I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 352

Humans, Dwarves, and Elves.

The three races that represented the surface world had, unfortunately, struggled to coexist harmoniously throughout history.

The reasons were unclear, but mutual distrust seemed to be the main culprit. Recently, however, there had been increasing interaction between humans and elves, and even the dwarves had begun to open up to the elves. Still, a noticeable distance remained.

Amidst such tenuous relations, one of the *Twelve Moons* had made a demand that could prove diplomatically disastrous.

And that demand was no less than offering up the Elf Queen as a tribute.

A practically impossible proposition.

As prideful as the Dwarven King, *Geumgang Paljeong*, was, he was also a reasonable man. He knew that agreeing to such a demand was out of the question.

"So that's what happened."

The Elf Queen, **Kkotseorin**, listened calmly as Geumgang Paljeong explained the situation in a somber voice.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Dwarven King had no choice but to consult her about the matter. His disheveled appearance and low spirits made it evident that he had been consumed by guilt and self-reproach.

"I would never ask you to come to harm. As the Elf Queen, your duty is to protect your people at all costs. There is no need for you to sacrifice yourself for the sake of the dwarves."

Geumgang Paljeong's reason for seeking Kkotseorin was not to plead for her as a tribute but to seek her wisdom as the Elf Queen.

"You're right. I have far too much to protect now."

Kkotseorin had no intention of dying.

Perhaps a year ago, when she lived a life worse than death, she might have considered it. But not anymore.

Now, she had reasons to live.

She had experienced emotions that made her heart race, her entire being trembling with happiness—a joy she had never thought possible.

She intended to hold onto that feeling for the rest of her life. Until she had fully savored it and was completely satisfied, death was not an option.

"Still... isn’t there another way? One where I don’t have to sacrifice myself?"

"A way without sacrifice... It’s not that I haven’t considered it. But we are dealing with *Geumgang July Moon*, the most stubborn of the Twelve Moons. It won’t be easy."

Despite his words, the Dwarven King glanced at her hesitantly.

It was uncharacteristic of him to lower his pride like this, but he had been reminded of something—a boy who had shown him a solution to the impossible.

"Are you thinking of borrowing that boy’s wisdom?"

Though the dwarves had no clear solution, perhaps that boy could come up with something.

However, Kkotseorin softly shook her head with a faint smile.

"No... I won’t seek his help this time. I’ve come up with a good plan of my own."

"A plan?"

Geumgang July Moon was infatuated with beauty and brilliance.

To an obsessive degree.

"I don’t know how much value it holds, but wouldn’t it suffice to offer him something even more beautiful?"

The Dwarven King furrowed his brow and sighed.

"It feels odd to say this, but I doubt anything in this world is more beautiful than you."

"Is that so?"

Kkotseorin tilted her head slightly, caught off guard by the compliment.

If it had come from Baek Yuseol, she might have been happy. But from Geumgang Paljeong, with whom she often clashed, it was more bewildering than flattering.

"We’ve already tried. Before coming to you, we offered countless jewels, accessories, and even historical masterpieces. None of it worked. He wouldn’t even glance at them."

That was why the situation felt so hopeless.

If Kkotseorin wasn’t offered as a tribute, the dwarves faced certain ruin. But offering her as a sacrifice was equally unthinkable.

"Is that so..."

After a moment of thought, Kkotseorin asked, "Is his love for beautiful things purely aesthetic?"

"Yes. He doesn’t harbor feelings like lust. His desire to possess beautiful things is just incredibly intense."

"Is that so?"

Then there was no issue.

"I’ll go to him myself."

"...What? Are you out of your mind?!"

The Dwarven King shot up from his seat, slamming his hands on the table.

"I forbid it! You are a queen—a leader of your people. You must treasure yourself!"

"I know. I’ve been learning how to value myself lately. But this is a separate matter. I never said I’d offer myself as a sacrifice."

"Then what are you planning to do?"

Kkotseorin touched her lips—a habit she displayed when deep in thought.

"I’ll go and negotiate with him myself."

"That’s absurd. The moment he sees your face, he’ll never let you go."

It was impossible.

The Dwarven King insisted as much, but Kkotseorin responded with a serene smile.

"Don’t worry. Nothing is impossible. Even if... I face danger, it’ll be fine."

Her words made the Dwarven King reluctantly consider her proposal.

She had someone she trusted deeply, someone she was relying on.

That faith gave her the courage to act decisively, even when she wasn’t entirely certain of the outcome.

"Impressive."

He couldn’t help but admire her resolve.

One misstep, and she might not die but instead be preserved as part of the Twelve Moons’ collection forever. The chaos that would engulf her people was unthinkable.

Yet, she remained calm, placing her trust in someone—a certain boy.

"To have such unwavering faith... It’s almost unbelievable."

And yet, the reality of it was unfolding right before his eyes.

Even more absurdly, he himself was beginning to believe in her plan.

Watching history shift due to a mere human who had barely lived twenty years, the Dwarven King, who had seen three centuries, felt the full weight of how much the world had changed.

"If you insist, then fine. We’ll give it a try. But you must return alive."

Finally conceding, Geumgang Paljeong nodded.

"Of course."

Kkotseorin smiled confidently.

***

One week remained until the entrance exams.

The structure of the exam changed slightly every year.

While the practical test usually consisted of demonstrating magic, there had been peculiar cases where applicants practiced a single spell extensively and passed the test. This made it necessary for Stella Academy to implement strict criteria.

Annella didn’t seem to have any major problems. While she had once been a brute force type, neglecting intelligence in favor of physical strength as a former dark mage, her transformation into a proper mage had made her markedly sharper.

"At this level, you could aim for Class A..."

After administering a mock exam to Annella, Baek Yuseol was genuinely astonished by her level of knowledge.

