I’m Not the Mastermind

Two pairs of eyes turned toward them—Eri, who had suddenly stood up in shock, and Yujin, who smiled calmly as he looked at her.

Eri’s wide eyes were filled with disbelief as she stared at Yujin, while Yujin, with a faint, enigmatic smile, watched her with an expression that was impossible to read—his eyes seemingly both open and closed at the same time.

Watching the two of them, Reina’s gaze sharpened slightly.

“Come to think of it…”

A memory surfaced in her mind. Eri had met Yujin before.

It was during the Labyrinth trial. Eri’s party had encountered Yujin inside the Labyrinth.

The two of them had clearly spent some time together during that trial. And now, seeing Eri’s reaction…

“She looks afraid of him.”

It was evident just from the way Eri looked at Yujin.

Her pale complexion, trembling hands—anyone could see that she was terrified of him.

“Does she know something?”

Reina’s thoughts shifted to another moment.

“Miriam, the scout from Hugo’s party—she seemed to know something, too.”

Previously, Reina hadn’t felt the need to investigate Yujin further since her suspicions about him remained vague. But now, she decided it might be worth calling Eri and Miriam in for questioning soon.

Meanwhile, Yujin broke the silence, addressing Eri with a smile.

“Haha, I can understand the surprise of seeing someone you know suddenly appear as your professor, but could you please take a seat, Eri? Or should I address you as a student here, as is appropriate for a professor?”

“Ah… um…”@@novelbin@@

“But please don’t act too familiar with me in front of others, alright? After all, I am your professor here. We wouldn’t want to invite unnecessary problems or complaints about fairness, would we?”

“Y-yes… yes, sir…”

With those hesitant words, Eri sat down, visibly shaken, sweat dripping down her face.

Yujin observed her for a moment, then turned his attention to the rest of the students.

“Well, it’s an honor to meet all of you. As I just mentioned, I’m the newly appointed professor, Han Yujin. I believe some of you might recognize me already—besides Eri, of course. After all, I did give a rather unconventional lecture not too long ago.”

At that, quite a few students nodded, their eyes glinting with curiosity.

It wasn’t surprising. Han Yujin, the mysterious new professor suddenly introduced as Reina’s co-lecturer, had become a global sensation almost overnight.

Though his face wasn’t widely known yet—having only recently appeared in public at a lecture—many students here had attended that very lecture and seen him in person.

Even those who didn’t react as strongly as Eri were equally shocked.

After all, the man who had effectively created the field of temporal-spatial magic—a figure practically akin to a living legend—was now standing before them as their professor!

Someone of his stature appearing so suddenly, in a position like this, was enough to ignite both awe and curiosity among the students.

With every eye fixed on him, Yujin spoke again.

“This is my first lecture as a professor here. I imagine many of you have questions—about me, or about the content of my classes. So, let’s start with a Q&A session. If you have any questions, please raise your hand.”

Immediately, hands shot up across the room.

Yujin pointed to the fastest one.

“Yes, you—the tall student there. What’s your name?”

“Yes, Professor! My name is Julian Johannes!”

A blond male student with striking features stood up and spoke with enthusiasm. His thoughts were clear.

“The creator of temporal-spatial magic himself! I need to leave a good impression!”

It wasn’t just Julian—many other students shared the same thought.

Temporal-spatial magic, the revolutionary field established by Yujin, was one of the most groundbreaking advancements in modern magic.

On top of that, Yujin was a Grand Mage, surpassing even the level of the Mage Association’s president.

Some even speculated he might rival—or surpass—the academy’s headmistress, the Great Witch Ines Karandar. His academic achievements alone made him a figure of unparalleled prestige.

To leave a good impression on someone like Yujin, perhaps even becoming his assistant or graduate student, was a golden opportunity.

For a commoner student, it could mean a path to wealth and honor. For nobles like Julian, it would elevate their family’s prestige and solidify their own status in society.

Yujin addressed Julian with a calm smile.

“Alright, Julian. What’s your question?”

“I’d like to know more about the content of your lectures, Professor!”

“Ah, I see. My lectures may cover topics that are unfamiliar to most of you. By the way, has anyone here read any of the papers I’ve published?”

