A huge sum of money suddenly appeared after [Calculus]. I needed an expert to handle it. I thought Hans would be perfect.
So I headed to the mercenary guild. The guild lobby was filled with the smell of sweat and beer. I asked at the counter.
"Excuse me, I'm here to see a Mister Hans."
The one-eyed mercenary at the counter looked me up and down.
"This is no place for a noble brat like you. Get lost."
A noble brat, not an orphan. It had been a while since I'd received such devoted treatment. 'It seems they use a different language here.'
I would have to communicate not with words, but with power. I pointed a finger at the taxidermy deer above the counter.
"How much is that?"
"What's it to you?"
"What do you think?"
P1V1^γ = P2V2^γ I instantly compressed and then released the air inside the taxidermy.
Bang!
The taxidermy deer exploded, and all eyes in the vicinity turned to me at once. I said to the mercenary.
"It was broken in an accident, so I'd like to compensate you for it. I'll even throw in a tip, just tell me where Mister Hans is."
"I... understand, sir."
Now we were speaking the same language. A moment later, a man emerged from the darkness in the back of the lobby.
"I thought you were only good at blowing up orc heads, but you're pretty good with deer too, huh?"
"Mister Hans!"
"It's been a while, sir."
The Hans I met again had become the leader of a small mercenary band. We moved to the most secluded table in a nearby tavern and, along with catching up, I revealed the real reason I had come.
"... So, I need to launder about 100,000 gold that comes in every week."
When my explanation was over, Hans just drank his honey mead with a sullen expression. Was it a no-go? Just as I was wondering who else I could ask if not Hans, he opened his mouth.
"Sir. Instead of business proposals, I want to hear some more exciting news."
"... For example?"
"Romance. Weren't there any heart-pounding secret meetings with the youngest daughter of a count's family?"
"... I did tutor the only daughter of a count's family at her villa."
Hans's eyes gleamed.
"Tell me more about that!"
"Let's take care of business first."
"Tsk."
Hans smacked his lips as if disappointed. He soon returned to a serious expression and advised me.
"But sir, rushing this kind of dirty money problem always leads to trouble. Just give me about a month, and I'll set things up so there are no issues."
"Is there anything I can do to help in the meantime?"
"Hmm... in the meantime, you should just stay at the Magic Tower and make some progress with that young lady."
More nonsense.
Hans was still Hans, even as a mercenary leader. That night, we drank until we were dead to the world.
The next morning, I woke up with a splitting headache. I'm never drinking honey mead again. With the help of my roommate, Liam, I made my way down to the dining hall.
"Sorry, Liam."
"We're just helping each other out."
"Can't you get rid of a hangover with magic?"
"I've heard there's an ancient magic for that. Should we look for it?"
"I wonder if that magic strengthens the liver or the blood-brain barrier?"
"What?"
"It's nothing."
Being tired was making me spout nonsense. Today's meal was beef stew. It looked delicious, but it wouldn't do for a hangover.
'I'm craving some hangover soup...'
"Liam. Could you possibly buy some chili or paprika from one of the pharmacology labs?"
"... Buy them? Research supplies?"
Thud.
I placed a leather pouch heavy with gold coins on the table.
"Let me know if you need more."
A little while later, I emptied the paprika powder and dried chilies Liam had bought into my stew. Seeing the stew turn a fiery red calmed my mind. I scooped up a spoonful of the red stew and put it in my mouth.
Spicy.
But at the same time, I could taste the deep flavor of the meat as a hot sensation traveled down my throat. Sweat began to pour down like rain.
"Yes, this is a real hangover cure."
Liam was staring at me, mesmerized.
"Curious?"
"A little."
I offered Liam a spoonful of 'Isaac-style hangover soup'.
"Cough, hack! Whoa! What is this?"
Liam's eyes and nose were running, but he didn't put down his spoon.
Oho.
He could handle it?
He said.
"This is strange. I feel like the sweating is clearing my head... It's strangely addictive."
"... Liam. You have the soul of a Korean."
That day, I sprinkled chili into Liam's stew. Liam liked it too.
Probably.
Once my stomach settled a bit, I finally started to notice my surroundings. The atmosphere in the Magic Tower was unusual. Everyone seemed excited, should I say?
The eyes of the graduate students, who were supposed to be soulless zombies, held a strange gleam. I asked Liam.
"Is something going on at the Magic Tower lately?"
"Sss... Hah..."
Liam wasn't in a state to answer properly. ... Was it too spicy? I got a glass of milk from the dining hall lady and gave it to him.
Only after Liam downed the milk in one go could we continue our conversation.
"Everyone's in an uproar because of Sir Valerius's new theory."
"Oho."
He did say the theory usage fee would be about 100,000 gold. It seemed to have caused quite a stir.
"My research topics have doubled!"
Was that a good thing? It might be good for Liam, but it would be bad for his forward head posture. Liam's eyes shone as he poured out stories.
