༺ The Academy’s High-Quality Slave ༻
I was attending graduate school for the second time.
My day started with cleaning the school grounds. The reason being that there couldn’t be a single leaf left on the path that our lovely professor took to and from the school.
Due to the downpour of rain last night, the corridors were an absolute mess. Nature’s precious gifts were strewn out all over the ground. The leaves that had formed a tight bond to the ground using water as an adhesive had no intention of being swept into the garbage bin.
Overcome by outrage as I was straining to sweep the floors with frail arms, I pretty much threw the broom down.
“I can’t take this anymore.”
Even graduate students who were jokingly called slaves didn’t clean their own schools. That was normally left to cleaning companies.
Oh right, I was a slave on top of being a graduate student. It felt incongruent because I kept comparing it to the standards of where I was from.
Grooowl.
I was hungry. I’ve been cleaning since waking up and haven’t eaten at all. To exaggerate a bit, I might die of starvation.
I can’t. My body won’t hold if I don’t take a break.
I wiped the wet bench with a linen cloth and sat down. I could hear my spine cracking from being out of place.
Whether it was because it had rained, even this kind of sound came off damp. As if moisture had seeped into my bones.
“What have you done to deserve a break?”
Yeah, there were times like that. For example, when you study in your room thinking, ‘How about a quick break?’ and then the moment you pick up your phone, your mom opens your door. Unfortunately, this seemed to be that kind of timing.
Getting up as soon as you sit down only compounds your exhaustion. Yet if I don’t rise immediately, I might get hit by a fireball.
I hurriedly got up and stood straight. Then, a woman came up in front of me.
She furrowed her brows and looked around.
A pair of red eyes like an albino’s beneath a scrunched forehead.
People with such eye color generally had a fiery temperament. Was it from receiving the blessings of the Fire Elemental?
“You are still terrible at cleaning. Shouldn’t you have a knack for it by now after three years?”
For now, I bowed my head.
“I’m sorry.”
“If you understand, then improve yourself.”
This was the best way to deal with Professor Klais Hasfeldt. It was obvious what would happen if one showed even the slightest hint of resistance against the heir of the Hasfeldt Duchy that had led the Empire since its founding.
Staying conscious of the professor, I picked up the broom at my feet. A shitty northwestern wind had blown through the leaves on the branches in the meantime. Thanks to that, the corridor that I had already swept became messy again. A leaf even landed on my head.
“The external corridor is disorderly. This will obstruct the way for the enrolled students walking here.”
“…….”
“What are you doing? Get to it.”
Fuuuuuuuuck!
I really wanted to uproot every single tree within the Academy. But if I did that, my head would be plucked, too. There were some that had been donated by nobles or royals, after all.
“Geez.”
“Geez?”
“The weather’s great.”
Clutching my famished stomach, I tap-danced along the 200m long corridor that connected the research wing to the school building.
Professor Hasfeldt sat far off on the bench that I cleaned and watched my shenanigans. At the sight of her crossing her legs, it felt like my brain vessels were twisting up as well.
Still, she’ll let me have breakfast since I’ve done this much sweeping, right?
“This is enough. Finish up and follow me to the lab.”
“Erm…. What about breakfast?”
“There will be no breakfast today. There is an urgent matter to attend to.”
Shit. You must be fucking with me.
**
[Fire Magic : 836/1048]
[Water Magic : 234/992]
[Earth Magic : 351/1005]
[Air Magic : 112/824]
[Unclassified : 0/148]
[TIP: You cannot return to your world before mastering all magic.]
“…….”
“Aether.”
“Yes, Professor.”
“Please get some magic paper from the supply room.”
I collected a few sheets of magic paper and a pouch of mana stones from the shelf and exited the supply room. Hasfeldt had a pipe in her mouth with the window closed.
I opened the window and accepted the stick of mana grass she handed me.
After the bout of manual labor from early to late morning, things got a bit easier. Since I wouldn’t be able to set a single foot outside this room until dinner time, at least.
Now was the time for mental labor. It should burn less calories than physically moving. It’ll be a pain to not be able to drink water until the afternoon, however.
“We received news that Magic Beasts are flooding the northern battlefront. Hence no more research for now.”
“And that means……?”
“You’ll be focusing all your efforts on scroll fabrication for the next week.”
To put it simply, she meant producing military supplies. Like during WWII when the task of building the nuclear bomb was divided up and carried out in many college research facilities throughout the Allied countries.
Professor Hasfeldt’s specialty was Flame Magic. She had a particular expertise in the fabrication of Flame Scrolls that took care of the enemy on its own when the magic stored in the paper was activated.
“We need to match the quantity requested by the Knight Order. Three hundred should suffice for today.”
The problem was that the base work required to fabricate the scroll would all be done by me.
Isn’t that too many?
Thinking like that was losing on my part. I had already learned the truth of not expecting a reasonable amount of work in a graduate school in the first place from my original world.
There was a sense of giving in to things too easily, though. Is this that gaslighting thing or whatever it was?
I situated myself in one section and put the mana grass between my lips. A pungent odor pricked my senses as it wafted even before the stick was lit.
I placed the magic paper in the center of the table and placed a mana stone near it. Then lastly, I pulled out a thick hardcover book from the hip sack I was wearing.
< The Research of Relations Between Magic and Physics >
– Subtitle : The Magical Guide for Physicists Adventuring Through a Fantasy World (Beginner)
“…….”
It was because of this bastard, come to think of it. Basically, this book was why I’ve been suffering until now.
