Magic Academy's Genius Blinker - Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Academic Presentation (2)
Alterisha waited calmly. She waited until all the alchemists in the room had understood and accepted her words.
Finally, the silence was broken by a famous university professor.
“…Young lady, do you know what kind of place this is and why you’re making such jokes? Fine, sorry for ignoring you. You probably wanted to catch our interest. But no matter how much you wanted that, there’s a limit!”
There was nothing wrong with his passionate words… if Alterisha was indeed just trying to draw attention.
As people started to agree, Alterisha finally smiled.
“I also know what kind of place this is. It’s an extraordinary and significant place for someone like me to stand. That’s why I have no intention of joking. I don’t want to waste this precious opportunity.”
“Then, how do you expect us to take your words?”
“Please understand them like an alchemist would.”
These were people who believed that every phenomenon in this world could be scientifically proven. They needed to analyze, dig into, and interpret the existence before them, compelled to uncover the ‘truth.’
That is what alchemists are.
“But… the Random Aeration Cross Formula doesn’t make sense. In principle, magitech and alchemy are structured in such a way that they cannot intertwine!”
“Indeed. Many brilliant alchemists born centuries before you have all failed with the Random Aeration Cross Formula!”
“It’s been over a hundred years since it was declared impossible to cross Aeration. What’s all this fuss about now…?”
Faced with all these negative reactions, Alterisha did not get discouraged. Instead, she felt excited.
Even the senior alchemists, who seemed like towering mountains, the sky, clouds, and sun, were all saying it was impossible. The thought of proving them wrong here made her entire body tingle with anticipation.
Then.
Hwarseok Koden, recognizing her ecstatic expression, smirked and said.
“Everyone, quiet!”
At his single word, the room instantly fell silent.
“Just because there have been many failures, are you going to declare something impossible and call yourselves alchemists?”
Th is was c o p i e d f ro m k i n g m t l . org
He was pointing out a flaw in the current alchemy academic world. They believed that there was always a truth to be found, yet they barely touched known concepts, dismissing anything deemed impossible.
“There’s no progress these days. It’s the same old thing, slightly modified and brought back as new.”
Several alchemists blushed and hung their heads at his words.
“So, I’m quite excited. That young alchemist there is trying to find the truth even in what everyone has declared impossible.”
T h i s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . o rg
So.
“Go ahead and present the truth you have found.”
As Alterisha nodded enthusiastically in response to Hwarseok Koden’s words.
Bang!
Someone slammed their palm on the desk and stood up.
All the alchemists’ gazes turned towards the person. It was none other than Professor Maizen Tiren of Stella Academy. Hwarseok Koden frowned uncomfortably and asked.
Thi s w as c o p ie d fr o m k i ng mt l . o r g
“…Professor Maizen. What is the meaning of this?”
“Before Alterisha’s presentation, I wish to raise a suspicion regarding the paper.”
“A suspicion.”
Hwarseok Koden let out a hollow laugh, as if mocking her for trying everything. But Maizen bit her lip and did not back down.
“So, what’s the suspicion?”
T hi s w a s c o p ied f ro m k i n gm t l. o rg
At Hwarseok Koden’s question, Maizen replied in a voice filled with anger, as if she were chewing on her words.
“Plagiarism… There’s a suspicion of plagiarism.”
“What, what?”
“Plagiarism…?”
Some alchemists turned their heads in discomfort at her words, clearing their throats awkwardly. In fact, many others besides Maizen had used others’ papers.
Even though she found the situation laughable, Alterisha couldn’t bring herself to smile. Her expression grew darker, an unmistakable sign of distress.
“Suspicion of plagiarism… Haha! Interesting. Yes, it’s been a long time since there was a plagiarism suspicion at a presentation.”
The host, flustered by the unprecedented situation, looked to Hwarseok Koden for guidance.
“Well, you know what will happen if you raise a suspicion without proof, right?”
Surprisingly, Hwarseok Koden’s voice was calm.
His gaze was cold, sharp as a blade. Maizen instinctively tensed up but nodded confidently, believing she had sufficient evidence.
“I will call upon four doctors who have been researching the Random Aeration Cross Formula with me as witnesses.”
“Alright.”
She stood up with the doctors. They were alchemists affiliated with Moonshadow Church, capable researchers assigned by Stella’s vice-principal. With their knowledge and her eloquence, there would be no problem.
