Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

Chapter 66

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

The road to Asion Academy was as pleasant as ever.

Unlike other carriages, this one minimized jolting.

With this level of comfort, it was clear that the horse wasn\'t just ordinarily trained.

“Ohhh! This is a carriage……!”

Thompson seemed surprised by the ride, exclaiming in admiration.

“Spacious seats, smooth ride…… As expected, Asion Academy is different, even their carriages!”

“Ah, have you ridden other carriages before?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? Of course not. Why would I waste money when I have perfectly good legs?”

“…….”

But why is he saying that?

What he just said clearly sounded like something someone who\'s ridden carriages dozens of times would say.

‘Well, it\'s true that this carriage is more spacious than others.’

It was already proven to be spacious, considering there was still room left even with Thompson, who was twice the size of an average person, sitting next to me.

Suddenly, a thought came to mind.

How much would a carriage like this cost?

‘I don\'t know for sure…… but it would definitely be well over a few thousand gold coins.’

As I came to that conclusion, my thoughts naturally shifted to the Academy\'s dean, who readily lent me this carriage.

‘Asion Gale.’

A magical genius who reached the 8th Circle at the young age of 30, and the creator of Flesh Transformation magic.

And the current dean of the most prestigious magic academy, Asion Academy.

That was the information I currently had about Asion Gale.

I wasn\'t sure if it was accurate information, as I had simply found it by looking through old newspapers after forming a party with Barundel.

Whether it\'s where I originally lived or here, information disclosed to the public couldn\'t be readily trusted.

Well, anyway.

‘Such a big shot, huh?’

That Asion Gale even showered me with gifts to get me to enroll in the academy.

There must be a good reason why he acted that way.

‘……He said it was to recruit talent.’

Recruiting talent.

That was Asion Gale\'s answer when I asked why he was going so far to get me to enroll.

A surprisingly simple reason.

Of course, I couldn\'t take it at face value.

However.

“If that\'s true?”

What on earth did he see in me?

The potential as a fellow genius?

My tremendous mana recovery speed?

Or maybe my [Essence of Light] was exposed when I first manifested the Sword of Light?

No matter how much I tried to combine them in a blinded space, it was ultimately created under Asion Gale\'s guidance.

The possibility that he had a way to monitor that space couldn\'t be ruled out.

As my thoughts reached that point.

“What\'s true, Mr First Place?”

Thompson, who was looking out the window, suddenly asked.

‘Ah.’

I seemed to have accidentally spoken out loud what I was only thinking about.

Well, there was no reason to hide it, so I decided to just come clean.

“I was thinking about why the dean of Asion Academy admitted me there. He said it was to recruit talent……”

As I was about to continue.

“What? What did you just say?”

Thompson, with his eyes wide open, interrupted me and asked.

“Where did you say you enrolled?”

“Asion Academy.”

“Mr First Place, you\'re a student there……?”

“Ah, yes.”

Come to think of it, I only mentioned receiving the carriage as a gift, but I didn\'t mention that I actually enrolled.

No wonder Thompson was surprised.

“How……? How did you get in?”

“It was something like a scout.”

“Then why haven\'t you attended classes? Is it a vacation…… or something?”

“Ah, no, the dean told me I could come whenever I want. I probably wouldn\'t have enrolled if it weren\'t for that privilege.”

“Ah…… privilege. So that\'s how it is. Huh, hahaha……”

Thompson laughed awkwardly.

He seemed to be trying to hide it, but I could tell he wasn\'t happy.

“What\'s wrong?”

“Ah…… Was I bad at managing my expression? I\'m sorry if you felt offended. I didn\'t mean anything bad.”

“I don\'t mind at all, so just tell me.”

“Well, you see……”

Thompson said, lowering his head with a suddenly small voice.

“Actually, I was thinking of staying with you till the end……. Wherever you go.”

“And?”

“Hearing that you enrolled in Asion Academy made me think that might not be possible……. Of course, I\'m not saying I\'m not congratulating you.”

“I don\'t quite understand. What does that have to do with enrolling?”

“Anyone can see that you have much more talent in magic than me. We\'re both mages, but we have different talents. But now that you\'ve even enrolled in the academy, the gap will only widen, and then……”

Now I understand. What this guy is thinking.

“You think you\'ll become a burden?”

“Right. We might not be able to stay together later. Honestly, I\'m not even sure if I\'m a burden now or not.”

Thompson lowered his head again with a sullen face.

It seemed like he was deeply troubled by the difference in skill.

‘By ‘even now’…… does he mean he felt the gap during this hunt?’

Circumstantially, it seemed so.

But me…… well, I don\'t know.

I was focused on the hunt, and I never really gauged the difference in skill between my companions and me.

Of course, it was true that my magic skills had been increasing rapidly recently.

That was what the [Magical Prodigy] trait was all about.

-Increases magic learning ability by 300%.

