I Became a Terminally Ill Magic Genius at the Academy

Yohan immediately headed to the training grounds within the family estate.

There was someone there.

Shhhk.

Thwack!

A dagger flew swiftly through the air and embedded itself in the target. 

Yohan blinked as he watched Ariel, the one who had just thrown the dagger.

‘Wait. Did she even see the target properly?’

Ariel wasn’t just any ordinary maid. 

She was Yohan Hart’s childhood friend, his personal maid, and at the same time, played the role of his protector. 

In the original story, she stayed by Yohan Hart’s side until his death. 

Though she rarely appeared in the story, her importance to Yohan couldn’t be denied.

‘She’s an important figure from Yohan Hart’s perspective.’

Part of the reason was Ariel’s own combat skills.

“Young Master? What brings you here?” 

Ariel asked as she walked toward the target to retrieve her dagger and noticed Yohan.

The slight confusion and curiosity on her face changed instantly when Yohan replied.

“I’m here to try out some magic.”

As Yohan said that, Ariel hesitated, unsure of how to respond. 

A range of emotions flickered across her face, quickly replaced by others. 

First, a look of disbelief—‘Did I hear that right?’—followed by shock—‘You’re going to use magic?’—and finally, she settled into cautious acceptance—‘Did the Young Master really decide to try using magic?’

Lowering her head slightly, she spoke. 

“I’ll prepare a magic casting target for you.”

“No need. The regular training dummy over there will do.”

Magic casting targets were, of course, designed to be more resistant to magic. 

If a regular target was hit by a spell, it would be easily destroyed, which is why specific targets were used for magic training. 

But for Yohan, who had just barely become a 3-star mage…

‘It’s not like I can cast much magic anyway.’

With the lingering aftereffects of the curse on his heart, it would be fortunate if he could cast a spell two or three times. 

Thanks to the magic pen, the curse had weakened slightly, so he might be able to cast three or four spells.

With those thoughts in mind, Yohan raised his magic pen and aimed at the same training dummy used by Ariel.

‘I’ll start with the basic missile.’

Yohan carefully drew a magic circle. 

In the magic circle, he added the layer for ‘shoot,’ and in the center, he drew a bullet-like figure.

“Magic Missile.”

As soon as he cast the 1-star spell, Magic Missile—

Shhhk!

A flash of light cleaved through the air.

Bang!

Accompanied by a loud noise, the magic missile drilled a hole straight through the training dummy’s head.

“Not bad.”

The spell’s power was, of course, decent. 

Yohan’s magical talent ensured that any spell he cast would show above-average strength.

However, what was important right now wasn’t the power of the magic.

‘My heart feels fine.’

Yohan slowly placed his hand over his chest. 

Thump! Thump!

His heart was beating a little hard, but there was no pain. 

Before, just trying to summon mana would cause pain. 

Compared to that, he was doing much better now. 

The chains that were formed to weaken the curse appeared to have worked.

‘Then, let’s try this next….’

Feeling reassured, Yohan raised his magic pen again. He drew the magic circle and once again created the ‘shoot’ layer. 

It appeared almost identical to the magic missile he had just cast, but the final stroke was different.

‘The rune for ‘bullet’.’

As soon as he inscribed the rune instead of a drawing, a red flash appeared.

Swish!

Boom!

With a sharp noise, the ‘Blood Missile’ shot forward. 

The training dummy shattered, sending fragments flying everywhere along with a loud explosion.

“… Not bad.”

Yohan muttered as he saw a hole the size of a head blown into the chest of the dummy he had aimed at.

“Young Master, what was that just now?”

Ariel asked in surprise, and Yohan smirked.

“It’s the Hart family’s secret magic.”

Ariel was astonished. She had noticed that the ‘Blood Missile’ was clearly a level above the regular ‘Magic Missile’ in  terms of power.

“How did you come to—? No, I apologize. That was an impertinent question.”

“It’s not impertinent.”

Yohan shrugged as Ariel quickly apologized.

“I learned it thanks to the magic pen. The power’s better than I expected. I should test out some other spells too.”

“Shall I prepare the magic casting target this time?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m going to test a shield spell now.”

Having confirmed the difference between the Magic Missile and Blood Missile, it was time to check out the Blood Shield. 

Yohan took a deep breath and drew a new magic circle. 

This time, he drew two layers: ‘Shield’ and ‘Fortify,’ and in the final stroke, he inscribed a shield.

“Shield.”

As soon as he cast the spell, a bluish, dome-shaped barrier appeared in front of him. 

His heart throbbed slightly, but it was bearable. 

Yohan lifted his hand and gently tapped the shield.

Thump. Thump.

A soft sound echoed. 

Then, Yohan turned to Ariel and spoke.

“Ariel.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

“Could you throw a dagger at me just like you did with that target earlier?”

“Understood.”

Ariel responded immediately to Yohan’s request and swiftly pulled out a dagger from her side. 

Yohan, who had expected her to at least hesitate, was momentarily taken aback as she wordlessly readied the dagger and threw it. 

Swish!

Something brushed past the side of Yohan’s head.

Thud.

Yohan’s shield now had a fist-sized hole in it, with some fragments scattered in the air and others on the ground. 

If Ariel had actually intended to reap his life, Yohan realized he would already be dead.

Gulp.

Yohan gulped nervously and cleared his throat, looking at Ariel before speaking.

“Uh. Ariel?”

“Yes?”

“Did I… Do something wrong? Never mind.”

