I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 351

Desire.

An emotion that was simple to understand yet complex and challenging to unravel at the same time.

There were many forms of desire.

From primal urges like hunger and lust to more sophisticated cravings such as ambition, greed, and materialism. These desires took many shapes in modern society. However, the girl standing before him, the "Lady Mirinae," seemed to embody one specific type...

"Material desire."

It wasn’t hunger or lust but a burning need to possess something—a desire to own it at any cost.

"Interesting. Lady Mirinae, is it?"

Baek Yuseol smiled slightly and approached the group of girls.

The five noble ladies were all adorned with vibrant hair colors like red and blue, indicating their origins from a western kingdom.

"Oh my, have you heard of me?"

"No, but I know that not just anyone can bear the name 'Mirinae.' You’re likely from the Ellien Kingdom, and you must have received the honor of being called Mirinae as the most outstanding noble lady of the year."

"My, how accurate you are."

To be honest, Baek Yuseol had never heard of the name "Mirinae" before. He wasn’t even aware of its significance within the game. He was simply repeating what his enchanted glasses had displayed for him.

As Mirinae smiled warmly, seemingly pleased with his insight, Baek Yuseol decided to follow her lead.

"Shall we sit?"

"Yes, over here."

While moving to their seats, Baek Yuseol continued to piece together the relationship between Annella and Lady Mirinae.

"Oh, Annella, you must sit beside me."

"Thanks."

"No need to thank me. We’re friends, after all."

With a bright voice, Lady Mirinae gently guided Annella to her seat. She seemed, outwardly at least, like a genuinely kind and warm-hearted girl.

"So, you wanted to meet me?"

"Ah, yes... You see, we have a very important reason for needing to get into Stella Academy."

"Everyone has a reason."

"Of course. We know that everyone here is desperate, which is why we’ve prepared as much as we could."

The girls nodded in agreement, and Annella clenched her fist in encouragement, silently cheering them on.

"That’s why we were hoping... could you perhaps offer us a little guidance?"

"Guidance? I’m not sure I’m qualified to teach anyone."

"But you’re a senior who entered Stella a year ahead of us!"

Baek Yuseol tapped his finger lightly in thought. With the entrance exams just around the corner, there wasn’t much he could do to significantly help them at this point. Those destined to pass would pass, and those doomed to fail would fail.

If someone was teetering on the edge, perhaps his advice could tip the scales. But this girl didn’t seem to fall into that category.

"They want to leverage my reputation," he thought.

Baek Yuseol was well aware of the value of his name, which had grown significantly. He also understood how that value could be utilized depending on how it was wielded.

Even the mere claim that they had received guidance from Baek Yuseol could draw significant attention, especially after being admitted to Stella Academy. It seemed Lady Mirinae was already considering the implications of such a situation.

"Well, knowledge isn’t something you can share with just anyone. But since you’re friends of Annella’s, I’ll at least hear you out."

"You might already know, but our Ellien Kingdom has been at war for over a hundred years."

He didn’t know.

Nevertheless, Baek Yuseol nodded knowingly. Pretending to be well-informed in front of others was a universal male instinct.

"The scale of the war has grown in modern times, but ironically, this has led to quieter forms of warfare."

"What do you mean?"

"Advancements in technology have minimized close combat. Wars are now dominated by 'mass destruction magic,' which has completely changed the landscape of battle."

She was likely referring to asymmetrical warfare. On Earth, this would be equivalent to biochemical weapons or nuclear missiles. Thankfully, Aether World didn’t have weapons of such devastating magnitude.

Would the people of this world even be able to comprehend the existence of a single button capable of wiping a small country off the map?

"If Ellien is at war... it must be with the Northern Leikram Republic?"

As Baek Yuseol voiced his thoughts, his enchanted glasses immediately displayed the answer.

"Yes, that’s correct."

She responded with a bitter expression, though it lacked any visible sorrow.

"They’re savages. They use teenagers as weapons of war and exploit all their mages, sending them straight to the front lines. Naturally, our kingdom had no choice but to respond in kind."

