Chapter 88
Chapter 88
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Entangled (4)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Anyone in the world of magic would recognize that Alpheas was a man chosen by God. The problem was that he displayed his talent regardless of the time or place.
Once a debate started, he saw it through to the end, and if his opponent made even the slightest mistake, he would relentlessly dig in until they conceded.
Klumpf was perhaps the only one who knew that there was no malice in Alpheas's actions. He wasn't so much arrogant as he was pure. His passion was simply so excessive that it wore people out.
In fact, when Alpheas made a mistake himself, he would admit it without holding a grudge and congratulate his opponent on their victory.
The only problem was that such occasions were exceedingly rare.
Alpheas, seemingly bored even while waiting for his beer, wandered from table to table, mingling with people. Klumpf watched him worriedly, fearing he might cause trouble again, but shook his head as if he no longer had the energy to stop him.
“Sarope! You're here for a drink in the middle of the day?”
Sarope, whom Alpheas greeted with open arms, was a native of the capital and one of Alpheas's few rivals. Though he lost every debate, the prevailing opinion was that if it weren't for Alpheas, Sarope would be the top prospect in the photonics field. Naturally, Sarope's feelings weren't warm, but Alpheas approached him without a care.
“Oh, right. Sarope, you submitted a paper to the royal palace, didn't you? I had a quick look, and it was quite interesting.”
“What? Why were you reading my paper?”
“Isn't it obvious? I'm also majoring in photonics, and the royal librarian is an ardent follower of mine. Anyway, I enjoyed it.”
“I-Is that so? What did you think?”
Among the young mages of that era, the highest honor was to have one's paper accepted and to work in the magic department under the command of the Royal Court.
Once a paper was accepted, they were provided with a personal laboratory and funding for all research expenses, making it the most glorious position a mage could hope for.
Having submitted his life's work a week ago, Sarope couldn't help but be curious about his rival Alpheas's opinion.
“You grasped the properties of light well. It was flawless. The part about energy accumulation, I'll admit, felt like a solid blow.”
Sarope's expression brightened instantly. But Alpheas didn't let it go at that this time either.
“However, there was one error. The wave nature of light. To be blunt, that theory is wrong.”
“What are you talking about? The fact that light is a wave has already been proven through experiments.”
“That may be, but I have a different view. Looking at recent experimental results, there are too many things that cannot be explained by waves alone. Perhaps light is closer to being a particle.”
“Hmph! Alpheas, are you so desperate that you're resorting to such gossip? Numerous critics have pointed out the errors in the experiments on its particle nature! If light were a particle, how would you explain its wave properties? The two are completely different concepts!”
Whether light was a particle or a wave was the hottest issue of the era in which Alpheas lived. Although the wave theory was dominant, a minority of scholars continuously raised counterarguments, and Alpheas was one of them.
“Are you the one who believes the critics? I've also seen the data claiming to have found errors in the particle nature experiments. But they didn't approach it scientifically. Isn't that the real error?”
Flushed with drink, Sarope slammed the table and stood up. He was already suffering from insomnia because of his paper, and Alpheas was fanning the flames.
“Enough! Who asked you to evaluate my paper? If you're so confident, why don't you write and submit one yourself! Go on, give the world a good laugh with that ridiculous logic of yours!”
“I'm saying this out of concern. Even if it's rejected now, you can just improve it later, can't you? What's important isn't the paper, but realizing the truth, right?”
Sarope could take no more. In the end, wasn't he just saying, ‘You've been rejected this time’?
“Get lost! I'm not even going to speak to you from now on!”
Alpheas smacked his lips and returned to his table. He didn't look particularly displeased, as he believed that debating with a rival in the same field was mutually beneficial.
But Klumpf was worried about this side of Alpheas.
They had first met at an inn in Bashuka. Since Klumpf had also come to the capital from Creas, the students from abroad had banded together, and they had been hanging out for nearly a year.
To be honest, he was a pain in the ass. If he, a swordsman, saw it that way, how much worse must it be for the mages who were his competitors?
“Alpheas, are you some kind of fighting cock? If others can't do something, just let it be. Why do you always have to step in and try to fix it?”
“What do you mean, 'others'? Wrong is wrong and must be corrected. That's what intellect is for.”
“Good grief. Do you know what people call you? 'Alpheas the Arrogant.' That's your nickname these days.”
“Hahaha! I like that! It's much better than some cringey nickname like 'The Light of Mirh'.”
Magic was the realm of talent, and Alpheas had been blessed with more than enough. To him, who believed that talent would eventually shine no matter how one tried to hide it, humility was nothing but pretense.
“This is the fate of a genius. Come on, come on! Don't worry about it and let's just drink. Hey, Raphne! Be generous with the snacks. This guy eats more than a bear.”
“Hohoho! If it's what Sir Alpheas wants, then of course I'll bring as much as you like!”
The eyes of Raphne, the tavern waitress, were filled with affection. From the looks of it, this woman had also fallen head over heels for Alpheas. Klumpf's head throbbed at Alpheas's attitude of treating every woman like a lover.
It wasn't as if he was in any serious relationships either. He captivated women in a superficial way, causing countless men to miss their chances. Not just limited to magic, Alpheas was a public enemy to the men here.
“Now Miss Raphne too? Just get into a proper relationship already. What in the world is going through your head?”
