#12. I’m Sorry

“Professors.”

Leaving the Imperial Palace, back to the Academy.

The three of them were gathered in Rachel’s personal research lab, sipping tea.

“What exactly just happened?”

“……”

“……”

My question was met with silence from both professors.

Wow.

A question that even professors known for their brilliance can’t answer.

This must surely be a daunting task, right?

It’s not strange that I can’t comprehend it, is it?

“Please, answer me.”

After exchanging furtive glances, Professor Rachel, having been pushed into it, finally spoke.

“Congra-, congratulations on obtaining multiple majors!”

“Haha…”

Right.

This is reality.

Multiple majors, acquired without a care for proper procedure. No, in this case, it’d be more accurate to call it a ‘multitude of majors.’

“Shall we count how many there are?”

“……If you wish.”

“First, the Department of Magical Engineering.”

“……”

“The Department of Magic, the Department of Knighthood, the Department of Alchemy. And even the Department of Theoretical Studies.”

I let out another hollow laugh.

Good heavens, I never knew I’d need my fingers to count my majors.

The amount of studying has increased, and the number of subjects to study has increased. The latter is much harder.

And the Emperor said I should do all that I’m capable of. Do you know what that means?

He’s expecting it. The Emperor is, my performance!

“What on earth should I do?”

“……I haven’t a clue.”

“I also don’t quite……”

Damn it all.

“Should I have offered another excuse?

Perhaps the one about inheriting the family business… No. That wouldn’t have yielded better results. They’d surely have made me work until I inherited it.

‘System, was there no loophole?’

[Are you inquiring about methods to avoid work?]

‘Yeah.’

[There was the option of failing to solve a challenging problem, losing all honor, and returning to your family.]

‘Something else.’

[……]

[I am unable to locate a suitable solution.]

Wasn’t this damn thing supposed to solve difficult problems?

I suddenly felt incredibly incompetent.

“Student Lane, consider this in a positive light. Who knows? You might just discover your ‘true calling’.”

“Hold on, Professor Meriel. What does that mean?”

“It means precisely what I said, nothing more.”

“Are you playing word games with me…”

*Thump!*

I slammed my desk.

Of course, I wasn’t actually angry. Was I crazy? Getting angry in front of professors.

“I’ve made a decision.”

It was like the drumbeat of resolution. My future had been decided.

“I’m going to withdraw.”

“Wait!”

“You can’t do that!!”

*

After the professors’ impassioned pleas, I managed to calm down.

In truth, even I thought withdrawing was a bit rash.

“We’ll exert our utmost effort. Perhaps we can remove one of the departments…”

“We’ll craft you a new, more spacious schedule, too. We’ll even create a gap between classes.”

All sorts of enticing conditions were offered. Since it was something I had to do regardless, I decided to just accept it.

“…For now, take tomorrow off.”

“Withdrawal is not an option. Do you understand? Withdrawal is *not* an option!”

And so, here I am in my dorm.

Lying on my bed, blankly staring at the ceiling, an hour had already passed.

Actually, I can’t say for sure it’s been an hour. That’s just a rough estimate. Anyway, I’ve been doing this for quite a while.

What should I do going forward?

This is a point when serious consideration is needed.

I used an artificial intelligence one time, and now I’m facing a situation where I have to show the best scores from all departments in the academy.

Question:

Is that realistically possible?

“I suppose it’s possible.”

[Yes, it is possible.]

Since I can borrow this fellow’s power.

Then, the second question.

Can I endure it?

Let’s say this artificial intelligence inside my head can.

But I am merely human. Can I, burdened with all this, continue this ‘genius act’?

… I don’t know.

“Do you know?”

[It depends on your effort.]

“You’re really not helpful.”

He seems to know everything, but this guy is, after all, just an artificial intelligence.

He couldn’t possibly read people’s inner thoughts or the future.

[….]

“Tch.”

Actually, the previous question is meaningless. In the end, all that remains is the fact that I have to do it.

I reached a conclusion.

Let’s just do it, come what may.

The next thing, I’ll think about it next time.

That day passed, and I received a new timetable from Professor Rachel.

*

Charlotte Märchen.

She is a commoner girl of little consequence.

Judging by her grades alone, she could have entered the Department of Magic at the Pellit Academy, but she ended up here due to her common birth.

And what kind of place is this, you ask?

“The perennial runner-up academy with a futureless discipline.”

The Lunia Academy accepted commoners, but that didn’t mean they disregarded lineage.

Because of that, the academy made a proposal to Charlotte, who had good grades.

There was a spot available in the Department of Magical Engineering.

If she could prove her abilities, they would process her transfer after a semester.

Charlotte decided.

Rather than wasting four years in a place like this, she would take the top spot and transfer to the Department of Magic.

