I'm Not the Mastermind-Chapter 52

Reina clamped her mouth shut, her glare intensifying.

Fine.

She hadn’t expected him to answer honestly anyway.

He was just toying with her, playing this game of mockery while never letting his true intentions slip.

And unfortunately, as his co-lecturer, she had no real authority to demand an explanation.

He wasn’t obligated to stick by her side. They were only bound by professional duties, and even those had their limits.

Of course, this was excluding all the nonsense Yujin pulled whenever he pleased.

He spoke again.

"That being said, it’s about time for our class, isn’t it? This afternoon is practical training, correct?"

"…Yes, that’s correct."

"Sounds fun. Let’s head over, then."

With that, Yujin casually made his way to the training grounds.

Afternoon Practical Combat Class

Regardless of whether one was a mage or a warrior, the fundamentals of practical training remained the same.

Combat wasn’t something one could theorize their way through.

No amount of listening to lectures could replace actual experience in battle.

That was why practical training classes were structured around real combat scenarios.

Students had already heard plenty of theory in prior lectures.

This was their chance to apply it—to ingrain it into their very being.

Of course, combat styles differed between warriors and mages.

Warriors engaged in direct combat, charging headfirst into battle.Mages provided support, strategic firepower, and battlefield control.

While warriors relied on instinct and refined senses, mages required calculated precision and cold logic.

Losing one’s composure as a mage meant losing the ability to effectively structure spell formulas and make rational decisions.

Which was why—

BOOM!

"Ah…!"

Eri’s trembling voice echoed as her magic formula collapsed once again.

Seeing this, her friend Sera frowned.

"Eri, what’s going on? We might not be top students, but we’re not this bad."

"T-That’s…"

"Did Professor Reina scold you too harshly or something? You’ve been acting weird ever since that conversation."

Sera had immediately hounded Eri for details after her talk with Reina.

Of course, there was no way Eri could reveal the truth—that Yujin was a black mage.

So she lied, saying that Reina had simply warned her about her grades.

And Sera had been shocked at how bad they supposedly were.

"Wait, if Professor Reina personally came to talk to you, doesn’t that mean you’re basically at risk of failing out?!"

"M-Maybe…"

Eri still felt guilty about lying, but looking back, she was relieved she had.

Now, Sera assumed that Eri was struggling because she was stressed about her grades.

Which was far better than the actual reason—

"……Hmm."

—That Yujin was watching her.

Watching her closely.

And now that she knew the truth about him, his gaze felt ten times heavier.

The pressure was suffocating.

It wasn’t just that he had always been unsettling.

Now that she knew he was a black mage, her fear had doubled.

Of course, Yujin himself had no idea why she was reacting this way.

"Eri doesn’t seem to be doing well today."

To him, this was simply a familiar sight.

After all, it wasn’t uncommon for teachers to pay extra attention to struggling students.

He had already known Eri before his appointment as a professor, so naturally, he felt inclined to help her.

On top of that, he could see that she was clearly nervous, unfocused, and failing to cast spells properly.

"Maybe she’s still traumatized from that day?"

He still believed that her first kill in the Labyrinth had shaken her.

That was why she was struggling.

And since he was the one who had pushed her to experience it, he figured she was naturally uneasy around him.

"We’ll be seeing each other regularly anyway. No point in letting things stay awkward. Maybe I should help her out a little."

After all, he was a professor now.

It was only natural for him to support his students.

And so, he decided to approach her.

At that moment, Eri was attempting to cast another spell.

Bzzzz—

A magic circle formed in midair, its delicate lines glowing faintly.

She raised it toward Sera, her designated sparring partner for today’s class.

The students had been paired off, engaging in mock duels under the safety of protective barriers.

As first-year students, their training was elementary.

Most of them barely had a solid grasp on combat, let alone real battlefield experience.

After all, the world was currently at peace.

Sure, black mages occasionally stirred up trouble, but dealing with them was a job for trained enforcers.

