I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy

Chapter 270: Field Training (2)

A red oval barrier spread wildly. With Isaac Morph's body at the center, it reached up to the very edge of the sky. 

As Hong Bi-Yeon constructed the Flame Spirit Array, she simultaneously activated the Compass of Memories, which she kept close to her chest.

The mana did not leak out.  

No one noticed.  

'Dual Casting'

Casting more than two spells at once might still be challenging for a class 4 mage, but her concentration was exceptional.  

Considering that Eisel had used the ‘Resonance’ with class 3 power, a skill impossible to perform without being a class 6 mage or higher, it wasn't strange that Hong Bi-Yeon was already using dual casting.  

Their talent and effort were boundless.  

Wooong!!

The Compass of Memories pointed in the direction of time and began to spin.  

1 year and 4 months ago, 9 years and 7 months ago, 71 years ago, 34 years ago, 3 years and 6 months ago.

The times it pointed to were all jumbled.  

Because she couldn't control the compass properly.  

Those times must all be significant events that made their mark in history, so they were engraved in the memories of this place.

'I need to find the exact time.'  

She felt the gravity of the situation.  

This compass was not a simple artifact that could be easily handled by a mere class 4 mage.  

If she accidentally glimpsed a memory from too far in the past, she might not be able to return.  

'It's okay. My calculations are accurate.'  

She had prepared meticulously for this moment. She released her grip slightly from her staff, allowing the Flame Spirit Array to unfold freely. 

Now that its construction was complete, the Flame Spirit Array would maintain itself using Hong Bi-Yeon’s mana until the purification ritual was over. There was no need for further interference from her.

From now on, she would be looking back into the past.  

Huff!

As she breathed mana into it, the rotation of the compass became increasingly erratic, and finally, when the speed reached its critical point...

Flash!

In an instant, a blinding white light flashed before her eyes.  

—Ah.

When she opened her eyes again, a wind was blowing.  

A cold, dry autumn wind.  

But it was different from the current wind.  

Hong Bi-Yeon slowly lowered her head and looked at the ground. The Great Altar, where she had just been, had vanished without a trace.  

'... I made it here properly.'  

There was no time to waste. The time she had to look into the past memories was extremely short.  

Given that she had consumed a considerable amount of mana and mental strength to construct the Flame Spirit Array and evade the restriction, she could stay here for only about an hour at most.

'I need to hurry.'  

In the process, she couldn't move by walking. 

After all, since it was a memory of the past, adjusting the coordinates was necessary to check other locations.  

Thud!

By expending a bit of mana to move to an adjacent location, a tent appeared, which she assumed to be a forward base.  

‘—Is this... the command tent of Morph's magic corps?’

Turning her head and looking around, she could see Adolevit’s base, the magic tower, and the tents of the Magic Society all in one view.

'I see.'  

The Magic Society at the time was said to have united to defeat the dark mage Isaac Morph.  

But...  

Something was strange.  

“Your Highness, please do not worry and take a rest.”  

“It’s fine. I need to see the final preparations with my own eyes. There will be a battle tomorrow, so I can’t afford to be complacent.”  

—What...?

The forces gathered here were definitely for the purpose of subduing Isaac Morph, yet, strangely enough, the very target of their subjugation was confidently walking among the allied forces.

—What on earth...

“Your Highness.”  

“... What is it?”

“You look troubled.”  

“Yes. I am worried about having to fight the White Demon Fox Fire Spirit, and I still don’t understand why the Princess of Adolevit is so obsessed with that creature.”  

“Heheh. In my opinion...”  

Isaac disappeared into the distance and headed towards the command tent while chatting with his lieutenant. While Hong Bi-Yeon stayed behind, mulling over their conversation.  

‘The White Demon Fox Fire Spirit…?’  

Yes. Come to think of it, wasn't Hong Si-hwa's true goal to awaken and hunt the White Demon Fox Fire Spirit?  

‘Where is that woman?’  