An already fading memory. Within that memory, I was reading a paper.
I had been reluctant to read the paper due to its strange title and ridiculous length. But because I had received money from the author to peer review it, I….
Completely shot down that paper. After having read only a few pages.
It was only natural. Because it talked about bullshit like magic and scientific explanations of the supernatural from the very abstract. Though in the format of a paper, it was actually a poorly-written fantasy novel and it took less than 30 minutes to return it.
But the author must have thought that I cheated them out of examination fees and sent a girl to protest.
She was a girl with exotic eyes like melted alluvial gold. The other distinct thing was that she was wearing a thick robe. It certainly wasn’t an outfit to be worn in modern society.
– Who are you?
– You.
– Excuse me?
– I said ‘you’. You’ll know if you take this.
The girl handed me a hardcover book. I didn’t want to take it but was forced to when my body moved on its own.
Then when I came to I had dropped into this world as that girl.
So much for plausibility and verisimilitude1the notion that some propositions are closer to being true than other propositions. The problem of verisimilitude is the problem of articulating what it takes for one false theory to be closer to the truth than another false theory..
Anyway, this eyesore that I had insulted for being pseudoscience in the other world could be used in this world as a factual paper. I had to admit it was useful.
“Prioritize completing Light Arrow. They need to be delivered first.”
“Understood.”
Schliiiff.
Description: [A Fire Magic that shoots out an arrow of light. Has superior penetration but only travels a short distance.]
[▶ Scientific knowledge required for crafting this magic scroll]
[■ Required]
[1st Law of Thermodynamics(Condition met)]
[2nd Law of Thermodynamics(Condition met)]
[Maxwell’s Equations(Condition met)]
[□ Optional]
[Liénard–Wiechert Potential(Condition met)] — Required for distance-increase circuit
[Basic Theory of Cyclotron(Condition met)] — Required for rotational output increase
[Bohr-Sommerfeld Quantization Rule(Condition met)] — Required for penetration force increase
“Hmm.”
Below that were the basic instructions and diagram for scroll fabrication. After having spent three years under Professor Hasfeldt, I could eyeball something of this level easily.
Scroll fabrication was similar to using an electric circuit. One would lay out the necessary mana stones and wires atop the magic paper that looked like a breadboard then once other magic elements were implemented on top of it, it was complete. The type of magic changed depending on the circuit’s composition.
“They requested for maximum penetration force. You’ll be able to do it, won’t you?“
“That won’t be a problem.”
Although Light Arrow was supposed to be a magic with Flame properties, it fundamentally dealt with light.
It just needed to have the element being processed along the light’s trajectory penetrate through the enemy’s shell in a tunnel effect2Where an electron or atom passed through a potential energy barrier even though it doesn’t have the sufficient energy needed to do so, a quantum mechanic phenomenon. With proficient handwork, twenty scrolls were finished in the blink of an eye.
“Siiip.”
I took a drag of mana grass after completing one set. Then using the mana forcefully flowing through my body, I let it spill onto the scroll and check if the closed circuit had any issues.
It was so-called quality control.
Alright. Nothing was wrong, then.
“Ah.”
The mana stones I had brought were all gone. This was the last one, even.
“Professor, I’ve finished all of the mana stones.”
“You may get more from outside.”
“How many should I buy?”
“Why would we waste money buying low-grade stones? You can go find them on the hills out back.”
So.
Basically, she wanted a poor, weak girl, who forewent breakfast and lunch, to beat down some Magic Beasts and collect the materials, yeah?
“There will be no dinner if you delay.”
“I’ll be back.”
“Be sure to return before 5 p.m.”
Bam!
Right. Gotta do as I’m told. I wouldn’t want to be resold to the slave market for failing to perform.
At least Hasfeldt is a woman. What would’ve happened if some sex-obsessed pervert had won me at the auction? Considering what could have been, this is comparatively better. Right?
Isn’t it?
“What’s wrong? You look like you stepped on crap.”
“……?”
When I came down to the research wing, a woman with a large-brimmed hat chuckled as she saw me.
Judging from the robe she was wearing, she wasn’t a student but a staff like Hasfeldt.
I immediately recognized who she was.
“Professor Heerlein.”
“It’s been a while, Aether.”
Meriga Heerlein. One of two most beautiful members of this Tilette Academy along with Professor Hasfeldt.
She approached me with a wave.
Being an Earth Mage, it was her trademark to go around with a large golem guardian almost twice her size.
“Are you here to see Professor Hasfeldt?”
“No, she’s no fun, too obsessed with research. I’m here to see you today.”
I tilted my head.
“Me? Why?”
Professor Heerlein had taken an interest in me since before. She’d only express that interest every once in a while and never to the point of randomly showing up in front of the Fire Magic lab to wait for me.
“Isn’t it hard working for Klais?”
“It’s fine.”
“Don’t be like that. You can tell me honestly.”
“…….”
“You know that I was a commoner before I graduated from here, right? Even if one becomes a noble, their essence doesn’t really change. And it’s bothersome to keep formalities in front of kids like you. So, go ahead. Think of me as an older sis and tell me how you truly feel.”
“I’m actually okay.”
Because you know, one should always keep their tongue in check.
Don’t judge by appearances, Professor Heerlein. Although this is how I look, the person within is about the same age as you.
“Is that so? If you’re doing well, alright then. If you had told me you were struggling, I would’ve helped you enroll into the Academy officially.”
Huh?
What did you just say?
