Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

Clinking glasses together and reciting a toast.

While thinking it’s perfect for inspiring group consciousness among those gathered at a drinking party, I’ve rarely actually felt its effectiveness; I don’t particularly enjoy alcohol.

And now…

“To the development of the Federation.”

Looking at the glass raised by Lieutenant Zeller, I thought.

What a political means.

Of course, I also raised my glass in response. Regardless of what intention lies beneath that friendly expression, not clinking glasses would be impolite.

But I stopped with the glass raised.

Ten seconds is quite a long pause in a conversation. The lieutenant, faced with this sudden interruption, asked with a puzzled look.

“Oh. Did I make a mistake?”

There was no need to answer that question.

Because a young man suddenly popped up between me and the lieutenant, bursting into hearty laughter.

Is he already tipsy? The young man, with a reddened face, began to explain.

“Hehehe. Yes, Mr. Soldier. You made a very big mistake.”

“I’m sorry. Could you please tell me what mistake it was so I don’t repeat it?”

“The toast is boring.” [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“……Pardon?”

“You’re asking the obvious.”

Lieutenant Zeller’s eyes narrowed.

An officer might be able to make soldiers’ hearts sink with just an expression, but unfortunately, the one in front of him was an intoxicated, intellectual young man. This means common sense and persuasion wouldn’t work.

So, the young man continued his explanation.

“Is this your first time at the Nocturne Club?”

“Yes. I was grateful to receive an invitation.”

“You seem to think this is an academic conference or social gathering, but the Nocturne Club is a gathering of clowns. Don’t act so stiffly……”

Right after, the young man fully demonstrated his aspect as a drunk youth rather than an intellectual.

The lieutenant, who had been blankly staring at the young man slurring his words, looked at me with an embarrassed expression.

“Dr. Oslo. Could you correct my mistake?”

“Of course.”

“Oh! Please do.”

Facing the lieutenant with sparkling eyes, I said seriously.

“Next time, it would be better to wear mismatched shoes.”

“But, I’m a soldier.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Clink―

We lightly clinked glasses.

“Haha……”

Looking at Lieutenant Zeller’s helpless laughter, I thought to myself.

I wonder if the reason he visited the Nocturne Club today was simply to congratulate me on obtaining my doctoral degree.

I sincerely hope so.

The essence of the Nocturne Club didn’t change just because it was a celebratory occasion or because many people had gathered.

The young men unfailingly sat around the table with bottles of alcohol.

Except for the fact that more chairs were needed than usual, it was an utterly ordinary scene.

Instead of participating in the raging torrent of disorderly debate, I calmly observed the young men while leaning against a nearby wall.

There was a reason. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“Newspaper reporters must have it tough. Their hands must have trembled when writing sentences like ‘Is it the revival of the Empire?'”

“Well. I don’t think there are many boastful reporters in newspaper companies. I think this article foresees that the situation between the two countries will enter a tense state in the future.”

“Two countries? The Empire has fallen.”

“That fallen country is trying to rise again. Saying things like ‘Give us our magic back’ and ‘We condemn the policy of keeping people ignorant.’ They’ve picked up guns and swords instead of protest flags.”

The topic was the problem.

The aforementioned newspaper article was distributed throughout the Federation.

Naturally, most Frauvians would have recalled the conflicts with the former country that they had been living and forgetting about.

The young men’s discussion began to converge on that topic as if they had made a promise to each other.

“……”

I quietly listened to the discussion while sipping a glass of water.

Still with my mouth shut, that is.

Just as I, who was an expert at getting beaten up, couldn’t naturally become an expert at throwing punches, the experience of having been a refugee during wartime didn’t make me proficient in military studies.

The young men before me, unless they were prophets, couldn’t recite how things would unfold in the future either.

But silence didn’t fall inside the Nocturne Club, probably because, unlike me, most of them had the political general knowledge to spout predictions, also known by the fancy name of boasting.

“Most of the garrison troops in the former Imperial territory have withdrawn. Wouldn’t it be dangerous if they seriously advanced?”

“So, you’re saying we should lead the army and invade? That’s exactly what would make things irreversible. We need to pursue negotiations.”

Amidst the passionate exchange of words…

A young man who had been lost in thought for a while opened his mouth.

“It’s a problem without an answer. Whether the Empire’s side steps back or the Federation compromises, it will be difficult to resolve until one side gives in, but to my eyes, both possibilities seem remote.”

“Then?”

“War.”

I swallowed slightly.

It wasn’t just me. A considerable number of those participating in the discussion momentarily closed their mouths.

As a result, a strange silence suddenly descended upon the boisterous Nocturne Club.

The speaker himself, blinking at the sudden silence, hurriedly waved his hands and continued speaking.

“Don’t misunderstand. That’s what should happen originally, but I was going to say that the current Empire doesn’t have the power to do so.”

