50 – First Steps
Unless born into a wealthy household, accumulating wealth is an exceedingly difficult task. Thus, numerous entrepreneurs borrow money to start their businesses.
This is a tale that applies even to scholars.
Unless a genius, building achievements and authority in academia is no less challenging than amassing wealth.
Therefore, ambitious scholars often borrow authority instead of money.
Schools of thought.
A gathering of scholars led by the era’s distinguished intellectual. Even if one’s achievements are modest, being under the umbrella of a massive school of thought grants power and the ability to raise one’s voice.
And those proudly wearing the black shield badges, openly supporting the former dean, made it clear whose authority they borrowed.
A professor at the Federal Magic University and a prominent figure. One of the current academia’s foremost authorities.
Professor Klaus Muller.
The fact that those who had positioned him as their figurehead—accurately, those who had issued statements of support on a whim—had louder voices compared to other undergraduate students was a natural occurrence.
However.
“Hello. I’m Julia Muller, Professor Klaus Muller’s daughter.”
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The situation has changed.
The dust rose in swirls from the wooden table, where the debate had taken place. Almost half of the participants stood up.
The commotion in the original debate hall quickly died down.
It was for an obvious reason.
“Just a while ago, Miller Professor’s illegitimate daughter overheard the argument.”
In other words, if someone slipped up and said something inappropriate, the discussion could easily reach the professor’s ears.
“Thank you for your composure.”
After confirming that the senior students from her faction were visibly flustered, Yulia sat down in her wheelchair and bowed her head, apologizing.
It was an apology for her actions.
“At the same time, I apologize for causing the disturbance.”
“……Y-Yulia, my junior! Even so, are you really protecting that barbarian? They’re still causing trouble even now!”
Even though it was understandable for the senior student to be upset, as they had shown reckless behavior, they suddenly started using honorifics.
In an instant, Yulia concealed her expression of anger and released her grip on her fist.
Her right hand was burning.
She was still boiling inside, but she couldn’t let go of her reason even in this situation.
Yulia, who was reluctant to step forward, stood up. This meant that there was a possibility that the situation could escalate uncontrollably.
If she didn’t handle it properly now, the damage wouldn’t end with just one person.
I understood that fact.
“M-Me!”
Because my change in attitude was so quick, the senior student pointed their finger at me, but I couldn’t raise my voice any louder.
Yulia was by my side.
“I apologize once again. Firstly, I believe it’s a fact that your actions, Senior, were not entirely just. Don’t you agree?”
“…Well, I…”
“Don’t you?”
The upperclassman shut his mouth soon after.
Nerve-wracking.
Compared to himself, just a fledgling freshman. No reason to feel intimidated by a mere rookie daring to speak up about senior matters.
But Yulia Müller was no ordinary freshman.
This was a debating hall with many discerning eyes.
If anyone were to face repercussions for speaking up here, it wouldn’t be Yulia but himself, and further, it would disgrace our faction.
Yet, admitting defeat also tarnishes the faction’s reputation.
Hence, the upperclassman chose a different approach.
With a gesture, his faction comrades around him stood up in unison.
In a nerve-wracking situation, the side with greater numbers holds the advantage.
And at this moment, the upperclassman had eight comrades by his side.
It was when they all stood with firm nods, mouths shut tight.
“I tried to stay quiet, but I simply can’t bear it any longer.”
A third force rose from their seats.
I blinked, glancing briefly to where the voice came from, simultaneously feeling puzzled.
He was an amiable senior.
From the subtle tremor in his arms, it was evident that he was not accustomed to taking the lead. However, his voice was impeccably clear.
“Why did the junior draw his wand? Does he truly not understand? There should be a limit to one’s audacity. How long do you plan to parade around with that outdated authoritarianism? If you’re a wizard, speak proudly of magic and research. Don’t waste your breath mocking those beneath you.”
“…You. You’ve been talking a lot since earlier. Who are you?”
“Johannes. Johannes Born. Or should I say, the ‘baseless guy’? I, too, was raised in a foster home.”
The amiable senior, Johannes, lowered his gaze.
“It seems the Prussian Federal Magical University has lost its touch. Granting a fourth-year seat to such a baseless fellow.”
“That name. I remember now.”
“Get lost. Even if I die soon, I won’t be entangled with the likes of you.”
As if echoing his sentiment, several people began to gather around Johannes.
Their attire was modest compared to the faction members.
At a glance, they seemed to be survivors of the Federal Magical University without the benefits of connections.
