episode_0029

-smart

-Come in.

When I knocked on the door, a somewhat tired voice came from inside. I opened the door and stepped into the consulting room.

“… Excuse me.”

Not befitting the name of a counseling room, the interior was filled with the smell of stale cigarettes and stuffy air.

The first thing that caught my eye was the appearance of a young professor sitting at a large desk.

He wore horn-rimmed glasses and his hair was long and tied back in a haphazard manner. His chin and sideburns were dark in places, as if he hadn’t shaved his beard in time. Overall, it gives the impression of being quite insincere.

“Sit there and wait for a moment. It’ll be over soon.”

Professor Kwon Chan-yeol, in charge of the Department of Magical Physiology and Magical Chemistry, spoke without even looking at me. Meanwhile, his hands were constantly tapping on the typewriter.

Around him, several pens were floating in the air, writing something down on paper. I think it might be a type of telekinetic magic that the principal showed me last time.

However, the professor appears to be similar in age to the leader. Didn’t the principal say that it would be difficult for the leader to achieve telekinetic magic even when he is old? What is the difference between the two…

“… I’m sorry. This is because the admission season is the busiest time of the year for professors. Even though I sleep less than three hours a day, work never stops, so… ”

I was finally able to have my first conversation with him after listening to the sound of furious typing on a typewriter for about 10 minutes. Before the professor knew it, a mountain of documents had formed.

There are so many dark circles around the eyes, I have to say that I feel like I’m going to get tired just by looking at them…

“Okay then, shall we begin?”

After speaking, the professor snapped his fingers, and the curtain covering the wall behind him moved and opened on its own.

On the wall behind the curtain was a huge stone slab that at first glance looked like a decorated carpet.

At the center of the stone slab was a spherical spherical spherical stellite glowing stone, with four circuits extending diagonally toward each vertex of the slab with the stone as the axis.

Each large circuit branches off into countless smaller circuits derived from it, giving the impression that it is like four huge trees with countless branches growing from roots rooted in the reactive stone.

“The reaction is cooler than you expected, isn’t it? Students who see a compass for the first time are usually mesmerized by its strange appearance. Have you ever seen it before?”

“… yes. I’ve had a quick test before.”

“Oh, I see. There probably aren’t that many places that have attribute compass tablets, but I had a very good experience. Have you ever served in the military before? Phew… ”

Professor Kwon grinned and joked in a nonsensical tone.

“Well, it’s done. see. All other tests have been completed, and today’s attribute compass test is the last. Right?”

“That’s right.”

“You must have heard the explanation about attribute testing last time. If you’ve forgotten how, I’ll explain it one more time… ”

“It’s okay. I remember it very well.”

“Thank goodness. Because it saves time. My mouth was already aching from having to explain everything again to the idiots. So shall we get started? Go and stand in front.”

Following the professor’s words, I got up from my seat and approached the stone tablet. The green reactive stone embedded in the center sparkled like an eye.

I placed my hand on the sensitive stone and closed my eyes. Then, the particles were injected there through the palm of the hand.

-Wow…

Soon, a vibration as if something was resonating began to resonate from the stone slab. The shaking continued for about 5 minutes and then gradually quieted down.

“Ah, it’s already done… What is it?”

When the vibration completely stopped, the professor who was looking at my documents turned his head and checked the slate. Then, he slightly furrowed his eyebrows and gave an expression that seemed suspicious of something.

The four trees of the attribute compass divide the magical attributes known so far into large categories, and the smaller branches reclassify the large attributes in more detail.

If the test had originally proceeded normally, light should have come into only one of the four circuits extending around the sensitive stone. And there had to be a spark of magic burning at the end of some of the little circuits derived from that tree.

This means that the detailed attributes correspond to the tester’s aptitude, and it is common for wizards to select and learn magic that corresponds to such detailed attributes and large categories of attributes as their major.

If you have the talent, you can learn some magic that corresponds to your own attributes and the trees on both sides adjacent to it, but you cannot handle the attributes of the trees that are completely opposite to you at all.

