Academy's Gumiho is a Magic Genius

Chapter 25: Decision [5]

The recovery of all the bodies was completed.

Pieces of flesh and bone, barely recognizable as bodies, were collected and placed in coffins.

Those coffins were delivered to the families of the victims.

The families expressed their grief in their own ways.

A woman clutching the coffin and crying all day. A couple screaming and calling out for their child. A child searching for a father they could no longer meet. And people directing their anger toward Seven Stars Academy.

The forms of expression varied, but no one held back their tears.

The surroundings were filled with wailing and tears.

In such a situation, studying was impossible.

Seven Stars Academy gave the students a week of rest.

As a result, the performance evaluations and midterms for all grades were postponed.

Out of the 6,000 students, no one opposed this decision. They, too, were acutely aware of the gravity of the situation.

Total injuries: 241.

Total deaths: 36.

Security guards: twenty-one.

Teaching assistants: six.

And nine first-year students.

They were just children who had barely shed their freshman labels.

They were elites. They were the new sprouts expected to bloom brilliantly, receiving the hopes and trust of their respective countries.

One of the professors teaching the first-years muttered.

"We overlooked too much. The daggers of demons are everywhere."

He taught martial arts to the students, guiding them in the basics of self-defense.

He felt a deep sense of guilt and responsibility for the current tragedy.

Beside him, another professor spoke in a voice filled with emotion.

"If I had known this would happen, I would have taught them more magic. At least enough to protect themselves."

Someone clicked their tongue and retorted.

"Don't talk nonsense. One must protect themselves. Those kids simply didn't know how."

The tone was harsh. It wasn't the right thing to say in front of so many coffins.

Yet, no one objected to his words.

Because he wasn't wrong.

In this world, death is always close by. You never know when it will come.

A sudden dungeon break could occur, turning the city into a wasteland. Or bounty-hunting demons could launch a terrorist attack, sweeping you up in the chaos.

But if you were strong enough, you might be able to save yourself.

That's why, in this world, weakness is a sin.

Everyone present knew that.

They just chose to look away from that fact.

Because acknowledging it was too painful, and denying it was too reasonable.

"We all knew. We knew the life expectancy of hunters was short."

"But I didn't think they'd be crushed before even turning twenty."

"...."

Spring was in full bloom. Colourful flowers were in full bloom, announcing the arrival of April.

But the most brilliant buds in this academy had withered before they could bloom.

People moved on, carrying their sorrow.

It was almost time for the funeral to begin.

The vast forest where the bodies were found.

That vast land became a cemetery, and people began the burial.

Starting with the families of the victims, all the professors and teaching assistants. Most of the students who had the strength to attend were present.

There were no reporters or cameras.

There was no need to record this moment.

This moment was meant to be buried in the hearts of everyone present.

Soon, the chairman's eulogy began.

He explained the circumstances that led to this tragedy and recounted the lives of the deceased. There were no grand eulogies.

Their lives had been too ordinary.

That's why it was so regrettable.

Why did they have to leave so meaninglessly?

Cries echoed from all around.

The gloomy forest, which seemed to echo with ghostly wails, was now filled with people's tears. The cries of the first-years who had lost their friends were especially loud.

They had learned the pain of loss at too young an age.

They cried and mourned, grieving the deaths of their friends.

Among them were Seo Yerin and Noh Yura.

Seo Yerin, who always seemed mature, had reddened eyes, and Yura, who had comforted me, shed thick tears.

A completely different appearance from when she had comforted me last time.

'...Well.'

Yura was young.

The pain of loss isn't something you get used to, no matter how many times you experience it. How could a young student endure such pain?

Surely, she must have put on a brave front in front of me.

Because she could sense fragments of my feelings.

"...."

I stood silently among the teaching assistants, observing everything.

Even though I wanted to close my eyes and turn away.

I kept my eyes open until they turned red, engraving the sight before me into my heart.

I could have erased all of this from my memory.@@@@

I felt nauseous. A headache so intense it made me lose my balance.

'If only I had stopped even one professor.'

The situation would have been different.

Then, Yuren and the horde of demons would have been killed sooner.

The protagonist's awakening, the innocent students getting caught up in it—none of that would have happened. This gathering of people wouldn't have taken place.

But I chose an irreversible path.

I kept silent about what would happen in the future.

I rationalized it by telling myself no one would believe me anyway.

'And yet, in the end, I tried to take responsibility for everything.'

The old me would have undoubtedly chosen survival over morality.