When it comes to magic, I can quickly grasp even things I see for the first time, and the more I use it, the more I improve day by day.

With such an effect, it was entirely possible for Thompson to already feel the gap in skill.

And it wasn\'t just Thompson.

Other companions might also be having these thoughts.

They just weren\'t saying it out loud.

‘Indeed, I need to take some measures to reduce the growth difference.’

Right now, the difference wasn\'t that big, so it wasn\'t a major problem, but it was a completely different story when considering the future.

As Thompson said, everyone had different talents and grew at different speeds.

Unless my companions awakened mythic tier traits like me, the gap would only continue to widen.

Besides, were mythic tier traits something you could get through effort?

Luck had to follow. Like when I happened to encounter Baal and grew [Essence of Light].

Of course, the inherent nature of the trait had to be good, and who knew when and how that luck would follow.

Therefore-.

“Trust me, mister.”

There was only one thing we could do now.

***

Early afternoon bathed in warm sunlight.

“Mmm, good, good.”

Dean Asion Gale was enjoying a leisurely tea time, basking in the sunlight.

In the midst of that.

Burst!

“Dean!”

Someone appeared, breaking his leisurely tea time-.

Asion Gale frowned and turned his chair.

“Who is it? Who dares to enter so rudely?”

Indeed, like the dean of an academy, his dignity was heavily exuded just by revealing his emotions.

However.

“Please stop with the weird concept, please!”

“……Ugh.”

Just because he had dignity didn\'t mean it was always effective.

The important thing was what kind of image he had built up over time.

Moreover, that image could crumble in an instant no matter how carefully it was built.

Like Asion Gale now.

“I\'ve loosened the reins too much. I should have realized sooner that comfort isn\'t always good. Back in the day……”

“That\'s not important now!”

Thud.

Asion Gale, even interrupted by his secretary, put down his coffee cup with a dissatisfied face and asked.

“……What is it that\'s got you in such a fuss?”

He decided to listen first, and if it wasn\'t a big deal, Asion Gale was thinking of revealing the appearance he had been hiding for a while.

The appearance that earned him the title \'Lion of Glory\' in his younger days.

‘Then your attitude will change a little too, you brat with no manners.’

However.

“Yuhan is here at the academy now.”

“What?”

Upon hearing the secretary\'s words, such thoughts completely disappeared.

“Who did you say is here?”

“That student you\'ve been looking for day after day, Dean. Yuhan.”

Bang! Clatter.

At those words, Asion Gale jumped up from his seat.

He accidentally hit the desk as he got up too hastily, and the coffee spilled from the shock, but he didn\'t care about such things now.

“Where is he? Tell me his exact location!”

“He\'s currently with a visitor, looking around the lecture hall.”

At those words, Asion Gale left the dean\'s office without a word.

He, who always acted calmly, insisting on maintaining minimal authority, ran like a man starved for days.

Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Due to his physique, the thumping sound echoed with each step.

There seemed to be some anger in his steps.

No, there was anger.

‘……How dare he not show his face after saying he would enroll?’

The night Yuhan enrolled in the academy.

Asion Gale couldn\'t sleep at all.

His mind was full of thoughts about what to teach Yuhan.

From how to unravel tangled mana circuits to advanced mana theory, Flesh Transformation magic, how to increase concentration using the unconsciously, and so on.

So many things came to mind, and Asion Gale finally made a decision.

To teach Yuhan everything he could digest, without missing a single thing.

But then.

-Ah…… he didn\'t come? Well, that can happen. Let me know if he comes late.

A day passed.

-What? Not today either……? He must have a very busy schedule.

Two days passed.

-……Did something happen to him?

Three days passed.

Yuhan was nowhere to be seen at the academy.

As it passed a week like that.

Asion Gale came to a clear conclusion.

‘I\'ve been had.’

This guy had betrayed him after receiving a ton of gifts.

There was no other way to explain why he hadn\'t shown up once in over a week.

Moreover, was this just any academy?

The most prestigious magic academy in Asternon, which every mage dreams of at least once!

It was Asion Academy.

To have entered such a place and not hear from him until now meant…….

‘He never intended to enroll from the beginning.’

This provided clear evidence for the hypothesis that Yuhan had backstabbed him.

Grit!

The sound of Asion Gale clenching his molars could be heard as his jaw muscles hardened.

‘There he is.’

He didn\'t know what change of heart the thief had, but he had come back on his own feet.

Asion Gale made up his mind.

As the dean of Asion Academy, he would make him pay the price for his thievery.

But then-.

“You know this person, right? Asion Gale. He\'s the dean. This is Thompson, a new student who will be enrolling today. Say hello to each other.”

“Wha, wha, what? Mr First Place, you\'re saying I\'m enrolling here? How……?”

“The dean will take care of it. He told me to let him know if I ever needed anything. He said he\'d grant it all. Right, Dean?”

“…….”

Asion Gale was left speechless at his audacity.