Chapter 60
Chapter 60
EP18 - Over the Snowy Ruins, Christmas Bells Ring (5)
D-4 until the review deadline.
Dawn of the second day.
Professor Collider, who had taken a two-hour nap on the lab sofa, rubbed his eyes. He couldn't sleep much because he hadn't solved the problem yet.
Sleep is the best medicine, after all. After refreshing his mind with a cup of morning coffee, he still couldn't see what he hadn't seen before, and he still didn't know anything at all.
He buried his head in the problem sheet again and persevered until morning, but the result was futile. He didn't understand anything.
"Seriously, what the hell did he make this...?!"
At this point, he wondered if that bastard Professor Dante Hiacapo had deliberately sent him a ridiculous problem to mess with him.
Weren't they on good terms?
Of course, he thought their relationship had improved a bit after the Airship incident and the faculty meeting.
But wasn't it possible that he was narrow-minded??
Unlike the magnanimous himself!!
"...Ah."
No, that wasn't it...
If that were the case, the three lines of formulas at the beginning were too excellent.
Clearly, this was a formula and circuit with a shape and purpose.
"...Aha."
Thud!
Collider, who slammed his head on the desk, shuddered, because his hair fell out in clumps.
Normally, he would have been shocked, but this was not the time for that.
This was a matter of pride for an elite senior Professor.
A few dozen strands of hair were secondary.
"...I'll solve it today, no matter what. These damn formulas..."
Collider gritted his teeth and locked the lab door.
And six hours later, he had to open it himself.
"P, Professor? Are you alright?"
"......"
"You look terrible..."
"......"
He was dazed.
He had concentrated too much.
Formulas and circuits floated around in his head.
And yet, there was no progress, which drove him crazy.
Who was he? Since childhood, he had only heard that he was clever, the prodigy of the Lemontree barony. He was the child who had banners hung for him in the territory, and he was called a genius Student at Hiaka Academy, and he went to study abroad in the Empire, and his name was listed as the second author in the solution to the Ravioli Conundrum...
Ting!
"Damn it, you scared me!"
What was that notification?
He quickly checked it. It was Dante!
-
Dante: Not yet?
Damn it!
Why was he contacting him already? He said he'd give him five days!
But he had said that he would be done in a day or two!
-
Collider: Wait. It's almost done.
-
Dante: I see.
He was trying to get rid of him for now.
-
Dante: If you find any problems in the review, please point them out. Feel free to approach it with excessive criticism. This problem, at least, must be flawless.
The following words tore at Collider's heart.
Flaws or whatever, he didn't even know what it meant...
-
Collider: Alright.
He cut off the contact for now and thought to himself.
'Still, why would he ask me to review it?'
Wasn't it because he seemed like the most outstanding Professor?
...This was not the time to comfort himself with that thought.
'Ah, I can't do it.'
At this rate, he was sure to be disgraced.
He had no choice. Collider asked for help.
From the Illusion Magic Professors!
"Did you call for us, Senior Professor?"
"What's that smell of cigarettes in the lab...? Were you smoking in here?"
"You said there was an intriguing problem, what are you talking about?"
So, 30 minutes later, five Assassination Studies faculty Illusion Magic Professors came to his lab.
Collider sat them down and handed them copies of the problem sheet, explaining that it was 'Professor Dante's problem sheet' and that he had requested a review, and that he didn't see any problems with it, but he asked what they thought.
"Hmm..."
"Let's see..."
"......"
For the next three hours, the Illusion Magic Professors looked at the problem sheet, but not a single one of them could find a problem.
Because no one understood it!
"...You don't know?"
Collider asked subtly.
"I have no idea. It seems like he's created something very exquisite. In my estimation, the scope is incredibly broad?"
"Aha, I told you it's not! It's not about scope! It's a formula about time. A formula about Illusion Magic that lasts a long time, you see?"
"You're both wrong. This is a formula about scalability."
"What are you talking about?! How is this a formula about scalability? Are you showing off how short your education is?"
Then the Professors started fighting among themselves, and Collider couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
That's right, you bastards~
It wasn't just him who didn't know.
And what those guys were babbling about was only as much as he had grasped.
"......"
Then he became depressed again.
After all, it meant that all these Professors didn't know.
"So, what kind of Illusion Magic is this formula exactly about?"
"......"
Finally, the Professors' arrows turned to Collider.
Collider sighed.
"...I don't know."
"Yes?"
"I don't know. Damn it... I'm embarrassed, but I'll be honest. Professor Dante sent it to me for review. I don't even know what kind of Illusion Magic it is about."
"Ah..."
"Hmm..."
"That's why I called you. Aren't you renowned Illusion Magic Professors?"
"...But we don't really..."
"......"
He felt relieved after being honest.
"Senior Professor. Why don't we just ask for the answer?"
"What? Are you crazy?"
"Yes, yes?"
"That's the one thing I can't do!!"
