Correcting the Villainess of the Academy

My imagined principal was an old gentleman with white hair and a white beard, wearing horn-rimmed glasses, so I was a bit surprised to see a woman.

I couldn’t possibly associate her youthful appearance with the position of principal. I figured she must be an acquaintance of the principal or a staff member.

Thinking back, the woman had definitely introduced herself as ‘Haewolhwa.’

I haven’t heard that name before, but I vaguely remember my sisters mentioning someone called ‘Haessem’ in their conversations.

They said there were several times she nearly set fire to the troublesome headmaster while he was still alive, out of sheer frustration.

I have a hunch that the woman in front of me might just be that person.

Now that I think about it, I remember hearing that some powerful wizards maintain their youthful appearance even as they age.

And if she’s called ‘teacher’ by the headmaster and my sisters, she could very well be quite older than she looks.

It’s only now that I understand a bit why there seemed to be deep wisdom emanating from her eyes.

“I didn’t expect you to be the principal. I just…”

“That’s enough. Don’t worry about it. Originally, one of our staff should have come to greet you, but I couldn’t help my curiosity and came out on my own.”

“You were… curious?”

“Yes. I just said that a moment ago.”

Haewolhwa looked at me and giggled. Her laughter echoed softly in the greenhouse like the rustling of leaves.

“A student recommended for admission after 18 years, of course, I can’t help but be curious.”

“…”

“I never imagined that someone who never cared about politics would actually be the one to designate an admission student. And to think that the one being recommended is a boy who walks around wearing a suspicious mask? Who would have thought such amusing events would occur? Hehehe…”

“I… this mask is…”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already heard the situation and approved it.”

“Th-thank you…”

“Not at all. It’s no big deal. Students who express their uniqueness have never been a problem at the cradle. Wizards just have to be quirky folks, you see.”

Haewolhwa waved her hands dismissively.

“However, the disadvantages arising from the relationships you form because of it will be fully borne by you. That’s something I can’t help you with.”

“…I’ve been considering that too.”

It was a choice I had to make, but living in the academy like this was something that concerned me greatly.

While I was familiar with the headmaster and my sisters, it was natural for people who didn’t know me to react like the guard from earlier.

At least having the principal’s endorsement eased my mind a little, but… to be honest, I still wasn’t sure if I could fulfill the demands that the headmaster had placed on me.

“Right, right. But putting the mask aside… I’m more intrigued by another aspect of you…”

The principal nodded and suddenly changed the topic. Then, she began to stare at me intensely.

“Um… Principal?”

“How peculiar. Clear. Ridiculously faint. How can such a wizard exist? No, could you even be a wizard at all…?”

Haewolhwa murmured with a strange expression. I felt my heart drop for a moment.

The headmaster told me that the way I use magic was fundamentally different from those in that authority, and it must not be revealed.

I had received enough warnings even before coming to the cradle that now it felt natural to keep my secret under wraps. It was the same even now.

Yet, the current situation felt immensely burdensome. The gaze of the seasoned wizard felt sharp enough to pierce through my mask.

“Um… Principal?”

As Haewolhwa fixed her gaze, she seemed to draw closer, and feeling her faint breath was incredibly uncomfortable. This discomfort stemmed from personal reasons unrelated to her beauty.

“Huh?”

I ultimately couldn’t hold back and snapped Haewolhwa out of her trance. Upon hearing my voice, she seemed to come to her senses.

Phew, I felt relieved for wearing a mask. If I had been bare-faced, I would have probably slapped her and run away by now.

“…Ahem, I’m sorry. Really, even at this age, I get so immersed… it’s a bit foolish…”

“…It’s okay.”

Haewolhwa, drawing her gaze away, spoke in an apologetic tone. However, it seemed her examination wasn’t finished yet.

The principal placed her chin in her hand and pondered for a while. After a few minutes, she finally relaxed her posture and looked back at me.

“Child. I have a favor to ask… would you be willing to hear it out?”

*

“Favor?”

“Yes. There’s an issue I’ve been contemplating lately, and it seems there’s no one more suitable than you for it.”

As Haewolhwa listened to my question, she nodded.