She had only a few minutes left. Hong Bi-Yeon quickly used coordinate movement to teleport between the tents, and soon found the location she was looking for.

Her detestable second sister.  

The tent of Princess Hong Si-hwa.  

“It’s all done.”  

Hong Si-hwa, who was half-dressed, was receiving an injection of a sinister-looking red liquid. Even though she couldn't analyze its components without using her magic eyes, she could tell at a glance that it was not a normal solution.  

“... Alright.”  

Hong Si-hwa was drenched in cold sweat. She would appear frail to anyone at a first glance.  

It was the first time Hong Bi-Yeon had ever seen her in such a weak state. After all, she was always sneering in that annoying way, so it felt quite unfamiliar and unsettling.  

“The pain is likely not to subside soon.”  

“... I don’t care about the pain. As long as I don’t die, that’s all that matters.”  

And then, she said something unexpected.  

“I don’t want to end up like my sister.”  

Hong Bi-Yeon’s expression hardened instantly. Mentioning her eldest sister, Hong Erin, with that repulsive look was like touching a nerve for her.  

However, Hong Bi-Yeon was no longer a child. The days when she blindly reacted to every word from Hong Si-hwa were over.

‘You don’t want to end up like sister…’

Her eldest sister, Hong Erin, was born with the Blessing of the Flame so strong that it became a curse, causing her to perish at a very young age.  

Hong Si-hwa and Hong Bi-Yeon were destined to meet the same fate eventually.

“Princess Hong Si-hwa, do you really believe you can find a way to lift the ‘Curse of the Adolevit’ from the White Demon Fox Fire Spirit?”  

At the doctor's words, Hong Bi-Yeon finally understood why Hong Si-hwa had taken such reckless actions.  

‘To find a way to break the curse, you want to defeat the White Demon Fox Fire Spirit? Fine. So far, so good.’

‘But you said you failed.’

She knew because she had secretly read Hong Si-hwa's diary before. Hong Si-hwa had failed, and Isaac Morph would be corrupted.

Suddenly, she remembered Isaac’s troubled expression from earlier and immediately moved her coordinates.  

She arrived at Isaac's personal tent.  

“I don’t know... whether it's really right to unseal the White Demon Fox Fire Spirit right now for the safety of the continent.”  

“Your Highness, please don't worry. We will completely subdue the White Demon Fox Fire Spirit. Princess Hong Si-hwa would not have come here without a plan.”  

“That’s true. Seeing how thoroughly she prepared at such a young age to coerce the Grand Duke, she certainly has something up her sleeve. In another 5 or 10 years… She will become an even more terrifying mage.”  

Coercion.  

He definitely used that word.  

Now that she thought about it, Hong Si-hwa herself had written in her diary about 'coercing Grand Duke Morph.'

‘What happens next... What's the outcome?’

The story about unsealing the White Demon Fox Fire Spirit was something she had never heard before. She knew nothing about how that event was resolved.  

‘I don't have time for this.’

She had learned most of what she could here. Hong Bi-Yeon quickly manipulated the Compass of Memories to adjust the time to 12 hours later.  

Thud!

‘Ugh?!’

Immediately, Hong Bi-Yeon was almost thrown off balance by a vibration that struck her entire body. Even though she was only looking into the past and her physical body wasn’t present, the shockwave was so powerful that it gave her the illusion of nearly falling.

...

Raising her head, Hong Bi-Yeon let out a sigh.  

The world was painted white.  

Collapsed soldiers lay all around.  

The armies of the royal family and the grand duke were kneeling.

"How arrogant! Descendants of Adolevit…."

It was taller than a mountain, steeper than a cliff, bluer than the sky, and lighter than a cloud.

Suddenly, Hong Bi-Yeon felt a sense of awe upon seeing 'that presence.'

The pinnacle of flames had been reached.  

Witness the limit of fire.  

Its chest burned hotter than the sun, and it glowed pure white as if it intended to erase everything in the world.

