Relin sat before Deculein. Like a student summoned to the principal’s office. His corpulent body bent forward, curling up like a pill bug.
To Epherene, who saw this half-asleep, the situation felt like a dream.
“Yes… I referenced that portion from Mage Zora’s paper.”
“And yet there is no citation.”
“Ah, that is… I intended to add it, but I was pressed for time…”
“I can also see other portions where you referenced papers by other mages.”
At that, Relin wiped away his sweat with a handkerchief and smiled. However, perhaps because his pride as a professor had been touched, he did seem a little angry.
“Haha… Which parts might those be…?”
Epherene continued pretending to be asleep as she watched, when suddenly the study door on the right side of the office opened and a rush of documents and books came tumbling out.
“The subject of your paper is ‘utilizing certain auxiliary-type magic engraved into mana stones as a security system that is always in operation.’ However, your formula borrowed part of Circuits Engraved on Objects.”
Deculein pointed it out while presenting Relin with the evidence. Relin stared blankly for a moment, his mouth open.
Circuits Engraved on Objects.
It was a paper published five years ago by some unknown university mage, but it had received no research support and produced poor results, so it should have been all but discarded.
“Ah… um…”
“Is this also a partial citation? If it is not a citation, it may become a problem.”
“Ah, of course… it is a citation. Haha… I further developed that idea, and had them… yes. It seems my assistant fellows made a mistake. Hahaha.”
“You are the one who writes your paper. Not your assistants.”
Epherene covered her mouth with both hands and held back her laughter.
Serves that hippo-pig professor right.
“…Yes.”
“Other than that, you appear to have referenced quite a few works, such as Formula Theory and Dukan’s Compendium, but you certainly cited little from Ihelm or any other famous mages.”
“…”
Relin lowered his head. Deculein returned his paper just as it was.
“Organize it properly and submit it again.”
“…Yes.”
He rose from his seat and staggered out, trudging along, dejected like a piglet robbed of its breakfast.
Click—
As soon as the door closed, Epherene sat up and grinned.
“Khehehe. Serves him right.”
“Epherene.”
Just then, Deculein called her name. Epherene turned to him and answered energetically.
“Yes!”
Whirrr—!
In that instant, a bundle of papers flew from Deculein’s desk and poured down onto the crown of her head. They fluttered down like scraps of tissue.
“…?”
As she blinked in a daze, Deculein offered her a single sentence.
“Yours is to be discarded. Rewrite it from the beginning. No, once the semester begins, you should learn writing fundamentals first. To think your lowly origins can be felt even in your sentences…”
* * *
The Duchy of Yuren. A nation of dukes established on higher ground than the other countries of the continent.
Its territory was roughly comparable in size to the Yukline family’s domain, but thanks to the local specialties unique to the highlands and its geopolitical position between the Empire and the Kingdom, it was a compact small nation with no small amount of recognition.
“Prepare this too. And prepare that too.”
The country’s princess and designated successor, “Maho,” who had taken refuge from Reok, was currently bustling through the palace.
“Charle-Charle. We have to prepare outfits for the ball too, right? We absolutely do, don’t we?”
Though she had firmly strengthened her foundations by successfully carrying out various national policies for the Duchy of Yuren, her personality remained unchanged.
Charlotte’s heart was not at ease as she watched Maho dance about and blunder around.
“…The Empire will be dangerous.”
“Oh, come on~ It’s not dangerous anymore, not dangerous~ No matter how Reok is, they wouldn’t make a fuss trying to attack me inside the Empire~ And above all, the order of succession in Reok has already been settled, hasn’t it~ It’s over, isn’t it~”
The Kingdom of Reok. The hierarchy of that country, which had threatened Maho’s life, had indeed been settled.
The result was the second prince’s victory. Now that his succession to the throne was all but certain, there was no longer any need to kill Maho.
“The entrance ceremony, the entrance ceremony~ I’m a university student now too~ Oh, right! I have to bring the files, the files.”
Yuren trotted over to the bed and opened the door to a secret passage that had been remodeled beside it without anyone knowing.
Rumble—
A confidential study was revealed. This place, filled with unidentified files, was a magical space where Maho’s talent manifested.
“Hehehe~”
Maho had a desire to collect. It was not a desire for money or treasures, but rather a greed for “humans.”
Originally, the only way for a cramped nation to survive was human commerce.
That did not mean actually selling people themselves, but raising the value of individuals and recruiting capable talent.
In that respect, Maho’s talent—File—was quite advantageous for state affairs. It was a talent that magically grasped each individual’s strengths and weaknesses.
“…Mm-hmm.”
Maho pulled out the thickest file among them. It was a file titled [Deculein].
