Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 261

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Episode 261

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius 261

An Isolated Daily Life (1)

The departure schedule was ruined.

Due to the series of events, Germany had completely closed its borders. Of course, this wouldn’t last long.

There was no need to worry about being stuck in Germany for a long time.

However, the schedule was ruined because of it.

‘Maybe it’s not because of it. The cause was the MINEs [Magically Inherent Neogenetic Entities], but it’s my responsibility for pouring oil on the blazing fire.’

With only a few days in between, incidents of MINEs dying occurred.

It wasn’t that MINEs killed, but several incidents of MINEs dying happened.

MINEs are treated as less than animals or monsters in every existing country, so killing them doesn’t constitute a major crime.

‘It would be different if a criminal did it.’

S-Class Villain, Megu.

Just nine days ago, this guy, who was only an A-Class villain, committed numerous crimes in Germany. Killing MINEs might be excusable, but his acts of arson on numerous buildings had long surpassed the boundaries of what could be excused.

Moreover, Megu’s initial reason for being registered as a villain was mass murder.

Mass murder of high-ranking vested interests who participated in a party.

Megu was an evildoer who was accustomed to the sensation of killing people from the start.

The severity of his crimes was excessively bad. In the end, Megu was branded as an S-Class villain without much deliberation.

One of the few S-Class villains in the world.

He, widely known as an arsonist, was now.

“Dad! Let’s go outside quickly, quickly!”

“O-okay.”

Raising children.

* * *

Germany’s borders were closed.

One cannot enter or leave as they please.

Of course, one could easily escape by using secret routes, but there were too many eyes watching me in this country.

First, the eyes of the Leonhardt family.

They are the German military itself and the de facto rulers, and they extremely dislike the situation where I, the head of a rival family, am out of their favor.

The situation where my every move is under their watch is unavoidable, but their gaze is excessively burdensome.

In the end, I left the Leonhardt family’s mansion with the children.

I could feel the maids’ regret when I left with the children, but their regret was none of my concern. The safety of the children came first for me. Well, even though I left the mansion and rented a nearby house, their surveillance didn’t stop.

‘Rather, it has become more meticulous as they can’t watch closely.’

Passing pedestrians, an old man sitting on a bench.

The gazes of everyone passing by are sharp.

They may think that their disguise and eye movements are perfectly synchronized with the surroundings, but there is a unique atmosphere to those who are lying in wait and watching.

Unless they completely kill that atmosphere, their gazes are distinctly different from those of ordinary citizens.

For example, if we assume there is a couple looking at us in the same way.

The eyes and expressions of a couple watching for surveillance purposes have a constant feeling without emotional ups and downs, while the expressions of a couple purely watching us on their way have much more diverse emotional expressions.

The elderly couple looked at us with warm eyes.

The couple in a state of ennui felt interest and envy, with the man looking at Baek Hyeon-ah and the woman looking at me. Occasionally, some felt jealousy towards us, but in that case, there was no way to know whether they were comparing their partners to us, or whether the man felt jealousy towards Baek Hyeon-ah and the woman felt jealousy towards me.

Truly, a variety of people passed us by.

As a result, Baek Hyeon-ah, who was pouring all her heart and concentration into taking care of the children, could also feel the difference in the gazes directed at them.

That was fine.

It was perfectly natural for the owner of German soil to monitor dangerous elements as the owner. I could understand.

However, I couldn’t understand the sense of camaraderie from the couple pushing a stroller with a baby. I doubted my senses several times in this regard.

‘Did I properly read the other person’s expression and emotions?’

I doubted it several times, but the answer that came back was the same.

Yes, camaraderie. The majority of newlyweds showed camaraderie as they passed by and looked at us.

It was evidence that they saw us as a family.

Well, it’s understandable.

‘The combination itself is like that.’

Two young couples taking care of two children.

That’s how the people watching us from afar would see it.

“Something feels strange.”

“You too? Me too.”

Baek Hyeon-ah, who had the sleeping children lying on each of her knees, said while tidying her hair that was gently fluttering in the wind.

It was quite an attractive sight, but when I remembered that her face was modeled after me, an awkward smile leaked out.

It was a kind of emptiness.

“Hmm? Have there been any Asian couples living around here?”

“Well, maybe they came for a trip and got stuck. There are often people like that these days.”

“That’s true. Anyway, they’re both handsome and beautiful. They make a very good couple.”

“And what about the babies? Babies of that age usually look like angels when they sleep, but those children look especially angelic. It’s like seeing baby angels who have entered the ranks of archangels.”

“There you go again, exaggerating. You got slapped yesterday for hitting on a woman like that. Let’s go have a drink quickly.”

Even such laughter looked like a harmonious couple to others.

Young men and old couples. Regardless of age, their relationship was an extremely harmonious couple and family.

All those gazes.

Baek Seung-woo, armed with keen senses, felt it clearly.

