I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 348

The biting winds of Illazelin Reverse Mountain swept mercilessly, a cold so sharp it seemed to freeze the very marrow in one’s bones. Yet, Full Frame stubbornly kept her wings moving.

“Haa...”

Her body had long since reached its limit.

Though she used mana to shield herself from the cold, the sheer duration of her flight over the frigid peaks of Reverse Mountain—renowned as the coldest place—had left her frozen to the core, her limbs completely numb.

“When I get back... I’m definitely catching a cold.”

Still, she felt a measure of relief.

Despite the exhaustion and pain, Full Frame forced a faint smile.

Smiling, even in adversity, was part of her identity. But even she couldn’t manage it in this moment.

“This is my loss.”

Dozens of jagged icicles had pierced through the body of the Angel Hunter Alpha, leaving him immobilized. A single luminous spear of light had driven deep into his abdomen, sealing his magic entirely and preventing any movement.

*Crunch.*

The snow crunched underfoot as Full Frame approached Alpha, meeting his gaze.

“The Stella Knights will be here soon. Just stay put until they arrive.”

“...Arrested? Ha, how naive.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

She stood her staff upright, scanning her surroundings. Was he planning to escape? Impossible. The Spear of Judgment embedded in him rendered demonic magic unusable.

Additionally, the jagged icicles, which she suspected were Eisel’s creation, had frozen his mana channels completely. In his current state, no magic was possible.

“And what do you think you’ve done to me?”

“I’ve sealed your magic with the Spear of Judgment. Now you can’t do anything...”

“You’re wrong.”

*Hack!*

Alpha coughed up blood, causing Full Frame to step back in alarm. The pain in her previously injured right ankle flared, but she ignored it for now.

“If I were an ordinary human, losing my magic might have been the worst of it.”

“You are human. You’re just using stolen demonic magic.”

“Perhaps. There was a time when I believed that, too. But after a century of using demonic magic—of abandoning my humanity—I realized something. Over time, I had become like them.”

Alpha laughed bitterly, the sound like boiling blood.

“I’m dying. It’s meaningless. A lifetime spent hunting angels, and when I finally meet one... this is how it ends. What a pathetic finale.”

“What... what are you saying?”

She had never intended to kill him.

Full Frame, who despised taking lives, especially those of non-demonic beings, couldn’t fathom such an outcome.

“You’re no different. The more you use angelic magic, the more you become one of them. Do you see it as a curse? Or a blessing?”

“I...”

Becoming an angel could be a blessing.

Time and again, angelic power had saved her in dire circumstances, including this very moment.

And yet, she didn’t want to become one.

Only now did she realize how painful her rejection must have been for the angels who helped her.

They gave her their power without asking for anything in return, only hoping that one day she might look back at them.

“That’s enough of your nonsense.”

Her gaze shifted to the icy spear impaling Alpha.

In the original romantic fantasy, Eisel’s magic had been described as a form of art.

But what she saw now was far from artful.

Perhaps Eisel’s current mastery was insufficient to wield such magic elegantly.

“Why do you resent angels so much? I want to know more.”

“You already know, don’t you?”

“I know angels targeted the Twelve Moons and caused chaos. But those angels were dealt with by their own kind. One murderer doesn’t make all humans killers. So why do you hate all angels?”

If some angels had disrupted the world by targeting the Twelve Moons, others had subdued them.

The cycle of vengeance should have ended there.

Yet Alpha and his kind had carried on their grudge for centuries. Full Frame struggled to find logic in this.

“You’re right. Not all angels are evil. But that never mattered to us.”

Alpha closed his eyes, his breaths growing fainter.

When had she become so cold, even in the face of someone’s death?

“Angels... and demons are unique beings. If I told you that the Twelve Moons were born from angels and demons, would you believe me?”

“What... are you talking about?”

This was the first time she had ever heard such a thing.

“Ha, there’s no need to get so serious. My story lacks evidence. But the Twelve Moons and these special beings... are so interconnected...”

*Hack! Hack!*

Alpha’s body convulsed as he coughed violently, blood splattering the snow.

“Wait!”

Full Frame instinctively summoned light mana to heal him, only to stop, realizing the futility of her actions. Alpha sneered at her hesitation.

