Episode 237. Magic with Professor Im Sol! (4)

Professor Im Sol.

Actually, our first connection wasn’t a good one.

Looking back, I was the one who received the apology.

It was a simple accident. Professor Im Sol’s belongings got mixed in with the magic tools we were using for practice. Thanks to that, I almost got seriously hurt. Fortunately, I remember I didn’t get hurt because I had [Mana Sensitivity].

If such an accident happened now, I would have called the Chairman and caused a huge fuss, but back then, I hadn’t adapted to this world yet. So, even though I was angry, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.

Back then, Professor Im Sol apologized directly. Of course, my anger wasn’t completely gone, but honestly, I let it slide partly because the Professor-nim was just too pretty.

Through that connection, we continued to interact.

Of course, it wasn’t just a wholesome exchange contributing to the development of world magic… It was an extremely abnormal exchange between a professor and a student, involving her doing lewd things to me under the guise of researching my magic.

Now, somehow the Professor-nim likes it more… but anyway, that’s how it was.

We always maintained our relationship smoothly, and these days, our relationship has gotten even better.

Before I knew it, Professor Im Sol started calling me ‘student.’

At first, she clearly called me Lee Hoyeon, or Hoyeon-ah.

I thought it was Professor Im Sol’s own way of maintaining distance.

Maintaining distance between a professor and a student.

If we got too close, it could cause controversy, and from Professor Im Sol’s perspective, it could become awkward.

So I also went along with it, saying ‘Master.’ ‘Master.’

But then….

Seeing Im Sol looking down at the demons from the sky with a cold gaze, that thought changed.

*

The giant magic circles spread out above in the sky were magnificent, like a god watching over the wide exhibition hall.

And Im Sol, the owner of those magic circles, slowly began to float.

“…What is this.”

Without realizing it, I muttered to myself.

An angel? Or a spirit?

Covered in blue mana, Im Sol floated up into the sky. Her appearance was like a fictional being that shouldn’t exist in the world, like unicorns or dragons.

Koong- Ku-goong-

The entire exhibition hall area was shaking.

It was because of the mana controlled by Im Sol.

Even for Im Sol, could she use such a massive spell alone? And that too in such a short time?

The surroundings were still chaotic.

People and demons were unaware of Im Sol looking down at the exhibition hall from mid-air.

Explosions were going off here and there in the exhibition hall, people were running away, and the demons were chasing them.

The demons looted magic tools and smashed magic circles.

What they wanted was chaos and fear. And malice arising from it.

It was Pandemic’s goal to summon something unidentified called the Demon King.

However, even those invaders couldn’t ignore this dense mana forever.

Jiiing-

Dozens of giant magic circles floating in the sky. They slowly began to rotate, emitting light.

Then, the demons on the ground also noticed something strange, one by one.

Anyone would naturally be surprised if something like that was floating in the sky.

– Wh-what is that. It’s blocking us! It’s a hindrance!

– Kkeureuk, block it. Bl-block it.

Just at that moment, when the demons maintaining their reason and those who had lost it were panicking.

Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang!

Four giant pillars of light fell around Im Sol, and Im Sol’s figure, opening her eyes from their center…

Would not be an exaggeration, even described as an angel descended from the heavens to punish evil.

Soon, light began to form slowly from the rotating magic circles.

“Die.”

Pure white light descended all over the exhibition hall.

The genius mage, Im Sol.

It was the moment she was giving her all.

Those lights, seemingly striking indiscriminately, precisely targeted only the demons. Most low-level demons were swept away by the initial pillars of light, and while some high-level demons tried to resist, it was futile.

Its power was questionable, whether even my rune barrier could withstand it right now.

– You, you fucking bitch…!

Among them, the leader of this terror attack, a demon, spat curses and raised its mana.

It was a demon with the appearance of a middle-aged man.

Just seeing it block the light Im Sol emitted while simultaneously wielding mana, its possessed strength was not weak.

It was to the extent that I couldn’t guarantee victory or defeat even if I fought seriously.

As this was a place with many mages, it seemed they had dispatched a heavyweight to prepare for variables.

The middle-aged demon conjured a mana sphere of murky light and threw it at Im Sol. The increasingly accelerating mana sphere, absorbing the surrounding light, charged towards Im Sol in a straight line.

