Academy’s Genius Mage

Early in the morning, the sound of a carriage echoed through the quiet areas surrounding the Oracle Family mansion in the royal capital.

Dorothy, who had been tending to the flowers in the garden, quickly lifted her head.

“Oh? Could we have a guest?”

“Perhaps.”

“What if it’s that nasty man who came before?”

Even though she hadn’t met him personally, Dorothy was among those who had witnessed the viciousness of Felix.

Wilson shook his head with a smile.

“It might be good news.”

“I envy your optimism, father. Though it’s not like anyone would do the laundry for us because of it.”

“Laundry is a sacred task, you know. Is it that you don’t want to do the maid’s work?”

“It’s not that. Just saying.”

Dorothy wasn’t Wilson’s biological daughter, but she had grown accustomed to calling him “Father” now.

She was a war orphan.

Wilson, who had embarked on a distant expedition with the late head of the family, Lefevre, unexpectedly encountered Dorothy while camping.

At that time, large and small wars were rampant across the continent.

Encountering refugees wandering forests or wastelands was not an uncommon occurrence.

Wilson couldn’t bring himself to leave behind the little girl he found, her body covered in dirt and clutching a wilted flower while she cried.

He brought her to the campsite and expressed his desire to adopt her as his own child. Ian’s father, Lefevre, readily agreed to his request.

Since then, Dorothy had joined the Oracle Family, growing up alongside Ian, and eventually took on household chores when she came of age.

The reason Wilson and Dorothy remained at the mansion even as the Oracle Family began to decline was exactly this bond.

To Ian, these two were more like family than mere servants.

“Thinking positively helps everything turn out well, my child.”

“And if something bad happens despite positive thinking?”

“Then we just hope for something better.”

“Ah, you’re incorrigible! It looks like the carriage is about to come in. I’ll go open the gate.”

“I’ll do it.”

Wilson dusted his hands, donned white gloves, and opened the main gate. The carriage crossed the narrow garden and entered.

Soon, the door opened, and Ian appeared.

Wilson and Dorothy were taken aback.

“Master!”

“Wilson. You were out here?”

Ian alighted from the carriage.

He was wearing a cloak and holding a staff provided by the academy. Seeing him, Wilson’s expression was filled with awe.

“You look… you look truly magnificent, Master. It suits you so well!”

“Really?”

“Of course. I’m sure the head of the family would have been overjoyed to see this moment.”

“Tearing up?”

Wiping his eyes with a hand, Wilson smiled brightly.

“It’s embarrassing, but seeing you safely enter the academy was my greatest wish.”

“Such a simple wish.”

Even as he said this, Ian felt a warmth in his heart. Dorothy interjected at this moment.

“Young Master! What brings you here? You only just entered the academy yesterday.”

“Should I leave again?”

“N-no! I’m just surprised and glad to see you.”

Ian chuckled. Dorothy puffed her cheeks, feeling teased.

“It’s nothing much. I needed to pick up some books.”

“Master, if you need books, you should have instructed me.”

“There were some other matters I had to take care of as well. I’ll be leaving shortly.”

“Next time, please notify us in advance.”

“I’ll handle it my way.”

The only servants residing at the Oracle Family mansion were Wilson and Dorothy.

During the time Lefèvre led the family, there were quite a few servants. But now, only these two remained.

Therefore, he preferred not to assign errands to them if possible, as managing the mansion alone was already overwhelming.

Ian entered the mansion.

He went directly to the family library and picked up his research notes.

Despite being a space filled with various books, Ian remembered exactly where each one was located.

‘Milo and Edel should have left the academy by now, right?’

Both Milo and Edel applied for leave to go outside together to prepare for the task Ian had asked them.

Normally, it took about a month after admission to receive permission for such leave, but Professor Frost had already pulled some strings with the relevant department.

The staff in charge showed curiosity, mentioning that such occurrences were quite rare.

‘I’d like to stay a bit longer while I’m here.’

Ian put the research notes into his bag and immediately stood up.

He then encountered Wilson, who was about to enter the library.

“Master. I will prepare the meal shortly. Please wait a moment.”

“I told you I have to leave right away.”

“Then how about a cup of tea?”

He seemed eager to hear about the academy. Ian smiled and patted Wilson on the shoulder.

“I’ll make time to visit later. Please relay my regards to Dorothy.”

“Understood, Master.”

“Nothing major happened at the mansion while I was away, right?”

“Nothing at all.”

Nodding, Ian immediately got into the carriage and moved to his next destination.

* * *

The place Ian entered was a general store located in the city center.

Various tools were lined up, and there were many people browsing as well. It was quite a large place.

Although Ian had tightly pulled his hood down, people knew he was a student from the academy and made way for him.

Some looked at him with curious eyes.

Most academy students were nobles.

Unless someone like Edel, who had a special case, enrolled, it was usually the offspring of noble families who attended. Hence, they were subjects of reverence.

“Which family’s Young Master might he be?”

“He seems to be a mage.”

“He looks great! Should I try talking to him?”

Ian shut his ears to the whispers and walked towards the counter.

“What brings you here today?”

