I Got Into School for Nothing - 294
I Got Into School for Nothing (294)
Lesson 57. The Comatose Legion - 4
The Prominence Family was one of the Ten Great Families, renowned even across the cosmos.
A centuries-long operation aimed at the entire fairy race, it was never meant to be revealed until the very brink of its execution.
The problem was that Kettra, the pawn they had so carefully cultivated, had regained his conscience at the last moment and divulged the details of the operation to the enemy.
And that the enemy who had obtained that information—Ban Yuwon—was unbelievably capable for a mere twenty-year-old greenhorn.
‘Things had gone too smoothly, and I’d overlooked it. The enemy was formidable and possessed a deep history, meaning they could pull off all manner of diverse schemes.’
That oversight led the party astray.
It made them underestimate the Prominence Family, in other words.
If so, there would have been no need to bother with lower-tier organizations like the Crimson Spear.
Mira had once told Ban Yuwon.
War was not something that could be started easily, nor could it be ended quickly.
She was right.
To add to that, the war had begun even before they had realized it—no, even before they were born.
“It’s a magic circle designed to absorb people and transfer them into stars. No, perhaps it's more accurate to say people constitute part of the magic circle. So, to put it simply...”
A considerable number of fairies were traitors.
Whether intentionally or not, there were those who brought the grand magic circle, constructed by the Prominence Family, into Fairytale.
For those who already harbored little affection for their own kind, it was entirely possible they wouldn't care what happened to the rest of their kin, as long as their own lives remained safe.
Thus, the grand mobilization of the fairy race might even have presented a golden opportunity for the Prominence Family.
Fortunately, Ban Yuwon was already remarkably capable, and only grew more so with time—a frustratingly talented individual. Having experienced various events and created new concepts, his ability to discern the flow of concepts had been further enhanced, allowing him to successfully identify the massive magic circle secretly spread across this land.
“Oh my.”
When Ban Yuwon explained the magic circle laid out in Fairytale, Fairy Queen Yura, though wearing an awkward smile, found herself unable to deny his words.
“Our fairy folk are certainly capable of such things. It has been a long time since Fairytale was designated the homeland of the fairy race, so it seems some wanted to change things up a bit.”
“Such a mad race, devoured by their own concepts...”
“We were born this way; there’s nothing for it. To overcome our instincts, it’s impossible unless we’re struck by a curse that overturns them, or a fever of love.”
Having said that, Yura looked at her daughter, who was clinging to her boyfriend, and nodded contentedly, adding,
“Surely you wouldn’t mind swapping with my husband? I’m starting to feel like settling down with one man, you see—”
“I told you to go find someone else.”
Mira pulled Ban Yuwon into her embrace, growling.
Ever since entering Fairytale, Mira had been acting possessive, as if she were Ban Yuwon’s one and only partner, but the party didn't bother to comment.
After all, Fairytale was her homeland, and with a madwoman who even coveted her daughter’s boyfriend present, everyone understood why Mira acted the way she did.
Of course, the great scion of the dragons, who acted as she pleased without a care for others’ opinions, clung to Ban Yuwon regardless.
“Again, again, I was the only one who didn’t know... It’s frustrating. We even did so much magic research together.”
“Huh, Aire?”
Aire, genuinely frustrated, gripped Ban Yuwon’s arm, pulling him closer.
She completely ignored the mother and daughter locked in a playful-yet-murderous battle of wits, boldly taking his hand as if only she and Ban Yuwon existed.
“Show me what you saw. How you found the magic circle, where it’s set up. If I learn it this time, I won’t make a mistake again.”
“Hmm? Oh, we naturally need to start moving to erase the magic circle, but...”
“Oh my?”
The Fairy Queen blinked her eyes.
“Aire, stop treating Yuwon as your knowledge-shuttle! I’ve wanted to tell you for a while, but you, you keep using your inability to perform magic as an excuse to pester Yuwon, so just stop—”
“It’s not that I can’t; it’s Yuwon who can!”
“Oh ho ho?”
At the sortie of Asha, the second, tactless scion of the dragons, the Fairy Queen’s blinking intensified even further.
Rucell sighed and helped the rest of the party stand, saying,
“Regardless, it’s true that we need to examine the magic circle. Even if it’s just to confirm the value of the information Master spoke of, let’s all go outside first.”
“Indeed, it’s important to assess the value of the terms before negotiations.”
Rucell was right.
While other whimsical fairies might be ignored, the Fairy Queen, their representative—Mira's mother—could not pretend ignorance after seeing the hand Ban Yuwon had played.
This was no time for a pointless battle of wills.
Yura grumbled, feeling pushed back by a greenhorn who had lived for barely twenty years.
“Ugh—It’s not like I wouldn’t grant my son-in-law’s request; I just wanted to save a little face, but to be so cruel and cold... You’ve made me quite excited.”
“You’ll be even more excited after we confirm the magic circle.”
“Oh, I look forward to it.”
“Yuwon, don’t humor Mother.”
But Ban Yuwon was right.
Stepping outside and ascending into the sky, he subtly added the concept of 'red' to the magic circle, revealing it—a magic circle that no one, even the master mages of the fairy dimension, Fairytale, had noticed. Or, to be precise, it had been meticulously hidden from everyone except the treacherous fairies.
Since he wasn’t changing the essence of the magic circle, merely adding a temporary color, he successfully altered it by expending only about half of his Won-gi, regardless of its immense scale.
“Oh, oh...”
“That’s not a magical change. How?”
“It’s beautiful...”
With that simple miracle, the colossal, hidden magic circle unveiled its naked form, which had lain dormant for centuries.