Even though she knew she shouldn't, Hong Bi-Yeon couldn't help but feel admiration for it.

She wanted to burn like that.  

She wanted to be engulfed in those pure white flames. Even if it meant she would perish, as long as she could become the flame itself.

‘Ugh!’

As the nausea invaded her, Hong Bi-Yeon quickly shook her head to regain her composure.

‘This can't be…’

Belatedly, she realized the situation.  

Even class 8 mages had fallen, and the knights were annihilated.  

Only a handful of soldiers remained, and even they were incapable of fighting.  

It was hopeless.

‘Now that I am awake again, according to the 'promise,' I will cover the world with my flames. Sit there and repent, Adolevit.’

The White Demon Fox Fire Spirit uttered ambiguous words and took graceful steps forward.  

With each step, the whole world appeared to be engulfed in white flames, and everything turned back to blank pages.

Even Hong Bi-Yeon, who was only witnessing memories, was overwhelmed by its presence, unable to move. Then, someone blocked its path.  

Isaac Morph.

“You shall not... pass this place.”

Even though half of his body had melted away in the flames, he didn't fall. But what could he possibly do in such a state?

Just as that thought crossed her mind, Isaac Morph pulled out a mysterious black crystal and declared.

“I am not a descendant of Morph.”  

“From today on... I shall become a dark mage.”  

It was truly a fierce battle.  

No. Could that even be called a battle?  

How could the clash of such calamities be adequately described in human language?

Ice and flames covered the world, and all life on this land crumbled away. At the end of that battle, the one left standing was Isaac Morph.

Was it a blessing or a curse?  

He seemed to retain a bit of sanity and his eyes glowed with a sad light. 

But if he were left alone, he would soon lose his mind and undoubtedly emerge from the forest, leaving a trail of destruction across the cities.

‘There’s no record… of this in history.’

But the mage corps had been annihilated.  

Unless a miracle occurred where Isaac Morph stopped himself, it seemed like no one could stop him anymore...

‘No. That’s not right. There was one person.’

She desperately recalled Hong Si-hwa’s diary.  

‘When I woke up again, both the White Demon Fox Fire Spirit and the rampaging Grand Duke Isaac Morph had been defeated.’

‘And in front of them stood a mysterious man.’

‘He was an unusual and mysterious figure.’

‘The man wore a mask and held a silver staff in his hand.’

The moment she recalled that, a brilliant golden light suddenly burst forth from the void, and a giant wheel appeared. It was spinning continuously.

‘What is that...?’

Seeing the strange summon for the first time, Hong Bi-Yeon’s eyes widened and then she belatedly noticed him.

The man in black clothes appeared with the wheel.

‘What?’

But something was odd about his outfit.

He wore a pure white mask, but his clothes strangely resembled the uniform of Stella.  

Even without the unique patterns and designs, it was unmistakable. It wasn’t just a resemblance; the design was exactly the same.

But what was even stranger was.

She was sure she was seeing this man for the first time today, but somehow, he appeared familiar.

‘Wait. Could the mysterious man be...?!’

Whoosh!!!

A whirlwind of magical energy surged.  

Isaac slowly turned his head and spoke to the man behind him.  

“You are Baek Seol-gi. Have you come... to stop me?”  

“Yes.”  

She realized.  

That familiar voice.  

That familiar silhouette.  

That familiar scent of mana.  

‘Baek Yu-Seol...?’

Even in her imagination, she had never forgotten the unique characteristics of Baek Yu-Seol.  

Hong Bi-Yeon could never mistake those traits possessed only by him.

“The current me... I am in a very dangerous state... Are you still okay with that?”  

“Didn’t I promise you?”  

Baek Yu-Seol pointed his sword at Isaac and said.

“To protect Eisel.”  

“... I see. So that’s how it is?”

What on earth could have happened?

Why was Baek Yu-Seol ten years in the past? And what did he mean by saying he would protect Eisel?  

‘Does this mean he’s not just a simple time traveler?’

