I pulled my robes tighter against the sudden chill. Winter is near. My first semester at the Magic Tower was also nearing its end.
The storm of Calculus that had swept through the Magic Tower had now become a part of daily life, seeping into the research of each school.
Nom, nom.
I chewed on a sandwich while gazing out the lab window. Inside the baguette was a large, greasy piece of beef barbecue. I paid extra to have it delivered from the market.
Money really is the best. Giuseppe was next to me. Giuseppe was also eating a sandwich I had made.
Flash.
His eyes widened.
"This is delicious."
"Right?"
I knew Giuseppe would understand my aesthetic. Bread and meat procured from the market, with a little of my dried chili added. I watched Giuseppe eat his sandwich, sweating in the early winter air.
'Come to think of it, how is Senior Giuseppe's thesis coming along?' My own degree thesis isn't due until next semester, so it's fine if it's late. But what about Giuseppe?
I asked him.
"Senior, speaking of which, is your doctoral thesis going well?"
At my question, Giuseppe let out a groan. His face was etched with the anguish of a perpetual doctoral student.
"How could it be? I've been stuck in the same place for years."
"May I ask what the topic is?"
"It won't do you any good to know..."
"I won't ask to research it with you. Just tell me, just tell me."
"Hmm..."
Giuseppe, with an awkward expression, pushed an old research notebook toward me.
[On the Units of Mana] "Until now, each school in the Magic Tower has denoted mana capacity using different units."
"That's right."
It was maddening, but it was reality. In fact, forget standardizing units; there weren't even proper units to begin with. The system of units related to magic remained at the level of the foot, a unit roughly based on the size of some random person's foot.
I could understand why. Magic was a black box whose inner workings were unknown, so standardizing its measurements must have been difficult. No. They probably never even thought standardization was necessary in the first place.
Giuseppe continued.
"That's why I wanted to devise a unit of mana with a clear, natural marker. I believed it was my duty as a member of the School of Magical Surveying."
"That's better than the school head's project of wanting to know the ends of the world."
"Hahaha. You're a funny one."
Giuseppe chuckled. What?
It wasn't a joke. How could one explore without a map and compass? All scholarship develops through 'measurement' and 'surveying'.
Because that becomes the standard for all subsequent research. Therefore, Giuseppe's research project was an incredibly important one.
However...
'This seems a bit tough to research... The level of science here is... somewhat deformed.' Should I say that alchemy has developed excessively without even a periodic table?
It's like they're manufacturing various types of steel without knowing the physical properties of iron. And in such a state, they're trying to devise a 'natural unit' for 'mana'... It was a project of high difficulty.
'Still, since magic exists in this world, is it worth a try?' Even if you don't know the principle, you might stumble upon something if you just keep trying.
"How far has the research progressed?"
"I've conceptualized the necessary conditions for this research."
Giuseppe continued.
"An ultimate affinity to commune with mana itself."
"A transcendent mana capacity to withstand countless rebounds."
"And a control that reaches the realm of the gods, to manipulate and observe those minute particles."
He dressed it up with a lot of fancy words, but in the end, it was affinity, mana capacity, and control. It meant they needed people who had reached the pinnacle of a mage's three talents. Giuseppe stared into the air and muttered.
"The affinity was Professor Doloren's part... but a mage who possessed the other two did not exist in this world."
"My control is high, isn't it? Why don't you ask me?"
"Hmm? Wasn't that a measurement error back then?"
Ah, right.
I was the one who brushed it off as a 'measurement error' during the aptitude test. For my senior's sake, I should clear up this misunderstanding soon. With a sigh, Giuseppe turned his eyes back to his old books.
But my thoughts continued. 'Mana capacity, and control... Say I handle the control... as for mana capacity...'
Couldn't Anna Upperhills take care of that? 'Maybe... there was a way after all.' I'll have to test it when Anna arrives.
Knock. Ta-tok. Tok.
A rhythmical knocking sound. It meant Anna was here. We had set it as a code last time.
"Come in." -"Yes."
The door opened, and Anna and the nun entered the lab.
"I'm sorry for coming so often... I don't understand this part here."
Lately, I've been helping Anna with the subjects for the Magic Academy's entrance exam. This has been going on for a few weeks now.
"No need to be sorry. Let me see."
"This part, the History of the Empire."
"... Sorry, I don't know that well either. Just memorize it."
Ahem.
Still, I was covering math, magic, philosophy, and even natural studies for her well. For reference, natural studies is their version of science. The most recent theory is the law of inertia.
The nun bowed her head again as soon as she saw me.
"What should we do, always being indebted to you, Sir Isaac."
"It's fine. Anna is smart, so it's rewarding to teach her."
It was true. At this rate, she might really pass the exam next March... I sent the nun on her way and had Anna sit in a chair.
Anna was struggling with past questions from the Magic Academy entrance exam.
"Wait. Let's do a test before we solve any problems."
"Huh? What kind of test?"
I took out the magic aptitude analyzer that Giuseppe had used. Anna stiffened for a moment, perhaps recalling memories of Malakai, but she soon trusted me and obediently placed her hand on it. The result was astounding.
[Mana Capacity: A+] Giuseppe's jaw dropped.
"My word..."
"As I thought."
Anna's mana capacity was top-class. I calmed the excited Giuseppe and asked Anna.
"Anna, how old were you again?"
"Thirteen."
She was older than I thought. It seemed her growth had been stunted from not eating properly while wandering as a war orphan. I should send some money to the orphanage so they can have a meat party or something.
Giuseppe was flabbergasted.
"Thirteen? There's still room for growth!"
