Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

“Eugene.”

Julia, who approached me with small steps while leaning on her cane, looked up.

“Did you wait long?”

“Quite a while. About 15 minutes.”

“…At times like this…”

“You’re supposed to say ‘No, I just got here, too,’ right?”

“You know that well. Then why did you answer that way?”

“Were we ever ordinary?”

Julia seemed to close her eyes briefly and ponder.

“I guess you’re right.”

“Indeed. Still, I think that dress suits you very well.”

As it was an important day, I was sensitive to things I wouldn’t usually care about, and thanks to that, I recognized the dress Julia was wearing as the one she had bought during our previous outing.

“You shortened the length.”

Her amber eyes widened slightly.

It was quite pleasing to me, as I had expected that reaction, but soon Julia’s smile turned a bit mischievous.

“In what way does it suit me well?”

“…”

Julia smiled, caressing her exposed skin.

“Is it the shoulders, after all? Ahahaha, so you aren’t completely uninterested in these things…”

“Well, shall we go in?”

“Uh.”

I hurriedly extended my right hand and gently grasped her left wrist.

It was a reflexive action resulting from learning the etiquette of balls, which I had never attended before, as if it were a major subject, for today. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

Julia, who swallowed the small sound that escaped her, also seemed to understand my intention.

Soon, we stepped into the ballroom, neither quite holding hands nor quite arm in arm.

Any flower looks extremely beautiful when viewed alone.

But even the most beautiful flower might lose its beauty in a bouquet.

This is not the fault of the flower but the nature of the bouquet, which blends individual beauty into a collective arrangement.

The ball is also in a state similar to a bouquet.

The differences between individuals that would have stood out on the street were buried in the commotion of the ballroom – the auditorium, however they had remodeled it, really looked like that – so there wasn’t much attention drawn to famous professors or students when they entered.

However, there is one exception.

“…”

It was the moment Julia and I entered.

Suddenly, the commotion subsided, and gradually the gazes of the ball participants began to gather towards us. 30 people, 50 people, continuously.

And I, who hadn’t anticipated this fact in advance, tried to appear nonchalant while staring straight ahead and only moved my lips.

I asked Julia, who was walking comfortably while loosely entwining my right arm.

“Julia. Are there any notable guests from outside behind us?”

“I think they’re looking at us?”

“Why?”

“Hmm. I’d like to think it’s because we make such a good-looking pair that we’re drawing their attention, but…”

Julia looked up at me and smiled a little bitterly.

“Sorry. That’s probably not the reason.”

A moment later, I could fully understand what she meant.

Wasn’t the year-end ball supposed to start with the retirement ceremony of the current Student Council?

The retirement ceremony is held in an abbreviated form, and it’s essentially no different from the ball starting as soon as the student council president recites their retirement speech.

In other words, people are interested in our movements because Julia is the current Student Council President, who is practically the starting bell of the ball walking around.

As evidence of this…

“Eugene, I need to go up to the podium right away. Can you wait just ten minutes?”

“Sure.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll be right back!”

As Julia released my arm and left for the front of the ballroom, people’s gazes followed her.

The attention directed at me dissipated like smoke in less than 20 seconds.

Fortunately, I wasn’t the kind of person who would be sad about the dispersal of attention focused on me. Soon after, I took a spot in a corner of the ballroom with a much more comfortable feeling.

The blind spot was that I was a person who didn’t know what to do when left alone in a ballroom, but even that was quickly resolved. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

When I was aimlessly swirling a glass of white wine that I had no intention of drinking…

“Oh.”

All the mana lamps in the ballroom, except for those on the podium, went down at once.

Everyone who had been chatting looked forward as if by agreement, and I did the same.

Under the only illumination, the members of the Student Council, led by Julia, were lined up in a row.

Among the quite dignified scene, my gaze was fixed on only one person.

Julia stepped forward, her chestnut hair grown to her chest and the hem of her dress fluttering.

It was an extremely feminine figure, but those who knew that the silver cane in her right hand was not a decoration would feel a kind of dignity.

—Good evening, I am Julia Müller, the President of the Student Council.

Her lips parted.

—It feels quite novel to stand in this place where the chancellor always stood. I’d like to boast of eloquent speech like our gentle chancellor, but unfortunately, I’ll have to hurry to conclude my retirement speech. Please blame my immature way with words. From now on, I, Julia Müller, will be stepping down from the position of Student Council President. I bless your year-end and new year. I hope you enjoy tonight to the fullest.

As Julia finished speaking, thunderous applause poured out.

It seemed that they were cheering for the swift exit of the Student Council President, who ended her speech in 30 seconds, rather than being moved by the retirement speech, but that should be fine, shouldn’t it?

