Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

I opened my eyes with a feeling of waking from a long dream.

Immediately after, I realized that was an overly sentimental expression. Whether it’s a long dream or a short one, waking up isn’t usually a pleasant affair.

I had to revise my expression.

The haziness that comes with severe heat stroke, the uncertainty of existence felt when waking up after excessive drinking – such sensations pressed down on me as I lay slumped over the desk.

I just slightly furrowed my brow and blinked.

It took a little more time for me to fully wake up.

That is, until the time when a maple leaf riding the wind flew in through the open window and pricked my nose bridge.

The fallen leaf plummeted towards my face.

“Ugh.”

A dry, scratchy sensation.

Due to the strange feeling that brushed against me, quite different from its red and sentimental appearance, I reflexively shook off the maple leaf and sat up.

However, the haziness lingered for a while.

I looked around with a dazed expression, and when the second hand of the clock had made half a revolution, I could realize what I had been doing.

I had taken a nap. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

It wasn’t intentional. I had opened the window for ventilation, and just thought it would be nice to take a short nap with the cool breeze seeping in.

“……I slept for about two hours.”

Turning my back on the wall clock that seemed to be shouting ‘Too late for lunch’ instead of telling the current time, I immediately set about finding the next answer.

What was I doing before falling asleep?

The answer came to mind quickly.

Research.

“Right. The expansion of the theory of relativity.”

The fingertips of my right hand were dyed white with chalk dust.

I didn’t deduce this as if I were a detective using that as a clue. After all, a researcher’s job is nothing but research.

Holding a pipe in one hand, I headed towards the blackboard.

The blackboard is already nearly three-tenths filled with my writing.

As I looked at it, I vaguely recalled why I had fallen into a nap.

The integration of ideas gained from the paper “On the Polarity Magic of Moving Objects” and recent experiments with Werner…

It was to deal with that idea sufficiently interestingly, to clear my head once and then advance the idea.

And now, my head was sufficiently clear.

I picked up the chalk.

Tap―

The clear sound of chalk resonated through the research room a few times before escaping through the open window.

But the writing didn’t continue for long.

Of course, it was because I stopped my hand, but that wasn’t the whole reason.

A stifling sensation that most students and researchers have probably felt before, but which was a bit unfamiliar to me, welled up.

Simply put…

“……Oh no.”

…I was stuck.

I was stuck in my research.

It might be a quite desperate phrase from a researcher’s perspective, but surprisingly, I didn’t feel a terrible sense of dismay.

I looked back at the blackboard.

The neatly written board showed evidence that my idea was solid and that the direction it should expand in was relatively clear. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Therefore, the real problem must be the notation that had become quite strange and the question marks written here and there.

“It’s not coming together.”

I can’t see a way to express what’s in my head in mathematical formulas.

This means insufficiency, not frustration.

Insufficient parts can always be filled.

Of course, this is also quite dismaying. Being stuck is being stuck, after all.

Therefore, the main reason I didn’t feel dismayed was because the clock I checked after putting down the chalk pointed to ten minutes before the seminar time.

“Ah.”

I hurriedly left the research room without even time to feel dismayed.

Eugene Oslo, a postdoctoral researcher, was an ordinary scholar except for having his own research room, and he still officially belonged to Professor Klaus Müller’s research lab. This means he had to attend the lab seminars faithfully.

Fortunately, I arrived at the seminar room not late, that is, right on time for the start, and…

Immediately after the seminar ended, I approached Professor Müller, who was trying to return to his research room without hesitation.

I needed to get help.

―Professor.

―What business do you have?

―I’d like to ask for advice on the difficulties my personal research is facing. Here are the materials.

―I see. Lead the way.

―Pardon?

―Let’s talk in your research room.

Although I didn’t expect this result…

“……”

After organizing my thoughts, I raised my head.

There was Klaus Müller, glaring at the blackboard with eyes resembling those of a bird of prey.

As I watched Professor Müller standing still for ten minutes already and was about to rummage through the pile of papers wondering if additional materials were needed…

“Where did you say you were facing difficulties?”

“Ah, in theorizing the concept.”

Professor Müller looked at me.

His consistently expressionless face.

However, I focused a little more. After all, having associated with him for nearly two years, I thought I might be able to read the emotions underlying that expressionless face.

Soon, one emotion of his was captured in my eyes.

Concern.

Concern?

It’s an emotion so faint it’s barely there. There was no time to interpret it.

He tapped the blackboard with the back of his hand and said:

“First of all, it seems you’re well aware that the approach currently written on the blackboard is not correct.” [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“Yes. It became too complicated.”

“Have you tried a geometric approach?”

An unexpected question.

“A geometric approach?”

“It’s natural that you didn’t think of it. It’s a concept that has emerged quite recently in the mathematics community. Look for and read the paper ‘The Methods of Absolute Differential Calculus and Their Applications’ by Ricci and Levi *1. I can’t guarantee it will be the key to the solution, but it will certainly help.”

I nodded to affirm.

But I was more focused on admiring Professor Müller than nodding.

How could he suggest an alternative as if he knew about it in advance?

A scholar’s lifespan is proportional to their reputation. And the giant before me ranks among the top handful of magic scholars I know in both fame and popularity.

How should one proceed to aim for a scholar like Professor Müller…

It was then.

