Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Headache Secret
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The next morning.
I headed to the Magic Tower’s communal cafeteria with my roommate, Liam.
Breakfast consisted of bread and sausages.
The taste wasn't bad.
Liam swallowed a sausage with a beaming smile.
"Originally, my head felt like it was about to split open every morning, so I never had an appetite... but even that's completely gone now. Thank you, Isaac."
"Oh, it was nothing."
"I should really mention this to the folks over at the Healing Magic School."
"...Why there?"
"I've been getting help from them for the past year, but they couldn't solve it."
"Ah."
A chill ran down my spine.
This must absolutely never get out.
Grip.
I lunged forward and grabbed Liam’s hand.
"What... what's this all of a sudden?"
"That bit about your headache being cured—don't you dare tell anyone else."
"Why not?"
Is he seriously asking that?
I stared intently into Liam's eyes. The only emotion reflected in them was 'surprise.' Nothing else.
Good grief...
This innocent soul...
A fool who knows nothing but research...
An idiot...
"Liam. How long has it been since you entered the Magic Tower?"
"Me? One semester."
"One semester..."
One semester was six months.
That was short enough that he might not have a grasp on the political currents within the tower yet.
I take back the 'idiot' comment.
He was probably just a friend who lacked a bit of tact.
'I was like that once, too...'
"Listen carefully, Liam."
"Yes."
"What do you think would happen if you went around saying, 'My headache was solved thanks to Isaac'?"
"Um... wouldn't they be happy?"
I shook my head and replied.
"That’s not it."
"Then what?"
"The Healing School will think I'm overstepping my bounds by meddling in their field."
"No way. Surely they wouldn't."
How can he be this clueless!
"Liam. You were getting that headache treatment for free, weren't you?"
"Heh. That's right. How did you know?"
"Where would a graduate student get the money for treatment?"
"Ah."
Even in another world, graduate students are usually strapped for cash.
Any mage who wants to make money has already left for guilds, the military, or tutoring for noble families.
It's exactly like Earth.
I said to Liam.
"In exchange for treating you for free, that school was likely writing a thesis using your case as data."
"That's true. Wait? Ah! So that's how it is!"
Liam’s eyes widened.
He finally understands, this fellow.
"Then... they wouldn't exactly be thrilled even if my headache is cured. Because it means... they have to rewrite their thesis."
"You've finally caught on."
"But even so, would they really blame you, Isaac? It wasn't intentional."
Munch, munch. Liam chewed his sausage, still blissfully unaware.
He’s a naive man to the very end.
Between Giuseppe and Liam, I don't know why every graduate student around me is such a pushover.
Is every graduate student in this world like this?
No... there’s no way.
Graduate school is a jungle where machiavellian schemes run rampant. The half-hearted cannot survive.
I leaned toward Liam, making sure we wouldn't be overheard by the people nearby.
"I hate being the center of attention."
Freeze.
Liam's hand, holding a fork, came to a halt.
I continued.
"And if it becomes known that I cured your headache, I would be very... saddened."
"..."
Did my sincerity get through?
Liam looked flustered for a moment, but then he nodded solemnly with an expression of deep realization.
"...If that's your wish, Isaac."
"..."
"I understand. I won't say a word about yesterday."
***
After breakfast, Liam parted ways with Isaac and walked through the Magic Tower alone.
"Just what kind of experiences did Isaac go through..."
Did he get too close to a truly wicked professor in magic university?
Or did he have some unspeakable circumstance during his childhood?
Just as Isaac had fixed the mana lamp for him, Liam wanted to be of help to him as well.
"But there isn't exactly a clever way to do that..."
Just then, someone appeared in front of Liam.
It was Ellara, the Floor Manager.
"Liam! I thought you said mornings were hard because of your headaches. How did you make it out?"
"..."
At Ellara’s words, Liam’s body froze like stone.
Isaac’s words were echoing in Liam's head.
'That bit about your headache being cured—don't you dare tell anyone else.'
They say if you're told not to think of an elephant, you can only think of an elephant.
Liam was about to lose his mind.
Liam’s body began to move with the clunky motions of a ball-jointed doll.
"T-That's right! It's just... well... my condition... suddenly! It got very good! Hahaha!"
A drop of cold sweat trickled down Liam’s temple.
To anyone watching, he looked like he was hiding something.
Ellara’s smile faded.
Her eyes glinted sharply.
She took a step closer as if to block Liam’s path.
"Liam, your headache is gone."
"...!"
"What a blessing. But I wonder who solved it? There wasn't much progress from the Healing School... Alchemy?"