The clerk asked, and Ian, still covering his face, replied.

“I’m here to meet Mr. Frederick. Is he present?”

“Where have you come from?”

“From the Oracle Family.”

“Please wait for a moment.”

The clerk went inside and then returned with a middle-aged man.

The man had thinning white hair but a well-built physique that suggested he might have been quite strong in his youth.

As the man stared intently at Ian, he flinched in surprise before smiling warmly.

“Could it be… Young Master Ian?”

“I see you recognize me. It’s been a while, Mr. Frederick.”

“Oh, my goodness!”

At that, Ian removed his hood.

Though his appearance had changed slightly, his intelligent eyes remained the same.

Frederick could recall the image of Ian from long ago.

“You are just the same, Young Master. Oh dear, excuse me! Surely, do come inside. Though modest, may I offer you some tea?”

“Sorry for dropping by so suddenly. You must be busy.”

“Not at all, not at all. You’ve come at a perfect time! Haha.”

Frederick guided Ian to an inner room. It was a makeshift office but was neatly organized.

Frederick hastily prepared some refreshments.

“Anticipating such a day, I’ve prepared good tea. Please, have some.”

“Anything would have sufficed.”

“Please, don’t refuse.”

Ian took a sip of the tea. It had a refreshing aroma and was quite pleasing.

Suddenly, a question popped into his mind.

‘How long has it been since I last met Mr. Fredrick?’

It seemed it had been so long that he could no longer count on one hand.

He had only met him a few times in his father’s laboratory during his childhood.

‘But is this how he welcomes me?’

Fredrick used to supply equipment to Baron Lefevre’s laboratory.

Although he came from a common background, he had quite a knack for it.

Eventually, he became an assistant and helped with the research.

He mainly worked on improving the efficiency of devices used in experiments.

‘And after my father disappeared, there was no news from him.’

Like most connections with the Oracle Family, their relationship naturally faded away.

Afterward, rumors circulated that Fredrick stumbled upon a large sum of money and opened this shop.

Though he was said to have traveled to various places doing business, the specifics were unknown to anyone.

His Father and Fredrick had maintained a good relationship.

Their images had been vividly imprinted in his mind as they worked passionately together in the lab.

‘Wouldn’t it have been natural for him to visit at least once or twice? But Mr. Fredrick didn’t even send a letter.’

If the people from the Hamel Trading Company hadn’t suddenly come by a few days ago to demand debt relief, there would have been no reason to remember him or to come all the way here.

‘The debt was for research funding. So, there’s a possibility that Mr. Fredrick might know about it.’

The problem was that he didn’t know how deeply Fredrick had been involved in his father’s research.

Fredrick was a technician, not an accountant.

‘But I must knock on the door and find out.’

Putting aside the doubts for a moment, Ian kept a calm expression.

“How have you been all this time?”

“I’ve been quietly residing at the mansion. And now I am enrolled to the Royal Academy.”

“Congratulations! You’re finally stepping out into the world.”

“I couldn’t delay any longer.”

“People may have forgotten the Oracle Family, but I never doubted that you would revive it. This is just the beginning.”

Ian nodded with a smile and gestured around with his hand.

“By the way, you own a wonderful store. I’ve heard a bit about it.”

“Oh, I was lucky. Over the years, I wandered around the capital, gathering funds. Owning a shop was my dream.”

Fredrick spoke humbly. Ian sipped his tea and listened attentively.

“So, I didn’t have time to keep up with anything else. I should have kept in touch with you from time to time… I’m sorry for that.”

Fredrick bowed deeply.

Ian waved his hands, urging him to stand straight.

“Please, don’t do that. Otherwise, I’ll feel guilty. I am very pleased to see you doing well.”

“My Lord… Oh, now I should address you as Baron, right? What brings you here? You must be quite busy after enrolling at the academy. Is there anything you need?”

Fredrick asked cautiously. Ian set down his teacup and chuckled sheepishly.

“I need potion containers. I was just going to look around, but I thought of you and decided to ask if you were in.”

“Well, then you’ve come to the right place. Would you like to see a few?”

“Sounds good.”

While Fredrick stepped away momentarily, Ian glanced around slowly.

At one side, he saw the emblems of trade companies that supplied goods to the shop.

“It seems Hamel Trading Company also supplies goods here.”

The emblem of Hamel Trading Company was placed in the most prominent spot, suggesting it was the main supplier for this shop.

Ian’s intuition began to lean in a certain direction.

‘I hope my assumptions are wrong.’

At that moment, Fredrick returned, holding a wooden tray. Five containers were placed upside down on the tray.

“These are the potion containers we handle at our store.”

“They all look similar. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Well, recently, those designed to be lightweight for portability are popular, like this one.”

Fredrick picked up a container and handed it to Ian. It was a small container that fit in one hand, surprisingly light yet sturdy.

Ian examined the container carefully, turning it over several times.

“It has good storage and excellent durability. It’s known for not breaking easily.”

“It seems nice. How much for one?”

“5,000 shillings.”

“That’s the retail price, right? How much is the wholesale rate?”

“Well… before that, may I ask how many you need?”

“For now, around a thousand?”