Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

“Hey, Lena.”

“Huh?”

“Can I ask what kind of person Eugene is at home? Does he always oversleep, or make a mess of his room?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“Hmm, he’s rather diligent. Because he has to go to work. Rather than messing up his room, it feels like there’s hardly any sign of life.”

“Ugh. What a shame.”

“Why?”

“Well, I was thinking it would be nice if there were some aspects I could take care of when we live under the same roof later. Gradually coloring him with my own hue… Oh, I forgot to ask for permission. Can I take Eugene?”

Lena tried hard to resist the urge to slap her forehead.

She still couldn’t get used to Julia Müller talking about these things without hesitation.

“Take him. We don’t need someone like that.”

Despite her deliberately cold words, her chestnut-haired friend only quietly blushed.

“…Okay. Thank you.”

“Ugh.”

She couldn’t help but close her eyes tightly.

It’s arduous to witness a woman in love right before your eyes.

…Especially when it’s a peer of the same age who’s utterly lovely, or when the object of that affection is your own brother.

Supporting it and facing it are two different matters.

It might be more comfortable to dive into the world of finance and accounting instead. With that thought, she racked her brain to change the topic of conversation.

“Wh-what’s that?”

She pointed at something that had just appeared outside the window.

It’s something amorphous.

A form with a considerably dark hue, too dark to be mistaken for a cloud, is rising.

“Oh.”

Julia let out a single-syllable reaction as she followed Lena’s finger. What could that be?

No, why question it? It’s obvious at a glance.

That’s smoke.

Smoke is rising. From where?

Julia said in a low voice.

“…It’s in the direction of the Frauvian Federal University of Magic.”

There’s only one reason why the inductive method, which seems like an invincible means at first glance, hasn’t ascended to the solution for everything.

The reason is that there are exceptions.

Perhaps mana-matter irreversibility was a problem that could be solved just by accelerating matter. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Perhaps a local theory that I hadn’t yet discovered manifested in the experimental environment.

Perhaps it was just a malfunction of the device.

What does it matter?

One side of my head is hot and cold at the same time.

My vision was inverted, and a thick dust cloud and terrible tinnitus had turned my brain into mush.

In that situation, there were only two things I could be certain of.

First, the five layers of [Barrier] shattered simultaneously.

Second, when I barely opened my right eye, my vision was tinged red.

My scholarly brain finally came up with one inference.

An accident.

Is it an accident?

Suddenly, I felt a sense of déjà vu.

Yes. It’s exactly like when I was writing my first paper.

Conducting experiments with Werner in the experimental building, and eventually causing an accident that damaged the laboratory.

But the incident back then could be described with words like mischief or carelessness.

Not now.

A disaster or a catastrophe. 

It would be right to assign such words to this situation.

“Damn it.”

I gritted my teeth.

Then, as if to support my earlier thoughts, I glared resentfully at the glass shard deeply embedded in my calf.

It would be fortunate if it were just a simple shard. A glass fragment as big as my palm had ridiculously torn through my trouser leg and succeeded in embedding itself in my flesh.

I carefully turned my head to the right to prevent the glass shard from sinking in deeper.

Sure enough…

A scene of pandemonium was there.

The experimental equipment was a sight to behold. The base of the experimental equipment, which had lost its upper part, was full of metal tear marks, which was undeniable evidence of an explosion.

Yes. I remembered.

There was an explosion.

An explosion that could shatter [Barrier] in one go and crush even the protective wall.

What’s stuck in my leg is a fragment of that small glass window.

And what was most affected by the explosion was…

“Werner.”

I forced my head, emptied by blood loss, to wake up, and opened my eyes wide.

Where is Werner?

Despite abruptly raising my upper body, my vision turned even redder, hindering my search.

Almost as if to punish me for moving carelessly.

Two seconds later, a wave of pain that I couldn’t even scream about burned my leg.

“―Kuh, ugh.”

Lightning flashes in my reddened vision.

I glared at the glass shard until my capillaries burst.

The glass shard, now stained with blood, cut off one strand of my calf muscle each time I tried to move my leg.

Putting aside that it’s almost impossible to bear the pain, I can’t even stand up as long as that’s stuck there.

Werner. I don’t know if Werner is safe.

The grimoire?

It seems I dropped it from my hand.

After struggling to crawl about two steps, I was able to grasp the grimoire full of soot marks in my left hand.

I gasped for breath.

“Hoo. Hoo. Hoo―”

[Move].

“―――!!”

Crack, or crunch.

It was hard to tell which was more terrible – the horrific sound of flesh tearing or the cool sensation of glass passing through my calf. I don’t even want to think about it.

Gritting my teeth so hard they might break, I looked at my calf where the glass shard had been removed.

‘It’s stupid to carelessly extract objects embedded in the body.’

This common-sense thought only occurred to me now.

I, who had postponed regret for when I have leisure, instead took comfort in the fact that the bleeding wasn’t as severe as expected. It must have missed the arteries and veins.

