Chapter 128: An Seminar (2)
In the city of poems, Camelon, there were quite a lot of hidden events.
Each alley whispered tales and mysterious secrets due to the enchantment cast by Progenitor Mage, and the magic merchants living here had a deep story to tell.
Truly, it was the holynd of events.
However, as an Academy student, one couldn''t easily enter Camelon, so those numerous events were merely out of reach for yers, just like a tantalizing illusion.
Hence, among the few ways to enter Camelon, a ''Pass to the An Seminar'' was quite important for the yers.
Baek Yu-Seol didn''t care much about Camelons events, but there was one thing which piqued his curiosity.
[Lirama Destiny Point]
There was a unique NPC here who foretold the future.
It was said that if the yer had chosen Edna, then upon their first encounter, the NPC immediately threw those words: *Ah, the child chosen by fate has arrived. Come here and tell me your story.*
Initially, it seemed like the NPC recognized the yer, but if approached with a different character, the NPC spoke entirely different lines.
If approached as Mayuseong, he''d say, *Ah, the child who dont belong to either side has arrived,* and if as Haewonryang, *A conflicted child at the crossroads of choice,*
Due to the fortune-teller NPC''s ability, yers with various characters visited for a while, but Baek Yu-Seol didn''t know what destiny held for him.
Not for any particr reason, but since he was the only yer with character Baek Yu-Seol who didn''te to Camelon.
Therefore, he was curious.
Will the fortune-teller''s prophecy work in reality or not?
Will he predict something for him?
Will there be a useful insight?
Did they anticipate his arrival?
*Is this the ce?*
The fortune-tellers house was tucked away deep in the maze-like alleys, making it quite hard to find.
Despite checking the map several times through his thick spec, he kept passing by.
"Ugh!"
With a strong push, he forced the creaky wooden door open.
When did hest oil these hinges?
When he went inside, there was a musty smell of old books in the air. It was heavy enough topel him to escape.
However, he strived on, and entered further to find a small, stern-looking grandmother red at him with fierce eyes.
Then, abruptly, she uttered, "... An unexpected unwee visitor has arrived. This is not where you should be. Get lost."
"Yes?"
Baek Yu-Seol was genuinely taken aback as he never anticipated such a response.
*Wait, at least let me say something?*
"I-I came to have my fortune read... about marriage or something..."
"Your fortune cannot be read."
"Why not?"
Grandma red right through him and shook her head.
"Nothing can be seen from you."
*Huh. Isnt this aplete scam?*
As he was about to leave in disbelief, the door creaked open loudly, and Edna came crashing down.
"Agh..."
She stood up with difficulty while rubbing her forehead, and made eye contact with Baek Yu-Seol.
It seemed as if she had identally opened the wrong door.
"Uh, why are you here?"
Looking at her, he pondered in silence.
In the game world, did Character Edna inevitably arrive here?
Baek Yu-Seol thought that since he hade, Edna wouldn''te.
That was a misconception.
Whether as a yer or not, Edna was Edna in the end.
Baek Yu-Seol was about to say more to her, but before he could, the fortune teller opened his mouth.
"The child chosen by fate has arrived."
"... What?"
"Huh?"
At that, Baek Yu-Seol couldn''t help but be flustered. The exact line he heard in the game was uttered by the fortune teller.
*What''s going on?*
Since she treated him so badly, he thought the game and reality were different.
But why did she recite the line from the game to Edna?
And why didn''t it happen to Baek Yu-Seol?
"W-what is that... Oh, sorry. I thought I was just touching the wall, and I didn''t know there was a door."
"I know, child. It was your fate toe here. Come, sit. I''ll tell you a story."
"I''m actually busy right now..."
"The An Seminar will be dyed by 30 minutes due to the worsening condition of the Chairman''s illness."
"Oh, really?"
Edma blinked and looked at Baek Yu-Seol, and he nodded.
It was true.
It was always like that in the original game.
Well, Baek Yu-Seol thought it was just something he often saw, but... it was strange since the fortune teller also knew about it.
*Is she really an urate fortune teller?*
It seemed like she had some magical ability, which was why it was puzzling.
Why would she say such a thing to Baek Yu-Seol only?
"Um, yeah..."
Edna looked at Baek Yu-Seol, and hesitated before sitting down across the fortune teller.
