Episode 234. Magic with Professor Im Sol!

At Victoria Academy, a staff meeting was held every Monday.

Although she was an invited professor, her position was staff, so Im Sol was also forced to participate.

“So, this time, the Chairman…”

Of course, by Im Sol’s standards, it was a waste of time. While it was called a staff meeting, it was no different from a social gathering.

The actual meeting time was about 30 minutes.

Most of the time was spent on various small talk and chatting.

“Ahaha, the Department Head is really funny.”

“Professor Park also has a sense of humor that’s no joke? Hohoho.”

Hahaha.

Echoing inside the conference room was the sound of laughter.

While some professors played along with the atmosphere, others openly did their own thing, like Dr. Kang Hyorin.

However, not a single person thought of getting up and leaving.

After all, these people were the ones paying their salaries.

“Haa…”

Im Sol sighed, watching the scene.

They were all professors or doctors, yet…

Just because they started teaching a few years earlier, they were sucking up to them, calling them seniors.

Im Sol hated this culture.

And in fact, she didn’t need to play along.

She was an invited professor, personally invited by the Chairman and the President.

Today, she had a proposal regarding the field trip, so she had intended to wait until the meeting ended, but it didn’t look like it would end anytime soon.

“Department Head.”

Finally, Im Sol cut through the ha-ha-ho-ho laughter of the group.

“Oh, yes, yes. Professor Im Sol. Do you have something to say?”

“Regarding the field trip tomorrow, I submitted some materials, and I’d like them reviewed quickly.”

“Ah… you must be in a hurry. Please wait a moment.”

The Department Head, despite Im Sol’s sudden interruption, gave a good-natured smile.

Rustle, rustle-

Among the piled-up documents, the Department Head found Im Sol’s paperwork, nodded, and began reading it.

“This is excellent. Lee Hoyeon is the pride of Victoria Academy. It seems like a good idea for Professor Im Sol to personally mentor him.”

“Then I’ll take that as approval.”

“Mm. Of course.”

Phew.

Was this what she had to sit through two hours for?

“Well then, I’ll be going. I have a lot to prepare for the Magic Expo tomorrow, so…”

Im Sol informed the Department Head, who was leading the meeting, of her intention.

“Mm-hmm. Alright. Rest well. Professor Im Sol.”

The Department Head, who had been chuckling, widened his eyes, and then nodded.

“Thank you.”

Bowing slightly.

The Department Head wasn’t a bad person; he just passively accepted the flattery without much awareness.

Therefore, Im Sol also maintained basic courtesy.

Im Sol, keeping her head down, avoided eye contact with the other professors and left the conference room.

After Im Sol left, the meeting room, momentarily quiet, soon began to fill with whispers.

“What’s this? Going to the Magic Expo? Usually, she wouldn’t even glance at magic below her level.”

“I know, right? A professor who never showed interest in anything around her?”

“To bring someone with absolutely no social skills and call them a professor… Tsk, tsk.”

“Exactly. If you want to be called a mage, you should show respect to your seniors…”

The main speakers were mostly magic professors.

The magic professors were still unhappy about Im Sol occupying the entire second floor of the Magic Tower.

According to their standards, Im Sol’s behavior, lacking courtesy, was unpleasant to see.

In reality, it was petty jealousy stemming from their unwillingness to admit they were being outperformed by a younger woman, but most of them avoided confronting that jealousy and instead attacked Im Sol.

“…”

And Im Sol, listening from outside the door, slowly walked away.

She hadn’t always been this withdrawn.

It wasn’t difficult.

It was just different, not wrong.

Just as she was born with a talent for magic,

others seemed to be born with a talent for conversation.

The mage community is very small.

Im Sol also tried to fit in with the mages at first.

But regardless of Im Sol’s intentions, eventually, most of the people she spoke with would frown.

And then, behind her back, they’d say things like “she’s so annoying,” or “she thinks she’s the center of the universe.”

Things Im Sol never said. No, things she never even considered.

In the end, Im Sol gave up communicating with most people.

Leaving only peculiar individuals like Baek Ahyoung, Min Yeji, and Lee Hoyeon, it was better to cease communication with others.

It was a method of survival born from countless attempts and years of experience.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in others.

They were the ones who excluded Im Sol.

Of course, there was a way to communicate.

Im Sol could give up everything.

Abandon her meager pride, bow to her seniors, treat elders with deference, and show respect to the veterans.

In a world where you can’t tell someone without talent, “You’re not talented, maybe find another path,” to survive, that’s what you have to do.

Hide your true feelings and wear a false mask.

But Im Sol wasn’t born that way.

Im Sol didn’t love magic from the start.

Excluded by them, the only thing Im Sol could use to upset them was magic, and fortunately, magic was also what she was best at.

In the end, all Im Sol had left was magic.

That’s why she loved magic.

“Haa.”

Im Sol sighed again today and headed to her lab.

She still had unfinished magic research to complete.

*

“I’m off!”

“Daehee-ya. Don’t shout.”

Tuesday morning.

At the entrance, Nam Daeun and Nam Daehee were putting on their shoes.

“Thanks, Scarlet.”

“It’s alright. It’s my job.”

To leave the male dormitory, Nam Daeun and her sister absolutely needed Scarlet’s help.

When Scarlet wasn’t around, I went with them, but I have something to do today.

I have to go to the Magic Expo with Im Sol.

“Scarlet. Come back soon. I’ll be bored.”

“Understood. Don’t worry.”

“Stay safe at home, Liliana.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been guarding it diligently so far.”

“Aren’t you bored?”

