Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

When do people feel troubled? There’s room for discussion, but usually, it’s when they encounter a situation they can’t overcome with their own will.

I’m somewhat free from such constraints.

When faced with a high wall, I can use [Levitation], and even in pitch-black darkness, I can emit a soft light by radiating Type II Magic [Ray].

All kinds of physical constraints tend to lose their meaning in front of a magic scholar.

Therefore, I truly become troubled when facing mental obstacles.

The cause is usually people.

“Doctoral student Eugene Oslo. Explain.”

Thus, when a gloomy giant standing six feet eight inches tall said that in front of me, I was immediately troubled.

Let’s reassess the situation.

The current time is around 9:30 PM. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

So, the only daughter of the family, raised like their precious treasure, suddenly went on a trip and didn’t return even though it was late at night.

The head of the Müller family, Klaus Müller, who had been on a journey for an academic conference or business trip, returned home earlier than planned and was -probably- worried about this news.

When he went out to greet his only daughter, who returned by carriage after 9 PM, he found some guy sticking close to his soundly sleeping daughter, moving her like a package.

Seeing the color of the guy’s hair, he recognized him well and demanded an explanation…

After quickly organizing the situation chronologically in the blink of an eye, I quietly gulped.

Even though I’m not particularly known for being perceptive, I couldn’t remain calm while receiving a gaze that felt like being pierced by an awl *1.

This is dangerous.

Thinking that averting my gaze even unconsciously might add to his suspicion, I forced myself to maintain eye contact.

While doing so, I thought about how to answer the question.

Explain, he says?

If I say, “Your daughter kidnapped your unworthy disciple for a day trip to the World Expo,” he’d surely believe me, right?

As I was just fumbling with my words, about five seconds passed.

Professor Müller didn’t wait for my answer.

The eyes behind his monocle went back and forth between my stiff face and Julia’s peacefully sleeping face a few times, and then his mouth opened again.

“Have you eaten?”

“…Yes. Briefly.”

“Let’s go into the mansion and talk first.”

“Ah.”

Even though it was still summer, the night air had gotten quite cold.

If we keep Julia, who was weak to begin with, sleeping in a place where the night air flows, her condition would quickly worsen.

Whether the seemingly heartless Professor Müller had considered this when he spoke is something only the professor himself knows, which is a rather unclear point.

When he gestured, the head maid, who had been nodding, immediately climbed onto the carriage and picked up Julia.

The head maid whispered quietly to me.

“Thank you for taking care of the young lady.”

“Today, I was the one who received help instead…”

“No. As someone who serves the young lady, there’s no one I’m more grateful to than you, Mr. Eugene. The young lady doesn’t sleep much, but when she does fall asleep, she sleeps deeply, so don’t worry about this, and please accompany the master. You can leave the cane with the butler over there.”

Saying this, the head maid bowed her head to me and got off the carriage.

I also got out of the carriage not long after.

Confirming this, Klaus Müller turned around silently and started walking towards the mansion.

Even though he walked slowly, his stride was so wide that he naturally walked fast. The servants followed Professor Müller as if they were used to it, but I found it difficult to match the timing and stumbled a few times… [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

After walking a bit, my eyes got used to the darkness.

A garden that made it impossible to guess how many landscapers had worked on it. Bushes and trees were as neat as if they were cut with a knife. 

After passing a pond that I almost mistook for a lake at first glance, I finally looked up at the main entrance of the Müller mansion.

It was my second visit after three years.

“Come in.”

There is a study located on the same floor as Julia’s room.

While it’s on the same floor, as it was located at opposite ends of the wide mansion, the distance between the two rooms was actually quite far.

I entered Professor Müller’s study while watching from afar as the head maid took Julia to her room.

Of course, I entered while being as tense as possible.

Darkness.

The inside of the study was literally wrapped in pitch-black darkness, and I could guess its size from the echoing of Professor Müller’s footsteps.

It was about the size of Julia’s room on the opposite side.

That meant it was very spacious.

At the same time, Professor Müller, who was walking ahead, snapped his fingers with a click.

In sync with that, all of the mana lamps in the study simultaneously lit up and started emitting light.

I couldn’t help but wonder what the principle behind this could be—it was an unavoidable habit as a magic student.

Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to figure out the principle.

The gold ring he wore on his left ring finger.

That was probably serving as Professor Müller’s grimoire.

The bookshelves surrounding the room were twice my height, and these shelves were filled to the brim with various books and documents.

It was so solemn and neat that, for a moment, I wondered if I had come to a library rather than a personal study.

In terms of size and organization, it was completely different from Benjamin’s study that I experienced in the Empire, but I realized that the smell was no different, and slowly relaxed.

“There are several chairs; choose one and sit.”

I did as he said.

After choosing a suitable chair and sitting in front of the only desk, I ended up sitting face to face with Professor Müller with just a desk between us.

It also meant that I couldn’t avoid eye contact.

