Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 27

Academy Gumiho is a Magical Genius – Episode 27

Efnell’s Flower Garden (2)

Status and position dictate much in human relationships.

I am the head of the family; they are the elders.

Hierarchically, the elders shouldn’t treat me carelessly.

But they seem to have disregarded such decorum.

I can’t help but chuckle at their blatant display of negativity.

“Ah, don’t worry, I just came for a visit. Besides, there’s something I wanted to show you.”

“What exactly do you want to show……?”

Heh heh, I smirked and activated my tail muscles.

The tail that usually receives no attention.

That tail slowly fluttered in the wind, standing upright before swaying gently. The movement, with a strange charm that captivated people’s attention, stiffened the elders’ faces.

“Heo…… what is that?”

“Heo, a hallucination? Am I seeing things……?”

“Seventh Elder, shut up. If that’s a hallucination, then we’re all blind.”

The elders were shocked.

They weren’t shocked because the tail’s movement was attractive—well, except for the Eighth Elder, who was blushing; most of them weren’t.

The spiritual power residing in the tail.

A power of the soul distinct from magical power. The spiritual power, essential for becoming a Celestial Fox [a higher form of Gumiho] beyond a Gumiho, was on a different scale from that of an ordinary Imugi [a lesser dragon or serpent-like creature].

And another reason to add is that I had been stuck at the level of a One-Tailed Fox for 20 years, and less than a month after being exiled, I became an Imugi. I don’t know what everyone was surprised about.

The shocked expressions were quite a sight.

This is fun. Should I provoke them a bit more?

I rested my chin on my hand, placing my elbow on the armrest of the throne.

A gaze and posture that clearly looked down on those below.

Behind me, two fox tails swayed gently, rippling.

“How is it, does it suit me well……? No, that’s not how I should say it.”

I twisted my lips as much as possible, making a despicable expression.

So that as many elders as possible would harbor ill feelings towards me.

And to top it off, a disrespectful tone.

“How is it? I recently had an opportunity to gain another tail.”

“Head of the Family, please maintain the dignity befitting your position…….”

“Hey, Eighth Elder.”

A tone clearly used for subordinates.

The elderly Eighth Elder, angered by the disrespect, opened his mouth, but I cut him off.

“Ahahaha, are you expecting me to respect the elderly or something?”

“Head of the Family!”

“Watch your mouth. Not ‘Head of the Family,’ but ‘Esteemed Head of the Family.’ Eighth Elder, make sure to maintain the hierarchy properly.”

Kugugugugung.

As soon as I finished speaking, magical power descended upon the area.

The magical power, armed with pressure and murderous intent, weighed down on the nine elders sitting at the round table and my two siblings. It wasn’t that they couldn’t handle this level of magical power, but…

“Where do you think you’re going?”

I stretched my left hand forward.

As I slowly lowered my hand in that state, the magical power pressing down on the area grew heavier. In fact, everyone in this place had a way out.

That was to defeat me, the caster.

Everyone here possesses combat power at least at Yuren’s level.

I, a living corpse, cannot handle that level. But I brought up the hierarchy.

Unless they want to start a rebellion, no one can escape from me. No, they shouldn’t escape.

“Everyone must be very angry. Right?”

My red gaze sweeps across the assembly.

Some with curiosity, others with bewilderment.

Some harbored murderous intent. The last one is really dangerous.

‘Did it go according to plan for now?’

This is the best I can do right now.

Overwhelming them with authority.

In order to justify their status as elders and the group called the Council of Elders, they have no choice but to follow my lead.

Of course, there will be those who don’t want to follow.

The guy who showed murderous intent at the end is probably one of those.

‘Until I gain strength, I have to test the waters like this.’

What I want is a complete form of the Cheonho Baekga [Thousand-Fox Baek Family].

A family that is entirely in my grasp, not one that shares power with the Council of Elders. Once I have this in my grasp, I can easily overcome most episodes and scenarios.

Then I can minimize all the damage.

‘To get the Cheonho Baekga in my hands, I have no choice but to nibble away little by little.’

As I have confirmed, the power of the Cheonho Baekga is divided into several branches.

Nine elders and my two sisters.

Including me, it is divided into twelve branches.

The one with the least power among them is me.

Subjugating the other eleven forces will not be an easy process.

So I plan to slowly, very slowly, erode their power and dye it with my own color.

My provoking the elders’ temperaments is the preliminary work for that.

By scratching at their nature, I will make them show me openings.

I put on a smiling face and said.

“I’m planning to go to the dungeon today. I only took a day off today.”

So.

“If there’s anyone who wants to come, come along. I’ll listen to any complaints you have.”

If you want to kill me, come along.

With those words, I got off the throne and immediately opened the door.

Thud, as I opened the door, the guards standing in front of it were flustered.

I waved my hand, urging them to move aside.

Outside the conference room. I walked leisurely alone in the empty hallway, thinking.

This is a pretty good start.

‘I’ve buttoned up the first button for now.’

The fishing line has been cast.

I also scattered bait that those lurking in the deep sea would be interested in.

Whether what gets caught on the hook will be a big catch or a small fry, after this, I have no choice but to wait for something to be caught.

I should be in the dungeon until then.

* * *

Baek Seol-hui had ambition.

To become the head of the family and control not only the family but also the guilds and companies under it.

That alone was Baek Seol-hui’s ambition.

And there was one person who was closest to that ambition, yet also the most obstructive.

That was her own brother, Baek Seung-woo.

“Why did Brother suddenly say something like that……?”

The meeting ended a long time ago.

The elders were unable to get their bearings during the meeting due to the sudden appearance of the head of the family.

