Episode 52 The sky is blue because of the scattering of light. Sunlight hits the air, painting the sky blue. So what would happen to the sky if light no longer hit the air?
I looked up at the sky. Though the sun was out, the sky was black. And in that black sky, stars were studded like jewels.
The 'air' that was supposed to scatter light was not functioning properly. It was my doing, but... I was still dumbfounded.
The school heads murmured amongst themselves.
"Heavens... I can't tell if it's day or night."
"Didn't he just remove the air resistance? Why has the sky changed?"
Strangely, people's voices could be heard clearly through the air.
Hoo. Haa.
I breathed in and out. My breathing was normal too. It seemed my 'definition' was just as arbitrary as Doloren's had been.
'I didn't think that getting rid of resistance would also get rid of the interaction between gas molecules and electromagnetic waves...' To think that Rayleigh scattering was impossible, yet breathing and the transmission of sound were possible. How could this be?
I looked at Doloren. She wasn't looking at me, but up at the black daytime sky.
Doloren spoke.
"I'm not sure why the sky turned out like that... but it's a beautiful secret vista."
"So, did you seize control of my isolated system just to show me this?"
"Of course not."
My isolated system was already functioning normally. I pointed to the empty air and said, "The wind has stopped. I made it stop."
"... You're right. It did stop at some point."
The absolute zero region no longer created storms. This was because the air's own resistance had disappeared. The gas molecules no longer collided with other gas molecules.
With this, I had blocked the heat loss from convection. If things continued like this, it seemed I could isolate the entire absolute zero region.
Doloren continued.
"Quite confident, aren't you? For your first time creating an isolated system."
"It's always the ignorant who are brave."
The characteristic of this isolated system was its extremely simplistic perception of the world. From now on, I would cast aside my intellect and measure the world through the shallow lens of high school physics. I reached my hand out toward the degenerate matter around the absolute zero.
Doloren asked.
"You failed to touch that earlier, didn't you? Are you planning to get hit by the rebound twice?"
"Not a chance."
Though it was degenerate matter, it was ultimately just a clump of air and dirt. If I just calculated the weight properly and gave it some acceleration, it would move.
F=ma.
So I gave it. The degenerate matter, with its incredible mass, vanished beyond the 'undefinable' absolute zero. I don't know what would happen to it after that.
They don't teach you that in high school physics. I guess it just disappeared.
"... Huh?"
Doloren let out a dazed sound as she witnessed the scene. Valerius's reaction was much the same.
"... What was that? How did he do that?"
The Dean next to Valerius seemed to be deep in thought. I had just taken care of the hardest part. Now it was time for the easy stuff.
PV=nRT.
Next, I created a vacuum in the space around the absolute zero, and...
F=ma.
O=F/A. I gathered the remnants of the collapsed mountain, packed them down tightly, and covered the top with a hemispherical dome. With no air resistance or friction, the mana consumption was drastically reduced. This was because the accuracy of my predictions rose sharply.
Now, I repeated the process. Vacuum, dome, vacuum, dome.
Vacuum, dome.
As domes were stacked upon domes, the isolation zone gradually grew larger.
Hehehe.
A laugh escaped me. Was magic, was physics, always this easy? One of the school heads muttered.
"... What am I looking at right now?"
"Just get back!"
The school heads retreated to avoid being swept up in the aftermath of the magic.
Thud!
And with that, the final hemisphere closed. It was all over.
Seven domes.
Conduction, convection, and radiation were now all but impossible. The containment of the absolute zero region was complete. Clap, clap, clap.
The sound of Doloren's applause rang in my eardrums.
Zing, zing.
So loudly that my head began to throb. Doloren said, "Honestly, I thought you'd give up halfway. But you held on until the end without getting devoured by the isolated system."
"... What?"
I couldn't hear Doloren's words clearly. It was because of the throbbing in my head. My brain couldn't process the information.
Doloren furrowed her brow.
"... Wait. Are you okay?"
Drip.
A warm liquid trickled down from my nose. I wiped it with my hand and saw it was blood. I had a nosebleed.
Tremble, tremble.
My bloodstained hand was shaking. It wasn't because I had a weak stomach. It seemed my hands had started to tremble uncontrollably.
"What is this?"
"... You. You just spammed your spells without a single thought for your mana capacity, didn't you."
