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To be honest, thinking in such a way is quite accurate. Among the students in the original plot, only Alice was known for her ability to reverse engineer. Even among active mages, many couldn\'t master it. That\'s how challenging and talent-dependent magic can be.

Magic circle tracing is akin to reverse engineering but falls under a subcategory. It involves tracking magic circles, similar to reverse engineering but with a significant difference in speed. Think of it as a stepping stone to learning reverse engineering. Of course, I can reverse engineer, but tracking magic circles is uncharted territory for me.

"I may not excel in tracing magic circles, but I\'m confident in demonstrating what you want, Professor."

"Very well, that should suffice."

""

Alice stood before me, her expression puzzled, as if she couldn\'t quite grasp it.

Well, I can\'t blame her; I\'m not entirely sure either.

[Subquest Received!]

[Stirring Alice\'s Jealousy?!]

[Alice becomes jealous when she sees peers outperform her! Shall we provoke her jealousy to gain her attention? Manifest the magic circle before Ellis does!]

[Reward: Strength +1]

Oh, a quest has emerged after quite some time. But why a strength reward? I\'m a mage, after all. Lately, thanks to Liliana\'s talk, I\'ve been seriously contemplating whether I should become a martial artist.

In any case, the appearance of this quest indicated that I was finally adhering to the original plot.

"Shall we begin with the most fundamental magic? Force magic."

Force magic. It\'s the most basic form of magic, converting mana into physical force and projecting it. It\'s a magic that doesn\'t require a magic circle, but it\'s rarely used due to its limited practicality.

"Alright, are you prepared?"

"Professor, I apologize, but I don\'t know the magic circle for Force Magic."

"Oh, right, you recently transitioned to being a mage. I keep forgetting because you\'re so skilled." The professor chuckled and began leafing through the textbook from the beginning.

"Let\'s see Are there any other magic circles"

"Just teach me the Force Magic circle; that\'ll be sufficient."

"Hmm? No, that won\'t do. Competing with an unfamiliar magic circle wouldn\'t be fair."

"It\'s alright. I\'m still learning, and it might be easier for other students to observe and learn if we start with the simplest magic, don\'t you think?"

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Professor."

Earlier, you spoke as if I were going to lose anyway, and now you\'re concerned about fairness. This is why dealing with older professors can be challenging. Sometimes, it\'s best to just let things slide.

"Well, let\'s commence as soon as this tiny flame decides to vanish," the professor quipped, conjuring a minuscule flame in his hand.

Whoosh

The flame dwindled slowly in size, while Alice, stationed in front of me, serenely channeled mana into her body.

My grand plan was crystal clear; I aimed to triumph in this reverse engineering showdown with unparalleled finesse. Even though the quest insisted on me manifesting the magic circle before Alice, I knew that doing so wouldn\'t necessarily stoke her jealousy or leave a lasting impression. I had other women to impress in this game. My goal was to linger in her thoughts all day, not just trigger a fleeting moment of envy.

My masterstroke was to ensure Alice felt the disparity, even if it meant enduring the most agonizing defeat. She might require something extra to cool off afterward, but she\'d endure it.

"If you\'re so keen on donating me the book, I\'ll graciously accept."

"I apologize in advance. Please don\'t get too worked up," I casually shrugged and chuckled. I had my doubts about whether I could keep it within the bounds of mere jealousy.

The flame was on the verge of vanishing. I channeled mana throughout my body.

"Ready."

In an instant, my field of vision expanded, granting me a clear view of the mana gathering in Alice\'s hand. My magic circle was prepared, but instead of constructing it with my gathered mana, I scrutinized Alice\'s mana. The gaps between magic circles, the mana\'s intensity, even the rhythm of Alice\'s breathI analyzed every detail in a fraction of a second. With a subtle gesture of my hand, I disrupted Alice\'s mana.

"?!" The magic circle she was about to complete fell into disarray. Only then did Alice finally turn her gaze toward me. I painstakingly crafted my magic circle at a snail\'s pace, drawing the intricate design with precision. Alice furrowed her brow and began to tamper with my mana.

In a battle like this, even with a gap in skill, you never knew what unpredictable variables might surface. But in a pure reverse engineering contest, the skill gap couldn\'t be bridged. Furthermore, Alice had to perform calculations and interpretations, whereas I simply understood.\' That gap was insurmountable. No matter how hard Alice tried to interfere with my mana, my magic circle was already complete. If she attempted to draw the magic circle herself, I disrupted it with surgical precision.

"Sigh" In the end, Alice was defeated without even properly casting a spell. She looked at the completed magic circle in my hand with a frustrated expression.

"Oh, wow! Student Lee Hoyeon! You can reverse engineer! Why didn\'t you tell me beforehand?!"

"I just happened to learn it by chance."

"What are you talking about Never mind. What\'s crucial is not that. Another genius among the first-year mages. This is incredible!" The professor appeared more delighted about the emerging talent at Victoria Academy than my bullshit. I paid no attention to the professor and focused solely on Alice. She seemed deep in thought, pondering why she had suffered such a resounding defeat.

"Alice"

"What\'s with those eyes of yours?" She clenched her fists and fixed me with a penetrating glare, making me feel rather uncomfortable.

It appeared she had concluded that my gaze was the cause of her defeat. While that wasn\'t entirely inaccurate, I could have won without resorting to it. With the right mindset, I could have completed the magic circle in a split second, rendering it meaningless.

