Academy's Gumiho is a Magic Genius

There are statuses and positions between people.

I am the family head. They are the elders.

In terms of hierarchy, the elders cannot treat me recklessly.

But it seems they've thrown such etiquette out the window.

Their blatant display of negative emotions made me chuckle.

"Ah, I just came to visit for a bit, so don't worry. Besides, there's something I wanted to show you."

"What on earth do you want to show...?"

Haha, I smirked and moved the muscles in my tail.

A tail I usually paid no attention to.

As the tail slowly swayed in the wind, standing upright and then gently waving, it captivated everyone's gaze. The elders' faces stiffened at the strange charm of the movement.

"Wh-What is that...?"

"I-Is it an illusion? Am I seeing things...?"

"Elder Seven, shut up. If that's an illusion, then we're all blind."

The surprised elders.

They weren't shocked because the tail's movement was charming. Well, except for Elder Eight, who blushed, but most weren't.

The spiritual power imbued in the tail.

A soul's power, distinct from mana. The spiritual power required to transcend a Gumiho and become a Cheonho (Heavenly Fox) was on a completely different level from that of an ordinary one-tailed fox.

And another reason was that, after being stuck at the level of an Ilmiho (one-tailed fox) for 20 years, I had become an Imoogi (two-tailed fox) less than a month after being exiled. Regardless of why they were surprised.

Their expressions were priceless.

This is fun. Should I provoke them a bit more?

I rested my elbow on the armrest of the throne and propped my chin on my hand.

A gaze and posture that clearly looked down on those below.

Behind me, two fox tails swayed gently as if rippling.

"How does it look, does it suit me...? No, that's not the right tone."

I twisted my lips into a sneer, making a despicable expression.

To make as many elders as possible hold a grudge against me.

The insolent tone was just a bonus.

"How about it? I recently had a breakthrough, so my tail grew."

"Family Head, please maintain the dignity befitting your position..."

"Hey, Elder Eight."

A tone clearly used for subordinates.

The elderly Elder Eight, angered by the disrespect, opened his mouth to speak.

But I cut him off.

"Ahaha, are you expecting me to respect the elderly?"

"Family Head!"

"Watch your mouth. Not 'Family Head,' but 'Family Head-sama.' Elder Eight, maintain the hierarchy properly."

Whoooooosh!

As soon as the words ended, mana descended upon the area.

Mana armed with pressure and killing intent pressed down on the nine elders and two siblings seated at the round table. They weren't the type to be suppressed by this level of mana, but...

"Where do you think you're going?"

I stretched out my left hand.

As I slowly lowered my hand, the mana pressing down on the area grew heavier. In truth, everyone here had a way to escape.

By taking down the caster—me.

Everyone here possessed combat power at least on par with Yuren's.

A living corpse like me couldn't handle that. But I invoked hierarchy.

Unless they wanted to start a rebellion, no one could escape from me. No, they shouldn't escape.

"You're all pretty angry, right?"

Red eyes scanned the room.

Some held curiosity, others confused.

Some harboured killing intent. That last one is really dangerous.

'Did it go according to plan?'

This is the best I can do for now.

Crushing them with authority.

To justify their status as elders and the council, they have no choice but to follow my lead.

Of course, there will be those who don't want to follow.

The one who showed killing intent is likely one of them.

'Until I grow stronger, I'll have to test the waters like this.'

What I want is the Cheonho Baek Family in its complete form.

Not a family divided between the council and power, but one entirely in my grasp. If I can get this much under my control, most episodes and scenarios can be easily overcome.

Then I can minimize all damage.

'To take control of the Cheonho Baek Family, I'll have to chip away at it bit by bit.'

From what I've seen, the power of the Cheonho Baek Family is split into many branches.

Nine elders and my two sisters.

Including me, that makes twelve branches.

Among them, I hold the least power.

Subduing the other eleven factions won't be an easy process.

So I plan to slowly, very gradually, erode their power and make it mine.

Provoking the elders is the first step in that process.

By scratching their temper, I make them show their weaknesses to me.

I put on a smiling face and said.

"I plan to go to the dungeon today. I've only taken one day off this month."

So.

"If anyone wants to follow, come along. I'll hear out any complaints."

If you want to kill me, follow me.

With those words, I descended from the throne and immediately opened the door.

Clank!

As I opened the door, the guards outside were startled.

I waved my hand, urging them to step aside.

Outside the meeting room. Walking alone through the empty corridor, I thought.

I handled that pretty well.

'I've sewn the first button.'

The fishing line has been cast.

I've also scattered bait that would interest those lurking in the depths.

Whether it's a big catch or a small fry remains to be seen. All I can do now is wait for something to bite.

I'll stay in the dungeon until then.

***

Baek Seol-hee had an ambition.

To become the family head and take control of not only the family but also the guilds and businesses under it.

That was Baek Seol-hee's sole ambition.

And there was one person who was both closest to and the biggest obstacle to that ambition.

Her older brother, Baek Seung-woo.

"Why did my brother suddenly say such things...?"

The meeting had long since ended.

The elders, caught off guard by the family head's sudden appearance, couldn't focus during the meeting.

Because of that, today's meeting ended much earlier than usual.

All because of Baek Seung-woo.