“What, were you planning to set me on fire? Hah...”

“Damn it...”

She cursed under her breath. Healing light was poison to demons. There was nothing she could do.

“What did you mean? That the Twelve Moons originated from angels and demons?”

“Do you think... the Ancient Wizard... created beings as powerful as the Twelve Moons from nothing? Surely, he must have borrowed from something. We believe... it was angels and demons...”

His voice grew weaker, like air escaping a punctured bellows.

Though he was barely able to speak, Alpha’s eyes stayed fixed on Full Frame, as if determined to share everything before his time ran out.

“True angels... and demons... were wiped out centuries ago...”

“...What?”

What was he saying?

She communicated with angels even now. How could they all be gone?

“There are... no angels left...”

Alpha’s eyes half-closed. Full Frame wanted to demand answers but couldn’t bring herself to press a dying man.

Even in his final moments, Alpha’s head didn’t bow. He looked upward, his gaze fixed on the brilliant blue sky, which seemed especially vivid that day.

“You are... the last... the most special...”

*Slump.*

The light in Alpha’s eyes faded, leaving only an empty gaze fixed on the sun.

“What... what does that even mean?”

Full Frame collapsed onto the snow, staring blankly into the sky.

- *“Full Frame, are you okay?!”*

- *“We can heal you!”*

The low, melodious voices rang in her ears, their tones soothing yet distant.

She had seen them in her dreams.

Wings like angels, living freely in cloud temples, playing harps, singing, and dancing—beautiful and unbound.

She had seen it all.

“Haven’t I...?”

No.

She shook her head, trying to refocus.

In the original romantic fantasy, angels were scarcely mentioned. She had never truly seen them, only vague images in dreams.

Could she really trust such visions?

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“No, don’t be ridiculous.”

This was just a cliché.

The dying villain spins lies in their final moments, creating misunderstandings that drive wedges between the protagonist and their allies.

Alpha must be one of those villains.

She tried to convince herself. But...

“Something doesn’t add up...”

The doubt gnawed at her, a seed taking root in her heart.

Toward the end of their battle, Alpha had stopped fighting with killing intent. At the time, she assumed he was exhausted. But his mana had remained as explosive as ever.

By holding back, Alpha had sealed his fate, allowing himself to lose against Eisel and Full Frame.

And then, as if expecting it all along, he had calmly accepted his death.

Would someone really throw away their life just to deceive others?

At least in Full Frame’s world, no one would.

- *“Full Frame? Is something wrong?”*

“...It’s nothing.”

The angels hadn’t heard Alpha’s words. They only knew what she allowed them to.

- *“You sound down. If there’s something on your mind, let us help!”*

- *“We’re always here for you.”*

“...Thanks.”

With that, she severed their telepathic connection.

Leaning back against the jagged ice formations Eisel had conjured, Full Frame closed her eyes.

“I’m tired.”

If she fell asleep here, she’d likely freeze to death.

But surely, Eisel would come for her.

Hong Bi-yeon finally opened her eyes three days after the incident.

During her unconscious state, chaos erupted within the Adolevit Palace.

The Royal Tomb of Adolevit, one of the most heavily guarded locations, had been breached, and news of the princess collapsing had spread throughout the kingdom. King Hong Seryu’s fury shook the palace, and the royal knights were mobilized in a frenzy.

The commotion quickly reached the ears of the public. However, it was soon revealed that the event had been akin to a natural disaster.

The intruder was not an ordinary mage but one of the Twelve Moons, a fact confirmed by Baek Yuseol.

When he arrived at the tomb, the guards were already incapacitated by an unknown force. Their unconscious state allowed Baek Yuseol to enter and act swiftly.

Against such a formidable foe as a Twelve Moon, even a kingdom’s power was insignificant, leaving King Hong Seryu with no choice but to suppress his rage.

“...His Majesty was enraged?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” responded her loyal attendant, Yeteryn.

Hong Bi-yeon gave a rare smile.

“He was angry about something involving me?”

“A good sign, is it not?”

“No. He wasn’t furious because of ‘Hong Bi-yeon.’ He was angry because the ‘princess’ was harmed. That’s the kind of person he is.”

