Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

Knock, knock

“Come in.”

As I knocked on the door, a tired voice came from inside. I opened the door and stepped into the consultation room.

“…Excuse me.”

The inside was filled with a stale smell of cigarette smoke and stuffy air, not suitable for something called a consultation room.

What caught my eye first was a young professor sitting at a large desk. He wore horn-rimmed glasses, and his long hair was carelessly tied back. His unshaved beard made him look rather scruffy.

“Sit there and wait a moment. I’ll be done shortly.”

Professor Kwon Chanyul, in charge of the Monster Physiology and Magic Chemistry courses, spoke without even glancing at me. Meanwhile, his fingers continued to tap rapidly on a typewriter.

Around him, several pens floated in mid-air, writing something on paper by themselves. I wondered if it was a type of telekinesis that the principal had shown me last time.

But the professor looked to be of a similar age to the principal, and didn’t he say that the principal was too old to achieve telekinesis? What could the difference be…

“…I’m sorry. Admission season is the busiest time for professors throughout the year. I hardly sleep for more than three hours a day, and the work just doesn’t stop…”

After about 10 minutes of listening to the relentless clatter of the typewriter, I was finally able to exchange my first words with him. A mountain of documents had piled up in front of the professor.

There were dark circles under his eyes that suggested he was so tired just looking at him made me feel exhausted…

“Alright, shall we begin?”

As he finished speaking, the professor snapped his fingers, and the curtain that had been covering the wall behind him moved on its own and opened.

Behind the curtain was a massive stone slab that appeared to be decorated like a carpet.

At the center of the slab was a round, light green luminescent stone, and four circuits stretched diagonally from the stone toward the corners of the slab.

Each large circuit had numerous smaller circuits branching off from it, giving the impression of four large trees, all rooted in the central stone with countless branches growing out.

“The reaction seems rather lackluster, huh? Usually, students seeing the property compass for the first time are left in awe by its bizarre appearance. Have you seen something like this before?”

“…Yes. I had a brief examination once.”

“Oh, really? Not many places have a property compass slab like this, so you had quite a good experience. Did you serve in the military early? Hehe…”

Professor Kwon chuckled awkwardly, making a joke.

“Well, let’s see. All the other tests are done, and today is the last one with the property compass, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“You heard the explanation about the property test last time, I’m sure. If you’ve forgotten the method, I can explain it again…”

“I’m fine. I remember it very well.”

“Good to hear. That saves time. I just had to explain it again and again to the slow ones, and my mouth was tired. Let’s get started. Go and stand in front.”

Following the professor’s instructions, I stood up and approached the slab. The green luminescent stone at the center sparkled like an eye.

I placed my hand on the stone and closed my eyes. Then I poured particles into it through my palm.

Humming…

Soon, what felt like a resonating vibration began to spread from the slab. The vibration continued for about five minutes and then gradually quieted down.

“Ah, it’s already done… What?”

As the vibration completely stopped, the professor, who had been reviewing my documents, turned to check the slab. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, looking puzzled.

The four trees of the property compass divided the properties of magic into broad categories, while the smaller branches further specified those large categories.

If the test had proceeded normally, only one of the circuits extending from the luminescent stone should have lit up. And at the end of the smaller branches derived from that tree, flames of magic should have been burning.

This would mean that those specific detailed properties corresponded to the test taker’s aptitude, and it was common for wizards to choose and learn magic corresponding to those detailed properties and large classifications.

If one had talent, they could learn some magic that belonged to the trees adjacent to their property, but it was said that those with properties completely opposite to theirs couldn’t handle such magic at all.

However, before me was the bizarre sight of all four trees glowing.

Even more strange was that none of the small branches indicating the detailed properties had flames of magic burning on them.

“Huh, what’s going on this time?”

Professor Kwon, looking flustered, tapped on the slab with his hand.

“I kind of expected this. I sighed lightly inwardly while observing the scene. The exact same result appeared the last time I did the test with the principal.

I should have filled that with particles tailored to my aptitude for the flames to ignite accordingly, but since I simply injected the ether from the atmosphere, it was only natural that this outcome would arise…

I knew this would happen, and somehow tried to avoid the tests but as a freshman, there was simply no way for me to skip such necessary processes.

“Could it be… overloaded? It’s been tested continuously…”

“Perhaps… though that’s the most likely scenario…”

Having heard my cautious words, Professor Kwon nodded, muttering to himself.

“After over fifty years of use, it was bound to break down at some point. But I’ve never witnessed the same symptoms appearing twice in one day. No, the first signs of a malfunction only appeared today…”

Something the professor let slip suddenly caught my attention.

“Twice…?”

“Right. The same malfunction happened when I was testing another student earlier. I thought it was just a temporary error then…”

“Who was the other student?”

“Hey. Don’t ask about useless things. You’re too nosy about other people’s affairs.”

Professor Kwon cut me off sharply. Is it really time for this thing to break down? Well, who else besides me could carry out a property test by infusing the ether? The other student the professor mentioned must surely have experienced a malfunction too.

As I thought about it, I felt lucky that a plausible situation had been created. There was no need to add any troublesome words.

“Hah, what should we do now…?”

Professor Kwon scratched his head in frustration.

“Umm… I still remember the results from the previous examination. Could we possibly substitute it with that?”

“What?”

Hearing my words, the professor’s expression brightened instantly.

“Of course, it’s possible. Come here and sit down. First, I’ll write that number down, and then we’ll conduct the proper test later.”

Returning to his desk, the professor took out the typewriter.

“Alright, what’s your main property?”

“It’s Inpectum-Calor.”

“That’d mean your main aptitude is in the circulatory system. Then which numbers of branches…”

I recited the answer I had prepared in advance fluently.

