I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 370

As spring's gentle breeze marked a season of renewal, life at Stella Academy moved at a relentless pace. For most students, the new semester had been in full swing for almost a month. Yet, another prominent figure aside from Baek Yuseol had been absent from regular classes.

---

"Your fever has gone down a little, Princess," the physician said.

In the private dormitories reserved for Stella's elite S-class, Princess Hong Biyeon of Adolevit had been confined for weeks, continuing her studies through one-on-one lessons with professors.

To the outside world, it was reported that she was battling a rare, persistent fever.

In truth, she was struggling to control the power of *Crimson Abyssal Flames* (*Jeokhayuwol*) that now burned within her heart.

---

"Does it hurt, Your Highness?"

"Not particularly."

In reality, Hong Biyeon was enduring stabbing headaches that felt as if her skull were being pierced by blades. However, her pride refused to let her show weakness.

The attending physician had repeatedly advised her not to hide her pain, but her defiant nature made such advice futile.

"Tomorrow... I'll attend class."

"I strongly advise against it," came the swift objection from her loyal bodyguard, Yetherin.

Yetherin knew better than anyone how futile her protests were. This wasn’t the first time Hong Biyeon had ignored her warnings to attend class despite her fragile state.

"Why oppose me? I attended just fine last time."

"The professor informed me that you were on the verge of passing out during the lecture, Your Highness."

"...The professor must have misunderstood."

"And that's not the only reason."

"...What is it then?"

Yetherin leaned in with a grave expression.

"Princess..."

"You look far less beautiful than usual."

---

The audacity of Yetherin’s words left Hong Biyeon at a loss for how to respond. Praise her courage? Rebuke her for insolence? Or perhaps faint from the sheer force of the blunt truth?

"Look in the mirror, Your Highness," Yetherin urged, handing her a small hand mirror.

Reluctantly, Hong Biyeon examined her reflection.

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Her once-radiant beauty—striking as a gem under sunlight—was now slightly dulled. Dark circles hung beneath her eyes, her hair lacked its usual luster, and her skin appeared pale and lifeless. Even her gaze, once sharp and full of confidence, now seemed subdued.

While still stunning by most standards, this wasn’t the face she was accustomed to seeing in the mirror.

"Hmph. To leave a good impression, one must look their best..."

"That’s irrelevant."

"...Excuse me?"

Her mood plummeted further as she cut herself off, silencing Yetherin with a single icy glance. A decade of serving as the princess's bodyguard had taught Yetherin when to retreat.

---

"Your Highness."

"I'm going to class," Hong Biyeon declared.

"That’s not what I meant. I have a message from Her Majesty, the Queen."

At those words, Hong Biyeon’s expression shifted.

"That’s something you should’ve led with! What have you been doing all this time?"

"I was attending to your health, Princess."

Unable to argue with that, Hong Biyeon relented.

"What’s the message?"

"One must rise and show respect before hearing a royal message..."

The glare Hong Biyeon sent her way was sharp enough to silence Yetherin instantly.

"Ahem. Well, considering Your Highness’s condition, I’ll make an exception just this once."

"Don’t act like you’re granting me a favor," Hong Biyeon muttered as she snatched the crimson-decorated parchment from Yetherin’s hands.

The content wasn’t anything extraordinary, but certain phrases caught her attention.

---

**[Early Spring: The Royal Ball]**

**[Late Spring: The Lisbonde Maritime Conference]**

"A royal ball..."

"Truly?!" Yetherin exclaimed, visibly surprised.

Hong Biyeon was equally astonished.

It wasn’t unusual for royalty to attend royal balls, but for her, it was an earth-shattering development.

The last time Hong Biyeon had participated in a royal gathering was at the age of seven. Since then, Queen Hong Seryu had effectively ostracized her, barring her from all official events.

But now, not only was she being granted various royal privileges, but she was also being invited to a royal ball.

Traditionally, Stella students from royal families refrained from attending such gatherings, focusing instead on their studies. The implicit rule emphasized their separation from familial and political ties during their time at the academy.

But Hong Biyeon couldn’t afford to wait until graduation.

For her, this ball wasn’t just an event—it was an opportunity she couldn’t miss, even if it meant defying the rules.

