Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 267

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Episode 267

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius Episode 267

Commencement and Overture (2)

Summer was nearing its end.

Unlike the entrance ceremony, which was filled with blooming flowers, the commencement ceremony was surrounded by lush, green trees and plants, diligently photosynthesizing under the warm sunlight.

But this felt like a bit much.

“Isn’t this a little excessive?”

─They’ve practically turned the entire area into a jungle.

Excessively dense grass and trees.

It was enough to make me wonder what had happened at the academy during the vacation.

“Surely nothing bad happened, right?”

─Ah, I liked that flower bed with the pretty poppies; what a shame.

“…There were poppies in the academy?”

─Didn’t you know? Although they had been crossbred with other miscellaneous flowers and their genes manipulated, their shape and scent were different from the usual ones, but they still had that unique poppy feel.

“……Your extensive knowledge is impressive, but the crazy person who tried to grow poppies inside the academy is even more impressive.”

It seemed something strange hadn’t just happened during the vacation.

It had been strange from the start.

From the moment I heard that someone had grown poppies in the academy flower bed, I figured nothing that happened would be normal.

─Crazy person? It’s not a guy; it’s a woman.

“It was a woman?”

─It’s your teacher. Nam Hwayeon, that gloomy woman.

“……”

─Oh, and although I said poppies, it seems to be a variety that has been rid of its unique addictive properties. It’s okay to grow those in a flower bed, right?

I was confident I wouldn’t find anything strange, even if something happened.

But this was a bit much.

“……I don’t know what kind of flowers bloomed in that flower bed, but it’s a shame. I should have taken a look.”

─Don’t try to hide it. After all, this conversation is only for us; no one can eavesdrop, so what are you trying to cover up?

“I’m just embarrassed.”

To think that those poppies were Nam Hwayeon’s work.

I couldn’t have imagined it. Somehow, given her personality, she seemed far removed from flowers, so I naturally excluded it from my mind.

‘Thinking about it, the hint was already there.’

The flower bed where the poppies were.

An unidentifiable weed planted there instead of poppies.

A subtle scent of magic emanated from that weed.

A subtle arrangement of magic hidden within the refreshing scent.

I had never delved into the detailed structure, but it was a familiar arrangement.

‘This is a spell.’

─It’s not an ordinary spell. You can recognize it now, right?

‘Yes, it resembles the spell you taught me and the spell I learned.’

The magic of the progenitor [ancient, powerful magic].

A type of magic that Tamamo taught me, an ancient discipline considered the best among those that have become obsolete in modern times.

Currently, I was the only one who had properly mastered this.

And Nam Hwayeon was the only one who had even learned the basics.

‘That weed and the tree behind it were also Teacher’s work. But considering that, the work is excessively flashy. As far as I remember, she didn’t like such large and flashy scenes…….’

─Then what kind of person is your teacher in your head?

‘Someone who never seeks trouble. Not liking flashy things is also to avoid getting involved in troublesome things.’

Nam Hwayeon’s eyes and personality resembled those of a dead person.

A bland personality.

Basically, she doesn’t pay attention to interests she’s not interested in, and she prefers sturdy and infinite raw stones to flashy jewels.

However, she never shows it.

That’s why she’s considered bland.

‘Enough with the chatter; let’s go in. The students are coming.’

─It’s not even 7 o’clock yet, and they’re already coming to school. Are they second-years?

‘Probably.’

It’s not easy for first-years to come to school around 6 a.m., and third-years are practically graduating, so they often don’t attend at all.

In that case, the investigation naturally narrows down to the second-years, but.

My eyes widened as I checked the name tag up close.

I hadn’t expected it at all.

‘Wasn’t he a second-year? The name tag is the color of a first-year.’

─Well, first-years can come to school early. Diligent people exist regardless of age or era. But I can see why you were confused. He has magic and spirit that you wouldn’t believe belongs to a 17-year-old.

‘That’s exactly what I wanted to say. His spirit is so composed that I naturally thought he was a second-year.’

A male student with a shaved head.

Judging by the color of his name tag, he was definitely a first-year, but he wasn’t a face I particularly remembered.

Students who are said to be in the so-called upper ranks.

I remember all the students in the top 1 to 100, but this student wasn’t one of them, yet his body was properly trained.

He doesn’t seem like a main character, but he worked hard.

Thinking that, I spent time with the other professors and assistants in the grand auditorium where the commencement ceremony would take place. Then, at 7:30 a.m.

It was time for the commencement ceremony to begin, so I looked at the seats divided by grade with the assistants. What is that?

The atmosphere of the first-years was unusual.

─Um…… Am I mistaken? Weren’t those the first, second, and third-years from the left? It seems like they sat down in reverse.

‘……Look at the name tags. First-year is green, second-year is blue, and third-year is red. Everyone is sitting properly according to their age.’

─Their apparent age is the opposite?

The atmosphere was reversed.

The third-years, with gaps in the seats due to guild employment, looked relatively weak, and the second-years were always in the middle, but.

The atmosphere of the first-years was particularly heavy.

‘……Indeed. They were definitely fresh sprouts before the vacation, but now they’ve become like weeds that will quickly grow back even if you step on them.’

You can’t feel the freshness unique to students.

So much so that the third-years looked fresher.