"..."
Liam's expression remained calm.
'Is that not it?'
Ellara tilted her head.
She began rattling off other names.
"Ancient Magic School, Magical Herb School, Defense Against the Dark Arts School..."
"..."
Yet, Liam’s expression did not change.
"At least who was it? It couldn't possibly be the roommate who just moved in yesterday."
"!!"
"What... seriously?"
Ellara’s eyes went wide.
"Isaac really cured your headache?"
"No, the thing is... really..."
Liam looked like he was about to cry.
"Please keep it a secret, Ellara. I'll do anything."
"...We're already slaves, what are you talking about?"
"Ah."
A graduate student is a slave, and a slave is someone's property.
Property cannot possess anything to give.
Liam had nothing to offer Ellara.
And so, Liam had no choice but to pour out the whole story to Ellara.
Ellara stood there silently, watching as a dazed Liam staggered away.
Liam’s confession was shocking.
He said Isaac hadn't even laid a finger on Liam's body.
He said he hadn't used healing magic directly, either.
Instead, he said he 'repaired' the defects in the mana lamp without any incantations or catalysts.
That alone had cured the headache.
"...That's insane."
Modifying a magic tool created by someone else must be done with extreme caution.
The number of mages who tried that without knowing better and ended up on the streets due to a Rebound could fill a cart.
Moreover, Liam’s headache was an 'incurable disease' known to those in the loop.
'A problem that even the top healing mages and alchemists in the Tower couldn't even find the cause of... solved in a single night by a freshman, and from a fringe school at that?'
It seemed a genuine rookie had entered the fray after a long time.
'If that's the case, might he be able to handle that request?'
A certain request flickered through Ellara's mind.
Because of the massive reward, they had jumped in without looking back, but they had failed to complete it and were now facing a penalty fee.
'If it's Isaac, it might be possible...!'
If so, Ellara’s school would be exempted from the penalty, and Isaac’s school would find their financial situation becoming 'very' comfortable.
A faint smile spread across her lips.
Ellara moved immediately.
Toward the laboratory of the 'Magic Survey School' in the Magic Tower Annex.
***
Having been drained since morning, I practically fled to the lab for work.
As expected, my own space is the best.
Giuseppe welcomed me warmly and began our 'first lab meeting.'
We started with selecting a research topic.
Giuseppe spoke.
"Now then, Isaac. What kind of research do you want to pursue?"
Giuseppe’s eyes sparkled.
"A genius like you must have a magnificent research plan, right?"
"..."
I was breaking out in a cold sweat internally.
'What research plan? I don't even know what my major was during my undergraduate years.'
They could have at least given me the memories of the original body's owner before the possession.
I didn't even know where this Isaac guy came from or what he did.
'Other than being an orphan who wandered the world after graduating from magic university...'
I’d have to wing it here.
I looked Giuseppe straight in the eye and said.
"For the first year of my Master's, I want to learn by assisting with your research, Senior."
This was the easiest way.
The path had already been paved by Senior Giuseppe.
I just had to follow.
There couldn't be a more comfortable research plan than this.
"So, Senior. Please teach me your research."
Giuseppe was speechless for a moment.
He cleared his throat once as if to hide his excitement and said in a trembling voice.
"Isaac... you truly have a warm heart..."
"Not at all, Senior."
"However. It's impossible. Isaac, you cannot inherit my research."
"Why not?"
Senior Giuseppe shook his head with a bitter smile.
"This is research with no money and no future."
"That's fine."
I'm used to that kind of path.
I did something similar in my past life.
"No! I'm fine with it, but I can't let you waste your time on such pie-in-the-sky work. You must do greater things."
Giuseppe firmly rejected my proposal.
To think he'd say no because it's pie-in-the-sky...
Is that something you say to a particle physics major who used to chase electron clouds?
I asked Giuseppe back.
"Then is there any other research topic in this school besides that?"
"Well... there isn't, really. You'll just have to find a new one yourself."
A heavy silence descended upon the lab.
It was then.
Knock. Knock.
A cautious knocking sound broke the silence.
Both Senior Giuseppe and I looked toward the door simultaneously.
Ellara, the Floor Manager, peeked her head through the gap in the door.
"Um... Senior Giuseppe. And fellow student Isaac. I'm sorry, but I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
In that instant, Giuseppe’s aura completely changed.
"Come in."
"Yes."
...Was Giuseppe always such a dignified speaker?
Ellara entered and carefully placed a bundle of parchment on the desk.
"You two, by any chance... were you looking for research that pays well?"