I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy

The World Tree, known as the Primordial World Tree, held a legend passed down through generations. It was said that the first flower of the World Tree, a being called ‘Floraflame,’ was the first to settle here as a fairy and establish a kingdom. 

This story was older than the era of the Progenitor Mage, when history was first properly recorded, so no one could confirm its truth, but Florin believed it.

The true king who first bloomed and cared for all fairies…

Crunch!

With each step Florin took on the leaves, there was a soft cushion-like sound, as if the leaves gently yielded to her touch. 

Surprisingly, the leaves she stepped on remained undamaged. In fact, the fallen autumn leaves, which had lost their vitality, regained their green hue and came to life anew. 

This was the power of the King of Fairies and the Elf King. They could grant life to everything they touched. For Florin, who had endured the curse of death, this blessing of life was deeply comforting.

“… Where are we going?” 

Baek Yu-Seol asked as he followed behind her.

“I just… wanted to show you the scenery. You’ve never really taken a good look at the World Tree, have you?”

“No. I haven’t.”

As she said, Baek Yu-Seol had never fully appreciated the scenery of Skyflower Cradle.

His impression was simple: It was beautiful. Earth had its own renowned places of beauty, though he hadn’t visited them all. But one thing he could be sure of…

At least on Earth, there was no place as breathtaking as this.

Following Florin, Baek Yu-Seol wore a conflicted expression. She had overheard him telling Jeliel about ‘disappearing,’ words he hadn’t desired for her ears. 

It was problematic. 

While Jeliel didn’t want any further explanation, Florin wasn’t the same.

Even though Baek Yu-Seol refused to answer her questions, she hadn’t pushed him further. Instead, she had said there was something she wanted to show him and led him on a walk.

They exited Astral Flower Magic Academy, strolled through the streets of Skyflower Cradle, passed the White Palace, and crossed by the Eternal Waterfalls.

And finally, they arrived at a small forest tower where Florin had once lived in seclusion. The beauty of the place made it easy to understand why the Elf King might have chosen it for solitude. 

Baek Yu-Seol didn’t describe it as beautiful just because there were flowers and trees.

Sunlight hit the branches, scattering outward like an aurora. Even though it was early morning, something sparkling in the air painted constellations in the sky like fireflies. 

A golden stream poured down from somewhere high above, soaking the earth. Instead of ordinary trees, mysterious plants resembling colorful gems swayed in the wind.

As Baek Yu-Seol wandered through, his eyes lost in awe, Florin smiled softly and said, “It looks like you really like it.”

“Oh, yes. A little…”

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? I can assure you there’s no scenery like this anywhere else.”

She turned to look at him. Perhaps it was due to his enhanced perception, but even the way her hair fluttered as she turned her head appeared to have slowed down the time.

Amid the drifting petals, Florin smiled—a smile even more beautiful than the flowers around her.

“There are things even more beautiful than this in this world.”

Then, suddenly, she reached out toward a cluster of plum-colored, basketball-sized fruits hanging from a branch. She picked the smallest one, about the size of a palm, and handed it to Baek Yu-Seol.

“This is a Sanctuary Fruit. It’s a mysterious fruit that shrinks as it grows. In ancient times, wars were fought over this fruit.”

It was a fruit he had never seen before. Not even in his Sentient Spec were there any records of it.

Baek Yu-Seol took a big bite, and he immediately understood why wars had been fought over this fruit.

“… It’s delicious. Better than any fruit I’ve ever tasted.”

“Isn’t it?”

Her face lit up with a satisfied smile at his reaction. She then climbed up a small hill, sat quietly beneath a large tree, and patted the spot beside her. 

After a moment’s hesitation, Baek Yu-Seol sat down next to her, leaning against the tree and gazing blankly up at the sky.

A cool breeze blew by, carrying Florin’s scent along with it. Her hair swayed in his direction, intensifying the floral aroma around him. 

The fragrance was naturally soothing, befitting an Elf King, and felt more refreshing than any perfume.

[Passive Skill ‘Memories of the Flower Cluster’ has been activated.]

‘Huh?’

It was a skill he’d almost forgotten about, one he had gained when he formed a contract with Leafanel.

[>When you smell a flower, you receive the attributes associated with that flower’s meaning.]

But something seemed off.

He thought he’d smelled a floral scent from Florin, but he hadn’t actually inhaled the scent of any real flower.

He tried to figure out what flower scent he might have sensed, but nothing appeared. Instead, a flower’s meaning began to cloud his thoughts.

[Flower Meaning: Eternal Love]

As he tried to understand the significance, Florin spoke up.

“Does your homeland… Have a place like this?”

It didn’t.

He could say that with certainty.

But what confused him more was why Florin was asking him about his ‘homeland.’

With a faint smile, she extended her hand into the air. A drifting leaf gently landed between her slender fingers.

