Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 48

Academy Ghost Stories (3)

Just before the courage training.

Noh Yura packed a simple weapon and a flashlight, then quickly dolled herself up.

Her school uniform was neatly ironed, and she had carefully selected a perfume after showering. Since it was nighttime, she kept her makeup simple.

‘I prepared so diligently…….’

Why isn’t anything interesting happening?!

Her preparation was perfect.

She had done everything she could, but the assistant instructor didn’t even give her a proper glance. Could it be because she touched him before?

Worried, she examined her feelings, but there was no sign of that.

He just wasn’t interested in her at all.

Perhaps he’s more focused on uncovering the truth behind the mysteries than he is on me.

‘What to do? Should I try harder to get his attention?’

Even if someone is as stoic as a stone, and despite the difference in status between an assistant instructor and a student,

the psychology of men is such that they can’t help but be interested if a beautiful girl pays attention to them. In that sense, Noh Yura was confident.

She is pretty. Beyond subjective judgment, the fact that she is objectively pretty doesn’t change.

The problem is that Noh Yura isn’t the only pretty girl in this group.

The quiet but virtuous Seo Yerin.

The cheerful and lively Sung Yeonhwa.

The cold-looking Isis.

The glamorous and noble-looking Isabel.

Everyone is pretty by default, and they each have their own unique qualities and charms.

Because of that, rumors were circulating among most of the students that the assistant instructor had abandoned his duty as a teacher and was picking students based on their looks. Of course, it was just a rumor.

‘I need a reason to get closer to the assistant instructor, a reason.’

If she approached him without any reason, the assistant instructor would reject her.

But what if there was a plausible reason?

Like, for example, if something that could be mistaken for a ghost appears, and she gets so surprised that she runs into the assistant instructor’s arms.

And just in time, the bushes rustled.

She is a Ranger.

It is Noh Yura’s forte to detect dangers approaching the group early and to grasp terrain features based on a wide field of vision.

As the bushes rustled, her mind raced.

‘The rustling bushes are too small. It must be a wild animal or a low-level monster.’

It’s not a dungeon, and there’s no way there would be monsters on the academy grounds, but.

At least it’s nothing to worry about.

The possibility of a ghost was ruled out from the start.

She doesn’t believe in the existence of ghosts. Even if there were ghosts, she would just defeat them like monsters, so she wasn’t scared.

‘The distance to the assistant instructor is 4m [approximately 13 feet], let’s close it a little more and jump.’

Noh Yura slowly advanced, approaching Baek Seungwoo.

A distance where she could jump into his arms at any moment.

Having established a systematic plan, she intended to run as soon as something popped out of the bushes.

Rattle, rattle.

‘Now!’

With the sound of something popping out of the bushes, her feet moved.

Her destination is the assistant instructor’s arms.

Arriving right in front of him, she feigned a scared face. For Noh Yura, who has the ability to read other people’s emotions, feigning emotions was very easy.

The situation and atmosphere are perfect.

That’s what she thought.

Until something moved quickly and bounced her away.

“……Huh?”

Noh Yura, who almost fell backward, thought.

Why did I get bounced away?

What moved so fast in the first place?

Could it be that the creature in the bushes quickly moved and attacked the assistant instructor? As her thoughts reached that point, her eyes quickly scanned the bushes.

But what was there was neither a fast monster.

“A squirrel……?”

A very small wild squirrel.

A wild animal with no magical power or energy.

Her eyes, not yet grasping the situation, turned to Baek Seungwoo’s arms.

There was Leeji, terrified and trembling.

He was clinging to the assistant instructor’s upper body.

“……That guy.”

Clack, the sound of teeth chattering was heard.

She finally understood the situation.

* * *

I was on edge, wondering if there really might be a ghost.

When I think about it carefully, this place is the world inside the novel that Eve created.

Even if it seems impossible, anything is possible if the author set it up.

“……A squirrel?”

That’s why the appearance of the squirrel was really unexpected.

What is it, where did the ghost go and a squirrel popped out?

I wondered if it was a monster in the form of a squirrel, so I opened 「Evil Eye」 and looked around, but it wasn’t.

Just a wild squirrel.

Nothing more, nothing less.

That’s strange, I definitely felt a strange presence.

It wasn’t a presence that a mere squirrel could make.

I wondered if it was bait, so I spread my magic power widely, but nothing was detected.

