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[Aris: Personally, I plan to add some footnotes and refine the references in the paper. I’m curious if you’re willing to collaborate on this work.]

[Aris: And I’ll pretend I didn’t hear the nonsense about changing the author of the paper to me. There’s a limit to how much you can tarnish my reputation, what’s the meaning of this?]

[Aris: …That was a bit harsh. However, I don’t intend to back down. I feel sorry for not giving enough attention to your research, which has shown remarkable results.]

[Aris: Anyway, I believe you’ve understood what I want to say. I’d like to see you in person.]

The messages ceased, sent at regular intervals.

“……”

Lennok couldn’t fathom why Aris felt apologetic when it wasn’t her fault. If anything, he was the one indebted to her for her support in his life. Besides his strict focus on profit and loss, he was not an ungrateful person. If he could offer even a slight assist to her goals, that would suffice. The unwelcome attention was uncomfortable, but at least Evan’s identity remained concealed for now.

The paper, submitted under the unusual guise of Aris’s lab, had likely been accepted due to her reputable name. Lennok concluded that he needed to visit the lab, hear Aris’s detailed thoughts, and determine a course of action.

Having assessed this much, he set his phone aside. He’d contemplate Aris’s situation tomorrow. For tonight, he had work to attend to.

Even amidst the turmoil with the cartel and the unexpected attention to his paper, Lennok remained resolute in his focus on compiling the results he had garnered in the autonomous region. Disregarding magical accomplishments and a multitude of artifacts, he couldn’t ignore the analysis of alchemical essence extracted from the drug lord’s corpse.

The drug lord might not have comprehended the intricacies of alchemy, but he hadn’t misapplied the concept. Alchemy essentially amalgamated various materials to create something new, and this world’s alchemical principles were akin to what Lennok knew as WORLD 1.0. This meant that new substances or medicines could be crafted in ways entirely distinct from the basic chemical laws of this world.

The hundreds of drugs he had acquired from the orchard were preparations for this endeavor. The phase of confirming his ability to mix and merge herbal components using alchemical essence had been successfully completed. Now, he would dissect the cigarette’s components, break them down, and then reassemble them through alchemy to tailor them for his own body’s needs.

This marked Lennok’s most significant achievement from his time in the autonomous region.

“If I can’t escape dependence on drugs, then I’ll make my own to break free.”

[Quite a masterly thought, creating your own drug.]

Davy, seated beside him, retorted with a hint of sarcasm.

[Was it the same when you created me?]

“Similar. Just as I’ve virtually freed myself from auxiliary magic calculations through you, this research also aims to escape addiction and dependence.”

[……]

“I won’t stop until I surpass the unfortunate old man in the orchard.”

Lennok spoke with ambition as he picked up a knife and sliced into the outer layer of the first cigarette.

The finely ground leaves spilled out, quickly covering the lab.

“Cough, cough!!”

The sound of coughing resonated throughout the lab throughout the night.

***

“Really, it’s not you?”

“I said it’s not me.”

Lennok avoided Priscilla’s icy gaze as she towered over him.

“I’ll ask again.”

Alongside her stern tone, the eyes of other undergraduates bore down on Lennok.

“The paper published in this academic journal, ‘Potential for Electromagnetic Circuit Interference Through the Application of Lightning Magic,’ are you saying that Assistant Professor Evan did not write this groundbreaking paper?”

“I know you have already interrogated Professor Aris about this.”

Lennok casually shrugged his shoulders.

“It was a collaborative effort with the professor and senior researchers.”

“…”

“Although I take great pride in being part of that lab, my direct contributions to the paper were merely organizing citations and references.”

Lennok glanced at Priscilla, who glared at him, and discreetly pulled out his secret weapon.

“I hope the undergraduates here can clear any doubts by looking at this guy. I am already busy researching elemental magic with him.”

“Wow!!”

“Please, come up over my head just once!”

“Davi! Davi! Davi!”

The classroom atmosphere immediately warmed as Davi emerged.

Davi reveled in the enthusiastic response as it floated amongst the undergraduates.

The students who had been about to interrogate Lennok, led by Priscilla, had all vanished, leaving only those who seemed to have had their minds captivated by the ethereal spirit.

Lennok regarded them with satisfaction, while Priscilla let out a soft, disapproving click of her tongue.

She, too, was fond of Davi, but her enthusiasm paled in comparison to that of the other undergraduates. Had she, perhaps, had more exotic experiences in comparison?

“Everyone probably knows without having to say all that.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s unlikely for such results to suddenly come out of Professor Aris’ lab. I don’t know if you are trying to gloss over it with Davi, but if you read the paper, it’s clear where the topic got its inspiration. Especially if you know Davi.”

“…”

“Why go to such lengths to hide it?”

