Chapter 235

235

As she watched Leo being excessively praised by Ren, Associate Professor Anna sighed deeply.

She was reminded of her tearful struggles over the past vacation.

Anna opened an interstice and took out the thesis Ren had written.

It was Ren’s latest thesis, yet to be announced in academia.

In truth, working as an associate professor under Ren was an immensely difficult task.

‘Seriously, he works me to the bone.’

And that was only part of it.

Occasionally, when matters relate to magic, he goes completely overboard, beyond what anyone can handle.

Anna herself had often wanted to quit her post as associate professor.

The only reason she still worked as Ren’s associate professor was simple.

‘It’s because he’s a genius.’

No one is as passionate about magic, nor possesses as deep a talent for it as he does.

His creativity and ability to apply himself to magic theory are enough to make any student of the field of magic theory stick out their tongue in amazement.

What’s more, his magic theory is not merely theoretical.

He ceaselessly studies magic theories that can be realized in the near future, continuously pushing forward the advancement of magic.

He was already a great theoretical wizard who had revolutionized the field many times.

And the [Introduction to the Magic of the Stars] he had authored this winter vacation was no exception.

Ren’s this thesis didn’t merely change the landscape of the magic community but held the power to shake history itself.

During the process of aiding in the authorship of this paper, Anna had gained entry into the field of star magic.

Even though she herself was an excellent wizard, her constitution did not permit her to wield star magic to the same degree as elves.

Of course, gaining an initial grasp of star magic did not mean she could manipulate it at the same level as elves.

However, merely being able to touch star magic increased her repertoire of spells significantly.

The number of spells available to a wizard was one of the benchmarks of evaluating their skill.

‘Therefore, I can’t leave his side. This is the person.’

To Anna, Ren was a wizard who unveiled new worlds.

Exploration is the essence of a wizard.

And naturally, to Anna, who was a wizard through and through, Ren was nothing but a worthy object of respect.

But…

“Everyone! Let’s applaud Leo Flove, a co-author of this magnificent thesis!”

‘…Whenever I see these tantrums, I really want to quit!’

Anna grabbed her head as a splitting headache coursed through it.

A co-author, indeed.

To be sure, this thesis would have been impossible to write without Leo’s ideas.

Even so, to announce him as a co-author without prior consultation with either Leo or herself was excessive.

‘Shouldn’t you at least have given us a heads up!’

Leo, who had been dragged to the front of the classroom by Ren, stared at Anna, his eyes asking for an explanation.

Leo had been attending Ren’s classes for the past year.

Other students, including Leo, were well aware that Ren occasionally went overboard with magic-related discussions.

Over time, whenever Ren did this, it had become natural to turn to Anna.

“Professor Ren has included Leo’s name as a co-author for the thesis he authored.”

“Exactly why?”

“Leo’s unique magic, the Bible incantation, was highly instrumental in creating this thesis. In fact, the backbone of this magic theory comes from Leo’s unique magic.”

Rustle…

Anna flipped through the thick thesis, opening the final page where the authors’ names were written. Upon seeing Leo’s name amongst the co-authors, she sighed.

‘I knew this would happen… wait? Why is my name here too?’

Anna spotted her own name amongst the co-authors and looked astonished.

“Excuse me, Professor. Why is my name among the co-authors?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Associate Professor Anna, I couldn’t have completed this thesis without you. Your brilliant assistance was key in finishing this magic theory.”

Ren wore an expression of pride.

“Leo’s magic incantation and your brilliant ideas intertwined to create this thesis, so it’s not an exaggeration to call it a joint work of all three of us.”

Understanding Ren’s explanation, Leo showed a look of comprehension.

‘He must have adapted the incantation from my Bible.’

Leo’s unique magic system allows the use of all the world’s magic systems.

Of course, just understanding a magic system doesn’t mean one can use all of its spells. The Bible’s magic system itself requires the pure mana characteristic unique to Leo.

But even if one can’t activate it, it’s entirely feasible to adapt its incantations and create different outcomes.

Moreover, last year, when Leo registered his magic in the field of magic, he didn’t apply for a patent for it, allowing everyone to use it freely.

By applying for a patent, he would have claimed the right to receive incentives every time derivative research based on the registered incantation progressed, but he had chosen to forego that.

He thought it would be good for magic to advance through research, and considering how many wizards could understand and apply his incantation, it wasn’t too much of a concern.

But Ren had boldly used Leo’s incantation to create a new magic theory.

‘This guy is a genius, alright.’

While Leo was marvelling at this, Anna wore an expression of profound emotion.

“Your humble help is too much of an honor, it leaves me not knowing what to do with myself.”

“Your help was certainly not humble. I am proud to have you as my associate professor.”

Ren smiled warmly and patted Anna on the shoulder.

“Therefore, after the thesis announcement, you should take the lead in attending the academic conference. I am too busy with magical research and teaching, and as Leo is still a student, you are the only one who can discuss the thesis at the conference.”

Crack!

In an instant, Anna’s face tightened.

“Excuse me. Why must I do this? The person who understands this thesis the best is you, Professor Ren.”

“Ho ho. Such humility. Associate Professor Anna, don’t you know this thesis well also?”

“You! Admit it! You added me as a co-author just to pawn off the cumbersome parts, right?!”

“That saddened me. To think you interpret my gratitude this way.”

“Then strike my name right now!”

“Denied.”

“You did add me as a co-author to pawn off the hard work!”

