Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Thorough Meritocracy: Lua Polaris (2)
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Rising star, Lua Polaris.
She was the genius mage cherished above all by the Blue Tower, one of the six magic towers in the Empire.
The fact that she harbored a great secret was something most mages in the tower didn't know.
Every night, a magical library appeared in her dreams.
All the papers she published had actually been brought out from the illusory archive, Celestia.
"......"
The mage who had visited Celestia last night was now walking down the corridor in high spirits.
Step, step-.
The Magitech Expo, jointly hosted by the Empire's six magic towers.
Lua's footsteps echoed lightly through the expo hall's corridors.
That was because the archmage in the library had neatly summarized everything she needed to present at the expo.
'Archmage Johan handled it all!'
Lua smiled, recalling the magic she had witnessed the night before.
A beautiful spell that deceived the eyes.
She hadn't even imagined there would be such thoughtful consideration hidden behind it.
'If it weren't for Archmage Johan, I couldn't have prepared this much from the start.'
To be honest, Lua had never once thought of herself as a genius.
Her master had always treated her like a burden, and even her peers had no expectations of her.
The status she enjoyed and the honor that followed were all gifts from Johan.
Everything, from one to ten, was thanks to him.
So Lua was doing her best not to be a burden to him.
"Hmm, hum-."
Though the workload she faced in the process was quite excessive.
Still, it was better than the days when she was trapped as an apprentice mage.
As she hummed a tune and took light steps with such thoughts in mind.
Swipe-.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar man's voice came from behind her.
"You're that famous 'rising star' from the Blue Tower?"
"......Pardon?"
Lua turned her head at the unfamiliar voice and looked at the owner who had called her.
A young man with red hair slicked back, wearing a fierce expression.
His robe bore the emblem of the Red Tower.
Red Tower—Parnog.
A mage from the Blue Tower's traditional rival—practically an archenemy—had approached her.
"Uh, um, Red Tower......?"
Lua's flustered voice echoed through the expo hall.
She had thought she was becoming somewhat known within her own tower lately, but now even Red Tower mages recognized her—.
As Lua gazed at the young man with such thoughts, he soon began speaking to her.
"I hear the Blue Tower is really pushing you. Rumor has it you're even presenting research results from your fellow mages?"
"Pardon? Me?"
"Yeah. Otherwise, how could you be churning out research at that pace?"
The words spilling from the young man's mouth as he stared at Lua were utterly absurd.
—Lua Polaris had plagiarized others' research.
It was something Lua had never even imagined.
Moreover, the young man's story didn't end there.
"Apparently, even during your apprenticeship, you intentionally played barking dog sounds in the dead of night to sabotage your rivals."
"......Did I do that?"
"There's no such thing as a perfect secret in this world. The mages of our Red Tower already know all your dirty little secrets."
Outrageous claims far beyond Lua's expectations poured endlessly from the young man's mouth.
Hmm-.
Lua was flustered by the mage accusing her of theft, but only for a moment.
Soon, she lifted her head, glared at him with a pouty face, and opened her mouth.
"I'm not sure what you're claiming, but do you realize that's an insult to me and the Blue Tower?"
"I'm just stating facts, and you call it an insult? I've heard it all now."
The nasty temperament that branded a genius mage a thief.
Disgust surged in Lua's chest as she faced it.
She glared at the young man and began refuting the ridiculous accusations.
"I don't know who you are, but I swear I've never stolen magic!"
Honestly, she had stolen some—.
She had borrowed and used what she needed for presentations.
But it was only the archmage's magic.
She hadn't touched the research of her fellow mages in the same tower.
"And I never intentionally played barking dog sounds to sabotage rivals!"
Of course, she had made some barking noises—.
Not on purpose, but there were apprentice mages who woke up angry because of it.
But that was just an unfortunate accident during her own research.
It wasn't magic prepared to disrupt her lab mates.
"Everything came from my own head! Do I look like someone who would cowardly sabotage rivals and steal my colleagues' efforts?"
Unspoken excuses echoed in her chest.
Stories she couldn't voice overflowed.
It was the plea of a girl who had to remain a genius mage no matter what.
Right after Lua's voice asserting her innocence rang out.
"What shameless behavior. The Blue Tower lot, dumping their own research on juniors to manufacture a genius mage."
"......"
"But that audacity ends today. The foolish myth they've built on the Blue Tower's sacrifices will crumble under the truth of the Red Tower at this expo."
The young man acted as if he hadn't heard a word of Lua's defense, steadfast in his claims.
Whoosh-.
Small flames overflowed from the robe surrounding the young man.
As if proclaiming his pure Red Tower lineage, the flame-wreathed mage's gaze haughtily looked down on Lua.
"Genius isn't something you create on purpose. Only a select few born with intellect are permitted to advance toward truth."
"......You really don't listen to a word people say."
"Foolish junior. The world of mages turns solely on thorough meritocracy. Whether in battle or research, fakes without talent get exposed quickly."
Heh-.
The young man looking at Lua smirked.
Eyes filled with endless arrogance.
A resolute will to uphold a world of pure skill.
The steps of the black-eyed youth, harboring flames, began advancing slowly.
"Genius manufactured by others doesn't last. So this time, I'll show you what true talent is—and which tower is the most righteous."
"......True, what?"
"Hypocrite of the Blue Tower, Lua Polaris. I, the Red Tower's new star—Robert—will rip off your mask myself."
An arrogant warning toward Lua Polaris.
"Through this expo, I will return everything to before the 'Parnog Great Fire'."
That was the end of Robert, full-fledged mage of the Red Tower.
Hoo-.
Exhaling a breath of rising flames, Robert passed by Lua after his warning.
Step, step.
His footsteps continued indifferently.