“Professor-nim!”

That too was a spell of immense power, considering it was created in such a short time.

However, contrary to my worries, Im Sol was incredibly calm.

She just raised one hand and caught the mana sphere, as if playing a light game of catch.

Kwadeuk-

Even if people far away couldn’t tell, I could clearly see.

The sight of Im Sol gritting her teeth.

And the words she quietly murmured.

“Annoying.”

Kwajik!

Im Sol, who had completely crushed the mana sphere in her hand, muttered as she looked at the demons.

“Annoying. Annoying. Annoying. Annoying. Annoying. Annoying. Annoying. Annoying…! I said it’s annoying. Trash. You trash. Can’t even follow my heels, you starfish. Magic? Why? For what reason? For what purpose? Die. Die. You trash. Die…. Go to hell.”

Seeing its mana sphere, containing its full power, blocked by one hand, the middle-aged demon, having lost the will to fight, stared blankly at Im Sol before being swallowed by the light and disappearing.

Koong! Kwang! Ku-gu-goong!

– Kkeuak!

– Kkeureuk, kkeureureu!

Even after the leader demon died, the lights falling from the sky did not stop.

Until all the demons hiding inside the exhibition hall were gone.

*

The demons in the exhibition hall, no, who were there, all turned to ash.

Literally swallowed by the light, not a trace remained.

Mages, spectators, or ordinary people, all watched the scene with their mouths agape.

There was a woman shedding tears, having lost a lover.

There were also people cluelessly cheering, watching the wondrous sight.

There were also people whose eyes widened, seeing the demon that was moments before trying to kill them swallowed by the light.

There were people standing still in place like roly-poly toys, mouths hanging open.

Among the mages, there were also people shedding tears of awe.

They were high-level mages who knew how incredible what Im Sol had accomplished was.

I was, of course, one of them.

– That’s the genius mage, Im Sol….

– Miraculous magic… Keu-heuk. I never thought I’d see something like this in life.

Some mages looked at Im Sol and uttered their impressions.

– Ph-photos. Take pictures! Quickly!

The reporters who came to cover the magic expo started taking pictures.

Probably tomorrow, no, starting in just a few hours, Im Sol’s picture would appear on the headlines.

[Genius Mage Im Sol! Single-handedly stopped the expo’s terror attack!]

With cheap titles like that.

Im Sol, ignoring everyone else, gathered her mana and descended from the sky.

The most efficient method to find the demons was to go up into the sky and observe directly, so it was time to come down.

Descending from the sky, brushing off the dust, Im Sol looked at me and gave a slightly awkward smile.

“Did you see everything?”

“…Yes.”

“…Did you perhaps hear everything?”

“Uh… yes.”

I swallowed hard, kkul-keok.

What should I say.

It felt like a distance had formed between the Professor-nim and me.

I couldn’t approach her easily like before.

Because I knew she was a true powerhouse.

She wasn’t that airhead professor who used to suck my dick whenever she had the chance.

The person before my eyes was Im Sol, a true mage considered the best in the world.

“…Professor-nim.”

Still, I could know one thing.

That she got angry to that extent was an action for my sake.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Im Sol]

• [ Affection: 75 ]

• [ Lust: 50 ]

• [ Appetite: 30 ]

• [ Fatigue: 50 ]

Current Status: After a long time, I was in a good mood with my student. It’s all ruined.

“Hmm, that was cool. Really.”

I was truly, truly grateful for her intention to protect me.

Of course, I was a little scared.

Anyone would be scared and tense up seeing someone so enraged, cursing like that.

This wasn’t my problem.

I tried my best to hide it, but Im Sol seemed to have read my emotions slightly.

“Am I perhaps burdensome to you?”

She said that with a self-deprecating smile.

“No, no, no. I was just flustered.”

I quickly protested.

Because I couldn’t let Im Sol misunderstand.

However, regardless of my intention, Im Sol continued speaking.

“It’s okay. You can call me a monster. I’m used to it.”

“Professor-nim. Don’t say that. How can you be a monster?”

I was just a little scared, I didn’t think of her as a monster or anything like that.

‘…Actually, I did.’

If I were to make excuses, it wasn’t meant in a negative way at all.

It was meant positively.

