Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Another Genius (3)
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He found out what "see you later" meant a moment later, when Etella grabbed him by the ear and dragged him away.
“Iruki! I told you, one more time and you'll be disciplined!”
“Owowowow! I calibrated it so the device wouldn't break. You know what happens when I really decide to blow things up.”
“This kid shows no remorse! You're suspended for a week, starting today! Don't come to class!”
“Ugh! That's too harsh!”
Iruki whined but never admitted he was wrong. He even turned back to Shirone and Nade with a grin.
“Hah! He went and did it again. Shirone, sorry. I've got to go.”
Nade left first. Shirone was so captivated by the intense feeling that he didn't even notice him leave. The other students seemed to feel the same, as a buzz of conversation filled the air.
“That guy's something else, isn't he? The detonation reaction seems even faster than before. The explosive power is about the same, though.”
“Well, he has Savant Syndrome, so he's probably a genius at calculating the reaction formulas.”
Shirone chimed in.
“A reaction formula… you mean the formula that causes the explosion?”
“Yeah. I don't know much about detonation magic myself, but I heard the explosive power changes depending on how you calculate the formula. It's probably a similar concept to Ignite, the basis of flame magic.”
“I see. With that kind of explosive power, you wouldn't even need to learn flame magic.”
“No, its application is different from flame magic. For one, flame magic is cast instantly. Iruki's detonations probably take a while to set up if he wants more power. Well, I guess reducing that reaction time is the main challenge for a detonation mage.”
Just as Shirone's insight was specialized for teleportation, detonation magic was a perfect fit for Iruki and his superhuman calculation abilities.
A key advantage of detonation magic was its ability to create explosions larger than one's Spirit Zone. The magic only triggered the detonation; the explosion itself was the result. This made it an optimal form of magic for the Divergent type, whose zones shrink with distance.
‘Mercodine Iruki…’
His first impression was certainly as explosive as his magic.
* * *
He took his first monthly evaluation after entering Class Five.
Shirone's average score was 41. His rank was still in the lower tier, but he had raised his score in every subject by 10 points in just one month.
When class ended, the students stretched and cleared their desks. Some headed to the school store to fill their hungry stomachs, but most paired up and made their way to their research societies.
Shirone, who wasn't in a research society, planned to stop by the library. An average score in the 40s was hardly satisfying, but he was pleased that he was fleshing out the spine of his knowledge at a faster pace lately.
“Um, Shirone.”
A female student approached Shirone. From a corner of the classroom, her friends watched his reaction with keen interest.
“Yes? Is there something you wanted to talk about?”
“My friends and I were talking, and we were wondering if you'd like to join our research society. We're studying matter translocation magic, and we think you'd be a great asset. It's closely related to Photonization Theory, too.”
He had received a few offers from groups after moving up to Class Five, but this was the first time a research society had sought him out specifically for his specialization.
‘Hmm. Should I give it a try?’
The school evaluated students based on three main criteria:
Practical exams, theoretical exams, and performance assessments.
The performance assessment was a project done over the break, requiring students to write and submit a thesis on a topic of their choice. However, it could be substituted with a research society's presentation, so most students preferred to get it done during the semester.
Shirone had looked into joining a research society himself to save time, but he had ultimately decided against it.
They were extending the offer now based on his reputation, but he wasn't confident he could keep up with their level once he actually joined.
“Um, I don't know. There's a field I've been studying recently, but I haven't made much progress yet. I was planning to focus on that for the time being.”
“Oh, I see. Well, that can't be helped.”
“I'm sorry for turning you down after you went out of your way to ask.”
“Hehe, no, don't be. There's nothing to be sorry for. Let me know if you change your mind.”
The girl was considerate of Shirone as she returned to her friends. In truth, not many students in Class Five acted on emotion. Of course, eccentrics like Iruki did exist.
Not long after the group of girls left the classroom, their cheerful laughter echoed from the hallway.
‘That must be nice. It looks like fun.’
A pang of sadness struck a corner of Shirone's heart. He had friends in Rian and Amy, but Rian was in a different field, and Amy was busy with her final year.
Life may be a lonely battlefield in the end, but attending Class Five without comrades-in-arms was a truly desolate feeling.
“Huh? Shirone, are you leaving now? Let's go together.”
Nade threw an arm around his neck from behind. Whenever Shirone was the last one left in the classroom, Nade would invariably come running.
The two chatted about this and that as they headed to the dorms. Most of the conversation revolved around topics Shirone enjoyed.
“The library's great, but research societies have their fair share of specialized books, too. Speaking of which, why did you turn down that offer earlier? That's a pretty decent society.”
“I just don't think I'd have the time.”
“True, you need to raise your theory scores first. Still, I'm jealous. I don't even have that kind of motivation.”
Shirone said with a smile.
“You have tons of friends, though. I'd think you could join any society you want.”
“What are you talking about? Of course I'm in a research society. I'm the president, no less.”
“Huh? Really? I had no idea.”
He had assumed Nade would dislike being tied to a specific group and had never bothered to ask. But to think he was a president.
“What kind of society is it?”
“Haha! To be honest, it's kind of embarrassing to talk about. There are only two members, including me.”
“Huh? Doesn't that fall short of the minimum requirement? Your funding must have been cut.”
The school required a minimum of three members for a research society. One was an individual, two was a pair, and three was considered a group.
