Magic Academy's Genius Blinker Chapter 531: Stella (4)

A strange rumor had lately been spreading throughout Stella Academy. Calling it 'strange' was almost pointless, since nearly every student there already believed it to be fact.

'Did you hear? Scarlet from the first year vanished a few months back.'

'Yeah, obviously. She was the top popular student in the first year, so everyone noticed her disappearance right away.'

'And you know Senior Baek Yu-Seol vanished around the same time?'

'Sure.'

'Actually, they didn't just vanish—word is, on the principal's command, Baek Yu-Seol himself took charge of the Stella Knights to search for Scarlet.'

'No way? For real?'

'Yep. A buddy of mine working part-time at the student management office caught a glimpse of a file during document shredding, complete with the principal's official seal.'

Something like that was the gist of the rumor.

It wasn't mere empty gossip either, with various students swearing they had spotted real proof. Thus, what started as a rumor soon turned into accepted truth.

As autumn's end ushered in winter's cold bite, Scarlet's abrupt comeback to Stella inevitably sparked massive interest.

Baek Yu-Seol, long used to the spotlight that hit him after every big event, just brushed it off and carried on with his routine.

Scarlet, however, lacked such luck.

'Is it true? Did a dark mage really kidnap you?'

'...Huh?'

'Then Senior Baek Yu-Seol swooped down from the skies on a white horse, chopped off every dark mage's head, and carried you away like a princess—'

'What nonsense is that...?'

'I heard hundreds of Stella Knights trailed right behind him too!'

...Put simply, rumors always blend 1% fact with 99% wild embellishment.

Baek Yu-Seol did indeed get the principal's approval and full command rights over the Stella Knights.

Yet he never once called them into action.

Though the documents backed his authority to lead them, he chose solo operations and intel gathering on his terms.

Baek Yu-Seol also skipped any white horse rides.

He avoided horses entirely, since outrunning them on foot or blinking across gaps proved far quicker.

Scarlet aimed to enjoy her lunch, but curious students crowded her, pelting questions that ruined any chance of eating.

Her usual facade of cool poise hid her hot-tempered side from everyone.

'But can you deal with it?'

From the questioning mob, a freckled girl grinned mockingly as she chimed in.

'Deal with what?'

'Playing dumb, huh? Or acting all innocent?'

'...?'

'Senior Baek Yu-Seol. Rumor has it he's been dating Princess Hong Bi-Yeon.'

Grasping the girl's aim at last, Scarlet's face warped into an odd expression. Unsure how to respond, it twisted awkwardly.

The girl took it as fluster and doubled down.

'So you knew? Think you can face the fallout? You basically snatched Princess Hong Bi-Yeon's boyfriend.'

She stressed 'princess' over 'senior' on purpose, hinting that Hong Bi-Yeon was a scary powerhouse—crossing her meant doom.

'Well, I mean...'

Truth be told, Scarlet couldn't care less about Baek Yu-Seol's past romances.

A princess from Adolevit? Impressive royalty, no doubt, and Hong Bi-Yeon carried a grand fate. Soon, her strength might rival Scarlet's own. But big deal?

Scarlet actually welcomed a rival—it beat boredom any day.

Her endless, tedious life craved some spark.

Rivaling a peer for a man's heart injected thrilling zest into everything.

Snagging Baek Yu-Seol in the end? That triumph would taste incredibly sweet.

It promised an epic, memory-searing thrill.

The girl wanted to warn, 'You messed with a princess senior,' but status meant nothing to Scarlet.

So she flashed a relaxed smile and replied:

'No worries. He's mine now anyway.'

'...What?'

Silence hit for a beat.

Not just the instigating girl, but her friends, classmates, and watching seniors all went stiff in stunned disbelief.

Scarlet's brazen claim rang like a direct challenge to Princess Hong Bi-Yeon.

'You... You ready for what comes next?'

"So what? Why are you distorting facts about Princess Hong Bi-Yeon? As far as I know, she possesses a compassionate and tolerant nature, refusing to let personal grudges affect minor issues like this."

With a sly, perceptive glance directed at the girl, Scarlet uttered these words.

"You aren't suggesting you see her differently, right?"

The girl hesitated and stuttered anxiously as every student's eyes turned toward her.

"N-no! I never said that! I was only concerned for you..."

"Then why mention 'handle the consequences' or 'be prepared'? Princess Hong Bi-Yeon hasn't uttered a word to me. Are you speaking for her?"

"I... I'm not... but..."

Words completely failed her.

A simple 17-year-old had recklessly challenged Scarlet in debate. How could she possibly triumph when their experiences spanned vastly different eras?

"A-anyway, watch yourself!"

"Such rubbish."

Ultimately, the girl muttered senselessly and fled, prompting Scarlet to sigh deeply amid a surge of self-blame.

Arguing with that kind of person achieves nothing.

To truly surpass human limits, she must conquer these trivial feelings. Yet here she was, descending to the level of mere kids.

Kindly put, Scarlet's mindset stayed young; harshly said, she behaved childishly.

