Genius Wizard Takes Medicine [EN]: Chapter 198

Aid (3)

Returning home, Renok immediately dumped all the drugs from his bag onto his lab desk.

Before starting work, he checked all the messages on his phone.

Dozens of messages were from Aris Richelieu.

[Aris: Renok, please come to the lab this week to discuss the paper. The inquiries from the academic society are overwhelming, and I can’t handle it alone.]

[Aris: I’m thinking of adding annotations and refining the references. Would you like to collaborate on this?]

[Aris: And I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that nonsense about changing the author to me. Even if you want to smear my reputation, there’s a limit. What’s your motive?]

[Aris: …I was a bit harsh. But I’m not going to hold it against you. I feel like I haven’t paid enough attention to your research, and to see such results, it’s amazing. I’m sorry.]

[Aris: Anyway, I think you understand what I’m trying to say. I’d like to see you in person if possible.]

The messages, sent at regular intervals, stopped there.

“…”

He didn’t understand why Aris felt sorry when it wasn’t her fault.

Renok was the one who should feel indebted, as she was supporting his life in the open.

Regardless of how he calculated his gains, he wasn’t a shameless person.

If this incident could help her in any way, that would be enough.

He didn’t welcome the attention, but he confirmed that Evan’s identity was still protected.

The paper, submitted under Aris’s lab name, was accepted probably due to her reputation.

He needed to go to the lab, hear the details from Aris, and figure out how to respond.

Renok put his phone aside after confirming that.

He would think about Aris’s matter tomorrow. There was something he had to do tonight.

He was busy with the conflict with the Cartel, and the paper was getting more attention than expected, which was distracting, but

Renok was focused on organizing the results he had obtained in the Autonomous Territory.

Besides his magical achievements and artifacts, he couldn’t ignore the analysis of the alchemical essence he had extracted from the drug lord’s corpse.

The drug lord didn’t have a detailed understanding of alchemy, but he wasn’t wrong in how he used it.

Alchemy is fundamentally about combining substances to create new objects.

The principle by which alchemy worked in this world was the same as the WORLD 1.0 Renok knew.

It was possible to create new substances or drugs in a way that was completely different from the basic chemical laws of this world.

The hundreds of drugs Renok had brought from the orchard were preparations for this.

He had already confirmed that he could mix and create medicinal ingredients using the essence of alchemy.

Now, he would analyze and break down the components in the drugs, then combine them using alchemy, record the results, and customize them for his body.

This was the greatest achievement Renok had brought from the Autonomous Territory.

“…If I can’t break free from my dependence on drugs, I’ll have to make my own to break free.”

[That’s a very Master-like idea, making magic whenever you feel like it,]

Davie, who was curled up next to him, replied nonchalantly.

[Was it like this when you created me?]

“It’s similar. Just like I practically escaped the calculations of auxiliary magic through you, this research is also aimed at avoiding addiction and dependence.”

[……]

“I won’t stop until I surpass that unlucky old man in the orchard.”

Renok, having declared his ambitious goal, picked up a knife and cut the surface of the first drug.

The finely crushed leaves spilled out, instantly covering the lab.

“Cough, cough!!”

The coughing sounds in the lab didn’t stop all night.

* * *

“Are you really saying no?”

“I’m saying no, aren’t I?”

Renok subtly avoided Priscilla’s gaze, which was looking down at him with cold eyes.

“I’ll ask again.”

With her stern voice, the other undergraduates focused on Renok.

“The paper published in this academic journal. The possibility of electromagnetic circuit interference through the application of electric-type mana. Are you saying that Professor Evan didn’t write this paper that has turned the academic world upside down?”

“I believe you’ve already been informed by Professor Aris.”

Renok shrugged nonchalantly.

“It’s the work of the professor and a senior researcher, not me.”

“……”

“Of course, I’m proud to be a member of that lab, but the only parts I worked on were the annotations and the organization of the references.”

Renok, seeing Priscilla looking at him with a sulky expression, subtly pulled out his secret weapon from his pocket.

“I hope the undergraduates will dispel their doubts after seeing this. I’m busy enough researching spirit magic with this guy.”

“Ooh!!”

“P-Please, come on top of my head just once!”

“Clap! Clap! Clap!”

As Davie revealed himself from Renok’s pocket, the atmosphere in the lecture hall heated up.

The students who had been about to question Renok, led by Priscilla, were replaced by those who seemed to have had their brains hacked by the digital spirit.

While Renok watched the scene with satisfaction, Priscilla clicked her tongue quietly.

She liked Davie too, but she was less enthusiastic than the other undergraduates.

Even though they were undergraduates at Lavatenon University, they probably didn’t have many opportunities to see a spirit directly. Had she had more unique experiences?

“Everyone knows it, even if they don’t say it.”

“What do you mean?”

“Logically, there’s no way such a result would suddenly come out of Professor Aris’s lab. I don’t know if you’re trying to gloss over it with Davie, but if you read the paper, it’s obvious where the theme got its motif. Especially for those who know Davie.”

