At that very moment, in his own laboratory, Giuseppe was experiencing a whole new world.
"This thing is amazing..."
He marveled as he signed the last page of the document pile he had just received yesterday. Thanks to the “Excel” magical device Isaac had made, the paperwork was finished in just ten minutes.
"I can spend the rest of my time on research..."
He thought of Isaac with a pleased smile.
‘He could have rested a bit since he just arrived, but he insisted on going to work, even borrowing my name to do it…’
Giuseppe was simply proud of his new junior. Before his admiration could even conclude...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of someone pounding on his laboratory door, as if to break it down, echoed through the room. Startled, Giuseppe reflexively covered the “Excel” magical device on his desk with an old cloth, hiding it. In Giuseppe's eyes, that thing was the school's future and its hope.
He couldn't just expose such a strategic weapon carelessly. When he cautiously opened the door, an angry man thrust his face forward.
"Giuseppe, you son of a bitch!"
It was Rufus, a doctoral student from the School of Magical Device Materials Processing and Giuseppe's contemporary.
"Is your business trip over already, Rufus?"
"Yes! I came running as soon as I heard you swiped the project transfer funds while our school's head was away!"
‘He figured it out faster than I thought.’
Giuseppe clicked his tongue and continued.
"I merely followed the Magic Tower's official procedure."
"What...?"
Rufus was at a loss for words. What Giuseppe said was true. The full reward amount, plus fifty percent of the compensation fee.
This was the official procedure when transferring a commission nearing its deadline. …At the same time, that procedure was a rule that had not been followed in a long, long time. The unspoken rule among those who held power in the current Magic Tower was that there was no need to be so generous when subcontracting to minor schools.
There was no way these two men, who had reached the threshold of their doctorates, would not know that fact.
"It's not like you don't know how things work in the Magic Tower... Why on earth did you do this?"
"Who knows."
"Could it be... because of that new kid who just joined?"
In an instant, Giuseppe's gaze turned cold.
"Rufus. If you're thinking of laying a hand on that child..."
"I won't. I'm scared of Professor Doloren too."
"But no matter how talented that brat is, he can't solve this. I know because I failed too. That problem is impossible to solve."
Giuseppe couldn't refute it. He had reviewed the documents while doing the paperwork, and in his eyes, there seemed to be no way to solve this problem either.
‘Still, it might be different for my junior…’
Giuseppe decided to put his faith in Isaac. It was at that very moment. A small note fluttered down by the window.
It had been left by one of the Magic Tower's messenger ravens. Giuseppe unfolded the note and muttered.
"That's my boy... How thrilling..."
"What?"
"Nothing. Just talking to myself. Here, cool your head with this."
Flick.
He tossed the note to Rufus.
[Isaac's report, problem resolution estimated in 3 days. Therefore, process paperwork swiftly - Elara] Rufus's hand, holding the note, trembled.
"Th-Three days?! Impossible! What does that brat even know!"
Crumple.
Rufus crushed the note in his fist.
Three days.
To Rufus, that timeframe was an insult. The 'bell tower problem' was something that countless elites of the Magic Tower, including Rufus, had clung to for months without being able to solve. And now, a new student was declaring he would solve it in just three days.
It couldn't be.
"I have to see it with my own eyes."
Rufus stormed out of the laboratory, fuming. His destination was clear. The Imperial Capital Central Bell Tower.
Giuseppe clicked his tongue, blaming his contemporary's temper, then... He had a gut feeling.
‘Don't tell me that bastard...’
Giuseppe's eyes flashed.
‘Is he planning to interfere with junior Isaac?’
Giuseppe hurriedly put on his coat and chased after him.
"Wait a minute, Rufus! I'm not finished talking!"
The two doctoral students began to run across the Magic Tower's annex. The fastest way to the bell tower was to cross the Noble District’s main street. Rufus dashed past magnificent mansions toward the problematic bell tower.
He had almost reached the front of the tower when it happened.
Dooooong~!
The bell tolled, signaling the evening hour.
"Huh...?"
Halt.
Rufus's steps came to a stop.
‘Did the bell always sound like that from this distance?’
Dooooong~!
The bell rang once more.
