Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: You Saw It?
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"...Saw it?"
Korea University Magic Engineering Building Room 301.
The atmosphere was downright murderous.
The cause?
"Do you lot carry your heads around just for decoration?"
A tiny giant stood at the podium.
Elma Bronzebeer.
A dwarf from another world, Arcadia, and the head of this university's Magic Engineering Department.
The youngest tenured professor in the Republic of Korea-Eisenberg Federation.
Her palm slammed down on the desk.
Bam.
"Don't you know that if you keep this up, the mana circuit could lose its insulation? What, do you want to get barbecued? Huh? Answer me, Kim."
"S-Sorry..."
"If you're sorry, why don't you go study liberal arts? Tweaking Excel sheets to suit the tastes of us old folks would contribute more to magic engineering anyway."
Vicious tongue-lashing.
The male student's face turned from pale to ashen.
Elma Bronzebeer.
150 cm tall.
Pretty tall for a dwarf.
A knack for craftsmanship unique to her race, genius-level knowledge.
And a doll-like appearance to top it all off.
Everything seemed perfect, but her personality was a wreck.
No wonder the undergrads called her a 'psychopath.'
'Hard to believe that's a dwarf.'
Most people picture stocky, bearded old men when they hear 'dwarf.'
But she was different.
Lush brown twintails.
Flawless skin like white jade.
A beauty who made a black dress look perfect.
Above all...
'How does she have proportions like that at her height?'
Proportions that were unbelievable for 150 cm.
Long legs, and her bust straining against her clothes like it might burst free.
"Next. Student Choi Si-hoon."
"...Y-Yes! Yes!"
I shot to my feet at the sudden call.
Elma's almond-shaped eyes scanned me over.
"You only just returned from leave, right?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"About that 'control device' proposal you submitted."
She snorted derisively.
Bad vibes.
"The theory sounds plausible enough. Collapsing mana distribution with interference waves? Nice idea."
"Thank you."
"That wasn't praise, you idiot."
Thwack!
Her palm slammed the desk again.
"That's only possible in theory. How do you plan to implement it? With your own hands? Are your hands some kind of semiconductor assembly robot arm or something?"
Giggles erupted from around the room.
Even though they'd been scared of her themselves.
Professor Elma crossed her arms and haughtily tilted her chin up.
"Fine. I'll commend that 'idea' of yours and give you a chance. Have it implemented by the next class. Fail, and it's an F. Sit down."
An F? I needed to retake credits...
I swallowed my injustice and sat back down.
Still, I'd make it work somehow.
I had one modest talent, after all.
Mana Sense.
Mine was unusually sharp.
=======================================
Next class time.
The students gathered at the back of the lecture hall, in front of the lab equipment.
"Si-hoon, you okay? Professor looks to be in a bad mood today of all days."
The TA approached with a worried look.
I forced a smile.
"Gotta try somehow. An F means goodbye scholarship."
"Um... who knows? It might work out. Professor Elma acts tough, but she likes talented students. F-Fighting..."
Likes? Nah, she just enjoys tormenting people.
I sighed and fiddled with the 'controller.'
An ancient piece of junk.
Tuition's sky-high, but the equipment's a joke.
Precise control with this?
Whirr.
A low vibration hummed as the machine activated.
I focused on the mana flow, glaring at the gauges.
My fingertips tingled.
[External Interference Wave Setting]
[Frequency: 740Hz]
[Mana Density: 12%]
I carefully turned the dial, gauging the numbers in my head.
Whumm—
A faint wave emanated outward.
Invisible ripples spread through the air.
That's when it happened.
-Weeeeng!
The machine suddenly let out a roar.
"Wh-What?! Hey! What's wrong with this thing?!"
"Si-hoon hyung! The needle's in the red!"
A junior screamed.
This was spinning out of control.
Typical junk—sensitivity went haywire on its own.
"It's gonna blow!"
I frantically hunted for the emergency button.
Too late.
Shhh.
The concentrated wave coalesced into a spherical form.
"Ha. Life really..."
My sigh was the trigger.
The accident detonated.
KABOOM—!
A heavy shockwave swept the lecture hall.
"Gah!"
"What the hell?!"
Students sprawled across the floor.
Stationery flew everywhere, lights flickered wildly.
The room turned into pandemonium.
Dust billowed up.
I coughed and lifted my head.
"...Anyone hurt?"
"N-No, seems okay..."
"Grad students can't even get workers' comp easily..."
Fortunately, no injuries.
"Wait. Where's the professor?"
Someone shouted.
A chill ran down my spine.
The wave had shot strongest toward the podium.
Of all places.
"Professor!"
I rushed over.
The dust cloud was slowly clearing.
There.
Professor Elma Bronzebeer was...
No.
Used to be.
"...Huh?"
I couldn't trust my eyes.
Atop the podium lay only her gothic dress, abandoned.
Like the person had evaporated.