Even knowing this, she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of warmth.

In the past, she hadn’t even been acknowledged as a princess, treated like an invisible figure within the palace. But now, she had grown important enough to provoke her father’s ire.

“And also...”

Yeteryn hesitated briefly, glancing back before continuing.

“Baek Yuseol remained here until shortly before Your Highness woke up.”

“...He did?”

Hong Bi-yeon’s voice faltered, a hint of embarrassment creeping in.

“But five minutes before Your Highness awoke, he fled. It was as if he knew the exact moment you would wake, something even the doctors couldn’t predict.”

“Fled? That’s... an odd choice of words.”

“Indeed. It wasn’t just that he left; he practically ran off, as though escaping from something.”

“I see...”

Hong Bi-yeon instinctively placed her hand over her chest.

The blazing flames within her heart had calmed entirely.

And the reason for that...

*Fwoosh!*

The memory of what happened just before she lost consciousness flashed through her mind, making her ears turn bright red.

“Oh, Your Highness! Are you feverish again? Shall I summon the royal physician—”

“No need!”

“Your voice is quite strong. Would you like some ginseng tea?”

“I don’t like ginseng tea anymore...”

“Pardon? Since when have you cared about the taste of tea?”

Yeteryn wasn’t wrong.

Previously, she couldn’t even perceive flavors, which was why she had tolerated the unique bitterness of ginseng tea.

But now, as she munched on the fruit Yeteryn offered, she realized something unmistakable.

*My sense of taste has fully returned...*

The sweet, tangy flavors were now vivid and distinct.

Even without Baek Yuseol nearby.

That was why she no longer liked ginseng tea.

Having regained her sense of taste, the bitter and peculiar flavor of ginseng tea no longer appealed to her.

“Are you upset that Baek Yuseol left?”

Yeteryn’s playful question hit its mark, making Hong Bi-yeon bite into her fruit and remain silent.

“You must be feeling disappointed. But rest assured, he stayed by your side the entire time until he left.”

“...He did?”

The corners of her lips tugged upward despite herself, a small, reluctant smile betraying her feelings.

Yeteryn watched this reaction with growing concern.

*‘One day, you will rule this kingdom from a greater position. How can your expressions be so transparent over just one person?’*

Once, she had been an ice queen, her face emotionless and unyielding like a machine or doll. But now, even a glance at her expression or eyes could reveal everything she was feeling.

Should Yeteryn laugh or cry at this change?

In the end, she chose to see it positively.

Even if Hong Bi-yeon’s ability to maintain a stoic demeanor as a politician had diminished, her ability to feel as a human—no, as a young girl—had grown stronger.

With that thought, Yeteryn decided to probe further.

“You won’t believe it, but Baek Yuseol insisted on staying here even through the night. You know how the royal rules prohibit anyone from entering your chambers at night, right? Well, he was adamant.”

“Ridiculous. That’s impossible.”

Hong Bi-yeon tried to dismiss it, but Yeteryn tilted her head in disbelief.

“But he was so persuasive! He managed to convince not only the attending physicians but even Her Majesty. Whatever charm or magic he used, they all agreed, and he stayed by your side for three whole nights.”

“...What?”

Hong Bi-yeon’s eyes widened in shock, her hair practically standing on end like a startled cat.

“Yes. He even requested that no one else enter your chambers at night. Of course, I’m sure he didn’t do anything improper. He’s not the kind of person who would. He’s more like a noble knight, don’t you think?”

No.

It wasn’t something improper, but... something akin to that might have happened.

She remembered it clearly.

Before losing consciousness, in the moments when the flames within her heart had raged out of control, Baek Yuseol had done something to extinguish them.

“Your Highness? Is something wrong?”

*Plop.*

Suddenly, Hong Bi-yeon dropped the fruit she was eating and pulled the blanket over her head.

“Your Highness? At least finish the fruit you were eating...”

“...Be quiet. I want to be alone.”

“As you wish.”

Was this kind of behavior unusual for Hong Bi-yeon? Not at all.

Humming to herself, Yeteryn left the room, leaving the princess to her thoughts.

The heat that filled Hong Bi-yeon’s private chambers after she was left alone wasn’t solely due to the curse of the brand.