“Then why did you say war?”

“Information warfare and espionage operations are also war. Maybe even through spreading ideologies or through the academe. The methods of war are diverse. As long as the Empire doesn’t have the military power to make the other side of the strait tremble, all-out war won’t break out……”

The young man trailed off, glancing around nervously.

Following his gaze, I could see Lieutenant Zeller smiling gently at the end of it.

The only soldier present here.

The young man seemed somewhat relieved after confirming the lieutenant’s smile. He must have thought he wasn’t wrong.

“Ahem. Let’s stop with these groundless fears and bet on how many weeks it will take for this commotion to die down.”

With the young man’s words, the discussion came to an end.

People went up to the terrace to light their pipes or refilled their glasses with alcohol.

While everyone was taking a break, relieved at the easing of the tense atmosphere, I quietly stood, preparing to greet a guest approaching this way.

Lieutenant Zeller pretended to wipe off sweat. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“Whew, that was a nerve-wracking discussion. Is it always like this?”

“Well. I’ve only come here after a long while myself.”

“Hmm. Dr. Oslo.”

“Yes.”

“You’ve been quiet all along, but I’m curious about your opinion. What do you think about the current situation?”

I met the lieutenant’s eyes.

An apparently calm expression. An expression that seemed to emphasize ‘I’m just curious.’

Soon after, I answered.

“Lieutenant.”

“Yes?”

“Please clarify whether this is a question or a verification.”

“What do you mean?”

He wouldn’t know.

While I can’t say I’m good at reading people even as empty words, I have my own expertise in seeing through two-faced people.

The lieutenant’s glass was about half empty.

However, his eyes were too rational, and his cheeks, far from being flushed, were pale.

I continued speaking.

“No one asks a child to distinguish political or ideological rights and wrongs. I’m the same. I’m just a magic scholar who has just earned his degree, and questions about the current situation are too much for me.”

“……”

“If I had to advocate for something, I would advocate for anti-war. I’m sorry if this disappoints you as a soldier. It’s like wishing for you to lose your job.”

“HAHAHAHA! Not at all, Dr. Oslo. What office worker likes overwork? Soldiers are no different. We dislike war.”

Lieutenant Zeller laughed heartily and then continued.

“Don’t worry.”

“Pardon?”

“War won’t break out. So, please don’t worry and focus on your research―”

When the lieutenant was about to finish his words…

As the lieutenant was about to turn around and leave, he was obstructed by an obstacle that hadn’t been there until just before.

It seemed quite surprising that this obstacle had facial features.

Swish―

The glass slipped from his hand and fell.

Since the value of drinking glasses in the Nocturne Club, where drunkards cause disturbances every day, lies in their sturdiness rather than aesthetics, the thick glass didn’t break but only spilled its contents onto the carpet.

Spilling alcohol is a common occurrence.

It doesn’t even cause a commotion.

But.

“Ah……”

It was more than enough to reveal that Lieutenant Zeller had also been tense until just now and, therefore, wasn’t purely enjoying our conversation.

The obstacle opened its mouth towards the lieutenant, who had frozen like ice.

“Sorry about that. They’ll clean everything up at once anyway, so don’t worry about it.”

“Ah, thank you. Then I’ll take my leave.”

The lieutenant picked up the glass, placed it on a nearby table, and left.

I was quite curious about where the lieutenant was heading and what he was going to do, but it was obvious that no answer would come, even if I pondered over it.

Instead, I looked up at the shameless face of the ‘obstacle.’

“Werner.”

“Well, we let in a strange fellow. Going around giving false hope for no reason.”

“……”

“Don’t mind it.”

Werner tilted his glass with an unusually disgruntled expression.

But a moment later, he leaned against the wall next to me and looked into the distance.

It certainly wasn’t an expression steeped in melancholy.

But I could guess what Werner was thinking.

Benjamin told me to maintain my role as a scholar and not to cross the line. I completely agree.

So, I only hoped inwardly. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

I hoped that the situation would ease and, furthermore, improve.

I hoped that a world would come where people who need to meet can reunite.

When I finished that thought, Werner seemed to have ended his brief contemplation as well. Werner emptied his glass in one gulp.

“Theorist. This week has passed.”

Werner grinned and said:

“Let’s go do the most dangerous experiment.”

#January 27th. Clear.

“Here we go.”

“Alright.”

“Test operation. January 27th. 11 AM.”

Tap―

The switch was flipped up.

Of course, the enormous experimental equipment sitting squarely in the middle of the laboratory couldn’t be controlled with just one switch. Various knobs and devices were placed all over the desk.

As an observer, I held my breath and watched Werner, the experiment leader, operate the equipment.

And…

After 15 seconds of silence, Werner, taking off his safety goggles, carefully said:

“It’s not working.”

“What?”

“We’ll have to postpone the experiment schedule further.”

I smacked my forehead.