It was never the responsibility of academy students.

Which was why actual combat experience among first-years was incredibly rare.

Compared to upperclassmen who had ventured into the Labyrinth multiple times, first-years were still undergoing basic combat training.

And so, their exercises consisted of simple duels to refine the fundamentals.

But—

"…H-He’s coming over?!"

Eri wasn’t focused on her training at all.

All she could think about was the man approaching her.

Yujin.

He wasn’t just watching her anymore.

He was walking toward her.

Her concentration shattered.

BOOM!

The magic circle collapsed.

Eri let out a helpless whimper.

"A-Ah…"

"Oh dear, Eri. You seem very distracted today."

She had completely frozen.

Her earlier resolve to act natural was completely meaningless.

Because now—

Yujin was right in front of her.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"…T-That’s…"

"Ah, hello, Professor!"

Before Eri could even think of a response, Sera jumped in.

Despite being a little nervous, she at least managed to speak normally.

Yujin shifted his attention to her.

"Ah, hello there. And your name is?"

"S-Sera! No last name!"

"I see. Nice to meet you, Sera. How’s your training going?"

"Ah, well… that’s…"

When Yujin asked how training was going, Sera instinctively glanced at Eri.

It was painfully obvious.

Training was not going well.

"Come on, the protective barrier is up—why are you panicking so much?"

"S-Sorry…"

"You really don’t seem well today, Eri."

Yujin smiled warmly as he looked at her.

He looked just like a professor concerned for his student.

But now that she knew the truth, all she could see was—

A terrifyingly powerful black mage, smiling as he asked if she was okay.

Her entire body trembled involuntarily.

"I-I’m fine!!!"

She forced herself to respond confidently—remembering Reina’s warning, her own resolve.

If only she hadn’t bitten her tongue mid-sentence, the act might’ve been more convincing.

From a distance, Reina observed everything, silently admitting to herself—

I was too rash.

She had burdened a student with dangerous knowledge.

Even though her investigation had barely progressed, she had acted too hastily.

She had told Eri to remain calm—to not draw attention.

But now, Eri was even more visibly afraid of Yujin.

Reina quickly weighed her options.

Should I intervene and separate them? But if I suddenly interfere, won’t that seem unnatural?

At the moment, Yujin didn’t appear suspicious of Eri.

Given that she had always been uncomfortable around him, her reaction wasn’t necessarily out of place.

However, if left alone like this, the clumsy Eri would undoubtedly give herself away sooner or later.

And since Reina already doubted everything about Yujin, she saw no harm in stepping in.

Just as she was about to make her move—

"Excuse me for a moment."

Yujin placed his hand on Eri’s shoulder.

And then—

"…Huh?"

A strange sensation spread through Eri’s body.

She felt her mana moving on its own.

"…How?"

She had never heard of someone interfering with another person’s internal mana.

But Yujin was doing it—effortlessly.

Her hand lifted on its own.

Her thoughts became sharper, faster.

Then—

A magic circle formed at a speed she had never achieved before.

And—

BOOOOOM!!!

A massive explosion of fire erupted toward Sera.

Far stronger than anything Eri had ever cast.

Gasps erupted across the training field.

"A-Ah…!"

Staring blankly at the fiery aftermath, Eri screamed.

"S-SERA?!?!"

But then—

"…H-Huh? Did you call me, Eri?"

"…Wait, what?"

Sera’s perfectly fine voice rang out from the flames.

Eri’s jaw dropped as she saw Sera standing completely unharmed.

Before she could fully process it, Yujin calmly spoke, still resting his hand on her shoulder.

"I adjusted the power so that it only broke the protective barrier."

"…Oh."

"Haha, were you surprised? I may be a professor, but I wouldn’t make such a mistake. No need to be so alarmed."

As he withdrew his hand, he looked at her and asked,

"Eri, what did you feel just now?"