But now, in front of me, there was a strange sight unfolding, with all four trees emitting light.

What was even more strange was that none of the small tree branches showing detailed properties had magical fire on them.

“Ha, why is this happening again?”

Professor Kwon looked embarrassed and tapped his hand.

I knew it would be like this. I sighed lightly inwardly as I looked at the scene. The results were exactly the same as when I conducted a test with the director in the past.

The fire would have started according to its properties if the individual’s internalized particles had been blown in, but since the ether in the atmosphere was blown in as is, this result was bound to come out…

I knew this would happen and tried to avoid the prosecutors somehow, but there was no way for me, as a freshman, to miss such an essential process.

“That… Could it be that it’s overloaded? They would have continued testing… ”

“I see… Well, that’s the most likely thing… ”

After hearing my cautious words, Professor Kwon nodded and muttered.

“After using it for over 50 years, it was time for it to break down. Still, this is the first time I’ve had the same symptoms twice in one day. No, today is the first time something went wrong in the first place… ”

Something Professor Kwon said suddenly caught my attention.

“Twice… Is this?”

“Okay. The same problem occurred when I was examining another student earlier. At the time, I thought it was just a temporary error… ”

“If it’s another student, who… ?”

“You bastard. Don’t wonder about useless things. You’re asking for other people’s personal information too casually.”

Professor Kwon answered clearly. Is it really time to break down? Well, who else but me can perform the test by blowing in ether? The other student the professor mentioned must have really experienced a breakdown.

For me, I am just fortunate that a persuasive situation has been created. There is no need to add any more troublesome words.

“Ha, what should I do with this, then… ”

Professor Kwon scratched his head as if he was in pain.

“I… I still remember the results of a previous test. Is it possible to replace them with those?”

“What?”

The professor’s face brightened when he heard the words come out of my mouth.

“Of course it is possible. Come and sit down. Let’s fill it in with that number and get a proper test again later.”

The professor returned to his desk and took out a typewriter.

“Okay, what is the main attribute?”

“Infectum-calorie.”

“The circulatory system would be my main aptitude. Then, how many times… ”

I blurted out the answer I had prepared in advance.

“Hmm, then are you planning to major in circulatory system magic in the cradle?”

“Yes. I have already learned the unique magic of the same system, and I am also comfortable using my own body… ”

“What? Are you learning Mr. Black Lotus’s prediction plan?”

It was about the end of the five-minute question and answer session. While I was answering my question faithfully, the professor suddenly interrupted me and attacked me. The face was full of surprise.

“Are you by any chance the illegitimate son of the Sa clan? Is that why you cover your face?”

Professor Kwon muttered to himself.

“… No, no. There was no way that a man known for being a loving wife would do that. Hmm, excuse me… ”

Then he cleared his throat and returned to the original topic.

“Okay. It’s a prediction plan. Can I ask how far you have achieved?”

I thought about it for a while, but I didn’t think there was a need to completely reveal my accomplishments. In any case, the official classes at Cradle are centered around general-purpose magic, and unique magic is learned individually by those who are sponsored or come from a direct lineage like me.

After much thought, I gave an answer that was moderately lower than the original achievement.

“I just entered the 5th rank not long ago… ”

“Already ranked 5th at that age??”

Professor Kwon looked at me with a puzzled expression. Did I make a mistake? Should I have said it lower? Obviously, the leader told me not to be cocky because my accomplishments weren’t that big of a deal…

“That’s amazing. It’s not for nothing that I was admitted through recommendation after 18 years and even taught unique magic. Well, I thought he was quietly hiding out, but then he was looking for a gemstone like this… ”

After muttering for a moment, the professor turned his gaze to me again.

“… I don’t know what to say, but if that skill is true, it must be hard to get anything out of the cradle, right? It seems like he has already achieved a lot at that age.”

… Looking at the nuance of what you say, I am certain that the principal is the only person who knows that I served in the military.

However, Yeon used the family’s information network to find out that fact separately. I once again realize how great the power that family has.

“I’m quite confident in using my body, but my theory is at a low level… ”

“The theory is not up to par, so how can I break through to level 5 unique magic? Do you think that makes sense?”