Meanwhile, the squirrel scratched its hind legs at our stiff figures and then disappeared into the bushes.

The students just stared blankly at the sight.

Then their gazes all turned to me.

It wasn’t a look of blaming me or doubting my skills. Their gazes were directed at me, but more precisely, they were looking at my chest.

“Ugh……. I, I shouldn’t have come if I knew this would happen……!”

“……Get down, you little brat.”

Leeji clinging to me like a koala.

I told him to get down.

It wasn’t particularly heavy.

Leeji’s small body was light enough to be easily lifted with my strength.

He’s probably the lightest of the group.

The problem isn’t the weight.

The fact that a man was in my arms, trembling, was very uncomfortable. The other students felt the same way.

Look at Yura over there.

She was so displeased that she was pointing her gun at Leeji.

I wish he would just get lost. I’m going to get shot along with him at this rate.

If you’re going to die, die alone.

I had no intention of being a companion in death.

“S, sir, what about the ghost……?”

“There isn’t one, so get down.”

“……Really?”

“Yes, there isn’t one, so get down right now.”

At the firm answer, Leeji raised his head.

He was still trembling, as if he was still scared.

“B, but what if there is one…….”

“I’m going to throw you over those bushes before you get down.”

“Yes, I understand.”

As I grabbed the back of Leeji’s neck, intending to really throw him, he quickly got down.

He scratched his head with an awkward expression.

He seemed to know that he looked pathetic.

Only then did Noh Yura lower her gun.

And at that moment.

Click, the sound of something being pressed was heard.

A reasonable inference came to mind that Noh Yura had pulled the trigger.

But, disappointingly, the source of the sound was Leeji’s foot, walking forward with an awkward expression.

There was something under it.

The sound was too dull to be stepping on a twig.

Just as anxiety swept through everyone’s minds.

With the sound of something moving, the dark night sky turned red.

Arrows and daggers wrapped in flames were flying towards us.

……Why are there traps on the academy grounds?

I wondered for a moment, but the incoming traps cut off my thoughts.

Fortunately, the power wasn’t dangerous.

Perhaps the only advantage is that there are a huge number of launchers.

“Such a simple trap, it’s anticlimactic.”

Old-fashioned traps like fire arrows flying.

Ordinary people might fall for it, but there’s no way a student attending Chilseong [Seven Stars] Academy would.

Those gathered here are the elites of the world, rising stars.

“Everyone, take up your weapons! Ah, I should have brought a shield instead of an ax!”

“……There’s not enough space to swing a spear.”

“I’ll try to do something with my sword! Ah, please move aside.”

“I’ll put up an ice umbrella. Everyone, take cover behind me.”

“Ah, it’s hot! I’ll snipe the launchers, don’t get in my way!”

“Everyone, keep an appropriate distance. No one can attack when you’re too close!”

I scratched my head.

……Were my expectations too high?

I didn’t expect them to be defeated so anticlimactically.

Well, it is true that the projectiles mixed with Decoy magic in the arrows are threatening because they confuse the senses of the magicians or subtly target the gaps.

“……I’m glad we did courage training before training.”

Everyone’s posture is a mess.

The problem isn’t the individual’s skills.

They didn’t know how to fight together at all.

The paths overlapped because of each other’s attacks, and because of that, many gaps were unintentionally revealed. Moreover, the six of them were repeating that process.

It’s not even a formation; it’s embarrassing to even call it a group.

I expected that everyone at Chilseong would be elites and have some basic skills, but my expectations were completely shattered.

“It’s better this way.”

Since we’re starting, it’s not bad to be completely defeated at first.

That way, they’ll listen to me and won’t develop bad habits.

I was going to stand back and watch.

But the rain of arrows didn’t seem to be decreasing at all.

Rather, it got stronger, but it didn’t decrease.

Moreover, it seems that various magics are now being mixed into the arrows.

Magic, estimated to be at least low-level, began to spread in all directions on the arrows.

“This is going to be a little dangerous.”

“Hurry and run! Assistant instructor, hurry too.”

“My ice has its limits!”

The magic spreading on the arrows was weak.

However, the types were so diverse that it was difficult to deal with.

The students, who were busy blocking, were desperately trying to block, but it was impossible to put up a proper defense because they were hindering each other.

Really, from my point of view watching from behind, they were a disorganized mob.

