Regressor Instruction Manual-Chapter 1236. Blue Guild’s Youth Center (5)

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Chapter 1236. Blue Guild’s Youth Center (5)

“Answer me, Felis Hanest. Should I... take this as a direct threat against me?” I asked.

None dared to speak; the silence was deafening.

Felis' face grew visibly pale right on the spot. Once a member of a noble family and now the son of a senator, he had to have realized that he had just made a big mistake. In this world, a careless remark could lead to deadly consequences.

People who couldn't care less about family background wouldn’t think much of it, but a dispute between ancient noble houses was a whole different game. In this day and age, even a little insult or threat could become a political weapon, and if the media caught wind of it, things could get way out of hand.

‘Senator Hanest was truly noble... but it seems that he didn’t raise his kid right.’

It wasn’t that the Hanest Family was lacking in any way. In fact, one could say that he was one of the founding contributors of the Democratic Country and had been quietly offering invaluable support from the shadows.

There was a reason I agreed to bless Senator Hanest’s son.

Those invited to tea parties or with ties to the honorary cardinal of the Democratic Country were never nobodies. Wealth wasn’t the deciding factor. What truly mattered was their social standing and the level of respect that society had for them.

Senator Hanest certainly qualified in that regard, but one still needed to be in the same league as the rest if one wanted to stand alongside them.

‘Trying to stand next to the Hero of Shadows? Who do you think you are?’

Of course, he had already figured out my identity.

'I mean, just by looking at me, it should be pretty obvious.'

“That’s...” Felis muttered.

“Is that not the case?” I asked.

“...”

“If that’s not the case, what did you mean by it?” I asked.

“...”

“Cat got your tongue? Or... did that oh-so-great family of yours... never bother teaching you how to say sorry?” I questioned.

“You have some nerve... speaking of my family like that!” Felis shouted.

“You’re in no position to yell at me, you idiot,” I said.

He was standing before a king, and he flinched as soon as he saw the cold glint in my violet eyes.

“I’m simply... waiting for you to apologize for the mistake you made,” I told him.

He glared at me in silence, and his trembling arms were almost pitiful to watch.

But what choice could he make here? In the end, I saw him quietly part his lips.

“Regarding my rash behavior... I... offer my regrets,” Felis mumbled.

‘He’s still not saying sorry.’

“...”

“...”

“I accept. If you have nothing else to say, I’d appreciate it if you could leave. I'm running out of time to catch up with people I haven’t met in a while... so let’s get to know each other next time,” I told him.

“S-Shit... Don’t think this is over. Let’s go,” Felis warned before leaving.

Fleeing in a hurry was the very image of a spoiled brat. The students from the Republic neither shouted nor openly rejoiced, but they were clearly pleased.

It seemed like this guy often picked fights over something like this. The Blue Guild was, after all, affiliated with the Democratic Country, and the honorary cardinal was a symbol of peace for the nation, so of course, he couldn’t assert his dominance here.

The inferiority complex he had accumulated from foreign education evaporated in an instant.

‘Seems like he’s been stirring up trouble quite a bit.’

Elitism itself wasn’t necessarily bad, but he certainly came across as being all about that and nothing else. It was good to have pride in the Democratic Country, but I wonder if he was aware of how dangerously excessive his pride was.

‘I’m the one who’s got it going on... not them...’

He was so upset that he was venting his frustration to his friends. Guys like him could cause a war when they grow up.

“Get out of the way! Damn it!” Felis shouted and made his way outside as if that was the only thing he could do.

‘Is there really any hope for him to change?’

As I wasted time on useless thoughts, a student stood up. Even though they weren’t affiliated with the Republic, some were trying to make an impression on me.

There were students from the Federation and the Union. Some unaffiliated students walked up to me as well. Some genuinely wanted to become friends, and others likely thought it wouldn’t hurt to say hello.

Regardless of the outcome, most of them walked up to me to offer their greetings.

“I’m Aryl. I hope we can get along.”

Naturally, Miss Kim Mi-Young’s son was among them.

A girl named Aryl greeted me while sneaking glances at Kim Mi-Young, seemingly trying to size her up.

Meanwhile, Kim Myung-Won couldn’t look away from his mother. Although her face was partially modified, traces of his mother’s face were still there, so I was sure he found her a bit familiar.

“I’m Kim Myung-Won,” he said.

“My name is Jin Young,” I said, introducing myself.

“I’m Rina. I hope we get along.”

“I look forward to studying together, Mr. Jin Young, Miss Rina,” Kim Myung-Won said.

‘He’s grown so much since I last saw him.’

Seeing him up close, he had clearly grown quite a bit.

Last time I saw him, he definitely wasn’t that tall... I wished we could talk a little more, but with all the students and so many eyes on us, I couldn’t greet him properly.

Miss Kim Mi-Young, too, looked like she felt the same way, so I quickly said, “Slava.”

“Yes!”

“Can you tell me about those two?” I asked.

“Of course, Mr. Jin Young,” Slava answered.

“Start with the kid,” I ordered.

