I think I can speak it? But I’m not sure to what extent…”

“Hey. Are you playing word games? Can you speak it or not? Just say it.”

It must have sounded like wordplay to others as well, so Baek Yu-seol didn’t say anything and remained silent. Bandiyun intervened.

“It’s fine. As long as you can understand it, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

“……Alright.”

Rudelৃক couldn’t understand his junior’s arrogant wordplay, but Bandiyun generously overlooked it.

“It would be good for the other students to learn some basic everyday conversation as well.”

“Yes.”

“First, we need to stop by the Poong Empire’s Mage Association branch before we depart. You all know the procedures for foreign Magic Warriors on missions, right? I’ll show you now, so pay attention.”

After saying that, Bandiyun took the lead, and the students followed, excitedly taking in the sights of the capital Taeyusan.

As Baek Yu-seol walked slowly at the back, Hong Bi-yeon glanced at him and deliberately slowed down to match his pace.

Then, she casually asked.

“Commoner. Can you speak the Poong language?”

She had struggled so much to learn the Poong language. Even Hong Bi-yeon, who was confident in her memorization skills due to her memory-related traits, found it incredibly difficult.

“Yeah. মোটামুটি.”

“…I see.”

It would be strange if Baek Yu-seol didn’t know a language.

Whoosh…

A gentle breeze blew.

The clear, pure air unique to the Poong Empire.

While enjoying the refreshing air that seemed to penetrate even her soul, Hong Bi-yeon couldn’t organize her thoughts.

Honestly, she was quite dissatisfied with this situation. Why couldn’t they carry out the mission alone?

She was confident she could easily handle a mere 3-risk Persona Gate.

She should have applied for a monster hunt or dungeon exploration mission that allowed for two-person teams.

As Hong Bi-yeon was thinking about getting rid of the other members walking ahead, Baek Yu-seol rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a piece of chocolate, putting it in his mouth.

“..?..”

It seemed like a random act to her, but to Baek Yu-seol and the other students, it was nothing special.

Baek Yu-seol, finding the wide-eyed Hong Bi-yeon cute, took out another chocolate bar from his pocket and offered it to her.

“Oh. Do you want one too?”

Then he realized she probably hadn’t fully regained her sense of taste yet.

“Never mind if you don’t want it.”

He felt a pang of regret and was about to take back the chocolate, but she grabbed it before he could.

“…I’ll eat it.”

“Alright.”

She then stared at the chocolate as if she could pierce it with her gaze.

“What? Is this your first time eating commoner food?”

“I often have chocolate for dessert too.”

“That’s real, expensive chocolate made from melting chocolate fruits. This is made from cacao.”

Surprisingly, in the Aether World, there was a mythical plant called the chocolate fruit, but it was unfortunately very rare and only affordable for the wealthy.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Hong Bi-yeon then bit into Baek Yu-seol’s cheap chocolate with all her might.

And then, her eyes widened.

‘It’s… not disgusting.’

Just a week ago, she had tried to eat sweet food but failed. Instead of sweetness, a revolting taste swirled in her mouth, making her want to vomit.

But now it was different.

The sweetness was faint, but strangely, there was no disgusting taste at all. It melted naturally on her tongue.

One bite, two bites.

As Hong Bi-yeon devoured the chocolate with her small mouth, Baek Yu-seol watched her with a surprised expression.

‘Has her sense of taste returned?’

The few players who had tried to restore Hong Bi-yeon’s sense of taste.

In the end, all players failed to save her life, but a very small number of players managed to open the villainess Hong Bi-yeon’s heart and restore her sense of taste.

As expected of a dating simulation game, one of the conditions for regaining her sense of taste was, ironically, falling in love.

He didn’t know why that condition would restore the sense of taste lost to the flames, but the important point was that she was currently regaining her sense of taste to some extent.

‘Did something happen to make her fall in love?’

He stared at Hong Bi-yeon with questioning eyes, and she, having finished the chocolate, coughed awkwardly.

“It doesn’t have to be made from chocolate fruit. The taste is similar. It’s just a commoner’s delusion that chocolate fruit tastes better.”

“Is that so? Have you actually tried it?”

“…I have. I spat it all out, though.”

“So you prefer commoner food like me, huh? Want to go get some Pork and Rice Soup together?”

Hong Bi-yeon’s expression instantly turned cold.

Pork and Rice Soup.

It was a dish that Baek Yu-seol often ate at a restaurant he frequented, and it had gained some notoriety among the students. According to the reviews of those who had tried it, it was very revolting, had a strong, unpleasant smell, and the dish’s appearance was quite unappetizing.

Unfortunately, it was an unavoidable reality.

Pork and Rice Soup was too unfamiliar a dish for the students of Arcaneum to accept.

If even students with a normal sense of taste found it disgusting and smelly, how much worse would it be for Hong Bi-yeon?

Normally, she would have immediately retorted with something like, “Are you crazy?” but for some reason, the words caught in her throat.

Instead, she found herself nodding unconsciously.

“Commoners and royalty eat the same food. It’s a misconception that I only eat expensive food. I can eat Pork and Rice Soup too.”

“Oh… really?”

Would she still say that after eating Pork and Rice Soup?

He was already looking forward to seeing Hong Bi-yeon sitting with a spoon in front of a bowl of Pork and Rice Soup, but unfortunately, it seemed there were no Pork and Rice Soup restaurants in the Eastern-style Poong Empire, so he had to postpone it for later.

After that, Hong Bi-yeon continued to walk with Baek Yu-seol, talking about trivial topics.

Starting with chocolate and Pork and Rice Soup, they talked about onions, garlic, spices, delicious dishes and the hobby of cooking, what they did in their free time, and even Baek Yu-seol’s grumbling about how he disliked reading magic books but found history books quite interesting.

Hong Bi-yeon usually hated engaging in pointless conversations, but when talking with Baek Yu-seol, she lost track of time, no matter how unproductive the topic.

And then.

She realized.

Until now, Hong Bi-yeon had considered Baek Yu-seol to be someone from a different dimension. Traveling through time thousands of times, experiencing the past and future, Baek Yu-seol seemed like a distant person she could never get close to.

But that wasn’t the case.

“Commoner, you…”

“Hmm?”

“You’re living a more… ordinary life than I thought.”

“Oh… well, of course?”

Baek Yu-seol simply laughed it off as a joke, but to Hong Bi-yeon, it was no joke at all.

He was just an ordinary boy.

It was a small but significant realization for Hong Bi-yeon.

Was it even possible for a soul worn down by thousands of deaths and defeats to live an ordinary life? Perhaps he was just longing for an ordinary life…

“Alright. We’ve arrived. Most of the procedures will be handled by me and the teaching assistant, but you all need to observe and learn. No one will do it for you in your second year.”

While Hong Bi-yeon was lost in thought, they had arrived at their destination, and Bandiyun brought her back to reality.

“After completing the registration, we’ll enter the Persona Gate immediately.”

“Is everyone ready?”

The students nodded at Bandiyun and Rudelik’s questions.

“Then, let’s give it our best.”

End of Chapter