I Became a Terminally Ill Magic Genius at the Academy

When Ariel saw the scene inside the greenhouse, she couldn’t believe her eyes.  

That troublemaker Yohan Hart was using magic?  

Could she be mistaken?  

But upon looking again, it was clear: Yohan Hart was undoubtedly the one casting the magic.  

The magic circle was clearly revolving around Yohan, and even Austin stood frozen in disbelief, staring blankly at Yohan.  

‘Am I dreaming?’

It was only natural for such thoughts to cross her mind.  

But the vivid heat against her skin confirmed that this was reality.  

Whoosh.

The flames, which seemed as though they could consume the entire greenhouse, disappeared at that very moment.  

Ariel, who had been staring in shock, finally came to her senses and spoke.  

“Austin, what in the world is going on?”  

“That’s….”  

Having served Yohan for many years, she turned to Austin for an explanation, assuming he would have a better grasp of the situation.  

However, Austin appeared just as dazed and confused.  

In the end, Ariel turned her gaze towards Yohan.  

“Young Master.”  

“The lesson is over for today.”  

But for some reason, Yohan refused to answer any questions, cut her off and walked out of the greenhouse.  

It was the first time Ariel had seen Yohan being so decisive.  

She couldn’t bring herself to stop him, and instead, she could only watch blankly as he left the garden.  

———

As Yohan Hart exited the greenhouse, he sighed.  

‘I managed to cast the spell.’

Honestly, he had been a bit worried.  

He knew Yohan had incredible talent—after all, it was a part of the character settings he had created.  

But being able to fully use that talent himself was a different issue altogether.  

“The results are… Mixed. I can tap into Yohan’s magical talent, but the curse is definitely a problem.”  

When he tried to cast the spell, Yohan could clearly sense and control the mana within his heart.  

The issue was the overwhelming pain that surged when he attempted to use that mana.  

“So this is the curse placed on Yohan, huh?”

Yohan placed his hand over his chest.  

The intense pain that struck his heart the moment he tried to summon mana to cast the fire magic.  

Thump. Thump.

Startled by the sudden pain, his heart pounded wildly, much like it did when he consumed too much coffee.  

He could feel the strong, erratic heartbeat and frowned.  

‘So this is why the original Yohan didn’t use magic.’

The pain he had felt earlier was unbearable, beyond the level of normal endurance.  

It had been so excruciating that his fingers were still trembling slightly.  

A 2-star spell was classified as basic magic—something foundational.  

Of course, most people couldn’t even handle the basics properly, but still, it was basic.  

If casting a simple 2-star fire spell caused this much pain, using higher-level magic could very well cause a heart attack from acute shock.  

‘I need to find some kind of solution.’

Yohan furrowed his brow while facing this troublesome dilemma.  

He needed to use magic to break the curse, but the curse itself was hindering his ability to use magic.  

‘This is something I’ll need to think about.’

Like the age-old question of whether the chicken or the egg came first, these two problems were intertwined in a circular logic, and solving them would take time.  

He intended to return to his room to think it over, but he quickly had to change his plans.  

“Young Master.”  

“Alberto?”  

He hadn’t noticed anyone’s presence, but suddenly, the Hart family’s head butler, Alberto, appeared and called out to him.  

“The lord has requested that you visit the study once your lesson is finished.”  

“I’ll go right away.”  

With a slight bow, Yohan changed his course.  

‘This might work out for the better.’

There were things he needed to prepare before going to the academy.  

This was an opportunity to ask the head of the Hart Family, Yohan’s father, for assistance.  

Some might question why he was worrying about such things before even passing the entrance exam.  

‘But it doesn’t matter.’

After all, he knew he would pass.  

———-

“Passing the academy entrance exam won’t be easy.”  

“……”  

As soon as Yohan entered the study, these words were thrown at him.  

He calmly looked at the man in front of him.  

A man with the same dark red eyes as his own and a strong, imposing physique.  

This was Grayson Hart, the man the world knew as the Iron-blooded Mage.

“The Hart family has never had a precedent of failing the Arcana Academy entrance exam.”  

“Yes. I’m aware.”  

“Not just the Hart family, but none of the heirs from the four great families of the Noxister Empire have ever failed the Arcana Academy entrance exam.”  

The reason Grayson Hart was saying this was clear. He thought Yohan wouldn’t pass the entrance exam.  

While Yohan found it frustrating, he couldn’t offer many excuses.  

‘The trouble caused so far wasn’t by me; it was the original Yohan. I’m just someone who’s possessed him.’

It wasn’t something he could say.  

“If you fail the academy entrance exam, it won’t just be the four great families that mock you, but others as well.”  

“That’s true.”  

The Orfen Duke family of the east.  

The Diaz Duke family of the west.  

The Demon Duke family of the south.  

The Hart Duke family of the north.  

Among the four great families representing Noxister, if the first heir to fail the academy entrance exam came from one of them, it would tarnish not only the family’s honor but also its political standing.  

Grayson’s concern was understandable.  

“If you’re not confident, it’s fine to give up now and try again next year. Especially since this year, the daughter of the Diaz Count family is—”  

“No, I will enter the academy this year.”  