“Hmm, so you’re planning to major in circulatory magic in the Cradle?”

“Yes. I’m already learning the unique magic of the same category, and I find it more comfortable to work with my body as well…”

“What? You’re learning the predictions of the Heukryeon family?”

As the five-minute conversation wrapped up, the professor abruptly interrupted me, his face full of surprise.

“Are you perhaps a hidden illegitimate child of the Heukryeon family? Is that why you’re wearing a mask?”

Professor Kwon muttered to himself in disbelief.

“…No, no way. That notorious fellow wouldn’t do that, right? Ahem, pardon me…”

He cleared his throat and redirected the conversation back to its original topic.

“Right. About the predictions. May I ask how far you’ve progressed?”

I hesitated for a moment but felt there was no need to fully divulge my achievements. After all, the official classes in the Cradle mainly focused on universal magic, and unique magic was taught individually to those supported or of direct lineage like me.

After some thought, I decided to report slightly less than my actual achievements.

“Not long ago, I barely entered the 5th Tier…”

“What? Already at Tier 5 at your age??”

The professor looked at me in disbelief. Did I say something wrong? Should I have downplayed it more? The principal had said to not be too proud of my achievements…

“That’s impressive. It’s no wonder you were recommended for admission after 18 years, and they entrusted you with unique magic. I thought you were quietly living in seclusion, but it turns out you were seeking such a gem behind the scenes…”

Mumbling to himself, the professor turned his gaze back to me.

“…Though I shouldn’t be saying this, if your abilities are real, it seems tough to gain anything from Cradle? You seem to already have ample achievements for your age.”

…From his tone, it’s clear that the principal is the only person who knows I served in the military.

But Yena must have used her family’s information network to find this out, emphasizing just how powerful that family’s influence truly is.

“I’m somewhat confident in handling tasks physically, but my theoretical knowledge is nearly zero…”

“If your theory is lacking, how did you break through to Tier 5 in unique magic? Do you seriously think that makes sense?”

“…I just kind of did it…”

“…”

“And I was told to make plenty of friends, so…”

The professor, who had been looking at me in disbelief, let out a small sigh upon hearing my continuation.

“…Well, that makes sense. Social interaction is also one of the primary purposes of Cradle…”

Having finished speaking, he signed the documents and pushed them aside.

“I think we’ve covered enough for today. You’ve done well juggling classes and tests so far. After you pass your first exam, things will become a lot easier than now. Oh, is today the day to announce the exam topics?”

“Yes.”

“Time really flies. You can head straight to Classroom 1 now. Alright, then get going.”

Professor Kwon glanced at his watch and dismissed me.

*

Perhaps due to the consultation running a bit late, when I arrived at Classroom 1, students from the Department of Magic were already gathered like a bustling party.

I felt all eyes on me as I opened the door. The emotions in those gazes were all different: jealousy, indifference, anger, curiosity…

Although it had already been a week since I entered Cradle, my studies were lagging behind while my social relationships hadn’t progressed much. This was probably thanks to the rumors circulating about the gathering last time.

The rumor that I had openly distanced myself from Yena, the most popular person at Cradle, my uncharismatic personality, and my bizarre appearance hidden behind a mask.

Each of them was enough to overshadow the fact that I received a recommendation to enter after 18 years from the Heukryeon family.

Perhaps if I had managed to get into Yena’s circle like many others that day, things might have turned out differently… But that was an impossible choice for me.

At most, I could count only two people who could be considered friends.

“Hyun~A~!”

As soon as Yena spotted me entering, she called out from a distance. Seongheon lightly waved to me from a bit away.

Yena was the first person I met upon arriving in the capital, and Seongheon kept talking to me after our awkward first exchange, showing he didn’t particularly mind me.

Perhaps it’s because Sehwa, who is part of the principal’s team, resembles Sehwa’s warm and kind nature.

“…”

However, next to Seongheon, I noticed a female student casting me sidelong glances with a dissatisfied expression. Her haughty, aloof look gave off an air of being from a noble family.

I think her name was Moon Yeowool. She was said to be engaged to Seongheon, belonging to a prestigious family.

But why on earth is he dating someone like her? I can’t stand people who look vicious like that. People’s tastes are truly unfathomable.

“Hehe, just got back from the property test? You must’ve had a tough time~.”

As I sat down next to her, Yena smiled brightly. Her attitude remained unchanged despite knowing of my clash with Yena. She just shot me a curious glance.

The stares from those around felt even more piercing. While she wasn’t exceptionally talented, Yena was quite popular among newcomers thanks to her unique cheerfulness and vivacity.

Having someone like her continue to hang out with me surely didn’t help my reputation…

“Haha, everyone’s buzzing with excitement. Good to see.”

At the stroke of the hour, the front door of the classroom opened and in walked a familiar young female professor, Shin Jae-yu. The one who drills the freshmen every morning in Combat Magic and Training.

The female professor nodded with satisfaction at us and began her explanation.

“You’ve all struggled to adapt to this unfamiliar environment. As previously announced, today, I would like to inform you about the topic for your first exam, which will take place a week from now.”

After finishing her sentence, the professor activated the projector installed in the classroom. Soon, a map began to display on the wall behind her.

At the center of the map was a massive forest illustrated in great detail. It appeared to be many times larger than the area of the Cradle. Above, Cradle and the capital were marked, indicating it was located somewhere south of Cradle.

The sudden appearance of an unexplained map sparked a light buzz among the students. The professor seemed to enjoy the uproar and wore a sly smile.

A moment later, the words that came from her lips only added fuel to the fire.

“Your first exam will be conducted in this location.”

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