Whoosh-.
Within them, Robert's flames still burned fiercely.
Until he burned his own hand, that is.
"Ah, hot-!"
The flames wreathing Robert died down quickly.
He had urgently deactivated the failed control spell.
"......"
"......"
Lua Polaris's cold gaze fixed on Robert.
Having extinguished the fire, Robert continued walking.
Step, step-.
His off-beat footsteps filled the expo hall's corridor.
* * * * * *
Three days had passed since Robert's sudden declaration of war.
In those three days, Lua had done her utmost to prepare for the Magitech Expo.
Checking the content for her audience presentation.
Reviewing papers distributed to mages for any issues.
Confirming catalog specs against actual ones, and so on.
In her relentlessly busy days, Lua had no time to worry about Robert's declaration.
She had simply fretted over not ruining the archmage's plans, pouring in maximum effort.
So, Robert being in the same waiting area as her was something Lua hadn't anticipated at all.
"Looks like you're shamelessly dragging out your seniors' work again today."
Below the stage of the expo hall demonstrating non-combat magitech.
Lua's gaze turned to the obnoxious young man in the red robe.
Robert, mage of the Red Tower.
Like Lua, he had developed non-combat magitech, standing confidently beside a tall metal cylinder.
"But seeing your annoying face ends today. My magi-incinerator will shatter your rising star reputation."
"......Magi-incinerator?"
Hearing Robert, Lua blankly stared at the metal cylinder.
Magi-incinerator—.
It sounded like a terribly simple device at first glance.
But Robert's face holding it brimmed with immense confidence.
"It's a trash bin for homes combined with incineration. My proprietary three-stage high-speed incineration spell burns objects quickly and easily, regardless of material."
"Isn't using a magic stone just for a trash bin... a huge waste......?"
"Moreover, my magi-incinerator boasts reliable low noise and high mana efficiency. It can dispose of items larger than its volume with fast incineration, and its heat-retaining structure allows use as a heater too."
"......You still don't listen to a word people say."
He was detailing the performance of the magi-incinerator he claimed to have made to crush Lua.
As Lua stared blankly at him, only for a moment.
Soon, she shook her head and picked up her crystal orb, looking toward the stage.
Dealing with someone trapped in their own world would just give her a headache.
Better to tune him out early and focus on what she had to do.
"Is Lua Polaris present?"
Right after Lua ended the pointless conversation, one of the expo-conducting mages came down from the stage.
Holding a paper densely packed with text, he looked at Lua and spoke seriously.
"Yes, I'm here."
"Your demonstration is up soon. Please prepare."
The mage from the stage notified her that her turn was imminent.
Her first Magitech Expo presentation since becoming a full-fledged mage.
Grip-.
Lua clutched the blue-tinged crystal orb, her heart pounding wildly.
"......Understood."
—Rising star, Lua Polaris.
That was the name given to her now.
She was no longer an apprentice mage.
She was the Blue Tower's full-fledged mage, born with something special, drawing the attention of countless mages.
'I can't mess up. Get it together, Lua Polaris!'
Lua gripped the crystal orb, her eyes fixed on the stairs leading to the stage.
The heavy responsibility on her shoulders weighed her down.
The world of mages proclaims thorough meritocracy—.
Robert's words from three days ago flashed through Lua's mind.
The one thing from that obnoxious mouth that had touched her heart.
'I can do this. I've kept trying so hard not to be a nuisance.'
She wasn't originally a particularly talented mage.
She was just standing here borrowing the archmage's halo.
Even so, Lua Polaris had given her all.
Fearing her inadequacies would show.
Fearing her immaturity would ruin everything.
Every day, she drove herself to the brink like standing on a cliff's edge.
"Lua Polaris. You can head up to the stage now."
"......Yes."
The girl's footsteps turned toward the stairs.
In the world of mages, skill speaks for everything.
Would her efforts to reach great knowledge hold meaning for her?
The sharp questions from the attending mages would prove it now.
Gulp-.
Lua Polaris swallowed and stepped onto the stairs.
- "Next up for demonstration is mage Lua Polaris from the Blue Tower!"
The eyes of the mage pretending to be a genius burned with clear resolve.
The voice amplified by projection magic swallowed her tension whole.
* * * * * *
Celestia, the Illusory Archive.
In the vast empty library's center, I alone stared at the screen floating before me.
A visual feed remotely relayed by magic.
The scenery it showed was all transmitted from the crystal orb Lua had taken.
"The magic itself seems to be working normally."
I evaluated the surveillance system built via the communication crystal orb.
The system Lua carried was operating exactly as I designed.
I had worried she might make a small mistake, but it seemed no such mishap would occur.
Lua, who spent every day with me, appeared to have grown somewhat.
"She was so worried, but the quality of her responses isn't bad at all."
Proving that was the scene now before my eyes.
Lua standing on stage, giving her presentation.
Questions from mages poured toward her nonstop.
- "In the paper you published previously, for communications......"
- "In this part......"
Yet Lua calmly answered them all.
Some responses were so perfect even I, listening, was satisfied.
Proof that her understanding of the research had reached a considerable level.
It was due to her poured efforts, but in my view, Lua's talent matched it.
"Not everyone can be led along. She has some talent, fair to say."
As I watched Lua's presentation for a moment.
Swipe-.
My gaze, fixed on the relayed screen, suddenly caught someone else.
A red-haired youth hugging a cylindrical magitech device.
That's what entered my view.
"......"
More precisely, the magitech in the youth's arms drew my attention.
Celestia's analysis magic had detected a fatal flaw in the amateur mage's device.
"That thing... can't be left alone."
My fingers, watching the screen, picked up a gem.
It seemed I needed to contact Lua right after the presentation ended.