At least I was pleased to see Julia approaching me as soon as she came down from the podium.

As the mana lamps that had been turned off came back on, the ballroom became nearly twice as noisy as before the retirement speech.

The ball had truly begun, and…

“Phew, Eugene. Did you wait long?”

“No. I just got here, too.”

“…That’s not something you say now, is it?”

It was also time to start the plan.

I prayed as I looked at Julia’s puzzled smile.

I hoped that smile would continue when I conveyed my feelings.

The uniqueness of the Frauvian Federal University of Magic’s year-end ball exists because it’s not just a ‘ball’ but a ‘ball of the Frauvian Federal University of Magic.’

If one wanted to dance, they would have gone to a ball held outside the school, and if they wanted to enjoy snacks, they would have gone to a restaurant.

Therefore, it was very natural for the approximately 250 people gathered in the auditorium now to engage in conversations instead of immediately starting to dance.

In that natural scene, I thought.

This is a predicament. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

I tapped Julia’s shoulder, no, around her shoulder blade, who was standing to my right.

Julia, her ears slightly reddened, smiled brightly and asked.

“Hmm? Eugene, is something wrong?”

“I’m curious about something. Why is the band just sitting there even though the ball has started?”

“Because there are not only students but also professors among the ball participants. They’re giving time for conversation. Ah, excuse me for a moment.”

Halfway through speaking, Julia apologetically stroked my forearm once before turning around.

Like others, Julia was also engaging in conversation. And I can assert that Julia was currently the busiest person in the ballroom.

“Miss Julia! It’s been a while. How is the department head doing?”

“Oh my, Professor. Have you been well?”

The professor, with a familiar face to me, laughed heartily and exchanged greetings with Julia.

This was already the sixth time.

While it was somewhat enjoyable to observe Julia’s pretense, which had become rare lately, it was difficult to enjoy it six times.

I tilted the wine glass in my hand slightly and recalled the plan.

My plan was as follows:

Create the atmosphere by talking before the ball starts, dance a few songs together after it begins, and then, when the crowd is no longer paying attention to us, sneak out and show her that thing.

It was quite a flexible plan, and since my ‘rehearsal’ had gone well, I was somewhat confident about the plan.

But.

“…”

It went wrong from the first step.

Julia is too popular.

It would have been better if it was just fellow students. I would have taken some kind of measure.

But I couldn’t do anything about the professors’ affection.

It seemed that all the professors attending the ball didn’t want to miss the opportunity to exchange greetings with Klaus Müller’s daughter.

I didn’t thank the sixth professor, who was laughing heartily without realizing that Julia’s smile was gradually becoming stiff, for ‘chasing away the male students of her age’.

It’s quite irritating.

How am I supposed to whisper words of love in this situation?

As I was inwardly muttering this, someone came to shake hands with me as well.

A blonde young man smiled amiably and asked.

“Might you be Dr. Eugene Oslo?”

“Yes. I’m not a doctor yet, though.”

“It’s just a matter of time. I really enjoyed your dissertation. ‘On the Polarity Magic Studies of Moving Objects’! Some people replace their reviews of dissertations with curses, but I don’t think that way at all. The ‘Magic Studies Yearbook’ should rightfully publish your dissertation!”

“Yes. Thank you for viewing it positively…”

“Shall we toast?”

“Let’s do that.” [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

The blonde young man, looking satisfied, raised his wine glass and shouted clearly.

“To the development of the Federation!”

“T-To that.”

Clink.

After that, I had to engage in a semi-forced conversation for about ten more minutes.

After finally being liberated and looking around, I suddenly felt someone patting my back and turned around.

Julia was there.

“I’m here, Eugene.”

“You look tired already.”

“…Ugh, is it that obvious? I tried to hide it.”

Julia, with wide eyes, pinched her cheeks and stretched them this way and that.

“Even I get tired after eight consecutive one-on-one conversations with professors. But the dance music should start soon, so I won’t have to leave my spot anymore.”

“Dance music, huh.”

“Yes. When something like fireworks goes off up there, that’s when it starts.”

Looking up at the ceiling, there was indeed some kind of device installed to make a cheerful explosive sound, just as she said.

So, does that announce the official start of the ball?

As I turned my head back towards Julia, I encountered a somewhat strange situation.

Grab.

Julia took my wine glass, took a sip, and then carelessly placed it on a nearby table.

It was a sudden action. So, instead of raising questions like ‘I was drinking that’ or ‘I didn’t know you could drink’, I asked a more instinctive question.

“What are you doing?”

“Hmm.”

Julia evaded answering and then intertwined her left fingers with my empty right hand.

Even up to this point, it was incomprehensible, but what really confused me was something else.

