A little later.
Yujin and the President had wrapped up Yujin’s introduction session and were now alone in the President’s Office.
Well, strictly speaking, they might not have been entirely alone… but anyway.
Thus, in this primarily two-person setting, the President spoke first.
“You’ve finally decided to accept.”
“It’d be troublesome for me if I gave such a grand speech at that spot and then threw away the chance to lecture.”
As the President said this, Yujin shrugged his shoulders and replied.
That’s right. Yujin had ultimately accepted Professor Reina’s proposal for a Joint Lecture.
It couldn’t be helped. After making such a grand speech during the introduction, it would look strange to pass on the actual opportunity to lecture.
“Hmm, well, it turned out pretty good. While quietly staying close by, I can slowly resolve Professor Sahart’s misunderstanding—so it’s not like it’s a bad thing. By the way, how did it end up like this?”
“Isn’t that the misunderstanding you yourself created, Mr. Yujin…?”
The President couldn’t help but blurt out those words, forgetting all about disrespecting dragons and looking utterly baffled as she stared at him. To which Yujin confidently responded,
“Nope. More precisely, it was Professor Sahart who started it.”
“…”
“That is, wasn’t it Professor Sahart who first suspected me of being a Dark Sorcerer? All I did was play a very minor prank related to that. It was Professor Sahart who took it seriously.”
At his audacity, the President was left speechless. “Wait, wasn’t it YOU who poured oil on the extinguished fire and made her suspicions into certainties after everything seemed resolved?”
However, Yujin too subtly avoided the President’s gaze as he spoke.
“Of course, I’ll properly apologize once the misunderstanding is cleared up.”
‘Really, you know you’re wrong, don’t you!’
The President suppressed such remarks with great effort and sighed deeply within herself. She asked,
“So… How exactly do you plan to proceed with the joint lecture?”
“First off, since this is my first time performing professorial duties, I intend to observe Professor Sahart teaching and learn from her. So initially, my role will be closer to an assistant rather than a co-lecturer. This seems like a good start, and it’s also one of the reasons I accepted.”
“In that case, usually…”
“Even in normal circumstances, Professor Sahart probably won’t leave me alone… So there’s a high probability she’ll keep monitoring me under the guise of being a co-lecturer. Well, what can you do? Since it’s my fault, I’ll just let her supervise me.”
“I see…”
It felt kinda strange.
She was strict and sharp, making her hard to approach, but Professor Reina was quite popular among men due to her beauty. There were even some young male professors who secretly admired her.
But Professor Reina never seemed interested in men, showing no particular interaction with them as if they didn’t exist. Thus, she was regarded as a noble, untouchable flower…
‘And now she’s going around with a guy…’
Especially with Mr. Yujin… It felt really weird. Not necessarily good either. If anything, it gave off a strangely unpleasant vibe.
“…Should I mention something to Professor Reina, just in case?”
The President said this without realizing it, though it wasn’t entirely accidental either.
After all, it could have been an opportunity to gradually clear up misunderstandings about Yujin in her own way. However, Yujin shook his head.
“It’s fine. It’s my responsibility, so I’ll handle it myself. If things really don’t work out, I’ll ask for your help then.”
“…Understood.”
“By the way, lectures start tomorrow, huh? This should be interesting.”
At that, the President made a peculiar expression. Interesting… huh?
“…Some people must be extremely nervous right about now, though.”
Indeed, for that certain someone, it didn’t seem particularly fun.
***
Meanwhile, in a place resembling a scientist’s laboratory.
Amid countless flasks, mysterious potions, magical tools, and hologram-like projections powered by mana, Professor Reina Sahart sat stiffly in her seat.
“…”
For some reason, she looked tense, her face bearing a somewhat grave expression. Then,
Thud.
“Here, drink this.”
“…Thanks, Rynne.”
In front of her, a mug filled with coffee was presented. Reina accepted it with a slightly relaxed expression.
Glug.
After taking a sip of coffee, she glanced to the side.
There stood Rynne Eneria, the Alchemy Professor of Labyrinth Academy and Reina’s long-time friend, leaning casually against the desk with her hips.
She held a cup identical to the one she’d given Reina, taking a sip of her own coffee.
Glug.
“Hmm…”
Rynne, no less beautiful than Reina, made the scene almost picturesque.
Her deep blue eyes and ash-gray hair exuded a somewhat vacant yet mysteriously alluring charm. Her soft voice and languid demeanor were subtly provocative enough to melt any man’s heart.
She was considered one of the two untouchable flowers alongside Reina, but perhaps this was why she was more popular among male professors.
She spoke.
“It’s been a while since we could relax like this.”
“…Yeah, it has.”
When Rynne said this, Reina nodded in agreement. Rynne continued.
“How’s the coffee tasting?”
“Good. Your coffee is still delicious. Is it because you’re an alchemy professor?”
“Heh? Then that’s a relief.”
As they exchanged trivial conversation, Reina’s expression gradually softened. Talking with her friend brought her a sense of calm.
Just as their pleasant chat was blossoming, Rynne spoke.
“By the way, I was a bit surprised.”
“Why?”
“About the new professor, Han Yujin.”
“!”
