[38] The Nine-Tails Guild [3]

The worst week for the students has come to an end.

Thanks to the news of Efnell's Flower Garden being cleared, the attention of the press and the public shifted from Seven Stars Academy to Baek Seung-woo.

It was a good thing.

'Except for me, that is.'

The students and the academy no longer have to suffer under the scrutiny of the press.

Instead, I'm the one who has to endure it all.

Of course, if I play my cards right, this could be a valuable asset in the distant future.

But for now, it's nothing but a headache.

Everywhere I go, people's eyes are on me.

Well, how could they not notice when a large, warm-looking fox fur is swaying behind my back?

Like petals scattering in the spring breeze or branches swaying gently, my tail also sways slightly with the wind, following its direction.

It's a sight that those with degenerated tailbones couldn't possibly replicate.

In contrast, my tailbone is still very much active.

Students who recognized me by my tail pointed at me and said.

"Look over there. Baek Seung-woo is passing by."

"Didn't he clear Efnell's Garden yesterday? I wonder what the reward was."

"Whatever he got, shouldn't he give it back to society?"

"Do you really think that's possible? He might have already made enemies with the Cheonho Baek family. Easier said than done."

"Oh, right. I heard he joined Nine-Tails yesterday. Must be easy to get a job these days, even in a subsidiary."

I was walking through the park on my way to work from the dormitory, and all the eyes around me were fixed on me. The blatant gossip was just the cherry on top.

By the way, there was something in their gossip that I couldn't just ignore.

How did they know I joined Nine-Tails?

Has the news of me joining the guild already spread in the industry?

Suspicious, I checked the news sites on my phone from my back pocket.

[Baek Seung-woo has done it again?! What on earth has he done this time?!]

[The domestic No. 1 S-rank guild, Nine-Tails Guild, has hired a troublemaker? Let's dig deeper into what's going on.]

[Baek Seok-ho, the guild master of Nine-Tails. "I have no relation to Baek Seung-woo." A clear declaration. So why did Baek Seung-woo join his guild?]

[Following the Seven Stars Academy raid and the clearing of Efnell's Flower Garden, now Nine-Tails Guild! The public's attention is on Baek Seung-woo's next move....]

Sensational headlines.

After checking the articles one by one, it seemed that Baek Seok-ho had gathered reporters last night to announce my joining.

What's this, is he already planning a media play?

'It's much faster than I expected.'

I thought he would announce it at least three or four days later.

Baek Seok-ho's actions were too quick.

What on earth does he want?

For now, I don't have enough information to analyze his motives.

Feeling frustrated, I sighed and fidgeted with my hands.

Then, a sharp pain shot through the burn marks inside my gloves.

Through the gaps in the gloves, which had half-melted from the venom, I could see my grotesquely deformed hand. It seems that just before gaining complete resistance to the venom, the scars from handling it barehanded had grown larger and more hideous.

'The pain is one thing, but now I'll have to wear gloves thoroughly for aesthetic reasons.'

The significance of my gloves is no longer just about dignity and style.

They've become a veil to protect my hands from external stimuli like the wind and to hide my ruined hands from others.

Occasionally, I thought about taking off the gloves and walking around confidently.

But I still didn't have the courage to reveal these hideous scars to others.

Well, of course.

'I can't just show this off proudly.'

It's not a tattoo.

Who in the world would want to show their flaws to others?

"...I'll never take off the gloves."

For the time being, I'll have to wear them without fail.

I resolved myself.

Right at that moment.

Buzz!

A vibration and a song rang out from my pants pocket.

Who's calling me?

I immediately answered the call and brought the phone to my ear.

"Hello."

[Oh, you picked up faster than I thought.]

"Professor? Why are you calling me all of a sudden?"

[I have something to discuss, and today's a holiday.]

"Today's a holiday?"

The caller was Nam Hwa-yeon.

Thanks to her, I saved some time I was about to waste.

I almost went to work all by myself.

I sighed in relief, but then I tensed up at Nam Hwa-yeon's mention of having something to discuss. What on earth could it be?

[You're new, so you might not know. Today's a discretionary holiday.]

"Ah, so that's why there are so many students out and about."

[By the way, I have something to discuss. Do you have some free time today?]

"Well, I guess?"

If you consider it free, then it's free, but if you consider it busy, then it's busy.

At the very least, I don't have any appointments.

But I have a full day of reading magic books and learning spells.

It's also a tight schedule to analyze the current situation and plan ahead.

[Is that so? Then just come over. Be here within an hour.]

"...Yes."

Of course, in front of Nam Hwa-yeon, all of that becomes meaningless.

When the boss says jump, you ask how high.

Of course, that's not the only reason.

'Being able to receive guidance from Nam Hwa-yeon is an opportunity.'

She's not called the Demon King for nothing.