“……”

“Isn’t it something you shouldn’t hide so much?”

Priscilla’s words made sense.

It was just a cover-up.

In the end, it was impossible to prevent the information that a researcher named Evan had taken the lead in producing results in Aris’s lab from spreading.

The undergraduates here were the type who would naturally look up and read papers on magic, and they were elites with talent, motivation, and their own insights.

Of course, when it came to talent, they couldn’t even come close to Aris, but they were certainly not at a level where they couldn’t understand the papers published in academic journals.

Even the fact that Renok, who was pretending not to know, might have contributed to the paper.

“I don’t know.”

Well, regardless, the basic policy agreed upon with Aris was to pretend not to know.

He didn’t expect the undergraduates, with whom he had briefly become acquainted and friendly, to keep their mouths shut.

However, he could easily refuse to answer officially and give credit to Aris.

The important thing was not to be recognized by the academic society associated with Lavatenon University, but to show that Aris had a reason to keep him in the lab.

While he was playing dumb, Aris entered the lecture hall and the lecture began.

As always, her blonde hair shone brightly, and despite her tired expression, her lecture was impeccable.

“Now, we will practice the theoretical application of attribute mana that we have learned so far. Come out in order of student ID, first demonstrate with your bare body, and then learn the correct direction with the help of devices. Come forward one by one.”

While Renok was pretending to be distracted at the back, there was a brief gap between lectures.

Aris often preferred to give undergraduates time to directly manipulate mana instead of cramming theories into lectures.

They say that education that is not experienced physically is of poor quality. It was a principle that was typical of her.

It wasn’t bad for Renok either, as it was easier for him to observe how other undergraduates handled mana.

Unlike Renok, who had climbed up here purely on talent without any base, almost all of the undergraduates at Lavatenon University had received systematic mana education before entering the school.

There were many descendants of famous families, students who were promising in the magic towers, or those who had already gained sufficient skills with a mentor.

It was the result of establishing a university directly under the city government and advocating for free educational opportunities regardless of origin or affiliation.

From the perspective of the magic towers or families, it wasn’t bad if they could keep the affiliation of the undergraduates while using the city government’s money to provide additional education in their spare time.

The influence of talented professors like Aris was also significant, and at least within this school, there were no direct conflicts between sponsors who were not on good terms.

Everyone recognized that it was a thoroughly above-board business and project.

In addition, there were times when Renok could learn from the well-organized ways of handling mana or even from small habits that they themselves were not aware of, so Renok liked this time.

For example, the short-haired female student who had just come forward and was converting attribute mana as Aris had said.

She was from a magic tower that handled ice-type unique magic, and she was clearly skilled in mana related to ice and water attributes, but she seemed somewhat clumsy in other areas.

The skill of handling mana itself was barely at the level of a third-rate by Renok’s standards, but even so, the way she handled ice-type mana was worth watching.

For example, when freezing mana instantaneously, she clearly defined the area and froze it all at once from the edges.

And although she didn’t seem to be aware of it, she was preparing in advance by patterning the mana particles into a certain shape so that they would adhere quickly when freezing an object.

These processes were probably not based on the student’s own talent or ability, but rather something that was fundamentally taught and learned through education in the magic tower she belonged to.

‘There are more helpful aspects than I thought…’

This was why he couldn’t easily quit this job, even though he had been neglecting his assistant professor duties due to various matters.

By watching how the undergraduates handled mana here, he could secretly learn the know-how of other magic towers.

This was also a major reason why Renok was making rapid progress in his research on unique magic.

“Is the class not boring?”

While he was lost in thought, Aris quietly approached Renok and asked.

With her looks, it was impossible not to attract attention, but there was no sign of other undergraduates looking this way.

Renok sensed that Aris had intentionally used magic to cut off her presence and answered quietly.

“As always, it’s fascinating. Since awakening my mana, there are many things I can learn from the students.”

“Indeed… With Evan’s intuition, you might even learn tricks from those kids.”

It was her meticulousness to call him Evan, even though she already knew Renok’s real name.

Aris said that and sat down next to Renok.

Only then did Renok realize that this practice was a time created for the two of them to talk like this.

“I overlooked the fact that Evan hasn’t been aware of spirit magic for long. Officially, Evan’s name and identity will not be leaked in academic journals or societies. But…”

“It can’t be helped if the word leaks out unofficially.”

Renok shrugged.

“I know. A bold student just worried about me. There are probably quite a few people among the undergraduates here who have noticed.”

“……”

“Now that things have come to this, isn’t it inevitable? For the time being, I’ll have to refrain from my duties as an assistant professor and focus on being a researcher.”

“I think the same way. That’s why I’m saying this…”

Aris said that and tilted her head slightly.

Her bright blonde hair cascaded down her refined eyes.

A graceful sight that made one’s gaze involuntarily drawn to her. After hesitating, she said,

“If coming to school is a burden… it’s okay to meet at that library again.”