That mere birth.

It’s just a difference in the family one is born into.

It can be overcome readily.

“Damn it, why do I have to study this crap?”

The problem was that the discipline of Magical Engineering was irritatingly boring.

There was no fun, the practicals were difficult, and there was still no future.

Classes are cancelled uselessly often, and the professor shows favoritism towards one particular student.

What is this?

“Study or rot, what’s it to be?”

Her patience, such as it was, finally broke during midterms.

“A practical…?”

A notice about the practical exam.

Apparently, they had to invent something themselves, then show it off in a challenge match.

The department had gone mad. There was no other explanation.

Fight? Against those monster offspring?

“Dammit…”

She stayed up three nights straight, crafting a single device.

A disposable wand infused with fire magic.

“See? The limits are obvious.”

A machine cobbled together over three sleepless nights.

And all it could do was unleash a single burst of fire magic. Of course. She hadn’t been accepted into the magic department, so she couldn’t use anything beyond the most rudimentary spells.

Utterly pathetic.

Also, utterly inevitable. Without magic, magical engineering couldn’t function, so the creations of engineers who didn’t know magic were destined to be pathetic.

Charlotte’s stress reached a critical point.

She didn’t know.

She didn’t know anything anymore.

“Annoying…”

She decided to forfeit the instant she failed.

To hell with the exam.

And if this made it impossible to transfer…

‘I’ll drop out.’

She was ready to give it all up.

She was smart, and it was a decision she could make precisely *because* she was smart.

There was no point in investing in a field with no future.

And then.

“That is…”

An anomaly occurred.

“It’s not magic?”

There wasn’t a trace of magical formula anywhere. No ‘magic circle,’ the telltale sign of a spell being cast.

In other words, magical engineering without magic.

It didn’t take her long to grasp the situation.

She had witnessed it with her own eyes.

The most ideal future of this discipline!

‘This is it.’

Even if she *did* get into the magic department, there was no guarantee of success.

As a commoner, her chances of surviving in a world crawling with nobles were, to put it mildly, slim.

But this…

No, *that* technology…

“You can succeed.”

Lane Ortiz.

Oddly enough, the professor’s pet, that annoying prodigy.

But there was a clear reason for the favoritism.

“…I’d favor him too.”

So that’s what they mean by ‘genius,’ huh?

She thought.

Let’s steal the technology.

Steal that technology, publish the paper first, get validated first.

Snatch ‘first’ and get recognized in the academic world.

“How do I steal it?”

As mentioned before, she was smart. Not a genius, of course, but she knew how to use her head in ways they didn’t.

‘…He looks pretty ordinary. Probably doesn’t have much experience with women, either.’

A somewhat underhanded method came to mind.

Frankly, Charlotte was objectively quite pretty. Seducing a plain guy like that would be a piece of cake.

Alright.

This plan will work.

Immediately after the midterm exams, she approached Lane.

“Excuse me, you’re Lane Ortiz, right?”

A smile bloomed on her lips.

“It’s nothing big, but, that machine you built…”

Feigning interest.

“Could you teach me too?”

Quickly closing the distance.

“Uh…?”

Look at that dazed expression.

He’s already fallen for it.

“Well…”

“Ah… is it too difficult?”

Don’t bother acting coy.

You’re going to agree anyway.

“No, I can teach you. It’s just a little complicated.”

“Really? Then, can I come by after class?”

“Ah, not today.”

Damn, he’s picky.

“Then how about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow is fine.”

You were going to say yes eventually.

Charlotte stepped back with a victorious smile.

Just one year.

“Within the year, I’ll be taking all of your skills.”

“Hehe.”

That night, sleep came easily, full of good feeling.

And then, the next day.

I met with Rain, looking rather worn.

I wondered what state he was in, but didn’t feel the need to ask. As long as my goal was achieved, that was all that mattered.

Charlotte and Rain entered the laboratory alone.

“Alright, I’ll start by explaining the basics.”

“Great!”

Rain started his explanation, and…

Charlotte was taken aback.

“Could you explain that again?”

“So, this is….”

What is he even saying?

“Huh? Wait a moment. What did you say the principle of this circuit was?”

“Ah, did I make it too difficult?”

Quite a few explanations were repeated, and…

It was Rain who cracked first.

“You don’t know this?”

“…It’s a concept I’m seeing for the first time, how would I know?”

“But I just explained it!”

“Haha… Could you explain it just a bit more simply?”

“It couldn’t be any simpler than this.”

Rain muttered to himself.

“…The professor understood it in one go, though.”

Charlotte was a little stung, but somehow maintained her smile.

The problem was the next thing he said.

“Ah… even I know this. Sorry, I can’t teach you if you’re dense.”