Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 89

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius – Episode 89

Academy Gumiho is a Magic Genius Episode 89

Preparing for the Performance Evaluation (4)

“So, what’s this performance evaluation about?”

I asked as I arrived at the training room with Seo Yerin.

Before we could even savor the novelty of being back where we first met, the memory of the cold, hard wooden spear against my neck flashed through my mind. I quickly tried to lighten the heavy atmosphere.

“C-Chopping down logs…”

“Chopping logs, huh.”

“Teacher, I’m really sorry about that day…!”

“Ahem.”

What is she talking about?

‘That day’?

“We never met here. Got it?”

“Yes?! Ah, yes! I understand…”

Seo Yerin, having roughly grasped the situation through our conversation, replied in a trembling voice.

From now on, we never met here.

Therefore, the chilling sensation of that wooden spear never happened.

…Wait, wooden spear?

I must be more tired than I thought, imagining strange things.

Anyway.

“A log-chopping exercise for the martial arts performance evaluation? Are they out of their minds?”

Is Professor Namgung Seongjin planning to go to some conference that day?

Otherwise, there’s no way he would have come up with such a crazy performance evaluation.

“How thick are the logs? No, in the first place, is that really all there is to it?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

“Are we just supposed to cut the logs, using any means necessary?”

If it’s just cutting logs, that’s incredibly easy.

Unless the logs used for the exam are made of the World Tree, all I need to do is imbue a blade with mana, without even resorting to skills or traits.

It would slice as smoothly as tofu or cake, right?

When I asked her, Seo Yerin shook her head, denying it.

“Ah, no… Actually, they told us to just swing the weapons they give us to cut them.”

“Without mana?”

“Yes… Without mana.”

I knew it.

Simply cutting logs is an easy feat if you can use mana or skills.

But if all of that is forbidden, then things change.

“Cutting logs with only the mass-produced weapons the academy provides… None of these kids can even sense the grain [the direction of the wood fibers] yet.”

It’s not an impossible task, but.

It won’t be easy.

You have to precisely aim for the grain, the softest and weakest part of the structure of objects like wood and stone, to cut a log with a simple iron weapon.

Kids with immense strength might be able to split the logs with the weapon like an axe, but.

That’s not the method the martial arts professor wants.

“By the way, what are the evaluation criteria?”

“Criteria…? Actually… The number of attempts is the standard…”

“Number of attempts?”

What does the number of attempts have to do with the performance evaluation?

Well, does that mean you can try multiple times even if you fail?

“What does that mean?”

“The fewer times you swing the weapon… the higher your grade is…”

What she meant was as follows:

You choose a weapon like an axe, sword, or spear. You swing it to split the log in half, and if you cut it in one go, you get a grade of 1.

Two to three times is a grade of 2.

Four to ten times is a grade of 3.

The more attempts, the lower the grade.

Wow, this is a headache-inducing task for the students.

“Is using mana completely forbidden? Is [Body Enhancement] not allowed either?”

“Yes… If you get caught, it’s 0 points.”

“…Namgung Seongjin, that guy is really out to get them.”

Listening to Seo Yerin’s explanation, I felt the chilling intent behind Namgung Seongjin’s performance evaluation.

That guy is planning to weed out the students who haven’t even finished half of their first year. He’s classifying students who haven’t decided what their talents are or what they want to do, into raw gems and finished jewels.

He’s planning to raise them according to his tastes.

“Ha, so that’s why everyone’s talking about Chilseong [Seven Stars, referring to a ranking system].”

Well, educating them this way will be effective.

From the perspective of those in higher positions, it’s better to process definite raw gems than to teach several students with uncertain talents, as it’s better for publicity.

But if they do that.

What about the other kids?

‘What a joke.’

─But considering efficiency, that’s more beneficial. You usually value efficiency a lot too.

I recited the chilling words in my mind.

Tamamo chuckled at my words.

Because it was a thought that contradicted the efficiency I usually valued. Criticizing the academy for valuing efficiency, while valuing efficiency himself.

How ridiculous.

Even I think so.

‘But this isn’t right.’

The reason I value efficiency is because I once reached the end of martial arts, but I don’t force this efficiency on others.