Quietly, he left the fortune-tellers ce.
As long as he was there, the fortune teller wouldn''t speak up.
"Sigh."
Baek Yu-Seol was in a bad mood.
---
Camelon, White Magic Tower, 109th floor.
''The Hall of Progenitor.''
The An Seminar was held on the top floor; the 109th floor of the massive floating tower which was known as the White Magic Tower.
It reflected the mages desire to reach higher grounds.
This seminar was attended by a staggering number of people, with as many as twenty-three elevators provided for the convenience of the upper-ss mages, some of whom even utilized temporary warp holes.
There was no need to exin how impressive the facilities of the White Magic Tower were.
The official attendance of mages at the An Seminar typically didnt exceed 200, and there was rarely any fluctuation in that number.
It was quite peculiar.
Even if a particr family held a ''permanent attendance pass,'' it would be impossible to attend if they didnt have a mage in their twenties.
Why was that?
The reason was quite obvious.
To regrly attend the An Seminar, most prestigious families adopted talented children into their lineage.
So, it could be said that half of the people attending were puppets who merely stuck the name of a prestigious family on their foreheads.
It was an unhealthy cycle which was ruining the essence of An Seminar.
In the case of the renowned ''Dromian'' Family known for ice magic, they annually adopted around 100 talented children from the Northern Territories.
But apart from the most exceptional one, they either sold off or disposed of the rest.
We sincerely apologize to all the attendees for the dy of the seminar.
Although the host apologized, he didnt have the apologetic expression.
It felt as if he was conveying, *''Our chairperson is unwell, what are you all going to do?''*
Despite their worsening condition, the chairperson attended the An Seminar. Perhaps it was their determination to see that year''s rising stars.
*''What on earth...''*
Edna listened to the host''s words while absentmindedly recalling the recent events.
*''That fortune-teller, she''s really something, isn''t she?''*
Most fortune-tellers engaged in shallow tricks like gathering information beforehand and pretended to know it in advance.
However, the one she just encountered was different.
She had the insight to see right through the fact that she was a transmigrated person.
One could discover the worsening condition of the chairperson.
However, Edna had stumbled upon the ce by chance, but the Fortune teller imed it was destiny, and offered some meaningful advice and a few gifts.
*''Your destiny has be entangled. You must have many questions and things you wish to ask.''*
*''... Yes.''*
*''Go seek out the child born with the blessing of ice.''*
*''Ice...''*
*Alright. With that child, try studying the constetions. You might gain some insight into the path you''re meant to take.*
Honestly, she didn''t quite grasp the meaning.
So, she wanted to ask Baek Yu-Seol, but unfortunately, she couldn''t meet them because he rushed quickly.
Baek Yu-Seol was gazing at the host from a slight distance, lost in thought. It was impossible to discern his thoughts.
"Now, we''ll have the opening speech from the Chairman Mei Jiaryumon who made this gathering possible."
ps!
There was no cheering.
Polite apuse momentarily filled the hall, and the speech by this year''s chairperson began.
"Thank you for gathering here. I''m unwell, so can I keep this brief? If not, then... well..."
"Yes, of course, Chairperson."
"Thank you..."
It was expected to be a dull and clichd speech, but due to the chairperson''s health and the dyed time, the speech was made shorter and faster.
*He''s quite handsome*
Edna nkly stared at the chairperson.
The head of the Magic Society, Aryumon, appeared to be in his early twenties, but his real age was 150 years apart. The mage looked worn and haggard due to severe illness.
Yet, that wasn''t entirely unpleasant.
Some fans of the original novel admired this decadent aspect.
However, due to the rarity of interactions between the president of the society and the main character Eisel, the couple pairing didn''t actively happen among fans.
"... With this, let''s proceed with the An Seminar.
pping was louder than before.
Edna ceased pondering.
It was time to truly focus on the An Seminar.
{TN:- Finallyy.}
*The An Seminar is a survival game.*
At least, that was what Edna, who had read the original novel, thought.
The essence of the An Seminary in 200 geniuses from various races and prestigious families.
They came together to present their theories, and critique each other''s ideas.
In simple words, it was about discrediting another genius''s knowledge, mock their magic abilities, mock their character, and shake their mental fortitude.
That was the only way to survive in the An Seminar and secure a guarantee for the next year.