Being honest with these guys and surrendering to Professor Dante were worlds apart!
That kind of thing should never happen.
Still, there were five days left, and the Professors were free because they hadn't been teaching recently.
"Everyone, please help me. It's embarrassing to be impressed by a problem sheet from someone who isn't even an Illusion Magic Professor!"
"Yes. I understand!"
Collider told Dante to give him a few more days and then began to figure out the problem sheet with them.
And finally, as the sun rose the next morning.
Among the Professors who were a mess because they hadn't washed.
"Aha...!"
One Professor jumped up.
And then smiled brightly.
"...I don't know, damn it!"
D-3 until the review deadline.
* * *
D-2 until the review deadline.
"No, damn it! You can't approach it that way!"
It was evening.
"What do you know, you bastard! It's scalability, scalability!"
Finally, a fight broke out.
"Why is it scalability!? Did your brain wrinkles expand, you bastard?! You have to think logically! Would you add scalability to the kids' final exam questions?! Are you making a car by putting an engine on a wheel?! In the end, this is a 'test question'! A 'test question' that has to be solved!"
"Hey, you short-educated bastard! You're the one who threw common sense away and made soup with it?! There's only one question, you bug! If it's one question, you have to expand it to create differentiation!"
Crash! The Professors, unable to bear it any longer, grabbed each other by the collar and started punching each other.
"You son of a bitch!"
"I, I got hit in the bone!"
"Don't grab my hair!!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Collapsing desks.
A shattered lab.
Collider stroked his nose contentedly.
'Hehe. Damn it. What a mess.'
He was starting to feel like he was losing his mind.
But instead, he began to feel stubborn.
'What the hell is it?'
What was that young, hopeless Professor Dante trying to show the Students with this test question?
First, he decided to stop the fight.
"Alright, everyone, stop fighting..."
"You bastard! I'm going to ask Dante right now?!"
"Um, now, stop fighting..."
"Ask! Ask, you son of a bitch!! Wanna bet, huh?! 500 million Hica? 1 billion?!"
"Alright~! Good, you bastard! Let's bet 10 billion Hica!! Put up your house deed and land deed, you son of a bitch―!"
"......"
Collider took a deep breath.
And shouted.
"Gah!!!!!!!!"
Smash!
All the windows in the lab shattered because it was [Illusion Magic]. The amplification of the sound was also the same. But the effect was certain, and the fighting Professors stopped.
"Stop!"
"I'm sorry, Senior Professor..."
"We got excited..."
"That's enough, let's stop!"
"So, are you giving up?"
"No. I'm not giving up. You all are Professors and have face. You have prestige."
"That's right..."
"But even if you're a Professor, you can't neglect learning. So, let's go to District 2 and ask."
"You mean District 2...?"
It was the Magic Department.
[Illusion Magic] is different between [Assassination Illusion] and [Magical Illusion].
In terms of power and short-term usage, [Assassination Illusion] is at a higher level.
But the depth of research and scholarship is much deeper in [Magical Illusion].
In other words, the magicians would know.
"But... it might not help."
"Hmm?"
"The chief Professor of Illusion Magic in the Magic Department is only one person, and that old hag defected and left because of this incident."
"Ah."
Tsk!
Collider clicked his tongue and frowned.
Gloomy, the chief Professor of Illusion Magic.
It was said that Hiaka Illusion Magic had collapsed entirely because of that traitor.
"...Still, let's go. Even if they're senior Professors, they'll be better than us."
"Yes. Let's go. We're dying of frustration, so we want to borrow even a cat's paw."
Soon, the Professors took a car and headed to District 2.
They sought advice from some senior Professors of Illusion Magic.
But the Illusion Magic Department was in a funeral home atmosphere at this time, because the department had collapsed due to Gloomy's atrocities, as expected.
"Equipment, research materials, secret Magic circles... she took everything that seemed valuable. Does that make sense?"
"Ah, that's..."
He comforted them well.
And belatedly tried to get advice.
"Wow, this is really difficult. Who created this Conundrum?"
The senior Professor of Illusion Magic smiled brightly.
But, what? Conundrum?
"Ah, that's..."
"Aha! Don't tell me. Let me guess."
"Yes?"
The senior Professor of Illusion Magic's eyes lit up.
"No matter how I look at it, this was created by an Abraxas-lineage Illusion Assassin or magician, right? Ah! I know! Challenger Cruiel, right?"
"No, no..."
"Isn't it? Then Agion of the Constellation of Light⁺₊⋆? That man likes this kind of Conundrum! Illusion Magic that over-complicates something very simple and fits together several formulas."
"Ah, no, that's not it..."
"Not Agion either? Hmm. Then who created this Conundrum?"
"......"
At this time, Collider and the Professors were stunned.
'Is it that level?'
They began to wonder.
Was it that level?
Was it a highly advanced formula and circuit to the point where [Challenger] or a [Constellation]-level martial artist was mentioned?
