Academy’s Genius Mage

“Master.”

Wilson could not raise his head. However, Ian smiled nonchalantly.

“Why are you bowing your head when you didn’t do anything wrong?”

“But still…”

“I’m not going to ask why you didn’t report to me. I understand why.”

Ian had not called him to reprimand him. There was something that needed to be confirmed.

“First, have a seat. Don’t just stand there.”

“Excuse me.”

Wilson awkwardly sat down on the sofa. Seeing him like that made Ian uncomfortable, but he got to the point.

“You handled the organization of Father’s research lab back then, right?”

“Yes, I organized it.”

“Did any kind of contract come out at that time?”

“No, there wasn’t.”

The answer came out instantly. Wilson was confident in his work.

“Let me rephrase the question. After Father left for the archaeological site and until the moment he disappeared, were you the only one who handled the documents in the research lab?”

“That is… not the case.”

Ian’s eyes sparkled.

“Then someone else must have been there too.”

“There was someone who could enter the research lab until Master disappeared.”

“Who is it?”

“It’s someone you have seen a few times too—Fredrick. He worked as your father’s assistant.”

“Ah, Fredrick? I remember him.”

As he tried to recall, some scenes came to mind. Fredrick had seemed like a diligent person.

Despite that, he had not visited the mansion even once since the parents went missing.

“What is Fredrick doing now?”

“It is known that he is running a general store in the royal capital. It’s quite a large place.”

“If a contract was lost from the research lab, how likely is it that he might have tampered with it?”

“He was an honest person. I don’t think he would have tampered with it, but since he worked as Father’s assistant, he might know a lot about the contract.”

Wilson reserved his judgment. He, like Ian, tended to believe in the goodness of people.

But they couldn’t just go and accuse someone bluntly.

That wouldn’t be the exemplary conduct expected of the kingdom’s nobility. Moreover, Fredrick was someone with many good memories attached.

Ian decided to think calmly.

There were different issues that needed resolving right now.

‘Since there’s a succession contract, debts must be repaid. The principal is one thing, and the interest won’t be insignificant either.’

Repaying the principal and interest wasn’t an issue. If proving the contract as a forgery, they could claim damages far exceeding both principal and interest.

The minimum legal compensation amount was thirty times the principal.

‘But time is needed. It will take time to uncover the full details of this contract. Immediate cash is needed.’

Various methods came to mind.

However, none of them were suitable for the current situation, which required a large sum of money. But Ian didn’t give up and continued to rack his brains.

‘Since frequent outings from the academy are not possible, something certain is needed… Academy? Ah, right. That method.’

A plausible hypothesis had formed.

Now it was time to test this hypothesis. Ian jumped up from his seat and headed out.

“Master, where are you going?”

“Where else would I go? To the academy, of course.”

Ian walked towards the entrance. Wilson, following behind, bowed his head and spoke.

“Master.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll handle this matter myself.”

Ian raised his hand to stop further words.

Detailing that something smelled fishy, or that there seemed to be a conspiracy, was unnecessary.

This was a matter that he had decided to resolve entirely on his own.

It was not just about the family’s honor but also his father’s honor.

“How much money has been reimbursed to the Hamel Trading Company?”

“None so far. As you know, it’s not a small amount of money.”

“Well done. From now on, I’ll handle everything regarding this issue. If Felix comes to the mansion, contact me immediately. Report any suspicious activities too.”

Wilson, bowing humbly, couldn’t erase the worried expression from his face.

“Don’t worry. I’m not as naive as you think I am.”

Ian boarded the carriage. As he gave the order to depart, the coachman snapped the whip.

The unadorned, modest carriage began to move energetically.

Only after distancing himself from the mansion did Ian finally get some quiet time to organize his thoughts.

‘First, I should register at the academy. After that, I’ll make concrete plans once the repayment note arrives from the trading company.’

Suddenly, he felt a sense of discomfort near his chest.

It was his glasses case.

Ian took out the glasses from the case, and another question began to form.

‘An unknown item, indeed.’

Ian looked down at the glasses that lay quietly in the case.

He then reached for the glasses. Throughout the carriage ride to the academy, he wore the glasses and observed his surroundings.

However, nothing new came into view.

The capital’s scenery remained peaceful.

The tranquility was not an illusion created by the glasses.

People had started wearing simpler spring attire, and children were running around the square with bright expressions.

Eventually, Ian had no choice but to put the glasses back in their case.

Still, there was some value gained.

‘They seem sturdier than I thought. There’s no discomfort at all.’

He thought it might be a good idea to wear them from time to time.

Ian had inherited his father’s academic tradition, which emphasized experimentation and observation.

While the family treasure felt a bit burdensome, he also became curious about uncovering its true nature.

‘Once I adjust to academy life, I’ll calmly analyze the magic. If it’s a magical artifact, there must be some responsive elements.’

There were many kinds of artifacts.

The most common ones were those imbued with magic. The magic granted various conveniences.

Sometimes, they protected the wearer’s life, and other times, they could take another’s life.

This was the era of swords and magic.

