A Talentless Mage Devours a Disaster-Class Future - Chapter 70

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 70

“Luana, where did she go?”

At Layla’s question, Aion found himself unable to answer for a moment.

‘…Should I tell her?’

Too many threads were tangled up in this story.
But Aion didn’t want to hide it from her.

She had the right to know.

“Luana got caught up in an incident.”

In the end, Aion began with those words.

“……An incident?”
“She was used by someone. She wasn’t acting on her own will.”
“Is it something bad?”
“Yes.”

Aion paused, choosing his words carefully.
That night—what Luana had become, what she’d intended to do, and how he’d needed to stop her.

He didn’t convey those brutal details. But he didn’t lie either.

That Luana had nearly put many people in danger.

And that Aion had needed to stop her.

He explained as calmly as he could.

“…Mm.”

Layla didn’t interrupt.

She simply sat on the wooden stool, her damp sleeves from cleaning hanging quiet at her sides as she gazed down at them.

After a long moment, she spoke.

“So, Luana won’t come here anymore?”

Aion paused before answering.

“…She can’t come.”
“Will she if I wait?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know everything myself. What I’m certain of is that she’ll need a great deal of time to come back.”

Aion fell silent.

Luana had caused something far too grave.
Regardless of why, she couldn’t return easily.

“Even if she could come back, whether we’ll still be here by then is another question altogether.”

Layla nodded quietly.

“Then everything Luana did for me was a lie?”
……

Aion looked at Layla.
Her expression held only the desire to know the truth.

Aion didn’t know what Luana’s heart had truly held.

But.

— Layla shines. She glimmers, beautiful and mysterious.
— Layla has such lovely hair, yet she never bothers to style it. Or rather, she’s so perfect she doesn’t need to! Yes, yes!

Those words, at least, he remembered.

“I don’t think that’s the case.”

Aion answered briefly.

“The time she spent with you wasn’t all a lie.”
“I see.”

Layla nodded again.

That was the end of it.
At least for now.

A brief silence fell over the Mountain Lodge.

Swish—

The mop pushed across the floor again.
This time Aion bore down on it with greater force.

The bloodstains hadn’t vanished completely, but they were fading bit by bit.

Layla sat on the log bench and watched him quietly.

Then, suddenly, she lifted her hand and touched her own hair.

Hair tousled on one side.
And the traces of a clumsy braid that had come undone.

Aion saw it and asked.

“Why is your hair like that?”
“Luana always did it for me.”

Layla replied.

“She didn’t today.”
……
“I tried to do it myself, but it didn’t work out.”

Clank—

Aion propped the mop against the wall and moved behind the chair where she sat.

“Make yourself comfortable.”

Layla regarded Aion for a moment.
Then she relaxed, letting the tension drain from her body.

Aion moved behind her and carefully gathered up the hair that had fallen loose.

The memory came back without difficulty.
When he was younger, he’d tied back his younger sister’s hair countless times when she was ill and weak.

He’d never been particularly skilled at it, but at least he remembered how to begin.

‘Was it like this…?’

Tug.

“That hurts.”
“Sorry.”

Aion loosened his grip.
Carefully, he began gathering her hair again.

“It still hurts.”
“Bear with it. I’m being careful.”
“Luana never made it hurt like this.”
“…You’ll get used to it. It won’t be so bad once you do.”

【Hwayeom: Not exactly a skill you’d expect a man to have.】
【Suryu: Well, we all know the basics well enough ourselves, vague as they are.】
【Daeji: Look at you two, setting up house already.】

‘…Be quiet.’

Ignoring the pointless commentary from his Extreme Points, Aion continued binding her hair.

Snug.

It wasn’t perfect.

Not as neat as when Luana did it, and slightly crooked besides.

But the hair that had been falling loose was now reasonably tidy.

Sweep.

Layla raised her hand to touch the bound hair.

“It’s different from how Luana does it.”
“It would be.”
“A little crooked.”
“I know.”

She ran her fingers slowly through the bound hair and said softly:

“But it’s fine.”

Aion exhaled and sat across from her.

That was when Layla posed an unexpected question.

“Will you disappear too, like Luana did?”

The question was quiet, almost clinical in its brevity.

Aion found himself at a loss for words.

Luana had vanished.
If she could, then so could he.
Layla was voicing that sinister possibility.

“…That won’t happen.”

Stare.

Layla fixed her gaze on Aion, unblinking.

“…Don’t doubt me.”
“I’ll trust you.”

Layla lowered her head as if something were missing.

“…Why?”
“But who am I going to eat pie with?”
“Pie…?”
“Luana used to take me every time.”

— Seriously, weren’t you listening at all? I asked if we could go to the pie shop together!

Then it came back to Aion.
That pie shop Luana had loudly complained about taking her to some time.

The way she’d nodded twice when Layla said she liked pie.

“I guess I can’t go anymore….”
…….

Aion pressed his fingers to his throbbing temple for a moment.

Ugh.

“When I have time, we’ll go together next time.”

Layla lifted her head.