“Why are your eyes closed?”

“Just because.”

“Just because?”

“Yes. Just…”

The sight of her eyelids tightly shut.

Rather than newly realizing the gracefulness of her eyebrows, I wanted to look into those eyes, so it was a bit frustrating for me.

It was during this moment when…

“Oh, hello?”

A pair of a man and a woman who suddenly approached spoke up, the woman initiating.

A woman with bright brown hair, presumably a junior, and a blonde man around my age.

Both were unfamiliar faces, but I soon realized they were Julia’s acquaintances.

Julia, with her eyes still closed, demonstrated the art of identifying people by voice alone and opened her lips. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

“Miss Grace.”

“President!”

While the women exchanged greetings, the man was staring intently at me for no apparent reason.

His mouth opened.

“Hey.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember me? …No, never mind. Don’t say anything. It’s obvious you don’t remember.”

It was an accurate judgment.

Since I couldn’t possibly answer, “That’s right, who are you?”, I decided to exercise hastily concocted courtesy.

“You two make a very good match.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

Even the brown-haired junior who had been whispering intimately with Julia looked at me in surprise.

Did I make a mistake somewhere? As I was inwardly flustered, Julia showed excellent mediation skills even with her eyes closed.

“They are Student Council colleagues. Since they already know each other, there’s no need for formal introductions… Um, are the preparations ready?”

“Yes. Everything is perfect.”

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

Soon, the brown-haired woman who bowed her head and the blonde man who still looked sullen retreated. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

There were many things that were hard to understand.

“Preparations?”

“Ah, it’s nothing much.”

Saying that, Julia put a little more strength into our intertwined hands.

Only then did I realize that we had been responding to people while holding hands.

I had to forcibly erase the thought that it was embarrassing. Because tonight, I was planning to do something even more than this.

“…”

I looked at Julia again.

I don’t know why she’s keeping her eyes closed, but this, too, is a side of her I couldn’t usually see. I wanted to tickle her flowing chestnut hair.

Suppressing that urge, I reminded myself of the purpose for which I stood here.

I’m not here just to dance and somehow have a good day.

I came to convey a clear intention and emotion.

I even sent a partner invitation letter for that. It didn’t match my intention to get swept up in the wave of people and halfheartedly go out to dance when the fireworks went off.

So, I put strength into my right hand and held Julia’s hand.

I felt Julia’s arm flinch slightly.

Is she as nervous as I am, even though she’s pretending not to be?

Feeling slightly reassured, I stood in front of her while holding her hand.

Then, I quietly suggested.

“Would you like to dance one song together?”

And.

Julia, who was clearly flustered, after flashing through myriad emotions like joy, bewilderment, concern, and happiness on her face…

With a half-crying expression, she answered as if sobbing.

“We can’t.”

“Huh?”

“N-Not now. Just a little, just a little more…”

There was no time to be dismayed.

My reason forcibly prevented the worst-case scenario from appearing in my mind.

The hand I was holding was warm and careful, and her answer was not “I don’t want to” but “Not now.” Moreover, why on earth were her eyes closed?

However, fundamentally, reason cannot withstand emotion.

Feeling like a dam in front of a rapid stream, I was just standing still in front of the restless Julia when… [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

The string instruments like violins, violas, and cellos made tuning sounds as if resonating.

Someone shouted.

“The ball is starting!”

BOOM—!

It seemed they had activated the aforementioned device.

A festival-like explosion that resonated throughout the auditorium while still having a low sound pressure erupted, and…

Simultaneously.

Click.

Darkness descended upon the entire ballroom.

Pitch-black darkness.

As darkness that literally seemed as if someone had painted the field of vision with black paint arrived, people slowly began to become agitated.

This is because human eyes need time to adjust to darkness. Like mine, their vision would have been completely dyed black.

And here, there was one person who had adapted her eyes to the darkness.

“Follow me…!”

She pulled on our intertwined hands.

Her strength was far too insufficient to drag me. But I read her will and trusted her steps.

“What’s going on? Did the power system go out because of the fireworks…?”

We brush past people.

“Watch your step.”

We climb up the stairs, passing through open bars.

Finally, when the cold winter night wind brushed against my cheek.

I found myself standing on the roof of the auditorium, in the bell tower. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

The door leading to the bell tower, which would normally be locked, was open. Not only had we entered inside, but we were right under the huge bell.

I saw the culprit who had planned all this.

“Julia.”

A golden evening dress rippling under the clear night sky. Amber eyes that were deeper than the moonlight. Her chestnut hair, when did it grow so long, fluttering in the wind.

“Uh, I’m sorry.”

And even the awkwardly smiling face.

All of it was so lovable.