Isaac looked Baek Yu-Seol in the eye with a sorrowful expression and said, “In that case, please stop me.”

With that, Isaac and Baek Yu-Seol clashed.

This… This was not the Baek Yu-Seol that Hong Bi-Yeon knew.  

He had at least the overwhelming power of a class 8 mage or higher.  

He fought Isaac, who was like a calamity, on equal footing and eventually melted the permafrost that seemed as if it would last forever.  

It was a mysterious sight.  

The ice could not harm Baek Yu-Seol.  

It was as if he was blessed by the ice itself.

When Baek Yu-Seol pointed his sword at Isaac's heart, Isaac closed his eyes.  

If the sword pierced his heart, everything would end.  

Hong Bi-Yeon sighed in despair.  

The cause of Eisel’s downfall was none other than Baek Yu-Seol’s actions.  

Thud!

Ignoring Isaac's feeble resistance, Baek Yu-Seol ruthlessly pierced his heart without hesitation.

Unable to bear watching the horrific scene any longer, she turned her head, but suddenly, Baek Yu-Seol withdrew his sword without finishing the job.  

‘Huh?’

Why didn't he finish him off?  

Thud! Thud! Thud! 

The sound of hooves echoed from all directions.  

The mage corps sensed the dark magic waves and were charging toward this location.  

“Ah...”

And in the distance, Hong Si-hwa was awakening, her figure reflected in Hong Bi-Yeon’s eyes.  

‘What is he planning…’

Baek Yu-Seol spoke to Isaac.  

"We cannot change history."

With those words, Hong Bi-Yeon instinctively understood.  

The Baek Yu-Seol she was seeing now was not here by ordinary means; he had used some special method to travel back in time.  

"The world will remember it like this: Isaac Morph became a dark mage and went berserk, but Hong Si-hwa Adolevit stopped him."  

“What… have you… done?”  

Baek Yu-Seol reached out his hand toward Isaac, and the golden wheel spun wildly.  

"But in reality... You will embark on a journey. This is something only you and I will know."  

Something mysterious happened.  

A pure, untainted soul emerged from Isaac's body and was absorbed into the wheel.  

In other words, Isaac's soul hadn’t perished but continued to wander somewhere in this world.  

After finishing his task, Baek Yu-Seol suddenly turned his head. And there, of all places, stood Hong Bi-Yeon.  

Was it a coincidence? Or could he somehow sense her presence even though she was merely peeking into these memories?

Hong Bi-Yeon felt as though she was making direct eye contact with Baek Yu-Seol.  

However, without saying a word, he left behind an afterimage and disappeared. By the time the mage corps arrived, Isaac Morph was already a cold corpse.  

And so, the 'Legend of Princess Hong Si-hwa ten years ago' was complete.  

The real perpetrator of the disaster was Hong Si-hwa.  

The hero who defeated it was Isaac.  

And the one who quelled the hero’s rampage was Baek Yu-Seol.  

But Hong Si-hwa stole all the credit.  

‘There isn’t much time left…’

There wasn’t much time left to look into these memories. But she couldn’t return just yet.  

She hadn’t unraveled the last mystery.

She moved the timeline forward, day by day.  

‘Grand Duke Isaac Morph is dead.’

‘But why does such a chilling cold emanate from his corpse? Surely, he must still be alive!’

"You fools! He is biologically dead! That magic has research value!"

A day passed, and the mages began to argue among themselves.

"We cannot dispose of the body." 

"If it’s the flames of Adolevit, it should be easily incinerated!"  

"If Her Majesty the Queen arrives…!"  

Another day passed, and Isaac's body was temporarily sealed until Queen Hong Se-ryu arrived to burn it.

"The White Fox met its end, and Grand Duke Isaac was sealed."  

"Yet, the white flames and blue ice still remain, disrupting the forest…."  

"We must restore the forest’s magical energy."

Another day passed, and the forest began to be cleared.  

After fast-forwarding through about a week’s worth of memories, she finally saw the scene she had been looking for.

