CHAPTER 179: BERILIN FRUIT

"There are more elixirs?"

"Yes."

"What, and where?"

"The elixir itself wasn’t that impressive. It was a Berilin fruit."

Berilin fruit certainly contained mana, but it only held the smallest amount.

In terms of grade, it was the lowest tier.

Still, since it was an elixir, it had its own value, and obtaining it wasn’t easy either.

That wasn’t the important part.

The fact that he was continuously obtaining elixirs from somewhere. Even Gerhard, who had the personal information organization called the Golden Pillar, couldn’t do that.

"Where and how did he get it?"

"It’s presumed he obtained it from the ’Field Survival Skills’ class three days ago."

"Presumed?"

"No matter how skilled I am, I can’t hide perfectly in a place swarming with professors and teaching assistants."

Hyde shook his head.

This was the academy. A place full of various magic circles and skilled individuals for thorough security.

The devices could be somewhat resolved with the master key Gerhard had given him, but running into professors was a different story.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing."

"Not even a speck of dust?"

"Yes. Extremely ordinary. I brought the report as well."

Finally, what he had been waiting for came out.

Gerhard opened the first page of the report. There wasn’t anything particularly special in the content.

Gismond Ert.

Born into the Ert family and raised being called a genius, he enrolled in the academy and hit the wall of real geniuses.

During his first year, first semester, he was just one ordinary person among a hundred, then...

"He started to stand out from the second semester."

This was already a known fact. What Gerhard was curious about was where Gismond had gone during that vacation.

"As you’ll see in the report, Gismond visited several places. One of them is southern Pragia, which I already mentioned. Specifically..."

"...Feyers?"

Gerhard’s eyes widened.

"A castle with walls over 20 meters high and vast plains. Where did you say that was?"

"Feyers Fortress."

"..."

Could this really be a coincidence?

This wasn’t the end.

"This vacation he also went to Altriark?"

"Yes, that’s correct."

Itarium immediately came to mind. The Itarium that Gismond had consumed, and the Itarium that had disappeared from where it should have been.

Could these two really be unrelated?

’Don’t tell me...’

One ominous speculation crossed Gerhard’s mind, and cold sweat began to soak his back.

"Young master?"

"One thing, just check one more thing."

"What is it?"

"Could Gismond Ert possibly have..."

He thought it couldn’t be.

He desperately hoped it wasn’t.

"...been struck by lightning."

==

Even long after Hyde left, Gerhard’s heart couldn’t calm down.

The emotional change was as great as when he was struck by lightning and learned the future, or even greater.

’It can’t be.’

It absolutely cannot be. Knowing the future alone and knowing the future together with someone else were completely different.

Limited resources. It meant more people who wanted to have them, more competitors.

Also, if the future was greatly twisted by that guy’s actions?

All his efforts to be as careful as possible would become utterly useless. The value of the prophecy book would also fall to mere garbage.

That situation absolutely must not happen.

"In this state, I’ve missed all my classes too."

Gerhard decided to cancel classes for another day and opened the morning newspaper.

[Count Altriark family hands over all fragments of the broken Bell of Pasa to the Dragon Faith Order...]

[Dragon Faith Order declares all-out war on restoring the Bell of Pasa...!]

[Monsters that stirred in the Tacklakan Desert, and demon seeds that broke the Bell of Pasa. After being quiet for a thousand years, they bare their teeth again.]

[The demon seeds’ activity, is this really the end?]

[A chaotic continent, in times like this we must find normalcy even more...]

[Coming on the 10th. The 198th Continental Academic Conference!]

Despite being an academy newspaper, most of the content was related to Tacklakan and Altriark.

It made sense. The demon seeds’ activity wasn’t just Altriark’s affair but the entire continent’s.

The only different article was about the Continental Academic Conference to be held in two weeks.

’Academic conference.’

The academic conference held every five years was quite an important event for the Goldenheim family.

Countless inventions would emerge, and among those inventions, there was always at least one that could make money.

Wherever there was money to be made, Goldenheim was always present. Among the wizards attending the academic conference, quite a few were sponsored by Goldenheim.

’I should participate.’

The academic conference was a high-level gathering where one could learn quite a lot.

Its value was especially significant for wizards, so the academy even encouraged participation.

For this purpose, they even had a three-week "autumn break" where all classes were suspended.

’I believe this academic conference is being held in Wienderk.’

The academic conference was originally held in rotation among the seven Electors’ territories, which was one of the measures to strengthen the Electors’ power.

Except for Armian refusing to host after losing the imperial throne, making seven into six, the tradition had been consistently maintained.

’...Should I visit a professor?’

Among those sponsored by Goldenheim were academy professors. Some of them were conducting research aiming to present at the Continental Academic Conference.

With time suddenly available, Gerhard prepared and headed to the faculty building.

"I’d like to see Professor Rosalia."

"The professor is currently busy and said she wouldn’t meet with students separately."

"I’m not here as a student but for something else."