“Princess. Please be careful so that Deculein does not discover that talent. He is certain to dislike it. His personality is so foul.”
“Yes, yes, yes~”
Maho still did not know Deculein very well. Their only direct connection was that she had once been saved by him; in other places, she had merely passed him by.
Because of that, her expectations were instead brimming.
“I’m looking forward to it~ I’m so looking forward to it~ I wonder what the professor will be like~ I heard he even won the war against Rohakan~”
Maho had secretly participated in the previous Floating Island exam and been assigned the rank of “Candle,” but this time, she would be going to the Empire as a special exchange student of the Magic Tower.
However, it was not a lighthearted study abroad. Nor was her purpose truly only to meet Deculein.
“Then let’s depart now~ To the entrance ceremonyyy~”
There was a much heavier, more important meaning behind it.
A matter on which the fate of not only the duchy, but the continent, depended.
She was leaving to discuss the Altar and the Jeokgwe.
* * *
I dealt with the countless papers flooding into the 77th floor of the Magic Tower. As I accepted the thoughts and arguments of innumerable mages, I came to understand clearly just how many books I had read, and what kind of knowledge I had acquired.
Reading without prejudice and acquiring without bias.
Comprehension operates in connection with my background knowledge, and now that its foundation has become as vast as the sea, there is nothing I do not know, at least at the “Magic Tower level.” Even if there should be something I do not know, I will inevitably come to know it.
“Master. We have arrived.”
Ren spoke. I put down the paper I had been reading.
“Haaaaaah…”
Epherene’s yawn rang out languidly. At that moment, the car door flew open.
“Hey, I had something to say, so why did you come so late?”
It was Yeriel. She was with none other than Ihelm.
“Oh~ If it isn’t Mage Deculein, the genius of formula interpretation. I read your book well in the north.”
Ihelm grinned and tapped the crown of Epherene’s head.
“It’s been a while too, Leaf.”
“…Ah, what the heck. Why are you here?”
“That’s what I want to ask. Why are you here?”
“I’m staying here now. Oh, Lady Yeriel!”
Having belatedly discovered Yeriel, Epherene quickly clung to her. Whether they had grown close at some point, Yeriel received her appropriately.
“Yeah, yeah. But you go inside. I have something to say.”
“Huh? Ah… yes. I happen to have a lot of papers to write too… I’ll be going!”
Epherene trotted back. Yeriel watched her from behind, then held out a document.
“A Jeokgwe village was discovered near the southern outskirts, and apparently the resistance is pretty severe. They say there’s a religious temple too, and battle priests or whatever. They’re asking for fire support.”
The place name was [Barahal]. It was a request for support from the imperial family to annihilate all the Jeokgwe there.
Yeriel continued with a calm expression.
“It looks like the proper oppression is about to begin now.”
Barahal.
I searched my memory for a moment. I tried to recall that place name.
“Oppa… no, what are you going to do?”
In this world, the Jeokgwe are divided into two groups. Those who cooperate with the Altar, and those who do not.
Barahal belongs to the former. A tribe already brainwashed, with no room for persuasion.
“They must be killed.”
There is no need to waste time devising humanitarian methods. They are a breed with no possibility of reformation whatsoever, who will only scheme to stab us in the back.
Yeriel’s shoulders trembled faintly. Ihelm smiled deeply.
“Haha. That’s right. I think so too. Isn’t that why you were selected as my partner?”
“…What are you saying?”
At Ihelm’s words, Yeriel narrowed her eyes.
“You were selected as his assistant.”
“What? Hey, you’re still as bold as ever, aren’t you?”
“I am. So what?”
“…Tsk. You two have similar personalities.”
“Yeriel.”
I called Yeriel. Then Yeriel looked up at me with a slightly anxious face.
“Return to Hadekain.”
“…”
“Leave matters in the capital to me, and do what you must do.”
Thud—.
I placed a hand on Yeriel’s shoulder. Meeting her faintly trembling eyes, I spoke in a low voice.
“Nothing will happen.”
The sunset descended upon Yeriel. Her shadowed face crumpled for a moment as though she were about to cry.
“…”
She lowered her head without a word.
Soon, a smile appeared on those small lips.
“Yeah. I believe you.”
Answering so, she planted her forehead against my chest. Bonk—she bounced off, then got into the waiting car again with her usual crisp expression.
“Then I’ll be going!”
“Ah, right. My lady.”
At that moment, Ren called out to Yeriel.
“What?”
Yeriel stuck her face out the window. Ren took a receipt out from inside his clothes.
“This is an invoice.”
“What invoice?”
