I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy-Chapter 478

After hearing the full explanation from Ludric, Scarlett pressed her lips tightly together and stared at the ground in silence.

Eventually, she raised her head and looked slowly at Baek Yuseol.

Baek Yuseol met her gaze without flinching. Scarlett was slightly surprised to see how composed he looked, far calmer than she had anticipated.

“...There’s almost no chance he hasn’t succumbed to corruption, is there?”

“Yeah, probably not. It’s almost certain.”

Scarlett let out a deep sigh, then began ruffling her hair in frustration before letting out a hollow laugh.

“Do you know what I hate most in this world? It’s greed.”

“That’s why I despise dark mages. They sell their souls to otherworldly powers out of a selfish hunger for strength and blood.”

Though witches were enemies of humanity, they were, ironically, pure beings who had not sold their souls to external entities like dark mages or warlocks.

While witches specialized in curses and magic meant to torment others, they relied solely on their own power rather than borrowing strength from another realm. Fundamentally, they were entirely different from dark mages.

“Greed...”

“Yes. If Toa really has succumbed to dark magic corruption... it means he violated the one lesson I always emphasized as his mentor.”

“And that was?”

“To never desire more than what is within your grasp.”

Compared to most magic teachers who would drill countless rules into their students, Scarlett’s single rule seemed remarkably simple.

But even that one warning, Toa Legron had failed to heed.

“I didn’t even ask for much.”

Scarlett closed her eyes.

Though her tone sounded distressed, her expression was strangely calm. It was as though she had already made a decision.

I hope it’s not true...

Even though most of her magical power had been sealed, Scarlett was still the Witch Queen.

Despite the full power of the Red Spring March’s blessing concentrated on her, it was impossible to discern her true feelings.

All Baek Yuseol could do was trust her.

Having revealed everything to Scarlett, Baek Yuseol set off on a short journey with two of the greatest mages in the world.

Toa Legron’s Green Tower, known as the Pillar of Rasselon, constantly changed its location, making it impossible to pinpoint its exact coordinates.

Even if its coordinates could be determined, Ludric’s spatial teleportation techniques wouldn’t allow for an easy arrival.

Toa Legron, more famous for his spellcasting abilities than his 9th-Class magic prowess, had installed a highly specialized magical array in his tower that nullified spatial distortion magic across a radius of several kilometers.

If Ludric personally went to the location and attempted spatial distortion directly, he could undoubtedly use his magic, but the fact that teleportation was now off the table left Baek Yuseol feeling disappointed.

“So even the great Tower Lord of the Waning Moon isn’t capable of everything.”

Baek Yuseol commented as he purchased tickets for the airship, earning an awkward smile from Ludric.

Ludric, currently appearing as a dashing young man in his twenties, drew plenty of attention from the surrounding crowd, as did Scarlett. Their presence ensured every eye in the vicinity was fixed on them.

Baek Yuseol couldn’t help but shake his head at the absurdity of traveling with such conspicuous companions via public transport.

Then, a thought occurred to him.

“Don’t you have private airships or something?”

At this, both Ludric and Scarlett tilted their heads as if the question was only natural.

“I have several airships.”

“Me too. ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) Toa gave me some as gifts.”

“...Then why are we taking a passenger vessel instead?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Scarlett and Ludric replied in unison.

“I’ve never actually used them.”

“Neither have I.”

It was only then that Baek Yuseol fully grasped that these two, as archmages, almost never traveled by airship because teleportation was faster for them.

Which only made their actions more baffling.

“Then why do you even own airships?”

Having multiple airships—something most people could only dream of—yet never using them was incomprehensible to Baek Yuseol.

Ludric scratched his head and answered with an awkward smile.

“Well, I collect them as a hobby. They’re just part of my collection in my personal hangar...”

“I just accepted them when they were given to me. I don’t even remember where they are now.”

This was why it was hard to understand the excessively wealthy. Baek Yuseol, who had earned a significant amount of money himself, had never even considered collecting airships.

Still... they’re not quite what I imagined.

Scarlett and Ludric were both figures that players of Aiter World Online had barely scratched the surface of.

Unlike most major characters, whose backstories, personalities, and even favorite foods were well-documented, these two were rarely seen in the world due to their status as top-tier figures.

Thus, seeing this side of them was entirely new to Baek Yuseol.

“...Why are you smiling?”

“Huh?”

Lost in thought about their unexpected personalities, Baek Yuseol was startled by Scarlett’s question.

“Was I smiling?”

“Yeah, you were grinning just now.”

“Hmm...”

He touched the corner of his mouth.

Why was I smiling?

He pondered for a moment before letting it go.

