Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: 1,253 Applicants
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I left the detailed design of the dome stadium to the experts.
No matter what, my specialty is particle physics.
I don't know the exact tensile strength of the common mortar or bricks used in this world.
Trying to do everything alone would be foolish.
That's exactly when you hand it off to the professionals.
A few days later, I spotted a new nameplate right next to our school's research lab.
"Huh?"
...A new school had been established, so of course it needed a research lab in the capital too.
But right next to ours, of all places?
The door opened, and out stepped Professor Gedric.
"Professor Gedric... have you transferred to the capital's Magic Tower?"
"A school needs a proxy head even if the actual head isn't around."
Ah.
So you've become the proxy head.
I bowed my head politely.
"It's an honor to see you again."
"Honor, my foot. This is all thanks to you that we got our own independent school."
"..."
True, but hearing it laid out so bluntly like gilding a lily was a bit embarrassing.
I smoothly changed the subject.
"Still, this is unexpected."
"What's unexpected?"
"I figured a faction splitting off from a major powerhouse like the Wind Magic School would start on a higher floor right away."
"...Newly independent schools always start on the lowest floors. That's the custom."
"..."
...I don't think that's right.
I recall seeing a few counterexamples in that book Magic Tower History.
"You didn't choose the lower floors on purpose, did you?"
"Of course not! ...Or does having our school right next door bother you?"
"No, no. Not at all. I love it."
"Right?!"
Professor Gedric's face lit up.
A moment later, he asked me,
"Speaking of which, it's almost time to recruit new researchers. Got any applicants for your school?"
"Oh. Yeah, it's that time already."
Our school needs to recruit too.
Not any blowhards—just solid slaves, er, juniors.
Back in the lab, School Head Dolloren was nowhere to be seen, leaving Senior Giuseppe all by his lonesome.
Giuseppe was reading a newly published paper.
I asked him,
"...Where's School Head Dolloren?"
"She said she'd get nabbed by the dean if she stuck around here, so she headed out."
"Pardon?"
"Think about it—why do you suppose Lord Valerius got stuck with that special lecture?"
"No way... she dumped it on the dean?"
"Exactly."
"..."
Am I not cut out to aim for school head?
Maybe I need to climb higher.
Anyway, more importantly right now.
"Senior, aren't we overlooking something huge?"
"Hm? What?"
Giuseppe looked like he'd completely forgotten about new recruitments.
Well, five straight years without a single applicant before I showed up—easy to forget.
I told him,
"We need to bring in some newbies."
"Nah. This year'll be the same as alw—"
Giuseppe's eyes turned to me.
He continued,
"—never mind. Things are different now."
"Want me to grab the applicant files from admin?"
"No, I'll get them."
"Over a thousand?"
"..."
"This many applicants...?"
"..."
"Seriously 1,253...?"
Senior Giuseppe had glitched out.
He'd been staring at the applicant count, muttering variations of the same thing for minutes now.
Honestly, even I was a bit stunned.
The Magic Tower gets roughly 2,000 to 3,000 applicants per semester.
To exaggerate a tad, one out of every two applicants went for our school.
'Never expected this kind of pile-up...'
I could barely speak, so imagine Giuseppe after suffering solo for ten years.
"A thousand... a thousand juniors..."
Yeah. Enough to break anyone.
To help him calm down mentally, I brewed some tea.
"Here, have a cup and relax."
"Th-thanks."
He slurped it slowly, seated.
Still muttering a thousand... a thousand....
I asked him,
"With this many applicants, we have to screen and select, right?"
"...Yeah."
"How many slots do we have total?"
"Good question. I used to decide as proxy, but now that the school head's back, better ask her directly."
Giuseppe decided to go fetch Dolloren.
"Know where she is, senior?"
"Got a few hunches. Be right back."
Less than ten minutes later, he dragged her back.
"Oh, come on, Giuseppe, don't lie. A thousand? Really?"
"It's true."
"Dragging me in from the annex lounge just to pull this?"
She was in the old lab, huh.
Nice spot.
Dolloren turned to me.
"Isaac. You're in on it too, right? You two plotting to sell me out to the dean."
"No way."
I handed her the applicant list.
Dolloren grudgingly picked up the parchment.
The instant her eyes hit the first line, 'Total Applicants'.
She froze.
"...1,253?"
Her eyes went wide, mouth agape.
Shock. Amazement.
Something like that.
First time seeing her like this.
