Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 3

Academy Gumiho is a Magical Genius – Episode 3

Academy Gumiho is a Magical Genius 3

Became a Thug Fox (3)

“That’s enough.”

Professor Nam Hwa-yeon’s restraint halted Bang Seok-hoon’s actions.

With a stiff posture, Bang Seok-hoon reluctantly turned to face her.

“Professor, what do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. This isn’t the child’s fault, so stop it.”

At her words, Bang Seok-hoon protested, his voice laced with grievance.

“But, Professor! If a newcomer behaves like this, it’ll undermine the lab’s discipline…”

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

“…No.”

Bang Seok-hoon lowered his head, yielding to Nam Hwa-yeon’s firm tone. He remained looking down. It seemed he was reluctantly accepting her decision.

‘He doesn’t want to meet her eyes, does he?’

Indeed, Nam Hwa-yeon’s gaze was intense, as deep as the ocean, making even me feel uneasy. It wasn’t easy to face that kind of scrutiny. I nodded, understanding his reluctance.

Even in the silence that followed, neither Bang Seok-hoon nor Nam Hwa-yeon spoke.

Bang Seok-hoon continued to stare at the floor, his arms trembling slightly. Nam Hwa-yeon watched him with a faint smile.

The silence broke when Bang Seok-hoon finally relented.

Still looking down, he mumbled, “…I apologize for causing a disturbance in the professor’s lab.”

“Okay, if you understand, you can leave now.”

“Yes…”

Bang Seok-hoon seemed genuinely aggrieved. He kept his head bowed until he reached the lab door and slipped out, looking rather pathetic, as if burdened by some untold story.

‘Well, it’s none of my business.’ I decided to dismiss it. What mattered now was Nam Hwa-yeon, who was standing in front of me.

I turned to look at her, and she offered a soft smile, as if sensing my gaze.

“He didn’t bother you too much, did he? He’s been headstrong since he was young, and quite stubborn. It must be tough being around him.”

“No, it wasn’t really like that. But what do you mean by ‘since he was young’?”

“Ah, Seok-hoon… I took him in from an orphanage. He was bright, so I tutored him often when he was younger, but somehow he became so ill-mannered.”

That was unexpected information.

Nam Hwa-yeon, who appeared to be in her late twenties at most, had taken a child from an orphanage and mentored him, and that child was Bang Seok-hoon. Judging by appearances, Bang Seok-hoon looked at least ten years older than Nam Hwa-yeon.

It was surprising, but not particularly relevant, so I filed it away in the back of my mind.

I was about to ask her what she had been trying to tell me earlier, but she spoke first.

“Ah, now that I think about it, it’s almost time for class.”

She preempted my question. Nam Hwa-yeon glanced at the clock on the wall, gathered the documents on her desk, and stood up. She opened the lab door wide and turned back to me.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Don’t you know what time it is?”

I looked at the clock and saw that it was 2:48 PM. I wondered what that had to do with me.

Then I remembered what Bang Seok-hoon had said earlier.

─Professor, there’s a lecture at 3 o’clock.

The lecture was at 3 o’clock. I should head to the lecture hall soon.

But why was Nam Hwa-yeon staring at me?

*Swish.*

Even when I stepped to the side, wondering if there was something behind me, her gaze followed. If I moved left, she moved left; if I moved right, she moved right.

Unable to withstand her silent scrutiny, I finally spoke.

“Um… Professor, aren’t you going? I thought there was a lecture at 3 o’clock.”

“Yes, I have to go.”

“Then shouldn’t you hurry?”

“A professor can’t go to the lecture hall alone, can she?”

“Huh?”

What on earth was she implying?

Surely she wasn’t suggesting that I accompany her.

“So, you should get ready quickly too.”

‘Ah, damn it, I guessed right.’

But why was she trying to bring me along?

I knew that teaching assistants sometimes accompanied professors to lectures, but wasn’t that usually the role of senior teaching assistants like Bang Seok-hoon?

*Grab!*

Nam Hwa-yeon seized my hand, preventing me from escaping, and began to pull me along. She told me to grab my textbook and writing utensils from the desk, leaving me no choice but to gather them in my arms and follow.

It was no use even if I wanted to protest.

Even the 「Empty Fort Strategy」 [a military strategy of appearing weak to deter attack], which had worked so well with Bang Seok-hoon, was useless against her.

I couldn’t resist at all and was dragged along by her hand.

* * *

The lecture hall was larger than I had imagined.

A space that could easily accommodate hundreds of people. The wide hall was packed, with every seat filled.

As expected of a key location in the novel.

‘There must be over 400 people here.’

As I gazed at the numerous students and followed Nam Hwa-yeon up to the podium, hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to me. I felt a surge of pressure.

I wasn’t giving the lecture, but I wondered how Nam Hwa-yeon felt, so I glanced at her.

“……”

Nam Hwa-yeon was calmly preparing for the lecture, her expression indifferent. I didn’t know if she was used to this environment or if she simply possessed remarkable composure. She finished her preparations and began to speak.

“Nice to meet you all.”

A clear voice echoed through the lecture hall. Whether amplified by magic or not, her words were easily heard by every student.

“It hasn’t even been a week since you started at the academy, so you’re probably still disoriented, but there’s no room for leniency in my lectures. If you want to learn, you’ll have to struggle on your own.”