Because of that, today’s meeting closed faster than usual.

It’s all because of Baek Seung-woo.

That’s not why I sent the driver.

I completely messed up.

‘I thought I could suppress them with a driver with a fierce face.’

It was Baek Seol-hui who contacted Baek Seung-woo to send a driver.

She asked one of her subordinates, a man with a particularly fierce face, to be the driver. She thought that face, which sometimes startled her when she walked down the hallway at night, would be enough to pressure her brother.

“Haaa, but it wasn’t at all…….”

Rather, he pressured herself and her sister, as well as the other elders.

In particular, the expressions of the First Elder and the Fifth Elder were quite a sight.

The First Elder, who is the core of the family, seemed to think his grandson had grown up well, and the Fifth Elder, who is in charge of the family’s military power, showed a subtle murderous intent.

It was subtle, but it was clearly visible to her with the “Divine Eye.”

Baek Seol-hui was lost in thought for a moment. There must be a reason why her brother, who had no interest in the family, acted that way at the meeting.

Suddenly, one guess came to mind.

“Could it be that he’s become arrogant because his tail has increased?”

It’s not impossible.

For the bloodline of the Cheonho Baekga, the tail is a kind of symbol of power and authority.

The goal of the family’s founding is to obtain ten tails through training and become a Cheonho [a Celestial Fox]. Over time, that goal has lost its direction, but the tradition that those with more tails have higher authority remains.

In that sense, the fact that Baek Seung-woo’s tail has increased made her head complicated.

“I thought he would live with one tail for the rest of his life, but to think that his tail would increase now.”

One more tail is not a big deal.

Two tails are not a great level either.

Just looking at Baek Seol-hui, she has three tails, and the older First Elder and the Fifth Elder, who is in charge of the family’s military power, each have eight tails.

Compared to them, the fact that the head of the family has two tails is rather embarrassing. Because of that, even the elders who maintain neutrality do not recognize Baek Seung-woo as the head of the family in their hearts.

“……But what if Brother continues to show an upward trend like this?”

Training is not an easy path.

It is on a different level from acting according to faith like religion or developing martial arts. Basically, training focuses on building character based on the mind.

Her brother, who has just increased his tail, cannot catch up with them.

Even if he starts training late and follows diligently, it will not be easy to narrow the gap in time.

“No, it’s okay. I will be the next head of the family. No matter what…….”

Baek Seol-hui buried herself in her bed, imagining herself as the head of the family.

There is no need to think about a headache-inducing future. Now is the time to dream of a happy future.

Meanwhile, the lights in the conference room were still on.

Many seats were empty, but there were still those who were keeping their seats.

“To think that the Head of the Family would become an Imugi.”

“The deceased former Head of the Family and the Lady of the Family would be pleased.”

“Haha, we would have been happy if the Head of the Family’s training had been two years earlier, but──.”

“─It’s too late, too late.”

The elders exchanged conversations with each other.

The topic of their conversation was the change in Baek Seung-woo, the incompetent head of the family.

He sacrificed himself in the incident that happened at Chilseong Academy a few days ago and was written as a hero in the news and newspapers. Suddenly, his tail increased to two, and he began to show a different behavior than before.

Above all, the dignified air just now was enough to stimulate the old nostalgia of the old men.

“Even before he got a job as an assistant at the academy, he was a very prickly person.”

“Late social life may have helped.”

“Hmm, but I don’t understand. That dazed Head of the Family suddenly came to his senses. Even when we packaged him as a rogue in external propaganda, he didn’t care much.”

“Either way, it will be an obstacle to the greater cause.”

A sudden silence came.

Certainly, the change in the head of the family had more disadvantages than advantages for them.

Immediately, the possibility that the regency planned under the leadership of the Fifth Elder would become a bubble has increased. Not only that, but the elders who maintained neutrality will also adhere to neutrality like upright pine trees.

“We need to change the plan.”

“A coup is impossible because the First Elder is there.”

“Then the best means we can do is still…”

The elders spoke in unison.

Having protected the family for decades and lived together, they could now roughly read each other’s thoughts.

“Threat.”

“Or assassination and silencing.”

“That’s the most effective.”

“It’s also the most realistic method.”

Hostage-taking is meaningless.

In the first place, the head of the family is not the type to give affection to others.

It cannot be isolated either.

He has already been exiled to the academy as an assistant, a humble status.

Chilseong Academy is close to extraterritoriality, where the influence of the Cheonho Baekga does not reach.

It is also ambiguous to cut off the source of funds.

No matter how powerless the head of the family is, there are corners where money comes in.

He has enough to live comfortably.

Then there is only one way.

“Let’s send assassins.”

“We have no choice but to threaten him with his life as a stake.”

“That method is definitely the most certain. Of course, we will all be dead if the First Elder catches us.”

“But in order to get rid of that ominous thing, this method is the best.”

Anyone can shrink if they feel their life is threatened.

That would be the same for the head of the family.

The elders sent three assassins, telling them to track Baek Seung-woo and aim for the best timing. They are talents raised in the family and guild, so there will be no failure or being caught by the head of the family.

Meanwhile, there was one elder who remained silent.

He left the meeting and thought.

“……That was definitely not the momentum of an Imugi.”

The Fifth Elder does not think of Baek Seung-woo as the head of the family.

The current family is nothing more than a tiger without teeth.

That’s why Baek Seung-woo was exiled to the academy.

“This time, I will definitely trample on him or…”

Before it gets bigger, I have to kill him.

The Fifth Elder, swallowing his words, changed into armor and went to see his work.

His position is the head of a guild as well as an elder of the Cheonho Baekga.

Burying a person is not a difficult task.

Even if that person is his master.