Of course, there was no way he hadn’t done something wrong. 

Turning around, he saw the dagger embedded in the wall behind him. It still trembled from the force of the throw. 

It had pierced through the shield and accumulated such momentum that even the handle was still shaking.

“Ahem. Let’s move on to the next test.”

He drew another magic circle, and this time, he inscribed a rune instead of a drawing. 

The rune for protection.

“Blood Shield.”

Like before, a dome-shaped barrier appeared. However, it was tinged with a reddish hue this time. 

Ariel nodded slightly and threw another dagger.

Clang!

A loud sound echoed as the dagger struck. 

The result was clear.

“Yep. This is solid.”

Unlike before, when the shield was completely pierced, the dagger was now lodged in the Blood Shield, unable to break through. 

It appeared strong enough to protect him from most threats. 

Yohan smiled, satisfied with the results.

———

Despite the passage of time, the Hart estate still maintained an elegant grandeur.

In front of it, a line of servants and attendants stood to see Yohan off on his journey to the academy.

“Don’t lose it.”

At Grayson Hart’s words, Yohan made a mockingly incredulous face.

“If you’re that worried, maybe you should just put it back in the vault.”

Yohan said this as he gestured toward the magic pen hanging from his belt.

“… No. If the pen has acknowledged you, then there must be a good reason.”

It appeared like Grayson had hesitated for a moment. 

Yohan chose to ignore how long it had taken him to answer.

“Alright. Well… I’ll be going now.”

Grayson nodded in response, letting his silence convey his approval.

When Yohan turned around, what came into view was a vintage black sedan. It gave off the vibes of the early 20th century. 

It was one of the symbolic representations of the Noxister Empire’s magical advancements and wealth. 

Ariel quietly opened the car door for him, and Yohan settled into the back seat.

“We’re departing now.”

As soon as Ariel took her place in the front passenger seat, the driver declared. 

In the blink of an eye, the car sped through the front gates of the Hart estate, heading towards their destination.

There were several ways to get to Arcana Academy, but the most common was via airship. 

Naturally, Ariel and Yohan had also planned to take the airship. 

Knowing it would take some time to arrive, Yohan shifted his attention to the fleeting scenery outside the window.

‘The view is insane.’

It was his first time leaving the estate, so he eagerly took in every sight around him with curiosity. 

Sparse oak trees dotted the fields, while rural villagers carried water from wells and felled logs for firewood. 

The rustic northern landscape gradually transformed into a city that reminded him of Victorian-era London. 

The torch-lit dirt paths turned into paved streets illuminated by streetlamps. 

Rough brick houses gave way to Gothic-style single-story buildings.

“We’ve arrived, Young Master.”

Yohan rose from the plush leather seat and looked up at the northern airship station.

“Whoever designed this did an amazing job.”

“Pardon?” 

Ariel, who had been retrieving their luggage from the trunk, tilted her head in confusion. 

Yohan waved his hand dismissively. “No. I just meant it’s huge.”

“Oh yes. It certainly is.”

It was, after all, the main station where all the northern airships gathered, so it was naturally massive. 

Yohan grabbed his own suitcase from Ariel’s hands and walked quickly towards the terminal.

“I can carry that for you, Young Master.”

“It’s fine. Just take care of your own luggage.”

Ariel nodded in response.

“Yes, of course.” 

Her expression was slightly unusual, but unfortunately, Yohan didn’t notice. 

He was too busy admiring the station’s architecture—white marble columns, arches, and a glass ceiling that gave the entire place a distinctly Greek style.

“Young Master, we need to head to Gate 5.”

All around them, airship passengers, attendants, and a variety of shops bustled with activity.

The place was so close to a modern airport that Yohan couldn’t fully suppress his feelings.

‘If I weren’t a villain with a terminal illness, this would be amazing.”

“Passengers for the Arcana Academy airship, please gather here!” 

Just in time, the attendant at Gate 5 made the announcement. 

Yohan and Ariel quickly headed toward the gate.

“We’ll need to verify your airship ticket and Arcana Academy entrance exam documents.”

“Here you go.”

Normally, they would just need to check the airship ticket, but the direct airship to Arcana Academy required an identity check. 

Typically, students would present their student ID, but for this flight, only those taking the entrance exam were allowed to board.

“Your entrance exam registration has been confirmed.”

As soon as they entered Gate 5, Yohan’s eyes widened at the sight of the Arcana-bound airship. 

It was so enormous that it was impossible to take in all at once. 

The large Arcana Academy crest was emblazoned prominently on it. 

The luxurious ship gleamed in the reflected light. It was obvious that no expense was spared behind its construction.

The airship, which had gone through countless design revisions, stood in its perfect glory. 

Yohan couldn’t help but think about how intricately the Arcana Academy buildings must have been constructed based on his drawings. His heart pounded with excitement and anticipation.

“Here we are.”

She quickly boarded the airship and found the assigned room. 

Unlike an airplane with tightly packed seats, the airship had a cruise-like layout, where passengers were assigned individual rooms.

“I’ll be waiting in the room next door. If you need anything, just call me.”

“Alright. I’m going to step outside for a bit.”

“… The flight will be long. It might be best to rest, especially with the entrance exam coming up.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Ariel had suggested he rest because the journey was long, and there was a risk of motion sickness and exhaustion. 

But that was not an option for Yohan.

‘If it’s because of the entrance exam, I definitely shouldn’t be resting.’

The reason was simple.

The Arcana Academy entrance exam had already begun.