Just an hour ago, the debate about the essence of magic had turned into a political arena in the blink of an eye.
A sharp silence pierced the air.
Now, the broken tables and the gray-haired freshman took a backseat. No one dared to leave their seats, forced to watch the nerve-wracking clash between the two enraged factions.
And then.
“Is this the place?”
The acute confrontation ended as anticlimactically as it began.
Thud. Thud.
Several professors and staff rushed into the auditorium. The professors, assessing the situation in the debate hall, collectively furrowed their brows.
There was no unexpected surprise in the reactions.
It must have been quite common for discussions to escalate into disputes.
The elderly professor at the forefront sighed deeply and spoke.
“You all, disband immediately. According to the Coffee Club’s principles, those who stand up now should be all well-behaved, but we will overlook it today due to the special circumstances.”
While the instructor dispersed the students, he glanced at me, Yulia, and Werner with a vague posture.
“You, get some treatment.”
That was all he said.
Treatment, what does that mean?
“Ah…”
Only then did I realize.
My right hand was hot, and in the process of smashing the table, it left a deep cut in the shape of the wood splinter.
The floor was invigorated with my blood.
*
It was a relief that the infirmary of the Federal Magic University was located right next to the auditorium.
After hastily pressing my hand to stop the bleeding, I apologized to Yulia and Werner and headed to the infirmary.
The resident instructor had left long ago.
Still, I could bandage myself to some extent.
“Ugh.”
After tearing the bandage with my teeth, I wrapped it around the wound on my forearm. Although a lot of blood was flowing, the wound itself was clean enough not to require any special treatment.
There would be only a slight scar left.
“…… Phew.”
Under the crimson glow of magical lights, I felt my whole body weaken.
It was supposed to be a simple debate, with no second thoughts. I never dreamed something like this would happen.
My rationality had long since returned.
First, I had to apologize to Yulia and Werner. After all, I was the one who caused all of this trouble.
Just as I was about to leave the infirmary.
Creak!
The door opened on its own before I could even touch it.
“…… Surprise.”
“Oh. Are you all done with the treatment?”
Outside the door, there was Werner, not much different from any other time, and Yulia, pushing the wheelchair herself.
Yulia quietly lifted the corner of her mouth.
“Has your head cooled down a bit?”
*
Werner only confirmed my well-being and then headed for the back alley.
But it seemed that it was just my imagination that nothing was different from usual.
– I’m frustrated.
– What’s wrong?
– I couldn’t say a word in the debate. I’m supposed to be the leading experimental magician, leading the most dangerous experiments.
For the first time, the audacity disappeared from Werner’s expression.
The contemptuous remarks of the senior student and my impromptu actions, following the ensuing chaos, were shaken off by none other than his pride as a wizard.
― Eugene. I’m going to start studying properly from now on. Let’s write a paper together soon. You’re the best theorist I’ve acknowledged.
Having said that, he left without a trace of regret.
Now, it was said that only Yulia and I remained in the dormitory.
Our first words were the same.
“Sorry.”
“I’m sorry.”
I was puzzled.
“Do you have a reason to apologize? I caused the accident.”
“…Because the cause is with me.”
Cause.
Yulia’s expression as she uttered that word was the same as usual.
In other words, it meant she was hiding her expression as best as she could.
Yulia rolled her wheelchair to face me, using the hospital bed as a makeshift chair. Then, slowly, she began to caress my bandaged hand.
At the same time, she parted her crimson lips.
“Eugene. You are Benjamin Oslo’s adopted son, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you know that my father, Professor Klaus Muller, and Benjamin were research colleagues?”
I nodded slightly.
“We knew each other as friends who exchanged letters. On the contrary, I want to ask. How do you know Benjamin?”
“You used to play with me a lot when I was younger… even more than our father.”
Uriah’s composure was slightly shaken.
“Anyway, what I want to say is this. All the talk about Benjamin being a fraud is a lie. He is undoubtedly the best theoretical magician and the founder of a branch of magic called polarity magic.”
“…I didn’t know that.”
“Of course. The fraud who stole his achievements is our father.”
“What?”
As I tilted my head, Uriah’s brow furrowed ever so slightly.
“Benjamin was a genius. He expressed fresh opinions in various fields and established about twenty new equations in the field of polarity magic.”
“…”
“Our father simply organized his accomplishments into four concise equations… and yet they are called the Muller equations. Eugene, you are not at fault in this situation. The existence of that faction is all because of our father.”
I pondered Uriah’s words.
At the same time, I observed her expression.
It was the first time.
