Genius Wizard Hides His Sword Skills [EN]: Chapter 32

32. Centrifugal Force

I felt a pang of sympathy for McDuff.

‘I have to take first place.’

It was time to convince Andrei and prove my answer was correct.

“Professor, you asked us to explain the correlation between fire, water, wood, and earth attributes, right?”

“Yes. It was a question about the superiority between attributes that I taught in class.”

Andrei clicked his tongue and held out the exam paper.

“But, there is no absolute correlation between attributes? Are you denying my lesson?”

“That’s not it. Generally, water is superior to fire, and fire is superior to wood.”

“You know that, yet you wrote this kind of answer? Are you trying to mock me!”

I hurriedly spoke before his face turned even redder.

“However, there are always exceptions, aren’t there? Water can’t always beat fire.”

“Exceptions?”

“Because there are various variables. If you add wood to fire, the wood burns and emits stronger firepower, right? That strong flame can withstand water to some extent.”

“What?”

Andrei’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“That’s only possible when two attributes are combined! That’s not what I intended with the question!”

Even though it was an application within the question he had set, he was denying it.

‘He doesn’t want to admit it?’

But I had more to say.

“Okay. Even if you don’t combine attributes, there are cases where fire wins against water.”

“What?”

“Do you know about Blue Flame, Professor? I heard there’s a senior at the Magic Tower who possesses that ability.”

Blue Flame.

Pure flame itself that is never inferior to water. It was possible with the flame that Noah Grentel had shown.

Andrei frowned but couldn’t say anything.

“However, even that Blue Flame cannot absolutely dominate other attributes.”

“What nonsense are you going to say now?”

“In the end, magic depends on the ability of the caster. If someone can infuse extreme cold into water, they can easily extinguish a low-level Blue Flame.”

This time, I turned to the students in the classroom and continued the explanation.

“Like Stenos’s Blizzard we saw yesterday.”

Then, sounds of agreement burst out from all over the classroom.

“Ah! That’s right!”

“It was so chilling! I thought even the air would freeze!”

“I thought we were all going to die, but it was a real relief then!”

The problem was that Andrei’s exam lacked too many conditions: attribute combination, unique attributes, caster’s ability, etc. There were so many variables of magic to consider.

‘Who told him to make such an unfriendly question?’

In the end, I had exploited the loopholes in Andrei’s exam question.

“You! You’re trying to humiliate me with your shallow knowledge! Those are all special cases. I was talking about the correlation between pure attributes!”

His anger made me smile.

‘That’s right, that’s how you should react.’

I took my exam paper from his hand.

“Then, I’ll create a tree; would you like to burn it with your flames, Professor?”

With that, I began to activate a small magic circle hidden in the paper. It was a simple magic I had cast during the exam.

“What? Burn a tree?”

“Yes. Trees are the purest wood attribute itself. However, it will never burn.”

“Huh!”

Andrei glared at me, as if dumbfounded.

“Alright. I’ll fix your impudence today.”

Immediately after his approval fell.

Crack!

The exam paper began to change.

A small green plant sprouted on my hand.

“Here it is.”

The adorable plant landed on the desk. Andrei’s lips twitched at the sight.

“Good. I’ll burn it with my own hands.”

He must be confident because of its insignificant appearance. A small flame bloomed from his fingertips as he shouted confidently.

Whoosh!

It was poured over the green plant.

Flutter!

Normally, the plant should have burned away, but…

“……Huh?”

A look of bewilderment spread across Andrei’s face.

Sizzle…….

Far from burning, the flames gradually lost their power.

“Wait! That was a mistake.”

Andrei summoned flames again in a hurry. A flame twice as large as before covered the plant, but…

Sizzle…….

The result was the same.

“Th, This!”

In the end, his face turned red as he waved both hands.

Whoosh!

A huge flame appeared in the classroom in an instant. It was a 3-star fire attribute magic, Fireball.

‘He must be really angry.’

The fire demon shot from his hands.

Blaze!

It burned the desk to ashes.

‘It’s no use.’

The plant remained firmly on the floor.

[To use it like this.]

The secret was in the ancient language book. This green plant was also magic learned from the Delema Library.

‘I didn’t know it would be useful either.’

It was invented by a quirky magician.

「Regarding the development of a plant that never burns.」

The book with the strange name was suspicious from the start.

-When the author was young, all the landscaping in the garden was burned down by a forest fire. As a result, he invested his entire life in developing a plant that never burns. Truly, an innovation in the landscaping industry! Selling it to each noble family will make a lot of money.

A magician who dedicated his life to developing a plant that only doesn’t burn.

‘Thanks to him, I got one over on Andrei.’

His masterpiece was unfolded here: creating an enhanced plant by absorbing the energy of the paper in advance with a magic circle. That was the key to this magic.

‘Paper is made from trees after all.’

Since it was a plant that could withstand even 7-star fire attribute magic, it was natural that it could withstand Andrei’s flames.

“You impudent brat!”

Andrei’s face turned as red as a flame, and just as even greater mana was gathering in his hand…

“Professor Andrei! The classroom will burn down at this rate!”

It was Alois and other professors who opened the classroom door and entered.

“……What brings you to my class?”

Only then did Andrei withdraw the flames. Thanks to the professors who had rushed in, he regained his composure.

“We felt a strong mana reaction. It didn’t seem like a level that children could use, so we came because we were worried.”

The Magic Tower had become even more sensitive because of yesterday’s incident.

“Ah, I was just demonstrating magic. Everyone, don’t worry and you can go……”

In the end, Andrei sighed.

“Ian Delema, let’s talk after class.”

* * *

“Yes, Professor.”

Andrei called me out to the hallway after class.

“Your answer is sophistry.”

His wrinkled mouth twitched.