With her sanity breaking, Anna finally lunged at Ren, clutching his shirt collar and shaking him.

“What, what do we do?”

“What to do? Hurry up and stop them!”

Chelsea shouted anxiously and ran to the lecture hall front.

“Associate Professor Anna! Stop!”

“Calm down, Associate Professor.”

Chloe, who appeared with Chelsea, clasped Anna’s arms and pulled her away from Ren.

“Let go! I’ll settle this today with this guy! I’ll resign my post today!”

“Ho ho ho. Even if you quit your post, attend the conference, because you are a co-author of this thesis.”

“Kyaahhh!”

With a crazed look, Anna started rampaging.

When she began uttering incantations, female students gasped and covered her mouth and dragged her out of the lecture hall.

“Exactly, what’s so infuriating about attending the academic conference that she’s reacting this way? Isn’t it a tremendous honor?”

Karl spoke with a bewildered voice, and Abad chuckled.

“The problem isn’t the conference itself, but the contents of the thesis.”

“Huh?”

“The conference is indeed, as you say, an honorable event. But the magic theory Ren Professor has developed is an innovative theory that allows all races, not just elves, to learn star magic.”

“Isn’t it even more of an honor to publish such a theory? It’s a significant footprint in the history of magic.”

“That may be so… but won’t the conservative elven wizards sit idly by?”

“Ah…”

Understanding Abad’s words, Karl nodded.

The magical academic conference is a place where notable wizards representing various races gather to deliberate on magic.

Elven wizards, especially in this conference, are known for their authoritarian and conservative attitudes.

Most elves possess an entitled sense of privilege, seeing themselves as the special race that practices the magic of the star clouds, the most illustrious wizards in history.

Elves also refer to themselves as the “race of magic” because the magic of star clouds is optimized for them.

Ren’s magic theory challenged this elven pride head-on.

No matter how great and significant the magic theory may be, it would inevitably face significant turbulence before it settles in the magical community.

Thus, Ren had delegated the daunting task of the conference announcement to Anna under the guise of all co-authors.

It was clear to all what would happen at the conference—Anna would be shredded to rags by enraged elven elder wizards.

“Associate Professor Anna might have good reason to go berserk.”

Karl clicked his tongue.

Meanwhile, Leo picked up the thesis that Anna had thrown and began scanning the contents.

“Impressive.”

The magic theory and incantations devised by Ren left even Leo astounded.

‘He’s used my incantation this well!’

Just as he marveled, footsteps were heard.

“Leo student, what do you think?”

“Remarkable indeed! Though, was it necessary for me to be a co-author?”

“Ho ho. This is a wizard’s theory born from your idea. With you creating the basic framework, calling you a co-author is not an exaggeration.”

‘And through such an accomplishment, history will remember Leo Flove as a great wizard!’

Ren had no intention of discounting Leo as both a knight and a summoner.

However, Ren also wished for Leo to be regarded as a supreme wizard who wielded both aether and summoning.

‘Hohoho. Stubborn seniors. Now, calling Leo to the Department of Knights or Department of Summoning with meaningless epithets like bloodline or the Contractor of the Phoenix would be impossible!’

Recalling Ain and Yura, Ren smirked wickedly.

‘And certainly, I can let those elven troublemakers know! Leo Flove is a student of the Department of Magic in the realm of Lumeran!’

BANG!

“REN HORSEEEEE!”

“Hey! Hey! Stop Associate Professor Anna!”

Anna, who had been dragged outside by the female students, burst back into the lecture hall, kicking the door open.

The students tried to block her, their faces pale.

‘This class is ruined.’

Leo sighed softly.

‘The first class is already in chaos.’

*

“Kkk! It’s over!”

“Still, Professor Ren is amazing! He may be eccentric, but his magical skills indeed command respect. How on earth did he come up with such ideas?”

“Still, will Associate Professor Anna be okay? She looked almost soul-departed sitting there.”

“Thinking about facing off against such high-ranking elven wizards in the Magic Conference… Ugh! I feel like throwing up at the thought.”

After the magic class ended, the Department of Magic students trickled out of the lecture hall.

Excited by the prospect of studying new magic theories, the students were busy in heated discussions.

“You really are impressive.”

Karl was in awe as he looked at Chloe.

“How did you master star magic right from the first class?”

“I’ve been studying star magic from before. Professor Ren’s theory gave me insights on how to proceed.”

Chloe successfully used star magic independently during her first class.

Ren praised her without reservation.

Thereby, Chloe became the second student in the second year of the Department of Magic to be able to wield star magic after Leo.

“Abad and Chelsea seemed to struggle.”

“Those two are heavily influenced by their bloodline magic but I think they’ll get the hang of it soon.”

“Still, what are we eating for lunch?”

“Would you like to eat with me?”

As Chloe and Karl were pondering over lunch, a voice popped up behind them, making both jump and turn around.

A beautiful silver-haired lady with an eye patch stood smiling warmly.

“Professor Mel of first-year magic theory?”

Karl, who kept tab on school information, identified Mel with a bow of greeting.

“Yes, Karl student. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh! Did you know me?”

“Yes, you’re famous for being a jack-of-all-trades.”

“Jack-of-all-trades…ahaha.”

Karl wore an awkward expression.

“Leo student, Chloe student, Karl student.”

Mel smiled.

“I would like to invite the three of you for lunch.”

Karl and Chloe exchanged glances.

“Alright.”

Leo accepted the invitation.

Seeing that, Chloe and Karl also nodded.