Clenching and releasing her fists, she pondered this while grabbing her spoon.

Her shaky hands suggested the spoon's mere weight overwhelmed her.

This body wasn't merely an avatar—it was her true original form.

Now that the Witch Queen's genuine body emerged into the world, Scarlet believed her powers would flow freely without limits. Reality dashed those hopes.

Actually, managing her magic proved far tougher than in her avatar state.

"Looks like your mana’s gone numb," Baek Yu-Seol had offhandedly described the issue.

His explanation likened it to legs numbing after kneeling too long, when circulation halts.

For centuries, Scarlet had locked away her mana, surviving on a faint trickle that scarcely escaped. With the seal abruptly broken, severe rebound struck her.

Though her innate strength would slowly return, reclaiming her once-unbeatable might demanded considerable time. Baek Yu-Seol urged her to stay discreet then, cautioning that enemy assaults in her weakened state could prove fatal.

After bearing the students' intense stares and nibbling through her food, Scarlet bolted from the cafeteria like an escapee.

The school's snack shop beckoned next.

Confined for so long, she yearned desperately for Stella’s cream buns and delayed no further.

Stella’s snack outlets split into levels: budget ones for commoners and premium for nobles and rich folk.

Scarlet favored the commoners' spot, since noble cream buns lacked that superior flavor.

Brushing off inquisitive students eager to quiz her, Scarlet headed to the shop. Abruptly, a sight seized her focus, making her dodge into hiding on reflex.

"Is that all you can say after vanishing for ages?"

"No, it's that I've skipped too many club events... Got chewed out right after returning yesterday."

Baek Yu-Seol stood there, accompanied by yet another girl.

Similar to Hong Bi-Yeon, this one carried a fated, extraordinary path from birth.

Oddly, this era brimmed with destiny-bearers poised to upheave the world, much like Scarlet. Regrettably, Stella Academy drew them all.

"So, what are you getting at?"

"I'm proposing dinner together once today ends."

"Ma Yu-Seong's coming too, yeah? He knows the best eateries."

"No way. Only us two."

"...Why?"

Scarlet once boasted superb hearing.

Once.

Now, its acuity had dulled considerably.

Her abilities, freshly unsealed yet incomplete, barely allowed class 1 magic, far from her past prowess.

This limitation garbled their talk beyond clear grasp, irritating her greatly. Frowning, she glimpsed her image in a close window.

Why skulk away merely because they chatted?

Before, she'd stride past boldly or barge right in.

Though Scarlet willed herself onward with resolve, her legs stayed rooted.

In truth, this thousand-year-old being confronted this strange emotion for the first time ever.

Overwhelmed by her feelings, she had fallen below even a regular person, turning into a total idiot who couldn’t handle her own heart.

After a long while, Eisel and Baek Yu-Seol ended their chat about dinner plans and left, vanishing out of view. Only then did Scarlet emerge from her hiding place.

"Ugh... It’s tough living this way. Life’s such a puzzle, right?"

"When did a brat like you start pondering life’s big questions?"

Shocked by the voice behind her, Scarlet spun around swiftly.

How frail had she grown? She hadn’t sensed anyone sneaking up on her at all.

She abruptly remembered that just the previous night, Baek Yu-Seol had equipped her with incredibly pricey self-defense gear back at Stella. He must have had solid grounds for it.

"You’re... Flame?"

"Call me Senior Flame, you little punk."

"Wh-why are you here?"

"Why? I was keeping an eye on you."

"...Is outright gawking at people these days called spying?"

Minding Baek Yu-Seol’s strict warning, Scarlet spoke politely to her senior.

"So what? You didn’t spot me, right? That proves I pulled it off."

That reasoning was tough to refute.

Incredible. For a being with a millennium of life, getting tongue-tied like this was uncommon. Scarlet quietly admired Flame’s skill.

"So, why were you spying on Baek Yu-Seol?" Flame inquired, casting a crafty look toward the spot where Baek Yu-Seol and Eisel had stood earlier.

"I had my reasons."

"Yeah, I thought so. Lately, there’ve been tons of rumors about you and Baek Yu-Seol, so I got curious."

With that, Flame scanned her up and down, her face easing a bit.

"But seeing you now, I’m concerned."

"...Concerned? For me?"

"You look like you’re in the same boat as us. Anyway, time’s short—I need to head out. Stay safe, junior sis."

"W-what?"

Flame blurted her words in a rush and bolted away, leaving Scarlet’s eyes wide with shock.

At this academy, only Baek Yu-Seol and Elthman knew Scarlet’s real identity. Neither would blab it out carelessly.

That implied... the girl had deduced it herself.

For Scarlet, unfamiliar with the story’s original plot or the novel itself, this felt profoundly disturbing.

Late to the realization that Flame too was one of those girls with a fated path, Scarlet rubbed her forehead.

She’d always known securing Baek Yu-Seol wouldn’t be simple.

Yet now, the hurdles blocking her way appeared far greater than expected, filling Scarlet with grave concerns for the days ahead.