I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy

Chapter 217: An Old Story (14)

After finishing his meal with Isaac Morph, Baek Seol-gi was escorted by Wilhelm to the finest lodging reserved for the knight commander.

• “Ah, I remember him... I recall the strict yet kind face of Wilhelm from my childhood.”

Though he was strict and frightening to others, he was always warm to Eisel…

Now, he wore a cold and stern expression toward Baek Seol-gi.

"......This is the place."

Baek Seol-gi received special treatment from Grand Duke Isaac Morph, who allowed him to use a private room, while Wilhelm appeared displeased about it.

Wilhelm, who had always been loyal, had vehemently opposed it to the point of raising his voice to Isaac.

"Yes, it's a nice room. I'll make good use of it."

Unfazed, Baek Seol-gi replied in a calm and indifferent tone. Although it was quite annoying, sometimes his carefree attitude was enviable.

"Let me warn you, do not put the young lady in danger. I will not forgive you."

Wilhelm spat out coldly and disappeared. Left alone, Baek Seol-gi stared at the direction Wilhelm had left and then sighed deeply.

"Phew..."

For the first time, Baek Seol-gi, who always appeared relaxed, showed a vulnerable side, surprising Eisel and Edna slightly.

Baek Seol-gi slowly staggered toward the bed, removed his mask, and collapsed onto it.

Finally, his face was revealed.

“... Just as expected.”

“Indeed.”

It was unmistakably Baek Yu-Seol. Yet, he looked exactly the same as he did ten years later. As if he hadn't aged at all.

What could have happened?

As Edna and Eisel were confused and felt complicated, Baek Yu-Seol muttered to himself.

"Time traveler's rules..."

At that moment, as if time had stopped.

The two girls froze with wide eyes.

• “What...?”

What did they just hear?

Although he hadn't used difficult words, it was hard to comprehend as if their brains weren't functioning properly.

• “Time travel…”

Eisel closed her eyes tightly, trying to organize her thoughts.

Yes, it wasn't entirely unexpected. He had returned countless times, so traveling back in time should be possible if he willed it.

• “So, this man…”

• “Yes. He must be the Baek Yu-Seol we know from ten years in the future.”

His youthful appearance was unmistakable, and upon closer inspection, although he had modified his appearance slightly, he was still wearing the Stella Academy uniform.

He had Argento at his waist and the first-year pocket watch from Stella hidden in his coat.

For reasons unknown, Baek Yu-Seol had deliberately returned to the past around Eisel’s timeline.

'Could it be...?'

Edna thought.

'He must remember what will happen in the future.’

The story of Eisel uncovering Isaac Morph’s truth using the artifact of the New Moon Silver.

After the story ends, she'd be mentally and physically exhausted...

Will Baek Yu-Seol just stand by and watch?

He had always desperately tried to prevent those around him from being unhappy, regardless of whether they were good or evil.

If he had been doing this and planned to continue, then...

To prevent this horrible and inevitable story, he had taken the dangerous path of time travel.

But how?

The outcome of this event was already determined.

No matter how powerful Baek Yu-Seol was, he couldn’t freely alter the past.

Surely, if Isaac Morph survived without betraying them, Eisel would find happiness.

But... Doing that would completely destroy the original world.

'There's absolutely no way.'

Edna gazed at Baek Yu-Seol with complicated eyes. He was staring blankly at the stars outside the window.

What on earth could he be thinking?

At times like this, it would be nice to have mind-reading abilities.

"Ah, I don't know."

After saying that, Baek Yu-Seol lay down and closed his eyes.

The night deepened.

———

Even though Baek Seol-gi had trespassed into the Morfran forest, he was chosen by Isaac as a bodyguard just for rescuing Lady Eisel.

• "That man promised to protect you a lot?"

Edna asked playfully as they watched Baek Yu-Seol facing knights in the Blue Mane Knights' training ground.

However, Eisel shook her head with a serious expression.

• "I don't remember well... I hardly had any contact with him after that day."

• "Really?"

That's strange. One would think that Baek Yu-Seol would keep his word.

Or perhaps, even Baek Yu-Seol failed, which was why the future turned out that way.

"But! An adventurer like you with an unknown identity is replacing him... While His Highness may have acknowledged you, we cannot!"

Sure enough, Baek Yu-Seol was challenged to a duel by a knight. Initially, he refused, thinking there was no need to fight, but eventually, he succumbed to the provocation.

With his personality, he wouldn't respond to a challenge and deliberately lose…

Whack! Thud! Thud! Pow!

"Ugh! Ah! Ack! Gah!"

Baek Yu-Seol unilaterally beat the knight. It seemed he was venting all the stress he had accumulated. He did so without even using magic.

• "Is that his true strength?"

To beat a Class 5 mage without even giving him a chance to resist, he must possess much more overwhelming skills.

Perhaps he had at least Class 6... or maybe even Class 7 abilities. Or maybe even higher.

• "We don't know. No matter how many times he regressed, it seems unlikely he could return with his original abilities..."

• "Isn't that right?"

But it wasn't a matter that required deep concern.

Baek Yu-Seol wasn't a villain, and if he was running around trying to save the world, the stronger he was, the better.

——

Evening.

As expected, Baek Yu-Seol was summoned by Grand Duke Isaac Morph. It was only natural after beating up a knight on his first day.

He thought he would be scolded, but surprisingly, Isaac didn't scold him much and brought up another topic.

"I called you because I want to take you with me for tomorrow's schedule."

Isaac handed a document to Baek Yu-Seol. As she watched secretly from behind, Eisel’s pupils shook.

"That is...!"

The seal of the Adolveit Royal Family.