"No way."
Rufus had spent the last few months engrossed in the 'bell tower problem'. Therefore, he knew very well how the bell sounded in ‘this area’. Originally, from the 'Noble District's main street', the bell's sound was so piercingly sharp it grated on the ears.
Dooooong~!
But the bell's sound now was not like that at all. The volume was lower, and the tone was clear and pure, without obstruction.
Halt, halt.
Pedestrians walking along the affluent street stopped to listen to the bell. Immediately after, with a bang!, the window of a certain soundproofed mansion flew open. The noble owner pointed at the bell tower and said.
"That old bell tower keeper must have gone mad to ring the bell again! I'll go right now and wring his…! Huh…?"
The noble seemed to doubt his own ears, cleaning them out several times. But doing so would not change the sound of the bell. What he heard was a perfectly tuned chime.
Dooooong~!
Rufus was thinking the same thing as that noble.
"He said three days..."
Isaac was indeed a liar.
"He said three days, so why did he finish in one..."
That is, if finishing a job earlier than expected counted as a lie. Lost in shock, Rufus blankly moved his feet. The merchants in the market district were smiling brightly upon hearing the bell.
"They finally fixed it."
"Damn it, I knew they would!"
"But... doesn't the sound seem clearer than before?"
"Stop chattering and close up shop! The sun's about to set!"
The merchants moved in perfect unison, guided by the bell's chime.
Dooooong~!
Children ran home for dinner at the sound of the evening bell, and artisans stopped their work to put away their tools. The heart of the city began to beat once more. Rufus stared blankly up at the bell tower.
"It was impossible."
The events of the past few months flashed through Rufus's mind. There was nothing wrong with the bell. It wasn't under a spell.
The people weren't under any illusions. The bell tower was too narrow to install a sonic amplifier. No kind of sound-related magic worked properly.
"This was supposed to be impossible...!"
That brat had truly accomplished what the seniors of the Magic Tower had deemed impossible.
"Then my efforts... what do they become?"
From the moment he took the commission until now, he had not wasted a single moment. But if it was a problem a new student could solve in a single day. What on earth had Rufus been doing?
Plop.
As Rufus collapsed to the ground, Giuseppe appeared behind him.
"Do you get it now?"
"Geniuses are meant to leave ordinary people far behind."
"... What's that supposed to mean."
"If you don't like it, you should have joined our school."
"Ah."
Only then did the bell's tolling cease.
Dooooong~!
Barnabas and I came down from the tower and were listening to the bell. Overcome with emotion, Barnabas continuously wiped away tears with the back of his rough hand.
"Yes. This was the sound. Damn it..."
I grinned and said to Barnabas.
"It's a good day, why are you crying."
"... Says the one who made me cry."
"I've prepared a little surprise. Why don't we go to your quarters, old man?"
"My quarters?"
"Aren't they in the basement of the bell tower?"
"... I never told you. How did you know."
I stumbled upon it during my sonic scans. Puzzled, Barnabas headed toward his quarters.
Dooooong~!
Outside, the grand tolling of the bell still filled the world. He opened the creaking door to his room and stepped inside. I said to him.
"Old man. I figured the bell would sound really loud inside your quarters."
"That's true."
"So I prepared something."
Click.
I closed the door to the room. At that, the bell's tolling, which had continued until just a moment ago, fell quiet.
"Huh...?"
Not just the bell, but the noise of the market, the cheers of the people. All sounds ceased. You could still hear them if you listened closely, but it was a distinct difference from before.
Barnabas looked back and forth between me and the room, completely dumbfounded.
"It's quiet... This is the first time my room has ever been this quiet. Is it magic?"
"It's Science."
"Science?"
I pointed to the wooden planks attached to his wall and said.
"These panels absorb sound. Their porous structure converts sound waves into heat energy. They will cancel out the reverberations and noise heading for your room."
"I... I don't understand a single word of that."
"... Then, just remember to leave those panels as they are when you want quiet, and take them down when you want to hear the sound."
"I understand. Thank you so much."
Even if he didn't understand my explanation, I was glad he seemed to like it. Being a bell tower keeper was a job that could easily lead to hearing loss, so I hoped this would help him even a little. Barnabas took my hand, his face filled with emotion.