Gerhard subtly presented a plaque to the teaching assistant. It was a sponsorship token given by the academy when sponsoring an academy professor.

"Ah. Please wait a moment."

The teaching assistant returned after five minutes.

"The professor asks you to wait thirty minutes."

"Then I’ll wait inside."

Gerhard entered Professor Rosalia’s office without listening to the teaching assistant’s response.

She was buried in a mountain of documents, processing her work.

In the quiet office, only the sounds of turning papers and the scratching of a fountain pen echoed softly.

Deeply concentrated, she didn’t even notice Gerhard’s arrival.

Rather than calling out to her, Gerhard decided to wait quietly. He sat on the guest sofa and made coffee himself.

Time passed quickly.

A gentle breeze blew through the half-open window. When several documents fluttered and fell to the floor, she frowned and picked them up.

She put a black cigarette in her mouth and looked for a light, but there was none.

"Here it is."

Gerhard created a small flame at his fingertip. Rosalia naturally took the flame and exhaled smoke.

Her unfocused eyes became much clearer. After a moment of stretching, she finally recognized Gerhard’s presence.

"Student Gerhard? When did you arrive?"

"It’s been quite a while."

"I thought I said I don’t receive student visits."

"Today I came as a sponsor, not a student."

At the mention of sponsor, she took another puff of smoke.

"What about your class? I believe you have a class today."

"I canceled it myself."

"How boldly you speak such words in front of a professor."

Rosalia let out a hollow laugh. But she didn’t say anything more beyond that.

"Did you come to pressure me? Asking if research results are out?"

"Just checking. The Continental Academic Conference is in two weeks."

"Of course I haven’t forgotten. It’s the moment I’ve been waiting for every day."

"I hope you have results worthy of that anticipation."

Gerhard smiled and changed the subject.

"You seem to be making good use of the cigarettes."

"Not bad. Just one puff clears my mind. Since it’s a Goldenheim product, that might be natural. Anyway, I need more."

"If you make a purchase request, it’s my job to somehow deliver them. However, please don’t overuse them. While there aren’t major side effects, they are stimulants, so overdose isn’t good."

"Stop pretending to worry when you don’t."

"It’s not pretense, but understood."

"Follow me."

Rosalia stood up from her seat.

"Where are we going?"

"Isn’t it obvious? The sponsor wants to see the research results."

"Is it completed?"

"It’s in the final stages. At least before the Continental Academic Conference, I’ll be able to perfectly finish even the final review."

"Impressive."

Gerhard was genuinely amazed.

Knowing how difficult her research topic was, even while sponsoring, he had never thought she could accomplish it in just five years.

He had expected at least 10 years, but 5 years. No matter how much of a genius she was, she couldn’t have achieved this without grinding herself down.

The specially made mana cigarettes for Rosalia’s requirements must have played their role perfectly.

Gerhard followed Rosalia and arrived at her laboratory.

The laboratory was large and spacious.

Her laboratory was among the top five largest within the academy, which was the result of her abilities, background, and Goldenheim’s sponsorship appropriately combining.

Upon entering the laboratory interior, a cool chill was felt.

"The ice crystal has grown larger."

"Yes, it has grown larger."

The most eye-catching thing in Rosalia’s laboratory was undoubtedly the massive sphere positioned in the center.

On the surface of the ice with a diameter of about 5 meters, dense magical engravings and magic circles were drawn without the slightest gap.

Around it, laboratory assistants were doing something.

"Professor!"

Then the assistants discovered Rosalia and Gerhard.

Most assistants greeted lightly and returned to their work, but one ran toward them.

"You’ve arrived? Student Gerhard is here too."

"Sponsor."

"You came as a sponsor today."

The assistant nodded.

"I’m Professor Rosalia’s assistant, Aron Praine. It’s an honor to meet you, sponsor."

"I’m Gerhard. You’re always like this."

"Because you’re a sponsor. I must always be respectful."

"He wants to see the results, so explain it well."

"Won’t you do it directly?"

"Work is piled up."

Rosalia disappeared without looking back.

"Well, please come this way."

"Please."

Aron led Gerhard.

==

After that, Gerhard spent an hour listening to explanations and then left.

"Take care."

Bowing his head and seeing off Gerhard, Aron changed his expression once Gerhard was completely out of sight.

"...Was it really true that Goldenheim sponsored rather than the Wienderk family?"

He had heard it several times, but since there seemed to be no reason for a direct member of the Wienderk family to receive sponsorship from Goldenheim, he thought it was a false rumor.

"This picture is quite interesting..."

Rosalia Wienderk and Gerhard Goldenheim.

Wienderk and Goldenheim.

The sponsored professor and the sponsor student.

"Not one but two. Interesting. I’m looking forward to the Continental Academic Conference."

It would probably be the session that brings the biggest issue since the Continental Academic Conference began.

Aron smiled brightly and returned to the laboratory.

He didn’t know.

"...Ugh."

That the sponsor who had left well had collapsed on a bench, suffering from a sudden headache.