Chapter 76. Magic Analysis (2)
Chapter 76. Magic Analysis (2)
“Cadet Lee Hoyeon, just to confirm, you can perform magic circle tracking, right? Since Elise can reverse-engineer, let’s have you try learning through practice.”
The professor smiled encouragingly at me, as if my defeat was already set in stone.
Well, he wasn’t wrong.
Among cadets, Elise was the only one known to be capable of magic reversal.
Even active magicians often struggled with it. It was a high-level magic that required innate talent.
Magic circle tracking was similar to reversal but was essentially a weaker version.
It allowed one to follow a magic circle’s construction, mimicking the effect of reversal, but with much slower execution.
It was usually considered a stepping stone toward learning reversal magic.
Of course, while I could do reversal, I had never learned tracking.
“Hmm, I’m not very skilled in tracking magic circles, but I can still demonstrate as needed.”
“Great! That’s more than enough.”
“…”
Elise stood across from me, her eyes filled with confusion.
Understandable. I’d be confused too.
----------------------
『A side quest has been issued.』
[Trigger Elise’s Jealousy?!]
Elise feels competitive when she encounters a peer more talented than herself!
Make her jealous and grab her attention!
Activate your magic circle before Elise!
- Reward: +1 Strength Stat
----------------------
Oh, it’s been a while since I got a quest.
But why is the reward Strength? I’m a magician.
Though lately, I had been seriously considering that martial-magic hybrid class Liliana mentioned.
Anyway, getting a quest meant I was finally following the main storyline properly.
It made sense. Liliana’s training and the… intense orphanage activities weren’t exactly in the original plot.
“Let’s keep it simple. We’ll use Force Magic.”
Force Magic.
The most basic type of magic. It condensed mana into physical force and launched it.
It could be cast without a magic circle, which made it convenient but also made it nearly useless in practical combat.
But there was a problem.
“Alright, are you both ready?”
“Professor, I’m sorry, but… I don’t know the Force Magic circle.”
“…? You don’t? Oh, right! Cadet Lee Hoyeon only recently switched to the magician path. I always forget since you’re so skilled.”
The professor chuckled and flipped through the textbook.
“Let’s see… What other magic could we use?”
“Just showing me the Force Magic circle is fine.”
“Hmm? No, no. That wouldn’t be fair. Competing with an unfamiliar circle isn’t right.”
“It’s fine. I’m still learning, and using the simplest magic will make it easier for other cadets to understand.”
“I suppose that’s true.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Earlier, he assumed I’d lose, and now he’s suddenly worried about fairness?
This is why dealing with older professors is tough. Just let it slide.
“Alright, then. Follow along. It looks like this.”
The basic magic circle was a simple hexagram inside a circle.
I copied it instantly. This was so simple that talking about fairness was ridiculous.
“I’ve memorized it.”
“Great. When this flame disappears, begin.”
The professor conjured a small flame in his palm.
Fwoosh—
The flame flickered, shrinking little by little.
Elise, standing before me, wasn’t even slightly tense as she gathered mana.
I planned to win this reversal match completely.
The quest only asked me to activate my magic circle first, but that wasn’t enough.
There were too many women to conquer—I needed Elise to think about me all day.
Today, I would make sure she felt the difference in our abilities.
It would be a harsh lesson for her, but she’d survive.
“If you’re so eager to donate that book, I’ll accept it.”
“I apologize in advance. Try not to get too mad.”
I shrugged with a smirk.
I really hoped she wouldn’t get too angry. I wasn’t sure I could control how much jealousy I’d trigger.
The flame was nearly gone.
I gathered my mana.
『Clairvoyance』
My vision expanded, allowing me to see the mana pooling in Elise’s hands.
I began constructing my magic circle.
If I wanted, I could release it instantly. But winning that way wouldn’t mean anything.
Sizzle—
The signal flame vanished, and Elise immediately started drawing her magic circle.
She chose to focus on completing her own spell rather than disrupting mine.
It was a solid strategy if she had confidence in her mana control.
But I wasn’t constructing my circle yet.
Instead, I analyzed Elise’s mana.
The gaps in her magic circle, the intensity of her mana, even her breathing.
In less than a second, I had processed everything.
With so much information, reversing her magic would be easy.
I subtly disrupted her mana flow.
“…?!”
Her nearly completed magic circle shattered.
Elise turned to look at me for the first time.
I was drawing my magic circle slowly.
Like a sloth crawling, I deliberately took my time, making sure each stroke was perfect.
Elise scowled and tried interfering with my mana.
In a real fight, unpredictability could create openings.
But in a pure reversal match, skill gaps were absolute.
Elise had to calculate and analyze. I simply understood.
That was a gap she could never close.
No matter how much she tried to disrupt me, my magic circle formed flawlessly.
And whenever she attempted to redraw hers, I instantly disrupted it again.
“Ha…”
In the end, Elise couldn’t even complete her magic circle.
She stared blankly at the perfectly drawn magic circle in my hands.
“O-Oh…! Cadet Lee Hoyeon! You can do magic reversal?! Why didn’t you say so earlier?!”
“I just figured it out now.”
“…That makes no sense. No, wait, that’s not the point. Another talented magician in the first year? This is huge!”
The professor was more excited about Victoria Academy gaining a prodigy than my ridiculous excuse.
fff
I ignored the professor and focused on Elise.