"We greet the brightest flame under the heavens!"

"Your Majesty!"

The magic knights, clad in red armor, knelt in unison to welcome the great Queen of Adolevit.

Queen Hong Se-eyu rode a white horse and leisurely surveyed the chaotic Morfran Forest.

Then, she elegantly dismounted from her horse.

Slap!

Without warning, she struck Hong Si-hwa across the face.

The princess’s cheek turned sharply, and her body staggered, but she did not fall. She raised her head again to face the queen.

"Have you arrived, Your Majesty?"

"Do you know what you have done?"

"Yes."

"You are quick with words. Immediately arrest Princess Hong Si-hwa, seal her magic, and throw her in the underground prison. Know that the only reason I am not killing you on the spot is because I am showing mercy as a queen."

As expected of Hong Se-ryu, she was decisive and didn’t hesitate to pass the judgment. She knew that by dragging out the second princess, Hong Si-hwa, the throne would fall to Hong Bi-Yeon, whom she hated, but that did not matter.

Those who commit crimes must be punished. If this meant that Hong Bi-Yeon would become queen, then that was her fate.

"In that case, may I say one thing before I go?"

Despite her fate being set in stone, Hong Si-hwa met the queen's eyes with a gaze devoid of emotion.

"It seems you want to make an excuse. Very well, speak."

"You may seal my magic. You may take my life here. But please, grant me one request."

"How audacious."

"Isaac Morph... Please do not burn his body. Preserve it intact."

"What?"

Hong Se-ryu’s eyebrows twitched and quivered.

Crack! Whoosh!

Suddenly, the ground split open, and all the nearby trees began to burn. It happened with just a glance from Hong Se-ryu and mana was unleashed.

Hong Si-hwa's clothes also began to burn and disintegrate in the flames, but she spoke without regard for the pain.

"He was the one who strongly inherited the bloodline of Morph."

"What are you implying?"

"He, like the Adolevit, was born into the Morph family with the 'Curse of Ice.' But unlike us, they overcame that curse a long time ago."

Curse. Blessing.

As soon as those sensitive words were mentioned, Hong Se-ryu’s mana slowly subsided.

"And even in death, he is not truly dead. An endless cold continues to emanate from his corpse."

"Get to the point."

"He is still alive. If you dispose of the body now, you will surely regret it."

"Hah. And what if he resurrects as a dark mage?"

"Seal him with the Flame Spirit Array. This way, Isaac’s body will be preserved, and we will obtain perpetual coldness. Additionally, he will have the opportunity to be revived at any time."

The Flame Spirit Array appeared like quite a sensible decision. Even if Isaac Morph were to resurrect as a dark mage, it was the only magic capable of providing an immediate response.

Queen Hong Se-ryu contemplated for a long time and then made her decision.

"You want me to trust your misguided judgment once again? Take her away immediately."

Clank!

The knights fastened heavy magic restraints around Hong Si-hwa’s neck, wrists, and ankles and dragged her away, but she continued to convey her opinion to the queen until the end.

"It is understandable that you don't trust my words since I lack credibility. But please, remember my lifelong wish."

"I, we, our descendants... will forever inherit this terrible curse and live within the flames. Your Majesty, do you truly believe this is right?"

"Can’t you keep quiet!"

One of the knights was unable to endure any longer. He roughly yanked the shackles around Hong Si-hwa’s neck to silence her, but she did not stop.

Until the very last moment, she hoped that Queen Hong Se-ryu would grant her request.

"If I could end this cursed fate—where those born as descendants of Adolevit are destined to inherit the curse and live short lives in the agony of burning flames—even if it means tainting my own hands... I would be willing to fall into hell or become a demon."

Thud!

In the end, Hong Si-hwa left these final words before fainting in the hands of a knight and being carried away.

Left alone, Hong Se-ryu silently gazed into the distance.

"The weather is really dreadful..."

It was a perfectly clear day without a single cloud in the sky.

Sheesh! A long chapter.