"H-Huh? Um…"

"Be honest. If everything happened too fast for you to understand, it’s okay to say you don’t know."

Forgetting even her fear of him, Eri blurted out,

"I-It felt like I was a grand mage for a moment! My thoughts were so clear, my mana felt different… but beyond that, I-I don’t really…"

"I see. Then make sure to remember that feeling."

Yujin smiled.

"It’ll be an important key to your growth."

"…W-What?"

For a moment—

Eri forgot.

Forgot that he was a black mage.

Forgot that she was supposed to be afraid of him.

A part of her wondered—

"Is he actually… a good person?"

The source of this c𝓸ntent is freewebnøvel.coɱ.

Her thoughts were embarrassingly simple-minded.

Aftermath—The Students’ Requests

After witnessing Eri’s sudden display of overwhelming magic, the other students were left in shock.

Eri, a low-ranking commoner student, had suddenly cast a spell several times stronger than her usual output.

They immediately realized Yujin had done something.

And so—

They all started begging him for help.

"Professor! Please teach me that too!"

"Professor, is there a way for me to improve like that?"

"Professor! Just once, please!"

However, Yujin didn’t grant everyone the same favor he had given Eri.

"Eri’s case was an exception because she was struggling too much to participate properly. However, from now on, I will select one outstanding student per lesson and provide guidance accordingly."

If he didn’t set this boundary, the students would never stop pestering him.

Disappointed, they had no choice but to accept his decision.

End of Class—Next Lesson Announcement

At the conclusion of the training session, Reina—still wary of Yujin—stepped forward and announced,

"The next lesson will take place in the Labyrinth."

—!

"You’ve all already reviewed your Labyrinth exam scores. We will be revisiting the Labyrinth to assess and improve upon your past shortcomings. Since you all reached the fifth floor, we will meet directly at that level."

As expected—

The next lesson was a Labyrinth expedition.

Elsewhere—Within the Labyrinth

Meanwhile—

Deep within the Labyrinth, a certain group of adventurers felt uneasy.

"…Hey, Hugo."

"What is it, Chrom?"

"Doesn’t this feel… familiar?"

"…I don’t know. Mirien, what do you think?"

"…Don’t ask."

It was Hugo’s party.

The same party that Yujin had once temporarily joined.

They were currently exploring the Labyrinth when—

"Ah, shit! Seriously?! This is the Labyrinth Academy’s damn Labyrinth?! You’ve gotta be f—"

"…Another one who ended up alone in the Labyrinth."

Hugo scratched his head, sighing.

Before them stood a man.

A warrior in his thirties, wielding a sword and shield, clad in heavy armor.

His equipment and stance suggested that he was skilled.

Hugo whispered to his teammates.

"He looks completely lost."

"…Might be insane. He keeps muttering weird things."

"So what do we do? Just leave him?"

"……"

After a brief hesitation, Hugo turned to the warrior and said,

"Well, considering what happened with Yujin, maybe we should invite him along?"

"You sure?"

"……"

Mirien grimaced.

Chrom, on the other hand, still seemed to think highly of Yujin.

But then—

The man’s head snapped toward them.

His expression twisted in disbelief.

"…Wait. What? Did you just say ‘Yujin’?"

He had been cursing at the air just moments ago—

But now, he was fully focused on Hugo’s group.

"…That bastard is here too?"

As if—

He knew exactly who Yujin was.

Hugo frowned.

"You know Professor Yujin?"

"Ah, hell… I know a Yujin, yeah. But first, let’s make sure we’re talking about the same guy. Black hair? Always squinting like he’s up to something? Suspicious as hell?"

"…That’s… oddly specific."

"Wait… you’re telling me that guy is here?"

The man clutched his head.

Then—he screamed.

"Why the HELL is he here too?!?!"

This was—

Lee Hancheol, Age 32.

Former raid captain of the Hanul Guild.

And the younger brother of the guild master.

He had just been transported to another world.