Finally, his mouth opened again.

Even if he asked with a short command like ‘Explain,’ it would be fine now. I had been pondering how to answer to survive all the way to the study…

However.

“Take this.”

“Pardon?”

Instead of asking like that, Professor Müller suddenly threw an envelope of documents at me. Of course, through shadowless magic.

I looked at the envelope of documents gently landing on my two hands.

I thought a fist might fly at me, so I didn’t expect an envelope of documents to fly in, which is why I asked back. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“What’s this?”

“It’s the materials organized from this academic conference. There was also discussion about your paper.”

It was true.

When I peeked inside, I saw familiar formulas and phrases. Even comments on them.

“Did you respond well to the inquiry letters about the paper?”

“Ah, yes. I answered diligently.”

“It seems so. That paper is likely to be published in the ‘Magic Studies Yearbook,’ so keep that in mind.”

While quietly responding, “I understand,” I was puzzled inside.

Wasn’t the atmosphere just before entering the study as if he was going to interrogate me about various things?

I thought he might be trying to break the ice with this academic talk before thoroughly questioning me, but it didn’t seem to be that either.

Even after that, we only exchanged talks about magic studies.

It was something I could welcome.

He was my thesis advisor and, at the same time, a giant in the academe.

The ideas coming out of Klaus Müller’s mouth were all worth noting. So much so that I wanted to ask for advice on new paper ideas right then and there.

But.

I couldn’t be at ease like this.

This time, I spoke first.

“Um, Professor.”

He looked at me.

Should I say he looked rather haggard? His face, which was always expressionless, revealed no emotions, in stark contrast to Julia, who now outwardly displayed a range of feelings. 

He was still sitting at the study desk, looking the same as he did three years ago.

I said:

“Aren’t you going to ask about your daughter?”

Klaus Müller probably doesn’t know the details of my relationship with Julia. 

If he asked, I was ready to confess honestly, now that I’ve come to terms with my feelings. 

But I never expected that he wouldn’t ask at all.

After silently pausing for about ten seconds, Professor Müller quietly asked back.

“What would you like me to ask?”

“Well…”

“I’ve already heard about the circumstances of the trip from the head maid. My demand for an explanation was about my daughter’s well-being, but since I’ve confirmed that she’s simply asleep due to exhaustion, you have nothing to say.”

Only then did Professor Müller’s attitude make sense.

Did he misunderstand that Julia had collapsed when he saw her sprawled out? Since she was just asleep, he lost interest.

His logic was coherent enough to convince me, except for one blind spot: in all worldly matters, understanding alone is not enough.

Soon, Professor Müller stood up from his seat and spoke as if making an announcement.

“It’s late, so stay the night. If you ask the head maid where the guest room is, she’ll tell you. Let’s postpone the remaining conversation until tomorrow.”

“W-wait a moment.”

“I’ll contact your family home.”

The conversation progresses suddenly.

But his steps were too fast for me to stop, and eventually, even the mana lamps went out, leaving me alone in the empty study.

#August 29th. Rainy.

Swoosh―

Julia Müller slowly rose from her bed to the sound of rain hitting the window.

The start of her day was no different from usual, except for a slight stiffness. 

However, instead of getting up from bed, Julia sat still, lost in thought. 

Something felt strange.

Her last clear memory was being on the train. 

But when she woke up, she was in her own room, in her own bed. 

This gap in her memory confused Julia. 

How she got off the train and returned to the mansion was too hazy.

As she continued to ponder, something gradually came to mind. Right. Did she fall asleep right after half-insisting that he sit next to her on the train? 

It was quite embarrassing—so much so that she wanted to curl up with her knees together, fall sideways, and bury her face in the blanket. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Realizing that she hadn’t even said goodbye to Eugene, she inwardly screamed.

“Uwaaah…”

To ruin the ending of such a blissful trip with her own hands…

She hit the innocent blanket repeatedly. All that effort of preparing herself even for a kiss was for nothing…

She would have to give up the remaining vacation days to Eugene so he could spend time with his family.

“Do I have to wait again?”

That fact made her unbearably sad.

Soon, Julia got up with a bitter smile.

For now, she had something to do. She needed to ask the head maid what exactly happened last night.

She staggered out of bed and grabbed her cane.

The brooch was gone, taken by someone.

She had to walk with her own strength without the help of magic for a while.

“Excuse me, is the head maid here?”

It was when Julia, in her fluttering nightgown, stepped out of her room while putting weight on her cane.

Startled.

Someone was at the door.

Eugene.

Eugene, neatly dressed, was frozen in the posture of about to knock on her door, with only his head turned towards her, and their eyes met.

With her eyes wide open, she unconsciously muttered.

“Why, why are you here?”

“Well…”

Eugene’s gaze slowly moved downwards as he spoke. Why?

“―Eek!”

The next moment, Julia remembered what she was wearing.

T/N

An awl is a small tool used to pierce holes in things like wood or leather.