Several hands rose again at his question. As mages, they couldn’t help but be intrigued by the sudden emergence of temporal-spatial magic.

Julian spoke up once more.

“I’ve read them as well, Professor.”

“Let’s continue then,” Yujin began with a slight smile. “I’m sure many of you found my research papers difficult to understand. Theories and concepts you’ve never encountered before, applications of gravity magic that seem completely unrelated to spatial-temporal magic, and spell structures that are deceptively simple yet hard to grasp.”

The students collectively nodded in agreement. Everything in those papers had felt unfamiliar and difficult to comprehend.

“In truth, that’s to be expected. Without a certain foundation of knowledge, much of it is hard to grasp. Here’s a confession: I intentionally wrote those papers to criticize the stagnation and complacency in the current state of the Mage Association.”

-!

“I wrote them to challenge those who hide behind their privilege as mages, refusing to explore or innovate. My goal was to expose just how meaningless the knowledge they claim to have built is. Those who don’t strive for new discoveries, who simply pile their names like pebbles atop an already crumbling tower—they’re like stagnant water, rotting where they stand. My papers were meant to wake them up.”

Yujin’s grin widened as he continued, his words sharp yet strangely inviting.

“Now then, let’s return to the main topic. What I intend to teach you… is how to explore.”

“To explore…?” a student echoed.

“Exactly. I’ll also teach you to see the world from a different perspective.”

“A different perspective, you say…”

“Precisely as it sounds. I’ll show you that many things you’ve taken for granted are not as they seem. Why do those things exist? What truths are hidden behind them? And what are you missing because of them? These are the questions I want you to learn to ask.”

“...”

“Haha, I realize this might sound abstract right now. So, let’s make it more concrete. Consider this a preview of what I’ll teach. Julian?”

“Yes, Professor!”

“What do you think mana is?”

“Mana… sir?”

“Yes, mana.”

The term referred to the fundamental energy that served as the source of magic.

It was a straightforward question—one any professor might ask. Yujin gestured for Julian to answer freely.

“Just speak openly. Tell me what you know about mana.”

Encouraged by Yujin’s words, Julian began to speak slowly.

“Mana is… one of the Four Great Forces. It originates from the dragons, one of the four great transcendents, and constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of the world. Thanks to mana, humanity gained the ability to use magic through reason and wisdom. It also functions as a resource necessary for casting magic.”

“A textbook-perfect answer. You seem like a diligent student, Julian.”

“T-thank you!”

“Let’s take this a step further. What are the Four Great Forces?”

Without hesitation, Julian answered again.

“The Four Great Forces also originate from the transcendents and form the basis of the world. They are mana, magi, divine power, and aura. Mana is the energy mages use for magic, magi is the energy wielded by dark mages, divine power is the energy granted to priests chosen by the gods, and aura is the energy warriors use to strengthen, protect, and attack.”

“A confident and thorough answer. Well done.”

“Thank you!”

As Julian bowed slightly, Yujin addressed the rest of the students.

“I imagine most of you share similar thoughts to Julian. His answer is perfectly aligned with what anyone raised in this world would consider natural and correct. However…”

Yujin turned back to Julian, his gaze sharp yet calm.

“It’s not the answer I’m looking for.”

“!”

Julian flinched, startled by Yujin’s unexpected statement. Yujin, still smiling, clarified.

“I’m not criticizing you. After all, I asked you to answer freely based on what you know.”

“Yes… I understand.”

“Then let me share my perspective. To me, mana and the other Four Great Forces are what I call… singularities.”

“Singularities?”

The unfamiliar term caused not only the students but also Reina to tilt her head in confusion.

“I see curiosity written all over your faces. That’s perfectly normal. Let me explain what I mean by ‘singularity.’”

Yujin walked toward the chalkboard at the front of the lecture hall. Reina, unconsciously stepping aside, allowed him to take her place. Picking up a piece of chalk, Yujin wrote a single phrase on the board:

[A World Without the Four Great Forces]

As the students stared wide-eyed at the words, Yujin turned to face them.

“Can you imagine a world without the Four Great Forces?”