Thinking so, Maizen walked to the podium with the doctors. She grabbed another microphone and began.
“Yes. Let me reintroduce the alchemist currently presenting. She is Alterisha, my assistant and adjunct at Stella Academy.”
Assistant.
As soon as she said that, everyone sighed.
‘This is the end.’
‘This is over.’
Fighting a plagiarism battle over an unpublished paper is already a complex process.
But when it’s a professor versus their assistant… the current alchemy academic world will unconditionally side with the professor.
Why? Because it was naturally assumed that professors were better than their assistants. Moreover, the premise that an assistant would steal a professor’s paper was an inconvenient truth everyone knew but chose to ignore. No matter what excuse the assistant made, it would merely be an excuse.
Maizen showed a cold smile at Alterisha, who was sweating nervously, and continued.
“As everyone knows, the Random Aeration Cross Formula has five major challenges. Only by solving these five challenges can alchemy and magitech be harmonized.”
To date, only two of those challenges have been solved, and even those were incomplete answers.
This was why Maizen could be so confident.
“I have solved four of those challenges. The research conducted in secret was nearing completion.”
“Ha.”
“If what you say is true, then surely this paper is…!”
“Of course, it is my paper. While Alterisha is undoubtedly talented, solving the challenges of the Random Aeration Cross Formula in less than five years since entering the alchemy academic world… does that make sense?”
“That’s right.”
“Indeed.”
Professor Maizen was cunning. She prepared for the ‘just in case’ scenario. She spent every day jealous of the possibility that Alterisha might indeed be a better alchemist than herself, and she decided to acknowledge that fear today.
“Indeed! I have only solved four of the challenges. However, she has claimed to have completed the paper. This means she solved all five challenges… But could she have solved the remaining four challenges by herself? Is it right for the paper to be considered hers if she copied my four solutions and solved the last one?”
Everyone shook their heads.
Solving the last challenge was certainly a great and commendable achievement. However, pretending the paper was entirely hers by copying Maizen’s four solutions was just theft.
Just as a masterpiece painting stolen before completion wouldn’t become the thief’s work if they added a touch of their own.
Maizen prepared for all eventualities. Even assuming Alterisha had solved the last challenge, ensuring she couldn’t escape.
T his w a s c o p ie d f r om k in g m t l . o r g
And she was confident.
‘How dare you… steal my paper?’
Maizen believed that Alterisha had indeed stolen her paper. How else could a twenty-seven-year-old solve all five challenges of the Random Aeration Cross Formula?
‘This wasn’t planned, but I can’t lose the paper!’
Maizen smiled. Yes, it wasn’t planned.
‘…But it’s not bad.’
The girl who always looked beyond her thoughts, gazing at a world so far beyond reach.
Talent that couldn’t be explained with the word ‘genius’ alone, an overwhelming talent that induced despair.
Today, that flower would be plucked here.
And it would be hers.
“So, what do you think, Assistant Alterisha?”
At her natural question, the senior alchemists began to glare at Alterisha. They had already concluded she had stolen the paper.
‘Aah…’
Alterisha bit her lip hard. She had considered that Professor Maizen might go this far. But now that the situation was unfolding, she had no idea what to do.
Her mind went blank, and her hands and feet trembled.
She couldn’t even meet Professor Maizen’s eyes. The bullying and violence she had endured from her became a trauma, shackling Alterisha.
‘Wh-what should I do…’
At that moment, looking at Baek Yu-seol was purely instinctual, like a child seeking their mother.
‘When things get tough alone, call me.’
That’s what he had said. Trust him. But could Baek Yu-seol find a way out of this situation?
She didn’t know. She didn’t know anything anymore. She just wanted to depend on someone.
So, she closed her eyes tightly and raised her hand. The host looked at Hwarseok Koden. When he nodded, the host hurriedly spoke.
“Yes. Please, go ahead.”
“I would like to call someone to assist me…”
“Assist? May I ask who?”
How should she explain this? Alterisha provided a very valid reason to refer to him.
“He is… the ‘co-author’ of this paper.”
“Huh.”
T hi s w a s c o pi e d fr o m k i n g m tl .o r g
“Well.”
Plagiarized paper claiming a co-author. People began to laugh. Baek Yu-seol was equally surprised.
