Chapter 19
Chapter 19
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The Calculus Defense
-----------------------------------------------------------------
There was one unavoidable ritual in the thesis reviews conducted by mages.
Thesis Defense.
A bachelor's thesis was torn apart by a master's student, and a master's by a doctorate.
In this battle of intellects, sharp words and magic flew back and forth.
Only when the submitter withstood every assault and proved their logic did the Magic Tower certify the thesis as truthful.
But here arose a fundamental problem with the system.
Who reviewed a doctorate's thesis?
A regular professor's was handled by the senior professor, and the senior professor's by the school head. Simple enough.
But when the opponent was an Archmage, things changed.
Simon, chairman of the Magic Tower Thesis Review Association, lit his third cigarette.
"Fuck..."
On his desk lay a thesis he didn't dare open.
"Why... why does this have to blow up while I'm chairman?"
Simon was genuinely despairing.
He recalled the disaster from last quarter's master's thesis review: two rival school master's students had brawled with magic, resulting in one lost arm and half a lab destroyed.
And now it was Valerius's thesis review?
Just imagining it made his stomach acid churn.
The last Archmage's thesis presentation had predated the 'defense' procedure entirely—no precedent existed.
"Pass it off to the dean...?"
Dean Magarta Magica might manage it.
But by principle, no. Even the pinnacle of mages, the dean, held the rank of Archmage.
Peers couldn't review peers.
Whoosh. Thick cigarette smoke poured from Simon's mouth.
"Hey, guys. Who should review this?"
Every staffer in the association office suddenly found something else to do.
"Whoever suggests a solution gets 10,000 gold in autonomous research funds."
"...Just pass it to the Imperial Court."
Simon pondered junior John’s quick-witted reply.
Then he decided.
A few days after John Smith contracted a brand-new carriage with his autonomous research funds...
A stern missive arrived from the Imperial Court to the entire Magic Tower.
The Imperial Court commanded, and the Magic Tower obeyed.
Thus, all the Magic Tower's powerhouses gathered in one place.
Valerius calmly outlined his thesis before them.
"...Therefore, the significance of this thesis also lies in enabling arithmetic calculations for the wave theory proposed by the Magic Survey School."
In a normal review, his words would have been interrupted a dozen times already.
But everyone here maintained a suffocating silence.
Magic was permitted in thesis reviews.
A single misspoken word in this setting could leave even a school head half-paralyzed on a stretcher—no thanks.
When Valerius finished, he asked,
"Any rebuttals?"
"..."
"..."
No one spoke. No counterarguments.
Then Dean Magarta Magica smiled faintly.
"Would you have any, Valerius? How many here do you think truly grasp the significance of your thesis?"
"Ten, maybe."
"No. Five. You, me, and those three school heads with shaking hands over there."
As the dean said, several school heads' hands were visibly trembling.
Unlike the others, they foresaw the chaos this theory would unleash.
School Head Bolton of the Magic Tool school thought,
'With this... we can drastically reduce Gorro's heat loss rate. The Empire's entire steel production will be revolutionized.'
The Flame Magic school head imagined,
'This means... we can calculate the exact 'moment' an enemy's defensive barrier is thinnest. Impenetrable fortresses will cease to exist.'
The Alchemy school head realized,
'With this alone... we can predict the 'critical time' before two unstable reagents explode. Syntheses only theoretically possible become reality.'
They shuddered at the infinite possibilities this theory heralded.
Not all in a good way.
They also foresaw the turmoil calculus would bring.
The Magic Tower's academic landscape would shift, and the lives of imperial citizens would change.
And even experts in their fields couldn't predict it all.
The science of prediction, calculus, would make the future unpredictable.
Chaos incarnate.
But the dean saw beyond that.
Having spent centuries in the Magic Tower, she knew.
Change mattered, of course—but sometimes, who sparked it mattered more.
Her gaze fell on the strangely angular formulas atop the Calculus thesis.
These were undoubtedly from 'Isaac Uphills's' exam paper.
"..."
"..."
Magarta and Valerius's eyes met.
"This concludes the thesis review. I hereby certify, in the name of the Magic Tower, that Sir Valerius's theory, Calculus, is acknowledged."
Once the review ended and everyone dispersed, the dean summoned Valerius to her office.
"A truly remarkable theory, Valerius."
A soundproofing spell enveloped the space.
"Unlike you... so fresh and youthful an idea."
"I'm a bit younger than you."
"That's how you're playing it?"