In other words, Dante was at that level at only about thirty years old, and he was creating a circuit that looked like a Conundrum as a 'final exam question'?
"...That bastard seems a little crazy?"
There was no way that could be true!
He had to talk sense!
"Right? No matter how you look at it, it's because of the Gloomy chief incident..."
"Oh dear, that brilliant man is breaking down like that..."
The Assassination Professors whispered.
While twirling their fingers on their heads.
Anyway.
So, in the end, they didn't get the answer.
"Shall we go eat? Other Illusion Magic Professors are coming in the afternoon."
"Let's do that. I haven't eaten anything all night..."
"What about you, Senior Professor?"
The Professors' gazes turned to Collider.
He was a little uglier than yesterday.
His mouth was twisted like a pufferfish, but soon relaxed.
"...Let's do that."
Everyone realized.
That it was a kind of tentative declaration of abandonment.
Collider also decided to answer Dante that 'the review was completed and no problems were found'.
It was embarrassing, but it was the best he could do.
His heart was broken.
Sadly, it seemed to be true that Dante's research level was higher than his, an elite. But he couldn't go in front of him and say, 'I don't understand at all!'
If he did, his heart might break...
"...Damn it."
So, they threw the copies of the problem sheet in the Illusion Magic office and went to eat.
Because they didn't want to see it anymore.
* * *
-
Collider: As a result of the review, no problems were found.
-
Collider: It was much more difficult than I thought, so it took a long time and I had to ask for advice.
-
Collider: It seems like a completed problem, but since I'm not the answer, you can try to check it elsewhere if you have a place to check separately.
-
Dante: Thank you.
-
Dante: I'll buy you a meal sometime.
So the review was done.
To be honest, he was worried.
Was it too difficult?
So, he reflected.
He had subtly looked down on the Professors.
They were also outstanding people.
"...I told you it would work. This."
Now he could comfortably go into the final exam.
The formulas that made up the problem were difficult.
The problem itself was simple.
So, everyone would solve it in their own way.
He sincerely wished.
That many Students would get good grades.
* * *
"......Hmm? What is this."
Illusion Magic Office.
Chief Professor Galua stopped when he saw a piece of paper.
He had briefly stopped by the office with a group of magician assistant Professors.
"Hoo."
It was a piece of paper that he couldn't pass by.
He read it with interest.
"Hey. Professor Yuha?"
"Yes, Chief?"
"What is this?"
Then, Yuha, the senior Professor of Illusion Magic who had dealt with the Assassination Studies Professors earlier, asked back.
"What are you talking about?"
"There's a strange problem sheet with formulas here?"
"Ah...! Oh dear. That's, the Assassination Studies Professors brought it and left it behind. They said they were going to eat and would be back soon."
"Assassins? Why did those friends leave this here?"
As Yuha explained the situation, Chief Professor Galua smiled with interest. A Conundrum?
"Would you like to take a look, Chief Galua?"
"Shall I? Hey, we don't have anything busy, right?"
"Yes, Chief."
"Hmm. Then let's see..."
Galua, sitting on the sofa, put a monocle on his eye and looked at the problem sheet.
"......"
He didn't move for more than 10 minutes after that. As if he had paused.
It was different from the other magician senior Professors who were constantly writing and analyzing something with paper and pens.
He approached the problem sheet with mental arithmetic.
Then, senior Professor Yuha watched him carefully.
Seeing that Collider, a Professor from the pretentious Assassination Studies Department, + several Illusion Magic Professors were almost like sewer beggars, it seemed like it was not an ordinary difficult Conundrum.
But wasn't the opponent 'Galua'?
Galua Granray.
He was an authority on [Magic System] who was one of the best in the continent beyond Hiaka.
Even if he lacked knowledge of [Illusion Magic], his level of circuits and formulas was a genius Professor that even the Empire coveted, paying hundreds of millions of gold.
He was even a monster Professor who had been nominated for the Empire's Obel Award for Magic System for several years.
"......"
Such Chief Galua was touching the problem sheet with mental arithmetic.
Only moving his pupils from side to side.
Then, he showed a small reaction.
"...Huh."
He smiled, twisting the corners of his mouth!
Why?
Why?
A sunken voice followed.
"It was a tree, a tree..."
Tree?
What tree?
Then Galua said to his assistant Professor.
"Hey. Everyone, sit here and rest for a while. I have to go see the dean for a moment."
"I understand, Chief. Shall I make a copy of the problem sheet?"
"No. I memorized it all."
Already? In 10 minutes? That complicated thing??
Then, as Galua got up from the sofa, senior Professor Yuha thought he was going to leave.
If he did, he wouldn't be able to satisfy his curiosity forever, so he hurriedly tried to grab him, but Galua was already disappearing with 『Space Movement』!
Just before his figure blurred, Galua muttered.
"...He's doing something interesting. That friend."