“I’ve sensed it for a while now. Baek Yu-Seol, you always seemed like you didn’t quite fit in with people. Your way of speaking, your behavior, and even your relationships.”

He neither attended academy properly nor studied seriously. He traveled everywhere and involved himself in various incidents, yet maintained a wide circle without forming deep bonds with anyone.

“You have an unfamiliar scent.”

“… Do I?”

“But I like that scent too. I can’t quite imagine what kind of world it must be, but… It still means you came here for Aether, right?”

After a brief pause, Baek Yu-Seol shook his head. He wished he could say yes, even if it was a lie, but it wasn’t true. He hadn’t come to Aether by his own will to save it.

He was forcibly brought here by some unknown force.

If, right before he was transferred to this world—right after defeating the Black Dragon, Onyx Thirteenth Moon—he had been told that the Constellation Project was real and asked, ‘Will you go and save Aether World?’

… Would he have?

Would he still have come here?

‘… I don’t know.’

It’s all hypothetical now.

If he could go back to that moment… He would probably choose [Yes]. He now had bonds here that were dearer than anything on Earth, and he knew his life here had brought him happiness. 

But before experiencing this world, he had been an ordinary young man. Most likely… He would have chosen [No] without hesitation.

“I’m not the great person you think I am. I’m actually a coward… And the reason I run around so much isn’t to help anyone else; it’s because I want to survive.”

“Is that so?”

But Florin just kept smiling warmly. She didn’t look disappointed, nor angry or sad.

[Joy]

Her emotion pierced his heart clearly.

“Did I say something in a foreign language? I told you I’m a coward, and that I’m just doing this to stay alive. Why are you…”

“No. That makes me even happier. This is the first time, you know.”

“… What is?”

“The first time you’ve expressed your true feelings. Isn’t that so?”

“… Oh…”

Had he? He couldn’t quite remember. Thinking back, it appeared he hadn’t shared his hidden thoughts with anyone since he arrived in Aether.

“And actually, hearing you say that makes me feel a bit closer to you.”

“W-what do you mean by closer…”

Florin leaned in slightly, making it hard for Baek Yu-Seol to finish his sentence.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Humanity.”

“… What?”

“Up until now, I thought you didn’t seem human. You defied natural disasters, ignored the laws of nature, and went against fate… You felt so distant.”

It was a heavy statement, almost intimidating. He hadn’t done anything that remarkable, after all. Many things he’d accomplished had happened by chance.

But Florin was so close that he couldn’t even open his mouth to make an excuse. At that moment, a surprising thought crossed Baek Yu-Seol’s mind.

‘I hope my breath doesn’t smell?’

To some, it might seem like a silly thought, but right now, it felt like the most important concern in the world to him.

“Um…”

Florin was close enough that he could feel her breath..

“There are many beautiful things here.”

He barely held back from saying he could see that right now. After all, just Florin’s face alone was something he’d never see on Earth.

“So… After you accomplish whatever goal you came here for, can’t you stay instead of leaving?”

It was then that Baek Yu-Seol realized Florin had misunderstood. She had managed to guess that he came to Aether for a reason and was solving various issues, but she assumed that once he completed his goals, he would return.

That was a misunderstanding.

Even though he’d come here by forces outside his control, Baek Yu-Seol had no desire to return.

Should he say that’s what he planned to do?

But that wasn’t something he could guarantee. So, he decided to answer honestly.

“I’d like that too. I don’t want to lose the view I’m seeing now.”

Did she fully understand his meaning? Florin’s face, which had been blooming with a bright smile, turned to one of slight confusion, as if his words implied he didn’t have a choice in the matter.

“What does that mean…?”

“Instead, I’ll do my best.”

Interrupting her, Baek Yu-Seol spoke, “Because I really do want to stay here.”

Was that answer enough?

Florin leaned back, folding her hands neatly on her lap with a gentle smile.

“Yes. Let’s come here together again sometime. This place is beautiful, but coming alone… It feels lonely.”

“I’ll make sure you’re not lonely.”

With that, Baek Yu-Seol stood up.

“Shall we head back? It seems like the orientation for classes at Astral Flower is about to begin.”

“Yes. I should return as well.”

Just then, as if remembering something, Florin raised her hand and chanted a spell, pulling out an envelope-like document from thin air.

“Actually, I didn’t come here just to talk. There’s been a bit of a complicated issue with our World Tree…”

“I know. It’s because of the awakening of the Dusk Soil Moon, right?”

Baek Yu-Seol had been thinking about that too, but the conversation had shifted unexpectedly, nearly causing him to forget.

“Trust me. I’ll take care of it for you soon.”

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Goal: 20 Bonus Chapters to Celebrate 300 Chapters of Flashing Genius!

I’m beyond excited to share that we’ve reached an incredible milestone: 300 chapters of Flashing Genius! When I first started translating this novel, it was just me, my laptop, and a passion for this story. Back then, I never imagined that this book would receive so much attention.