I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 354

Feigning an attempt to escape, Baek Yuseol made his way to another entrance of the dungeon he had spotted earlier.

Though he didn’t intend to enter, he figured it could serve as a quick hiding spot if necessary. While Scarlett had helped him before, there was no guarantee the Witch Queen was truly an ally, so it was wise to keep a contingency plan.

"Huff, huff, you finally stopped!"

Scarlett caught up to him, pretending to be out of breath even though the exertion didn’t seem to affect her.

If she had been serious about chasing him, catching him would’ve been child’s play. It was obvious she had deliberately slowed down to give him space, a gesture Baek Yuseol silently appreciated.

"What’s your reason for following me?" he asked.

"I just wanted to see you. Is that so wrong?"

Baek Yuseol was genuinely perplexed.

"Why would you want to see me?"

"Because you’re very special to me," she replied with a grin.

"I’m aware of my own uniqueness, but..."

"Wow, this little guy doesn’t know humility!"

Scarlett playfully reached out to tap his forehead with her finger, but Baek Yuseol sidestepped effortlessly.

"Seriously, just tell me what you want."

"Ugh, you’re no fun."

Scarlett’s exaggerated pout didn’t faze him in the slightest. Eventually, she sighed in defeat and began rummaging through her belongings. Her pristine white dress didn’t appear to have any pockets, but Baek Yuseol figured she was likely using spatial magic.

"Here, take this," she said, handing him what looked like a plain wooden token.

Baek Yuseol examined it closely. His enchanted glasses provided no additional information about its purpose.

"What is this?"

"Think of it as a charm. Keep it with you; it’ll be useful."

Though her past assistance lent her credibility, Baek Yuseol still regarded the token with suspicion. Nonetheless, he accepted it.

"I’m sure it’ll make a fine ramen coaster."

"It’s not for that! Do you know how hard it was to make?"

"You made this yourself?"

"Uh, yeah! Do you even realize how generous I’m being?"

Baek Yuseol looked at the token again, his perspective shifting slightly.

Though it appeared ordinary, anything crafted by the Witch Queen likely had unique properties. Items from witches skilled in curses and enchantments were highly coveted, and this was made by none other than Scarlett herself.

"Why are you giving me this? I’m not paying you for it."

"I don’t need money! Do you know how rich I am? I could buy the Skarben Empire if I wanted to!"

"That’s a bit..."

"I’m serious! Why don’t you believe me? People usually do when I say things!"

"I find it hard to believe anyone could just buy the ‘Golden Empire.’ Your exaggerations are impressive."

"Well... fine, but still!" Scarlett pointed at the token. "That’s incredibly valuable, so take good care of it, alright?"

"Alright, I will."

Given its source, Baek Yuseol had no intention of treating the item lightly.

"Oh, and this is top-secret, but do you want to hear it?"

"I’m not particularly curious."

"You will be. Listen! Recently, the **Geumgang July Moon** woke up deep within the Black Iron Empire! And guess what? He’s demanding tributes again!"

"Is that so?"

Scarlett seemed eager to share, but Baek Yuseol’s nonchalant response caught her off guard.

"What, you’re not interested?"

"I figured it was about time."

After all, Geumgang July Moon was the first of the Twelve Moons encountered in the original game.

Unlike other Twelve Moons who only appeared under specific story conditions, players would naturally meet Geumgang July Moon in their second year at Stella. Whether to engage with him or not was up to the player, but many skipped the encounter, deeming it a waste of time.

"Then you’ll find this interesting!" Scarlett puffed up her chest confidently.

"He’s demanding the Elf Queen, Kkotseorin, as a tribute! And get this—she’s actually planning to go herself. Can you believe it? Isn’t that the kind of thing you’d want to know?"

"...Hmm."

Baek Yuseol’s eyes widened slightly at the unexpected revelation.

"Kkotseorin? Going in person?"

It was an incomprehensible decision.

"Should I go, too?"

He shook his head.

"No, it’s not necessary."

If Kkotseorin had decided to act personally, it likely meant she had a plan. Trusting her wisdom, Baek Yuseol decided to stay out of it for now. He had enough problems to deal with already.

"Thanks for the info. I’ll keep it in mind. Should I give you something in return?"

Baek Yuseol pulled a box of cookies from his pocket, but Scarlett waved it off.

"I don’t need anything in return! Do you think I did this for a reward?"

"Fair enough. Anything else you’d like to share?"

"Um... no, I think that’s it..."

"Then I’ll be going now."

"Wait..."

With nothing left to say, Scarlett’s expression grew blank, her large golden eyes wide with surprise.

Watching her flustered reaction, Baek Yuseol softened a bit.

"Why do you only visit in places like this? It’s dangerous here, with all the monsters."

"I’m here, so it’s not dangerous! And besides, you’re always stuck at school. I can’t go there anymore, you know."

"Is that so?"

Baek Yuseol scrutinized her from head to toe, a thought crossing his mind.

"...Is there a way to keep the Witch Queen close?"

Scarlett was undeniably helpful. She had directly sought him out to offer aid and provided invaluable items in the past.

While she carried risks due to her notorious past, it might be better to keep her within reach, where she could be influenced.

"Scarlett."

"Call me ‘sister.’"

"Scarlett."

"You little—!"

"You look young enough to be a first-year student. Why not enroll at Stella?"

Scarlett’s youthful appearance could easily pass for a high schooler, making the suggestion plausible. But the idea seemed to wound her pride.

"Are you insane? Me, being taught by some 100-year-old human wizards?"

"I’m just proposing a way for us to meet more often, but you seem vehemently against it. Oh well..."

"Ugh, it’s not that... but Eltrun would never allow it!"

"That’s your problem to solve."

"And my face is already too well-known. I couldn’t re-enroll in this generation, anyway."

Scarlett’s mention of "this generation" reminded Baek Yuseol of her true age.

"Don’t you have a spell for changing your appearance?"

"Not really. I can use illusions, but maintaining them is exhausting. Besides, how could I attend school like that?"

"Fair enough. I guess our connection ends here, then. Goodbye."

"W-wait! I think there’s a way!"

"What is it?"

"Uh... I used a charm spell during my last visit to Stella. If I remove it, no one will recognize me except Eltrun."

"Perfect! You can enroll as a first-year. Should I talk to the principal for you?"

"Wait, what?"

Realizing she’d been caught in her own words, Scarlett’s golden eyes widened in panic.

"Hold on, I never said I’d enroll..."

"You did just now. Changing your mind already?"

"I’ll... I’ll go!"

"Great. I’ll look forward to seeing you more often."

Scarlett stood frozen, staring blankly as Baek Yuseol smiled cheerfully.

"Am I really... enrolling?"

For someone who had lived nearly a millennium, the idea of studying with teenagers was too surreal to process.

Before she could resist, Baek Yuseol had already swept her along in his plans.

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

"This must be a nightmare..."

But the reality was unchanging.