Magic Academy’s Genius Blinker

Chapter 298

League of Spirit (11)

***

[Stella Academy National Tournament Qualifiers]

A. Flame

A. Marun White

A. Emperor Goldens

The Stella Academy’s internal League of Spirit qualifiers concluded, and the teams advancing to the national tournament were decided. It was an honor for a single school to produce even one team for the national tournament, but Stella was the only one to produce three teams.

After the qualifiers, each team had an interview session. Baek Yu-seol and Ma Yuseong tried to escape, using fatigue as an excuse, and Aiselle, who excitedly declared that she was done playing and needed to study again, was barely restrained.

After all, facing the interviews alone would be too embarrassing.

Q. Flame, you’ve defeated the Emerald Stella team, considered the top team within Stella Academy. What do you think was the key to your victory?

“The key to victory? Should we even be asking this for just winning the school qualifiers? It’s not like we won the championship…”

[Flame’s Player: “Winning the school qualifiers is nothing to celebrate.”]

Q. Hae Wonryang, you’ve always had a studious image, but we didn’t know you were so interested in sports. When did you start playing League of Spirit?

“Two weeks ago.”

[Shocking Revelation! Flame team member’s playing experience is only two weeks…]

Q. Ma Yuseong? You defeated other teams that were earnestly preparing to go pro. What are your thoughts on League of Spirit?

Ma Yuseong stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and answered honestly.

“It’s just right, as a hobby.”

[Despite qualifying for the national tournament, Ma Yuseong considers it merely a hobby?]

Watching their every word being reported in real-time, Baek Yu-seol, who was nervously waiting for something while fidgeting, suddenly grabbed the microphone.

Q. Baek…

“I’m happy to win. I studied according to the textbook. I like Kimchi. I love Jisung Park!”

Then, he suddenly ran off somewhere during the interview, preventing any proper questions from being asked.

Q. Uh… then the interview ends here…

“What about me?”

Aiselle suddenly interjected, startling the interviewer. As a member of the Morf family, journalists naturally felt cautious around her.

But look at those sparkling eyes.

‘Is this child really a descendant of that Morf?’

He had often heard rumors of her beauty and seen her pictures in the newspapers, but facing those pure, sparkling eyes that resembled the sky up close, the journalist was at a loss for words.

Trying to remember his duty as a journalist, he cooled his flushed cheeks with his hand, cleared his throat, and asked a question.

Q. Um… then, Aiselle…?

“Yes!”

Q. Um…

Sparkling eyes, fair and delicate skin, and radiantly flowing hair.

The journalist, staring blankly at her, asked the question he really wanted to ask.

Q. What’s the secret to your beauty…?

“…Huh?”

Aiselle, with a puzzled expression at the unexpected question, answered as if it were a difficult matter.

“I just… don’t do anything…”

Q. …

[Cadet Aiselle, the secret to her beauty is “being born beautiful.”]

***

The Red Hawk Club.

Once, the power here belonged to the third-year senior, Edmund Atalek, but after a certain incident in the first semester, Hong Bi-yeon had completely taken control.

This club was a mandatory entry for all the distinguished families of Adolevit, so naturally, Hong Bi-yeon’s influence gradually grew. Recently, she had begun interacting with noble families and was slowly expanding her network.

Although she was a princess, Hong Bi-yeon, who was practically an outcast within the Adolevit royal palace, found it ironic that the social gathering where she could easily and quickly expand her network was at Stella Academy, located abroad.

“Your Highness. I apologize.”

“For what?”

“…We failed to qualify for the League of Spirit finals.”

Several members of the Red Hawk Club approached Hong Bi-yeon, who was reading a book, and bowed their heads in apology.

However, she waved her hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. I don’t care about League of Spirit. I don’t have time to enjoy hobbies anymore.”

Originally, according to the ‘original story,’ Hong Bi-yeon should have participated in League of Spirit and been one of the three teams to advance to the finals.

