The day after the General Assembly. I muttered as soon as I opened my eyes.
"I'm screwed."
My plan was completely, thoroughly ruined. Until now, I thought I could somehow manage to hide myself well. My goal was to erase my presence moderately, occasionally solve small problems, and live quietly...
Yesterday's wave experiment was too big a mistake. The elf Dean's words rang in my ears. -'I'll have to change all the university textbooks. There's a lot to do.'
Now, the discoverer of the 'wave interference' phenomenon in this world was me, Isaac Upperhills. It's hopeless, utterly hopeless... I had thought something like this might happen someday, but I never imagined it would be less than a month after I enrolled.
What's going to happen now? 'What if they find out I'm not a person of this world.' A chilling thought crossed my mind.
The Empire, a nation at war, would never leave a unique case like me alone if they found out. They might dissect me, analyze me, and leave only my head to make me a machine that researches magic for all eternity. I'd rather die than become a guinea pig with my brain floating in a jar.
I called my roommate.
"Mister Liam."
"Yes, what is it?"
I swallowed dryly and asked.
"By any chance... are there any creepy stories like that in the Magic Tower? For example, about sealing a great mage of the past alive and using them whenever the Empire is in danger."
"Ah. That one?"
"..."
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Oh. That one?
'His tone suggests I'm asking about something trivial...'
"I heard that when the northern front is pushed to its limit, they sometimes briefly awaken the sealed Deans of the Magic Tower."
"... Are you crazy, it was real?"
Pfft. Liam chuckled.
"Do you think it's real? Sealing magic is an art that was lost in ancient times."
"..."
"..."
You were messing with me, Liam.
"Don't believe such ridiculous rumors, we should just focus on what we have to do."
"... Wait. What did you say?"
"We should just focus on what we have to..."
"No, before that."
"I said not to believe ridiculous rumors."
"... So you're saying rumors like that do exist?"
"Don't worry about it. If all those legends were true, would tooth fairies be real too?"
"..."
"..."
It could be true. The Empire is a nation at war. It's hard to treat rumors circulating in a wartime nation as mere spooky stories.
Does it really exist... a floating brain?
"... It wouldn't hurt to be careful."
Hearing my words, Liam tilted his head.
"You did hear what I said, right, Mister Isaac?"
Liam's words didn't reach my ears. 'I think I need to change my strategy.' I need to be more proactive in securing my safety.
Of course, I'm relatively safe right now. After all, a mage is a quasi-noble. But this isn't enough.
What about becoming a lord? Becoming a true, landed noble with my own territory and operating a standing army to protect my safety would be quite helpful.
But how?
'To receive a fiefdom, I need achievements...' But trying to gain that much fame could put my own safety at risk. And if I don't build up achievements, I can't become a lord.
'This is totally... like a plot to become Bill Gates's son-in-law, isn't it...' The complicated thoughts made me hungry. First, let's eat.
I asked Liam.
"Mister Liam, are you having breakfast today?"
"No. I have an assignment due by noon..."
"Ah."
Poor graduate student...
Skipping meals.
The first-floor cafeteria of the Magic Tower. A graduate student who had been up all night with assignments wouldn't know, but the previous day's General Assembly had shaken the Magic Tower. Anna, who would be graduating with her master's next year, was very interested in that rumor.
She asked her friend.
"Did you hear the news from the General Assembly yesterday? They said a freshman did something."
"Did what?"
"I don't know exactly. Just that it was amazing. I barely heard about it through a friend myself."
"... What on earth is that."
Ordinary graduate students didn't know the exact truth of yesterday's events. The results of the 'wave experiment' had been kept secret at the professors' level.
"Another gag order, I bet."
"That's how the Magic Tower always is."
Anna's friend asked her.
"What's the freshman's name."
"Isaac Upperhills."
"... I feel like I've heard that name before."
"The freshman from the school that solved the Bell Tower Commission."
"Ah. So he's that guy."
Rumors had already circulated a few times. Like being assigned to the third floor right after enrolling... Or helping a senior solve the notorious 'bell tower problem'...
Anna muttered.
"Don't I get a junior like that? I want to dump my assignments on someone..."
"... Just do them yourself."
"What's he look like?"
"I heard he doesn't have a hunched neck or rounded shoulders. Has black hair."
"A graduate student without a hunched neck? That's a lie."
"... It's not a lie. Look behind you."
"Behind me?"
When she turned around, 'it' was really there. A graduate student without a hunched neck or rounded shoulders. It was Isaac Upperhills.
"So that's him."
"Yep."
"Doesn't look like he's much for studying, does he?"
"... He does seem a bit like that."
"He's not even wearing glasses."
"Right."
Starting with the two of them, the gazes in the cafeteria gradually focused on Isaac. Other students also began to whisper amongst themselves.
"Isn't that him? Isaac."
"The guy from the third floor?"
"Who's Isaac."
"You know... the main character of that rumor..."
The whispering was quite loud. By this point, Isaac should have been able to hear it, but... Isaac started his meal at a table set apart by himself, without a single word of response.
Watching the scene, Anna asked her friend.
"Which school did you say that friend was from?"
"The School of Magical Surveying."
"... The one where Master Doloren is?"
"Yep."
"His advisor is a recluse..."
The School of Magical Surveying had only one professor-level member, Doloren. If she was away, from whom would the graduate students under her take their classes... Anna's friend replied.
"Usually in cases like this, they take classes from other professors to fill their credits."
"... Aha."
That meant the freshman in question would also be taking lectures from other departments.
She said.
"Then should we try to bring him over to our side?"