Especially if they are just budding students.

How can those who are just budding students talk about efficiency when they don’t even know what they’re good at?

I’m not that great.

I just have more experience and know more than others.

Teaching the six students under my command was all about guiding them in a way that utilized their habits and the strengths and weaknesses I recognized through conversations with Eve.

But I couldn’t stand the sight of those with less experience than me, only filled with age and pretense, talking about efficiency and sorting out jade and jewels with such a simple test.

Those who wouldn’t last a year in that battlefield, how can they judge the talents of young seeds with such a simple test?

Ah, really.

It’s disgustingly unpleasant and annoying.

The higher-ups are always the problem.

The tails wagging, thinking only their thoughts are right, are no different from the world I used to live in…

“…Teacher! S-Sir!”

“Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought. Where were we?”

“U-Up to the part where the grades are divided according to the number of attempts…”

Ah, right.

We were talking about that.

I maintained a poker face, burying the thoughts from just now in the back of my mind. It wasn’t a topic for a mere teaching assistant to think about.

So, I decided to bury it for now.

“Right, we were talking about that. So, you want to get a grade of 1 and want me to teach you the tricks?”

“Ah, no. If possible, I want to learn the essence beyond that…”

The essence, huh.

Ha, this kid has high standards. How did she even know I could teach something like that? I looked down at the precocious kid and thought.

Can Seo Yerin aim for a grade of 1?

If I ask myself.

‘…Not quite yet.’

Seo Yerin has innate talent and skills that surpass her age.

But that’s not enough to cut a thick log with a single iron sword without mana.

What Namgung Seongjin and the higher-ups want to see in this test is the talent to control will, the totality of will that can be said to be the entirety of a martial artist.

That’s all.

“You want me to teach you the Intent (意) [a focused mental state]?”

“Ah, no. If possible, everything.”

“What a greedy student.”

That is a miracle beyond an extraordinary feat.

Let alone learning it, the number of people in the world who can teach it can be counted on one hand. And she was urging me to take on the role of those people.

I thought she was quiet and clumsy, so I didn’t think much of her.

This one is more cunning than I thought.

“Even if I’m greedy… Isn’t it the teacher’s duty to teach such students?”

“Yes, it is.”

“You wouldn’t say you can’t teach me, would you…?”

“Isn’t the standard thing to ask there whether you *can* teach me?”

Intent (意), or Thought (意念) [a focused mental state or will].

A realm that any martial artist who wields a spear or sword aims for.

It is the realm of those who infuse their purpose and thoughts into their energy and form.

It sounds easy, but like most realms.

Handling Thought is more difficult than you think, much more difficult.

In terms of a magician, it can be seen as a realm somewhere in between [Domain] and [Sanctuary]. In fact, the realms are quite different for each discipline, so it’s not really comparable, but.

That’s roughly the comparison.

Anyway, Seo Yerin asked me to lead her to such a difficult realm.

“…H-Perhaps, can’t you teach me?”

“No, I can definitely teach you.”

“Whew… That’s a relief.”

Unlike Seo Yerin, who was relieved by my confirmation, my expression became quite serious.

Anyone who saw me would think something big had happened, but in reality, I wasn’t thinking about anything that important.

I just couldn’t understand.

“You know, you seem too impatient.”

“Yes? C-Can you tell?”

“You’re making it so obvious, how could I not tell?”

I know that she has a stronger desire to become stronger than others. The background surrounding her, the setting.

I was well aware that it had created the current Seo Yerin.

That’s why I’m asking this question.

“Usually, martial artists barely set foot in the realm of mastery (絕頂) [the pinnacle of skill] before they reach fifty or sixty years old. But you’ve already reached that threshold before you’ve even reached twenty (芳年) [a young age]. Why are you so anxious?”

“Can’t we just… skip over it…?”

“No, we need to know this before we move on. In fact, Thought is too early for your level.”

There is a right time for everything.

Even though I have mastered all intermediate magic and even created a unique magic called 「Pyrokinesis」, and continue to develop it. The reason I haven’t touched advanced magic yet is the same.