“It’s all answers created by exploiting the gaps in the question. With your level of intelligence, you should have known that the answer I wanted wasn’t that, right? Why didn’t you give a standard answer?”

The reason was simple.

“Because then I wouldn’t be able to get first place in your subject.”

“……Why did you think that?”

“Professor, you’re betting with Associate Professor Alois. Of course, I didn’t think you would give me first place with just any answer.”

Andrei cleared his throat, startled.

“So, I had to deliberately find the gaps in the question. It was difficult to expect good grades with ordinary methods.”

“So, you deliberately wrote a strange answer to get my attention?”

“Yes.”

“Haa. Have I ever seen such an audacious guy.”

Andrei let out a sigh. His gaze turned to the floor.

“……How did you do it?”

He seemed like he was going to get angry again, but he muttered as if whispering.

“Yes?”

“I asked how you did it.”

The question came suddenly. His hesitant attitude made me frown.

‘Why is he being like this?’

It was hard to adapt to his unpredictable behavior.

“What are you talking about?”

“A tree that doesn’t burn. I’ve never heard of it. How is that possible? Is it a secret technique of your family? No, that can’t be. Delema wouldn’t use such a trivial thing as a secret technique……”

Suddenly, Andrei started to speculate on his own, rolling his eyes.

‘Ah, he was just curious about the magic.’

His appearance of spouting out to himself was just like a person crazy about magic.

“Is it magic created using paper as a medium? If so, alchemy must also be incorporated……”

It was the epitome of seeking knowledge.

‘He’s usually so arrogant, but at times like this, he’s like a complete magician.’

Andrei, who had been so proud, seemed to have a pure passion burning for magic.

In the end, his gaze, unable to find an answer, turned back to me.

“Is it magic that you came up with yourself?”

Longing. And greed.

The pure desire filled in his old eyes was shot without filter.

“Yes. I used paper as a medium. Paper comes from trees after all. So, I thought I could further enhance the wood attribute.”

“Ah……!”

At those words, the old professor’s lips curved into a subtle smile.

‘What.’

Andrei came closer and wrapped his hands around my cheeks.

“I admit it. Honestly, your answer is at a level that you can’t think of at your age. Are you really a genius?”

“Y, Yes……?”

I couldn’t help but be flustered by his sudden change.

“It’s even similar to what I’ve been researching these days. Thanks to you, I’ll be able to break through the part that was blocked.”

Only then could I understand the reason.

‘I happened to scratch his itch.’

I had stepped back and scratched his itchy spot. His affectionate expression was directed at me.

“Become my assistant.”

My ears perked up at the following words.

“Does that mean I’m in first place?”

“Yes. I see why you were so confident. It’s like looking at my young self.”

Andrei’s rapidly changing attitude even made Oberon grumble.

[Like his young self, my ass. Old humans always say that when they see kids who are good.]

Andrei now had a look full of favor. But I had no intention of becoming his assistant. Just looking at him, it felt like he would make me do research all day long.

“I’ll have to think about becoming your assistant, Professor.”

“What? Why? Won’t you immerse yourself in research with me? You can research and develop magic all day long!”

That’s why I don’t want to even more.

[He completely missed the point.]

Andrei was wearing a bright smile. At that moment, a shadow fell behind Andrei.

“Professor, then I won the bet.”

Alois, who had finished class, was approaching from the end of the hallway.

“Ah, Associate Professor Alois? What do you mean?”

“You just admitted that Ian is in first place.”

Andrei’s bewildered eyes desperately searched for a place to rest.

“B, But he won’t be in first place in both subjects. He couldn’t take the rest of the exam because of the Centrifugal Force bastards. The bet is invalid.”

Although he had a liking for me, Andrei couldn’t back down from his war of nerves with Alois.

“No. The judgment for my subject is clear. Before the Centrifugal Force’s attack, Ian had already obtained first place.”

“What?”

As Alois said, the Centrifugal Force’s attack fell after controlling 32 mana stones. Everyone acknowledged the fact that I was in first place.

“All the children and associate professors who were there witnessed it. There’s no room for doubt. Then, since he got first place in two subjects, I would like to receive your apology, Professor.”

Andrei, who had been filled with joy from the conversation with me, his expression rapidly crumpled.

‘This old man’s emotional swings are severe today.’

[Andrei. He’s got bad luck.]

At Alois’s words, Andrei could only open his mouth without making a sound.

“Well, you can apologize slowly. Then, since this child is going to be my assistant, I’ll take him.”

Alois showed such a relaxed smile.

“Let’s go, Ian.”

He grabbed my hand and led me.

* * *

“Thank you, Ian. You did better than I thought.”

“I should have gotten first place in three subjects, but that’s the only thing I regret.”

At those words, Alois strokes my head.

“Didn’t you hear?”

“What?”

“All the other subject professors want to make you their assistant. I guess the way you calmly dealt with the Centrifugal Force was quite shocking.”

It was understandable. It wasn’t the kind of appearance that an ordinary fifteen-year-old could show. Moreover, his mana control ability was also number one, so everyone wanted him.

‘As expected, this body’s popularity.’

Nodding my head, I boarded the moving orb with Alois. A surface with a deeper blue light than the one I used to ride. It was a moving orb that only certified people could ride.

“Let’s go to my lab first and talk.”

“Lab?”

“Yeah. You decided to become my assistant.”

Alois presses the 101st floor button. It was where the research building was located.

[We’re finally entering.]

‘You’re telling me. I’m glad it went according to plan.’

The upper floors of the Magic Tower. It was a place that an ordinary freshman could not enter.

“My lab is this way.”

The moving orb arrived at the 101st floor. Following Alois’s guidance, I opened the door to the lab and entered.

[……Huh?]

There were people who greeted us there.

‘Why are they here?’