Don't Worry, Darling
I somehow ended up sitting right next to Celia.
I leaned slightly toward her.
“When did I become the boss’s boyfriend?”
“... Just play along for now.”
Celia kept her smile in place and whispered in a small voice.
“I hate that guy—he’s so touchy...!”
“Really?”
“...”
“I have my pride too, you know.”
Celia’s eyebrows twitched.
“Thirty gold coins.”
I shot to my feet.
“Waaah!!! Who bullied my baby?! Who are you!!!!”
The restaurant fell silent.
Celia’s expression hardened as well.
Why is she looking at me like that?
I’m only doing my job, right?
Thirty gold coins should at least cover this much service for an honest transaction.
The blond man across from us let out a chuckle.
“Ha, haha... So the guy is Miss Celia’s boyfriend?”
“Y-yes...!”
Celia snapped back to her senses and grabbed my arm.
The man stared at me for a long time before asking.
“How old is that kid?”
“Eighteen.”
“... Twelve years apart...?”
Now that I thought about it, yes.
A couple with a twelve-year age gap.
Celia jumped in hurriedly.
“W-why? Is there something strange...?”
“The age difference seems rather large.”
I countered immediately.
“Age doesn’t matter in love!!! Right, darling?”
“E-eh... uh...?”
The man pressed his temple, then looked back at me.
“... Kid. What’s your name?”
“Leon.”
“Occupation?”
“Well, I’m a mage, but...”
“When did you start?”
“Five days ago.”
The man’s gaze slowly shifted to Celia.
“You’re dating an eighteen-year-old boy? And even a beginner mage who doesn’t match the status?”
“T-that’s my choice...”
“I can’t believe it.”
I don’t know why you’re claiming that, but my mood isn’t great.
I casually picked up a snack from the table and ate it.
Crunch.
The man thought for a moment, then set down his wine glass.
“Hey, Leon, right?”
“Yes.”
“Want to make a bet?”
“All of a sudden?”
“If you’re a mage, there’s no reason to refuse a fair competition.”
The man lifted the corner of his mouth.
“The category is the Formula Q&A.”
“Formula Q&A?”
I hadn’t heard of it before.
But Celia’s expression was the opposite.
“Wait. That’s way too advantageous for you!”
“It’s a traditional competition method that has continued among mages for hundreds of years. Where is it unfair?”
Traditional competition.
Now that I thought about it, the method itself was simple.
A third-party mage with no connection to either person creates an arbitrary spell on the spot.
The participants observe only the activation and mana flow, then reverse-calculate the elemental formula and modular formulas used.
Which element, how many modular formulas, etc.
The one who guesses more accurately and more precisely wins.
It was said that mages used this method when competing in skill in the past.
“I just want to check your talent.”
The man looked down at me with arrogant eyes.
“How suitable this kid is next to Miss Celia.”
“Why would you judge that qualification?”
“If I win, I’ll quietly withdraw from this matchmaking spot.”
Celia closed her mouth.
I scratched my chin.
“Annoying.”
Honestly, whether the matchmaking continues or not is none of my business.
I already agreed to thirty gold coins, and I ate plenty of food.
I can just leave.
“... Leon.”
Celia lightly grabbed my sleeve.
“Just leave like this. No need to accept. No matter how much of a genius you are, the Formula Q&A is a competition where experience matters.”
“Mm.”
“That guy is about to advance to Archmage. His experience can’t compare to yours.”
That’s true.
I only learned about propulsion and direction formulas this morning.
But aside from that.
“Annoying?”
Kid, beginner.
I’ve been subtly poking at people since earlier. I can’t just sit still, right?
“Well, I can’t stand being ignored.”
Above all, it’s also a chance to use what I learned today right away.
“Leon...!”
Celia looked at me with worry.
I chuckled and lightly tapped her shoulder.
“Don’t worry, darling.”
“...?”
“I’ll win.”
“...”
Celia’s eyes widened.
Why that expression again?
Am I just fulfilling the boyfriend role?
“Wonderful.”
A smile spread on the blond man’s lips.
There was a middle-aged man in gray robes sitting at a table a bit away.
When the man approached and explained the situation politely, he set down his glass with an interested expression.
“Formula Q&A, huh. It’s been a while.”
“May I trouble you for a moment?”
“No problem. I used to do it quite a bit in pubs back in the day.”
So they really did that in pubs.
Mages must have nothing better to do than all sorts of things.
We stood a few steps apart.
The middle-aged mage raised his palm, and blue mana slowly gathered.
The blond man said with a laugh.
“First round, please be gentle. He’s still a kid.”
Eighteen isn’t too young to be called a kid.
It’s nice you’re giving him leeway, but it’s a bit unpleasant.
I might get serious.
The middle-aged mage started chanting without a word.
Four blue spheres appeared in the air.
The spheres scattered in different directions, drew a large circle, rotated for a moment, then gathered back to one point.
The man’s gaze moved quickly.
“Water elemental formula. Shape formula is sphere. One output formula, one branching formula. Two propulsion formulas. One direction and one coordinate formula.”
It took only a few seconds to answer.
The middle-aged mage nodded.
“Excellent.”