She had been studying for less than six months. Stella was a place where prodigies, who had spent over a decade preparing, gathered. Yet Annella’s ability had already surpassed theirs.

Even with half a year of reading books, the time would have been insufficient to reach this level. How was this even possible?

"Do you remember? I once had a power that let me tap into someone’s trauma."

"Yeah, of course I remember."

It had been through Annella’s illusions that Baek Yuseol had gained deep insights into himself, so it was impossible to forget.

For a moment, Annella’s gaze grew distant, perhaps recalling the countless shadows of Baek Yuseol she had conjured during that time. But she quickly snapped out of it.

"That ability disappeared when I became human. But now, if I close my eyes and concentrate, I can immerse myself in my own world. Time seems to flow a little slower there."

"...What? That’s possible?"

Baek Yuseol was no stranger to the concept—he himself utilized a similar ability through the power of **Yeonhongchun Samwol**.

However, the ability wasn’t something he could use freely. It required very specific conditions, even for him.

"So, you’re saying you enter your inner world to study?"

"Yeah, something like that."

It was both astonishing and dangerous. If what she said was true, Annella’s potential could rival that of the main characters.

"It doesn’t always work. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Occasionally, time flows faster instead of slower..."

"Still, it’s incredible. You’re probably the only person in the world who can control your inner self like that."

"R-really?"

Annella squirmed and giggled, clearly delighted by Baek Yuseol’s praise.

"You’re acting like a little sister eager for her brother’s approval," Full Frame remarked with an exasperated expression.

"What? I’m older than both of you combined!"

Annella shot back indignantly, causing Full Frame to glance at Baek Yuseol.

"Maybe if you’ve lived ten thousand years, that’d make sense."

"Ugh."

"What are you talking about?"

"And another thing."

Full Frame tapped Annella’s test paper with her pen.

"You got this simple application problem wrong. Why?"

"Ah...! I made a mistake!"

Snatching the test paper, Annella looked dejected.

She still had many areas to improve. Pure talent-wise, she was likely quite ordinary. It was only her unique ability to immerse herself in her inner world that had allowed her to grow this much in such a short time.

Baek Yuseol, who understood just how terrifying this ability was, felt compelled to remind her.

"Annella."

"Yeah?"

"Never leave me. Got it? If you try to run away, I’ll drag you back and lock you up. And don’t even think about returning to being a dark mage."

"Of course! I’ll never go back to being a dark mage. It was horrible! I’ll stay by your side forever!"

"Good. You’re my errand runner again."

As Baek Yuseol and Annella exchanged playful banter, Full Frame, a hint of annoyance on her face, tapped her pen on the desk. After a moment, the door to the hotel room opened, and the other girls entered.

Each carried a test paper in hand, but they froze upon seeing Annella already finished and getting her results graded.

"Didn’t we all take the mock test together? How are you already done...?"

Lady Mirinae hurried over to Annella and glanced at her test paper.

Her expression hardened when she saw that most of the answers were correct.

"...Unbelievable."

"Alright, hand over your test papers. I need to see where you all stand."

Baek Yuseol took their papers and began grading them with Full Frame’s help. Meanwhile, a few of the noble girls whispered among themselves while glancing at Full Frame.

"Is that... Full Frame?"

"Didn’t they say she’s a commoner?"

"But she looks so..."

"She seems more like a noble than we do..."

Her flawless skin, lustrous hair, and a beauty that seemed to capture the love of the entire world made her nothing like the commoner they had imagined.

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"Hey."

"Y-yes?"

When Full Frame finally spoke, the noble girls stiffened.

"I can hear you. And the thing I hate most is being called ‘cute.’ Say it again, and I’ll slam your head into the wall."

"Y-yes, ma’am!"

The girls straightened up like soldiers, terrified, while Baek Yuseol struggled to hold back laughter.

What most girls would take as compliments—being called noble-like, pretty, or cute—was clearly the last thing Full Frame wanted to hear.

"Grading’s done. Gather around."

Baek Yuseol set his glasses down and beckoned the girls to gather at his desk.

On the table lay seven test papers, drenched in red marks.

"Your grades are awful."

It was a brutally honest assessment.

The only exception was Lady Mirinae, whose scores rivaled Annella’s. It was baffling why someone so competent would seek his guidance. But for now, Baek Yuseol set that question aside.

"Awful? But my tutor, William, said I’d score at least an A rank in Stella!"

"Really? Where’s this William from?"

"He’s... from Terralin Academy..."

"Ah, a prestigious school. But he didn’t graduate from Stella, did he?"

"...No, he didn’t."

"And I took the Stella entrance exam just last year. He might be great, but when it comes to this test, I probably know better."

"Y-yes..."

The girls, initially eager to argue, quickly fell silent under his reasoning.

"Honestly, it’s looking grim. If the exam were held right now, none of you except Lady Mirinae would pass."

"That... can’t be..."

Ignoring the shocked girls, Baek Yuseol turned to Lady Mirinae.

"So, what do you think?"

Without a moment’s hesitation, she replied.

"If someone’s skills are lacking, then it’s only natural they fail."

"Lady Mirinae!"

"How could you say such a thing..."

"That’s too harsh!"

The other girls were on the verge of tears, but Baek Yuseol’s expression remained serious.

Because he sensed the faint presence of **falsehood** in her emotions.

"So that’s how it is..."

Her lie was expected, but it wasn’t enough. She wasn’t reacting the way he had anticipated.

That left only one possibility.

Baek Yuseol glanced to the side.

There stood Annella, foolishly trying to comfort the other girls with her kind and gentle demeanor.

It was clear.

Though Mirinae’s gaze was fixed on Baek Yuseol, her attention had been on Annella the entire time.