"... Please, do your assignments on your own."
"What's the harm, maybe with this chance I can get some help too..."
Just then. Step, step.
A student holding a tray walked up to Isaac.
"... I'm not the only one who had the same idea."
"Who's that now."
"Gwendolyn Everglow."
The freshman who had received the most attention before the stories about Isaac started circulating.
Gwendolyn Everglow.
With a background as the only daughter of a prestigious family, and a record of never having missed the top spot since her undergraduate days. In every way, she was the polar opposite of Isaac, a genius who had seemingly dropped from the sky. Isaac and Gwendolyn.
Their gazes met. Gwendolyn spoke to Isaac.
"Is this seat taken?"
"It's empty."
"Then excuse me."
Gwendolyn took a seat opposite Isaac.
"You're Isaac Upperhills, correct?"
"Yes. What can I do for you?"
"I heard the rumors through my professor. The results of the experiment at yesterday's General Assembly were very impressive."
In that moment, the area around the table where Isaac sat fell silent. It was likely to confirm the truth of the General Assembly.
"... Let's not talk about that, if possible."
At Isaac's reaction, not only Gwendolyn but everyone nearby was puzzled. A moment later, Gwendolyn said.
"Come to think of it. I heard your advisor is on an indefinite business trip, Mister Upperhills?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Perfect timing. There's one spot left in this year's 'Advanced Structural Magic' special lecture. Are you interested in joining?"
Low gasps erupted from the surroundings. A special lecture at the Magic Tower was not just a simple class. The lecturer of a special lecture was always a 'Great Mage who has forsaken the world.'
Furthermore, anyone who distinguished themselves here was invariably appointed to a high-ranking position. Naturally, it wasn't a place that accepted just anyone.
Gwendolyn continued.
"Someone like you would surely be able to get in."
"..."
"..."
"What do you think?"
Everyone's gaze gathered on Isaac's lips. A moment later, he spoke.
"Thank you for the offer."
"Then...!"
"I'll look around a bit more... no, I will think about it more before deciding."
The answer was a polite refusal. With those words, Isaac rose from his seat. A brief silence fell over the cafeteria after Isaac disappeared.
Whispers reached Gwendolyn's ears.
"... What was that. Did he just get shot down?"
"Hey. He'll hear you."
Gwendolyn stared at Isaac's empty seat with a dazed expression.
I hastily exited the Magic Tower. That person in the cafeteria just now... what on earth did she want to do?
"Why are they peddling a lecture like some pyramid scheme..."
Just need you to join and we can go... Is this a game lobby?
"Are they trying to gather students by any means because the class is about to be canceled?"
Even so, it's a little strange. This isn't an undergraduate program; in a graduate program, a lecture should open without much trouble. Anyway, that's not what's important right now.
I still didn't know how, but I had to become a landed noble. So, I headed to the library first. If there's something you don't know, go to the library.
That was a habit that hadn't changed from my past life to this one. As always, there was a graduate student librarian in the library this time as well. '... Does this person only do work-study?'
She spoke to me.
"The star of the rumors has arrived."
"... Ahem."
"What kind of bizarre materials have you come to find today?"
"I'm looking for records from the last thirty years regarding cases where commoner mages were recognized for their achievements and granted a fiefdom."
The librarian's eyes widened.
"... Junior. You're a more ambitious person than you look. Is that why you deliberately stood out so much at the General Assembly?"
"That is absolutely not the case."
"Hmm... I wonder."
Although I denied it strongly, it seemed to be of no use. The librarian had likely already branded me an ambitious person. A short while later, I received the materials from the librarian.
The librarian said to me.
"The volume is quite large. Will you be checking it out?"
"No. I should be able to look through it all here."
"... Hmm. Understood. I'll be on my way then."
After the librarian left, only I and the materials remained in a corner of the reading room. Being 30 years' worth of data, the amount was enormous.
"Looks like I'll have to use magic."
It seemed I could use something similar to the 'Excel' I made for Giuseppe. I quietly closed my eyes. My consciousness extended through my mana field like fine tendrils.
The mana tendrils scanned the pages, converting the images into text data. I finished preparing for classification by attaching minute mana tags to keywords like 'fiefdom', 'bestowed', and 'commoner'. I create a virtual data table in my mind.
I set variables such as name, status, year, and method of ennoblement, and fill in the scanned data into each item in real-time. The information of hundreds of mages was reborn as a sorted database in an instant. Up to this point was 'Excel' magic; from here on, I had to borrow the power of statistics.
Bayes' theorem.
You're my only hope. Faint clusters of mana light, visible only to me, bloomed in the air. Dozens of data points moved on a virtual graph.
Most of the points were scattered randomly, but two clusters in particular began to glow red, showing a remarkably high correlation. Those two clusters were the path that would guide me to becoming a landed noble. One of them was the case of achieving distinguished merit on the northern front.
"This one's a pass."
I'm trying to become a noble to be safe; going to the front lines is a dangerous act in itself. And the other one was...
"A special lecture...?"
It was the case of taking a 'special lecture' at the Magic Tower. Regardless of the type, if there was a record of having taken a special lecture, the probability of becoming a landed noble was high. I don't know the reason.
This is just statistics, after all. Still, the numbers don't lie.
"Come to think of it, that pyramid scheme thing I heard in the cafeteria was also an invitation to a special lecture..."
Should I give it a try? What have I got to lose? If it's a strange place, I can just leave immediately.
The decision was made quickly. I sent in my application for the course, and was accepted. Seeing as I was accepted immediately, it really must have been a class on the verge of being canceled.