Dizzy.
A wave of vertigo washed over me.
"You're not some rookie using magic for the first... huh?"
My vision blurred, and Doloren's voice began to slow down.
"Hey! He's collapsing! Someone come catch him!"
"Junior!"
The last thing I heard that day was Giuseppe's scream.
An unfamiliar ceiling.
What happened?
Looking around, I saw I was in the Magic Tower's medical ward. The same place where the quadriplegic Cayenne had stayed. I never thought I'd end up lying here.
Ugh...
As I tried to sit up, the area around me became noisy.
"You're awake, Junior!"
"How are you feeling, disciple of Doloren?"
The familiar voices of two older men. I hadn't seen their faces yet, but I could tell it was Giuseppe and Valerius. I said to them, "Are you two here to visit?
Thank you."
"Not just two."
"Huh?"
When I tilted my head slightly to the side, I saw Anna.
"Sorry, I didn't see you. You were too small."
"Am I... really that small?"
Anna's eyes wavered.
"... A little? Anyway, thanks for visiting, my sister."
Anna's body froze. Was that the wrong thing to say? I patted Anna's head.
Let's not mention her height from now on. I turned my head and asked the two men.
"So. Did my thesis defense end well?"
"Ah. About that..."
Just as Giuseppe was about to say something, Valerius cut in.
"I will speak."
"Yes..."
In front of the Great Mage, the perpetual doctoral student Giuseppe had no choice but to shrink back. Valerius said, "After you collapsed, Professor Doloren herself carried you all the way here."
"I see."
"Fortunately, your injuries weren't serious... but myself, the Dean, and Her Highness the Princess all gave Professor Doloren a piece of our minds. We asked what kind of professor makes their student collapse with a bloody nose on their first day back."
"But wasn't this injury my own fault?"
"I know. But I was a bit angry at the time."
So that's what happened. I nodded and asked again.
"So, was the defense a success?"
"... Unfortunately, it was a failure, disciple of Doloren. You did not become a master."
"Really...?"
My mind went blank. Damn it, I pushed myself to the point of collapse... Hehehe, Valerius let out a laugh.
"You believed that? You're still just a novice, I see."
"Ah."
This man, really. If he wasn't a Great Mage, I would have just hit him.
"The rest of the story is true, though. Take care of yourself. Everyone is worried."
"Are they..."
"If you don't believe me, take a look at the desk next to you."
"Hmm?"
Come to think of it, there was a lot of stuff on the desk next to my bed. ... Are these presents? Giuseppe spoke up.
"Everyone who came to visit left something."
"Ooh..."
I rummaged through the gifts on the desk. Gwendolyn's finest wine. Liam's spice set for curing hangovers.
Elara's 'A Collection of 101 Rules a Master Should Know'. High-quality beef jerky from Hans and Marcus. Meanwhile, Laura sent a thick work report instead of a gift. ...
I'll read this later. There were more gifts besides these. From Gedrick and the other physically-inclined mages, the Head of the School of Sound Magic, Giuseppe's peers at the Magic Tower, and so on.
There were even gifts from graduate students whose names I'd never even heard. Wait a minute... Passing out after a glorious battle.
Waking up in a hospital room filled with gifts... So, is our school supposed to win the dormitory cup and end the semester now? 'Still, a degree is better than a dormitory cup.'
I picked up the master's degree certificate that was buried at the bottom of the gifts.
[Master's Degree Certificate] [Name: Isaac Upperhills The aforementioned researcher is awarded a Master's degree in the name of the Magic Tower for his significant contribution to the advancement of magical studies by establishing the concept of 'Absolute Temperature'. Dean of the Magic Tower, Magarta Magica] Hooray.
I'm a proper master now. ... But what's so good about getting this? Giuseppe answered my question.
"Well... for one, you can go on solo assignments."
Oh.
Looks like I'm finally free from my life as a live-in slave.
"And you can commute from home instead of the dorms, and your base research funding is much higher... what else was there?"
While Giuseppe racked his brain, Valerius answered for him.
"It seems you've forgotten, having not had a junior in so long. Usually, you become able to have researchers under you."
At his words, Anna, who was next to me, shot her hand up.
"I'll do it."
I smiled and shook my head. Kids shouldn't be in a place like this.