I blinded myself, telling myself that all of this was a sacrifice for a happy ending. But my half-baked sense of morality made me change my choice.

This is the result.

Open your eyes wide and look straight ahead.

Engrave all this death and sorrow into your heart.

This world is no longer just a novel.

It's a demonic realm where all sorts of villains exist, and innocent citizens die according to a predetermined script.

The old me would have chosen to be a bystander to survive in this demonic realm.

Because there's no surer way to survive.

In fact, even now, I desperately want to live.

But I'm thinking a little differently now.

But something still felt off.

It was tightly binding each piece of the cube.

A kind of lock, perhaps.

If I couldn't decipher it, this cube couldn't be solved.

And 'it' was a form I knew well.

"A spiral...?"

No, not an ordinary spiral.

Not even the double helix I had created when I came to this world.

There was another thread-like thing tangled above it.

"A triple... helix?"

"Oh, you recognized it right away."

"You want me to solve this?"

"If your knowledge and experience can support it, it should be possible."

A triple helix.

I don't know why Nam Hwa-yeon handed me this cube.

But a triple helix is beyond my current ability.

I haven't even properly handled a double helix yet.

Stepping into a higher level isn't easy.

"At least, it's not something I can solve right now."

"If I teach you the knowledge, do you think you can do it?"

"...Maybe? Experience and trial and error can be done anytime if you have the knowledge."

"Then, how about becoming my disciple?"

"...!"

My pupils dilated at her words.

Nam Hwa-yeon's disciple.

It would be both a gain and a loss for me.

To put it metaphorically, it's like a poisoned chalice.

The Demon King's disciple... It's not like that setting wasn't considered, but there's a certain dignity that comes with the title. Even if the Demon King isn't the king of demons but the 'king of mages,' and not a villain, the dignity that comes with the title requires someone fitting.

Huh? What about the protagonist?

Of course, that's a no. A hothead becoming the Demon King's disciple would be a bit unsightly. The same goes for the main characters.

Then isn't it almost like a non-existent setting?

Of course, it would be interesting if included. But suddenly adding a talent worthy of the Demon King's eyes into the scenario would break plausibility.

Nam Hwa-yeon is a genius who will leave her mark on magical history.

She advanced modern magical history by hundreds of years, and her achievements were recognized by the system, earning her the title of Demon King.

Given who she is, you can imagine how picky she is about choosing disciples.

At the very least, they must have talent just below hers or equal to hers.

Daring to surpass her talent is out of the question. That's just how significant Nam Hwa-yeon is in the magical world.

Right at that moment.

A trait I possessed came to mind.

'Magical Aptitude....'

[Magical Aptitude], an absolute talent for magic.

A trait that grants the potential to become a saint of magic.

At first, I didn't know why I had this trait.

I just accepted it as something good.

Because I judged it wasn't something I could figure out by thinking.

But at this very moment.

I think I know why I have this trait.

'...Eve.'

The arrangement of my old friend.

That's the only explanation.

Then why did she make such arrangements for me?

Why did she send me into this novel?

The questions only deepen, but nothing is clearly resolved.

All I can do now is move forward.

That's the only thing.

"Um, Professor...."

"Ah, let's hear the answer to your question later. You're going to the dungeon, right? You took a day off."

Nam Hwa-yeon left the cube in my hand and walked away.

There was still time before the funeral ended.

As a professor, she couldn't be away for too long.

As I watched her leave, my pocket buzzed.

Vrrr!

The vibration of my phone.

It wasn't a call, but a text message.

"...Who sent me a text?"

I barely have ten contacts, and now I'm getting a text.

In the month I've been alive, this is the first time.

Maybe it's an emergency alert.

Wondering, I took out my phone, and there was an unfamiliar contact.

The stiff writing style reminded me of something I saw a few days ago.

"Baek Seol-hee?"

My biological younger sister.

In the novel, she was the one scheming to take over the family head position.

She confirmed my day off and said she'd send a car on the day.

Something feels off.

Last time, she sent an old-fashioned letter, and now she's suddenly sending a text?

There's definitely something up.

'...It wouldn't hurt to show my face to the family once in a while.'

Thinking I'd play along with Baek Seol-hee's scheme, I sent a positive reply.

***

A few days later.

The day of my day off arrived, and she replied that she'd have a car ready at that time.

Thinking I shouldn't be late on such a day, I left 30 minutes early.

But the car was late.

What's the deal with this?

***

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