I Became a Terminally Ill Magic Genius at the Academy

Once again, the entrance exam for Arcana Academy changed every year. 

However, there was a common thread—by the time the students realized it, the entrance exam had already begun at an unexpected moment.

‘This year is no different.’

This year’s entrance exam for the academy had already started the moment they boarded the airship. 

Naturally, examiners would be wandering around the airship, and whatever the task might be, it was better to be outside than just staying in the room. 

This would increase the chance of getting a good score.

“Well then, let’s move together. I’ll just drop off the luggage and come right back.”

“Alright.”

Ariel appeared uneasy about the idea of Yohan wandering alone, so she decided to accompany him.

She quickly dropped off her things in the next room, and the two began walking around the inside of the airship.

The interior of the airship was as magnificent as its exterior, making it quite a sight to behold. 

As a result, Yohan found himself enjoying the airship without a moment of boredom. 

Of course, in more ways than one.

“Is that Yohan Hart?”

“I heard he might take the entrance exam, but it’s actually him.”

“Didn’t they say he wasn’t talented in magic? I heard he showed potential as a kid, but nothing after that.”

“Still, he’s from one of the Empire’s four great families. They wouldn’t send him to Arcana Academy if he had no talent at all.”

“True.”

“And even if he lacks talent by the Empire’s four great families’ standards, it doesn’t mean he’s pure trash.”

Those here for the entrance exam were whispering among themselves, and it seemed they knew each other. 

Yohan wondered if they realized their words were completely audible.

“Tsk.”

Ariel clicked her tongue softly in annoyance. 

Yohan let out a light chuckle.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“… Yes. You shouldn’t pay them any mind either, Young Master.”

Yohan shrugged. He wasn’t the type to care much about what others said anyway. 

To put it more accurately…

‘You could say I’m used to it by now.’

When he was young, his parents abandoned him. He grew up in an orphanage and didn’t have any friends. 

In school, when he would sit in class sketching the barely-remembered faces of his parents, his classmates would snicker at his drawings. 

He knew full well what they were whispering about behind his back.

He had long since gotten used to such behavior, and later he was baptized by the negative comments while publishing his webtoon.

Thus, Yohan found it odd to be fazed by such remarks now.

“I don’t care, so don’t worry. Let’s head out to the deck.”

With that, he opened the door and stepped outside. 

The panoramic sky and the refreshing breeze greeted him. 

This was something he could never experience in the modern world.

“Feels nice.”

“Yes, it does.”

The price of an airship ticket was quite steep. 

While the nobility could afford it without hesitation, not everyone was in the same position. Ariel, too, probably hadn’t experienced many airship rides.

“Is this your first time on an airship?” 

Yohan asked casually since it was his first time as well.

Ariel hesitated for a moment before responding in a firm voice, “It’s my second time.”

“Really? When was the first?” 

“Hah. This guy…” 

Ariel muttered under her breath, though Yohan wasn’t sure if he had heard her correctly. It seemed like she had said something to herself without realizing it.

Yohan glanced at her, but Ariel kept a straight face as if nothing had happened. 

“When I was young, I traveled with you to your maternal family’s estate. That was my first time.”

“Oh.”

Yohan’s expression turned awkward. 

He had messed up. 

While he had written the backstory of Ariel and Yohan growing up as childhood friends, he hadn’t specified when or how they had ridden an airship together. 

It was a mistake that came from his lack of knowledge, but Ariel had no way of knowing that. Her expression remained cold.

“I must’ve forgotten for a moment. Sorry.

Ariel’s eyes flickered for a moment, but her face remained stern.

“There’s no need to apologize.”

“Right… Okay.”

Seeing Ariel’s stiff response, Yohan couldn’t say anything more. 

‘Thinking about it, Yohan really was a jerk to her.’

In the original story, when Yohan sided with the dark mages, Ariel didn’t stand by his side, but she never betrayed him either. 

Even when the protagonist, Cedric, and his party came to interrogate her about Yohan’s whereabouts, she kept her mouth shut. 

Sure, Ariel did curse Yohan quite harshly in the original story, but the important thing was that she never acted in a way that would harm him despite her resentment. 

‘To be fair, she had every right to curse Yohan.’

Ariel had endured all of Yohan’s reckless and spoiled behavior right by his side.

Thinking about all this, Yohan felt a pang of sympathy for her. 

“Well… You’ve had a hard time all these years, putting up with me.”

“No need for such words.”

Ariel’s gaze remained at the distant clouds.

Yohan chuckled at her response. 

‘At least she didn’t deny I was a spoiled brat.’

Well, it was true that Yohan was indeed a troublemaker, so her words made sense. 

While he was thinking about that, Ariel spoke in a quiet voice.

“But if you fail the entrance exam, you’ll have to take it again next year. Isn’t it a bit early to say goodbye?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll pass the exam.”

“Half of the applicants fail the academy’s entrance exam. Most of them come from noble families, or at least, families wealthy enough to afford a proper education.”