To survive as long as possible in An, she needed to be remembered as the superior genius.
Edna didn''t particrly care about the reputation brought by An, she was the kind of person who didnt like to lose.
*Anyone who gets in the way, I''ll tear them apart.*
"Sigh..."
Eisel took a deep breath as she prepared to take the podium.
Unfortunately, she was the first presenter.
With nearly two hundred presentations scheduled, the An Seminar spanned an entire day.
Early on, everyone typically had robust energy, so she anticipated a barrage of attacks.
As a result, established attendees or those from prestigious families usually presentedter, while the rising stars presented earlier.
*Just stay calm and stick to the n.*
*My thesis is wless. It''s innovative, something no one has ever thought of before.*
However, the issue arose when she couldn''t solidify that unique idea into a theory and ultimately needed significant help from Baek Yu-Seol in the end.
Since there was only she and Baek Yu-Seol who knew this fact in the world, it was not a problem.
Yet, she couldnt help but feel anxious.
Magic had its individuality and characteristics. Though they both had the fire element, Hong Bi-Yeon had an explosive magic, while Arshuang''s magic was more refined and controlled.
Eisels magic was characterized by a budding life force, and Baek Yu-Seol surprisingly grasped her essence and incorporated it into her thesis.
Still, Baek Yu-Seols influence remained strongly imbued in her magic.
*But what if someone were to sense Baek Yu-Seol essence in my thesis instead of Eisel Morphs?*
*...That''s highly unlikely.*
For that reason, how much did Baek Yu-Seol truly contribute and help?
Taking a deep breath, she tried to rx and face the podium.
*In one minute from now, I''ll reveal my magic to everyone.*
*This would be the moment where I would be acknowledged for my abilities as Eisel, not just as the ''daughter of the traitor Morph.''*
*Failure is not an option.*
"Huh, who''s this? Isn''t this Eisel Morph? From that Morph Family?"
As she tried to maintainposure, someone approached from behind.
"Huh? Who are you?"
It was someone she didnt know.
With white hair and red eyes which resembled snakes, the young man sported the emblem of ''Argonda University'' on his chest.
While being recognized as a prestigious student of Argonda was noticeable, what caught attention more was...
*... The Dromian Family?*
They were famous for their ice magic, so it was impossible for her not to know.
At one time, their name was synonymous with the Morph Family as the foremost authorities in ice attribute magic.
However, a crucial distinction existed between Dromian and Morph.
Pure bloodline.
The Morph Family was overwhelmingly gifted in ice magic across all lineages.
It grew stronger with each generation, to the extent that even Eisels generation was inherently born with the ''Blessing of Ice.''
However, the Dromian lineage was different.
Initially, they were adept in ice magic akin to Morph. However, as generations passed, their magical lineage grew increasingly faint.
Ultimately, they resorted to ndestinely adopting individuals gifted in ice magic, and barely maintained their reputation through this means.
It was all too obvious how inferior the Dromian feltpared to the Morph Family.
However, the Morph Family became extinct...
How would the Dromian react?
Eisel could tell by looking at the slight curl of the young man''s lips.
*So delighted, aren''t you?*
Eisel was already well aware of the unfortunate history between the Dromian and Morph, but witnessing it first hand made her feel even more bitter.
"Wee, Eisel Morph. I''m Keika Dromian. Let''s support each other as representatives of our respective family."
Then, as if remembering something, Keika added, "Oh... you dont have a family left to represent? Anyway, as fellow ice mages, let''s determine whose magic is superior. It was truly regrettable when your family perished, and we lost a rival. Today, the world will truly see who excels."
"Yes."
After saying this, Keika lightly tapped Eisels shoulder and walked past her.
Then, inwardly, he smiled.
*What luck!*
There was no way that the thesis of Eisel, who previously struggled in the streets like a beggar, could possibly surpass the knowledgepiled in Dromian''s thesis by the finest ice mages.
However, in the eyes of the world, such things were merely propositions without much relevance.
*Dromian''s magic would ultimately surpass Morphs. I thought I could never erase the title ''Second Authority in Ice Magic, but after the extinction of Morph, it seems possible.*
And today, if Dromian''s name could surpass Morphs... Gaining the family''s head position might not be far off!
The smile on Keikas face intensified.",