Her innate talent in magic shines through in her teaching and guidance. Moreover, Nam Hwa-yeon had been urging me to become her disciple.

In my relationship with her, it's always me who's left wanting.

If she says come, I have no choice but to go.

[Ah, and bring the books too. You remember the magic books you've read so far, right?]

"W-What, all of a sudden?"

I was shocked by the sudden additional condition.

Bring all the magic books I've read so far?

Borrowing them all at once from the library is one thing, but the number is the bigger issue. It's impossible to bring them all.

[If it's more than the library's daily borrowing limit, just mention my name.]

"That's not the problem. Do I really have to bring all of them?"

[Of course.]

"...."

How many books have I read so far?

I don't remember exactly, but it must be over 100.

And she wants me to bring all of them?

No way.

Even before I can refuse, my arms won't be able to handle it.

But the answer was already decided.

"...Yes."

If the professor says so, I have to do it.

A powerless assistant has no choice but to swallow their resentment and follow.

Reluctantly, I agreed and headed to the library.

***

Nam Hwa-yeon had told me to come to her room.

So I went to the lab, but no one was there, and I was flustered.

Turns out, 'room' didn't mean the lab, but Nam Hwa-yeon's dorm.

Ugh, she should've said that from the start.

I ended up dragging a bundle of books for nothing.

I grumbled as I dragged the bundle wrapped in cloth.

"This place is on a whole different level compared to the assistant dorm."

The design and materials of the building were different from the others.

Tap tap!

When I touched the wall, I could feel a magical reaction.

Is this a building made with magical engineering?

At this level, it's probably sturdier than a training room.

As I was looking around the dorm, the front door opened.

Nam Hwa-yeon, who was inside, greeted me.

Her eyes were as unfocused and vacant as the sea, as usual.

But her clothes were quite different from usual.

She wasn't wearing a suit or a white lab coat.

She was dressed in casual clothes.

It didn't look like she put much effort into it, but maybe because she's naturally pretty.

At first glance, she looked beautiful.

Of course, no matter how pretty she is, she's still a wicked boss who dumps a ton of work on me.

"Come on in. Was it hard getting here?"

"It's all within the academy grounds anyway."

"The grounds are just too big. This place is about 40 minutes away from the assistant dorm."

"It's an hour on foot."

It's been about a month since I started living at the academy.

I still haven't memorized the entire layout.

Even though my memory isn't bad, this place is just too big.

There's a valley flowing behind the mountain, and next to the sports field, there's a wide plain where students often get lost while playing.

Not to mention, there are also terrains affected by magical forces and fields filled with cursed plants.

The sheer scale of it all made me comfort myself by thinking, "Well, it's a fantasy novel, so it's possible."

"Well, 40 minutes or an hour is just a moment if you learn teleportation. How about it, want to learn spatial magic?"

"You need talent to learn spatial magic."

It's already been a month since I started learning magic.

During that time, I've devoured countless magic books and built up my knowledge.

Thanks to my innate talent, [Magical Genius], I didn't need to spend a long time learning magic.

[T/N: I'm changing Magical Aptitude to Magical Genius from now on.]

But even with such talent, my magical prowess still hasn't advanced beyond the beginner level. It's only natural since I'm not solely focused on magic, but also balancing training and work.

"Well, spatial magic is a talent-heavy field."

"Unlike you, Professor, I don't have that kind of talent..."

"Oh my, why are you so quick to dismiss yourself?"

Nam Hwa-yeon interrupted me, dismissing my words as nonsense.

"Do you think someone without talent could create a skill based on a paper they just read?"

"W-Well, that's because of my trait..."

"Traits aren't important. It's still a part of you, right? So it's your talent."

As she said, traits are a part of me.

So the absolute talent granted by [Magical Genius] can also be considered entirely mine. However, spatial magic is a bit of an exception.

It's not a field you can master just by being 'good at magic.'

It requires innate talents related to spatial perception and cognition.

You need to be born with those talents to properly learn it, the so-called talent-heavy field.

So my [Magical Genius] alone isn't enough.

That's how I judged it.

But it seems she doesn't see it that way at all.

"Alright, I get it."

Nam Hwa-yeon stared at me intently.

Her ocean-like eyes sparkled.

It was a look she only had when she was interested.

"You're underestimating your own talent too much."

"Me?"

Nam Hwa-yeon nodded at my response.

Her nod was filled with confidence.

I don't know what she saw in me, but I could guess it was something significant.

"Spatial magic is hard to teach in a day, so how about I teach you another magic first? Here, read this."

She threw a book from the living room at me.

I caught it with both hands, bewildered.

Really, is she just going to teach me like this?

At that moment, a sentence popped into my head.

When I was young, my mother told me that if an adult offers you something delicious or something good for free, you should shout, "No! Don't! Stop!" and run away.

"...."

Should I do it or not?

At this level of reward, it seems fine to just go along with it.

***

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