Just the clothes remained, shed like a skin.
What?
Did she really evaporate? Did I kill the professor?
As I pondered if it was manslaughter or murder...
Something wriggled from the pile of clothes.
"...Ugh..."
A small groan.
Something popped out through the gaps in the fabric.
A head.
Lush brown twintails.
And an incredibly tiny face.
"...What the..."
Slender arms pushed through the fabric.
She tried to stand.
But couldn't.
Her foot caught in the dress hem.
"Kyaaah!"
Splat.
She faceplanted forward.
The dress was too big.
No.
She was tiny.
The 150 cm beauty was gone.
In her place...
Just around 90 cm.
Not even reaching my waist—a little earth sprite.
"......"
"......"
Silence.
Professor Elma grasped the situation first.
She wobbled around, looking at her surroundings.
Her viewpoint had dropped.
The students loomed like giants.
She looked down at herself.
The dress hung loose like a sack.
Shoulder straps slipped down to her chest.
"Ah."
A dumb sigh escaped her lips.
Later, Elma explained that the wave I'd accidentally created was an 'Area Dispel.'
It had blown away the 'Height-Increasing Magic' and 'Illusion Magic' she always maintained.
An abnormally small case of dwarfism among dwarves.
That was the secret she'd hidden all along.
And now.
Exposed before dozens of eyes.
By me, of all people.
"S-Saw...!"
Elma's lips quivered.
Tears welled in the corners of her eyes.
"Don't look!!!!!"
A metallic screech like a pterodactyl's cry.
"Don't look! I said don't look! Eyes down, you damn bastards!!"
She flailed, trying to pull up the slipping dress.
But her twig-like hands weren't enough.
Pull it up, and her feet tangled in the hem; try to stand, and the weight toppled her again.
"Hic... sob! My insoles! Give me back my height!!"
She rolled on the floor, throwing a tantrum.
The professor.
Like a damn kid.
"Um... Professor?"
I cautiously reached out.
Elma jolted back in terror.
"Stay away! Get lost! This is your fault! You broke my insoles! You little shit!!"
Tears streamed down as she pointed accusingly.
"I'll kill you all! Expulsion! No, execution! Waaah!"
Unable to bear the humiliation, Elma chose flight.
She clutched the trailing dress hem in both hands and waddled away.
Thud. Bang. Crash.
"Ow! Shit!"
The sound of tripping over the doorframe.
Getting up, huffing, and running again.
We all watched her tiny back recede down the hall, speechless.
"...We're screwed."
After a long silence, someone voiced my exact thoughts.
==========================
The lecture was, of course, canceled.
I was the only one left.
The culprit.
Defamer of honor.
Insole thief.
Not intentional, but my screw-up.
If I ran now, who knew what she'd do.
Dwarves hold grudges, they say.
'Gotta apologize. On my knees. Prostrate, dogeza, whatever.'
I dragged my heavy feet onward.
Destination: the underground department head's office.
===========================
Knock knock.
"Professor. Student Choi Si-hoon, class of '54. I have something to say..."
No answer.
But there were signs of life.
"Professor? I've committed a mortal sin. Please open the door."
Still silence.
She wouldn't have done something extreme, right?
Anxiety surged.
Dwarves don't do half-measures, I'd heard.
I cautiously turned the handle.
Click.
Huh?
It's open.
Her mental state's so shattered she forgot to lock up.
I peeked through the gap.
A dim research lab.
Just a few candles flickering alone.
At the center: Professor Elma.
She was up on the desk.
In frilly, oversized gothic negligee.
Around her stood five or six tiny tin golems, like figurines.
"......"
I held my breath and watched.
Some kind of ritual? To kill me?
Then Professor Elma spoke.
A fragile, teary voice.
But trying to sound dignified.
"Now. Number 1. Tell me. Who is the tallest beauty in this world?"
She poked a golem.
A helium-high voice emanated from it.
Beep! Of course, it's the great Elma Bronzebeer Queen!
"Ohoho! Right? Then how tall am I?"
She poked number 2.
180 cm! An 8-head-body-proportioned model rival!
"Yes. Yes! You guys are so honest. It's those stupid humans whose eyes are crooked and can't see my true value."
Elma paced the desk, stomping her tiny white feet.
"Number 3! How's my figure?"
Perfect! Glamorous where it dips in and pops out!!
"Kyahaha! More. Praise me more! Adore me more!"
Beautiful!
World's best!
Towering supermodel Queen Elma!
The golems' chorus.
And in the midst, the 90 cm professor laughing with hands on hips, thrown back.
No way.
She's rebuilding her self-esteem? Getting pumped up by her dolls?
Squeak.
Oh crap.
Got too absorbed watching.
The hinges screamed.
Instantly.
The noise cut off.
Golems and Elma's laughter alike.
She slowly turned her head.
In the darkness, her almond eyes met mine through the door crack.
"...Saw it?"