“He’s... Kim Myung-Won, a failing student,” Slava said.

“A failing student?” I asked.

“Yes. He’s called that way because he consistently scores at the bottom on the exams and assignments. He often fails to meet the required standards as well,” Slava answered.

I glanced at Miss Kim Mi-Young and saw her shaking her head.

It meant that this was news to her.

“When it comes to theory, his grades are actually decent, but when it comes to exams, his grades are disastrous. For some reason, he can’t seem to control his mana properly. He’s been working hard, but that’s all he’s managed to do so far,” Slava continued.

“...”

“He managed to keep his overall rank from falling to the very bottom thanks to his decent grade in theory-related classes... but it’s becoming increasingly clear that he’s reaching his limits.

"To make matters worse, the magic we’re using keeps getting harder and more advanced,” Slava added.

‘He doesn't seem to be lacking in talent, though.’

Realistically, he could never be chosen as one of the Democratic Country’s Eight Seats, but I remembered that he had the potential to become a high-level mage. That was why I recommended the path of a mage to him.

I also distinctly recalled Jung Ha-Yan saying that he could outgrow his idiocy.

“He’s from the Democratic Country. As far as I know, he isn’t affiliated with any particular noble family or group. He’s a textbook example of someone who benefits from the Blue Guild’s International Academy’s educational system.

"He hasn’t talked about his background, but it’s presumed that he’s the eldest son of an ordinary family residing in Lindel,” Slava continued.

‘Hear that?’

It seemed that he never bothered telling anyone that he was Kim Mi-Young’s son.

“The next girl who came to greet you is Aryl Baker, often called Crazy Aryl. She’s a lower-ranking noble from the Federation, and she... generally gets along well with other students.

"She’s not affiliated with any Federation faction, and her grades aren’t bad... but every now and then, she stirs up some trouble. It’s usually whenever Kim Myung-Won’s involved,” he explained.

“Kim Myung-Won?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“Did something happen?” I asked.

Slava added, “It’s because he’s being bullied."

“...”

“...”

‘Wait...’

“Normally, when Kim Myung-Won’s involved in some kind of trouble, she’s the one who jumps in to resolve it. Honestly, I don’t know if she’s resolving things or just making them worse for him,” Slava added.

I couldn’t help but be mindful of Miss Kim Mi-Young. Her lips quivered, and her hands trembled. She appeared distressed, and it was probably because she had no idea that her son was failing his classes and was being bullied.

However, the fact that she had never heard about it was only natural. There was little chance her son would go and tell his busy mom about all that.

Even if she weren’t so busy, it wasn't exactly an easy thing to talk about, especially the bullying part. She seemed pretty shaken up, perhaps having realized just how little she truly knew about her own son.

‘I think I have an idea.’

It wasn’t just the students from the Democratic Country; people’s eyes on Kim Myung-Won weren’t exactly kind. When I started paying attention to him, it got even more obvious. Some just didn’t care, but others were openly ignoring him.

After all, he was a mage who couldn't even use magic properly. The people here were chosen due to their talent, so Kim Myung-Won had to be looking like a complete outsider for them.

“It seems that the students from the Democratic Country consider Kim Myung-Won a disgrace to their nation. They don’t openly bully him... but as you know, this nation cares a lot about saving face. You’ll understand what I mean if you watch the classes,” Slava added, and he was telling the truth.

‘Yeah, I think I’m starting to get it.’

When the classes finally started, the issues instantly stood out.

“...”

“...”

“...”

“Can you define what magic really is?” Cheon Kwan-Wi asked.

“According to Miss Jung Ha-Yan, magic is—”

“You don’t need to understand the words of the Blue Guild’s archmage. There’s even less reason to take her seriously. She had never accepted magic as an academic study to begin with. Even I don’t understand more than ten percent of her research and speeches...” Cheon Kwan-Wi interrupted the student.

“...”

“For people like us, magic as a discipline is simply about guiding mana along a path using incantations and hand gestures before activating it. It’s all about visualizing, memorizing, and an endless cycle of attempts and retrials to bring something into existence.

"It’s all about persistence, patience, creativity, and hard work. Do you understand?” Cheon Kwan-Wi asked.

“...”

“Only after hundreds or thousands of repetitions can one be truly called a mage. The mist magic all of you so eagerly want to learn is nothing more than a variation of creating steam. I just kept repeating that over and over,” Cheon Kwan-Wi explained.

“...”

“Stop complaining about how you're always practicing the same spell. Step up one by one and repeat what you’ve learned,” Cheon Kwan-Wi instructed.

As soon as Kim Myung-Won stepped forward and attempted to cast a spell, snickers instantly echoed throughout the room.

“It’s a simple and easy spell... Why is he struggling with it?”

“Pathetic loser.”

“How did he even get accepted into this school?”

“Isn’t it because of him that we can’t move on to the next lesson?”

They were just kids, but...

‘I’m starting to get annoyed...’

Just as disturbing memories popped into my head, I saw Miss Kim Mi-Young shaking her head while squeezing my hand.