Chapter 12
Chapter 12
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Became the Greatest Genius in History
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Um, there's one more thing I want to ask..."
"Yes."
Etilla was persistent.
Even after witnessing Ester's near-perfect magic theory, she wouldn't stop asking questions.
She wanted to find some flaw in the genius boy no matter what.
"Have you understood?"
The more she asked, the higher Ester's stature rose.
"This problem is more effective using the method written in the current solution rather than the calculation method typically used by other mages."
Even more so.
"B-But explosion spells usually belong to the flame school of magic. This formula doesn't generate fire elements at all...?"
There were times when Etilla would present an answer with calculations that utterly defied common sense, which she couldn't comprehend at all.
"Haa..."
Each time, Ester let out a small sigh.
As if he were extremely displeased at having to explain such problems one by one.
"Even after seeing my answer, you still don't understand?"
"O-Of course!! How can you create an explosion using only wind elements and telekinesis!? This answer is complete nonsense!!"
Ester stopped writing.
"It seems I've overestimated your abilities, Miss Etilla."
"Huh!?"
"I had no idea you were so ignorant about magic."
Etilla's hands trembled.
*'I'm ignorant about magic?'*
She was the only one at Tristy Academy receiving a full scholarship.
All the mage towers were sending her love calls even before graduation.
And this genius mage, predicted to reach transcendence in five years, was ignorant?
"What do you...!!"
Ester cut off Etilla's words with an utterly dry voice.
"A picture is worth a thousand words."
"What does that mean..."
"Hearing it a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once. Take this solution and try it yourself."
Ester held out his notebook.
Etilla snatched the notebook with a fit of irritation.
*'Just you wait. I'll throw those exact words right back at you...!!'*
Mana boiled up inside her body, just like the emotions Etilla was feeling now.
She began the verification.
She was determined to directly refute the answer given by Ester Tristy.
Etilla's magical understanding was exceptional.
If Ester hadn't appeared, she would have been the one to solve the Millennium Problem.
Etilla memorized and analyzed Ester's calculation formula in her mind.
*'Generate wind elements and grip them tightly with telekinesis without any gaps...'*
Then she manifested it in reality.
"......"
An unbelievable sight unfolded.
KABOOM!!
A small explosion occurred.
It was magic even the caster, Etilla, couldn't understand.
*'What in the world is this...'*
The cost was a whopping three times lower than conventional explosion magic, yet the power was more than double.
Ester shrugged his shoulders.
"Magic is a convenient discipline. That's why ordinary mages tend to overlook something very important."
The genius boy who solved the Millennium Problem explained to the stunned Etilla.
"It's the laws of this world."
Ester extended his hand to Dalpi.
"Knife."
"Yes, Young Master."
With the knife he received from Dalpi, Ester began drawing a formula on the stone floor.
"The explosion spell mainly taught in the flame school..."
Forces the phenomenon of explosion by paying mana as the price.
Ester drew an X over the formula on the floor.
"I think this process is extremely inefficient. There's no reason to stick to the current method. That's because the principles and types of explosions are incredibly diverse."
"......"
"Let me give an example."
Ester drew fire.
"Fire is a reaction that occurs when hot combustible materials combine with oxygen and burn. In magic, we can skip this and create fire by paying mana."
However.
"To sustain the fire created that way, you would need to continuously consume mana, but mages don't do that—they transfer the fire to combustible materials."
The reason was simple.
Because it's more efficient.
"Magic is a discipline that can produce greater power when combined with the rules of the world."
Ester wrote the words 'High-Pressure Explosion.'
"Miss Etilla, do you know that explosions can occur with just gas and pressure?"
Like the boiler explosions from volume expansion commonly seen in Ester's previous life, air compressor explosions from overpressure, or physical explosions from overpressure due to high-speed rotation in high-speed centrifuges.
The magic formula Ester wrote was a method applying explosions from high pressure.
The fusion of science and magic.
It was a groundbreaking method that was up to five times more efficient than the explosion spells mages mainly used until now.
"......"
In Etilla's eyes, Ester looked like someone who understood the rules of this world more clearly than anyone.
He knew that phenomena people commonly encounter in daily life existed between universal truths and laws.
That's why.
The words Ester was uttering now.
Were shocking answers that shattered to the root all the common sense Etilla had built up until now.