"My friends here have chosen the path of magic warriors to stand against the Northern Leikram. No one from our kingdom has ever entered Stella, but if any of us manage to do so, it would greatly benefit our nation."

The influence of Stella was truly unimaginable. It wasn’t a joke when people said that a single Stella graduate could tip the scales in a war between small countries.

"Hmm..."

Glancing sideways, Baek Yuseol noticed Annella wearing a worried expression.

"Ugh, she’s too kind for her own good."

She was in no position to be worrying about others. If she failed to enter Stella, she’d be targeted by dark mages almost immediately.

"That’s a sad story."

"Isn’t it?"

When Baek Yuseol expressed sympathy, Annella’s eyes sparkled. She seemed ready to suggest they help immediately.

But he wasn’t about to be swayed by their words so easily.

"So, in the end, you’re saying that you want to enter Stella to win the war?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

"Then it’s quite tricky for me to help you."

"What?"

Lady Mirinae widened her eyes in surprise at the unexpected response.

"I’m not in a position to act freely. If I get involved, it could lead to political or diplomatic issues. Surely, you’re aware of that. Please don’t pretend otherwise."

"...Of course, I’m aware."

Mirinae’s expression stiffened slightly.

Baek Yuseol wasn’t just a name anymore; he had become a figure of significant influence. Those involved in political circles were fully aware of his connections—half of the Altherisha Academy’s power, the Star Cloud Merchant Guild, Adolevit Kingdom, and even the Sky Blossom Cradle.

Though he hadn’t sought such entanglements, the ties were now too deep for him to act recklessly.

"Something feels off," he thought.

Despite his refusal, Lady Mirinae’s expression didn’t falter much. It was as if she had anticipated his reaction.

Baek Yuseol scanned his surroundings. The location was open, and many students had likely seen him interacting with these girls.

"Is she simply aiming to spread rumors that she received guidance from me after just one meeting?"

But even that didn’t seem to fit.

As he looked into her eyes, he felt as though he were staring into a profound abyss.

"...Maybe I underestimated her."

Could a seventeen-year-old really be so calculating? Characters like Hong Biyeon and Angel Flame had shown remarkable intelligence at a young age, but they were main characters. Lady Mirinae, on the other hand, was an unknown extra he had overlooked. Yet her emotions, as revealed through the Yeonhongchun Samwol, were anything but ordinary.

Unlike most people, whose emotions were a tangled web, Lady Mirinae exhibited only one: *desire.*

What was she so desperate for?

Social status? Victory in war? Wealth?

It wasn’t fame, lust, or hunger—it was something else entirely, a singular and intense craving he couldn’t yet identify.

But one thing was clear.

A person consumed by such unyielding desire... was extraordinarily dangerous.

"Fine."

"...What?"

After much deliberation, Baek Yuseol smirked and extended his hand toward Lady Mirinae.

"I’ll teach you. There’s not much time before the entrance exams, but I’ll do it."

Lady Mirinae brightened instantly and shook his hand.

"Thank you. I’m truly grateful."

Yet even in that moment, not a single trace of joy crossed her emotions.

Only *desire.*

From beginning to end, it remained the sole driving force behind her actions.

"Annella, thank you for introducing me to Senior Baek Yuseol."

"Of course!"

Lady Mirinae beamed and hugged Annella lightly. For the briefest moment, her emotions shifted.

"What was that?"

It was fleeting and subtle, so much so that even Baek Yuseol barely noticed.

***

The capital of the Dwarven Kingdom, the "Black Iron Empire."

*Geumgwang Mancheolju.*

This perilous and unique nation, built inside an active volcano, was vast, towering, and desolate.

Even though it was located within the volcano, the cavern ceiling stretched toward the heavens, dotted with lights that twinkled like stars, illuminating the world below. Thanks to this brilliance, the dwarves lived as if it were daylight even in the middle of the night.

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At the center of the sprawling cityscape, with its forest of irregularly constructed buildings, lay the highest elevation, where dozens of iron railways converged. This was where the "Geumgang Iron Tower" stood, home to the Dwarven King, **Geumgang Paljeong**.