Priscilla had a valid point.

It was an open secret.

It was inevitable that the fact that a researcher named Evan had led the breakthrough in Aris’s lab would eventually become known. These undergraduates were naturally inclined to read academic papers on magic, as they were not only talented elites but also possessed enthusiasm and a discerning taste.

While they couldn’t possibly match Aris’s level of expertise, they were certainly capable of understanding the paper published in the journal. They might even be aware that Lennok, who was currently causing a commotion, had contributed to that paper.

“Well.”

For now, his tacit agreement with Aris was to feign ignorance. He didn’t expect the undergraduates, whom he had briefly acquainted himself with, to keep silent about it. However, it was entirely possible to formally decline to answer and redirect the credit to Aris. What mattered most was not gaining recognition within the academic society associated with Rabatenon University but demonstrating that Aris had a good reason to keep Lennok in her lab.

“Then let’s have some hands-on practice applying the theoretical aspects of elemental magic that we’ve learned so far. Come up one by one in the order of your student numbers and first demonstrate it bare-handed, then learn the correct directionality using devices. One at a time, come forward.”

While Lennok pretended to be oblivious at the back, a brief pause occurred in the lecture. Aris often preferred to give students time for practical mana manipulation during lectures rather than solely focusing on theoretical teachings.

“Education without practical experience is of poor quality,” she had once stated, a belief that suited her perfectly.

For Lennok, this was a chance to observe how the other undergraduates handled their mana. Unlike him, who had reached this level solely based on talent without any foundational training, nearly all of the undergraduates at Rabatenon University had undergone systematic mana training before enrolling.

Some came from renowned families, others had been favored at Magic Towers, and some already possessed substantial skills under the guidance of mentors. The school was directly under the jurisdiction of the municipal government, advocating for free education opportunities without constraints based on background or affiliation.

From the perspective of Magic Towers or families, sending their affiliated students for additional training using municipal government funding was a favorable arrangement. The influence of competent professors, including Aris, was also significant. At least within this school, there were no direct conflicts between sponsors who were not particularly friendly.

Everyone recognized that it was a thoroughly beneficial and mutually advantageous endeavor.

In addition, Lennok found these moments useful, as he could occasionally learn something from the well-organized mana manipulation techniques of other students or even pick up on their subtle habits that they might not be aware of.

For example, there was the short-haired female student who had just stepped forward, following Aris’s instructions to convert elemental magic.

She was affiliated with a Magic Tower specializing in ice magic, displaying proficiency in magic related to freezing and fluidity but seeming somewhat clumsy in other aspects. While her skill in handling mana barely reached the bottom of the third tier according to Lennok’s standards, her manipulation of ice-elemental mana itself had noteworthy characteristics.

For instance, when she temporarily froze mana, she precisely delineated the area and froze it simultaneously from the edges. Unbeknownst to her, she pre-arranged the mana particles into a specific pattern, allowing them to quickly adhere when freezing an object. These processes appeared to be a product of her education at the Magic Tower to which she belonged, rather than her innate talent or ability.

‘There are many aspects that are more helpful than I thought…’

Despite having been negligent in his duties as an assistant professor for various reasons, this was why Lennok couldn’t easily quit this job. By observing the undergraduates manipulate their mana, he could discreetly acquire the knowledge possessed by other Magic Towers, which had significantly contributed to his rapid progress in his own magical research.

“Is the class not boring for you?” Aris quietly asked as she approached Lennok.

With her appearance, it would be impossible not to attract attention, yet there was no sign of the other undergraduates noticing their conversation. Lennok sensed that Aris had deliberately used magic to conceal her presence and responded.

“As always, it’s quite interesting. Since awakening my mana, there are not a few things I can learn from the students.”

“Well, with Evan’s intuition, you might even be able to pick up some tricks from those kids.”

Aris changed his name to Evan despite already knowing his real name, indicative of her meticulousness. She then took a seat next to Lennok.

It was only then that Lennok realized that this practice session had been set aside for them to have this conversation.

“I overlooked that Evan hasn’t been awakened to elemental magic for long. There won’t be any leaks regarding Evan’s identity and status in official academic journals and societies. However…”

“We can’t do anything about unofficial leaks.”

Lennok shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m aware. One bold student just expressed their concern for me. There are probably quite a few students here who have caught on.”

“…”

“Now that things have come to this, there’s no helping it, right? For the time being, I’ll have to refrain from my duties as an assistant professor and focus on being a researcher.”

“I have the same thought. That’s why I’m saying…”

Aris tilted her head slightly.

Her bright blonde hair framed her elegant eyes.

With an air of effortless elegance, she hesitated before continuing,

“If coming to the University is a burden, meeting again at that library is also fine.”