Chapter 22

Inha went home and slept that day.

I didn’t worry much.

It was only a bit unsettling to leave a child alone, but Inha’s house was practically a fortress.

With an A-rank security system in place, there was no need for concern unless an S-rank magician decided to invade.

Besides, she was only mildly upset. By tomorrow or the day after, her mood would be back to normal.

“What’s going on? Those two haven’t fought in years.”

Naturally, my mom and dad were concerned when they saw Inha like that.

I shrugged and explained to them the reason Inha was upset.

After listening to my story, Mom and Dad exchanged looks with complicated expressions.

“Well, uh… I’m not sure what to say. I suppose, at your age, friends do mean the most…”

“Yeah, I can understand how Inha feels, though…”

“Maybe Eunha’s just a bit more mature?”

“…I wish both of you would act more like kids.”

Dad let out a slight sigh. Then Mom turned to me, speaking as if to gently scold me.

“Eunha, don’t you want to attend the same school as Inha?”

“Well… if I had to say, I suppose I do…? But I’d also like her to go to the school she wants.”

“You’re so mature, Eunha.”

With that, Mom patted my head. After a moment’s thought, she shared her own opinion.

“But I don’t think it’d be bad for you to go to a prestigious school.”

“Oh, really?”

It was a bit surprising. After all, Mom always seemed worried about my talent.

Mom nodded with a smile.

“Yes. As long as you choose a good school. You’ve already developed your main magic. It’s best if you get skilled quickly.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Of course, improving your magic skills is important, but it’s also wise to learn to hide them well while you’re young. You want to keep your magic talent hidden, and so do I. I still don’t think it’s the right time to reveal your abilities.”

I looked quietly at Mom and then slowly nodded.

“You have so many types of magic you want to learn, don’t you? Specialized schools offer a much broader range, and they teach magic development methods step-by-step, too.”

That part was pretty appealing.

Mom continued to point out the advantages of attending a prestigious school, while also mentioning a few drawbacks.

For one, the magician ratio there was much higher, and the quality of their skills was also better, which could lead to more chances of getting caught.

I made a slight face at that.

I didn’t like the idea of being found out.

Honestly, I didn’t like standing out at all, nor did I enjoy attracting attention.

“Anyway, your magic requires quite a bit of cleverness to apply, so seriously consider going to a specialized school. Having a normal life is important, but so is cultivating your talent.”

I agreed easily enough with that statement. Talent development is indeed incredibly important. It’s something deeply tied to a person’s very life.

“Yes…”

That night, I stayed up a little late, for reasons other than magic training.

The next morning, Inha, who had gone home in a huff, came to find me as soon as it was light.

While I was sleeping soundly, the door suddenly burst open, and someone tried to wake me up—only to reveal that the culprit was Inha.

At first, I just rubbed my sleepy eyes, not knowing what was going on.

“Oh… Inha?”

From early in the morning, Inha radiated an odd sense of determination.

With her hands on her hips and a look full of resolve, she looked pretty cool.

“I came to convince you!”

“Huh…? Convince me of what…?”

“You said I should do what I want, right? I want to go to a specialized magic school, and I want to attend the same school as you. So if you haven’t decided yet, come with me to a specialized school!”

Today, Inha’s usually calm gaze was burning with intensity. I looked at her blankly.

“Oh, uh…? I haven’t really decided yet…”

“Or what? You don’t want to go to the same school as me?!”

“N-no, it’s not that…”

This time, she looked as if she were about to cry.

With a troubled expression, I ran a hand through my messy hair and spoke.

“Then explain properly first…”

“Okay! Got it!”

With my words, Inha’s face immediately brightened.

She quickly grabbed my paper bag from beside my desk and dumped its contents out along with the stack of papers she had brought.

A pile of paper tumbled onto my bed.

Now that I looked, everything was related to school brochures, even what Inha brought.

Rustle

I picked one up.

Most of the names were unfamiliar, but two schools stood out.

Yuran and Daehyun.

They were so famous that even I couldn’t be unaware of them.

One was in Busan, and the other in Seoul—the largest and most well-known escalator-style specialized magic schools in Korea.

Not only did these schools have renowned names, but they also had their own organizations, constantly competing for the top spot among specialized magic schools.

“This one, Yejin Elementary School, is the school that Mom went to. Apparently, it’s pretty decent.”

“Really? Auntie Suna went to Yejin Elementary?”

According to Inha, Yejin Elementary might not rank extremely high, but it was still prestigious enough to produce decent magicians.

So Auntie Suna went there…

“But when it comes to specialized magic schools, these two are the most famous.”

With that, Inha pointed to a school built with red bricks.

“This is Daehyun Elementary, Middle, and High School in Seoul.”

She then indicated another brochure showing a white school that looked like a castle.

The picture reminded me of a church.

