Grade Evaluation Ceremony (4)
Grade Evaluation Ceremony (4)
"...And that's how it happened."
The research lab was steeped in a faint, stale dust.
Ian finished explaining the situation to Christina.
"You bet on a technique that hasn't even been perfected yet?"
"Because I believe in it."
"And the deadline is tomorrow?"
"You're a graduate student... a scientist. Pulling all-nighters is standard."
Christina's voice had been rising like a crescendo, and at Ian's nonchalant answer it hit its peak.
"On top of that, the money was supposed to be for raw materials—it was the entire research budget I scraped together with that whole dramatic 'Let me show you something!' performance. And you threw it all into a bet?"
"...You could put it that way."
Christina looked like she'd just watched the world end.
'It's true, I did use hard-won research funds pretty recklessly.'
Ian had been through something similar even before the possession.
He felt a twinge of guilt for staking the research budget on a wager without consulting her at all.
He was more than confident he'd win, and he did have a claim to the funds, but the act of betting the money had been rather emotional.
If his real goal was simply to improve his own reputation, showing something off at the final measurement would have been enough.
Christina, who had been staring at him, finally spoke.
"Hey. Are you insane?"
"What?"
At Ian's bewildered reply, Christina demurely covered her mouth with her fingertips.
"Oops. My inner thoughts slipped out."
She murmured this, her eyes steady while the corners of her lips lifted, then she yelled.
"...Not! Go get it back, now! If you bet all the material costs, how are we supposed to buy materials? You need materials to do research!"
"You were going to use all of that for materials?"
"Of course! Do you know how expensive rare metals are? I agreed to this because you said you could procure them!"
Christina raged, hands planted on her hips.
But Ian nodded with a satisfied look.
If the fuss was about material costs, there was no problem.
"I've already obtained the materials."
Ian pulled out the glass bottles he had carried in his bag.
He had visited mid-sized merchant companies that handled raw materials, after asking Sylvia to arrange the meetings.
The amount of rare metals needed for the research was minuscule anyway. The byproducts he gathered while helping the merchants with their extraction work were more than sufficient.
'The merchants were a lot more satisfied than I expected.'
It had been the ultimate win-win.
—Clink. Clink.
Ian quietly set the glass bottles on the table.
"This should be enough, right?"
The bottles lined up on the table.
Christina's eyes, which should have been drooping with exhaustion, flew impossibly wide.
"Wh... wha—. You bought all this and still had money left over?"
"Yeah. I compensated with labor. Hardly spent any money."
"...Huh?"
Christina's eyes trembled violently from side to side.
Maybe he should try to calm her down.
While Ian mulled it over,
Christina immediately dropped to her knees on the floor.
Then she closed her eyes and clasped her hands as if in prayer.
"I apologize for doubting you. I am merely a shut-in researcher baking rocks in a lab where not a single ray of light enters. Lord Ian is indeed the light, the hope, the Greatest of All Time Scientist. I will never doubt you again. Amen."
"......."
Ian looked down at her, slightly dumbfounded.
The way she kept her eyes seriously shut, as if genuinely praying, made it even more bewildering.
The rumor that all scientists have a screw loose somewhere seemed to be true.
—Tap tap.
Christina brushed the dust off her knees, stood up, and smiled brightly, tilting her head.
"Is there anything you're curious about, Lord Ian?"
Her expression was so benevolent it was hard to believe she'd been furious just moments before. Having her gaze up at him with that face was a bit overwhelming.
"...You're joking, not serious, right?"
"No, I'm serious. I will never doubt Lord Ian again. I shall become the first follower of the Church of Ian."
"Please, it's too much. Can you drop the bit?"
Christina gave a quiet nod.
But there was something distinctly unsettling in her eyes.
"...By the way, Ian."
"Yeah?"
"What are you going to do if you win the research funds?"
"Obviously put them back into research."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Christina clasped his hands.
"I'll stay up all night tonight."
That was a fine attitude to have.
"But we'll need to run several tests to see how you can apply the Buoyancy Stone to yourself. Even if you wrap it around your body as a thin film, there's no guarantee the material's properties will hold."
Christina gave a briefing while quickly slipping into her lab coat and protective gear.
The way she pulled on the tight white sanitary gloves gave off a real expert air.
"Making it into a film that fits your body will be difficult. Let's start there."
She immediately identified the core issue and plunged in—her skill was impressive.
No wonder she was an alchemist who would one day make a name for herself across the continent.
"Ian, please prepare so that we can form the thin film. I think we need to get started quickly..."
When it came to this kind of application, Ian's talent was no less than hers.
[ Copper ], [ Lead ], [ Lunarite ], [ Cold Iron ] .......
Without a word, Ian placed his hands on the metals.
In an instant, the materials enveloped his body.
"Would this suffice?"
Christina's mouth dropped open.
◆
The next day, the measurement arena was filled with students gathered for the second grade assessment.
"...Ian?"
"Yeah. What's up, Danya?"
"Are you okay? Your eyes look incredibly tired. And your hair is a mess."
Ian ran a hand through his hair, dazed.
"Ah."
Now that he thought about it, he'd forgotten to wash up.
