Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

“The essence of magic studies?”

“Yes. That old topic of debate. We’ve discussed it a few times at the Nocturne Club, right?”

That’s right.

Although it had the grandiose name of ‘the essence of magic studies,’ this was actually a fairly well-known issue not only to magic students but also to ordinary citizens.

Does magic originate from humans?

Or is it part of natural law?

An extremely ancient topic.

Now that magic studies have rapidly developed, discussions about it have become even more lively.

Due to the nature of the topic, it was a question that regularly appeared in debates across various fields, as it was easy for even non-magic students to add their thoughts.

Just in the past few months when I occasionally visited the Nocturne Club, we debated on the same topic more than five times. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

However.

“That’s a problem without an answer.”

The end of those debates was always messy.

It was natural. Modern magic studies have not yet clearly identified even the structure and bonding principles of microscopic particles, and there is no established theory about the origin of magical power.

When trying to reveal the unknown through debate, it’s inevitable that no conclusion can be reached.

I recalled what Benjamin had said to me.

Words I encountered when I hadn’t properly learned magic studies yet.

At the time, I simply agreed without understanding, but now I think I understand Benjamin’s intention a little.

The unknown can only be revealed through repeated exploration and failure.

That is what scholarship is.

I felt a bit skeptical. Was I thinking too simply by trying to establish my direction just by participating in a simple debate meeting?

Reading my expression, Werner lifted one corner of his mouth.

“It seems even a theory enthusiast isn’t crazy about all theories. I have similar thoughts, but since we’ve come all this way, let’s listen to the debate.”

“Well. I suppose we should.”

For now, I’m also curious about what kind of logic the senior students of the Federal University of Magic use in their debates.

I tapped Julia’s shoulder.

“That’s how it is, what do you think?”

Julia had been silent for a while.

She looked at me.

Her expression management is perfect. For once, even I found it difficult to read the hidden meaning in her expression.

Soon, Julia smiled brightly and answered.

“It seems like it will be a good experience. Shall we go?”

“Alright.”

“Good, a ruffian, a theory enthusiast, and a wheelchair woman. It’s certainly better to have three cripples than two. Let’s go!”

“…”

I pushed the wheelchair, vowing to shut that guy’s mouth someday.

The Coffee Club.

How does this chaotic debate meeting, which is neither membership-based nor restricted in participation, sustain itself?

The reason is relatively straightforward.

Lower-grade students with shallow knowledge must shut up and just listen.

“I’m telling you, the classical magic studies advocated by Auchlimé are already under threat. The invariance of the Auchlimé transformation has already been broken.”

“There’s a problem with denying the entire system of classical magic studies just because of that. It’s just a contradiction. Shouldn’t we rather doubt the completeness of polarity magic studies?”

“But polarity magic studies are well-defined.”

In the circular debate hall where chilling silence and heated debate coexist…

Even by rough estimate, over 60 university students were seated across the debate hall, but only half of them were actually speaking.

I felt I understood the feelings of the remaining half who kept their mouths shut.

“…I don’t understand a word they’re saying.”

I whispered quietly, and Werner and Julia nodded silently.

The Frauvian Federal University of Magic.

It was a miscalculation to think that students of the Federation’s top magic university would engage in vague and abstract discussions.

Human vs. Nature. Will vs. Law.

The moment that philosophical topic reached the university students whose heads were filled with nothing but theory and logic, all abstractness disappeared without a trace.

Not only that.

If it had been a simple logical debate, I would have welcomed it with open arms, but perhaps deeper knowledge is needed for such high-dimensional discussions.

For us, mere first-year undergraduates, listening quietly was the best we could do.

“…”

I observed the main figures of the debate.

Their genders and attire varied, but one thing was certain – they were at least in their mid-twenties.

Even though I’m the top scorer, my depth of accumulated knowledge is different compared to them.

It can’t be helped. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Just as I was about to rest my chin with a light sigh…

“Although it’s only been established for about 30 years, polarity magic studies itself has no contradictions. Look at the Müller-Oslo equation. It’s concise and beautiful.”

Someone said that, and.

I doubted my ears.

“Oslo?”

It’s certainly not a common surname. At least, not in the field of magic studies.

There are only three magic scholars in the Oslo family. However, Louise uses the surname Ehrlich, and I’m still a novice who hasn’t published a single paper.

In other words.

That’s an achievement of Benjamin Oslo.

Something I couldn’t find in any book!

I immediately opened my eyes wide. I couldn’t just let this debate pass by.

I need to understand somehow.

I looked around and approached a man who clearly looked like a senior student and spoke to him.

“Senior.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I’m Eugene, a freshman this year. It’s very rude of me, but could I ask you to explain what discussion is currently taking place?”

I said this while bowing at a right angle.

Fortunately, it seems I chose the right person. The kind-looking senior student smiled awkwardly and readily agreed to my request.

He seemed to like being called ‘senior.’

“Ahem. Listen carefully. First, we need to start with the essence of magic studies.”

To summarize his subsequent explanation:

Humanism vs. Legalism.

Since it’s impossible to determine which of the two is correct, the flow of the debate naturally shifted towards whether Auchlimé’s classical magic studies, which advocated humanism, are correct.

The problem arose right here.

About 30 to 50 years ago, when Auchlimé’s theory was applied to the relatively recently established theory called polarity magic studies…

An error occurs.

This was an excellent point of attack for the legalism faction.