The dean tossed Isaac's exam paper onto the desk before Valerius.
"No thoughts on this?"
Valerius's eyebrow twitched faintly.
Like the dean, he'd spotted the secret hidden in the answers.
"Someone of your caliber wouldn't steal another's credit. You're hiding it until Isaac Uphills makes his mark?"
"..."
"Rookie. Pointless."
Magarta's smile faded.
"You can't hide a needle in a sack forever."
We're screwed.
I muttered while staring at the newly ordered 'high-precision clockwork parts'.
"These aren't the specs I wanted..."
I'd bought them to upgrade 'Excel', but the sizes were all over the place.
"I ordered 1 cm ones—how is this 1 cm?"
To me, 1 cm was defined as 'the distance light travels in vacuum in 1/29,979,245,800 of a second'.
Anything else wasn't 1 cm.
Tolerances? I'm no engineer—I don't do compromises.
No choice but to shave them down with magic.
As I started setting up the equations, Giuseppe spoke.
"Today's the day."
"...What is?"
"The calculus thesis review."
"Ah."
For reference, I'd told Giuseppe that I was the true author of calculus.
Seemed convenient for the future all around.
"Money's gonna rain down, junior."
Heh heh heh. Giuseppe slapped my back, laughing heartily.
What was this now?
"Money rain?"
"You don't know? By Magic Tower custom, anyone using a certified theory must pay the originator a 'theory usage fee'."
"..."
Did I hear that wrong?
Magic measurement patents were public domain, free for all—yet pure theory demanded royalties?
Never mind my belief that knowledge belongs to all humanity—this was just insane.
I shook my head.
"I don't want the money."
"Heh, won't work just because you say no. This goes beyond Magic Tower bylaws—it's from His Majesty's own 'Intellectual Property Protection Law'."
"His Majesty?"
Units were bad enough; for something 'imperial', I'd yet to see anything proper.
I scowled.
Giuseppe's face paled.
"Not in front of me, but never make that face outside..."
"Lèse-majesté or something?"
"Obviously. Drawn and quartered."
"..."
Damn medieval era.
Need to modernize this place fast.
Days later, after special lecture, Valerius called me aside.
I asked him,
"No issues with the thesis review?"
"Plenty. Thanks to you, the whole Tower's in uproar."
He grinned in reply, but something felt off.
'He's not usually this friendly...'
As I opened my mouth for more, he cut in.
"Speaking of which, we need to talk theory usage fees."
"...I'm not taking them."
"Can't do that. Let's stick to the contract."
"..."
"Refuse to the end, and I won't honor the NDA either."
Damn.
When we signed, I never dreamed about 'theory usage fees'.
Past-life inertia had me skimping on clauses—now it was choking me.
Be more careful next time.
"Starting next week, deposits to you will easily top 100,000 gold weekly."
100,000 gold.
A capital house cost 50,000—so two houses a week.
No worries about inheritance for kids.
"...If all that hits my account, we're in trouble, right?"
"Obviously. Tax collectors are scarier than ghosts."
"I'll pay taxes."
"Then you'll become a target for the underworld—vanish without a trace."
"..."
"You’re from the sticks, might not know, but the Empire's underworld is ruled by 'unlicensed mages' outside the Tower or University."
"Can't fight them?"
I'm a Tower mage—shouldn't lose to unlicensed riffraff.
But Valerius shook his head.
"Know the main duty of an Archmage?"
"...Tour the Empire writing travelogues?"
"Nonsense."
"..."
Just kidding, but harsh.
"We patrol the Empire 'cleaning' the underworld."
Cleaning meant killing, obviously.
Valerius continued.
"We fight them often, so I know. They operate outside the law, masters of ancient curses and mind-control magic banned by the Tower. No guarantee money-hungry ones won't rip all your head-knowledge out."
Crush mountains or fill seas with magic? Winnable.
Even the strongest mage dies with a bullet to the heart.
But brain-ripping foes? Different story.
No neuroscience background—can't even guess the mechanism.
'Enemies everywhere inside and out...'
Need to investigate slowly.
Once I know all, strike decisively at the optimal moment.
For now, no fighting.
No fighting—just pocket the cash.
"Guess I need a 'fake trading company' for money laundering."
"Hm... Not bad. Know anyone trustworthy?"
Trustworthy...
A grinning man's face flashed in my mind.
Hans, the ex-mercenary from the boonies who came to the capital with me.
Expert in shady dealings—he could help.