This wasn't why I sent the driver.

I completely messed up.

'I thought sending a guy with a scary face would intimidate him.'

It was Baek Seol-hee who contacted Baek Seung-woo about sending a driver.

She had asked one of her subordinates, a man with an especially intimidating face, to act as the driver. She thought that face, which often startled her when she walked down the corridor at night, would be enough to pressure her brother.

"Sigh, but it didn't work at all..."

Instead, he pressured not only her and her sister but also the other elders.

Especially the expressions of Elder One and Elder Five were priceless.

Elder One, the core of the family, looked as if his grandson had grown up well, while Elder Five, who handled the family's military power, had a subtle killing intent in his eyes.

Though subtle, her [Divine Eye] could clearly see it.

Baek Seol-hee fell into thought for a moment. There must be a reason why her brother, who had no interest in the family, acted that way during the meeting.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

"Could it be that his tail grew, and he became arrogant?"

It's not impossible.

For the bloodline of the Cheonho Baek Family, the tail is a symbol of power and authority.

The goal of the family's founding was to achieve ten tails through training and become a Cheonho (Heavenly Fox). Over time, that goal lost its direction, but the tradition that those with more tails held higher authority remained.

In that sense, the fact that Baek Seung-woo's tail had grown made her head spin.

"I thought he'd live his whole life with just one tail, but who would have thought it would grow now?"

Having one more tail isn't a big deal.

Two tails aren't a significant achievement.

Even Baek Seol-hee herself has three tails, and Elder One and Elder Five, who handle the family's military power, have eight tails each.

Compared to them, the fact that the family head has only two tails is rather embarrassing. That's why even the neutral elders don't truly acknowledge Baek Seung-woo as the family head in their hearts.

"...But what if my brother continues to rise like this?"

Training isn't an easy path.

It's different from acting based on religious faith or building military power. Training fundamentally focuses on building one's state of mind through the heart.

Her brother, who only now has grown a tail, can't catch up to them.

Even if he starts training late and tries hard to catch up, closing the gap in time won't be easy.

"No, it's fine. I'll be the next family head. No matter what..."

Baek Seol-hee buried herself in her bed and imagined herself as the family head.

There's no need to think about a troublesome future. It's time to dream of a happy future.

***

Meanwhile, the lights in the meeting room were still on.

Though many seats were empty, some still remained.

"Who would have thought the family head would become an Imoogi?"

"The late family head and his wife would be pleased."

"Haha, if only the family head's training had started two years earlier, we would have been happy too──"

"──But it's too late now."

The elders exchanged words.

Their topic of conversation was the change in the incompetent family head, Baek Seung-woo.

Just a few days ago, he burned his own body at the Seven Stars Academy incident and was hailed as a hero in the news and newspapers. Suddenly, his tail grew to two, and he began to act differently than before.

Most of all, his confident demeanour earlier was enough to stir nostalgia in the elderly elders.

"Before he got a job as an assistant at the academy, he was quite prickly."

"Perhaps his late start in society helped."

"Hmm, but it's still hard to understand. That clueless family head suddenly becomes mature. Even when the external propaganda painted him as a troublemaker, he didn't seem to care."

"Regardless, it's going to be a hindrance to our plans."

A sudden silence fell.

Certainly, the family head's change was more of a loss than a gain for them.

The proxy regency planned under Elder Five's leadership was likely to fall through. Moreover, the neutral elders would firmly maintain their neutrality like upright pine trees.

"We need to change our plans."

"A coup is impossible with Elder One around."

"Then the best course of action for us is..."

The elders spoke in unison.

Having protected the family and lived together for decades, they could now roughly read each other's thoughts.

"Threats."

"Or assassination and silencing."

"That's the most effective."

"And the most realistic method."

Hostage situations are meaningless.

The family head isn't the type to show affection to others.

Isolating him is also impossible.

We've already exiled him to the academy as a lowly assistant.

The Seven Stars Academy is almost like an extraterritorial zone, beyond the influence of the Cheonho Baek Family.

Cutting off his funds is also tricky.

Even a family head without real power has ways to earn money.

He probably has enough to live comfortably.

Then there's only one method left.

"Send assassins."

"We'll have to threaten him with his life."

"That's definitely the most reliable method. Of course, if Elder One finds out, we're all dead."

"But to get rid of that ominous presence, this is the best way."

When faced with a threat to their life, anyone would cower.

The family head is no exception.

The elders decided to send three assassins to track Baek Seung-woo and wait for the optimal moment. They were talents raised by the family and guild, so there was no chance of failure or being caught by the family head.

Meanwhile, one elder remained silent throughout.

He left the meeting and thought to himself.

"...That was definitely not the aura of an Imoogi."

Elder Five didn't consider Baek Seung-woo the family head.

The current family is nothing more than a facade.

That's why they exiled Baek Seung-woo to the academy.@@novelbin@@

"This time, we'll crush him completely."

Before he grows any stronger, we'll kill him.

Swallowing his words, Elder Five changed into his armor and went to attend to his duties.

His position was not only an elder of the Cheonho Baek Family but also the head of a guild.

Burying one person isn't a difficult task.

Even if that person is his master.

He can do it anytime.

He just hasn't done it yet.

***

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