Academy's Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Chapter 4
Unexpected words left me flustered.
Not giving the question to a student, but throwing it at me?
Without any prior discussion?
My mind was a whirlwind, but this was actually for the best.
It was a perfect chance to ask about the questions and flashes of inspiration I'd gotten while watching her lecture. I shot up from my seat.
"Regarding what you just said about Flowing Starsonce the form is complete, does it absolutely never change?"
Most of the students murmured at my question.
"Who's that TA?"
"He's insanely hot, damn."
"Being hot is one thing, but that question sucks."
"God really is fair. Gave me brains and that guy looks."
"You're just ugly, and that TA's actually handsome. But isn't a TA supposed to be smart? Why's he asking again what Professor Nam just explained?"
It was the expected reaction.
Nam Hwa-yeon had just said in the lecture that Flowing Stars' form doesn't change once complete. Asking about it now was something only someone who hadn't been paying attention would do.
Most students snickered at my question, while the rest showed no interest at all. Only Nam Hwa-yeon on the podium took it seriously.
"Hm, well, in the face of vast mana or a distortion field, even Flowing Stars would lose its form. Or if time wears down the ritual. But I doubt that's what our TA meant, right?"
She chuckled, her slender fingers dancing in the air again to summon a cluster of stars.
Self-rotation and revolution, using mutual gravitational pull to hold the formFlowing Stars appeared once more.
A magical ritual so beautiful that even the students couldn't help but gasp in admiration.
Seeing it again only strengthened my conviction.
"What if we change the units?"
"The units?"
"Yes, exactly."
What I was suggesting was the structural units that made up the ritual.
At my proposal to tweak them, intrigue flashed across Nam Hwa-yeon's face. She manipulated the floating orbs, shrinking them to the size of a handful, and brought them right to my palm.
Go ahead if you can.
I wasn't entirely sure how to handle it, but I had a rough idea.
I activated the Double Helix I'd acquired today.
Woooong!!
As I touched it, the blue-glowing stars turned a deep crimson. The brilliant mana hues vanished, replaced by my own mana-infused orbs.
In that moment, I felt the structural units of the magic twisting into a double helix.
And as the blue stars fullyed crimson, the central orb voraciously devoured the others.
The students gasped in surprise, but then the orb that had consumed them all began emitting a bright light on its own.
!
It sparkled like the sun.
But that seemed to be its limitthe mana burst, scattering outward.
"Ah..."
I swallowed a groan at the sight.
So close. A little more, and it would've worked just like I'd envisioned.
A few students looked disappointed too, sharing my thoughts. But most took my failure as a given.
I looked up at Nam Hwa-yeon.
To gauge her reaction.
Yet for a failure, she looked awfully satisfied.
"Alright, question time's over. That's it for today's lecture."
And with that, the class ended successfully.
Many students were still scribbling notes in place, but Nam Hwa-yeon left without a backward glance. As her TA, I followed.
Stepping out the front door, I saw people in suits.
Bang Seok-hun stood beside them toothey had to be the other TAs. They bowed to the professor in greeting, then bowed to me.
What the hell? Why are they doing this?
"We heard that TA Bang Seok-hun was rude to you. We're truly sorry."
"We'll make sure it never happens again."
They kept bowing and speaking formally to me.
Confused, I glanced at Nam Hwa-yeon, but she smiled and stepped back.
Signaling she wouldn't interfere.
Still wondering what was going on, I turned back to the suited TAs.
I could feel Bang Seok-hun's shoulders trembling. He clearly hated this.
The others seemed uncomfortable too, even if their faces didn't show it.
Right then, Bang Seok-hun spoke up.
"Senior! Why the hell do we have to apologize?!"
He had a point.
Seniors apologizing to a newbie? That didn't happen.
But the other TAs shot him cold looks.
"Hey, shut it."
"I told you last time not to mess with one of the new juniors..."
They sighed, smacked the back of his head, and forced his bow.
They seemed to be seniors even above Bang Seok-hun. Senior TAs, maybe.
But why were they apologizing and using honorifics with me?
As the question lingered, Nam Hwa-yeon, who'd been watching silently, finally chimed in.
She pointed at my back.
"That tailno one in this country could miss what it means."
"My tail?"
Following her finger, I spotted the fluffy black fox tail in my sight.
