Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 296

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Episode 296

Baal (1)

“How quick.”

A woman’s voice echoed from within the cave.

“If we had been careless, we might have lost it.”

“Wouldn’t you say we’re the ones who took it?”

“Well, it seems we’ve snatched spoils from that child.”

The voice was feminine, but the body was that of a powerfully built man.

A demon with red hair and black pupils.

He was conversing with a human facing him.

“But what can we do? The world revolves around the strong.”

“Baek Seung-woo. He is undoubtedly a considerable force as well.”

“At best, he’s in the upper ranks of Marquis or the lower ranks of Duke. Weaker than me.”

“How many beings are stronger than you, ‘Belial’?”

The red-haired demon’s name was “Belial.”

He was a Baron, despite being more noble than any aristocrat. (In demon hierarchy, a Baron is a lower rank than a Duke or Marquis.)

Thanks to this, among the noble-class demons sealed like corpses on the deserted island, he was the first to escape.

Unlike Dukes and Marquises, as a Baron, he was relatively less subject to the system’s interference.

He, “Belial,” didn’t like that.

“Do not call me ‘Belial’ anymore.”

Being able to awaken from the seal earlier than others was pleasing, but upon realizing it was due to his low title, “Belial” harbored jealousy for higher ranks.

“Then?”

“‘Agares.’ That is my new name.”

So, he killed a Duke.

Duke, “Agares.” Ruling the East, he was the wisest among the demons.

Wisdom.

That was the power “Agares” possessed.

“Belial” had accumulated enough knowledge in his head, but knowledge and wisdom are different. They may seem similar at first glance, but knowledge can be accumulated with time, while wisdom cannot.

Wisdom is enlightenment.

Knowledge without wisdom exists.

Just as wisdom without knowledge is impossible.

Wisdom is a higher, more comprehensive concept than knowledge.

Furthermore, wisdom is a subjective ability developed by adding an individual’s experiences to the knowledge they have accumulated. Everyone in the world can accumulate knowledge equally.

However, the wisdom that can be gained from that knowledge varies and is extremely limited. “Belial” also accumulated much knowledge, but he never considered himself wise.

A wiser one than him.

That was because “Agares” was his comrade.

Jealous of his wisdom, “Belial” killed him, taking his name and power.

From now on, he was to be called “Agares,” not “Belial.”

However.

“No. You are ‘Belial’.”

“The 68th rank will be replaced by another demon in the future. Until then, the name ‘Belial’ is vacant. How dare you call me ‘Belial’?”

“Because you are greedy.”

The greedy “Belial.”

Simon, who personally brought him out of the deserted island, now knew him well.

As a fanatic and follower of the demon-worshipping religious group, the Demon Church, Simon had known about him for a long time, but spending time with “Belial” allowed him to understand his nature.

What he was thinking.

Simon could easily guess.

“You thought you were being clever just now, didn’t you?”

“…What’s your basis?”

“You were nervous that I so easily figured out your secret, which even other demons couldn’t notice, weren’t you? Of course, you didn’t show it, but the habits and mannerisms you’ve shown me so far tell me so.”

“…Is my behavior that obvious?”

Hit the mark.

Simon had accurately pierced “Agares,” no, “Belial’s” weakness.

As he said, “Belial” was still “Belial.”

“You, human. Do you perhaps know our physiology well?”

“The physiology of the nobles [demons of high rank]?”

I know it well.

Simon was the one who had been assisting the nobles until now.

“Isn’t it the extreme of the law of the jungle?”

The number of nobles is fixed at 72.

Even among them, the higher the rank, the more limited the number.

To become a noble or to acquire a higher rank, one must kill the demon who currently holds that position.

If successful in killing, one inherits the rank, name, and power assigned to that position. The physiology of the nobles continues in that way.

“If the 71st rank ‘Dantalion’ kills the 8th rank ‘Barbatos,’ he becomes ‘Barbatos.’ But even if I kill ‘Asmodeus’ or ‘Buer’ and inherit their position and name, I am ‘Belial’.”

The nobles have a weak sense of identity.

Because when they grow stronger and reach a higher rank, their name changes along with their power. Because they do not settle on one name, they inevitably lack a sense of self.

But “Belial” is Belial.

There is no possibility of his identity changing.

“I expected it, but you are indeed the original.”

Simon spoke in an expectant tone.

That statement implied many things.

“No wonder it required more sacrifices than I calculated when awakening you. So, the process of regaining your original power was longer and more arduous than others.”

“…Aren’t you surprised?”

“Why would I be surprised?”

“Surely you said it. The Demon Church you belong to is a religious group to awaken us.”

“That’s right.”

“The Demon Church has inherited all the legacies we have left behind. This cave contains all our history and knowledge.”

…Suspicious fellow.

Belial was wary of Simon.

He was a rare and useful human, but.

There were one or two suspicious aspects.

It was as if hundreds of snakes lived inside him. (A metaphor for being cunning and deceitful.)

He was that deep and cunning.

He was an incredibly loyal human, but.

Baek Seok-ho, the one who injected into his body and recovered the magic stone with 100% charged energy, giving him the opportunity to fully revive “Baal.”

For his rise, there was no situation to consider the circumstances.

Belial temporarily dismissed his doubts.

Following Simon, he moved deeper into the cave.

* * *

Two days had passed since the incident caused by Baek Seok-ho.

Since that day, the aftermath had been continuously dealt with.

