[Translator – Nya]
[Proofreader – Karane]
Chapter 21
As expected, Baek Sahyuk was let off lightly.
It wasn’t even made out to be that big of a deal.
The Baek family is a family that makes a huge number of donations to Obelisk Academy each year.
There was no way that the eldest son of such a family would be expelled immediately even if he had caused a problem.
They probably agreed to quietly settle the incident, after receiving an additional donation from the Baek family.
‘It seems like the Baek family had a lot of money, huh.’
Everyone would agree that the evidence for this case is as clear as day.
Covering this incident up must have taken a considerable sum of money.
How much money must they have poured?
‘To be fair, the Baek family is in the middle of doing everything in their power to attain a clan title.’
A clan title.
The ‘magic’ in the Magic Shin Clan or the ‘mystic’ in the Mystic Wi Clan.
The title in front of the family’s name is known as the Clan Title.
Usually, the class of a family is divided depending on whether they have a clan title or not.
The Baek family is currently doing everything they can to gain this Clan Title.
And what would happen if the eldest son of the Baek family were to be expelled from Obelisk Academy?
The chance of receiving a clan title would all but vanish.
So from the Baek family’s point of view, this scenario must be prevented and as a result, they poured a boat load of money and suppressed the incident no matter the cost.
‘Well, although I could protest…’
It wouldn’t be difficult to protest against this light punishment.
No matter how much money the Baek family poured into it, their influence was nothing compared to the Magic Shin Clan’s.
If a formal letter were to be sent from the Magic Shin Clan, Baek Sahyuk would be expelled in an instant.
But that’s the worst course of action one could take.
There’s no real reason for me to protest and expel Baek Sahyuk.
Ding-!
The message I had been waiting for finally arrived.
[Sender: Father]
[The negotiations with the Baek family have come to an end.]
[As the condition for burying this incident, we’ve decided on taking 3% of the mana stone mining right shares owned by the Baek family.]
The academy wasn’t the only place the Baek family poured their money.
The Baek family also poured their money into the Magic Shin Clan.
This is to be expected.
The victim was none other than me, a direct descendant of the Magic Shin Clan.
To completely bury this incident, they had to seal the lips of not only the academy but the Magic Shin Clan as well.
That’s why I said there was no real need to protest.
There’s no comparison to be made between the measly expulsion of Baek Sahyuk and a 3% stake in the magic stone mining rights.
“Anyways 3% huh…”
I must admit that my father’s business skills are amazing.
I suppose he’s got some dirt on the Baek family.
It felt like we got too much just to keep our mouths shut.
‘Mm. Maybe he took advantage of the Baek family’s current situation to aggressively push the deal in our favour?’
If so, then even 3% is a reasonable figure.
‘Indeed.’
As I said before, the Baek family is standing on an important crossroad.
Being conservative over 3% of shares could cost them 10 years worth of effort.
In many ways, the Baek family’s situation forced them to have no choice but to concede.
[Well done. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but you responded perfectly.]
[If there is anything you wish to receive as a reward for the mining rights that have been obtained, then do tell me.]
[That is all.]
With that text message, contact with my father was cut off.
I briefly replied and threw my phone on the table.
”Baek Sahyuk really is Santa Claus.”
I’m already very grateful for the things that he’s done for me.
But to think that he would even gift me the mining right shares.
At this point, he’s not Santa Claus, but a tree that selflessly keeps on giving.
“Anyhow…”
Baek Sahyuk’s eyes from earlier were not normal.
How should I explain it?
Like his eyes shone as if he was going to murder that very instant?
In any case, he was exuding a very dangerous look.
“…As a result of this incident, he’s more than likely to have been chased out of the Baek family.”
No matter how you look at it, it looks like he’s going to do something to me.
‘Although with his level of skill, he has no way of harming me…’
There’s nothing wrong with being careful.
I made my mind up to focus more on what Baek Sahyuk was up to.