The ultra-grand magic circle, drawn across the entire planet as if it were a canvas, was instantly dyed red.
Moreover, the fairies connected to the magic circle also turned red.
Even the Fairy Queen, who had lived for hundreds of years and was not easily surprised by ordinary miracles, couldn't help but be excited by the sight before her.
“Now, I believe you all know what needs to be done, but if I must spell it out for you—”
Ban Yuwon clapped his hands, conjuring the concept of 'Binding' to seize one of the red-tinged elves nearby, throwing him to the ground as he spoke.
“First, let’s go smash all those reds!”
To instantly expose the identities of the connected fairies by simply dyeing the magic circle red—Ban Yuwon’s deployment of his Authority seemed beyond divine; 'inspired' felt like an understatement.
Fortunately, the fairies possessed some sense, and the suddenly red-tinged fairies were captured without a chance to make excuses, brought before the Fairy Queen and Ban Yuwon.
Their numbers astonishingly reached three thousand.
Choosing one among them, Ban Yuwon carefully examined him. Then, with a look of fierce determination, he forced open the subject's mouth and crudely shoved his finger in. At the sudden, aghast stares from his companions, he quickly explained.
“To properly examine and interfere with the internal concepts of a target who’s a complete stranger to me, I need deep contact, you see? And it’s not like I can go around kissing everyone, so I tried this.”
“The result?”
“Quite satisfactory.”
Fortunately, there was no need to kiss each and every one of the culprits.
Ban Yuwon, meticulously examining the target’s internal concepts, soon clicked his tongue and said,
“Killing them would be a mistake. It seems the Prominence Family has taken some precautions.”
“Indeed, after preparing so meticulously for such a long time, it’s only natural they would have contingencies for when things go awry.”
Yura clutched her forehead, looking at the clearly revealed magic circle and the traitors.
She was as whimsical and arrogant as any fairy, and she even felt a sense of shame that a human who had arrived on this planet barely an hour ago had discovered what she, the leader of such a race, had failed to even perceive.
With a face flushed in a mix of embarrassment and gratitude, Yura looked at Ban Yuwon and whispered,
“This makes it even harder to let you go. We fairies often overcome stress by swapping negative emotions for positive ones. If I transform all these fervent feelings into love, today will remain a happy day for me too.”
Ban Yuwon, aghast, clung to Mira and said,
“Mira, do you, by any chance, consider inheriting the throne a little early?”
“I’d like to, but I’m not confident I can beat that old hag yet. Just bear with it a little longer, darling.”
At any rate, Ban Yuwon had provided crucial information to the fairy race.
It was such critical information that she had to willingly agree to the condition of detaching some of the fairy elite to charge into the Prominence Dimension.
The Fairy Queen decided not to tease or test her guest any further.
It was no joke; she truly felt that if things continued this way, she might genuinely be 'captured' by him.
Dimly realizing why her daughter had clung to him long before his abilities were even proven—she honestly asked Ban Yuwon,
“Could you also help us remove the magic circle?”
“Can’t you do something with Changeling?”
“Our Authority isn’t omnipotent. We can’t swap something whose structure we haven’t even grasped.”
“Then I’ll give it a try.”
The magic circle that, having agreed to a 'sacrificial ritual' beforehand, used the linked fairies as catalysts to offer all fairies as sacrifice.
The purpose of this magic circle, activated by shedding such an immense amount of blood, was indeed Changeling—specifically, to swap two particular dimensions.
Swapping dimensions! Truly, it was an unthinkable feat without the fairies’ Authority, and without the audacious and horrific idea of sacrificing so many fairies.
“So the Prominence Family wanted to become Union itself.”
“What, then, are you saying they plan to move even the Tower? To the Prominence Dimension?”
“Ha.”
Next to Dokgo Yeon, who merely scoffed in disbelief, Shati, looking uncharacteristically flustered, parted her lips.
“Is this... is this truly a plausible undertaking?”
“You’re seeing it. The magic circle itself is operating normally. Tying it to the fairies makes it even more malicious.”
Aire, who had thoroughly analyzed the magic circle covering the entire planet via Tikke’s satellite photos, guided by Ban Yuwon’s kind explanation, stated in a calm voice, sweeping her hand over the image.
Fortunately, the knowledge of the great dragon shone brightly here, allowing her to instruct Ban Yuwon, who was not yet proficient in magic circles, on how to adjust it.
“Of course, I don’t think Union would just stand by and let it happen. But it would have been an effective attack. A shock potent enough to shatter thousands of years of cosmic peace and transform an entire dimension into a battlefield.”
“And for that one attack, they were willing to sacrifice the entire fairy race...”
As she spoke, Mira, recalling the face of the fairy man who had tried to manipulate her in the past, took a steadying breath and composed herself.
It was terrifying to imagine what would have become of her if Ban Yuwon hadn’t appeared at the right moment to claim her.
Just then, Ban Yuwon abruptly stood up.
“Good, I’ve got a handle on what needs to be done now.”
“Al-already?”
“Yeah, I’ve acquired quite a bit of knowledge of sorcery before—and I’ve already used Changeling once. Fairy Queen? Mother-in-law?”
“Oh my.”
Ban Yuwon asked the Fairy Queen, who smiled warmly, seemingly pleased with the unusual moniker,
“I can do whatever I want with those culprits, right?”
“Of course, but please don’t impregnate them. Executing a fairy carrying a child is forbidden by fairy law—”
“I won’t!”
What Ban Yuwon intended to do was, of course, Changeling.
It was about swapping the catalyst and the sacrifice used to activate the magic circle.
Then, swapping that catalyst with the caster who created it.
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