However, Hong Bi-yeon quit the game altogether, citing her busy schedule. The main reason was that she had been officially recognized by the queen as a successor to the throne and had begun her training, leaving her with little time.

Additionally, she was investing her weekday evenings and weekends in having tea time with noble families to properly establish the Red Hawk Club members as her loyal subjects.

Although the Red Hawk Club members had initially sided with her when Hong Bi-yeon entered Stella, they were individuals who could easily turn their backs on her with a single act of manipulation from Hong Si-hwa.

Therefore, she was working tirelessly to make the Red Hawk Club completely her own.

It would have been difficult if Edmund Atalek were still in power, but… he rarely showed up at the club anymore.

His power was still needed, in fact, but at this point, she no longer needed to cling to the Atalek family, so it was a good thing for her.

“By the way, Your Highness. I heard that the Flame team, which includes Cadet Baek Yu-seol, has advanced to the finals.”

“I heard.”

Lately, she had been thinking that anything Baek Yu-seol did might be connected to something big…

So, Hong Bi-yeon directly asked him. If his involvement in League of Spirit was related to a major event, she would help.

The answer she received was:

‘I’m just doing it because I have nothing else to do.’

That’s right. Baek Yu-seol had nothing else to do at this time, and since Flame asked for his help, he was merely enjoying a hobby. Suspecting that he might be lying again, she secretly entered the spectator area to observe Baek Yu-seol, but he genuinely seemed to be enjoying the game without any worries.

How many times had Baek Yu-seol shown such a joyful expression?

Probably, it was the first time.

Hong Bi-yeon suddenly felt envious of Aiselle and Flame. If she didn’t have an officially affiliated team, she might have squeezed out some time, no matter how little, to play with Baek Yu-seol.

“Hmm…”

Recalling the teams that had advanced to the finals, Hong Bi-yeon tilted her head at an unfamiliar team name. As if anticipating her question, another girl who was reading a book nearby excitedly spoke up.

“Ah, the Marun White team is a new team that just challenged the school qualifiers this year. They were originally an incomplete team with poor results, but thanks to a player named ‘Jo Yerin’ whose condition suddenly improved, they advanced to the finals without a single loss.”

“Jo Yerin? Never heard of her.”

“She’s not from Stella’s Magic Warrior Department.”

Hong Bi-yeon, who considered Stella Academy a magic warrior training institution and everyone else as insignificant, immediately erased Jo Yerin’s name from her memory upon hearing it.

She simply wasn’t interested.

“Her interview was impressive, though. She said she was able to succeed thanks to the advice Baek Yu-seol suddenly gave her.”

“…A commoner? Gave advice?”

To an external department student whose name she didn’t even know… and not even a male student, but a female student?

“What was her name again?”

“Huh? Jo, Jo Yerin.”

Hong Bi-yeon’s expression hardened ominously, and the girl who had been excitedly talking to her slowly backed away.

She knew the princess’s mood could change easily, but this was the first time it had changed for no apparent reason.

‘Hey, hey, you idiot! You clueless friend!’

‘Huh?’

Thanks to a colleague pulling her by the waist from behind, the girl thankfully stopped talking.

“…Your Highness. Shall we look into this Jo Yerin?”

Then, Hong Bi-yeon’s expression relaxed, and she shook her head. Seemingly coming to her senses, she sighed and closed her book.

“No need. What’s the point of investigating someone like her?”

“Right? She’s just a commoner who has nothing to do with Your Highness.”

She answered casually, got up, and went straight to the dressing room in the corner of the Red Hawk Club’s room, which was exclusively for Hong Bi-yeon.

Although it was just a temporary setup compared to the wardrobe in her dormitory, it was convenient for getting ready immediately.

About an hour later, Hong Bi-yeon, neatly dressed in casual clothes, told the members.

“I’ll be back after dinner.”

“We have the monthly club accounting tonight.”