‘There’s a baobab tree [a tree with a very thick trunk] over there, too.’

─What’s a baobab tree?

‘There’s a tree as thick as that guy’s waist.’

─It must be an incredibly large tree.

Among some of the first-years, there were students whose waists exceeded the circumference of an average tree, probably due to some exercise they did during the summer vacation.

At that level, aren’t they descendants of giants?

Their innate physique was a concept different from that of East Asians and West Asians.

It felt like they were a different species from us.

‘If I get caught by that arm, I’ll become a piece of paper. It seems like they’ve only increased their strength stats tremendously during the vacation.’

─At that thickness, they could have a good arm-wrestling match with an ogre.

‘Yeah, why does everyone’s strength stat seem to exceed A+?’

─Was that a stat that first-years could reach?

‘Of course not. There are only four among the third-years.’

─But it seems like there are about eight among the first-years?

Tamamo and I doubted our eyes.

That wasn’t just our reaction.

Even among the assistants in the same position, there was a buzz about what had happened, and the professors’ eyes were sparkling.

Especially the eyes of the professors who taught magic.

It was like looking at something new that didn’t exist before.

The students’ reactions were exactly half and half.

Either they were surprised like the assistants and professors, or they had no interest at all.

Typically, the third-years didn’t even glance at them. The third-years, who were driven to the cliff of the job market, had no interest in anyone but themselves.

On the other hand, the second-years were greatly shocked.

They were clearly sitting between the first and third-years, but they didn’t know who the seniors were.

Of course, you can quickly distinguish them by looking at the color of their name tags, but.

Judging from the apparent age of their faces, their composed magical aura, and their atmosphere, the first-years felt more like seniors.

It seemed that the second-years were much more aware of the growth of their juniors, who were only one year younger than them.

‘What the hell happened to them during the vacation?’

Did they have a 2x experience event limited to first-years like in a game?

No.

At this rate of growth in just one month, they must have received a 3x or 4x event.

─I can see the kids you taught over there. As you gave them clear goals and taught them training methods that they can use for a long time, their growth rate stands out among the first-years.

‘……So, they’re the golden generation.’

─Calling a gap of two years a generation seems too short, but somehow I understand. Those kids are clearly a different generation.

A growth rate that is on a different level from students of other ages.

There’s no choice but to realize why they’re called the golden generation.

“Kids these days grow up fast.”

“Not as fast as you. Can’t you see that the professors haven’t noticed your growth?”

“……Professor.”

“Call me Teacher comfortably. Ah, maybe it’s difficult because this isn’t a private setting.”

Haha, sorry, sorry.

Nam Hwayeon, who spat out a half-hearted apology, appeared behind me.

The seats for assistants and professors are clearly divided at the commencement ceremony.

Professor above. Assistant below.

That’s why Nam Hwayeon stands out to others by looking for me and coming down.

Most people’s attention is focused on the first-years.

But the first-years are actually observing me and Nam Hwayeon talking.

“There are many eyes watching.”

“What about it? What’s wrong with archmages having a conversation?”

“You know. It’s likely to become an unnecessary topic of conversation if we make contact like this in a place where all the students are gathered, let alone in a place like the faculty room.”

“Why? Are you worried about your family’s opinion?”

Even after reaching that level, are you still worried about the old men’s opinions?

Even without saying anything, I could tell what Nam Hwayeon wanted to say the moment I looked into her eyes.

Telepathic transmission.

Nam Hwayeon’s words were transmitted to my head through telepathy.

The moment she suddenly asked through telepathy instead of speaking aloud, I realized her intention.

‘If you’re worried about people noticing, let’s talk with this?’

‘Oh my, you learned it faster than I thought.’

‘Of course. When you look at the principles of its construction, it’s a magic created by assembling the basic magic I taught you.’

If you’re worried about people noticing the conversation, let’s talk without speaking.

That was Nam Hwayeon’s intention.

Catching that point, I immediately analyzed the movements of Nam Hwayeon’s uvula and vocal cords. Based on this, I matched the wavelength with her.

Unless an average magician grasps this wavelength range, they won’t even think that we’re talking without speaking, only thinking.

‘It’s an interesting magic. The method is basic, but it’s a magic with well-established security. For example, if you lock a specific area like security, you can have a conversation where the record will never be exposed.’

‘That’s right. The problem is that the usage condition is that you have to reach the extreme of an advanced magician.’

‘Isn’t it more attractive that there are fewer people who can use it?’

‘Hmm, now that I think about it, that’s true too. Considering the satisfaction that scarcity gives, it’s not bad to leave it as a technique that only you and I can use.’

‘Right? So, what do you want to say while unfolding even this kind of magic?’

‘Huh?’

Complicated relationships intertwined like family and politics?

Or did she adopt this method because she wanted to have a high-dimensional discussion?

Maybe she used telepathy because of secrets that shouldn’t be leaked outside. What words will come out of Nam Hwayeon’s mouth?

Doki Doki [onomatopoeia for a heartbeat], the first words I heard with my head up were.

‘I just showed it off with the intention of bragging?’

‘…….’

‘No matter how much I show it to other people, it’s obvious that they won’t understand. I’ve been like that several times in my life.’

It wasn’t something special or a conversation going back and forth.

Just pure bragging.

Nam Hwayeon just wanted to brag to me about the new magic she created.