In other words, only the elite of the elite take the exam, and even among them, half will fail.

“So, someone like me can’t possibly pass, right?”

“… That’s not exactly what I meant.”

Not exactly, huh? 

Even if he did a somersault, that’s clearly what she was implying.

“Anyway, I’ll pass, so there’s no need to worry.”

“…….”

“If you don’t believe me, just wait and see.”

“Yes. Let’s just move on.”

This girl…?

Yohan chuckled quietly. 

But her faith in him wasn’t the most important thing at the moment.

‘What’s important now is… That.’

Yohan looked into the distance, seeing something approaching. 

“Ariel.”

“Yes, Young Master?”

“No matter what happens next, stay calm.”

“Huh?”

Ariel turned to look at him, puzzled. 

Yohan smirked and pointed ahead with his chin. 

As she quickly shifted her gaze, she saw it too—the shape of a battle airship becoming clearer in the distance.

“Young Master, it’s dangerous…!”

Just as Ariel turned towards Yohan to warn him—

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out, and the entire airship shook violently.

‘It’s begun.’

The entrance exam for the Arcana Academy had officially started.

————

Boom!

Another loud explosion shook the airship, causing it to sway.

Ariel lost her balance and staggered.

“Careful.”

Yohan reached out to steady her, but before he could—

“Are you all right, Young Master?”

After Ariel regained her footing, she spoke with a serious expression.

“You should head inside quickly.”

“Yeah. Let’s go inside now.”

At Ariel’s words, Yohan nodded and grabbed her wrist, guiding her towards the center of the airship. 

As Ariel scanned their surroundings cautiously, she spoke up.

“It’s unlikely that some random pirates would dare attack an academy airship.”

Yohan nodded in agreement. 

Of course, it made sense.

There was no way common pirates would target an airship from the Arcana Academy.

“Exactly.”

“The most likely suspects are from Crow.”

Though ‘Lord,’ the leader of the dark mages, was no more, it didn’t mean all the dark mages had disappeared. 

Beneath the surface, they had continued to exist and maintain their power. 

That was ‘Crow.’

As if answering Ariel’s speculation, the speakers scattered throughout the hallway crackled to life.

“This is an important announcement. Our airship is currently under attack. While the identities of the attackers are uncertain, the symbol of a black crow has been confirmed….”

The black crow was Crow’s well-known emblem.

Ariel’s eyes widened as she looked at Yohan, but Yohan calmly continued listening to the announcement.

“In about an hour, emergency reinforcements from the academy will arrive. However, since this is not a battle-class airship, we are lacking sufficient defensive measures. Passengers are advised to follow the crew’s instructions and proceed to the third-floor deck shelter.”

It was a long message, but in short, they were telling everyone to quickly head to the shelter on the third floor.

However, Yohan had other plans.

“Ariel, this way.”

“Young Master? That’s the opposite direction.”

Yohan grinned and said, “Yeah, we’re heading to the engine room.”

———

Meanwhile, on the deck of the airship, a group of strangely dressed individuals had gathered. 

They wore plague doctor masks, similar to those used by medieval physicians.

There was no need for further explanation—it was Crow.

One of the Crow members, who had a hood pulled over their head, approached another member who was reviewing a list.

“Is everyone accounted for?”

“We’re missing two.”

“Who?”

“Yohan Hart and his maid seem to be absent….”

The Crow member who had been flipping through the list clicked his tongue in frustration and replied, “We’ve already secured the full list of passengers. The goal is to capture every single one. But now, two from the list are missing.”

At his words, the hooded Crow member frowned in displeasure.

“Where have they hidden now? I’ll go catch them.”

“Are you sure you can handle it alone?”

The other member raised his head slightly and asked, to which the hooded member scoffed.

“That guy’s supposed to be a famous troublemaker, right? You think I’d lose to some immature brat like that?”

“Don’t be too overconfident. He’s still the heir of the Hart family.”

“Okay, okay. You’re always so worried. Have you figured out where they ran off to?”

The hooded member waved his hand dismissively and spoke in a light tone.

“They seem to have fled below deck, but I can’t say for sure.”

“Really?”

It was impossible to confirm exactly where they’d gone amidst all the chaos. In the end, the hooded Crow member opened the pouch attached to their belt. 

They grabbed a small amount of silver powder and scattered it on the floor. 

Where there had been nothing before, several sets of footprints began to glow faintly on the ground.

“The most recent footprints… Are these.”

The clearest prints belonging to a pair of men’s and women’s shoes, stood out. 

The Crow member pulled out a magic pen and drew a magic circle. 

Soon, a complex magic circle with a magnifying glass symbol in the center was completed. It was perfect for tracking down fleeing opponents.

“Trace.”

Footprints identical to those in front of the door appeared along the corridor.

“Alright. It’s been a while since I played hide-and-seek. Let’s have some fun.”

Muttering to himself, the hooded Crow member pulled their hood down even further, cracked their neck, and began heading below deck.