The Magic Academy's Physicist-Chapter 48: Your Paper’s Kind Of Awesome (7)

Chapter 48: Your Paper’s Kind Of Awesome (7)

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In the past few days, numerous mages gathered at the Society located in the Academy.

It might be more accurate to say that they were summoned. The one who called them was none other than the chairman of Tilette.

All prominent Fire Mages of the Empire as well as the rest had been invited. Practically everyone came besides Professor Hasfeldt who had declined.

They were gathered for a simple reason.

A peer review. For that sole purpose, the scholars were holding their own version of the Solvay Conference1.

That time flew by. There were no issues with the paper, and fellow scholars went back more inspired than they had expected. After everyone left, the chairman watched the same recording over and over again.

“I still can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

As part of the submission, a few photos and a recording were also enclosed along with the paper. The author had included them for reference.

And if one checked the recording, an unbelievable sight played out.

The background within the video was a snowy tundra. A frozen landscape, sparse Nunatak peaks amidst the silence of a blizzard. A large beast burst through that silence.

It was a Magic Beast that the Academy’s chairman, Jakob Robespierre, knew well–the ‘Homarus’.

The Homarus was categorized as a Calamity, an entity with tough armor that required several experienced mages to take down.

And such a beast was destroyed with a single beam of light.

Robespierre doubted his eyes for the nth time.

How could this not be a manipulation....

He had such a hard a believing that he called for video technicians to check if the film had been manipulated in any way. The results of the analysis were absurdly simple.

─ No traces of any manipulation or editing to be found anywhere.

Robespierre tapped on his office desk and looked down. The title of the paper came into view.

[The Research of Flare’s Scroll Construction and Discharge Method Using Earth Magic Equipment]Has Flare truly been completed?

If that was the case, then it was a monumental achievement in continental history. Because by defeating a Calamity with one blow, it became evident that they’d be able to launch an effective strike against a Cataclysm as well.

Until now, humanity had no way to stand against the Cataclysms, hence they always lived in instinctive fear of Magic Beasts. Like they had long ago in the face of plagues with unknown causes and all they could do was pray to the gods....

If Flare is complete, we needn’t fear anymore.

The northern front would be established and the Calamities would drop like flies against the mages like the low-level beasts. The Empire’s territory would expand and there’d be an improvement in the welfare of the people. And perhaps this long, long battle against the beasts might come to an end.

Who could it be?

Robespierre waited a few more days after stamping the paper with the seal of approval, as that was when the paper accepted for journal publication would be opened to the members.

Time flowed into May. The chairman was awestruck by the appearance of unexpected names.

[The First and Corresponding Author : Aether]

[Co-authors : Lotte Saliere / Freyr Shelkany]

Aren’t all three of them undergraduates? And first-years at that!

The name of the girl registered as the corresponding author was particularly surprising.

Aether.

Was there any staff in the school who didn’t know this name?

The fact that she had been a slave under Professor Hasfeldt for three years and then was miraculously accepted into the Academy had also reached the chairman’s ears.

Furthermore, her admission rank was second place, scoring a perfect mark on the written test. 400 out of 400, the first and highest score in Tilette history.

Her only disadvantage was being born as a Golden-Eyed. Yet the fact that Aether didn’t fail the practical was proof that she had overcome the limits of her species.

But he had assumed it was only at the level of an undergraduate.

Who would have thought that she’d create something like this a mere two months after entering?

Was it because she was a Golden-Eyed known for their intelligence?

Or had she become this capable at research from all those years spent as a slave of Professor Hasfeldt?

Either way, it was an impressive feat. At least this much was certain, that she was a gifted figure who you’d see once in a millennium if that.

“How interesting, a slave who took and completed what her master had been researching.”

“Professor Heerlein, as far as I know you’ve been friends with Professor Hasfeldt for ten years. Is it right for you to talk behind her back in this way?”

“Huhu, that’s exactly why I can say it. From my end, it was concerning how engrossed she had been in one thing and couldn’t see outside of that.”

Burying herself into the sofa, Professor Heerlein lifted her teacup.

“I already know you intend to ask her to attend the conference. I’ll also attend then.”

“You act as if you’re her homeroom teacher rather than Hasfeldt.”

“Ah, I haven’t told you.”

“......?”

“No, nevermind. It’s something that has already passed.”

He heard the sound of sipping from behind. The scent of fresh black tea filled the office.

“I’m not particularly curious, either. More importantly, with Flare completed we’ll be able to purge the palace of those bastards nesting within.”

“Are you planning on preparing a guillotine or something?”

“A guillotine would be too easy for those creatures. And the blade would be useless against them anyway.”

“Then... What about what we’ve been planning?”

“That will be the last resort....”