Harsh words to use as a greeting before starting a lecture.

But they were effective in waking everyone up and focusing their attention. She snapped her fingers, and words appeared on the large blackboard behind her, glowing with color.

[Flowing Multitude of Stars]

The students were momentarily surprised by the sudden appearance of the words. They quickly opened their textbooks, searching for the reference.

I, who was watching Nam Hwa-yeon from as far away as possible, also scanned my textbook.

‘Where is it?’

*Rustle!*

The lecture hall filled with the sound of pages turning.

Everyone frantically searched from beginning to end, trying to find the [Flowing Multitude of Stars].

But even after carefully reviewing every page, no one could find it.

That included me.

I thought I would easily find it since I had read the lecture outline in advance, but the phrase [Flowing Multitude of Stars] was nowhere to be found. Nam Hwa-yeon, who had been observing the scene quietly, chuckled.

“It’s natural that it’s not in the textbook, because the content of this lecture is something I created.”

The students murmured in confusion.

Was it really necessary to study material that wasn’t in the textbook?

Even as everyone pondered this question, Nam Hwa-yeon continued.

“As everyone knows, most of the formulas that make up magic are circular.”

A common, typical circular magic circle appeared in the air, conjured by Nam Hwa-yeon.

Soon, the circle transformed into a square and then a triangle.

“Of course, there are those who use square or triangular formulas, though their efficiency is slightly lower.”

I turned to gauge the students’ reactions and noticed that few were truly focused on the lecture. Most were either not taking notes or chatting with their neighbors.

I understood their behavior.

There was no need to pay close attention to lecture content that wouldn’t be on the exam.

Furthermore, what Nam Hwa-yeon was discussing were the most basic principles. Even I, who knew little about magic, understood it roughly. For students who had been admitted to the academy, such an attitude was probably common.

But a professor is still a professor.

“But what if we increase the effect and range of the formula here?”

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the lecture hall shifted.

Nam Hwa-yeon reached out and lined up numerous formulas on the blackboard.

The magic circle in the air morphed into various shapes, reflecting the formulas on the board: circular, square, triangular, and more.

Soon, the magic circle became a three-dimensional sphere.

At that moment.

Most of the freshmen, who had previously been indifferent, grabbed their writing utensils.

They could no longer simply listen. They had to write everything down and memorize it.

The same was true for me. I scribbled notes in the textbook.

Come to think of it, this textbook wasn’t even mine, but I was so engrossed in the lecture that I had forgotten.

Her lecture was that compelling.

“The key point here isn’t the core of the magic itself. The formulas that revolve around the center of the magic, like satellites, are the crucial element. By simply adjusting these formulas, the structural shape of the magic continuously changes.”

Up to this point, students with a strong interest in magic would likely already know this. But the lecture didn’t stop there.

“But if you add a specific formula here, the shape will no longer be fixed.”

As she spoke, small spheres detached from the main sphere when one or two lines were added.

The detached spheres drifted aimlessly, naturally orbiting the massive sphere that was their origin.

Magic circles flowing around the central circle like stars orbiting a planet.

─…….

At this point, all chatter ceased.

Everyone was completely focused on the lecture, diligently taking notes. An inexplicable charisma drew the students into the lesson.

“After applying this formula, no matter what magic is added, it will maintain its current form.”

Even when various magic circles interfered, the formulas continued to orbit the center like stars.

That was why the formula was called 「Flowing Multitude of Stars」: because the shape and flow of the formulas resembled the multitude of stars floating in the night sky.

“The key to this magic is to use one formula as the core, causing other formulas to orbit it like planets. If you understand the principle, you can modify it in your own way.”

That was how the lecture, which lasted a full hour and a half, concluded.

Nam Hwa-yeon was tidying her clothes, while the students were still absorbed in taking notes. The students who had been slacking off at the beginning were now taking notes with particular diligence.

I wasn’t a student, so I didn’t need to take notes. I stood up and stretched.

*Crack!*

The sound of my joints popping.

I loosened my stiff back and shoulders, which had grown tense from sitting still for so long. But why had she brought me here if this was all I was going to do?

I hadn’t assisted during the lecture, nor had I distributed any materials. All I had done was sit quietly.

I wondered if there had been any point in my being here.

‘Still, the lecture content was excellent.’

To be honest, I hadn’t fully grasped all the theoretical aspects.

However, the concepts that resonated with me sparked my imagination.

But one question lingered.

‘Will the shape really not change?’

She had claimed that the shape would remain constant after completing the formula.

But was that truly the case?

While I was pondering this, Nam Hwa-yeon, who had finished tidying her clothes, spoke.

“Well, now that the lecture is over, shall we take questions?”

As soon as she spoke, all the students put down their writing utensils and raised their hands.

The sight of hundreds of hands reaching up, each vying to be chosen, was reminiscent of an idol concert.

I was momentarily taken aback by the scene. Everyone quieted down when Nam Hwa-yeon spoke again.

Her lecture must have been quite impactful.

“It seems there are many who wish to ask questions. What should we do in this case?”

‘What should we do? We should randomly pick one or two people.’

Just as I was thinking this, her gaze turned to me.

‘What? Is she asking me to choose?’ At that moment.

“Then shall we ask my youngest teaching assistant?”

“……Yes?”

Me?

Really?

Was that why she had brought me here?