"Naturally, it\'s a secret. Oh, by the way, this isn\'t going to result in any repercussions, is it?"

"Hah Suit yourself. So, what favor would you like to ask for? I can grant you one."

Alice\'s father is the guildmaster of the Iris Guild in France, a prominent guild famously known as the world\'s only information guild. Its reputation is such that there\'s a saying you can purchase any information as long as you have the funds. Despite facing numerous threats, they maintain their guild with overwhelming power.

"I have enough money to make a request to the Iris Guild myself. If I had intended to, I wouldn\'t have made this bet with you."

"You"

"Yeah You\'re probably right about what you\'re thinking. We can discuss it later. You\'re not going to pretend you don\'t know even after losing the bet, are you?"

"Alright Don\'t worry."

This was a pathway to directly request the guildmaster, not through the Iris Guild. It wasn\'t merely a matter of money; it required exceptional connections and luck. If Alice asked, he\'d fulfill her request. The guildmaster of Iris is an incredibly doting father.

But her response seems slightly irritated, doesn\'t it?

"Alice. You\'re not angry, are you? It was just a simple bet."

"Not at all. I\'m not angry. Stop saying weird things, okay?"

She does seem a bit angry

[Subquest Complete!]

Well, now that the quest is complete, it should be fine. The heroine\'s strategy quests haven\'t caused me any harm so far.

***

"Where on earth did you learn reverse engineering? You must be something else to beat Alice like that." During lunchtime, as we strolled towards the classroom to prep for the afternoon theory class, Lucy struck up a conversation.

"I\'ve been saying it all along. I just self-taught."

"Wow Hoyeon, you\'re crazy!"

"Very impressive!"

"Stop it, it\'s embarrassing. Let\'s get ready for the theory class."

The twins showered me with compliments throughout lunch, and it was getting a bit embarrassing. Even passersby were giving me curious looks because of Lucy and Lumi flanking me. Or maybe it was just the twin effect?

We reached the classroom and started getting our materials in order.

"Honestly, I can\'t stand modern hunter studies. I get it when I hear it, but why bother memorizing it?"

"Calm down, Lucy. Let\'s study together in the clubroom today."

"Oh? Hoyeon, you\'re joining us too, right? You\'re good with this stuff, aren\'t you?"

"Me?" Well, I didn\'t have any other plans for the day, and besides, it was a chance to hang out with Lucy and Lumi. "Sure, why not."

"Great. Today, we\'ve got a teacher. Lumi, we\'re going to milk him for all he\'s worth."

"We shouldn\'t disrupt Hoyeon\'s study session too much"

"Got it. Got it. Oh, and you\'ve got something to ask, right?"

"That\'s true"

Drrring!

"Hello! I\'m Professor Kang Hyorin! It\'s been a while."

Dr. Kang Hyorin, the professor of Modern Hunter Studies, known for her frequent claims of being too occupied for classes. What a reputable educator.

"Today, in preparation for the exam, we\'ll summarize the key points. We\'re short on time! No breaks, let\'s stay focused from start to finish!"

"Oh no" Lucy\'s voice, filled with dejection, echoed beside me.

***

Every day, at the same time, a sedan parked in front of the academy\'s main gate. Alice naturally got into the car.

"Good work, miss."

"Thanks."

The middle-aged man in the driver\'s seat started driving as if it were a routine. Alice always had a designated restaurant for dinner.

"Are you well-prepared for the midterms?"

"Yeah, it\'s going smoothly"

It would go smoothly enough to secure the first place. At least, that\'s what she was about to say, but she hesitated. A certain guy popped into her mind.

"I might end up in second place instead of first."

"Second place? If you\'re saying that, Miss Alice, they must be an exceptional talent."

"Yeah. It\'s that guy from PR department you mentioned last time, Lee Hoyeon."

"Ah, that handsome fellow. I heard he\'s really good at studying. Last time, I heard he defeated ogres or something. Is it true?"

"Well it might be."

Alice was somewhat skeptical, but after seeing Lee Hoyeon\'s magic skills today, she started thinking, "Maybe"

"By the way, speaking of that, could you do some background check on Lee Hoyeon?"

"Oh! Have you finally taken an interest in a friend?"

"It\'s not like that. But I\'ll let you do the investigation yourself, pease."

"So, is it more of a precaution than interest?" The middle-aged man\'s demeanor changed slightly. The jovial uncle disappeared, and he emitted an assertive vibe.

"It\'s just a hunch and it\'s a bit unsettling."

"Understood. If Miss Alice asks, I have no choice but to comply."

"Yeah. Thanks as always."

Alice wasn\'t one to take a keen interest in others. That\'s why she hadn\'t ordered any background checks on anyone, even if they were more talented than her. But there was something about Lee Hoyeon that bothered her. His close relationship with the Student Council President, the strange dynamics with the Saint, and the club with the exceptionally talented twin beauties. Plus, his abnormal magic skills.

If there weren\'t even one of these suspicious factors, Alice wouldn\'t have ordered an investigation. But at this point, she couldn\'t help but wonder if he might be involved in something. If he is, great; if not, so be it.

"Oh, right. Please call my father. Tell him his daughter has a favor to ask."

"Of course. When should I start the investigation on Lee Hoyeon, Miss?"

"Hmm, do it whenever it\'s convenient. It\'s not that urgent."

"Very well. I\'ll start today."

"Yeah, go ahead." Alice casually ordered a background check on Lee Hoyeon. And she couldn\'t have imagined that he would turn up in every place she had in mind.

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