“And this is Yuran Elementary, Middle, and High School in Busan.”

“…Do you really want to go to such elite schools?”

“Yep. These schools produce powerful magicians, and we’re skilled enough to get in, right?”

“Well… that’s true.”

Only about 10% of elementary school students manage to develop and manifest magic without issues.

Yet we’d already developed and created our magic by the age of five or six, growing rather quickly.

To be honest, there wasn’t a school we couldn’t enter.

“We’ve been able to use magic much earlier than other kids. We’re at an advantage. So I want to get stronger, as soon as possible. I don’t want to go through painful experiences like Mom, but even if I hide my abilities, I want to reach a high place. I want to become a magician stronger than anyone.”

I closed my mouth for a moment.

It’s not like I didn’t feel the same way.

That’s why, naturally, I’d been hesitating to choose a regular school.

Inha might have accepted magic as part of her life from the moment she became aware of things, but I was different.

I was reincarnated from a world where magic didn’t even exist, and I discovered magic after being reborn here.

Not just any magic, but the kind that I develop and nurture myself.

Who could possibly understand how overjoyed I was when I found that out?

To me, just the Pocket Dimension and reincarnation were miracles.

No, this would be miraculous even in this world. Just those alone were already miracles, yet now I had also encountered magic in this life.

Do you know how thrilled I was the moment I first saw magic?

How ecstatic I felt the day I first sensed and wielded magic!

It was amazing…

To think of all the things I could do, all the things I could achieve…

I was brimming with such thoughts…

“I don’t think Eunha’s any different. You’ve always been practicing and trying things out so diligently.”

At those words, I chuckled softly.

True.

I’d seriously put my mind to magic.

I experimented with everything I could, and day by day, I used magic, developing my abilities bit by bit.

I was constantly studying magic because it was enjoyable.

I truly loved magic.

“You’re coming, right? With me, to a specialized magic school.”

Eventually, I grinned and nodded, a little embarrassed.

After all that worry, looking at Inha, who was gazing at me so earnestly, made it all seem pointless.

“Yes, alright!”

“…!”

Inha’s eyes widened before she beamed and practically pounced on me, hugging me tightly. I fell onto the bed from the force, looking up at her laughing over me.

“Let’s become amazing magicians together.”

I hadn’t necessarily aimed to become an “amazing” magician from the start.

But the more I used magic, the more I wanted to see how far I could go.

I wanted to get better, to be able to do more.

I’d already set goals for each type of magic.

Yes. To accomplish everything I envisioned, I’d have to become an incredible magician.

“…Alright.”

I nodded with a bright smile.

Above all, I was happy to see how much Inha wanted to stay by my side.

From that day on, we started to consider which school to attend together.

Once we decided on going to a prestigious school, our options narrowed quickly.

If we were going to go, it made sense to aim for the very best.

The top schools always have their reasons for being at the top.

“Daehyun and Yuran, right?”

“Hmm, since they’re escalator-style, some things are good, and others are a bit tricky. For example, if we don’t like it and want to transfer after elementary, that’d be hard, right?”

“…?”

With our choices leaning toward Daehyun and Yuran, our options were already somewhat decided.

Daehyun was in Seoul, and Yuran in Busan.

Though such schools attracted students nationwide and even from abroad, offering dormitories and teleportation options, the fact that Yuran was closer was appealing.

“Kind of gives a Christian vibe.”

“Really? They say this school isn’t affiliated with any religion.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Mom and Dad also said there was no bad choice between Daehyun and Yuran.

Even though it was a prestigious school, they assured me it didn’t involve intense studying.

Auntie Suna also added her thoughts.

“Plus, their chairmen are pretty decent people.”

“The chairmen?”

“Yes. They’re both high-ranking magicians, so I see them occasionally. They’re good people who genuinely care about kids.”

“Is that so…”

Auntie Suna chuckled as she looked at me, who was deep in thought.

“Well, you two will do well wherever you go, and either of those schools is within your reach.”

She said that during one of my magic lessons with her.

Lately, I’d been learning the basics of teleportation magic from Auntie Suna.

It was the simplest form of teleportation, moving objects in hand, but Auntie Suna had been shocked to see me succeed after just a short while.

Come to think of it, I remember it now.

“Has it already been half a year?”

That happened after some time had passed since I revealed my magic to Inha.

When I finally showed her my skills, Auntie Suna was astonished and repeatedly asked about my affinity, attributes, and created magic, all the while shaking me by the shoulders, warning me to never tell anyone else…

Even now, she sometimes does that.

She and Mom constantly remind me not to reveal my magic abilities to others and to always be cautious…

“Not that I’d reveal it anyway.”

My mind was already leaning toward Yuran, though I hadn’t made a firm decision yet. Daehyun was also known to be an excellent school.

But then, shortly after that, unexpected visitors came to see me.