“… Just doing it… ”

“… ”

“And I told you to make a lot of friends… ”

Professor Kwon, who had been looking at me in bewilderment, let out a small sigh after hearing what I continued to say.

“… Yes, then there is nothing that cannot be understood. Social activities are also one of the main purposes of Yoram’s establishment… ”

After speaking, he wrote his signature on the document and pushed it to the side.

“Okay, I think the consultation up to this point will be enough. I had a hard time juggling classes and tests. Still, if I just pass the first test, I’ll be able to breathe a little easier than I do now. Oh, is today the day to announce the exam topic?”

“Yes.”

“Time flies so fast. I guess I can leave for classroom 1 right away. I get it. Then go out and see.”

Professor Kwon glanced at his watch and issued an order to congratulate the guests.

***

Perhaps it was a little late because of the consultation, but when I arrived at Classroom 1, students from the Department of Magic were already crowded together.

I feel the sound of me opening the door attracts attention for a moment. Everyone’s emotions in their gaze are different. Jealousy, indifference, anger, interest…

A week has already passed since I entered the cradle, but unlike my studies, which I am somehow keeping up with, there has not been much progress in my interpersonal relationships. It’s probably because of the spread of what happened at the last social gathering.

There were rumors that I had an open relationship with Yeon-i, who was currently the most popular person in the cradle, my unfriendly personality, and even my strange appearance wearing a mask.

Each and every one of them could be said to be enough elements to bury the topic that he was admitted after 18 years with a letter of recommendation from Mr. Heukryeon Sa.

It might have been a little better if I had entered Yeon-i’s enclosure like many people who were with me that day… That’s an impossible option for me.

Fortunately, there are only two people who can be called my friends.

“Hyeon~ah~”

As soon as she saw me coming in, Yena shouted from afar. From a little distance away, Seungheon saw me and greeted me lightly.

Yena was the first person I met when I came to the capital, and Seungheon continued to talk to me even after our unexpected first conversation, showing that he did not mind me that much.

Maybe it’s because Sehwa’s older sister is a member of the team leader, and her personality is exactly like that of Sehwa’s older sisters, who were exceptionally kind and warm-hearted among the older sisters.

“… ”

On the other hand, sitting next to Seungheon, I saw a female student squinting at me with a disapproving look. Her innocent and arrogant appearance gives the impression that she is a girl from a good family.

Did you say your name was Moon Yeo-ul? I think you said that you were from a famous family and that you and Seungheon were officially engaged.

But why is he dating a woman like that? I hate such vicious-looking people the most in the world. You really can’t know what people’s tastes are.

“Hihi, are you coming after taking an attribute test? You worked hard~”

Yena smiled brightly as she saw me sitting next to her. Yena’s attitude did not change at all even after learning of my origins and the conflict with Yeoni. I just gave him a curious look for a moment.

I feel the gaze of those around me even more stinging. Although her skills were not outstanding, Yena was popular among freshmen thanks to her unique brightness and cheerfulness.

I guess it doesn’t look nice if someone like that keeps trying to hang out with me…

“Haha, everyone is full of energy. Very good.”

At the hour mark, the front door of the classroom opened and a young female professor with a familiar face came in. Shin Jae-yu is a professor of training and magic combat who welcomes new students every morning.

The female professor looked at us, nodded happily, and began to explain.

“Everyone has a hard time adapting to an unfamiliar environment. As previously announced, today I would like to inform you of the topic of the first exam that will be held in a week.”

After speaking, the professor activated the projector installed in the classroom. Soon, a map of something began to appear on the wall behind it.

A huge forest was depicted in the center of the map. It was so vast that it was dozens of times the size of the cradle site. The cradle and capital were marked at the top, which seemed to be somewhere south of the cradle.

The appearance of an incomprehensible map caused light whispering among the students. The female professor seemed to be enjoying the commotion and smiled.

The words that came out of his mouth a moment later added fuel to the commotion.

“Your first test will be taken as a practical exercise right here.”