"I think Miss Etilla Badford's magical talent is excellent."
"......"
"But the magic you know right now is only half of it."
Etilla couldn't say anything.
It felt like the world she knew until now was shattering into pieces.
A new sacred figure had brazenly appeared before the girl who had maintained absolute first place.
"I believe Miss Etilla can grow into a tremendous mage."
"......"
"I hope this conversation helps with your growth."
Ester Tristy was dazzling beyond measure.
The star called Etilla was being overshadowed by a genius burning even brighter at this very moment.
"Hnng... Wuuh..."
Etilla shed tears drop by drop.
She was furious.
She had been completely defeated by Ester.
The gap in skill between him and her was like heaven and earth.
She despised herself for being unable to refute the boy's words.
She was a frog in a well, literally.
Her past self, who had strutted around as a genius girl, felt utterly shameful.
"Hic, hng, waaah...!!"
Etilla ran away crying.
"Ah, Miss!?"
Rangrang hurriedly followed behind Etilla.
Ester looked at Etilla's back with a thoroughly bewildered expression.
But there was no way Etilla could see that.
*'Just you wait, Ester Tristy...!!'*
Etilla vowed as she ran.
She would definitely show Ester Tristy what she was made of.
She would make that arrogant face panic for sure.
She vowed to prove that she was the genius mage, postponing it to next time.
Splat.
Etilla, running hard, ended up falling flat on the ground.
"Waaah!!"
Etilla wailed loudly while sprawled on the ground.
"Oh dear, Miss..."
Rangrang hugged the pitifully crying Etilla.
"Uuu, hng... Rangrang."
And so, Etilla returned to the dormitory tightly held in her maid's arms.
***
"Dalpi!! It's fine, right!! It's not bad, right!! It's the coolest, right!!"
For the first time in this world, I made a girl cry.
No, I really didn't mean to make her cry.
I was just kindly answering the questions from the girl who came to ask about school homework, as practice for etiquette before meeting the mage tower lord.
Because with Nob AI, problems like that could be solved easily!!
But somehow, I ended up making Etilla cry.
"Yes."
"It's not fine at all!! It's bad!! She ran away crying!!"
Dalpi tilted her head.
"Mortals always run away crying when they see geniuses."
"No... this is too much..."
"To begin with, you've been too pathetic until now, Young Master."
Dalpi cut off my words sharply.
"Look at your other siblings. Considering how Master Kenneth and Lady Wurel walk around with puffed-up shoulders, this is normal."
"Th-That's..."
"Even Master Felix, who has nothing going for him, barked like that, so I think this is quite gentlemanly."
Hearing it, it made sense, so I couldn't refute.
"You can be pathetic in front of me. This confident attitude toward others is much better. Don't you hate being looked down on, Young Master?"
Dalpi was logical.
Right. There must be a reason Dalpi is saying this much.
"Pfft, you were a genius mage, gulp, in the flesh..."
There really must be a reason, right...?
Anyway.
*'Professor Aria hasn't left for home already, has she...'*
Looking up at the sky, the sunset was already fading.
"I need to hurry."
"Let's go quickly."
Etilla had taken up too much time.
Considering what happened at the front gate, coming back to the academy might require a bit of courage.
I didn't hate the attention from people, but moderation is key in all things.
Dalpi and I quickened our steps.
***
"I need to head home early today..."
Professor Aria stared at the documents needing approval by tomorrow with eyes sunken in dark circles, then stood up from her seat.
Today's work for tomorrow's me.
She normally wouldn't push work back so irresponsibly.
But because a certain genius had caused a massive incident by solving the Millennium Problem, the Red Mage Tower was in utter chaos.
Major projects that had no progress were now sailing smoothly by applying the Hellfire Recreation, and even Aria, working as an academy professor, was being thrown in as a research resource.
"I'm really going to die like this..."
Today, she would collapse into bed.
She placed the stacked mugs on the assistant's desk and grabbed her coat sniffling.
Just as she was about to head home in a refreshed mood, someone knocked on the professor's room door.
"I'm off today, so if you have a report, come to me tomorrow..."
Unfortunately, the people at the door weren't Aria's assistant.
"Hello. I'm Ester Tristy. I came because of the letter from the Mage Tower Lord."
"I'm Dalpi, the maid serving Young Master Ester."
Aria blinked.
Looks like heading home early today was out of the question.