"...You’ve arrived."

The Dwarven King, Geumgang Paljeong, forced his weary eyes open as his chief aide, **Duamri**, approached.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"How is his condition?"

Duamri grimaced.

"It’s not good. He desires more 'beautiful things.'"

"More? We’ve already delivered enough jewels to shake the foundation of the Black Iron Empire. And that’s still not enough?"

"That is correct..."

"This is madness."

The king let out a deep sigh.

When had it all begun?

When did the **Geumgang July Moon** start to change?

In the distant past, the mention of a righteous member of the Twelve Moons would always bring to mind Geumgang July Moon.

He had once given hammers and anvils to the ostracized dwarves, teaching them the ways of crafting and bestowing upon them bodies as unyielding as steel.

Not stopping there, he had even seized control of the vast volcano, ensuring the dwarves could establish a safe home. That was how this great nation had come to exist.

This had been a story passed down for three generations. A thousand years ago, in the time of the king’s great-grandfather, Geumgang July Moon had still been revered as a just and steadfast protector.

Even the word "Geumgang" in the king’s own name had been taken from the deity, a testament to the deep respect the dwarves held for him.

And yet, at some point...

"Offer me jewels. Surely, you can repay me with that much, can’t you?"

Geumgang July Moon had begun demanding tributes from the dwarves.

Initially, the dwarves, out of gratitude, willingly presented him with rare treasures.

After receiving such offerings, Geumgang July Moon would fall into slumber, remaining quiet for a time.

However, every century, he would awaken once more, demanding new tributes.

The problem worsened as his demands grew with each awakening, and the intervals between them grew shorter. By the modern era, the kingdom’s treasury was struggling to keep up.

"Didn’t he seem quite satisfied with the statue I sculpted for him not long ago?"

"Yes, he did."

That incident had been unusual.

For the first time, Geumgang July Moon had specifically requested a tribute:

"Bring me the statue of the most beautiful woman."

It had been a difficult demand.

The definition of "most beautiful" was inherently subjective—what one person found breathtaking, another might consider ordinary.

At the time, the king’s mind had immediately gone to one individual: **Queen Kkotseorin**, the Elf Queen. Although she rarely showed herself in public, no one could deny her beauty.

Thus, Geumgang Paljeong had gone to great lengths to invite Kkotseorin and used her as a model to sculpt the statue.

Of course, due to her curse, even the king had been unable to see her face.

Yet it was a strange thing.

The statue depicted Kkotseorin wearing a veil that obscured her face, dressed in a form-fitting gown and holding a single flower.

Even without revealing her face, the king was certain that the statue was the most beautiful in existence.

Its mystery lay in its concealment. The veil allowed everyone to imagine the hidden face as they pleased.

Some saw purity, others elegance. Some found it alluring, others demure.

Beauty was subjective, but one consensus emerged:

"This is undoubtedly the statue of the most beautiful woman in the world."

It had been a masterpiece born of Kkotseorin’s captivating presence and the world’s greatest sculptor. Offering such an extraordinary creation to the Twelve Moons had seemed sufficient at the time.

"And now, he’s demanding something else? What does he want this time?"

Duamri hesitated, glancing nervously at the king.

"Speak, Duamri. Don’t test my patience."

"...My apologies."

Duamri finally forced himself to answer.

"Geumgang July Moon... has said he was deeply pleased with the statue he received."

"Indeed."

"He spends all his days gazing upon it."

"I see. Get to the point."

Duamri closed his eyes tightly, bracing himself.

"However, he now says he’s desperate to see the face hidden behind the veil."

"What?"

Geumgang Paljeong shot up from his throne despite his frail condition. He couldn’t help it.

"Surely you don’t mean..."

With trembling lips, Duamri delivered the devastating news.

"For his next tribute... he has requested the woman who modeled for the statue."

The king slumped back into his throne, overwhelmed by dizziness.

"Unbelievable."

The worst possible scenario had now become a reality.