“Hehe, as you know, I'm everyone's sweetheart. And it's not like I'm actively trying to flirt. They all just melt at my killer smile.”
Alpheas touched his chin and gave a soft smile. He certainly had the looks to drive women crazy.
Would smiling like that really work? Klumpf, who had no luck with women, tried raising the corners of his mouth as an experiment.
“How's this? Do I have a killer smile too?”
“Oh, yeah! It's a real killer smile, alright. The smile of a killer. Puahahaha!”
“You wanna die?”
“Hahaha! I'm kidding. It was actually pretty cool. Make sure to wear that smile at the party later. The ladies will be smitten.”
“A party? Do I really have to go? I'm not even a mage.”
This evening, the Bastard family was hosting a party with the theme "A Night for Young Mages." Although the family had little connection to magic, hosting parties under all sorts of pretexts was one of the ways nobles established their authority at the time.
“Is there a rule that only mages can come? People from all walks of life will be there, so you should make some connections too. Skill is important, but so are connections.”
“It's a little funny hearing that from you.”
“What can you do? You have to climb high to achieve your ambitions. Anyway, you're coming, no excuses. Who knows, you might find your other half there.”
Klumpf, filled with ambition for the sword, had no interest in things like connections. But he couldn't help being tempted by that last remark.
As Alpheas said, who knew? A country bumpkin swordsman from the provinces might just fall in love with a sophisticated city girl.
As if he'd suddenly caught a cold, Klumpf kept clearing his throat.
“Ahem! Well then, I suppose I'll go have a look.”
* * *
The mansion of the Bastards, one of the wealthiest families in the capital, was splendid and dazzling, as if it teetered on the very edge of the law that forbade any noble's building from being more extravagant than the royal palace.
Three hundred crystal chandeliers adorned the hall's ceiling, and the marble tables, decorated with gold leaf, were laden with delicacies sourced from all over the world.
Nobles danced with their partners to the music of the orchestra, while elsewhere, elderly politicians chatted over wine.
“Hello. My name is Ogent Klumpf. Did you come alone?”
“Aah!”
The moment she saw Klumpf, the woman screamed and fled. How could she not be startled by a man who looked like a cattle rustler giving her a perverted smile? It was, quite literally, the smile of a killer. Klumpf froze in shock as Alpheas approached, roaring with laughter, and clapped him on the back.
“Puahahaha! I can't believe you actually did it! Oh, my sides.”
“Damn it! I was a fool to believe you. Anyway, where have you been?”
“The lovely ladies kept talking to me. I was just over there keeping them company.”
Klumpf looked where Alpheas was pointing. A group of sophisticated city women were glancing at Alpheas, their faces blushing.
“Damn it. The back of your head must be better looking than my face. They're all staring at you.”
“Haha! Don't worry about it. That's just how it is, right? Now that we're here, let's eat until we burst.”
There were many delicacies that couldn't be found in the provinces, so Klumpf had been looking forward to it. As he headed for the table, thinking that since he was a loner anyway, he might as well fill his stomach without worrying about the women, Alpheas let out a chuckle. He liked this simple yet positive friend of his.
While Klumpf devoured the food voraciously, Alpheas was breaking a sweat dealing with the nobles who approached him every five minutes. Especially when the head of the Bastard family himself came to greet him, all the nobles turned to look at Alpheas.
“A pleasure. You must be Alpheas, the rising star I've been hearing about.”
“It's an honor to be recognized. This is a wonderful party. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Kahaha! It is my pleasure to associate with young intellects. I hope to see you often in the future.”
“Yes. If you'll have me, I will gladly attend.”
“Good. Then enjoy yourself.”
The conversation was brief, but the fact that the head of the Bastard family had exchanged more than a few words with a mage just starting his social life was a sign of great favor.
Turning away with a satisfied look, Alpheas saw Klumpf madly stuffing meat into his mouth and wore a bewildered expression. He was clearly channeling his uncontrollable vigor into eating.
“Doesn't your jaw ever get tired? Where does all that food go?”
Klumpf, munching on meat, pointed to his biceps. Alpheas shook his head and turned away. He could feel the gazes of numerous women, but to him, it was just boring. He blew a raspberry and looked around for something interesting when a woman running between the tables across the hall caught his eye.
“Hm?”
The first thought that came to mind was that she was definitely not a mage. She wore a simple dress, not gypsy-style clothing, and most importantly, she rejected the short hair that was a symbol of intellect, letting her black hair hang down to her waist. Just seeing her hopping around with a plate in one hand and a fork in the other, it was clear she didn't fit the formal and dignified atmosphere of the place at all.
“Huh? That person. Isn't that the family head's eldest daughter?”
His interest piqued by Klumpf's words, Alpheas kept his eyes on the woman and asked, turning his head just slightly.
“The eldest daughter of the family head?”
“You came to the party without even knowing that? You really have no manners.”
“I don't know. Just tell me.”
“Her name is Erina Bastard. Nineteen years old this year. You could say she's the only troublemaker in the Bastard family.”
“A troublemaker? Haha, because she's a tomboy?”
“No. She's a bit slow.”
Only then did Alpheas turn to look at Klumpf. It was probably true. This bear-like friend he'd met in Bashuka wasn't the type to make cruel jokes.