Chapter 854
Chapter 854
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 854
Chapter Title: Thesis Audit (2)
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Lisenn Erbat bit at her fingernails out of sheer anxiety.
At 10 a.m. in one hour, the opinion coordination session for the research misconduct audit would begin in Hall 2 of the Scriptorium.
There would be a total of eleven participants.
Countess Gremony, the Chief Librarian overseeing the audit; three senior librarians from the Scriptorium; five associate librarians.
And then the paper's author and key witness, Shin Siu, along with the accuser, Lisenn Erbat.
"This is utter madness..."
Forced to take on Baron Demer's orders due to her massive debts, Lisenn truly did not want to do this.
If Shin Siu failed to prove the paper was his own work, that would be one problem.
But if he succeeded in proving it, the fallout would be incomparably worse.
Baron Demer had prepared all the materials needed for objections and arguments during the audit process, and he'd promised to handle any backlash that arose.
But even Baron Demer—how could he possibly stand against an enraged Countess Jemernai and Duke Tiferet?
If that were possible, he would've stepped forward himself.
In the end, if things went south, Lisenn would be the one left holding the bag.
"This is so unfair..."
As Lisenn steadied her trembling hands with a sip of black tea to calm her nerves, Baron Demer made his appearance.
"Lisenn, are your preparations complete?"
"Yes."
"You remember the plan?"
"Yes. Push for in-depth argumentation no matter what, right?"
In truth, misconduct audits had no fixed format.
They followed a trial-like procedure only in cases with clear ethical violations or irrefutable evidence, but for ambiguous issues like plagiarism, the accuser and author mutually agreed on the method, which could vary wildly.
That was why they held these pre-audit opinion coordination sessions.
"If Shin Siu's paper relied on someone else's help, he won't be able to answer unprepared questions."
"Right. No matter how much of a manual they've prepared, there are limits."
"Dragging it into a free-form debate like in-depth argumentation will expose his weaknesses eventually."
Lisenn nodded, clutching the thick stack of documents in her hand like a lifeline. It was a tricky question set devised by Baron Demer and his close aides.
"Even if he only fumbles three out of ten questions, Chief Librarian Gremony will rule in our favor. So don't worry too much."
Baron Demer was confident he knew what kind of person Chief Librarian Metis was.
She was a staunch traditionalist witch, every bit as rigid as Duke Erelim.
She would undoubtedly apply an extremely conservative standard to a paper from some upstart male witch who appeared out of nowhere.
"You really think so...?"
But Lisenn wasn't convinced.
Baron Demer's words weren't entirely baseless, but she couldn't imagine the Chief Librarian making a judgment call based on prejudice alone.
"Of course. Trust me."
"Yes, I'll trust you."
"If this goes well, I'll waive all the overdue interest and cut your debt in half."
"...Yes."
But now that she was riding the tiger, what good would doubting do?
She could only cling desperately to hope and believe.
2.
Hall 2 of the Scriptorium was a spacious lecture hall with tiered seating surrounding the podium.
It usually exuded a scholarly atmosphere for seminars, but today felt different.
"We will now commence the opinion coordination session for the thesis misconduct audit."
In the solemn air reminiscent of a courtroom, Metis Gremony spoke.
"Accuser, Lisenn Erbat."
Called first, Lisenn greeted Metis, who was seated at the central podium, then took her seat.
Until moments ago, as she entered, her face had been crushed under the weight of the pressure, on the verge of bursting.
But now, she wore a calm poker face.
She too was a survivor of the Red Roof Salon, where schemes and mind games ran rampant.
"Author, Shin Siu."
But the moment Shin Siu, impeccably dressed in a fine suit, sat at the facing table, Lisenn momentarily lost her composure.
She had seen him from afar before, given his fame.
Back then, her impression had been, Handsome, and kinda soft-looking.
But now, with his cold, unyielding lips and piercing gaze devoid of any softness, he exuded the intimidating presence of a veteran scholar whose scales had been rattled—not some young witch.
He didn't glare outright at Lisenn, but the chill in his eyes made even the 70-year veteran witch flinch.
"This audit concerns Shin Siu's paper, 'Coupling of Dissimilar Magnetic Spells: A Discussion on Repulsion Control Models Using Phase Matching.'
The accuser has raised suspicions that the author plagiarized another's work. Ms. Lisenn Erbat, do you have anything additional to submit beyond what you provided yesterday?"
"No."
"Mr. Shin Siu, the audit committee has determined that the evidence submitted by the accuser for the plagiarism allegation is insufficient. Therefore, if the author does not wish to make a statement, the audit will conclude here."
Lisenn swallowed hard.
Refuse it, just refuse, she prayed fervently in her mind.
Even if the audit fell through, Baron Demer would be satisfied.
Rumors would spread that Shin Siu lacked confidence and refused the misconduct audit request.