"I don't know how I can ever repay this kindness. Tell me anything you want."
I put on an air of importance and said.
"I'm not the kind of person who works for free, you know."
Barnabas's face stiffened for a moment. He rummaged through his pockets with a troubled expression.
"To be honest... I don't have much money on me right now, but if you give me some time, I'll find a way to get it."
"Hey, I'm not asking for money."
I grinned and put my arm around his shoulders again.
"A man's gotta eat while he works. How about a bowl of stew?"
"... Oh."
And so, I ended up eating the stew Barnabas made.
Slurp.
I drank the stew. The taste... well, it wasn't bad. It was dinner from a bell tower keeper who likely had no affinity for cooking, so I let it be.
Still, it was enough to warm my body.
Clatter, clatter.
Perhaps because the noise was blocked out, the sound of the spoon hitting the bowl seemed especially loud.
The next day. I overslept for the first time in a while. Was it because of the stew I ate last night?
I slept too comfortably. I'm late, I'm late! As I entered the school's laboratory, a benevolent-looking Giuseppe greeted me.
"Welcome, Isaac."
Had he reached a state of enlightenment over my tardiness?
"Um... I'm sorry for being late. From now on, I'll make sure this doesn't..."
"What are you talking about? As long as you've finished your work, it doesn't matter when you come in."
He was such a warm-hearted person. Of course, the reason Giuseppe was in such a good mood was obvious. A huge sum of 150,000 gold had been deposited into the school's official account.
100,000 gold for the reward, and another 50,000 gold, half of the penalty fee that Elara's school would have had to pay. With this much, even buying my own house in the capital's affluent district was not just a dream! It was an incredible achievement for a single night's work.
Of course, it wasn't my money... But the school's finances would improve a bit. At the very least, they could replace things like the broken chairs.
Giuseppe spoke.
"Do you happen to know about 'discretionary research funds'?"
"What's that?"
"It's a system that provides money to researchers who have achieved outstanding results, without the need to submit an expense report."
"Oh."
Giuseppe handed me a document.
"This morning, I calculated a 'reasonable' amount under your name as well."
[Discretionary Research Fund Confirmation] [Recipient: Isaac Upperhills Amount: 50,000 Gold (Fifty Thousand Gold).]
"... Fifty thousand gold?"
"Is it too little? I can't help it. That's the maximum according to the regulations."
"No, no. I'm saying it's too much."
"Junior, you were the number one contributor to this project. You deserve at least this much."
I was a bit dazed. Fifty thousand gold for research funds. Where on earth was I supposed to spend this enormous amount of money?
‘I don't really have anything to spend it on...’
Still, I should be thankful. If I didn't express my gratitude at a time like this, I would lose all the points I had just earned.
"Thank you. I was actually in need of some magic theory books, so this is perfect."
"Ahem!"
Giuseppe cut me off. He shook his head from side to side.
"Things like that are all handled by the school funds."
"... Then what am I supposed to do with this?"
"My contemporary, Rufus, bought a violin with his research funds."
"Does he conduct research on violin acoustics?"
"Of course not. He just bought it because his hobby is playing the violin."
I was speechless. Where should I even begin to point out what was wrong with this?
"Isn't that basically embezzlement of public funds?"
"Ahem! Such strong words. It is an advanced system based on 'autonomy' and 'trust'."
"Does everyone else use it like that?"
"Yes."
Does it really run in such a slapdash way? The Magic Tower. Is it really okay like this?
"Um... let me just confirm one more time."
"By all means."
"So, is this money essentially my salary?"
"Of course."
"... Fifty thousand gold? With this much money, I could even buy a house in the capital. It's a fortune."
"You accomplished something worthy of it."
Tremble, tremble.
The hand holding the document began to shake. It was the first time in this life or my previous one that I had ever held such a large sum of money. Where should I spend it?
Gambling? Horse racing?
Collecting vintage wine? Real estate speculation? .... I don't have any hobbies like that.
Now that I had the money, I had no particular place to spend it. It seemed I would have to think a little more about where to use this enormous sum.