Yohan spoke firmly.  

There was no question of trying next year—he had to take the academy entrance exam this year.  

‘I don’t know what next year’s exam will be.’  

The entrance exam changed every year.  

As the author, he had thoroughly planned out the entrance exam for the year the protagonist entered the academy.  

But as for next year’s exam, even he had no clue what it would be.  

“Confidence is good, but don’t let it turn into arrogance.”  

Grayson Hart knew well how Yohan had lived up until now, so his words were considerably toned down.  

His true thoughts were probably along the lines of, ‘Son, stop talking nonsense. How could you possibly pass?’

“Yes. Don’t worry.”  

“… If there’s anything you need for the entrance exam, tell me.”  

Yohan’s eyes lit up at the opportunity presented to him.  

He had been waiting for this very offer.

After casting magic, there were side effects, and there were several items he needed for the academy.  

He had many requirements, so he spoke up immediately.  

“I request access to the family treasury.”  

“Denied.”  

“Thank y—”  

Yohan, who had assumed he would be granted permission, began showing him gratitude. However, he stopped mid-sentence.  

Was it really that difficult to open the family treasury for his only son, who was going to the academy?  

Yohan looked at Grayson with a confused expression.  

“Why not?”  

“Are you seriously asking? It’s obvious you’d take valuable items from the treasury and sell them just because your allowance was cut off. How could I possibly permit that?”  

Grayson Hart looked at him as if the question was absurdly obvious.  

It appeared Yohan Hart’s credibility was even lower than he had expected.  

“But I can’t keep using a training magic pen forever, can I?”  

Yohan’s reason for wanting access to the Hart family treasury was clear.  

‘If I can’t change my body right now, at least I need better equipment.’  

A practice magic pen was no different from an ordinary ballpoint pen, aside from the fact that it could cast magic.  

But a proper magic pen was different.  

It could control line thickness, depth, clarity, and more.  

‘A good magic pen would allow me to draw lines in a single stroke that I would otherwise have to repeat multiple times with a ballpoint pen, which should reduce the side effects I experience.’  

And the best magic pens available in the Hart family were stored in the treasury.  

Grayson Hart raised an eyebrow and looked at him.  

“You’re telling me you’ll go into the treasury just to retrieve a magic pen?”  

“Yes.”  

“First of all, how can I trust that you’ll only come out with a magic pen and nothing else?”  

“You can have the head butler watch me.”  

Since Yohan genuinely intended to only retrieve the pen, he was confident in his answer.  

However, Grayson still looked skeptical as he continued.  

“Secondly, all the magic pens in the treasury were used by previous heads of the family. I trust you understand what that means.”  

“You mean the pens need to accept me, correct?”

Lower-grade magic pens were designed for general use, but anything beyond that was different.  

While a mage could choose a pen, there were times when the pen chose the mage.  

This was the same reason why the previous Yohan Hart had been using a training magic pen.  

‘He probably wanted to use a better magic pen, too.’

He just hadn’t been accepted by one.  

The higher the grade of the pen, the harder it was to gain its acceptance, and naturally, it was no feat to be accepted by one of the magic pens stored in the Hart family treasury.  

Grayson Hart furrowed his brow.  

“Even knowing that, you still want access to the treasury?”  

“Yes.”  

“Unlike before, you’re saying you now believe you can be accepted by one of the pens.”  

Not feeling the need to respond, Yohan simply met Grayson’s gaze.  

Grayson quietly studied him.  

‘Is he serious?’

There was a sharpness in Yohan’s eyes.  

Since the fact that Yohan’s heart had been deeply cursed was revealed several years ago, Grayson hadn’t seen that look in his eyes.  

Now, however, Yohan’s gaze was full of life.  

It brimmed with a will to survive, and as a father, Grayson couldn’t ignore such a look.  

With a slight chuckle, he continued.

“Fine. I’ll trust you this one time and open the treasury.”  

“Thank you.”  

“But if none of the pens in the treasury accept you, you must give up on the entrance exam.”  

His words were calm and stern, but there was a warmth behind them, showing his concern for his son.  

‘Does he think it’ll hurt less if I give up on my own rather than fail the exam?’

As Yohan pondered this, Grayson spoke again.  

“It’s better to quit now than to go and fail, bringing disgrace to the family.”  

Yohan responded casually.

“Yes. If I’m not accepted by a pen in the treasury, I’ll give up on the entrance exam. However…”  

“Go on.”

“Whatever magic pen I bring out, please acknowledge that I own it.”  

The magic pens in the family treasury were typically lent out to users on a long-term basis by the family.  

Yohan, however, wasn’t asking for a loan—he was asking for full ownership.  

Grayson nodded without hesitation.  

Since all the pens in the treasury had been used by previous heads of the family, they were notoriously picky.  

If Yohan could gain the approval of such a pen.

‘It wouldn’t be a loss at all.’  

On the contrary, if that pen could enhance the family’s glory, it would be something Grayson Hart would welcome.  

Moreover, it symbolized the hope that his troublesome son had finally come to his senses, so it was no loss at all.  

“Go ahead. Alberto will take you to the treasury.”  

“Thank you.”  

Yohan replied with a smile.