The Magic Conference (2)
The Ossuary Hall inside the Guardian Gate.
It was the place where thousands of remains were placed, Kang Min-hyuk quietly looked at the crypt with a picture of a woman.
Actually, Kang Min-hyuk hardly remembers his mother, she died while he was still young, but Min-hyuk still remembers her warmth. Now, the only memorabilia he had left was her picture on the ossuary.
From the ages of 8 to 17, Min-hyuk was raised by his father.
Min-hyuk didn’t notice how much time had passed while he was there.
The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was dyed in bright red when he heard footsteps approaching him.
“Have long have you been there?”
The man spoke with a bright voice and showed a proud smile. He was a well-respected member of the clan, similar to that of Jung Jeong-soo. It was Ha Min-seong, the first disciple of Suhomun.
When Min-hyuk did not answer, Min-seong stood beside him and said,
“Why are you so quiet? You know if you just followed what the guardians said, then they wouldn’t scold you so much. You must learn to be tough like me; whenever I go out to slay ogres, you can feel the ground tremble.”
Kang Min-hyuk started walking away; he wanted to leave.
When Jeong Pan-soo raised his voice and screamed that Kang Min-hyuk should be expelled, the festive atmosphere turned sour.
Kang Min-hyuk scoffed at Min-seong’s words, and then he began to speak,
“Min-seong.”
“Huh?”
“I thought about it seriously. When I let go of my right as the successor of Suhomun, I considered how my life would change. For the first time in my life, I made my own choice: to pursue Magic. If I remained complacent and did what the guardians told me, then I would have lived my whole life like that.”
“…”
Ha Min-seong understood what Kang Min-hyuk meant.
But the way the clan saw it, Min-hyuk made a conscious choice to betray the family, he created this problem by enrolling in the Department of Magic.
It was not an accident, but a mindful choice.
“Haa.”
Ha Min-seong sighed loudly. He was annoyed.
If only Kang Min-hyuk were born with the talents they expected him to have, but clearly, he had other gifts.
“Alright, just remember that I am always by your side. You can call me if you ever need my help, especially if you need help annoying Jung Jeong-soo.”
“Thank you for your support.”
“By the way, how did you end up joining the Magic conference? Didn’t you join the magic department to lose the successor rights?”
“At first, that’s how it was, but the longer I stayed, the more I learned to love Magic.”
“… Really?”
Ha Min-sung showed a stiff expression. He recognized the sincerity in Min-hyuk’s words. They were not just for show.
It was not just a performance; Min- hyuk’s face showed his determination in winning the conference.
“Will you be okay? Isn’t the magic conference a place for geniuses? You’ve just started learning Magic, haven’t you?”
“I won’t know until I try, right?”
“I suppose.”
Ha Min-sung laughed, he didn’t have to worry about Kang Min-hyuk after all. Min-hyuk was the type to give his all in the things he was passionate about.
“If you really wanted to, I think you would’ve become a great leader.”
Even back then, Ha Min-sung believed in Kang Min-hyuk’s ability.
* *
The day of the magic conference had finally arrived, the sun was shining brightly.
The competition was held in Gyeonggi-do.
The magic department participants gathered early in the morning; they boarded the magic bus that would transport them to the venue.
“What made you think that you could join the magical conference? There’s no way that you solved both Double Casting and Shape Change,” Kim Moo-yeol said.
He hasn’t graduated yet, but was already well known in the Magic field. Many professional wizards were already eyeing him.
With him was Professor Lee Mi-hye, she taught second-year students, but her qualifications were well beyond that year’s level. Kim Moo-yeol was extremely dubious of Kang Min-hyuk, there was just no way that he solved two nearly impossible research studies.
The world of Magic considered these as two of the greatest mysteries known to man.
When Kim Moo-yeol heard that he would represent the school along with Kang Min-hyuk, and that he participated in not just one, but two studies, Kim Moo-yeol became embarrassed.
“…”
Min-hyuk stayed silent and continued reading his book. This annoyed Moo-yeol even more.
“How can I be at the same level as the successor of Suhomun? I can’t be that cheap.”