Small gasps of admiration came from around.
It seems the rumor that he’ll soon become an Archmage isn’t false.
But what can I do.
[Analyzing the formula.]
[Analysis complete.]
I skimmed the content that appeared before my eyes.
“There’s one more maintenance formula there.”
“...?”
The blond man turned to me.
“There’s also a rotation formula, and when the four spheres merge at the end, one synchronization formula.”
The middle-aged mage’s eyes widened.
“... Correct.”
This time the surrounding noise grew louder.
The blond man looked at me and then chuckled.
“... So it was good luck after all.”
“Luck? Well, feel free to think that.”
I looked at the middle-aged mage.
“Next, please make it a bit more difficult.”
“Will it be okay?”
“Of course.”
The middle-aged mage’s mouth lifted.
“Then let’s do it properly.”
This time the mana gathering took longer.
Red and blue lights intertwined, and six long windows appeared in the air.
The windows flew straight, then split into three branches in the middle. They changed direction, crossed each other, and soon flew toward one point simultaneously before disappearing.
It looked quite complex.
The blond man’s expression became a bit more serious.
“Fire and air... no, fire, air, and even light—three elemental formulas.”
One by one, answers followed.
“Shape formula. Output formula. Branching formula. Three propulsion formulas. Two direction change formulas. Coordinate formula, synchronization formula, maintenance formula... and even one compression formula. Total sixteen.”
People around had already stood up and were watching.
“Guessed sixteen at once?”
“You really are someone about to advance to Archmage.”
“At that level, it’s almost like you’ve seen all of them.”
The man’s face regained some ease.
“How is it?”
The middle-aged mage didn’t say the correct answer.
Instead he looked at me.
Did you see everything?
[Analysis complete.]
“Fire, air, light.”
I folded my fingers one by one.
“Shape formula one, output formula one, branching formula one. Propulsion formulas three, direction change formulas two, coordinate formula one, synchronization formula one, maintenance formula one. Compression formula one.”
The blond man smiled faintly.
“Ultimately the same as me―”
“And two rotation formulas.”
The smile stopped.
“Collision formula one. Delay formula one. Safety formulas two. Connection formula one, circulation formula one.”
I confirmed the last number and finished.
“Total twenty-four.”
Silence fell.
The middle-aged mage didn’t speak for a while.
Then he slowly nodded.
“... All correct.”
The restaurant was in an uproar.
“It’s really twenty-four?”
“Not a single one wrong?”
“What on earth is this kid’s identity?”
The blond man’s face hardened.
But in my eyes, one more was still left.
[Duplicate structure detected.]
[One safety formula can be removed.]
[Expected mana consumption decreases by 6.2%.]
“And.”
The middle-aged mage looked at me.
“You can remove one safety formula, right?”
“... What?”
“The connection formula in front is already blocking backflow, so the back safety formula is doing the same role.”
I traced the faint mana path in the air with my finger.
“If I connect the circulation to this side and remove one safety formula, it will work the same. Mana will be less too.”
“...?”
The middle-aged mage stared at the formula’s traces for a moment, then raised his hand again.
After modifying some as I said, he reproduced the previous magic exactly.
Six windows were generated, scattered, crossed, flew toward the same point, and disappeared.
“... Indeed.”
The middle-aged mage checked the remaining mana.
“The mana consumption has also decreased.”
This time it didn’t end with murmurs.
“You improved the formula on the spot just by seeing it once?”
“You’re a beginner mage who just started? That’s impossible!”
“Name is Leon, right? What on earth is this little brat?”
Celia grabbed my sleeve.
“L-Leon.”
“Why?”
“You said you hadn’t learned any modular formulas...?”
“I learned them today.”
“... Today?”
“Iris taught me well.”
Celia’s mouth opened.
Why so surprised?
It’s a fact that if the teacher teaches well, the student learns well.
[Negative -]
Aigoo.
Using AI well is also a skill.
The blond man opposite didn’t say anything for a while.
The relaxed expression he had until a moment ago had completely disappeared.
Eventually he slowly stood up.
“... I will keep my promise.”
“Matchmaking?”
“Consider it nonexistent.”
“Support money too?”
The man’s footsteps paused.
“... I’ll send it as is.”
Of course.
If he says it with one mouth, it’s fine.
I like that attitude.
He didn’t say anything more and left the restaurant.
And someone clapped first.
Clap.
After that, one by one, applause followed.
“It’s unbelievable! That’s the skill of a beginner mage who just learned to walk?”
“At that age, such overwhelming reverse-engineering!”
“Miss Celia director made a great profit. Having a monster like that next to you!”
I slowly stood up and spread my arms.
“Hahaha!”
Yes.
“Praise me!”
Do more.
“Worship me!”
People shouldn’t hide their strength.
After enjoying the applause for a while, Celia came over.
Her face, which had been hardened until now because she was in a good mood, was gone.
“Leon.”
“Why?”
“Do you know how to drink?”
“... Drink?”
Now that I thought about it, since transmigrating I hadn’t drunk even once.
Celia heard my answer and smiled wickedly.
“Want a drink? Today I’ll pour it properly.”
Why is she smiling like that?
“Well, sure.”
I should have refused.