If Seo Yerin learns Thought now, she will become many times stronger.

I, too, could become several times stronger right now if I reached out to advanced magic, great magic, and even greater magic or Sanctuary beyond that.

But a tower built in haste collapses more easily than you think.

“Do you want to build a fortress that sways even in a gentle breeze?”

Studying martial arts is like building a mountain fortress.

If you want to learn how to build a mountain fortress in a hurry, you’ve come to the wrong person.

What I’m pursuing is a solid iron fortress (鐵甕城) [an impregnable fortress].

A mountain fortress that will stand firm against any attack or natural disaster.

“So, tell me.”

I want to know.

Not as a supporting character named Seo Yerin, or because of her sense of purpose as a heroine.

Why you, as a person, want to be taught so much.

I wanted to hear that answer.

“Um… You know my grandfather, right?”

“You mean Shinchang [Divine Spear]. It’s such a famous rumor that I can’t not know it.”

“I-Is it that famous?! I’ve never revealed it before…?”

That’s true.

Rumors spread strangely fast in this industry.

“So, what about your grandfather?”

“…I want to surpass my grandfather someday.”

“Why, do you want to brag about it? That your granddaughter is this amazing?”

“A-Ah, no. It’s not that. I just… want to prove it.”

What do you want to prove?

Those words didn’t come out.

The moment I realized it was a familiar scene.

My mouth became as heavy as if it had an iron plate attached to it.

“I w-want to become stronger. Every time I hold a spear, every time I swing it, I feel alive. But before I become stronger, I want to be a granddaughter my grandfather can be proud of. I want to prove it. To take my grandfather’s place and say proudly that your granddaughter has grown this much. That I came to this place without your help… I want to say it proudly.”

“…”

It was the first time I heard it.

To think I would see Seo Yerin speaking this long.

That was quite amazing, but my interest was not in her eloquence, but in the words she spoke, the words themselves.

It was an eloquence that made me laugh in vain.

“Ha, geez.”

Thump, thump, my heart pounded.

I grabbed my head with my right hand to calm my surprised heart.

Eve, you son of a bitch.

You took the motif from this too?

You really do everything.

Now, I felt like I knew why Seo Yerin appeared from the second year of the original work. And why she doesn’t have good speaking skills.

I felt like I knew everything.

The same goes for this scene.

A familiar structure.

A familiar line.

But the position has changed.

‘This… is completely me.’

The carefree days when I held a sword and followed my master around.

After that, the days when I commanded a battalion alone on the battlefield.

In the meantime, it was the same words I had said to my master and teacher. The long sentence that forcibly grew me, whether positively or negatively, was repeated again from the mouth of a girl in the novel.

Eve, that bastard is really vicious.

‘If I hear these words, there’s no way out.’

Having heard those words.

Seriously.

There was no choice left but to teach her from beginning to end.

“Alright, I’ll teach you from the basics.”

From how to hold a spear, to how to swing it.

Posture, gaze, mindset.

I will teach you the essence of the spear that those who taught me swordsmanship taught me.

“But in return.”

Walk a different path than me.

Unlike me, who lost my master, love, and teacher after saying those words.

Show a different path as much as you can.

Prove that those words were not wrong.

I want to say that in detail, but.

I’ll just wrap it up with these few words for now.

After all, even if I said that, Seo Yerin wouldn’t understand and would probably look at me strangely.

“Serve me.”

A master-disciple relationship between master and disciple.

A lord-vassal relationship with a clear hierarchy.

Any form of relationship is fine.

You just need to serve me (師事) [to apprentice oneself to a master].

“Don’t betray me, and protect my back.”

Whether you are a girl or a student.

That doesn’t matter.

If you are truly a martial artist who wants to move towards the realm.

Prove it to me.

And, if you are truly someone who deserves to utter those cursed words.

“In return, I will teach you everything.”

If you prove it, I will pass on all my martial arts that I have established over decades.

And the spear technique of Seo Yerin’s grandfather, the old man who was the motif of Shinchang (神槍) [Divine Spear].

Even that original.

I will personally teach you.

If your statement was based on me.

Please don’t disappoint me.

That was all I wanted.