“With you?”
“Yes.”
“And you’ll tie my hair every day too?”
“…I’ll do my best.”
“Your best?”
“Yes.”

Layla blinked slowly, as if turning something over in her mind.

“Then you have to stay here.”
“That’s true.”
“You can’t disappear.”

Aion exhaled, short and measured.

“Understood.”

They were new rules that had emerged from life at the Mountain Lodge.

Eat pie when going out.
Tie up your hair when possible.
And don’t disappear without warning.

Aion was recalling those rules when Layla suddenly spoke.

“Ah, Aion.”
“What?”
“There’s an exam next week.”

Aion went rigid.

“…….?”
“I forgot to mention it.”

***

Two days later.
The Excion Campus still bore the marks of the storm.

The collapsed railing had been patched with temporary timber, and across the scarred grass, restoration magic circles cast a faint glow.

Yet the students walked again.

Some headed toward the Lecture Hall; others sat on damp benches and unfolded their notes.

Still others clutched next week’s Midterm Evaluation schedule, gazing up at the sky like people whose world had ended.

“…An exam.”

Aion exhaled softly, recalling the parting words Layla had thrown at him two days ago.

“They’re proceeding with the exam despite everything that’s happened.”

When he thought about it, it wasn’t strange.

Excion is a magical academy.

No matter what trials arise, a student’s duty is to study.

That obvious truth simply felt a little unfamiliar, that was all.

Then it happened.

Whoosh!

A rather large shadow swept overhead.

‘…Huh?’

When Aion looked up, a plump bird descended onto the railing at the edge of the campus.

It was quite large.
Nearly the size of a small child.

Yet it carried no sense of menace.

‘…What on earth is that?’

Its plumage was a deep gray, fluffed up luxuriously, and its cheeks were puffed out in a way that seemed almost comical.

Around its neck hung a small leather letter carrier pouch, and beside it dangled a single transparent crystal orb.

The bird walked toward Aion on short legs with a measured tap-tap-tap, and stopped before him with solemn dignity.

Chirp—

“Recipient: Aion Iskar. Identity verification requested.”

Aion looked down at the mail courier for a moment.

Round body.
Stubby cheeks.

“I am Aion Iskar. What’s this about?”
“Verbal confirmation is not accepted. Mana verification procedure will now commence.”

Tap-tap—

The mail courier pecked lightly at the crystal orb beside the letter carrier pouch.

Click.

The crystal orb descended onto a small pedestal.

“Please channel your mana into the crystal orb.”

【Hwayeom: That’s Excion’s mail courier.】
【Saengmyeong: I miss seeing it. It really was adorable.】

Aion ignored the voices of the Extreme Points and placed his fingertip on the crystal orb.

A thin stream—

As mana flowed gently into it, a soft blue light bloomed within the crystal orb.
When he’d first enrolled, merely activating the orb’s response had been difficult; now it was effortless.

Whoosh—

Ding—

“Identity verified.”

The mail courier nodded its head with evident satisfaction.

Yet those puffed cheeks somehow made it look smug rather than grave.

“Letter delivery commencing.”

Click—

The letter carrier pouch around its neck sprang open, and a thin envelope tumbled out.

A pristine white envelope, unmarred by the slightest blemish.
A faint silver trim adorned its edges, and a small rose emblem was engraved on the seal.

Aion accepted it.

“Is the sender listed?”
“It says Aria di Valera.”

Aion’s hand stilled for just a moment.

“Confirmed.”
“Delivery complete. For replies, please use the nearest Mail Tower.”
“Mail Tower?”
“You haven’t read the freshman orientation guide, then.”
“…There was such a thing?”
“Self-reflection is strongly recommended.”

With that, the Mail Courier fluttered his short wings.

Flap-flap!

His large frame rose into the air with surprising lightness. The Courier circled once over the campus, then vanished beyond the Lecture Hall.

Aion watched him go for a moment, then lowered his gaze to the envelope in his hand.

Aria di Valera.

Since the mock battle on the Bosco Plain, he hadn’t faced her directly.

Aion broke the seal.

Inside were a letter and a thin Performance Ticket.

The ticket, printed in silver, bore a date and location.

Orpheum Hall.
And below it, a date.

‘Not far off at all.’

He’d been meaning to see Aria anyway. Since she’d reached out, he could decide whether to attend after reading what the letter said.

Aion unfolded the letter.

Rustle—

To Aion,

Hello, Aion?
This is my first time sending a letter, so it feels a bit strange.

Aion’s eyes drifted down the page.

Since that day, I’ve been keeping busy. I was worried about your health, but I heard from the steward that you recovered safely.

I wanted to stay until the end… but there were some complicated circumstances.

Ever since that day, strangely, when I close my eyes, I find myself back on the Bosco Plain with you.

A chaotic battlefield covered in dust, and yet—

Aion knew the feeling.
There were times when that day came back to him too.

The experience that had helped him most in breaking through the second layer’s barrier.

‘Perhaps I was a little happy that day.

Sometimes I recall moments like that,
but I soon let such thoughts go.