It was not yet the stage to blame someone, evade responsibility, cut off the tail, or put forward a scapegoat. The media was reporting daily on the efforts to recover the dead and rescue the survivors.

Discussions were slowly beginning about who should be held accountable.

But no one had yet been put on the chopping block.

Now was the time to mourn, not to get angry.

Scratch, scratch.

Hyun-ah approached me as I watched politicians on TV observing a moment of silence for the dead victims. She was holding a ladle with broth in it.

“…What are you doing with the ladle?”

“Come and eat quickly. The kids are waiting.”

“Already? Didn’t you just start preparing?”

“No, so come quickly. Let’s eat.”

Ding-dong.

I turned off the TV with the remote control and sat down at the table following her.

The children were already sitting at their places.

“Dad, why are you so late!”

“Baba!”

“…Just a minute ago, there was nothing on the table.”

“You should have helped us during that one minute!”

“One minute!”

“…Okay, I’ll definitely help next time. Let’s eat first.”

The children took out utensils like spoons.

Forgetting that I usually make and prepare the meals, seeing them all eagerly waiting made me smile involuntarily.

The food on the table was typical Korean cuisine.

There were several dishes that were a bit too salty or didn’t quite capture the flavor of the vegetables, but considering these were Baek Hyun-ah’s creations, the taste was understandable.

That girl doesn’t cook well.

‘Even if she does, she usually makes simple soups or bread for breakfast, so her cooking skills never improve.’

Since it was a meal made by Baek Hyun-ah, I overlooked the slightly strange taste. Moreover, the children liked her cooking.

Putting food made easy to eat like baby food on the baby’s plate and feeding her one bite at a time made her eyes widen.

She seemed greatly impressed by the stimulating taste, having mainly eaten formula until now. Erzebe was not often given the opportunity to eat such a neatly prepared meal, so she seemed to have difficulty distinguishing what was delicious and what was not.

Thanks to this, everyone seemed satisfied.

Afterward, we all took a bath together and enjoyed another meal.

Before long, night came.

8 PM.

It was still early to go to bed.

Especially for me, who had lived thirsting for knowledge, spending nights researching and studying, it was no different from morning.

It was too early to sleep.

“Dad… I want to sleep.”

“Should I put you to bed?”

“…Yes.”

Erzebe, who had changed into her pajamas, tugged at my sleeve.

The girl who couldn’t hide her anxiety when she first came to this house was nowhere to be seen.

In the place of the anxious girl, there was only a daughter asking her dad to read her a fairy tale. Of course, Erzebe was already a middle school student, but she was asking for a fairy tale.

If she asks me to read it, I have to read it.

What else can I do?

So, I read a whole fairy tale book.

But the girl who asked me to put her to bed had very bright eyes.

The baby next to her was listening so intently, unable to speak, looking at the next fairy tale book with sparkling eyes next to her sister.

Then, Baek Hyun-ah, unable to watch any longer, turned off the fluorescent light and started forcing them to sleep.

I watched the whole scene from the bed, and when the three of them were breathing steadily, I went straight out into the garden.

‘It was a very strange day.’

It was a truly bizarre feeling.

A harmonious family. The house was full of laughter, so much so that it was hard to believe it was an intentionally created family.

‘When preparing meals, the children like it, and no one complains about the side dishes. Not even the baby.’

Many thoughts crossed my mind.

Today, even though there was nothing special, it gave me a lot of inspiration.

I wanted to pour this inspiration into research right away.

I was sitting on a chair that I had pathetically set up in the garden, looking up at the moon.

Tap, tap.

As soon as I heard something tapping on the house window, I immediately turned my head towards it. The glass window in front of the first-floor garden.

There, I saw a baby tapping on the glass with her fern-like hands.

“How did you…?”

How did the baby, whom I had laid down in the baby bed, get out of there?

And when did she come to the window?

In an instant, a mountain of questions piled up, but seeing the baby’s eyes beyond the glass asking me to open it, those thoughts disappeared like a mirage.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll open it.”

“Bwaa!”

Whether it was thanking me for opening it.

The baby grabbed my leg with her hands.

No, this means she wants me to hold her.

Reluctantly, I held her in my arms and sat on the bench in the garden, looking directly into the baby’s eyes.

Vertical pupils.

The fierce and sharp eyes, resembling a reptile, especially a dragon, proved that the baby was not a human child.

Nevertheless, this baby was my daughter.

I had decided to adopt her as a foster daughter.

And I vowed to take care of her so that she would never become a disaster.

“…I’ve been thinking a lot about your name until now.”

Unlike Erzebe, who had a name given to her by her previous guardian when we first met, the baby had no name.

Therefore, I, as her guardian, had to give her one.

I have now decided to make that decision to name her and call her.

I called her name under the bright moon.

“Baek-ah.”

It was a name I had carefully chosen.

Baek-ah (白我). Taking my last name, Baek (白), ‘Ah’ (아) meaning baby, and ‘I’ (我) from the meaning of living an independent life on her own. (The name combines the family name with elements signifying ‘baby’ and ‘independence.’)

Combined, Baek-ah.

“Baby, that’s your name.”

The baby was so small and light.

Holding Baek-ah in my arms and sitting on the chair, looking silently at the moon, she grabbed my face and giggled. It seems she likes the name.

That sight was so lovely.

I carefully laid Baek-ah in the baby bed so she wouldn’t catch a cold.