episode_0120

Flame Emperor Hong Myeongseon. As mentioned before, I’m acquainted with that old man.

Mother-in-law… Manroe Cheon Sehee, Seol Hayeon, and Ryu Jinseong—if you spoke of South Korea’s Archmages, those three were all of them.

Hong Myeongseon was also an excellent mage, not falling far behind them.

In terms of fire magic, he was competitive even abroad.

However, unfortunately, he wasn’t as powerful in Korea…

Let’s compare him to Ryu Jinseong, who is often classified as the weakest (?) Archmage.

His magical ability and career in the awakened society so far. In fact, in most aspects, Flame Emperor Hong Myeongseon didn’t fall far behind Ryu Jinseong.

So why didn’t he become an Archmage, while Ryu Jinseong did?

Was it because he was a mage who handled the extremely rare natural element, specifically darkness, and got in through some kind of quota system?

Of course not. Ryu Jinseong was clearly a capable mage regardless of such things.

It was simply that Hong Myeongseon was unlucky. Relatively speaking.

This was because the strongest ice magic user reigned supreme in South Korea.

Ice Empress Seol Hayeon. That girl with mysterious silver hair was nothing short of a natural enemy to Hong Myeongseon.

This wasn’t merely an exaggeration because I was her disciple.

Seol Hayeon and Hong Myeongseon appeared to be not far apart in terms of mastery.

However, the results of their magical duels for the past few years were complete victories versus complete losses.

The former was, of course, my proud master, and the latter was the old Flame Emperor. Surprisingly, this man hadn’t achieved even a single victory. It was literally a thorough losing streak.

Having an opponent who consistently overwhelmed him like that as an Archmage in the same country…?

It wasn’t strange that Hong Myeongseon’s skill was somewhat underestimated, regardless of the reality.

And now, warming up in one corner of the rented stadium was his granddaughter.

“Hoo.”

Hong Yeonhwa, in light attire, repeatedly stretched and pulled her arms. It seemed she had already removed her bunny ear headband.

‘Too bad.’

I felt regret with a rather serious expression.

It suited her well.

*Ding!*

At that moment, my smartphone vibrated lightly, and an alert sound rang out.

It seemed a reply had arrived for the message I sent a little while ago.

I turned on the screen and checked the message content.

– Lee Hyunjin: I’m going to have a match with Yeonhwa’s friend.

– Lee Hyunjin: Come watch when things are settled.

– Lee Hyunjin: (Location info)

– Pikachu: ???

– Pikachu: Hey, Lee Hyunjin

– Pikachu: What?

– Pikachu: What do you mean?

– Pikachu: No way, right? Please.

“…?”

The content seemed very urgent. Her eyes seemed to tremble frantically in the message, as if a hallucination.

I wondered if she had made some strange mistake. Just as I moved my hand to correct that misunderstanding.

– Pikachu: Ah

Had she finally checked the location information I had added, a beat later?

– Pikachu: Stadium…

Cheon Soyul demonstrated a miraculous display of expressing her awkwardness through a message.

– Pikachu: So that’s what you meant.

– Pikachu: I thought…

– Pikachu: Haa…

– Pikachu: Seriously, I just…

“Hah hah.”

No more messages came after that. I let out a small chuckle and sent a ‘white cat meaningfully smiling emoticon.’

She probably understood the situation from the stadium’s location info. She would know about the ‘bad relationship that isn’t really bad’ between Seol Hayeon and Hong Myeongseon.

I figured she’d come find me after having a good time with the Jeokho Academy students.

‘Hmm.’

I thought for a moment. By the way, how impressive must my history with women be for her to react so sensitively to merely “I’m going to have a match”?

I didn’t know for sure, but I strongly felt like a sinner. My triangle of conscience tingled.

Moreover, it was a date, after all, so leaving her unattended and moving felt uncomfortable.

How should I smooth things over? Should we visit the beach? It’s a bit early for summer, but—

“…This will require some thought.”

She was my wife, wasn’t she? For now, she was in the fiancée position, but…

If we spend almost half a month under the same roof, isn’t that a common-law marriage?

Soothing an adorably sulking wife would be one of a husband’s duties.

Even more so if the cause of her sulking was me. Indeed.

I concluded my thoughts that way and snapped out of my musings.

Just then, Hong Yeonhwa seemed to have finished her stretching and glanced at me.

“You’re ready, aren’t you?”

She asked me that with a quite serious expression and demeanor, and I responded by nodding, dropping my playful attitude.

“We can start right away.”

“You’re quite confident…”

*Whoosh!* Flames immediately erupted.

Hong Yeonhwa’s lips twisted.

“Honestly, my grandfather told me not to mind your defeat.”

“…”

“Still, as a granddaughter, and as a disciple, I can’t help but feel a little concerned, can I?”

It was a reasonable statement. I didn’t answer, but I didn’t refute it either, merely nodding.

Hong Yeonhwa, having taken a proper stance, slowly began to measure the distance between us.

“The Flame Emperor’s disciple defeated the Ice Empress’s disciple. A Jeokho Academy student won against a prominent figure from Cheonsong Academy…”

Trailing off slightly, she looked ready to immediately unleash flames at me if given the chance.

I, too, slowly tensed, wrapping my arms in cold air.

“Either way, I think it makes a good headline. If it were the other way around, though, it would look a bit silly.”