He approached me.

It’s an old research room. The wooden floor, which wouldn’t be a shame to call rotten, screamed every time the six-foot-eight-inch giant took a strong step.

When I, who was used to lowering my head usually, had to raise it to look at him, I too became of a similar mind to the wooden floor.

A beast is looking down at me.

Professor Müller firmly grasped my shoulder.

No, only his hand was firm. My shoulder didn’t hurt at all.

He spoke gravely.

“Where are you looking?”

“……What do you mean?”

“The paper title, the author names I just mentioned. Did you remember them?”

I parted my lips to answer, but soon had to close them again.

I couldn’t remember well.

I finally felt dismayed.

However, when I raised my head, willingly ready to receive a scolding…

“Focus on life.”

I saw clear concern on Professor Müller’s face.

“It might be better to say it in vulgar terms. Get a grip.”

“……”

“Time is mischievous. When you want it to flow slowly, it flows quickly, and when you want it to flow quickly, it flows slowly instead. But there’s a worst case. The moment you wish for nothing, time truly flies like an arrow. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

“I do know.”

“What is causing you such anguish?”

I forcibly suppressed the urge to open my eyes wide.

I had to maintain my composure.

Professor Müller doesn’t know about Benjamin’s situation.

And he shouldn’t know.

That’s what Benjamin had said casually.

The intention is hard to understand, but Benjamin wanted Klaus Müller not to know about his physical condition. ‘Kuhehe, it seems I’m aging before that guy. It feels bad.’ He added. Is he serious? I don’t know.

The only certain thing is that I can’t tell him.

I spat out the words as if chewing them.

“I’m sorry. It seems difficult to tell you.”

Professor Müller’s gaze subsided. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

I don’t know what he saw in me. Soon, he lowered his hand from my shoulder.

“You don’t have to tell me. My main point is for you to focus on your life, and not to forget the paper’s title.”

“Ah.”

I fumbled and asked again about the paper information.

After writing down Professor Müller’s words in a nearby notebook, I carefully parted my lips.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Still, it seems the research is stuck purely because your mathematical ability is insufficient. You should have tried more diverse approaches.”

“……”

It was true.

I wanted to scratch my cheek, but my arm wouldn’t rise. Instead, I stood still and smiled awkwardly.

Then, Professor Müller’s facial muscles also twitched.

Probably a smile.

“A pencil is a tool to transfer thoughts, not to create them. Progress while resting appropriately.”

“Yes. How about having tea together sometime soon?”

“……Let’s do that.”

Klaus Müller smiled faintly.

As he turned around without hesitation to leave the research room…

No, as he was about to leave…

He asked:

“You.”

“Yes?”

“Did you smoke a pipe? There’s a scent in the research room.”

I fell into a brief reminiscence.

And after recalling the past three months, I answered.

“Yes. For a while. But I don’t smoke anymore.”

“Is there a reason?”

“It was too bitter.”

#September 25th. Cloudy.

Professor Müller’s advice to rest appropriately was, unfortunately, only half accepted.

While that advice made me rest, the paper he recommended made me struggle.

‘The Methods of Absolute Differential Calculus and Their Applications’. 

Absolute differential calculus was amazingly revolutionary and terribly difficult at the same time.

To understand the paper, I had to literally ‘study’ as if I had returned to being a first-year undergraduate, and eventually came to doubt my mathematical ability.

Because of that, for the past week, home had become just a place to sleep.

Once, I even tried to sleep in Benjamin’s hospital room. Now even that was difficult, so the day before yesterday, I stayed overnight in the research room.

It couldn’t be helped.

To move forward, I had to work harder.

“Hey, Dr. Oslo!”

Suddenly…

My ears perked up involuntarily at the sound of someone calling me.

Early afternoon.

As I was leaving the Research Building for a rare return home, someone was calling me while waving their arm. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

I looked at that face closely.

It’s a familiar face. But I can’t remember the name.

That alone made it clear how close our relationship was.

It was probably a new professor who came to the Frauvian Federal University of Magic last year, and that was all I knew about him.

I shook hands with the nameless professor who had already approached me.

“It’s been a while, Professor. What brings you here?”

“It’s been a while. And the matter is this.”

What the professor took out was a single sheet of paper.

Below the lines printed in quite strong handwriting, there was a space for signatures.

I asked:

“What is this?”

“It’s a statement. Again, when we talk about a talent standing out at the Frauvian Federal University of Magic, it’s Dr. Eugene Oslo, isn’t it? You must have heard the news, come on. Sign for the Federation.”

“I’m sorry, but what kind of statement is this, and what news are you talking about?”

Immediately after, the professor’s expression changed completely.

Until just before, it was a truly peculiar expression. A schemer’s expression while laughing heartily. A face that treated me normally but could be seen slightly checking my hair color.

In other words, it was an ordinary expression.

Then, he opened his eyes wide and let out a hollow laugh.

“Um, Doctor. Don’t you read the newspapers?”

T/N

Absolute differential calculus, developed by Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro and his pupil, Tullio Levi-Civita, now known as Ricci calculus, is used for the manipulation of tensors. A tensor is any multilinear map from a vector space to a scalar field and can be used to geometrically express several quantities in physics, such as the stress-energy tensor and the curvature tensor in general relativity.