'Even when I deployed the isolation barrier, she just smiled...'
A little hurtful to my pride.
The Flame Element Magic School boasted the highest competition rate, hands down.
But this year was different.
Gwendolyn Everglow felt awkward amid the lab's heavy atmosphere.
She asked,
"Something wrong, senior?"
Her question drew a deep sigh from a master's level researcher.
"Just checked the new recruit numbers."
"Looks like this semester's recruitment is a bust."
"..."
Gwendolyn recalled the applicant count from her first semester.
Definitely around 900.
'Down to a third...'
Scratch scratch.
The senior clawed at his hair frantically.
"What if they cut our research budget too?"
"Come on, it's not like we're short. We'll be fine."
"What the hell happened? Did the professors go out and do something weird?"
"...Keep it down around here."
"..."
Gwendolyn pondered briefly before speaking.
"Did you... check the Magic Survey School's numbers by any chance?"
"Survey School? They never get any—oh! Isaac Uphills."
The senior dashed off to admin like he'd realized something.
He returned shortly after, looking utterly dazed.
"Insane... they got everything. Over 1,200."
"Whoa..."
A proud smile crept unbidden onto Gwendolyn's lips.
Like a gambler whose long shot paid off big.
"You... seem thrilled?"
At her senior's words, Gwendolyn hastily schooled her expression.
"My apologies."
"No, no! Wasn't trying to call you out."
Behind her back, he swore he saw the ghost of Count Everglow.
"For real, Gwen! Seriously! Believe me!"
"Hmph..."
As her senior flailed, Gwendolyn mulled other thoughts.
'Lots of applicants is great, but... how are they gonna pick?'
The Flame Element Magic School held interviews every semester with the full professor lineup.
Big production.
But the Survey School probably lacked interviewers.
'No need to worry—they'll handle it.'
Of course. It's Isaac. He's had a plan since forever.
Total personnel: 3. Current: 3.
The Magic Survey School's emergency strategy meeting began.
One item on the agenda.
Out of 1,253 applicants, who to pick—and how many.
Dolloren spoke first.
"I'd rather not cap numbers, but... Tower regs say one PhD can oversee up to 20 researchers."
"Max 20, then. Out of 1,253."
"Even with interviews, we need a primary filter first."
"Got any ideas?"
Dolloren asked me.
"Hm... how about posing a problem and passing round one to whoever solves it?"
"...Handing out tests to over a thousand people is a chore in itself."
I silently pointed at Excel.
"Oh. Right. Problem it is."
Dolloren leaned back in her chair, chin propped, tossing out casually,
"Then the question... 'Is the universe spatially infinite?' How's that?"
Zing.
Giuseppe glared at Dolloren.
"Professor, that's your research topic. You can't use it as an entrance question."
Dolloren pouted.
"Well... nothing else comes to mind. Got a better idea?"
"...Does the minimum unit of mana exist naturally?"
"That's your research topic!"
As Dolloren bristled, Giuseppe slyly glanced my way.
"Ahem. Junior, any bright ideas?"
"Hm..."
We need talent fitting the Survey School—no random questions.
An idea popped up.
"Ask why planetary orbits are elliptical."
Astronomy in this world was surprisingly advanced.
They'd probably used magic for something like reflecting telescopes.
Researchers had determined orbits weren't perfect circles but ellipses.
One more step gets you Kepler's laws, then Newton's universal gravitation.
They had calculus as a tool—whoever's motivated can do it.
Bound to be one or two in these 1,253 who could.
Like how Gedric and Valerius reached 'arithmetic barometric measurement' and 'flow rate law' without my help.
Can't hog it all if talent's hiding out there.
At least co-author the next paper and research together.
Time to formalize classical mechanics.
Dolloren and Giuseppe looked intrigued.
Giuseppe said,
"Planetary orbits, huh? Interesting choice."
"Right? Perfect Survey School vibe."
"Why God's perfect creation, the heavens, appears as a squished ellipse instead of a circle. Fun one."
"..."
Appears?
Dolloren nodded at Giuseppe's words, adding,
"Even if no one nails the answer, we can judge their approach."
I fell silent listening to them.
What were they on about?
"You two are seriously misunderstanding something..."
"Hm?"
"Planetary orbits don't just appear elliptical."
I told them plainly,
"They actually are elliptical."
"Pfft, no way."
Dolloren laughed and waved it off. I stared silently.
"..."
"...For real?"