"Sister. Graduate from the academy first."
Anna pouted.
I asked Valerius.
"... But, you can have people under you starting from a master's?"
This was a bit strange. Usually, a master is just a high-ranking slave, not the master, right?
"Strictly speaking, since Doloren is your advisor, they wouldn't be entirely yours. Still, you get the gist, don't you?"
"Aha."
I can order them around a bit. Is that it?
Nice.
I think I've heard everything I needed to hear. Time to head to the lab.
Ugh.
I tried to sit up but failed. I had no strength in my body. Is something wrong with me?
As always, I tried to use a detection spell, but...
I failed.
I couldn't feel the mana field. Valerius said, "It's the backlash from forming the isolated system."
Valerius explained.
"When you create or interfere with an isolated system, you temporarily lose the ability to handle mana in proportion to the power used."
"... This isn't permanent, is it?"
At my words, Anna jumped in surprise.
"...!"
Valerius glanced at Anna before continuing.
"It's fine. It'll last a day or two at most. Doloren shouldered most of the risk, so thank her when you see her."
"I was just about to go to the lab and see her anyway."
Giuseppe asked.
"You're going now?"
"Yes."
"You could rest a little more..."
"I just thought of something I have to do now, so I can't." "... What could possibly be more important than your health?"
"I need to record the phenomena I saw during the test before I forget them."
I witnessed 0 Kelvin, something absolutely impossible in physics. I can't let this go. Time for immediate research.
And so, with Giuseppe's help, I returned to the lab. To be precise, I was right in front of the lab door. I said to Giuseppe.
"Just a moment."
"Hm? What is it?"
"Can I compose my expression before I go in?"
"Do you have to?"
"It can't hurt."
Inside is the advisor who granted me my degree. With the most reverent mindset, and a heart full of gratitude, I rearranged my expression.
Good. That's it.
Now it's time to face Doloren. Knock, knock, knock.
"Head of the School, it's Isaac Upperhills. May I come in?"
A voice came from inside the door. -"It's your lab, why are you knocking? Just come in."
"Yes, ma'am."
Click.
As soon as I saw Doloren's face, I was about to bow from the waist. But what was in front of me was not Doloren's face.
Her feet.
The first thing I saw was Doloren's feet.
Heup. Hoo, heup. Hoo.
Doloren was doing push-ups while in a handstand. This is strange. According to Valerius, Doloren shouldn't be able to use magic.
"Head of the School? Didn't you say you couldn't use magic?"
"Yeah. That's right. But just because I can't use magic doesn't mean I can't exercise."
Doing push-ups in a handstand... if that's not magic, what is it?
Thud.
Doloren stopped her push-ups and stood up straight. She asked me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes. I am."
"What's with... why are you so tense?"
"Ah, right. I should give you a gift to celebrate your master's degree."
"A gift?"
"You don't know about degree gifts?"
This was the first I was hearing of it.
"Usually when a disciple earns a degree, the master gives them a staff with a new catalyst. But you don't really use catalysts. Should I give you an ancient artifact or something?"
"... An artifact?"
"Yeah. Like that necklace of yours."
Something similar to the Memorizer pendant. I'd be a fool not to take this. But why is she being so generous?
Is it a trap? I snuck a glance at Giuseppe. From a position where Doloren couldn't see, Giuseppe was nodding his head furiously.
'He just wants me to take it.' I bowed my head.
"Then I will gratefully accept."
"Good. Pick one from my vault later."
"Yes, ma'am."
And just like that, I entered into a contract with Doloren for the transfer of an ancient artifact. 'Now that I've crossed one mountain, I should take it easy for a while.' Since I can commute, I should check out my house, and visit the newly established Upperhills Workshop...
Oh, right.
I have to build the orphanage too. In between all that, it would be good to research the absolute zero magic Doloren showed me. It's a relief I have so much to do while resting.
At least I won't be bored. However, my sweet vacation plans were shattered at the foundational stage.
"Ah. Right. You know about this, right? You have to attend the conference tomorrow."
"... Pardon? A conference, all of a sudden?"
"While you were out for a few days, the Wind Element Magic conference was scheduled, and it's tomorrow."
"Ah."
"Your thesis is expected to tear that place in two, and you're the keynote speaker."