For now, the days continue to be so busy that I cannot manage both my studies at Excion and my performance schedule together.

Oh, and there’s a performance coming up soon in a city near Excion.
It’s a stage I know well, but it might be a little unfamiliar to you.

Would you come if you have time?

I’ll keep one seat empty for you.

Aria.’

It was a short letter.
Yet Aion could not fold it away at once.

Sometimes I recall moments like that.
But I soon let such thoughts go.

That particular sentence weighed oddly on his mind.

The sense that Aria di Valera knew all too well the stage she belonged to and the place where she should be.

And precisely because of that, it seemed like the sentence of someone who could not hold onto the thought of stepping beyond it for very long.

【Suryu: A rather lonely invitation.】
【Hwayeom: Well, she’ll be surrounded by plenty of splendor, so there’s nothing to lament. Needless worry.】
【Daeji: Besides, I’ve never even seen this woman Aria di Valera at Excion.】

“If I have time, I suppose I’ll go.”

It was Aion himself who had taken her hand and led her onto Excion’s stage. So it was natural that he should feel some curiosity and a sense of responsibility about her circumstances.

Whoosh—

He placed the Performance Ticket in his chest alongside the letter.

Then he walked across the Campus once more.
Only then did the surrounding commotion become somewhat clearer to his ears.

“Have you seen the scope for the Elemental Enhancement evaluation?”
“Yeah. That’s why I despaired.”
“Isn’t the scope way too broad?”

The Campus conversation had now shifted from storms to examinations.

“Professor Plane announced that they’d set a murderous difficulty level again this time.”
“They did that last year too.”

An exam.
More precisely, a Midterm Evaluation.

Aion organized his schedule in his mind.

The mock battle on the Bosco Plain, which had replaced the Midterm Evaluation for Basic Magical Combat, was already finished.

Advanced Pyrokinesis was likewise substituted with service to the elven mage.

In the end, there was only one thing that truly mattered now.

Basic Magical Circle Design.

‘Professor Helsen Barkas’s evaluation.’

The mere thought of that meticulous professor’s face was enough to drain all color from his own.

‘I’ve been neglecting it lately, haven’t I.’

To keep pace with the curriculum, he would need to immerse himself in magical circle theory for some time to come.

‘Otherwise… this time I won’t escape hearing that I’m hopeless.’

The tedious exam period had begun.
The real problem was that Aion had never faced such a situation before—he didn’t even know where to start preparing.

‘I desperately need help….’

Should he ask Cael for assistance?
Aion shook his head and settled onto a nearby bench.

“Heh heh.”

At that moment, a laugh reached his ears—vaguely familiar.

Aion turned, and someone approached, settling onto the same bench.

Thump—

“Aion. What are you doing here?”
“Marcel?”

The young man who’d appeared with such ease was Marcel, one of the Student Council officers.

“How’s exam prep going?”
“Well….”

Aion laid bare his situation honestly.
He’d fallen behind in his studies because of the various incidents that had troubled him recently.

“…I see. Basic Magical Circle Design? You’re enrolled in quite the difficult course.”

Marcel elaborated.

“Professor Helsen Barkas’s Basic Magical Circle Design is a notorious gauntlet that’s crushed the pride of countless freshmen. Most of them will be lucky just to avoid a failing grade.”
“Sigh…….”

Aion’s brow twitched slightly.
He hadn’t wanted to hear something so bleak, yet that’s exactly what he’d gotten.

But then,

“That said, the upper-year students currently enrolled at Excion are all people who successfully made it through such trials, right?”

Hm—!

“Is there… something you’d like to tell me?”
“Evaluation tendencies. Design methods that come up frequently. The kinds of answers Professor Helsen dislikes. And the mistakes you must never make.”
“……!!”
“Don’t you want to know? Those incredible pieces of information—the very treasure of the Student Council! Especially for the Midterm Evaluation, just having these would put you well over the passing line!”

Aion found himself drawn deeper into the conversation.

“Marcel.”
“…Yeah?”
“I’d like to hear more about that academic legacy.”

Marcel folded his arms and leaned back at ease.

“Heh heh.”

A smile crept across his face.

“I’m only now telling you, Marcel, that you’ve truly been the admirable senior I’ve always respected.”
“Hahaha… spare me the flattery. But do me one favor.”
“No.”
“……What?”

Aion turned his head as if he’d seen this coming.

“I have no interest in joining the Executive Board.”
“I gave up on trying to recruit you for the board a while ago. This is something different.”
“……?”

Marcel placed a hand on Aion’s shoulder and spoke.

Pat.

“I need your help.”

Talentless Mage Devours a Catastrophic Future — Chapter 70

Author
Wang Mozi
Publisher
Daon Creative
Planning / Editing / Production
Yeon
Cover Design
Dari

UCI
G720:N+A036-20260706063.0070

ⓒ2026, Wang Mozi

This e-book is protected under the Copyright Law of the Republic of Korea.
No part of this work may be reproduced or modified in any form without the permission of the author and publisher.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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