“…It’s ticklish.”

I don’t know how to express this feeling.

I had many experiences of receiving sticky gazes, including jealousy and anger. I had even received respect, awe, and faith.

“Why, is it a feeling you’re experiencing for the first time?”

“You were feeling it too?”

“Of course. Although it’s not a perfect imitation of you, just imitating you to a certain extent has given me cognitive abilities that make extrasensory perception seem like a joke. I can see people’s gazes clearly.”

Then we can talk quickly.

“Do you know what kind of sinner I am? I can’t even receive a warm gaze.”

“You are a sinner. That’s why all of Germany is closed off.”

“That’s… I have nothing to say.”

“And it’s true that you haven’t received warm gazes in recent years. I’ve seen all your memories.”

Yes, you’re right.

How long has it been since people felt a warm gaze?

It’s been at least 10 years.

‘No, maybe it’s even further in the past.’

I tried to recall the past.

Then, like being submerged in the deep sea, musty memories surfaced.

What came to mind was me being praised after receiving training from the elders and my teacher, and me receiving a ‘good job’ sticker from the teacher.

Back then, I had more diverse emotional expressions than now.

“…I’m fine. How are the children? Do they seem to like it?”

I changed the subject because I didn’t want to talk about it in particular.

“So you’re going to change the subject like that? Okay, I won’t delve into sensitive areas anymore. You just asked if the children seem to like it, right?”

“Yeah.”

“You can tell just by looking. Those children always have bright smiles on their faces. I think it’s been about a week since I took care of those children.”

“11 days and a half.”

Baek Hyeon-ah’s face contorted when I pointed out the exact date.

“Yes, 11 days and a half. I’ve been taking care of the kids for about 12 days, and I’ve noticed that those children have never cried.”

“Never cried? Not even the baby?”

I couldn’t imagine that the baby hadn’t cried.

“The baby isn’t even 100 days old yet. All they can do to express themselves is babble or cry. But they haven’t cried.”

“How would I know the reason?”

Whether they didn’t cry for their parents’ sake.

Or they didn’t cry because they didn’t need to.

‘Well, both of us are new to parenting.’

It’s not easy to learn a new area.

Parenting was different from the battles and wars I had experienced so far.

Most parents say that parenting is like war, but is it because I’ve directly experienced war?

Or is it because my children are particularly easy to raise? The children were satisfied just by giving them a lap to lean their heads on.

“It’s peaceful.”

“Isn’t it?”

I blankly gazed at the summer sky and enjoyed the breeze.

The breeze was not too hot, and perhaps because this spot was particularly good, a cool breeze often blew across the lawn. Baek Hyeon-ah said to me, who was momentarily relaxed by the peaceful atmosphere and scenery.

“How is it? This kind of life isn’t bad, is it?”

“…What do you mean?”

“A life where you enjoy the cool breeze in the middle of a hot summer and spend time with the children, rather than a heroic life. Isn’t it good?”

Did she ask if this kind of life isn’t bad?

It was a foolish question. Of course, it’s good.

There was no way this moment, where I blankly gazed at the sky and entrusted myself to the slowly descending eyelids and the gradually rising drowsiness, could be bad.

But why are you asking that now?

“So, I was wondering. Could you replenish my mana?”

“…Ah.”

That’s right. She was a 「Doppelganger」.

It’s just a skill that disappears without periodic mana replenishment.

In a normal case, I wouldn’t care whether the 「Doppelganger」 disappeared or not, but she had the name ‘Baek Hyeon-ah’ and was doing well as the children’s nanny. Furthermore, I could feel with my whole body that Baek Hyeon-ah herself wanted to live this life for a longer time.

She was feeling satisfaction in living as the nanny, no, the mother, of the two children.

“I completely forgot. You’re the 「Doppelganger」 I created, so you needed mana replenishment soon. Your actions were so lively that I forgot for a moment.”

“Isn’t that too much? Mana isn’t like rice to me, it’s not something you can just skip. It’s my lifespan.”

“Shut up. I know, so be quiet.”

Instead of giving mana, I reached out with the ring.

In the meantime, Baek Hyeon-ah, who had reached out her hand to receive mana through a handshake, made an embarrassed expression.

Swish, I took out a heart-shaped jewel from the ring.

No, it might be a jewel-shaped heart.

As evidence, the heart moved as if it were alive.

Thump! Thump!

The heart was pounding like it was beating inside an animal.

Baek Hyeon-ah, who had copied my memories, immediately recognized what it was.

“Anemone’s Heart?”

“You recognized it right away. Then you know what I’m going to do.”

The 「Anemone’s Heart」 I took out was not a simple item.

It had more value than just a trophy obtained by killing a MINE.

That’s why I feel regret in giving such a precious item to Baek Hyeon-ah, but on the other hand, I also know that there is no more suitable owner for this item than her.

“Wear it quickly. From now on, it’s your heart.”

“!!!!”