---

She reread the second item:

**[The Black Cross Pirates request a meeting in late spring.]**

"The Black Cross Pirates..."

A thousand years ago, they had ruled the seas, boasting one of history’s most formidable fleets.

Though their power had since waned, they were freed from their curse in the Revian Seas thanks to Hong Biyeon’s intervention. Now, they enjoyed complete freedom.

Their leader, Captain Black Matale, had made good on his promise to repay her. Through his efforts, the once-dormant Lisbonde Port was rapidly rising again, reclaiming its place as a global trading hub.

---

And then there was the final line.

**[Audience request: Admiral Hallisvale of the Eastern Sea's Tempest Fleet.]**

Admiral Hallisvale needed no introduction. Though unaffiliated with any nation, his fleet was powerful enough to be considered a nation unto itself.

He was known as the scourge of pirates, tirelessly hunting them down in retaliation for the brutal murder of his wife at their hands.

*Why is he requesting an audience now?*

The Lisbonde Port and the Eastern Seas were far removed, with little reason for interaction. Could Hallisvale be upset by the Black Cross Pirates calling themselves pirates once more?

"This could be... problematic," Hong Biyeon muttered.

If Hallisvale saw the Black Cross Pirates as a threat, tensions could escalate.

---

Yetherin voiced her concern.

"Princess, I must be honest. I strongly oppose your attendance at the ball."

Hong Biyeon didn’t respond immediately, lost in thought.

The ball wasn’t just an event for her. It was a dream she had clung to since childhood.

A girl who had never been celebrated on her birthdays, who had watched from afar as others danced, had dreamed of this moment.

She had perfected her dancing, not for vanity, but for the rare chance to step onto the ballroom floor.

Her entire life had been leading to this moment.

"I know," Hong Biyeon finally said, her smile faint. "But I have to go. It’s my dream. And..."

Her voice firmed with determination.

"It’s the first step toward becoming queen."

***

As the new semester rolled on, Full Frame’s life showed little deviation from its usual routine. During breaks, she chatted with friends; at lunch, she took leisurely walks outside; and in the evenings, she poured herself into advanced textbooks, years ahead of her peers.

Her insatiable thirst for knowledge bordered on obsessive. Under her dormitory desk lay stacks of thesis drafts, enough to earn her multiple doctorate degrees, if only she chose to submit them.

This unyielding drive stemmed from a singular purpose: to catch up to someone who always seemed impossibly far ahead.

---

Recently, her obsession had intensified. She survived on barely one or two hours of sleep a day, her late-night studies often punctuated by nosebleeds from exhaustion.

"I need to know more," she told herself repeatedly.

The world held too many unanswered questions.

It wasn’t just about magic.

It was about the nature of time and space, and the mystery of the stars dotting the night sky—uncharted territories no mage had ever fully explored.

Full Frame wanted to know.

She wanted to understand why the stars above seemed to carry a will of their own, whispering words only she could hear.

She wanted to uncover the reason why Baek Yuseol could defy time’s flow, and the mechanics behind it.

The more she pondered, the more suffocating her ignorance felt. Her inability to even come close to the truth weighed heavily on her.

---

Then, unbidden, the words of one of the Twelve Moons, *Twilight of August* (*Cheonhwangjeongpalwol*), resurfaced in her mind.

"You can change destiny," the entity had told her.

"Change it for what purpose?" she had thought, dismissing the notion as implausible.

But deep within, the words lingered.

"I don’t want to change destiny. Not even a little. But... what if, just maybe, I could uncover the secrets of the stars?"

The question gnawed at her. What had the stars been trying to tell her all this time?

Why had Baek Yuseol and she been brought to this world?

What was her true role here?

---

The answers seemed faintly within reach, and Full Frame had an inkling of how to grasp them.

She hadn’t read about it in a book.

No one had taught her.

Yet somehow, she knew. It was the same method she had once used to glimpse into Baek Yuseol’s past.

---

"It won’t take much," she thought, her resolve hardening. "I’m not looking to unravel the world’s truths or decipher all its laws."

She sought only the faintest clue—a direction, a glimmer of insight into her purpose in this world.

---

Carefully closing the book she had been reading, Full Frame slid it into a hidden corner of the library shelf.

With quiet determination, she rose and stepped out of the library, ready to find the answers she sought.