‘Whew. Then since I’ve done all my work, I won’t have anything to worry about…”
I focused entirely on my infinity circle.
I was ever so slightly closer to reaching the stage of resonance.
[Translator – Nya]
[Proofreader – Karane]
At Len Smith’s apartment near the academy. in the centre of the bleak living room. Len Smith was sitting on a luxurious sofa, talking to someone.
“Yes. All is going according to plan.”
“We will commence the operation on Friday as scheduled.”
He crosses his legs, strokes his glamourous beard and lets out a relaxed laugh.
— Have you made sure that everything is prepared?
A quiet voice is heard through the speaker.
The voice was so quiet that the only information one could gain was that the speaker was male.
“I will say it again, but I’ve prepared everything perfectly.”
— Hmph. Fine. I will trust your record of having a 100% success rate.
”Yes. You won’t be disappointed.”
Len Smith got up from his seat and walked to the kitchen.
He opened the fridge, took out an ice sphere and placed it in the cup.
And from the liqueurs, he had been collecting, picked out the most expensive one.
”I should be the one worrying about whether you’ll keep your side of the bargain.”
The sound of a tongue clicking in annoyance could be heard from the phone he was holding in one hand.
Then, with a light movement, he switched the phone to speaker mode and opened the liquor with both hands.
Trickle—
The sound of the liquid trickling around the ice and into the cup quietly rang out.
“In the instant that the contract is not kept…”
Len Smith spoke sharply and threateningly.
— You are worrying over nothing.
The voice was much louder now that the phone had been changed to speaker mode. The voice belonged to a man Shin Hayul was very familiar with.
— Have I ever broken a contract up till now?
Shin Jihan.
Shin Hayul’s older brother and the eldest son of the family.
His voice resounded heavily.
— Instead of having those kinds of stupid concerns, focus on the mission.
“Haha. I was only making sure. Don’t be too offended.”
Len Smith drank the liquor.
Dink-
The sound of ice colliding with the cup resounded clearly.
“I will fully take care of Shin Hayul.”
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The weekends went by in a flash.
Apart from the time spent eating, sleeping and my morning workouts, all my time had been devoted to trying to synchronise the two circles.
‘It’s really hard, huh.’
Despite this, the synchronisation rate of the two circles remained below 100%.
‘I think it’s reached 99.9%.’
There was definitely progress over the weekend.
The two circles are closer to becoming one.
99.9%
A number that’s infinitesimally close to 100%.
A difference so small that an ordinary person wouldn’t be able to distinguish them. Even now, the circle of deliberation and the circle of resonance that are 0.1% apart are constantly revolving around my body.
“Agh. It’s so cringe.”
It looks as if it’s about to work and then just doesn’t.
There can be nothing more cringe than this.
I’d never imagined that it would be this troublesome.
‘Sigh. I guess I’ll go to school first.’
I can’t be late.
As somebody aiming to participate in the World Academy Olympiad, I mustn’t do anything that could harm my grades.
‘I only have theory classes this morning, so I’ll practice then.’
I got up from my seat, stretched lightly, changed into my uniform, and left the dormitory.
As soon as I left the building like that, I frowned.
“Student Shin Hayul.”
Instructor Len Smith.
I met the person that I least wanted to deal with.
He’s ruined my day from the get-go.
“…It’s a great morning today.”
“Indeed.”
Len Smith stroked his beard with a deep expression.
I hated the beard so much that I wanted to rip it straight off his face.
‘When will this elitist Instructor go back to his own country?’
Instructor Len Smith.
Until a fortnight ago, he was the absolute worst instructor, who believed in the doctrine of elitism and barraged an onslaught of abusive language at me.
But he’s so discriminatory, that as soon as my grades rose, he sang praises about me as if he had never belittled me.
I genuinely get goosebumps whenever I hear this aristocrat praise me.
“I’d thought this for a while, but it seems that student Shin Hayul hates me quite a bit.”
“That’s not true, Sir.”