I'd completely failed to read the room.
It was swishing happily, like it was in a great mood.
"Is it that valuable...?"
"Huh, you're the family head and you don't even realize? Are you playing dumb so convincingly it's real, or are you actually dumb?"
I knew this tail symbolized Baek Seung-woo's family.
I knew his clan dominated Korea, but did that extend to Chilseong Academy?
Or was there something off about Baek Seung-woo himself?
Thinking it over, an old conversation surfaced in my mind.
Hey, Seung-woo. What do you think of this setup?
What?
You're the delinquent head of a prestigious clan, with scandals trailing you everywhere.
You'd do it even if I said no.
Obviously.
Originally, Baek Seung-woo was set up as the head of a noble house.
A infamous delinquent, yet a promising talentthe protagonist crushes him thoroughly.
That's what makes the catharsis, and it's my role here.
To build that payoff, all sorts of rumors swirl around me.
Source unclear, but stuff like foxes craving livers, or verbally and physically abusing my fiance until she called off the engagement in disgust.
Armed with notoriety and solid backing.
...Now I get how they feel.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The awkward silence thickened until Nam Hwa-yeon clapped to get attention.
We all turned to her.
"Other classrooms are wrapping up soon anyway. Let's call it here. We'll sort out right and wrong tomorrow."
The TAs nodded at the professor's word.
Bang Seok-hun mumbled, chewing on unspoken words, but they all left reluctantly in the end.
I started to follow Nam Hwa-yeon, but she said I could head to the dorm now, leaving me alone in the hallway.
"...Where am I?"
Id gotten lost in the lab earlier, and now after wandering this bigger lecture hall building for an hour. Luckily, a kind security guard taught me how to pull up the academy map on my phone, so I found my way out quick.
I borrowed a few books from the library on the way and finally made it to the dorm.
But was the dorm always this big?
"..."
Staring blankly at the dorm building, I couldnt help but frown.
Even in a novel, theres a limit.
What kind of TA dorm looks like a penthouse?
* * *
Back in Lab 1, Nam Hwa-yeon snapped her fingers.
All the dust in the room flew into the trash. The coffee pot boiled water on its own and served hot coffee.
Slurp.
Freshly brewed, it was hot but fragrant. Nam Hwa-yeon savored the aroma as she picked up the papers on her desk with her other hand.
"...It's so strange."
Just an ordinary sheet among others on the desk. But the back was crammed with notes and symbols.
She could read the writing, but decoding the symbols would've taken effortnot worth it.
Yet the guy who'd written it had gained a skill right in front of her. Just from jotting down and organizing his insights here.
"It's novel, but simplistic. Yet it has real depth. So contradictory."
Normally, he wouldn't have even become a TA, let alone gained a skill, with that level of knowledge.
But he'd acquired one boldly. Maybe his shallow knowledge let him analyze the lecture script from a fresh angle.
"...Either way, it's intriguing."
Curious, she'd brought the new TA to her lecture instead of a senior one. She wanted to see how he'd react.
And it had paid off.
Seung-woo, focusing on her lecture like any student.
From that, she gauged his level roughly. Flowing Stars wasn't in the standard curriculum, but it was second- or third-year difficulty.
He didn't even know that, so his knowledge was probably student-level. Maybe lower.
But he had talent.
"Talent to intuit magic principles on instinct and craft skills from pure inspiration..."
Rare stuff.
On par with the world's archmagesor even her own prodigy days as a student. Maybe more.
The perfect specimen to pique a mage's curiosity.
Her research would progress slowly for a while, less stress. Keeping him around would banish boredom.
"As expected of Heavenly Fox Baek blood. Or being the family head, I suppose."
A few years back, one great house dominated Korea.
Born with fox tails and ears, wielding immense financial and political power through unique divine powers and medical knowledge.
But five years ago, the family head and wife died, stalling the Heavenly Fox Baek Family.
Rumors said their young son inherited, then clashed with elders and siblings.
Who'd have thought he'd end up exiled here.
Even Nam Hwa-yeon, with her steady emotions, had been startled at first sight of Seung-woo.
"Even in decline, that bloodline doesn't fade."
Or maybe he'd hidden it with fox tricks.
Either way, it was amusing.
Nam Hwa-yeon chuckled and downed her coffee.