At that, Reina’s expression hardened. Rynne noticed and continued,
“I mean, aside from the person themselves, I didn’t expect you to suddenly suggest a joint lecture during questioning. Is it because you, as a mage, are interested in Space-Time Magic?”
“…That’s…”
Reina hesitated momentarily before asking Rynne,
“…What about you? You’re the professor who established Space-Time Magic.”
“I’m not uninterested. His speech during the introduction was intriguing too. Honestly, I wanted to attend a lecture myself, but as you know, we’re both busy.”
“…True.”
“Still, apart from interest… the person himself feels inscrutable. His speech was persuasive, but whether it was sincere or not, I can’t tell. Of course, I’m no mind-reader, so I can’t say for sure.”
At this, Reina unconsciously spoke.
“…He’s not sincere.”
“…”
Rynne turned her gaze slightly to look down at Reina sitting there. She asked,
“Do you have a reason for thinking that?”
“…”
“I’m not stupid, Reina.”
Saying this, Rynne set her coffee cup on the desk and addressed Reina.
“When you suggested a joint lecture with Professor Yujin, and even when you heard his name… you seemed unusually determined. Maybe it’s tension. Like Yujin is somehow a very dangerous person…”
“…”
“Reina, are you hiding something?”
When Rynne asked, Reina fell silent for a moment.
Should she tell her? That Han Yujin is a dark sorcerer plotting evil through the princess?
And that he revealed this fact to her while treating the situation like a game?
Reina knew it too. Han Yujin could have killed her that day if he wanted, but he didn’t—because it wouldn’t benefit him.
Instead, he proposed a game, challenging her to uncover his true identity and expose the truth to everyone.
How?
Currently, there’s no evidence proving he’s a dark sorcerer. Even bringing up the seal placed on the princess doesn’t provide proof of her claims.
Would telling Rynne about this reckless situation make her believe? And even if she believed, could Rynne guarantee her safety? That man could easily kill her as a joke.
This is a man who, despite having a smooth path to success, chose to reveal his dark sorcery identity just for ‘thrills,’ adding unnecessary variables.
How could she trust that he wouldn’t harm Rynne on a whim?
Lost in thought,
Thump.
“Reina.”
“!”
Rynne placed a hand on Reina’s shoulder, speaking gently.
“I’ve told you before, right? You don’t need to bear everything alone. You can talk to me anytime.”
“…Rynne.”
At this, Reina wavered and began to speak.
“…Actually.”
She ended up revealing everything.
From investigating the sudden appearance of a man named Yujin in the maze and discovering the suspicion of him being a dark sorcerer.
To the lecture hosted by the Mage Association, Yujin’s recruitment, and the incident involving the princess shortly after he arrived at the academy, leading to what seemed like a resolution of misunderstandings—only to be blindsided by the truth.
After recounting all of this, Rynne remained silent for a while.
But only briefly.
“…I see.”
Rynne spoke, patting Reina’s shoulder.
“That must’ve been tough.”
“…Do you believe me?”
Honestly, it sounds absurd. Revealing his identity and explaining his plans just before everything went according to plan—all for ‘thrills.’ Logically, it makes no sense. Perhaps even Reina herself wouldn’t have believed it.
“If I don’t believe you, who should I trust? You’re not the type to spread nonsense.”
“Rynne…”
“Besides… if what you say is true, it is indeed dangerous. Sealing the evil aura within the princess… Though I don’t know how he managed it, dark magic often excels in manipulating souls and life forces, so it’s not entirely surprising.”
Immediately, Rynne began calmly assessing the situation, which made Reina feel incredibly reliable.
“I’ll personally investigate Professor Yujin. Alchemy has its own methods, so I might find clues in areas you didn’t explore. Perhaps… the clue lies within the princess’s seal.”
“…I’ll discuss this separately with the President. Since Her Highness hasn’t fully recovered, we could request a visit under the pretense of assessing her condition.”
“That works too. Can I count on you?”
“You’re helping me, yet you’re asking me for favors. That’s unnecessary. Rather…”
Reina hesitated for a moment, then grabbed Rynne’s hand firmly and said,
“Be careful not to get caught by that man. He’s unpredictable—if he senses you know about this, there’s no telling what he might do.”
“…Got it.”
Seeing her serious expression, Rynne nodded. Reina looked at her for a while, then bowed her head deeply and said,
“…Thank you so much, Rynne.”
“…No problem. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Rynne patted Reina’s back. After comforting her for a while, Reina finally pulled away.
“…I should go now. Looks like I’ll be busy again for a while.”
“Alright. Let me know if you need to talk.”
“Yeah. See you next time, Rynne.”
With that, Reina left Rynne’s lab. Rynne stared at the door she exited through for a moment.
“…”
Standing silently for a while, she murmured softly,
“This is strange.”
Her lazy tone hinted at genuine bewilderment.
“Dark sorcerer… Hmm.”
She began walking somewhere.
It was toward her desk.
“I haven’t heard about anyone being dispatched here… Guess I should check.”
With a calm expression, she lifted the crystal orb beneath her desk.
![[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come](https://i3.wp.com/darkmtl.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/1737407792-8993-TS-The-end-of-magical-girls-has-come.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The End of Magical Girls Has Come")