Slurp.

“For now, we will watch for an opportunity and attempt a hit.”

**Two months passed since entering Tilette.

Time sure did fly. When I was a slave, everyday had been a living hell.

As I continued with my tasks, I received a letter addressed to me at the dorm.

[Sender : Jakob Robespierre]This person, I’ve seen this name before.

Searching through my memory, I opened the letter. It took me reading a few lines to realize that the sender was the Academy’s chairman.

[There will be a presentation held for the paper you have submitted. We ask that you share your thoughts with the rest of the academic community to accelerate the advancement of Fire Magic.]

[The board is currently holding internal discussions about awarding academic incentives and recognition to the first author Aether and contributing co-authors Lotte Saliere and Freyr Shelkany. We will aim for the best outcome so that you may be exempted from tuition fees next semester.]

[In addition, those of us on the board will do our best so that you, Miss Aether, will be granted the status of Viscount at the very least by His Majesty the Emperor immediately upon graduating.]

[Please do not feel pressured as you’ve fully earned everything through this achievement, and we hope that you continue striving for a better performance. Thank you.]

[Chairman of Tilette Magic Academy, Marquis Jakob Robespierre (Seal)]

I wondered if it was alright for the chairman of the Academy to be this courteous towards a mere undergraduate without a surname, but... yeah. That was how much Flare was being acknowledged as important, I suppose.

That aside, share my ‘thoughts’ with everyone in academia?

Basically, they wanted me to hold a Q&A session. That was a bit overwhelming for a newbie who’d just set foot into this circle.

Still, it wasn’t completely undoable.

Midterms were done and I just happened to be free. I had no reason to decline.

There weren’t many opportunities to meet with the authorities of academia. If I took this as a chance to establish connections, then it should become easier to fill out the index as well. It wouldn’t be something that hurt or upset me, at least.

[Is that about three days, then? There actually isn’t that much time to prepare.]

It was only a presentation, not even preparation for a procedure. And since I was only an undergraduate freshman, it was likely that they wouldn’t hound me so much. I decided to just take what I’d need for a brief presentation.

Well, it wouldn’t be my first rodeo, either.

**

It was a beautiful day at the beginning of May when it happened.

“I-It’s done.... It’s finished!”

The final test also succeeded. This was the birth of the ultimate Fire Magic after many generations.

Klais, having successfully created Flare with the ‘Magic Element-Energy Convertibility Theorem’ and her own unique design, smiled in satisfaction as she puffed mana grass.

The paper was almost done being written. Once she filled in the final data and did a few more calculations, the masterpiece of a century was born. It was the completion of Flare.

At last, the deep-rooted prayer of the family was answered.

It had been a long time.

Too long.

Conservatively speaking, she wasn’t certain if the Flare that she developed would be able to defeat a Cataclysm. But tests had been conducted where the armor of every Calamity-level beast melted, so she believed it would deliver an effective blow to Cataclysms as well.

Anyway, the research result that she had achieved on her own without the help of the Golden-Eyed tasted unbelievably sweet. The corners of her mouth lifted automatically at the thought of being complimented by her father who she had followed around since young.

Klais sealed up all the material, put on her witch’s hat and stepped outside. The light that hadn’t been fixed yet flickered wildly but it wasn’t a big concern at the moment.

It was warm outside. Dark clouds started to form as if it might rain tomorrow, but the temperature was still warm. A bird could be heard cuckooing in intervals from the back mountain nearby.

“Welcome!”

After being greeted by the employees working in the Society, she made her way towards the reception to submit her paper. The way to the reception desk was a long, straight hallway.

“Oh.... That’s....”

Two people were walking this way from the opposite end of the hall. Klais narrowed her eyes and glared at the tall, middle-aged man of the two.

“It has been a while since I had such a productive conversation. It’s fortunate that we were able to have an intellect like yourself admitted to Tilette.”

The voice was familiar as well.

He was the chairman of Tilette Academy, Robespierre.

“Haha.... You’re too kind.”

The one who responded to his words was a girl. She was neatly dressed in an undergraduate uniform, and there was a glossiness to her long, waist-length hair. The features of her face were set together in a golden ratio, and the most noticeable thing was the glittering gold of her irises.

“By the way.......”

The next moment.

The girl’s footsteps came to a halt. At the same time, Klais’ feet stopped as well.

Klais turned her eyes to the thick envelope held in the Golden-Eyed girl’s arms.

Gaze crossed with gaze. Klais could instinctively tell that something was wrong here.

Finally, the girl spoke.

“...... May I have the patent for Flare?”

Footnotes

1. "The Solvay Conferences have been devoted to preeminent unsolved problems in both physics and chemistry" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solvay_Conference