“There was an order from Master, but the balance in the account was insufficient, so we covered it with a family check. Please provide your payment signature.”
“…What the hell are you talking about?”
She accepted the receipt for the time being.
“…”
As Yeriel silently stared at that long slip of paper, her already-large eyes gradually widened.
And then.
“W-w-w-what is this———!”
A scream that shook the sunset thunderously.
I sent a glance to the driver of the car Yeriel was in.
“Three hundred million, three hundred million elne?! Mana stones, the highest-grade mana stones, mana stones, highest-grade crystals—why did you buy this many!”
She shouted furiously and glared at me.
“No, the Magic Tower gives you mana stones too! More importantly, why, what did you—why did you spend three hundred million? Ah, I’m seriously going crazy—! We’re short on cash now too—!”
Vroom. Just then, the engine started, and Yeriel flinched in surprise before glaring at the driver.
“Hey, what are you doing? Stop. Turn off the engine right now. Open the door. Open the door and…”
I said,
“When you get back, just sign it.”
“What?! Hey, open this door!”
I restrained Yeriel with Telekinesis as she tried to open the car door and get out, then sent the driver another sharp, murderous glare.
“A-ahem. We will depart.”
The driver stepped on the accelerator. As the car glided away, Yeriel’s shouts continued one after another.
“No, stop! I said stop! I need to hear the explanation! Why you spent three hundred million elne! No, why did you spend it! I said why did you spend it! I have to at least know why you spent it so I won’t feel wronged! Did your luxury disease act up again? Hey! Hey! Hey…”
The sound that had gradually grown distant was soon buried in the wind, and I cleared my throat with a dry cough.
“Wow. You spent three hundred million elne on mana stones and crystals? Impressive. There can’t be much cash going around because of postwar reconstruction, either.”
Ihelm murmured in admiration. I glanced at him.
“You should return now too.”
“Ah. Sure. Well, since we’re partners now, let’s get along better than before.”
Ihelm smiled greasily and held out his hand to me.
“Let’s go kill some Jeokgwe together, yeah? And, you know, right? Manipulation and auxiliary types synergize with each other—”
I ignored him. Without even listening, I turned away.
* * *
I created a cave in the place within the mansion grounds where the mana concentration was highest. With Psychokinesis and Wood Steel, I had dug out a fairly deep underground passage in no time.
“Hmm.”
A vivid blue cavern thickly plastered with the highest-grade mana stones and crystals. Because of my Aesthetic Sense, which activated naturally, it was in fact more neat and orderly like some kind of temple than a cave.
“Do you not need food or the like?”
“I do not.”
“Yes. I will take my leave.”
Ren withdrew. I transmuted a chair in the center of the “training room.” Sitting still, I gazed into the air.
[Available for Purchase: Qualitative Enhancement of Mana (Stage 3)]
[Would you like to purchase it?]
To go beyond stage 3—in other words, to stage 4—the necessary shop currency would surge sharply to a full 160, making this essentially the final advancement I could achieve through shop currency.
Without hesitation, I pressed the system button.
[‘Qualitative Enhancement of Mana (Stage 3)’ is being applied.]
It was merely a system message that appeared as one sentence.
Thump—!
In that instant, my heart convulsed. My face naturally contorted, and pain flooded through the blood vessels of my entire body.
It felt as though every bone, every piece of flesh, and every muscle in my body was being broken apart and rebuilt. Pain that shattered Iron Man.
An agony so severe that, with any less mental strength, I would already have fainted dozens of times continued without end.
As if my organs were being severed, minced, and sliced thin. As if my heart were being ground down, torn open, and gouged out with a chainsaw.
“…”
Blood gathered in my mouth.
It seemed like it would block my airway, so I spat it out, but I did not bend over. I did not lose my dignity.
I merely sat in the chair and endured it…
…
…A little more time passed, and late at night, beneath the rising full moon.
“…”
Epherene blinked as she stared at the passage leading underground.
It was a place she had discovered by chance while looking for Deculein to go to sleep.
“…What is this?”
In a corner of the mansion, a blue-tinged underground passage.
Epherene placed a hand near her mouth and tilted her head, then quietly stepped forward. She advanced slowly.
“Wow. Are these all mana stones? And crystals?”
It was her intuition as a mage—no, her instinct. Because an enormous amount of mana was gushing out from below.
Was this Professor Deculein’s training room? Epherene blinked and called out to Deculein.
“Professor~ Are you here? Wow. This really is a mana stone.”
Epherene marveled at the mana stones and crystals filling every direction, and called Deculein’s name again.
“Professor~ Professor~ Can I write my paper here too~?”
Down the passage, deeper into the underground, she descended…