"Couldn't she help with your research, Senior?"
"By the time she becomes an adult... it might be possible."
Was it because his past sorrows had been so great? Giuseppe, nearly in tears, tried to approach Anna. I understood how he felt.
A breakthrough for a project he'd been stuck on for over a decade was finally in sight... But Anna hid behind my back. Giuseppe looked at me with a hurt expression.
There was nothing I could say. Kids don't really like beards. Especially girls her age...
I said to Anna.
"Little sister. That man over there has research he's dedicated his life to, and he really needs your help."
"... Me?"
"Yes. It's nothing dangerous, you'll just be lending him your power for a bit once you're all grown up."
"Of course, it's not for free. In return for your help, he said he'd cover your living expenses for... say, 20 years. What do you think?"
Anna thought for a moment, then answered in a clear voice.
"Okay. But please write up a contract later. I can't trust verbal promises."
Anna... didn't you and I have a verbal agreement? If I said this out loud, Giuseppe's world might crumble. I pretended not to notice and continued with the lesson.
After the lesson, I decided to walk Anna to the orphanage. Today, we would cut through the hallway instead of the lobby. Because a congratulatory message from the Imperial Court regarding the subjugation of Malakai was hanging in the middle of the lobby.
The princess even boasted that she wrote it herself and told me to look at it... 'Looking at it now would be a bit...' I'll look at it alone later.
Anna said.
"Huh? We're not going through the lobby today? How boring."
"Boring? What's boring?"
"When we go that way, people see you, big brother Isaac, and step aside. Watching that is pretty fun."
"... If you start finding joy in things like that, you'll be in big trouble later."
"Okay."
Just then, someone blocked our path in the hallway.
"Well, look who it is. If it isn't Mr. Isaac Upperhills?"
A silver-haired man dressed in ornate noble attire. Someone I'd never seen before.
"What is it? Move."
"I am Cayenne Winterheart of the School of Bloodline Magic. The rightful heir to the Winterheart family."
Did anyone ask?
So what?
"Alright, Mr. Winterheart. Please move aside."
"What if I don't want to?"
A typical punk. If I'd run into him in an alley, I would have electrocuted him and walked past. Cayenne confirmed there was no one around and spoke to me.
"Tell me, does it feel so good, the name you earned hiding behind Her Highness the Princess's skirts?"
"You must be feeling good now. But don't be mistaken. The princess has no interest in the likes of you. You're just a pawn."
It was a shame, but I felt nothing at all.
"A pawn? Isn't that obvious? The princess is my client, not my friend."
Grrr.
Cayenne gritted his teeth. He gestured toward Anna, who was standing beside me, with his chin.
"And what's with that brat? A test subject, perhaps? Using an orphan like this makes you no different from the Blood Mage Malakai."
I observed Cayenne for a moment. Looking closely, I saw he was holding a graduation thesis. I wondered why he was picking a fight, but in the end, it was just 'a graduate student being a graduate student'.
Tsk.
He should just focus on writing his own thesis. I said to him.
"Exciting, isn't it?"
"What...?"
"I understand. Opportunities like this must be rare for you. The more a person is usually ignored, the more they rush to take any chance they get to look down on others."
"H-How dare you... a mere commoner...!!"
Oops, looks like he's angry. I took Anna's hand and walked past him. F=ma On the way, I pretended not to notice and gave him a shoulder check.
Thump.
"Ugh!"
Cayenne's body slammed into the wall. I used magic, but it just looked like an 'accidental collision'. There was no proof.
As we left the Magic Tower, Anna spoke with her head hung low.
"Um... brother. I'm sorry you had to hear those awful things because of me."
"Hey now..."
I knew this would happen. I squatted down and met Anna's eyes.
"Little sister. You don't need to worry about it. Really."
"... Still."
"And you shouldn't look so down in front of a guy like that."
Anna tilted her head.
I continued.
"If you look upset, the bad guys will get even more excited and rush in. They'll think their attack worked and get all fired up."
"Then... what kind of face should I make in times like that?"
"I think you should just smile."
Anna hesitated for a moment, then gave a small smile.
Heh.
She learns fast.
Still...
Sometimes, there are situations where you just can't bring yourself to smile. 'You shouldn't mention the perpetrator's name in front of the victim.' You're going to get a lesson.
Cayenne Winterheart.
At the end of the semester, 'thesis defenses' are held in the order the theses were submitted. Unlike the mages whose turns were later and were trembling in fear, 'Cayenne Winterheart' was confident.
Innate mana.
An outstanding family. A powerful school. Recently, his school's power had weakened because they couldn't utilize Calculus, but that would only be temporary.
At least, that's what Cayenne believed. That Calculus was an overrated bubble. 'Isaac Upperhills... if it weren't for that bastard, things wouldn't have gotten this bad.'
The school head spoke.
"Let the opponent enter."
At those words, Cayenne puffed out his chest triumphantly. The opponent was Giuseppe Guarneri of the School of Magical Surveying. A mediocrity who had spent over a decade in the rundown annex without being able to earn a single doctoral degree.
People said he was showing some results lately, but that was it. 'If it were me, I would have finished something like a doctorate within five years...' Cayenne was worried the man wouldn't even be able to understand his thesis and would just ask strange questions.
Finally, the door opened. But contrary to Cayenne's expectations, the one who walked out from behind the door was not the old and sickly doctoral student.
"... What?"
"Why is that researcher here?"
The gazes of everyone gathered in the hall focused on the person who had just entered through the door. The Princess’s knight. The Hero of the Capital.
The disciple of Doloren and Valerius. Isaac Upperhills was walking in as the thesis opponent.