“I’ll borrow that for a second.”

I couldn’t just stand by and watch any longer, so I created an umbrella of flames to block the arrows and borrowed the spear held in Sung Yeonhwa’s hand.

“Ah…… that’s my spear.”

“I’ll use it once and return it, so keep an eye on it.”

I can block these arrows with [Pyrokinesis] alone.

Since the stage is set, I decided to show them a proper technique.

This is a good opportunity to show the students the skills of Baek Seungwoo the soldier, not Baek Seungwoo in the novel.

Leeji built a relationship of trust with me by learning techniques from me in Efnell’s flower garden, but the other students didn’t. This is a great opportunity to build trust with the students.

I wondered if my body could handle it, but well, it’ll work out somehow.

Whirly─!

The spear curved.

The synthetic resin spear shaft flexed resiliently, gently and smoothly deflecting the incoming projectiles such as arrows and daggers.

The direction of deflection was exactly the point where the projectiles had come from.

─Charrrrrrrrrr!

The flying projectiles destroyed the launchers that had fired them.

I swung the spear in my hand, regaining my senses.

I’ve destroyed all the launchers with this.

‘It’s been a long time since I’ve used this.’

What I used was the principle of Transplanting Flowers and Grafting Trees, which can be used even without internal energy.

It is the extreme of Flow, and as you delve deeper, it is a technique that branches out into the profound mysteries of Striking Objects and Transmitting Energy.

‘It didn’t work as well as I thought.’

This kind of high-dimensional technique is not something that can be easily used.

It was a technique that could only be handled by those who had accumulated knowledge and experience in martial arts and martial arts, as well as in general combat.

Originally, it was a technique that I could not handle with a body like mine, but I was able to use it somehow based on my long experience.

However, as my body was weak, the power was also weaker than I knew.

However, it was an appropriate example to show to the growing sprouts.

I wonder, did you see and feel anything?

I turned my head back, wondering.

“Was that just now Transplanting Flowers and Grafting Trees? I saw my father use it before?”

“……Yeah, that’s right. I also…… saw my grandfather use it.”

A magician used a profound principle.

Sung Yeonhwa and Seo Yerin were surprised by the sight that was hard to believe even after seeing it directly.

The two are daughters of prestigious martial arts families, and they have seen many excellent martial arts since they were young. That’s how they knew.

That my skills were somehow strange.

Seo Yerin asked me to solve her question.

“……Assistant instructor, how can you use that with that weak body?”

“Just because I can.”

“……?!”

Seo Yerin’s pupils shook greatly at my answer.

She asked, wondering.

“……Then that. Can I…… learn it too?”

It’s not difficult to teach the principle of Transplanting Flowers and Grafting Trees.

The problem is her own aptitude, but Seo Yerin’s talent is enough. However, it was still too early.

We need to teach her from the basics to build a solid foundation.

“I’ll teach you, but I don’t plan on teaching you anything difficult. Don’t worry too much.”

“No, if you’re going to teach me…… I wish you would teach me everything.”

“Everything?”

I asked back without realizing it at the unexpected answer.

She’s asking me to feed her everything.

That is an act that goes against the etiquette of a martial artist. It is rude to say such a thing to someone who has not even entered into a formal master-disciple relationship or a sect relationship.

I don’t care much.

Rather, I was curious.

Usually, a martial artist wants to reach the realm with his own strength. That’s why they often only learn the theory and leave, even if they learn the technique.

But she’s asking me now if I can feed her.

“Ah, was that perhaps…… too rude of a request……?”

“Not really.”

That’s not the problem.

I’m only teaching this semester.

Can she learn everything by then?

It’s good to have the mindset to study martial arts, but I don’t think she can learn everything in less than a year.

Among the techniques I can teach, there are several techniques that require pure effort, not talent.

It would be great if she could learn two or three of those techniques by the summer vacation, and it would be a great success if she could perfectly imitate one technique.

So I wanted to tell her that it was impossible, but it wouldn’t be good for my image to say that, so I just nodded.

She’ll realize it on her own when she learns it later.

“……Wait.”

“……?”

No, wait a minute.

When I think about it, I think it would be good to just teach her everything.

Based on the regular curriculum, it is best to teach a few techniques. But what if I teach her with the determination to pass on all the techniques before she graduates, beyond this semester?

‘This could work?’

A good idea came to mind.