While the kingdom might be peaceful, the entire continent was not. Therefore, weapons, armor, or accessories typically held protective or offensive magic.

‘Considering our family’s origin, it should be a staff or a book imbued with magic.’

Mages primarily used staffs to efficiently concentrate their mana.

His parents often used staffs.

Ian had briefly used a staff when he was younger but had given up because it didn’t concentrate his mana effectively.

Thus, Ian’s thoughts converged on one point.

‘Why glasses, of all things?’

Ian’s eyesight wasn’t bad enough to need glasses. His father and mother never put their books down either, but they didn’t wear glasses.

Artifacts followed the basic function of the object.

Just as a sword needed to be wielded, glasses needed to be worn on the face.

Thus, as Ian mulled over his thoughts, he felt somewhat relieved about the burden of wearing the glasses.

Rumble!

At that moment, the carriage began to slow down.

Ian turned his gaze back to the window.

‘Wow, this is impressive.’

A long procession of carriages followed.

Even from a distance, some carriages were so ornate that they stood out, while others belonged to families so powerful they could bring down a flying bird.

But all carriages became ordinary the moment they crossed the academy’s main gate.

All students at the academy are equal.

This principle was established by Lux the Sun King, who founded the Royal Academy.

Thus, regardless of their family names, all students were treated equally once they entered the academy.

Soon, the carriage came to a complete stop. The coachman respectfully opened the door.

“Master. We have arrived at the academy.”

As Ian stepped out of the carriage, the scorching sunlight beamed down.

He shielded his eyes and looked around.

A tall and majestic building came into view.

This was the academy’s main headquarters.

Students enrolling had to visit the administration office here to register.

Although he had never seen it in person before, he knew what it was. Both his father and mother were alumni of this place.

Ian preferred the stories about the academy that his parents told him over fairy tales.

“Once I enroll, I cannot always leave as I please. I will inform you separately about when I can go out.”

“Understood, Master. Please take care.”

The coachman stepped back.

Ian straightened his clothes before approaching the academy headquarters.

Just then, a small commotion arose from behind.

Clang!

“Ahh!”

“No way!”

There was the sound of something falling, accompanied by screams.

When Ian turned his head, he saw a large handcart toppled over.

‘It seems that the wheel came off.’

The issue wasn’t just that the wheel had come off, but that the experimental apparatus loaded on the cart had fallen out and got broken.

The expressions of the workers handling the cart turned pale.

“Breaking this precious equipment! How will you lot be responsible for this? This apparatus is extremely important for Professor Frost’s experiments!”

A person, who appeared to be an academy staff member, yelled at them.

The workers couldn’t lift their heads.

‘It’s not their fault that the cart broke.’

Ian sighed lightly and approached the scene.

At the same time, a person wearing a black robe approached from the opposite direction.

It was a woman. She was small in stature, with lemon-colored hair peeking out slightly from her hood.

As Ian approached first, the woman paused her steps. She observed Ian’s actions.

“What happened here?”

Ian asked the staff member.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

The staff mistook Ian for a guest visiting the academy, probably because he wasn’t wearing a uniform yet.

“It seems like a problematic situation. Would you like some help?”

“Help, you say?”

“Yes.”

The staff member blinked in surprise. Ian studied the broken apparatus.

‘It’s not as badly damaged as I thought.’

Some pieces were broken, but fortunately, they were items that could be easily replaced. Adjusting the frame and replacing the broken parts would suffice.

“If you could get me some tools, I’ll try to reassemble it. It won’t take long.”

“Oh, would you really? Ah, if that’s the case, thank you so much…”

The staff finally gathered his wits.

“Excuse me, but may I know who you are…”

“Ian Oracle from the Oracle Family. I came to register at the academy and had a little time to spare. I have considerable interest in theoretical magic and have handled many experimental apparatuses. So, you don’t need to worry.”

“Oh! Is that so? Hey, you lot! Quickly bring out the tools! Bring everything the Master needs! Hurry up!”

“Yes!”

“Didn’t you hear me say hurry?!”

“Yes, Sir!”

While the tools were being prepared, Ian knelt on one knee and examined the scattered parts.

“But can such a complex apparatus be reassembled?”

“No matter how complex it is, if I know what kind of apparatus it is, it won’t be a problem.”

“I haven’t heard what kind of apparatus it is from the professor…”

At that moment, Ian’s eyes sparkled.

“It’s a device for measuring magical energy transmission efficiency.”

“Magical energy transmission…what?”

“Magical energy inevitably experiences loss when released. This device measures the amount of loss when magical energy is transferred from one side to another.”

“Ah.”

Ian pointed to a large unbroken glass box.

“That’s a tank. And the broken piece over here is a container for injecting gas, and this one is for holding solids.”

“Oh, I see!”

“You can get similar items to replace the broken ones. They’re common, so they should be in the storage.”

“Storage room! Hey! Go to the storage room and grab all the similar experimental containers you can find!”

The staff busily issued orders, and one of the workers dashed off somewhere.

People began to gather around one by one.

The woman in the black robe also stayed and watched Ian.

In her hand was a staff symbolizing a second-year student in the Magic Department.