“Still, only to you I didn’t want to show it.”

“…Professor-nim?”

Im Sol let out a deep sigh, and with a self-deprecating smile, continued speaking.

“I put up walls. Walls that protect my pride and allow me to ignore what others say. When those walls disappear, this is what happens. What you just saw is my true self.”

I quietly listened to Im Sol.

“I know. It’s ugly, proof that I can’t adapt to society. Unable to even bow my head properly. The only thing I know how to do is magic. A monster. That assessment isn’t wrong.”

“…”

“So to you I didn’t want to show it.”

“…Sigh, Professor-nim.”

I let out a deep sigh.

How should I persuade this person?

I had thought Professor Im Sol had trauma.

There were quite a few parts that were hard to understand until now.

However… honestly, whatever Professor Im Sol thought wasn’t my business.

Her true self? So what.

She’s just pretty.

No matter what she does, the person named Im Sol doesn’t change.

Even if others don’t understand, I can understand.

I had to express this statement so that Im Sol could understand well.

“Professor-nim. Don’t think strange thoughts. At least I never think that way.”

“…Then what do you think?”

After I said it with all my sincerity, Im Sol met my eyes.

“Huh?”

“Me. What do you think of me? A socially inept, monster mage Im Sol… What do you think?”

“You are Professor-nim.”

“…Yeah. Thanks.”

Im Sol smiled slightly and turned her head.

This isn’t it.

Im Sol was smiling, but she wasn’t smiling.

Obviously, I couldn’t let it go with something like that.

Convinced I shouldn’t leave it like that, I quickly followed up.

“…To me, Professor-nim, you are just the person Im Sol.”

Im Sol turned her head and looked at me.

As if daring me to speak.

Seeing that her eyes, filled with various emotions like shame, helplessness, self-loathing, embarrassment, and self-blame, still held a glimmer of hope, I felt hopeful.

And I poured out the words I had been holding back.

“Someone who acts like an adult despite not being that much older.”

“…?”

Im Sol furrowed her brow at my sudden words.

She seemed unaware of why I was suddenly acting like this.

However, I didn’t stop.

Because I had to let out everything I had held back until now.

“And yet, you like sweets like a child. Thinking you’re the most special person in the world, ignoring all other mages, even entrusting important tasks to a student, you strange professor.”

“What are you saying right now….”

Just before Im Sol got angry, I delivered my prepared words.

“But that side of you is cute.”

“…W-what?”

At the same time, Im Sol’s eyes widened.

Her face, previously filled with displeasure, turned to embarrassment.

“The way you smile brightly while eating chocolate, the way you rejoice after finishing magic research, the way you whine every day that others don’t understand, yet are more sincere than anyone else during magic class. All of it is cute.”

“What are you saying. You, you really…!”

Im Sol darted her eyes around, looking bewildered.

“Someone who takes pride in being the greatest mage in the world, yet feels burdened by it. Someone weak who calls herself a monster, yet longs for someone to comfort her. I like that kind of Professor Im Sol.”

“St-stop it. Please….”

Im Sol looked around, worried if anyone could hear, and reached out her hand to cover my mouth.

She was so embarrassed her face was bright red.

“Kkuhk, keuh-heup… keu-keuk.”

Seeing Professor Im Sol’s disheveled state for the first time, I genuinely burst out laughing after a long time.

“You, you really want to get scolded? There’s a limit to jokes. This isn’t a joke, it’s just unpleasant, and, uh… ugh….”

“Professor-nim, what I want to say is.”

Im Sol’s face grew redder, and I firmly grasped Im Sol’s moving hand that was trying to cover my mouth.

Her cold hand seemed to represent Im Sol’s lonely feelings.

I made eye contact with Im Sol, who was full of bewilderment. Seeing the shame filling her face and her teary eyes, she seemed quite embarrassed.

Holding back my laughter, I continued speaking.

“Don’t push yourself too hard. I don’t care no matter how strange things Professor-nim does. That’s because it’s Im Sol.”

Im Sol, who knew nothing but magic her whole life, a social misfit.

I wasn’t sure if I could break the trauma she had accumulated over time.

However, I believed in the distance we had built up until now, and the connection shared between us.

And fortunately, my move seemed to have worked.

Because Im Sol’s devastated expression began to change little by little.