I hate this aristocrat more than I hate Poison Insects.
And just so you know, Poison Insects are a monster that took first place by a landslide in the world cup for the most hated monsters.
“Hm. I get it. I habitually say some rough things to students.”
If what Len Smith had said to me were no more than rough words, then there would be no such thing as cursing.
I can confidently declare that.
“But everything I said was just words of advice because I care for my students. I hope you don’t misunderstand.”
“…Okay.”
What he was saying was such bullshit that it felt like it didn’t make sense.
‘I would like it if you could explain how calling me a ‘piece of rotten coal amongst diamonds’ is in any way helpful advice.’
“Well, even if I say it like this, it will be difficult for Shin Hayul to just accept it.”
“That’s not true, Sir.”
It seems you know me too well.
“Hm. Well, here’s a good opportunity.”
Len Smith took one step towards me, stroking his beard again.
“I’ll express my most sincere apologies for the harsh words I have said thus far.”
He was so disgusting, that for a second my poker face nearly slipped.
“And, though it’s belated, congratulations.”
Len Smith suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder.
“I think it is a relief that you’ve managed to find your way.”
And at that moment, a genuine chill crept along my spine.
It wasn’t because of Len Smith’s disgusting acting.
It wasn’t for such a trivial reason.
‘This is mana… Magic?’
Mana flowed from Len Smith’s fingertips.
The mana was absorbed into my body through my shoulder.
I had felt chills after this had happened.
‘Furthermore. This mana…’
It wasn’t even ordinary mana.
‘Black.’
A hellish black.
A magic completely different to the chilling but clean dark type magic.
It was a boggy black that emitted the foul smell of sewers.
That dirty black mana was filling up my retina.
I know what this mana is.
‘The Black Magic Tower.’
It’s an unofficial magic tower that has a different way of doing things than the other twelve coloured magic towers that exist.
A garbage den built by a mage who calls himself the ‘King of Black Magic’.
A band of criminals that’s compiled of only the worst trash that corrodes this world. The mana of black magic was only used by that group of people.
‘Len Smith is affiliated with the Black Magic Tower?’
It was something I wouldn’t have ever imagined.
My eyes trembled in shock.
‘Are you saying that there was a puppet of the Black Magic Tower hiding within the Obelisk Academy?’
‘How?’
‘Since when?’
‘Is Len Smith the only one?’
All kinds of thoughts ran through my head at once.
‘No, now’s not the time to be having these thoughts!’
That wasn’t what was important right now.
What was important was that Len Smith was trying to do something to me with his black magic.
The things that a mage of the Black Magic Tower was trying to do to me were bound to be abnormal.
First of all, I have to do something about this magic.
‘To better understand the situation, I’ll start by checking the magic formula.’
With that in mind, I focused my attention on the black mana.
The mana was so close that I was able to tell the structure of the magic formula with just a glance.
‘This magic formula’s structure. I remember it.’
Although in my current state, I’m only able to check 1/5 of the structure of the mana in one look, it wasn’t too difficult to guess what type of effect this mana had.
‘Mind control magic. I’m certain of it.’
Len Smith is trying to manipulate my mind.
At that moment, my brain spun like a spinning top.
‘Wait a minute. Mind control…?’
It was the magic that represented black magic and had the effect of amplifying or inducing emotions by interfering with the opponent’s brain.
It’s a very dangerous magic spell that, when used by a high-ranking mage, can even destroy the victim’s mind.
Getting out of this place right now and resisting the magic would be ideal.
However,
‘Mind control magic doesn’t work for me.’
My brain has the characteristic of rejecting all external interference.
For me, mind control magic has no effect.
‘Then what I have to do now is not to resist.’
What I should be doing now is not resisting Len Smith’s magic.
‘But to pretend that I’ve been affected by the mind control magic and to extract as much information as I can on my current situation.’
In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.
And I’m not stupid enough to lose the golden opportunity that just rolled in.
Chapter end