“My seniors graduated last semester. That's how I inherited the presidency. I'm actually really worried about it.”
“Oh, I see.”
There were countless research societies on campus, but it was rare for one to have graduating members. Moreover, the fact that they had graduated meant they were some of the top seniors in the school.
“Would it be okay if I came to see it?”
“Really? I thought you weren't interested in research societies.”
“I've always been interested. But I was worried I'd just be a burden if I joined, so I thought I should be careful about it.”
“Hahaha! What are you talking about? A research society is just a bunch of kids studying and hanging out together. There's no need to feel pressured.”
“Hmm, you think so?”
“To be honest, I've felt this for a while, but you can be a little hard to approach. You know how guys our age fool around—we roughhouse, play pranks, get into all sorts of stupid stuff. There are some jerks in Class Five, but most of them are alright once you get to know them. Just try to relax around people more. I'm not saying you should start grabbing people's junk, of course. Hahaha!”
It was something worth considering. Come to think of it, both Rian and Amy had been the ones to reach out to him first.
Seeing Shirone once again getting lost in serious thought, Nade watched him for a moment before exclaiming as if he'd made up his mind.
“Alright! I'm feeling generous. This is a special exception, but I'll introduce you to my research society. But you can't make fun of it for being lame later, okay?”
“Really? That would be great, thank you.”
“There you go again. What's with all the thanks between friends? Come on, let's go!”
* * *
Shirone followed Nade to a remote area northwest of the magic academy's central park. About a hundred massive, regular tetrahedrons formed a complex colony. They were made of iron, their surfaces etched with magical symbols. Not only their scale but also their shape defied common sense.
“Where are we?”
“This is the warehouse where they store magic equipment. Our research society is inside one of them. Haha!”
Research societies didn't have designated labs. Once a society was established and had a certain number of members, the school would provide them with an empty room.
But a warehouse, of all places. He couldn't understand why a school that boasted such vast grounds would assign a lab in such a secluded spot.
“This place is like a hideout that our seniors have protected for generations. Our society actually has a pretty long history. I heard they fought tooth and nail to claim this spot.”
“But this is a bit…”
“Haha! It's fine. You can find anything and everything here. As long as you have the materials in this warehouse, you can make whatever you want. Ah, but don't you dare tell anyone. I'm only telling you because I trust you.”
“Gasp! Really?”
He never would have guessed that Nade, who seemed like an ordinary student, was illegally using items from the school warehouse. Dumbfounded, he followed Nade into the building. The structure was as complex as it looked, with multiple entrances. Moreover, nearly a hundred buildings were all interconnected, making it feel like wandering through a maze.
“Hehe! Cool, right? But there's no point in trying to memorize it. We change the building's layout whenever we get the chance.”
“Change the building's layout? Is that even possible?”
“The official name of this place is the Magic Warehouse Istas. The building itself is a magical device. It's much faster to move the building to an exit to retrieve an item than to go find it yourself. It's an engineering design that considers both storage and transport efficiency. That's why the layout often changes on days when the school has practical training. So no matter what, no one can ever find us.”
Nade cackled as he finished his explanation. A secret hideout no one could find. Hearing this, Shirone's own heart began to pound with excitement.
“Actually, the way to find the path is simple. But you're not a member yet, so I can't tell you.”
Nade walked through the complex paths without a hint of hesitation. After passing through twenty buildings, they arrived at a section painted blue. Each building contained about ten warehouses of various sizes, and Nade's research society occupied the largest one.
“Ta-da! We're here. This is it.”
Shirone approached with a nervous expression. What on earth did they research that required them to hide away in a place like this?
When they reached the iron door, he saw a crooked sign for the research society.
- Paranormal Research Society
“P-Paranormal science?”
Of all the fields he had considered, paranormal science wasn't even on the fringes of his thoughts.
“What do you think? Isn't our society awesome? We literally research supernatural phenomena. Ghosts, souls, the afterlife, aliens, hell, God. Things like that.”
Shirone's bewildered expression gradually faded. Come to think of it, it was a strangely intriguing topic.
‘The existence of God.’
Countless people throughout history had invoked the name of God, but God Itself had never once appeared before the world.
“Yeah, this could be interesting. It might not be magical, but it could be worth researching.”
“Haha! Right? I knew it! I knew you'd get it! Come on in. I'll give you a tour.”
Nade grabbed Shirone's hand and pulled the door open. Contrary to his expectation of a neat space for philosophical contemplation, Shirone was greeted by a thick cloud of dust.
Shirone frowned at the assault of dust. It wasn't normal for this much dust to fly up just from opening a door with a bit of force.
The warehouse was about 500 square feet. A desk had a broken leg, and a table was covered in bread crumbs of unknown origin and crumpled papers. They said they had converted the warehouse into a lab, but it seemed the only thing they'd converted was the sign.
“A little messy, huh? You'll get used to it. Come in, come in.”
Shirone couldn't understand why he had to adjust his eyes to the scenery instead of just cleaning the warehouse. But that thought vanished the moment he saw the chalkboard hanging at the front.
The chalkboard, tilted as crookedly as the sign outside, was covered in so many equations it made him dizzy. It was the work of a boy who was still rapidly moving a piece of chalk across its surface.
“Huh?”
Shirone was startled when he saw the face of the boy who finished writing and turned around. It was Iruki, who had been suspended from class for the past few days.