This was c o p i ed f r o m k i n g mt l .org
‘What, I’m a co-author…?’
She had never mentioned that.
Hwarseok Koden coolly granted her request.
“Very well! Call him.”
As Baek Yu-seol stood up and walked to the podium, alchemists openly frowned.
“A student?”
“Even if it’s Stella…”
“We didn’t come to watch a child’s play, what’s this?”
Alterisha trembled under the alchemists’ complaints. Pitying her, Baek Yu-seol didn’t go to her right away.
As he walked, he subtly pulled something hidden in his sleeve and brushed it against Maizen’s forearm.
“…What impudence.”
As Maizen shouted in displeasure, a message appeared.
[The special function ‘Resentment’ of the artifact ‘Resentful Branch’ has been activated.]
[Target of Resentment: Maizen Tiren]
‘Good.’
Baek Yu-seol had been waiting for the opportunity to make contact.
With his objective achieved, he approached Alterisha.
“Are you okay?”
“…”
The alchemists’ gazes were still piercing. However, as Baek Yu-seol patted her on the shoulder, her heart calmed down surprisingly quickly.
She slowly looked up at his face. He still had a relaxed expression, as if he had expected this situation.
Baek Yu-seol took the microphone.
“Professor Maizen? It’s been a while.”
Maizen furrowed her brows but then smirked. She felt elated that she could bury the two people she despised the most at once.
“Your arguments were quite plausible, Professor.”
“…Plausible?”
“Yes. But you lack decisive evidence, don’t you?”
“Hah, that will be revealed as soon as the paper is disclosed. I also carry the paper on the Random Aeration Cross Formula with me at all times.”
Th i s w a s c opi e d from k in g mtl. o r g
“Is that so? That’s perfect.”
As Baek Yu-seol smiled, showing his white teeth, Maizen involuntarily took a step back.
‘What is this…’
It was a smile she had seen countless times before, and whenever that smile appeared, she always lost to him.
‘No, not this time!’
Baek Yu-seol glanced at Hwarseok Koden and then spoke to Maizen.
“Alright. How about we each solve the Random Aeration Cross Formula here and now?”
The five challenges that had remained unsolved for three hundred years.
In front of everyone.
“Isn’t it simple to see if our solutions are the same or not?”
All they had to do was solve the problems. It was simple, easy, and clear.
“Then… we’ll know whose words are true, right?”
At his confident attitude, Maizen hesitated for a moment, biting her lip.
‘What, does he have something up his sleeve…?’
This was bad. Very bad. Maizen tried to come up with an excuse to avoid the showdown.
“Wasting time on nonsense-”
“Wait.”
But before she could finish, Hwarseok Koden cut her off.
“A contest between a professor and an assistant to solve the paper…”
He pretended to ponder for a moment, then burst into a hearty laugh, typical of dwarves.
“That sounds very interesting!”
T h is w a s c o p ie d fr o m k i n g m t l . or g
A clear sign of approval. With that secured, Baek Yu-seol looked at Alterisha.
“I… I’m…”
“Assistant Alterisha. You can do this. I believe in you more than anyone else.”
This boy… was still smiling.
Why?
With that simple gesture, a surge of confidence welled up in Alterisha’s heart.
Baek Yu-seol.
Among students, he was jokingly called ‘Professor Maizen’s Nemesis.’ Despite always being oppressed due to his exceptional talent, he was always able to overcome and pay back Maizen.
It felt exhilarating. It was refreshing. She envied his ability to stand proudly against Professor Maizen, who was ten years older than him and someone she couldn’t touch.
‘Can I do it too?’
She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with air as if pouring confidence into her empty heart.
‘Our research is different from the professor’s.’
In the world of alchemy, even a single formula can have countless solutions.
Th i s wa s co pie d f r o m k i ng m t l .o r g
‘So, our answers will be different from the professor’s.’
She raised her head high, enough not to lose to Maizen. Then, she removed her glasses and untied her messy hair.
“Oh.”
Just by removing two accessories, Hwarseok Koden let out an exclamation at the sudden change in her demeanor.
“Hoo…”
She let out a deep breath and smiled, revealing her white teeth.
It was… a confident smile of a true genius that Professor Maizen Tiren had never seen from her while she was his assistant.
“Professor Maizen, shall we begin?”
End of Chapter
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