How investment from the nobles had increased... How the Imperial Court was starting new projects... How the Dean had acted as the opponent at Valerius's thesis defense...
"Wait... a thesis defense?"
Liam nodded his head.
"I heard the Dean and Sir Valerius had a 'thesis defense' on the summit of the northern snowy peaks."
"The rumor is that the mountain collapsed, but I can't really believe that part."
'Is a thesis defense in this world a real magic duel?'
How surprising.
After parting with Liam, as I was leaving the dining hall, I heard a familiar voice from the direction of the lecture hall.
"Therefore, you must integrate here to get the most accurate value."
It was Gwendolyn's voice. She must be having a calculus study session with other students. Wait a minute.
Come to think of it, Gwendolyn was a noble, and she was rich... Regardless of time or place, these two groups want to avoid the gaze of central power. Wouldn't she be well-versed in methods of laundering money?
I waited for her lecture to end and then approached her.
"Miss Gwendolyn, do you happen to know much about how things like taxes are handled?"
"What? All the gold paid out by the Magic Tower should have taxes withheld at the source."
"Oh. That's good information."
"Right?"
But that wasn't what I was curious about right now. I wanted to find a money laundering route. Gwendolyn's mouth opened.
"I'm not sure why you're asking, but my uncle is the Empire’s Chief Tax Collector. Do you perhaps need some help?"
"Um... no, I don't." I seemed to have stepped on a landmine.
A wrong word here, and the tax collectors might come knocking. Just as I was about to slip away, Gwendolyn's eyes flashed.
"Wait a moment, Mister Isaac. Taxes... the change in total tax revenue according to the tax rate... If we use calculus here, couldn't we find the 'optimal tax rate'?!"
She ran straight to the blackboard and began to write down equations. I quietly made my escape. This place was full of crazy people.
I escaped to 'my own little laboratory'. 'I've already told Senior Giuseppe about calculus, so he won't make a fuss, right?' As expected, it was a good thing I told him beforehand.
But as always, my expectations were betrayed.
"Junior! You're just in time! Come take a look at this."
"Yes?"
Giuseppe handed me a thick bundle of parchment.
[New Standard Fireball Ballistic Calculation Project] "What is this?"
"It's a commission from the Imperial Court. They want us to use 'calculus' to update the firing tables for the standard fireball."
"... You don't mean they specifically commissioned our school, do you?"
"Of course not. This is a public commission. We were able to jump right in because you taught me calculus. Thank you."
"... You're welcome."
I looked at the blackboard, which was covered in differential equations. It seemed to be traces of research for updating the ballistics. Without an understanding of fluid mechanics, there would be limits, but it would be far more precise than the previous rule-of-thumb firing tables.
I pointed at the blackboard and said.
"... The sign in the third line is flipped. It should be a plus, not a minus."
"Ah! I almost made a mistake. Thank you."
Giuseppe's face was filled with the pure joy of a scholar. But I couldn't bring myself to smile. I didn't expect the Imperial Court to react so quickly.
'Isn't this a world with lèse-majesty laws?' Authoritarianism is far from innovation. Human history proves that.
But for them to accept a new theory so quickly. 'Is it because the country is at war?' Even so, it was too fast.
This speed was almost as if they had read the [Calculus] paper in advance and prepared for it. My danger-avoidance senses, honed by years of being tormented by my professor, were sounding an alarm. Something was strange about this.
That evening, I left the lab to head back to the dormitory. The Magic Tower's central hall, which would normally be quiet at this hour, was filled with an unidentifiable clamor.
"There's a strange number of people..."
Was something posted on the bulletin board? I turned my steps from the dormitory and headed toward the source of the noise, the central bulletin board. Dozens of graduate students were gathered around the board, murmuring.
Just as I was about to pass by, I heard a voice I couldn't ignore.
"The School of Magical Surveying? Wasn't that the place that got kicked out to the annex?" ...
Why was my school being mentioned? I pushed my way through the crowd. Then, I saw a large notice stamped with the Imperial eagle seal.
[Royal Decree] [In recognition of the great achievement of Great Mage Valerius and the meritorious service of the School of Magical Surveying, which provided the decisive clue for his discovery, we hereby bestow the Empire's highest honor, the 'Sacred Golden Lion Medal'.]
[Recipients: Great Mage Valerius (1st Class), Senior Researcher Giuseppe Guarneri (2nd Class), New Researcher Isaac Upperhills (2nd Class)] A wave of murmurs washed over me. -"Giuseppe Guarneri... that eternal doctoral student?" -"My gosh... even a new student's name is on there!"
I was dumbfounded. Why was this happening... Could Valerius have broken the confidentiality agreement?
I felt the blood rush to my head. I ran straight to Valerius's lecture hall.
Slam!
I kicked the door open and shouted at Valerius.
"Explain yourself! What is all this?!"
"... Let's have some tea first. I'll explain everything slowly."
As if he knew I would come, Valerius offered me a steaming teacup.