“Do it yourselves.”

“Yes.”

It was completely arbitrary behavior, but no one could say anything to Hong Bi-yeon. However, the members didn’t mind. Even if she said that, knowing her perfectionist personality, she had likely already taken care of everything she needed to do.

“…This is what I was supposed to do, but the princess already did it.”

“Mine too…”

“Wait, isn’t this our group assignment? Did the princess think it was her own and do it…?”

“When did she even…”

They had seen her scribbling something with a pen, but the amount of work she had done in an instant was unbelievable for one person.

The members stared at the empty space where the princess had been, with expressions of disbelief.

“If Her Highness becomes queen, the country will surely prosper…”

“Indeed…”

***

Meanwhile.

In the 1st Main Tower, Stella Vice Principal’s Office.

The warm sunlight reflected off Vice Principal Aki Haydn’s smooth head, making it shine exceptionally bright.

Laydin stared directly at the light, brighter than the sun, without blinking.

“This is the list of prospective transfer students, you said.”

“Yes.”

“What is this child?”

Aki Haydn pointed to a girl named ‘Anella’.

Laydin, who had scanned Anella’s charming yet somewhat goofy-looking ID photo, answered calmly.

“She’s a Dark Mage from the Blackkingdon family.”

“Blackkingdon…”

Aki Haydn and Laydin belonged to the ‘Moonshadow Church,’ which didn’t have a good relationship with Blackkingdon. Although they were both Dark Mages, their goals differed.

Currently, under the Dark Mage King’s orders, they pretended to cooperate, but… it was a relationship like a ticking time bomb.

“You want to bring such a woman? Use up a precious T.O? We should be adding more of our own people, not less.”

“Yes, you might think so, but there’s no need to worry. I have completely won her over.”

It was the first time Laydin had ever lied. In his entire life serving the Moonshadow Church, had he ever dared to lie to Aki Haydn? Knowing this, Aki Haydn hesitated for a moment upon hearing Laydin’s words.

“Is that so…”

“She will be of great strategic help. We plan to use her as a double agent to monitor Blackkingdon’s movements.”

“If you say so, then it must be true.”

Laydin was relieved.

Baek Yu-seol had fulfilled his part perfectly by getting the ‘Marun White’ team to the finals.

Now, it was Laydin’s turn to fulfill Baek Yu-seol’s request.

“However.”

But when Aki Haydn shook his head, touching his forehead, Laydin asked with a sense of foreboding.

“Is there a problem?”

“Yes, there is. The principal has decided to thoroughly inspect and personally select all the transfer students this time. Because of that, all the students who were scheduled to transfer have been canceled.”

“…Is that true?”

“I don’t know why Eltemon suddenly decided to do this. Wouldn’t it be easier and better for him to just listen to us? Why is he starting to meddle in such trivial matters?”

“Is there… no other way?”

“No. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do. All the prospective transfer students have been sent back. Keep that child with you for now. She might be useful someday.”

Aki Haydn said this and dismissed Laydin. It seemed like he was trying to brush it off as no big deal since a few missing transfer students wouldn’t cause any major problems for him.

But.

For Laydin, it was different.

‘…This is troublesome.’

Baek Yu-seol had fulfilled Laydin’s request, but he couldn’t fulfill his.

They had already signed a contract, so he couldn’t back out now.

In other words, Laydin now owed Baek Yu-seol a debt.

Click!

Closing the door of the vice principal’s office, Laydin walked down the hallway, wondering how to resolve this situation.

At the end of the hallway on the 79th floor of the 1st Main Tower, he reached the elevator.

A boy was waiting there, leaning against the wall.

It was Baek Yu-seol.

He approached Laydin with his usual cheerful smile.

“Professor. You kept our promise, right?”

The pressure in his tone today was not just his imagination.

“…You knew this would happen all along.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

Only then did Laydin realize that he had fallen into some kind of trap… but it was already too late.

End of Chapter