After loosening my tie and tightly wrapping it around my numb calf, I took another deep breath and…

Stood up using only one leg.

There’s no particular pain. Just a lack of blood.

My vision spun around once, but thanks to my grasping the base of the protective wall, I barely avoided falling. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Once again, I thoroughly searched the smoke-filled laboratory with my reddened vision.

There were five people in total. One of the two researchers was nowhere to be seen, probably gone to alert others outside, and one was coughing with minor external injuries.

Werner?

“Ah……”

There he is.

In the corner of the lab, unconscious after coughing up blood.

Although [Barrier] might have reduced the impact, did it fail to reduce the heat? His condition isn’t good. Severe internal injuries and burns including on his face……

No.

I’m not foolish enough to recite an imaginary medical report in this situation.

Diagnosis is the role of a doctor.

My role is to get that guy out of this mess with me.

I muttered softly.

“[Levitation]……”

As Werner’s body rose into the air, I felt a sense of crisis.

If I carry him like this, my mana reserves will be depleted in less than a minute.

I had to change my method.

I carefully placed Werner’s limp body, which I had intended to keep floating in the air until we escaped the Experimental Building, on my back.

An ambiguous posture that was neither piggybacking nor supporting.

It can’t be helped. My right leg is in no condition.

There’s no more pain.

To be more precise, it would be more accurate to say there’s no sensation. A chillingly cold air began to cool my body from the extremities.

When it reaches my chest, it’s the end.

“You were right, you damned bastard. It’s a dangerously, hellish experiment.”

The same must be true for Werner on my back.

I moved one step at a time.

I remember when I taught Julia [Walk Assistance] years ago.

The laboratory is located on the 2nd floor of the Experimental Building.

When I, who had left the Experimental Building faster than expected, encountered an open view, ironically, I stopped walking.

Where should I go?

The infirmary won’t do. It’s a severe injury.

It’s impossible for me to take him to the hospital. 

Why?

Why indeed.

My head isn’t working well.

I quickly judged my reason to be malfunctioning.

I should hand Werner over to those who are unharmed. Then they will take him to the hospital. Because that’s the humane thing to do.

Look, there are plenty of people gathered just in time.

I raised my head.

I had to find someone who would take Werner to the hospital before he loses all his warmth. I had to find someone who would do that.

And.

Gazes return.

Gazes.

Gazes. Gazes. Gazes.

Gazes looking at my hair, my face, the badge on my chest.

Still.

My cold reason clearly identified this as paranoia due to anemia. They are just surprised by the sudden accident.

However, my mind was too hazy to trust the reason that had been judged to be malfunctioning.

A childish sense of revenge wells up.

I am an Imperial you distrust. So, I won’t trust you either.

I need to go somewhere I can trust. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

I need to meet someone I can trust. 

Where should I go?

Right.

“…I need to go home.”

Susan and Lena. Ellie, Sally. Julia was there too, as it happens.

Precious people. All the people I trust are there.

I had to go home.

Someone blocks my way. It was an obstruction.

“Move.”

Just as I was about to pass by with a cursory reply, another obstacle blocked my path.

―…gene.

Looking closely, it’s a dark green uniform. A soldier.

I’m sorry, but I can’t trust soldiers even more. There’s only one exception.

―Eugene.

“Please move. I’m in a hurry.”

―Eugene.

“Get out of the way.”

“Eugene!”

With a shrill voice, my shoulder was grabbed.

I raised my head to look at the owner of the voice.

“…Dorothy.”

“Yes. It’s me. Calm down. And, quickly hand that friend over to me.”

Her voice is urgent, unlike her voice which was always gentle.

Her usually neat hair is completely disheveled, and it’s hard to find any composure in her expression.

Still, it was Dorothy.

It was then that I quietly handed over Werner who I had been carrying on my back.

“Your condition is just as serious as that child’s. Quickly.”

I observed myself.

My shirt and coat were stained red all over. My right leg was completely numb, and my right hand was twisted in a structurally impossible shape. Indeed, it was hard to say I was fine.

But it’s not as important as Werner’s life.

He must live. He must live to meet his mother.

After barely handing Werner over to Dorothy, I sat down on my own.

I need to get up.

A bitter smile formed on my lips.

At this rate, it might be wrong to give her the engagement ring.

And, with that bitter taste on the tip of my tongue, I temporarily parted ways with the sensation in my entire body.

When I opened my eyes again…

I found a chestnut-haired woman nodding off in the corner of my vision.

It would be nice if it were ordinary drowsiness. Judging by that pale complexion, it seemed to be the drowsiness experienced when fatigue reached its peak.

Having experienced it often during my undergraduate days, it’s not a particularly pleasant experience. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

I couldn’t help but be a little surprised as I tried to reach out towards that cheek.

My right hand was full of sturdy bandages and support devices.

…As if declaring that it should never move again.