After saying that, Hong Yeonhwa closed her mouth for a moment, then chuckled and raised her hand.

“But, still.”

It was the moment I lightly stomped my foot in response to her movement. *Crackle!* Ice surged across the ground, sweeping towards Hong Yeonhwa.

“…You’re younger than me, aren’t you? I hope you can teach your junior and junior a lesson.”

Along with her relaxed murmur, a massive flame explosion erupted.

*Boom!*

*****

Sweeping away the encroaching ice shards with a flame explosion, Hong Yeonhwa was the first to swiftly launch herself forward.

In a situation where she didn’t know when the next attack would come, speed was paramount.

*Swish!*

Indeed, just as she expected, an incredibly sharp icicle shot past the spot where she had originally stood.

Having moved early, it didn’t even graze her clothes. It was the moment Hong Yeonhwa was about to smile slightly.

“…!”

*Whoosh!*

She immediately ignited flames. Not because she wanted to, but because the situation demanded it.

Ice chunks, rising from all directions as if to surround her, began to fall heavily.

“What the…!”

*Bang! Crash!* Thanks to the heat she had generated beforehand, she was able to melt the ice without significant damage, but the problem was the sheer volume of attacks.

No matter how much she burned and melted, it was endless. It wouldn’t stop! Hong Yeonhwa’s eyes widened.

“Ugh!”

Just then, Lee Hyunjin’s spinning kick, aiming for an opening, struck her arm.

A small amount of cold air seemed to reside there, as her wrist began to freeze with a *crack*.

“—!”

Hong Yeonhwa swept away the cold by instantly raising the temperature of the flames covering her body by one level. The reddish flames began to change into a vibrant orange.

It was a distinctly different sight from Hong Myeongseon, who handled blood-red flames.

Not a unique magic of the Hong family, but solely her own characteristic. The ‘Ruler of Flames’ began to manifest in various ways at this moment.

From red to orange, from orange to yellow, and even further to white.

This characteristic, which perfectly suited fire magic, doubled its power by changing colors, allowing Hong Yeonhwa to secure the top spot in her first year at Jeokho Academy.

Naturally, she hadn’t challenged the genius mage Lee Hyunjin without thinking.

Even if more than 50% was impossible, she had requested the duel with considerable confidence, judging that she could seize a certain degree of winning odds.

No matter how much he was the Ice Empress’s disciple, he wouldn’t be able to withstand her temperature.

…That was her judgment.

“This is quite hot.”

*Crackle crackle crackle!*

Lee Hyunjin’s cold wasn’t just ‘that’ much. It was incredibly frigid, to the point where even a slight melt wouldn’t occur as she wished.

He said it was ‘quite hot’ and all, but his expression was so nonchalant…!

*Grind!*

Hong Yeonhwa gritted her teeth, feeling an inexplicable irritation surge within her.

Setting aside her anger, she at least recognized this ‘cold’.

Literally, she knew it. Because she had seen it once before.

Sometime when Archmage Seol Hayeon visited the Flame Emperor’s mansion.

As always, her grandfather requested a duel with Seol Hayeon, and that day, Hong Yeonhwa had to witness the sight of the flames wielded by her idol being swallowed by a chilling aura.

…Right at this moment, she felt that day’s scene being replayed.

“Impossible.”

It was such an absurd thought that she immediately blurted out a denial the moment it crossed her mind.

That couldn’t be explained, no matter how skilled a mage Lee Hyunjin was.

That, that nearly silver-gray cold, was clearly Seol Hayeon’s, wasn’t it? Its name was probably ‘Frozen Core’, or something like that.

Generally, characteristics weren’t the kind of things that could be passed on to others… Knowing that, Hong Yeonhwa could only gasp.

She didn’t know what was happening, but just as she was confident in her advantage in a compatibility battle based on her ‘Ruler of Flames’, Lee Hyunjin also had a source of confidence against flames.

Of course, with the Ice Empress’s ability, even her flames could be frozen solid…!

It was impossible for her to withstand what Hong Myeongseon couldn’t.

Hong Yeonhwa felt ashamed of her confident self from a few minutes ago.

This would be meaningless, wouldn’t it? Only an overwhelming defeat awaited her.

Her eyes flashed fiercely.

‘I won’t allow that!’

Of course, she had her pride. If she lost in this compatibility battle between fire and ice, it would leave a severe scratch.

Even if she had to lose, she had to land at least one hit. She recalled that resolve.

“—Hup.”

Therefore, Hong Yeonhwa first steadied her breathing.

Because she needed a little preparation time.

A situation where cold air filled every direction and ice chunks scattered upwards, downwards, left, and right.

The disadvantage was clear, and it was quite obvious that she would eventually lose.

But even in such a situation, if there was one way she could gain an advantage against the monstrous second-year from the rival academy.

Needless to say, it was the path to unleashing 100% of her ‘full power’.

And for Hong Yeonhwa, full power meant a single color.

The highest temperature she could achieve, that heat.

“…Be on your guard, Lee Hyunjin-ssi.”

Hong Yeonhwa’s lips twisted into a cold sneer as she warned Lee Hyunjin.

It wasn’t just arrogance. She genuinely hoped Lee Hyunjin would handle it well.

Because if he couldn’t.

“The ‘fire’ I’m about to show you will be a little too hot.”

…She might have to clean up a completely burnt corpse.

“Then, here I come.”

Her red eyes flickered white for a moment, beginning to crackle.