He'd pulled an all-nighter working out how to apply the Buoyancy Stone.
'Well. I'll just wash up and sleep after the ceremony.'
At his haggard appearance, Danya's eyes grew teary.
"You don't have to push yourself so hard for me..."
Danya was under the impression that Ian had fought because he was looking out for her.
In truth, Ian had merely been angry at the attitude of Sharon's escort guards.
But he didn't bother to correct her misunderstanding.
He was too exhausted from the all-nighter to tend to such things.
"Looking at your face, I'd say you couldn't sleep because you were up all night worrying about losing your money."
Ian turned his head toward the mocking voice.
Sharon's fan club president, Lukasich, stood there with a smirk.
A smirk rose on Ian's face in return.
His fatigue vanished without a trace, and his eyes, his posture—everything became infinitely sharp and self-assured.
"I was planning to find you anyway. Good timing. About our bet."
Lukasich's face stiffened at Ian's sudden change.
What in the world was he about to say?
Ian spoke.
"But isn't it a little strange?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm taking the fight with lower odds here. Don't you think matching me one-to-one is a bit unfair? I'd like a better spread on my side. Something like one-to-four?"
Lukasich had already wagered one gold coin.
A single gold coin was equivalent to a year's living expenses for a middle-class household.
Even for a noble like Lukasich, it was a burdensome sum.
Riding the momentum, Ian prodded.
"Scared?"
"Sca—scared of what? I'll add one more! There, satisfied?"
"No. Add three more. Stake four total."
"...Four?"
"Yes. Four."
"That's ridiculous...!"
"You're the one who said levitation was ridiculous. If you're that confident, you should give me better odds."
Lukasich's face went pale.
In his mind, Ian had always been the image of insecurity.
Seeing Ian demand terms so boldly threw him off balance.
But his pride wouldn't let him back down completely.
"Let's make it three."
"Four."
Lukasich put his arm around Ian's shoulder.
He whispered quietly.
"I don't have enough money on hand right now... If I put down all of that, I won't have any living expenses."
"Four."
"Ngh!"
Ian's eyes were impossibly clear and utterly mad.
Lukasich was a bit overwhelmed by his intensity.
'It's not like it's going to happen anyway.'
He'd be depositing four gold coins for a few minutes and then getting back five. It was a profitable deal no matter what.
Lukasich added three more gold coins to the money pouch.
"But let's be clear. Levitation—specifically, we're talking about maintaining a fixed floating posture. This means mid-air anchoring."
"Of course."
At Lukasich's words, Ian smiled and tied the mouth of the coin pouch.
He was about to hand the pouch to the notary.
When a pale hand blocked his way.
◆
"What do you think you're doing at a grade measurement ceremony?"
"...S-Sir Sharon?"
In fact, the bet between Ian and Lukasich had fallen through the previous day due to Sharon Pierce's interruption.
Ian quickly tied the pouch with the wager money and tossed it to the student cadet officiating the bet.
Sharon furrowed her brow.
"I believe I asked you what you're doing right now?"
"A bet. Why. You want in?"
A brief silence.
Sharon spoke in a voice like a sword forged from ice.
"I truly find you disagreeable. Ian Blackangus."
"And what exactly do you find disagreeable?"
"Everything you do."
"......."
Ian looked at Sharon for a moment.
He knew she disliked him—or more precisely, Pongpongi.
If she was the culprit who had pushed Pongpongi off the rooftop, he had only assumed it was because Pongpongi had followed her around, disrupting her training.
That was why he'd resolved to avoid getting entangled with her.
If he just left her alone to train, perhaps her interest in him would fade.
But it seemed Sharon had other thoughts about Pongpongi.
"Ian Blackangus. You act as if you're helping others, but inside you're scheming with petty cunning. Even this situation makes it obvious. It's like watching my own siblings—it makes my skin crawl."
"Comparing me to the children of House Pierce feels like a massive overestimation."
Sharon furrowed her brow at his reply.
"Your crimes will be revealed before the disciplinary committee."
"That feels a bit unfair."
"Unfair? Look at what you're doing right now. You fabricate absurd nonsense and then use it to run a gambling den. You are a debauched troublemaker who spins schemes and strategems to wreak havoc on everyone around you. That is all the more reason you need the disciplinary committee."
In summary, a champion of justice had arrived.
Would such a sense of justice really serve as a motive to push someone off a rooftop?
Considering the environment she grew up in, it wasn't impossible at all.
But instead of dwelling on that, Ian provoked her.
"Bet on it, then."
"What?"
"If you can't bring yourself to believe me, you should wager something too."
"......."
"Money. Or an item. The point is, all I have to do is show you myself floating still in mid-air, isn't it?"
Ian swept his gaze around the arena.
The second grade measurement ceremony was still underway.
Countless students were watching the confrontation.
"In front of all of them."
His attitude was utterly unshakable.
Even Sharon was taken aback for a moment by Ian's boldness.
But it was only a moment. Her eyes quickly regained their sharpness.
"Fine."
Sharon unfastened the sword she wore at her hip.
"I will wager this sword that Ian cannot maintain his posture in mid-air."