Chapter 133: Somehow, it seems harder than usual (1)

Chapter 133: Somehow, it seems harder than usual (1)

After Hong Bi-Yeons Magic Analysis and presentation were completely finished, Hong Si-hwa left the place, and sought out the sparsely populated women's restroom.

She turned on the water at the sink, washed her face roughly but delicately, then looked into the mirror.

She was smiling.

In the mirror, Hong Si-hwa was wearing a mask of happiness which made her facial muscles twitch, as if she were tired of it.

Intentionally, Hong Si-hwa frowned, yet the arc of her mouth gave off a playful impression.

At that Aslan seminar, she lost to Hong Bi-Yeon.

It was truly impressively humiliating.

That stubborn little kid finally managed to surpass her sister.

It was truly remarkable to think she planned for years for this day.

Mage Hong Si-hwa, you cannot participate in any academic presentation or seminar for the next year, and you cannot request Magic Analysis for three years. Moreover, in the future

Wasnt the Magic Analysis considered defamation against a mage?

If the opponent successfully proved their own magic, the one who requested the Magic Analysis was penalized by temporary suspension from the magic community.

That was all.

Before being a mage, Hong Si-hwa was royalty.

She was a princess fighting for the throne against Hong Bi-Yeon.

Perhaps, after today's seminar, she would only be prominently featured in the media.

['Hong Si-hwa! Defeated by her younger sister!']

['Requested Magic Analysis from Hong Bi-Yeon, but ultimately, it turned out to be original magic...']

[Unfair Magic Analysis? Was it a trap?]

['The First Princess started a political confrontation even at the Aslan seminar Is this really okay...']

And so on and so forth.

She could vividly picture it in her mind.

The media was deeply involved.

Perhaps articles were being churned out even now.

She lost a fight that she shouldnt have lost.

She was truly, perfectly countered.

She had no idea at all.

She didn't expect her younger sibling to grow this much.

Yet, somehow, she didn't feel particularly upset or anything.

In the mirror, Hong Si-hwa continued to smile.

*Si-hwa, you'd look prettier if you smiled a bit. Why do you always frown?*

Suddenly, thoughts of her deceased older sister Hong Eulin came to mind.

She wondered why that was the case.

She used to say all the time,

'Im fortunate to die first. I won't have to fight for my life against my beloved younger siblings.'

I feel sorry for you... Maybe it would have been better if we weren't royalty. We could have been ordinary and happy. I sometimes think like that.

At that time, it seemed Hong Si-hwa wasn't wearing the mask.

She wondered when she started wearing it.

Perhaps it was from the day Hong Eulins entire body burned and she passed away.

When her older sister was dying, Hong Si-hwa wasn't there.

It seemed like she didnt want to witness it.

Everytime she met her older sister, she would offer advice or guidance, but Hong Si-hwa ignored her because they werent the same.

Cherish and protect your younger sister, Hong Si-hwa.

There must be a way. A way for both of you to survive.

Escape Adolveits cursed fate... You can... You both can do it.

"It's funny. There's no way such a method exists.

The Adolveit Bloodline was engulfed by the 'curse of destruction', so their entire body would turn into flames and they would die before reaching thirty.

No one knew the exact time of death.

The more talented you are with the flame, the faster you will die.

Their elder sister Hong Eulin had an extraordinary talent for fire magic... and died at such a young age.

Due to her lack of talent, she might survive till her thirties, but Hong Bi-Yeon was close to flame attribute, and might barely make it past twenty.

Hong Si-hwa realized all those facts at the age of seventeen.

Both her and her sister.

They were fated to die like their eldest sister.

There was only one way to escape the Curse of Destruction: Inheriting the throne and receiving the 'Crown of Flames'.

The crown made by the Progenitor Mage for their ancestor allowed them to survive.

Baek Yu-Seol left the place.

After a short break, it was time to head straight to the podium.

While walking down the corridor, Baek Yu-Seol met Edna.

"Oh, it's your turn next? Good luck."

"No need for luck. I'll just roughly go through it."

"Aslan Seminar is eagerly attended by others, isn't it a bit too much to be casual?"

"Don't know. Its annoying

Anyway, do your best!"

Perhaps due to a successful presentation, Edna cheerfully walked away in the distance.

Baek Yu-Seol briefly thought that her gait appeared childish, but he tried to shake it off.

He headed to the main entrance to the podium, where an organizer was waiting.

As Baek Yu-Seol approached with a lazy expression, the person chuckled briefly.

"Please wait for a moment."

"Yes."

Inside, the host was prattling on, describing the next presenter.

"The Supernova of Stella Academy! We will now have a presentation by Baek Yu-Seol, the mage who succeeded in controlling Flash magic for the first time."

"You may go in now."

Baek Yu-Seol passed through the opening doors and headed towards the podium.

With everyone looking down from above, he felt like a gladiator in the colosseum.

Everyones eyes sparkled.

Despite numerous outstanding presentations, the anticipation for the presentation by the Student Baek Yu-Seol was inevitable.

A mage who successfully controlled Flash for the first time.

For centuries, countless mages had attempted to master the magic with no success, but a student who could control the very magic deemed impossible by everyone was attending the seminar.

Hence, it was natural to expect Baek Yu-Seol to present a thesis related to Flash magic.

However.

Unfortunately, he had no idea about the principles behind controlling Flash magic. He simply used it because it worked.

For that reason, today's thesis presentation could be quite disappointing.

"Today's topic is Prokitexs stacked circuit design.

As Baek Yu-Seol began, confusion painted the faces of the mages.

Some even doubted if they heard correctly.

'No, what about Flash?

People began to glare with expressions of disbelief, but what could he do?

*I don't know either*

He had anticipated the disappointment, yet since he had come this far, Baek Yu-Seol carried on with the presentation resolutely.

Certainly, his magic was on a commendable level.

For a seventeen-year-old mage, composing this kind of thesis wasn't easy.

However, since the geniuses present typically maintained such standards, the presentation seemed average, if not disappointingly so.

Or perhaps it was her own expectations.

It was even more disappointing than the other presentations.

*'Hmm, this is an opportunity.'*

Meanwhile, Cellyns eyes sparkled.

She couldn't believe Baek Yu-Seol would bring such a sloppy thesis.

There were not just one or two but several points that could be critiqued. This was because his magic blatantly ignored the premise that had proven to be 'impossible in the past.

She wasn't the only one with such thoughts; some mages observing the presentation wore bewildered expressions.

Bringing an originally impossible premise and explaining it as if it were possible was absurd.

But the way he presented it made it seem like it was genuinely achievable.

It momentarily caused the audience to think, 'Wait, is that actually possible?'

"I've already thoroughly dissected the magic designed by Baek Yu-Seol."

Starting with an example of an impossible premise, he had prepared a host of difficult and challenging questions.

If what he had prepared was indeed the end... Baek Yu-Seol's self-esteem as a mage might completely crumble.

While Eisels magic was untouchable due to its exceptional nature, Baek Yu-Seol was different.

His magic felt like a fragile sandcastle.

As Baek Yu-Seol presentation neared its end, discontented mages hovered their fingers over the buttons, planning to attack him.

However, there would be no opportunity for them to strike back.

I'll have to use all four remaining opportunities this time.

Before others could intervene... She was planning to destroy Baek Yu-Seol herself.