The first time I felt like I saw Uriah’s true face.
After pouring out a barrage of words, Uriah took a deep breath and smiled again.
“Phew. It feels refreshing to get it all out. Oh, I also want to apologize and give you a gift for when you fell.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Mm. No, I want to.”
Pretending to contemplate for a moment, Uriah snapped her fingers.
“Oh, right. You promised two thousand pounds from Lord Hanyang, right? As a condition for helping me regain my interest in magic.”
Did you already know?
It seemed that I had intentionally ignored all the persuasive words I had offered to teach magic.
Yullia, removing her hand from gently caressing the bandage, spoke.
“I’ll give you that.”
“Huh?”
“Two thousand pounds. Just take it. In return, though you might not like it, keep the contract until the end of the summer semester.”
She said it with an indifferent face.
Two thousand pounds. Money equivalent to four months’ salary of an ordinary wage earner.
Is it a small amount for Yullia, the illegitimate daughter of Professor Muller?
“….”
Unlike last time, I didn’t answer immediately.
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Back in the [Understanding Literary Genres] classroom, I didn’t know Yullia Muller, but now I know a little.
There was something I wanted to ask.
“I know that Professor Klaus Muller’s achievements are not just that.”
“….”
“Simplifying equations is an achievement in itself. I think the Muller-Oslow equation proves it. Although I haven’t seen Benjamin’s name in any magic books, I’ve seen Klaus Muller’s name dozens of times.”
In other words,
Klaus Muller is an undoubtedly outstanding magician.
I looked straight into Yullia’s eyes and said,
“Is it because of your father that you’re not trying to learn magic?”
At the same time, Yulia avoided eye contact.
Nonchalantly, she continued speaking.
“[Levitation].”
“…?”
“Type 1 magic, [Levitation]. With just this, you can fly in the sky with a wheelchair, a cane, or yourself. If you’re worried about quick mana depletion, you could also construct an efficient walking-assist magic by applying [Move] and [Rotation]. Smart as you are, there’s no way you wouldn’t know about that.”
Yulia lowered her gaze even further.
A sight unfamiliar to me.
“Why did you lose interest in magic?”
I asked without any pretense.
Finally, all falsehood melted away from Yulia’s expression.
“…I didn’t lose interest. I can’t do it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t do it!”
Yulia shouted.
“I can’t! I’ve tried it thousands, tens of thousands of times locked in my room! I thought maybe, even if I’m not good at using magic, if I understand the theory well enough, something would change. The result?”
Thud.
She slammed her fist down on her own leg.
Not slender. Pathologically thin legs.
“This is it. Just imagination. Imagination and intuition. Father said to cultivate that for spellcasting, right? How can I cultivate it? How can a leg cripple who can’t even take three steps without a cane imagine the essence of magic, spending the whole day locked in a room without a wand?!”
It overflowed.
“Walking assistance magic? Flying through the sky?”
Nineteen. Like a dam bursting open, the words that had been bottled up within for his long and short lifetime poured out.
“I’ve never walked more than a hundred yards in my entire life. I fall. I stumble. My legs stiffen. And you’re telling me to imagine walking and flying?”
Yulia, with her night-colored hair tousled, stared at me intently.
In her gaze, alongside anger, there was a profound sadness.
“A genius like you wouldn’t understand, would you…?”
As Yulia breathed out her final breath, she continued to inhale deeply. It was hyperventilation.
While patting Yulia’s back until it subsided, I pondered.
Genius.
Finally.
I heard that word once again.
I question myself.
Am I a genius?
Four magic spells learned in the nine years since carrying the magic book under my legs.
Three years as Benjamin’s apprentice, spending every day sitting in front of the desk, studying.
Gripping a pencil all day to excel in the magic university entrance exam.
Am I a genius?
No.
Some might answer that I am a genius.
Yes. As Benjamin said, undoubtedly my imagination and intuition are exceptionally outstanding. However, as far as I can remember, that was by no means the essence of magical studies.
Magic is indeed a form of
Slowly, she rose to her feet.
“Eugene…?”
Because the wheelchair was tightly attached, Yulia had to roll the wheels to create some distance. Even that didn’t please her. If it was Yeomdong, it would be easily solved with a gesture.
I approached Yulia, who was trying to subtly create distance.
“Yulia.”
“What, what is it?”
How could I have walked the path of magic?
The answer is simple.
Perseverance.
I handed Yulia the old spellbook that I always carried with me and said,
“Get up.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Get up. Use magic. Without a wand.”
