I Became the Academy’s Time-Limited Genius – Chapter 59

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Translated By Arcane Translations

Translator: Silverriver

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The feeling of the sword slicing through orc flesh was still vivid. The sensation of piercing tough hide, tearing through soft muscle…

Despite the gruesome nature of the act, I felt… nothing. As if I was already accustomed to it.

It had been the same with Ruberic. My mind was strangely indifferent to killing. Like watching a worm wriggle, or an apple fall from a tree. A natural occurrence.

Perhaps I should have questioned my reaction then. I, who had never killed anyone in my previous life… had accepted taking a life with unsettling ease.

“Damn it…”

I sat up, a throbbing pain in my head. I grimaced and looked around. A stiff bed, a flat pillow barely supporting my neck.

I was definitely in Winter Castle, but not in my assigned room. I closed my eyes, trying to recall what had happened.

‘Agnes blocked my attack, and then I heard a voice…’

A soothing voice. It wasn’t easy for a voice alone to evoke such a feeling, but the mysterious voice had filled me with a sense of calm.

It felt… familiar. As if I had heard it before, even though I knew I hadn’t.

‘That’s it.’

The mysterious voice had told me to seek it out. But I didn’t understand what it meant. Face the plains? I was surrounded by snow.

I couldn’t make sense of it.

‘Staying here won’t accomplish anything.’

I put my feet on the floor. My shoes were neatly placed beside the bed, along with my chipped sword.

I stared at the sword for a moment, then picked it up. It might be chipped and useless, but it was better than nothing.

“I need a new sword.”

I sighed. The sword forged from the Black Blood Wyrm’s fang had been a good one. It had withstood Archxius’s mana and countless battles without breaking. But it seemed its time was up.

-Creak.

I carefully opened the door and stepped outside. Noisy chatter echoed from the corridor to the right.

I followed the sound and found a party going on.. A warm fire crackled in the hearth, and they were roasting what looked like delicious meat. Most were Cardia soldiers, but I spotted a familiar face among them.

“Drink up! Another round!”

“Wow, you can really hold your liquor!”

“….”

Agnes, her silver hair shimmering in the firelight, was drinking with the soldiers. Empty glasses littered the table around her.

I wanted to join them, but I knew it would only frustrate me. Alcohol that didn’t intoxicate was just… hot water that burned my throat.

I stepped outside into the snowy courtyard. It was surrounded by the castle walls, but it was still… a plain.

Torches flickered atop the walls, illuminating the night. The guards were likely on high alert, watching for orcs.

‘What should I do now?’

I had no reason to leave the castle. And it was night. Venturing out in my weakened state, with a broken sword, would be reckless.

I stood there, staring blankly at the sky, hoping the voice would speak to me again.

–Crackle…

As if on cue, a large circle appeared in the air. Beyond the circle was darkness, but not ordinary darkness.

It looked more like… a void. As I stared at the unfamiliar sight, a hand emerged from the darkness.

A pale, slender hand. It grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards the void.

“Ugh.”

Caught off guard, I was pulled through the circle before I could react.

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I opened my eyes to a small, cozy room.

-Crackle. Pop.

A small fire crackled in the hearth, a kettle perched on top. A strange gurgling sound emanated from the kettle. The water was boiling.

“Sit wherever you like.”

A voice spoke. A woman with long, white hair. I couldn’t see her face, but…

I knew from her voice that she was the one who had summoned me. I sat on a plush sofa near the fire.

-Thump. Thump.

A rhythmic pounding sound echoed through the small cabin. I stared at the woman, about to ask why she had brought me here…

“I’ll answer your questions later. Be patient.”

But she interrupted me, as if reading my mind. I closed my mouth.

The fire crackled merrily. Snow fell softly outside the window, the white flakes drifting down like a mesmerizing dance. It was a stark contrast to the blizzards of Winter Castle.

“Here.”

As I stared out the window, lost in thought, the woman offered me a teacup. It was empty.

-Pour

She lifted the kettle from the fire and poured the boiling water into the cup, steam rising. She poured herself a cup as well, then placed the kettle down and took a sip.

The water in her cup turned green. I stared at her, my tea untouched. Her beauty was… otherworldly. Flawless features that evoked not desire, but awe.

And a pair of red horns adorned her head.

“Don’t you like green tea?”

“I didn’t come here to drink tea.”

“Try it. It’s quite refreshing.”

I looked at her suspiciously, then took a small sip. The effect was immediate.

My mind cleared. The ringing in my ears vanished, and the craving for blood subsided. I stared at her, wide-eyed. This wasn’t ordinary tea.

“Well, as you said, you didn’t come here for tea. Let’s get to the point.”

She put down her teacup and looked at me, her pupils narrowed into vertical slits, inhuman eyes.

“Human child.”

My heart sank. Her gaze alone made me question my own existence. Her voice held an inexplicable power.

‘A dragon…!’

There was no mistaking it. A dragon, a master of magic. Judging by her white hair and eyes, a White Dragon.

I remembered the legend Bell and the guide had discussed on our way to Winter Castle. The legend of a White Dragon residing in the mountains, conjuring blizzards.

“Care to explain why demonic energy and a Black Dragon’s mana coexist within your body?”

I couldn’t understand her question, even after hearing it. A fellow dragon could sense Archxius’s mana, but… demonic energy? What was she talking about? Demonic energy within my body?

“Demonic energy? What are you…”

“Are you claiming you’re unaware of the demonic energy residing within you?”

A heavy pressure descended upon me. I gritted my teeth.

“A peculiar fate. You should have either died or turned into a demon. But the Black Dragon’s mana is keeping you alive.”

Her finger tapped my chest. With each touch, something within me recoiled. An energy I hadn’t even known existed. Demonic energy.

“Hmm… perhaps you truly were unaware. It’s well-hidden. If you hadn’t reacted to the scent of blood, I wouldn’t have noticed it either.”

“My… body is being consumed by demonic energy?”

I forced the words out. If that were true, there was no hope for me. Demonic energy was a poison.

But the White Dragon shook her head.

“No. Your own aura and the dragon’s mana are suppressing it. The strong scent of blood must have agitated the demonic energy this time.”

I sighed in relief. There was still hope. The White Dragon looked at me strangely, then asked,

“You were unaware of the demonic energy, yet you absorbed dragon mana? You would have needed to consume the core directly.”

“I simply… received it and consumed it.”

“What?”

The White Dragon’s jaw dropped.

“You received a core fragment and just… ate it? And that made the dragon’s mana respond to you?”

“It… worked.”

“My, my. What a strange body you have.”

I was wondering the same thing. The White Dragon clicked her tongue, then approached me, scrutinizing my face. She muttered,

“You really do look like him. The gray hair, the black eyes… even that inherent arrogance.”

“…?”

“Hmm…”

“Who are you talking about?”

The White Dragon touched her horns, unusually red for a White Dragon.

“My husband.”

“Dragons… have husbands?”

“Of course. Dragons get married and have children, just like any other race.”

She spoke of marriage and childbirth as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I remained silent.

“Well, I’m a bit of a special case. I married a human and had a child with him.”

“A human?”

“Yes. A human who looked just like you. No, perhaps a bit more handsome?”

No way. No way.

I forced the words out, my heart pounding,

“What was your husband’s name?”

“He was quite famous. You might have heard of him.”

She smiled, a wistful look in her eyes, as if recalling a fond memory. I gulped. It couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be. No way.

“Cartrell Philasia. The eldest son of the Philasia Dukedom. He’s the Duke now, isn’t he?”

I repeated the name in my head, wondering if I had misheard, but my ears weren’t deceiving me.

…Mother?

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