“The Auchlimé transformation… Well. You’ll learn about it later, but anyway, it was discovered that this transformation method doesn’t apply to polarity magic studies.”

“Does that mean one of the two is wrong?”

“Generally speaking, yes. But the problem is that both seem perfect. Classical magic studies go without saying, and polarity magic studies are also groundbreaking. The revolution that the Müller-Oslo equation brought to the field of magic studies is indescribable.”

Oslo again.

The senior student sighed deeply and continued.

“Anyway, there shouldn’t be contradictions in scholarship, right? It needs to be resolved. Either find flaws in classical magic studies and polarity magic studies to prove that the entire system is wrong―”

“Or, invent a new theory that resolves the contradiction and integrates the two systems.”

“Yes. Exactly. You’re really smart, aren’t you? Even then, the essence of magic studies would still be veiled, but if a new theory were to be born, it would be a discovery that would overturn the landscape of magic studies in itself.”

Thump. Thump.

My heart was pounding wildly.

It had been doing so since I heard that Benjamin’s theory was still incomplete.

It’s certain.

This was a clue to my direction.

Excitement rose from a corner of my heart. An unknown tension. All mixed with disappointment in myself for lacking the knowledge to understand that debate.

Just as I returned to my seat, clenching my fist and opening my eyes wide…

“Ha! It’s the Müller equation. What Oslo?”

A senior student on the opposite side of the debate hall shouted in a mocking tone.

He was wearing a black shield-shaped badge on his chest.

From when I was in the Empire until relatively recently, when I entered the Federal University of Magic…

I had been harboring one question all along.

Why was Benjamin Oslo demoted?

He might have fallen out of favor for breaking the chancellor’s statue, but no matter how I thought about it, that wasn’t reason enough to send an excellent theoretical magic scholar to the Empire, which wasn’t even a remote countryside.

Benjamin’s eccentricity was just a pretext.

I only guessed that there must have been someone who had been eyeing to expel him from academia.

Now, I’ve come to know the truth.

Julia spoke in a light tone. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“Ah, that person. He belongs to the school of the former chancellor of the Federal University of Magic.”

“Huh?”

“They’re a group of terrible authoritarians. They want only people from the orthodox school descended from Auchlimé to have their names recorded in the history of magic studies.”

Julia’s eyes were sunk deeper than ever.

Power struggles and authority.

All things Julia hated.

On the other hand, contrary to the serious atmosphere on this side, the senior student with the shield-shaped badge began to wag his tongue even more excitedly.

“Let’s not mention Benjamin Oslo. That quack scholar? He’s a fraud who only gained fame by riding on Professor Klaus Müller’s achievements.”

“That’s enough. Everyone who knows of him knows that he’s an excellent theoretical magic scholar.”

The kind senior who had explained the debate’s contents to me tried to stop the senior student.

…But he didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping.

“Where exactly is he an excellent theoretical magic scholar? Have any of you seen Oslo’s name written in books until your third or fourth year of university? You haven’t, right? They say he academically established polarity magic studies or whatever, but those were all Professor Müller’s research results.”

“…I’ve heard that your school has connections with grimoire publishers. Didn’t you intentionally erase former Professor Oslo’s name?”

The senior student smirked.

“Even if that’s the case, what are you going to do about it?”

“What?”

“In the first place, wasn’t that man an orphan? How dare a man without roots in the sacred field of magic studies that has continued from Auchlimé―”

Ah.

I couldn’t just listen anymore.

My right arm moved much faster than my reason could work.

I raised my arm and brought it down.

CRASH―!!

“Wh-What?!”

The circular debate hall in the main auditorium is good at transmitting sound, as befits its original purpose.

Not only that. Due to the characteristics of the stone building interior, it even resonated.

In other words.

It meant that all the students here clearly heard the sound of me breaking a long wooden table in two.

70 pairs of eyes fixed on me.

Confusion. Questions.

Hostility was mixed in here and there.

It mostly came from those guys with shield badges, and I realized their gaze was directed at my hair.

It’s a gaze that’s as if they’re seeing it for the first time.

I see. Even if freshmen might know, the rumors about gray hair probably aren’t widespread among senior students.

They don’t know me.

More precisely, they just found out now.

I stared intently at the guys with badges without even glancing at other people.

Did you say authoritarians?

“See, this is why the bloodline of barbarians is no good.”

It was as they said. As soon as they confirmed my hair color, they started throwing blatant disgust.

“Huh.”

What do they believe in to shoot gazes like those?

They insulted my mentor, Benjamin. If this had happened on the streets of the Empire, it wouldn’t be strange to jump on them right away and twist their jaws.

No.

Is there a law that says I can’t do that just because it’s the Federation?

There wasn’t.

I clenched my fist tightly. In the Federation, where magic with the risk of causing harm is completely banned, my fist is stronger than any magic. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

I don’t have much fighting experience, but I have more experience being hit than anyone else. Even if I don’t know how to hit well, I know where it hurts when hit.

Just as I was about to jump up from my seat and rush at them…

Swish―

A slender arm blocked me.

Hair flutters and amber eyes curve gently as they look at me.

Soon, she stood up from the wheelchair, leaning on her cane.

The gazes that had gathered on me naturally turned towards her as she stood with an unstable posture.

“Hello.”

She spoke in a clear voice.

“I’m Julia Müller, daughter of Professor Klaus Müller.”