It was an inferiority complex.
Kang Min-hyuk did not entertain his comments, but Moo-yeol continued to berate him.
“You seem to be doing this for fun, I’ve dedicated my entire life to this contest. Do you know what our research topic is? It’s about the fusion of Wind Bomb and Inferno, by combining the. 3rd and 4th circle magic techniques, we were able to bring forth the power of 5th circle magic.”
There was no reply from Min-hyuk.
However, Kim Moo-Yeol didn’t care about stirring up Min-hyuk; he just wanted to brag about his achievements.
“It was challenging to develop this Magic since every circle had its own unique system. It was a grueling task that most wizards would avoid, but Professor Lee Mi-hye spent two years developing it, and now it’s finally complete. Do you know what that means? It means that we’re sure to win this tournament, and gain fame and fortune as a wizard. “
Kim Moo-yeol laughed, but Min-hyuk was preoccupied with his imagination.
Min-hyuk thought about how his life would change once he wins the contest.
It was only then that Min-hyuk closed his book and opened his mouth to speak.
He looked at Kim Moo-yeol, and said,
“Senior.”
“What?”
“There is a saying in Suhomun: do not brag about your victory before the battle, let the sweat and blood from your sword speak for you instead. You can mock me once you’ve actually won the contest. “
Kim Moo-yeol’s face turned red, and Kang Min-hyuk stared out the window and continued to ignore him.
No further conversations happened after that.
Shortly after that, the Magic Bus arrived at a place in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, where a magical academic conference was to be held.
* * *
Magic conference.
As expected, the famous conference attracted participants from all over the world.
“It’s the French Magic Association!”
“Are they from the Blood Moon tower?”
“It really is a magical conference. All the known magical groups are here.”
Kim Moo-yeol’s eyes sparkled when he saw the famous magical groups; it was a rare opportunity to see them in person.
It was unusual for students to participate in the conference. Usually, professionals and famous names would take up the entire conference. The appearance of the magical academy was an oddity.
Kim Moo-yeol remained starry eyed; it has been his life’s dream to be there. The only thing ruining his experience was the presence of Kang Min-hyuk.
The competition was held in an auditorium.
Once all the contestants and celebrity guest arrived, the judges took their seats and the M.C. began the program,
“Good day, everyone! I’m Donald Butler. I’ll be your host for the 82nd Annual Magical Conference. It’s great to see so many familiar faces in the crowd.”
Donald Butler.
He is a member of the American Magic Association, and is a well-known figure in the world Magic.
He managed to perform 5th circle magic ten years ago, and has been given the title Arch Mage. He’s remained an icon in the magic industry ever since.
Rumor has it, his Magic was so powerful, that even warriors acknowledged his abilities.
“Most of you are already familiar with the conference, but I’ll briefly explain to the newcomers. The Magic Academic Conference was started for the development of Magic. Magic is a discipline that requires considerable research and investment, so if there is no place to share each other’s findings, the development will stagnate. So, we’ve set up this conference so researchers can present their results and gain investors.”
The winners were decided by a select panel of judges.
The 5th circle Magic, Thunder Cannon, developed by the American Magic Association three years ago, received a whopping 8.5 billion.
It wasn’t just the cash prize that was alluring, the M.C. Continued,
“And the winners are given an I.D. of Class B or higher. Anyone with a B-class ID can access the World Magic Association’s materials at any time, and be treated as a VIP in any country. For reference, a wizard with an A-class ID is eligible to lead the tower. On the rare occasion that an entirely new magic technique is discovered, like in the case of Ben Lyons, who discovered 5th circle Magic, they’d be eligible for an A-class id.”
Those were all the awards available.
Just being certified by the magical association was a huge honor. The person’s value rises, and scouts become eager to recruit him or her. Wizards say that because Magic is an academic pursuit, being branded a scholar was very appealing.
Kang Pil-Doo was right.
It was a place where wealth and honor were given to the wizards who made significant contributions to the world of Magic.
Donald Butler spoke once again,
“Now, let’s start the 82nd Magic Academic Conference.”
And with that, the conference had officially begun.