I couldn’t quite understand what she meant. What kind of favor could a principal of a prestigious academy possibly have for someone she just met today?

This situation felt exceedingly burdensome, and if I answered incorrectly, it could lead to quite an inconvenience.

After mulling it over, I responded as politely as possible.

“…Can I hear it out first and then decide?”

“Of course. That’s a very good attitude. Caution is one of the essential virtues for a wizard.”

Perhaps my efforts paid off because Haewolhwa nodded with a satisfied expression.

“…And just to mention beforehand, if it’s a request that could cause even a little harm to the headmaster or my sisters…”

“Don’t worry about that. They’ve long graduated, but those kids were once my precious disciples. There’s no way I would ask for something harmful.”

Before my sentence ended, Haewolhwa immediately shook her head.

“…I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention.”

“It’s fine. Seeing your strong bond makes me feel good too. Don’t overthink it.”

Haewolhwa smiled lightly.

“Actually, I think differently. I hope it’ll give those kids some help rather than harm. Now, where should I start…”

The principal took a sip of tea to collect her thoughts and began explaining.

While the timing may differ for each individual, it is said that wizards are at their peak power right after their awakening, and afterwards, their abilities gradually decline with aging.

Put another way, the cradle, a place filled with young wizards freshly awakened, was one of the strongest places for wizards in the nation.

In fact, a considerable number of students at the cradle belong to prestigious families, so the political currents and changes that occur there significantly impact the outside world as well.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the country is maintained by wizards. Without them, the entire nation would have been in chaos due to monsters, dark wizards, and rebel armies.

Thus, the most vital resource is undoubtedly wizards, but while demand is soaring, the supply is always lacking.

Students from noble households regularly strive to secure talented individuals. As long as it doesn’t severely affect their studies, professors generally don’t restrict students’ activities. After all, it was a place established for that very purpose.

While it might seem like a location where a bomb could explode at any moment, the complex intertwining of interests had, up until now, maintained a certain balance.

Throughout history, there have been countless small disturbances, but a significant incident had never shaken the cradle.

However, last year, everything changed when two young ladies from two noble families enrolled simultaneously.

“…Hoo. Have you ever heard of the first five noble families?”

The principal let out a heavy sigh. Her face was clearly marked with a headache.

I didn’t care much about this story when I lived in the village, but I had heard this name in passing while acquiring the minimal education from my sisters before admission.

Heukryeon Family.
Paecheon Family.
Jeokhwa Family.
Haewolhwa Family.
Baekgwang Family.

Among many special and historically rich wizard families, the direct descendants of the first five wizards awakened during the dawn of magic are referred to as the first five families.

The young ladies the principal mentioned were from the Baek Family and the Yeon Family.

The two families were at odds to the extent that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them mortal enemies, and that animosity was clearly displayed even at the cradle.

Both were gifted with striking beauty and possessed skills exceeding not just a student’s level but even that of active soldiers and veteran hunters.

It was impossible to determine superiority, and by sheer coincidence, their temperaments were utterly opposed.

Each had supporters who gathered like clouds, and the intense rivalries among them led to a major upheaval in last year’s cradle.

The incidents that occurred over the past year surpassed the total accidents of the previous five years, and last year, seven students were expelled.

Such fierce competition continued for a while, yet now the balance had shifted heavily in favor of the Baek Family’s young lady.

The reason lay in the starkly different personalities of the two.

While the Baek young lady, regardless of background, treated the other students kind-heartedly, the Yeon young lady was born with a haughty, aristocratic demeanor and a fierce temperament, causing many akin to her pedigree to turn their backs on her.

What’s more, albeit by a narrow margin, the Baek young lady had never dropped from first place in either academics or duels.

“…So, a year later, the victor is nearly confirmed… just thinking about last year still gives me a headache…”

The principal wrapped up her lengthy explanation and took a sip of tea to hydrate her throat.

Although it was rather interesting, one question arose in my mind.

It was very difficult to find the connection between the principal’s request and the story she just told me.

When I cautiously posed that question, Haewolhwa smiled her characteristic smile and finally got to the crux of the matter.

“…I want you to lend your strength to the child of the Yeon Family.”

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