Chapter 29

[Translator - Clara]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 29: The Grand Scheme (2)

White Tower, 2nd Floor, Cafeteria

A deep sigh escaped into the space where mages came to rest.

“Whew…”

The owner of the sigh was Elder Schwein Koch, a thin, middle-aged man.

Having spent months confined to his laboratory, this rare excursion had him sighing for one reason alone: he had yet to complete the paper he intended to present at this year’s White Night Festival.

‘The theory is flawless, but…’

The magic itself refused to manifest, leaving him utterly exasperated.

This research had consumed over seven years of his life.

Now that the finish line seemed within reach, his mind grew all the more restless.

‘The formula may be crude and simplistic, but its structure is sound. Which means the issue must lie in the mana calculations.’

Another, even deeper sigh escaped him.

Errors in mana values.

No theoretical mage could ever take such a failure lightly.

‘Looks like I’ll be stuck in the lab for months, running endless experiments to pinpoint the precise mana value for the spell formula.

If only I had a fellow theoretical mage to bounce ideas off. Unfortunately, no one of that caliber is within my reach.’

He cast a predatory gaze across the cafeteria, scanning the seated mages like a professor seeking prey.

For a moment, those in his line of sight shuddered, unsure why they felt a sudden chill.

His gaze, however, turned quizzical.

‘…Something’s different about them, isn’t it?’

What was it?

The mages no longer looked disheveled.

Once, their robes—whether postal uniforms or White Tower robes—were frayed and worn.

They often looked so ragged that Schwein used to wonder if they were beggars or mages, feeling uneasy about the ambiguity.

But now, their attire was pristine enough to present proudly anywhere.

Even the facilities and furnishings inside the White Tower seemed newly upgraded, gleaming with cleanliness.

‘New uniforms? Renovations? But where would the Tower find the funds for that?’

As he blinked, puzzling over these changes, two familiar faces passed him by.

“Huh? Isn’t that Elder Schwein?”

“When did you get out of the lab?”

Carrying iced coffee, Maxim and Fidelina recognized him.

Schwein greeted them as they naturally took seats across from him.

“Maxim, Fidelina. Long time no see.”

“How’s the research coming along? It seems like you’ve surfaced sooner than usual—only a few months this time.”

“Why even ask? If it was going well, he wouldn’t look like that.”

“…I have no rebuttal.”

Schwein sighed deeply before explaining his predicament.

Maxim spoke first.

“Let me get this straight—you’d like a partner to collaborate with on your research?”

“Do you have someone in mind?”

“No way. My brain’s too rusty, and theoretical magic isn’t even my field.”

“I’m not into theoretical magic either. Managing money is more my thing.”

“…”

Schwein swallowed the urge to retort, Then why not work in finance instead of the Tower?

Instead, Maxim continued.

“But I do know someone I’d recommend.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. They’re talented—I even gained some insight just by sitting in on one of their lectures.”

“Come to think of it…”

Schwein examined Maxim more closely.

Though he hadn’t yet reached the 8th level, his mana aura seemed deeper and more refined.

“Congratulations. The Tower might be celebrating a promotion soon.”

“Haha, I’m not there yet.”

“You mentioned lectures—so they’re a professor? Who are they?”

“They’re not a professor, but you know them well. It’s Oscar Crucian.”

At the name, Schwein let out a small laugh.

“Your jokes have improved during my absence. You’re recommending him knowing what kind of magic I’m researching? Oscar may be a prodigy, but he’s just exceptional for his age. This isn’t the kind of work a mere Level 1 mage could comprehend.”

“Why not give him a chance? He’s too unique to measure by levels alone.”

“And by the way, he’s now Level 2,”

Fidelina added with a sly grin.

“Come to think of it, you’ve been cooped up in your lab and missed all the news, haven’t you?”

“…Missed what?”

“Look around. Doesn’t it feel like something’s changed?”

“Ah, that. I’ve noticed it.”

Schwein voiced his earlier suspicions.

“What exactly happened? Did someone win the lottery?”

“Lottery… well, in a sense, yes.”

A lottery wasn’t always about scratch-off tickets.

Anything that hit big could be called a lottery.

“And it’s all thanks to Oscar Crucian and his unleashed potential.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“Hah, you really had to see it to believe it. It all started when Oscar had a near-death experience…”

With a delighted expression, the chatty Fidelina began recounting the tale.

The story began with Oscar’s brush with death and his miraculous recovery.

“After that, he changed completely. I could tell at a glance—he finally broke out of his shell.”

“Funny, coming from someone who initially refused to fund his potion business.”

“T-that was just to test his determination!”

“Your boy, huh? When did he become yours? I was the one who first recognized his potential, back when he cast Wind Shield right after waking up…”

Halfway through their recounting, the two began bickering over who had first seen Oscar’s true worth.

Growing exasperated, Schwein interjected.

“Enough. Finish the story already.”

And so, the tale continued, causing Schwein’s expression to shift several times.

“Hmm. So Oscar Crucian mastered alchemy.”

“It’s not just that—his sales methods are exceptionally sophisticated.”

“Not to mention his magic lectures. He explains everything so clearly it’s like listening to a high-level mage.”

For the first time, these two polar opposites were united in their praise for someone.

Naturally, Schwein couldn’t help but grow intrigued by this “transformed” Oscar Crucian.

“Hm. If you both recommend him so strongly, I suppose I’ll meet him.”

Still, he didn’t expect much.

Level 1—or rather, now Level 2—mages couldn’t possibly grasp the advanced research he was working on.

‘It’s not a matter of underestimating Oscar. It’s just a structural inevitability.

Looking at the same object, the perspective from the ground floor is fundamentally different from the view from the rooftop.