When you’re in a good mood, does it really matter why?

After all, this moment of peace wouldn’t last long. Facing Toa Legron, who might have turned into a dark mage, was a very real possibility. Baek Yuseol resolved to enjoy this brief reprieve as much as possible.

Because who could say when he might lose the ability to smile altogether?

***

If you travel southwest across the Aiter Continent, you’ll come across a region where the earth appears to have been sliced cleanly, as if cut by a blade. Of course, no one has the power to cleave land with a sword.

This peculiar terrain naturally separated itself from the mainland, forming an isolated island.

This place is known as the Red Rain Desert.

The combination of desert and rain might seem paradoxical, but the name reflects the terrain’s true nature.

In this area, red rain falls year-round, yet the ground remains perpetually covered in sand.

It’s a natural phenomenon that defies understanding. The crimson rain isn’t ordinary water—it is closer in composition to blood.

Why does blood fall from the clouds like rain? No mage has ever uncovered the cause. The region’s mana is so chaotic and intertwined that survival, let alone research, is impossible for most mages.

...There are exceptions, of course.

For instance, what if the mage is one who has reached the transcendent realm of grand magic?

Toa Legron had nearly unraveled the secrets of this place, though he took no pleasure in sharing his discoveries with the world.

The reason was simple:

“The truth I alone know is far more thrilling.”

Toa Legron derived a perverse satisfaction from being the sole keeper of mysteries that remained unfathomable to the rest of the world.

After centuries of life, Toa Legron, who had long forgotten the pleasures of mundane existence, found his only joy in such mysteries.

Can anyone truly condemn his actions?

Though some mages envied his knowledge, few dared to criticize him for hoarding it.

After all, the pursuit and monopolization of knowledge were common practices among mages.

But what if, in the course of that pursuit, one caused harm to others?

“Enjoying yourself?”

Floating a mere ten centimeters above the Red Rain Desert, on the rooftop of the Green Tower, Toa Legron stared at the rain as a figure cloaked in black approached him.

The man’s name was Tarancha.

A son of the Dark Magic King, Tarancha served as a general on the front lines of the war against the Church of the Dark God.

“I am. The mages will never uncover the truth of this place.”

“Indeed.”

Tarancha clicked his tongue and continued.

“After all, that crimson rain... is entirely your doing.”

Boom!

A thunderclap echoed, briefly illuminating the sky. In that moment, Toa Legron’s lips curled into a grotesque, twisted grin. Though he seemed to be smiling, his eyes were devoid of mirth.

“Does it matter? The fact that I alone possess this secret is all that’s important. And some people already know that I’ve uncovered the truth about this place. Even if I die, all the mages can do is resent me for taking the secret to my grave.”

A grim hobby, indeed. Tarancha, who was no mage himself, couldn’t fathom Toa Legron’s peculiar indulgence.

Even if he were a mage, it was doubtful he could understand the atrocities Toa Legron had committed.

The Red Rain Desert had been created at the cost of over 100,000 lives.

A man who slaughters countless lives for the sole purpose of creating a secret known only to himself.

Dark mages kill humans to survive, to plunder, or for power.

Even those actions alone make them villains in the eyes of humanity. How many would still consider Toa Legron “human,” knowing that he killed solely to manufacture a mystery?

“My father will soon rise to destroy the Church of the Dark God. In preparation for that day, I need your answer.”

“Answer? What answer?”

“...We prefer direct questioning. You know that, don’t you?”

“Ha ha, yes, I remember.”

“You’re not pretending ignorance now, are you...”

Tarancha studied Toa Legron’s back. A mage with incomprehensible thoughts, akin to a lunatic.

“Avoiding the question means you’re refusing to join us.”

While Tarancha acknowledged that having Toa Legron as an ally would be immensely beneficial, he had no desire to fight alongside him.

A weapon that follows only its own whims would, sooner or later, become a threat to its allies.

“Very well. I hope we don’t meet on the battlefield.”

With those words, Tarancha disappeared into the shadows. His distaste for Toa Legron was evident, and he departed the moment he concluded that persuasion was futile.

“How petty...”

Allegiances, wars—how amusing and childish dark mages seemed in Toa Legron’s eyes.

Inferior creatures waging war for their insatiable greed.

“I wonder how long they’ll continue their petty squabbles.”

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

Toa Legron’s ambitions were far greater. His dreams soared higher than mere battles for dominance.

For instance, a vision akin to the aspirations of the Lunar Ring—a goal so grand it resonated deeply within him.

“I will break free from this small world and venture into a greater one.”

It was a feat even his mentor, Scarlett, had been unable to achieve.

“My dream is to become the Second Founder of Magic.”