Lisenn had zero desire to get deeply entangled in this fight against her will.
But contrary to her hopes, Shin Siu nodded silently.
"I will make a statement."
"Very well, we shall proceed."
Metis, wearing glasses, flipped through her documents.
The Chief Librarian tilted her head slightly.
"Shin Siu, you haven't submitted your research notes. Have they not been delivered yet? You may submit them now if you wish."
"No. I have no intention of submitting them."
"Since you have agreed to make a statement, this audit must thoroughly verify the plagiarism allegations. Research notes are a key element in determining plagiarism.
The choice is yours, but refusing to submit may work against you in the audit. Are you aware of this?"
"Yes. I will not submit them."
"Understood."
Lisenn clenched her fist under the table.
He submitted the paper but hides the research notes?
Definitely something shady going on.
"There is no set procedure for clarifying plagiarism allegations. Therefore, I will facilitate an agreement between the author and accuser on the argumentation method. By convention, the author shall present first."
It was a heavy atmosphere even for Lisenn, yet Shin Siu had been utterly composed from the start.
He stood from his seat.
"I request in-depth argumentation."
A shiver of thrill cut through Lisenn's anxiety.
Jackpot.
Today's my lucky day.
If they had gone for cross-verification with references or an internal committee review, it could've gotten tricky.
After all, if this paper was truly a pampering project by the Jemernai family for their son-in-law, supplementing any paper-trail arguments would be a breeze.
That was why she had been angling for a free debate format.
She had been fretting over how to bait him, and now the big fish had swallowed the entire hook.
"However, there are two conditions."
"Please state them."
"I would like to allow observers."
"Observers?"
A slight stir rippled through the previously quiet audit committee seats.
For murky plagiarism audits like this, allowing observers wasn't unprecedented.
But it was rare for the author's side to request it.
In observer-included in-depth argumentation, not only the accuser but also observers got question opportunities—something even experts couldn't guarantee perfect answers for.
No matter how much the paper's author knew their work, unexpected angles could lead to floundering.
Hesitant or vague answers would immediately sour impressions.
For an inexperienced novice witch, it seemed like self-sabotage no matter how you sliced it.
"In exchange, if I fully clear the allegations, I want the accuser to compensate for any potential revenue loss due to this audit."
Metis, who had shown a puzzled expression, nodded as if understanding Shin Siu's intent. A flicker of interest passed over her usually impassive eyes.
He had been receiving house calls thanks to his recent paper.
But opening the audit to observers would reduce those 'potential clients' by that many.
Since he'd be explaining the paper during the clarification.
He was saying he'd pass the compensation burden to the accuser.
In other words, raising the stakes.
It added financial pressure to Lisenn's side, but failing clarification with observers present would plummet her reputation into the abyss.
After a brief consultation with the surrounding librarians, Chief Librarian Metis made her declaration.
"Very well. However, observers will be limited to one hundred. Potential revenue will be calculated at half the average fee from house calls. Mr. Shin Siu, any objections to these terms?"
"None."
House calls were detailed one-on-one coaching.
Observers, on the other hand, would be akin to a lecture audience, so it was a fair assessment.
"Ms. Lisenn Erbat, will you accept the author's proposal?"
Meanwhile, Lisenn fiddled with her nails, deep in thought.
Something felt off.
Shin Siu was far too confident.
Not content with proposing in-depth argumentation, he even wanted observers.
To the deliberating Lisenn, Shin Siu issued an ultimatum.
"Despite the accuser's insufficient evidence, I agreed to clarify the suspicions. I believe I've shown ample respect for the magical arts. If you reject this proposal, I will leave it to the audit committee's internal review instead of in-depth argumentation."
At Shin Siu's resolute finish, a flash of realization struck Lisenn.
Wait a minute.
Is this all just a bluff?
In-depth argumentation was the cleanest way to clear plagiarism suspicions but disadvantageous for the defense.
Even seasoned witches occasionally slipped on unforeseen questions.
He probably wanted the internal review from the start.
The best scenario for him was the accuser backing down from his burdensome proposal, settling for internal review.
That way, he wouldn't seem insistent on internal review from the outset, giving an impression of integrity.
In short, a clever bluff securing both practical gains and favorable impressions.
That was Lisenn's judgment.
"I accept the proposal."
"Understood."
Chief Librarian Metis summarized the agreements.
"I confirm that the accuser and author are in agreement. Clarification method: in-depth argumentation. Author's requests: admit one hundred observers; upon successful clarification, claim potential revenue loss from the accuser. Any differing understanding?"
"None."
"None."
"The research misconduct audit will proceed tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the main hall. Please attend on time. This concludes the opinion coordination for the research misconduct audit."
Lisenn gave Shin Siu one last look.
"......"
She couldn't read his expression.