No matter how gifted he is, a Level 2 mage’s perspective has its limits.’

Moreover, Schwein’s research wasn’t ordinary.

He was working to reconstruct the unique magic of none other than the Archmage, the “Mage of Mages,” Oscar Sage.

[Translator - Clara]

[Proofreader - Gun]

* * *

Hearing the announcement, Oscar arrived at Schwein’s lab and blinked.

“It’s been a while. How have you been?”

…Who was this?

Seeing him hesitate, Schwein nodded as if recalling something.

“Ah, I remember now. You mentioned your memory isn’t intact.”

“Yes, I’m sorry. I have amnesia.”

It was a lie so well-practiced it no longer pricked his conscience.

Schwein, who had been looking at him with a hint of pity, spoke again.

"Don't worry. My name is Schwein Koch, and I hold a position as an Elder of the White Tower. My specialty is theoretical magic, and my main job is to restore lost spells."

"...!"

A theoretical mage!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Oscar's eyes widened at those words.

‘An experienced mage with status and renown, highly knowledgeable in theoretical magic…? And even working on restoring lost spells?’

He was everything Oscar had been hoping for in a mentor.

"In any case, I have a study I'm planning to present at this year's White Night Festival. But completing it alone seems difficult."

"You're looking for a research assistant."

"Precisely."

It wasn’t just a good proposal—it was exactly what Oscar had been wishing for.

‘If I help with the research, the restoration process will speed up dramatically. And people will naturally credit Elder Schwein for the restoration. No one would think a mere Level 2 mage played a significant role.’

Having formed a perfect plan in his mind, Oscar nodded.

"It would be an honor to participate in your research, Elder."

"Thank you for saying so. Though it may be strange to make such a request at this point, would you mind taking a simple test first?"

"Of course. It’s only logical to assess someone's abilities before collaborating."

"Indeed!"

Moved by his response, Schwein clapped his hands.

"What a commendable attitude. I genuinely hope you pass the test."

"I’ll do my best to solve the problems."

"Here you go. Just solve the problems on this test sheet. You’ll have 50 minutes."

Oscar took the test sheet and sat down, quickly working through the problems.

Most involved identifying errors in mana formulas or correcting mistakes.

A few were more advanced, such as calculating mana values for specific formulas.

'This is easy.'

Most of the problems were at a level that a Level 5 or 6 theoretical mage could handle without much trouble.

Just from the test's difficulty, Oscar could infer what kind of assistant Schwein was looking for.

‘A researcher to catch basic errors, huh? Seems like the core research is mostly complete, and they’re just finalizing calculations or validating results.’

While Oscar worked calmly through the test, Schwein tilted his head as he watched.

The speed at which Oscar was solving the problems was astonishing.

‘...Even most Level 5 theoretical mages couldn’t solve them this quickly.’

It seemed unlikely that someone of low rank would have the advanced reasoning and understanding required for this.

Schwein sighed inwardly.

‘Is he just scribbling answers out of frustration because he can’t solve them? If that’s the case, I can only fail him.’

Despite his disappointment, Schwein waited quietly for Oscar to finish.

‘Hmm?’

Suddenly, Oscar’s pen paused for the first time.

It was on the last question, which was far more difficult than the others.

But Oscar hadn’t stopped because it was hard.

‘Isn’t this the spell I created?’

He paused only because he recognized it.

It was a spell he had developed during a special project with the imperial family—a project so long completed that he’d almost forgotten about it.

‘How did this spell’s details survive? If not, they wouldn’t have used it for a question.’

Without hesitation, Oscar began writing the answer to the final problem.

"Hm."

Seeing this, Schwein’s doubts turned into certainty.

‘Did he just write down the answer without even working through the problem?’

The final question was a trap designed to make the test-taker fail.

It asked for the mana value of a formula Schwein himself was still researching and hadn’t solved.

‘I just wanted to see how he’d approach it in a collaborative setting…’

Schwein couldn’t hide his disappointment as he spoke.

"Are you finished?"

"Ah, yes."

Schwein began grading the test sheet immediately after taking the test sheet.

"Hmm?"

He raised an eyebrow at the first page.

Despite looking like hastily scribbled answers, they were all correct.

Oscar must have done the calculations mentally.

‘Huh. Even with his reputation as a genius, I didn’t expect this.’

His disappointment began to fade as he continued grading.

By the middle of the test, Schwein’s expression had hardened slightly.

‘…Did he calculate this one mentally, too? How long did it take him?’

This problem was challenging enough that only senior professors at magic towers or academies could solve it, and even Schwein himself would need at least two minutes to do so mentally.

‘How extraordinary must his mental calculation ability be…’

Awed, Schwein continued grading until he reached the last page, then stopped grading altogether.

"Pass. Without a doubt, you pass!"

"...Excuse me?"

"I’ve been searching for someone like you for so long. Why did you take so long to show up?"

Oscar smiled at Schwein, who was beaming with joy.

"Thank you for welcoming me. But, Elder, don’t you want to check the last page?"

"Hm? The last page?"

It contained a single question about the mana formula Schwein was currently researching.

‘Ah, of course, he wants to confirm whether his answer is correct—it was a difficult question, after all.’

Finding Oscar’s reaction endearing, Schwein glanced at the last page.

"…What?"

His eyes widened as he read the answer.

"Oscar, you’ve listed four different mana values. Which one is the correct answer?"

"Ah… all of them. Based on the formula's structure, I thought a single value might cause errors, so I used dynamic mana values. Was that approach incorrect?"

Dynamic mana calculations?

Schwein’s jaw dropped at the unexpected response.

[Translator - Clara]

[Proofreader - Gun]