From now on, 'that incident' was about to begin. Eisel bit her lip with all her strength. If only she could feel pain, she might be able to endure this moment, but in her ethereal state, she couldn't feel pain or bleed.

• "Calm down. Baek Yu-Seol is by your father's side."

• "... Yes."

Honestly, even Edna, who had infinite trust for Baek Yu-Seol, thought this incident was absolutely irreversible.

Nevertheless, to reassure Eisel, she had no choice but to say that.

"They claim that the curse of the Morfran Forest is about to awaken. It's not incorrect from a magical standpoint. I was convinced, but..."

As the conversation continued, Eisel’s memories gradually started to return.

• “Wait a minute…”

Her father's death.

But where did he die?

'Morfran Forest.’

That was definitely it.

She remembered hearing that he was betrayed by the magical world and resisted the magical knights of the Adolveit Royal Family in that forest, and eventually met his end…

In other words, the destination of this past journey was approaching, but why couldn't she calm down?

Eisel! Eisel!

Edna grabbed Eisel’s trembling hand. Although she couldn't feel her warmth, just having someone by her side provided her with a sense of calm.

• “Calm down.”

• “... Yes, thank you.”

She looked at Baek Yu-Seol’s back. Although she couldn't see his expression because he was wearing a mask, his demeanor suggested he was seriously contemplating this situation.

Indeed, at that place…

What choice will Baek Yu-Seol make?

Will he just observe her father's death?

For the sake of the future world, that might be the right decision…

• “Trust him.”

• “…”

• “He has always done the right thing and has never taken the wrong path. Has there ever been a time when you were unhappy because of his involvement?”

Eisel shook her head.

• “So, this time will be the same. Calm down and wait patiently.”

Even if the truth that reveals itself is horrifying.

Edna swallowed her last words and comforted Eisel. She suddenly felt that her consolation might be more harmful, but she shook her head to dismiss the thought.

’... It will somehow work out.'

She wanted to believe that.

---

Morning dawned.

"Ah! I'm so tired."

The knights with some status used single-person tents, and Baek Yu-Seol also received similar treatment, so he could sleep somewhat comfortably.

Even though he didn't stand guard, the fatigue didn't go away at all.

As he slightly opened the tent and stepped out, he saw the grand Morph knights, dressed in their uniforms. They emerged from their single-person tents just like him.

'Isn't this single-person tent thing a bit inconvenient?'

If someone attacked at night, wouldn't this be tactically disadvantageous?

In the modern army, all the officers slept together in the central command tent.

Well, the modern world and the aristocratic society couldn’t be exactly the same.

"Kim, it's been a while."

"... Go to your position."

Baek Yu-Seol casually greeted a nearby knight, but he was met with indifference. No one welcomed him.

Even though it was early morning, all the knights had gathered at the center of the forest.

They had been preparing for this operation for over a month. Baek Yu-Seol was an uninvited guest who suddenly appeared the day before the operation started.

He wouldn't properly participate in the operation, and he didn't have a specific assigned task either.

Baek Yu-Seol didn’t know what Isaac was thinking when he asked him to join the operation.

'He must have his reasons.'

He was wise after all.

'By the way, what happened...'

The current episode wasn't recorded in detail in the Sentient Spec, so he had no idea what would happen next... Or what the truth was.

"We will now begin the departure ceremony."

Before departing, the highest-ranking person in the knights' order normally gave a speech.

Baek Yu-Seol was not sure if this was always the case, but considering how often such scenes appeared in medieval fantasy novels, it appeared reasonably authentic

The expedition leader was Isaac Morph.

Although it appeared so on the surface, since he was the owner of this territory, Isaac's face was at the forefront. However, he wondered if there was any point in such 'surface' appearances.

This operation was being conducted in secret without the knowledge of the world.

'Is there really a need for this?'

During the operation meeting, the old members of the Magic Society explained that they wanted to keep it secret to avoid scaring the general public, and they would announce it after a successful extermination…

Their reasoning sounded plausible, but it also felt like they were hiding something.

The departure ceremony was brief, reflecting Isaac's personality.

The Grand Duke Morph’s house.

The Adolveit Royal Family.

The highest authorities in the magical world had gathered to hunt the single beast, White Demon Fox Fire Spirit.

But the opponent was a Danger Level 9 beast.

'... At the very least, it should be on par with the pirate king Black Belize we encountered before.'

At that time, the Adolveit Royal Family was powerless because they hadn't properly prepared their forces, but if they had been adequately prepared, they would have had a chance to win.

Hong Si-hwa Adolveit.

She was a woman who had never failed in her life, so she would surely succeed in this mission as well.

In the original game, there were occasional stories of Danger Level 9 beasts being defeated, so it wasn't entirely implausible.

'White Demon Fox Fire Spirit is not the problem.'

Why did Isaac Morph betray the magical world and turn his back on it?

That was the biggest issue.

… Or so he thought.

Until the elite knights were utterly defeated by the unsealed White Demon Fox Fire Spirit.

"What...?"

White flames were dancing in the sky. And a shower of white flames enveloped the world.

The forest had already turned to ashes; the terrain had been completely overturned to the point where the map had to be drastically redrawn, and most of the elite magical knights lay dead on the ground.

In the midst of it all.

A massive five-tailed fox beast roared toward the sky.

Screeeeeeech~!!!

With a single kick, it scattered despair, and with each roar, death spread like an epidemic.

That entity was the very embodiment of calamity.

Only then did Baek Yu-Seol begin to vaguely understand the hidden truth of the past.

'The expedition led by Hong Si-hwa forcibly unsealed White Demon Fox Fire Spirit but failed to defeat it and was defeated instead.'

That was the true story.

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