Elise was deep in thought, trying to figure out why she had lost.
“Elise.”
She clenched her fists and glared at me. Her sharp gaze was intimidating.
“What’s with that look?”
She seemed to have concluded that my victory was due to my “Clairvoyance.”
Honestly, she was mostly right, but I would have won regardless.
If I really wanted to, I could complete a magic circle in one second and end it. It just wasn’t meaningful.
“Of course, it’s a secret. Oh, and you’re not going to hold a grudge over this, right?”
“…Haa. Do whatever you want. So, what do you want to request? I can handle one favor within my discretion.”
Elise’s father was the guild master of France’s “Iris” Guild.
The Iris Guild was France’s top guild and the only intelligence guild recognized worldwide.
It was famous for selling any information as long as the price was right.
Despite constant threats, the guild had overwhelming strength, allowing it to operate without fear.
“I have enough money to request information from the Iris Guild. If that were my goal, I wouldn’t have bothered with this bet.”
“Don’t tell me…”
“Yep. It’s exactly what you’re thinking. Let’s talk about it later. You’re not going to ignore our bet, are you?”
“…Fine. Don’t worry. I’ll keep my word.”
Instead of simply making a request to the guild, I was securing a direct channel to the guild master.
That wasn’t something money could buy.
It required immense connections and luck, but Elise’s request would guarantee approval.
Her father was an extreme doting parent.
But… her tone sounded a little annoyed. Or was I imagining things?
“Elise, you’re not mad, right? It was just a simple bet.”
“Not at all. I’m not mad. Don’t say weird things.”
…She’s definitely mad.
[Quest Complete!]
Well, as long as the quest was done, that’s what mattered.
Heroine conquest quests had never worked against me before.
*
“But seriously, where did you learn magic reversal? If you beat Elise, that’s a big deal.”
While heading to the lecture hall for afternoon theory class, Lucy spoke up.
“I keep telling you. I just taught myself.”
“Wow… You’re insane, Lee Hoyeon.”
“You’re amazing, Hoyeon.”
“Stop embarrassing me. Let’s just focus on class.”
They kept this up the entire lunch break, and I was seriously flustered.
Even passersby kept glancing at me, thanks to Lucy and Lumi walking beside me.
Or was it just because I had a twin beauty duo flanking me?
We arrived at the lecture hall and prepared for class.
“Ugh, I really hate Modern Hunter Studies. I understand it, but why do we have to memorize this stuff?”
“Calm down, Lucy. Let’s study together in the clubroom later.”
“Should we? Then, Lee Hoyeon, you come too. You’re good at studying.”
“Me?”
I had no plans later, so I guess it was fine…
No reason to refuse, right?
Plus, I might get a chance to do something with Lumi.
“Alright, sure.”
“Nice! We’ve got a tutor today. Gotta milk this for all it’s worth.”
“But don’t bother Hoyeon too much.”
“Yeah, yeah. And you’re gonna ask him stuff too.”
“Well, yeah, but…”
Screech—
“Hello! I’m Professor Kang Hyorin! Long time no see.”
Professor Kang Hyorin, our Modern Hunter Studies professor, had arrived.
She was a professor who frequently skipped class, always claiming to be busy.
“Today, we’re reviewing key points for the midterm. We have no time! No breaks! Stay awake and focus!”
“Ah, we’re doomed.”
Beside me, Lucy let out a despairing groan.
*
Every day, at the same time, a sedan parked in front of the Academy gates.
Elise naturally stepped into the car.
“Welcome back, young miss.”
“Thanks.”
The middle-aged driver, accustomed to this routine, started the car.
Elise always had a designated restaurant for dinner.
“How’s your midterm preparation coming along?”
“It’s going… fine.”
She was about to say she’d obviously place first but stopped.
One person popped into her mind.
“I’ll probably get first or second.”
“Second? If you’re saying that, then there must be an exceptional talent.”
“Yeah. The guy you mentioned before, Lee Hoyeon from the PR department.”
“Ah, the handsome one. He studies well too? I heard he even took down an ogre or something. Is that true?”
“Who knows? Maybe.”
Elise wasn’t one to believe rumors, but after witnessing Hoyeon’s magic firsthand, she had started to wonder.
“Anyway, I want you to look into Lee Hoyeon.”
“Oh! Finally taking an interest in a friend?”
“It’s not like that. And I want you to personally investigate him.”
“So, it’s not curiosity—it’s wariness.”
The driver’s demeanor shifted. The playful man disappeared, replaced by a sharp and serious presence.
“It’s just a feeling… but something feels off.”
“Understood. If you request it, I’ll comply.”
“Thanks.”
Elise rarely cared about others. That’s why she never looked into Nam Daeun. It was normal for some people to be more talented than her.
But Lee Hoyeon stuck in her mind.
His closeness to the student council president, the odd atmosphere with the saintess,
His involvement with the first-year twin beauties’ club,
And his abnormal level of magic proficiency.
If there was only one suspicious thing, she wouldn’t have cared.
But with so many red flags, Elise felt that something had to be off.
If something came up, good. If not, oh well.
“Oh, right. Call my father. Tell him his daughter has a favor to ask.”
“Understood. When should I start investigating Lee Hoyeon?”
“Hmm, whenever. It’s not urgent.”
“Then I’ll begin immediately.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Elise casually ordered the investigation.
She never expected every single suspicious lead would point to Lee Hoyeon.
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