“No, I’m fine. Scarlet is here too.”

“It’s fine if you hang out with Scarlet, so you can go out if you feel cooped up.”

Unlike Nam Daeun and her sister, Liliana doesn’t go out much.

I worry she might feel stifled just staying home.

“Hmm… Not really? Outside isn’t that great.”

“Okay. If there’s anything you want, buy it.”

“But don’t even think about taking my card.”

Still, it’s a relief that there are many people in the dorm.

Liliana doesn’t seem bored or depressed.

“Have a good day, Daeun and Daehee.”

“Okay. Oppa!”

“Aren’t you coming to the Academy this afternoon?”

Nam Daeun asked, looking at me as I said goodbye.

“I probably will. But you never know.”

After a quick goodbye, I waved to Liliana, who was in her tracksuit, and left the dorm first.

I had to head straight to Professor Im Sol’s lab.

‘This is the first time I’ve legally skipped class like this.’

I had told Lucy and Lumi during yesterday afternoon’s class, so they wouldn’t worry about my absence.

‘Alice… probably won’t worry, right?’

I headed towards the Magic Tower, watching the students arriving for school.

And in front of the Magic Tower, I spotted a familiar silhouette.

Flowing silver hair.

And a familiar light blue robe.

Dressed in the usual attire, hands behind her back, she was gazing at the sky.

Sensing my presence, she slowly turned around, smiled slightly, and spoke.

“Oh, my disciple is here?”

It was, of course, Professor Im Sol.

*

The Magic Expo.

The name might suggest a boring event filled with mages who only research in their dusty rooms, but it’s surprisingly different.

It’s an event held periodically, where mages looking for new magic circles or research topics share information with each other – a high-quality event.

Of course, it’s a bit distant from the general public because of that, but it can’t be helped.

It’s a Magic Expo, after all.

Im Sol and I arrived at such a place.

In the bustling crowd, I looked at Im Sol and spoke.

“But… those clothes again?”

“Again? I change almost every day.”

“…Almost?”

Im Sol was dressed exactly as she always was in her lab: an oversized pink plain t-shirt and black leggings, a fashion prioritizing extreme comfort.

She had thrown on a light blue robe over it, as if heading to the convenience store down the street, for the Magic Expo.

Of course, as someone wearing a student uniform, I’m hardly in a position to criticize fashion… but I have class this afternoon, so I’m innocent.

“Yeah. If research isn’t too demanding, almost every day.”

“…Ah, yes. Understood.”

It could happen.

Whether she changes clothes daily or not isn’t particularly important.

What’s important is that she’s pretty.

“Where should we go first? Do you prefer magic tools? Or magic circles?”

“Let’s go somewhere you’ll enjoy, disciple. I don’t really mind.”

“Yes, yes. Then let’s head to the magic tools section.”

Im Sol’s expression was ambiguous.

She seemed happy, yet not happy,

somewhere in between.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Im Sol]

• [ Affection: 70 ]

• [ Lust: 50 ]

• [ Appetite: 35 ]

• [ Fatigue: 55 ]

Current State: Haa… It’s nice coming with my disciple. But there are just too many people. Thinking about those old geezers is annoying.

Seeing the status window, I nodded.

“…Mm. Let’s check this way.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

Something must have upset her.

Still, I’m glad she listened to me.

A little later, we arrived at the area displaying magic tools.

“This one… even considering the useless formulas, the efficiency is decent. Especially this explanation…”

And I could see Professor Im Sol’s eyes sparkling.

‘She said it was boring, but she’s clearly loving it.’

I secretly smiled at Im Sol.

As expected of a mage, things like this catch her eye.

I also stared intently at the magic tool labeled [3IIS1-2RLJUD2] next to me.

‘I don’t get it even when I look at it.’

Of course, it looks good.

But the magic I use is more efficient.

“But this one is such a shame. The calculation ability decreased during the process of inscribing the magic circle. If it were me, the core spell… Ah, I haven’t announced that yet. Then, by resonating with each other…”

I guess from a mage’s perspective, there’s something to learn.

I’m good at using magic, not necessarily knowledgeable about it.

In terms of academic knowledge, I’m still far behind Im Sol.

“Professor. Let’s go see something else now.”

I grabbed Im Sol’s arm, who was muttering about improvements to the magic tool, and pulled her along.

The eyes of the mage who submitted the magic tool were widening with every word Im Sol spoke.

I can’t just give away this valuable information for free.

She’s someone’s teacher, after all.

“It’s still lacking…”

The professor’s eyes were still fixed on the magic tool.

This person gets strangely serious only when it comes to magic-related matters?

Anyone would think she died as a ghost, unable to complete her magic research in a past life.

“We have plenty of time. It’s hot, want to grab a coffee break?”

It’s a good thing, since I have something to talk about too.

I grabbed Im Sol’s arm and pulled her along, struggling a bit.

Swish-

‘Huh?’

Just as I glanced away for a moment, my eyes detected a suspicious magical energy.

It felt… murky, perhaps even malicious.

‘Is this… it? I’m a bit unsure.’

With so much magic emanating from the venue, it was hard to track the malicious energy that vanished instantly.

“Professor. Didn’t you feel anything strange…?”

“This uses a newly discovered method, doesn’t it? The magic circle’s structure is different, yet the activation method…”

“Geez. Seriously. Come this way first.”

First, I need to calm Professor Im Sol, who is right beside me.

Since Professor Im Sol didn’t seem to notice anything either, I must have been mistaken.

I led Professor Im Sol towards the cafe advertised as serving “cool coffee.”