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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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Ki Ju-seon was effectively the most brilliant professor at the academy.
He wasn’t just a representative professor for his year—he could be considered the top figure in the magical arts representing the entire school.
Despite this, very few people knew his name.
While part of this was due to his aversion to public appearances, the main reason was his personality.
‘A typical eccentric.’
Even when making great discoveries or inventions, he would only publish papers, considering them mere steps in a process.
He was an odd existence who, even after presentations, showed no notable activity.
No one knew what he was pursuing.
They only knew that he gathered talented individuals and locked himself away in his laboratory with them.
Nobody could understand his true purpose.
Even his research students, busy solving the tasks before them, didn’t grasp the ultimate goal connecting everything.
‘Because it’s such an outlandish idea.’
Originally, I had planned to approach this by waiting until his research progressed somewhat, then “accidentally” dropping hints that would lead to him giving advice.
The question of how much future knowledge I could reveal without affecting the ending was a major consideration.
That’s why I had initially planned to be extremely cautious and build power slowly, but the game wouldn’t allow such a tempo.
If it demanded I forge ahead alone, I had no choice but to comply.
Knock knock knock.
I knocked immediately upon reaching Ki Ju-seon’s laboratory.
Whirr.
The door opened automatically without anyone answering my knock.
While automatic doors were very familiar on Earth, in this game world they were technology several years ahead of their time.
‘It’s quiet.’
Perhaps they hadn’t received news of the student’s death yet—the laboratory was still chaotic with ongoing research.
“Does anyone know the calculation for this magic formula?”
“Oh? I worked on that recently, just wait a moment.”
“No, the conditions are different this time. Back then we used 23g of intermediate mana stone, but this time we’re using 12g of high-grade mana stone, so the reaction is different.”
“Ah… then you’ll probably have to research that independently.”
“…Oh.”
A lonely island.
Despite eagerly recruiting outside talent, Ki Ju-seon’s laboratory felt incredibly isolated.
They wouldn’t reveal what research they were doing—they just recruited anyone who seemed talented and immediately gave them problems to solve.
It felt like a ghost ship, pressing madly forward despite having lost its destination.
“Hmm, my intuition wasn’t wrong—you’ve come.”
Just as I was carefully making my way toward Ki Ju-seon, trying not to disturb the research…
He recognized me first and greeted me with a wave.
Judging by his small applause, he had apparently expected my arrival.
“Hello, Professor. I’m…”
“I know, I know very well! You’re Lee Seok-hyun, aren’t you?!”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“I sent you a love call once, but you slipped away quite cleanly. You really exploited how physically weak our research students are, since they’re so single-mindedly focused on magic!”
As I listened to his words, unsure whether they were praise or resentment, Ki Ju-seon slowly approached me.
‘He’s huge.’
On the game screen, he had just looked a head taller than other characters.
But seeing him in person, he appeared to be around 195cm tall.
Moreover, that was with his shoulders and back hunched—if he stood properly, he would easily exceed two meters.
With his disheveled hair and thick-lensed glasses.
Vampire-like skin that seemed to have never seen sunlight, and a skeletal frame.
He looked like a walking mad scientist cliché straight out of a manga.
“I thought highly of those aspects too, but I decided to give up on you. Because forcing someone who dislikes it into the laboratory won’t produce proper results anyway.”
His height nearly touched the ceiling with just a slight raise of his foot.
Having such a large figure approach slowly created its own kind of pressure.
It was a moment that perfectly illustrated how people form prejudices based on appearance, even knowing there’s no ill intent.
“So I had to give up on you. Other professors were clamoring for you too… and Acasa even publicly declared you as her disciple. You’d clearly be too busy, right? So I gave up. I gave up, I tell you! But! Now you appear here, how delightful! Even if you don’t join my laboratory, it’s always wonderful when a student seeks out a professor!”
Faced with his near-manic speech, I hesitated to bring up my main point.
Or rather, I couldn’t properly open my mouth.
‘Isn’t he in too good a mood?’
Something must have happened—Ki Ju-seon was in an exceptionally good state.
I knew he was unusual, but not to this extent.
The most surprising thing was how the research students continued their work without even glancing up, despite the professor’s manic behavior.
Seeing their demeanor suggesting they would continue calculating formulas and deriving results even during a natural disaster, I realized the entire laboratory was a scene of madness.
“Hmm, perhaps I’ve talked too much? Well then, why have you come? Unlike when I sent my love call.”
He seemed a bit bitter about that too.
“I have a request.”
“A request?”
“Yes, something I believe only you can do, Professor Ki Ju-seon.”
“Oho!”
Ki Ju-seon showed great interest at my words specifically choosing him among all of Mirinae Academy’s numerous professors.
If an ordinary student had said this it would be one thing, but coming from someone who had perfectly solved all five theory exam questions, it piqued his curiosity.
“What is it! Speak quickly! Don’t keep me in suspense!”
“It’s a bit awkward to say openly… could we speak somewhere private?”
“That won’t do, I can’t leave the laboratory—I need to be able to handle any sudden situations.”
“Would whispering be acceptable then?”
“Ah, that works!”
Having built up enough curiosity, it was time to get to the main point.
Ki Ju-seon bent down to match my eye level, accommodating our height difference, and I whispered in his ear.
“…?”
Whispering with Professor Ki Ju-seon in the middle of a crowded room.
Even the focused research students couldn’t help but glance over occasionally at this sight.
His reactions changed in real-time with each word I spoke.
First his eyes widened, then his legs trembled, and finally he clenched his fists so tightly that crescents formed in his palms.
“That’s my request.”
“…Where did you hear about this?”
“It’s my own idea.”
“Is that so.”
With those words, Ki Ju-seon fell silent for a while.
He rolled his eyes around deep in thought, suddenly messed up his hair, and downed an entire pot of coffee in one go.
After several minutes of bizarre behavior as if possessed, Ki Ju-seon clapped his huge hands three times.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The attention-grabbing action made everyone, including me, look at him, and he immediately spoke his mind.
“Everyone gets a chance to take a break outside! Except for you, Seok-hyun, of course.”
“What? But that’s…”
“Vacation! Yes! Vacation! They call it half-day leave, right? You’re using it now! And you’re using the free half-day leave coupons I just distributed!”
The research students quickly organized their materials, realizing he was politely asking them to leave because they would be in the way.
Their actions came from trust that he wouldn’t make such a request without good reason, though they didn’t know why.
He might act crazy, but he was a crazy person who maintained proper boundaries.
That was Ki Ju-seon’s nature.
“Everyone get some good rest and I’ll see you tomorrow! You can sleep more! Sleep well! Thank Lee Seok-hyun for this opportunity!”
“Ohhh, Lee Seok-hyun, truly another father to me.”
“Wasn’t Professor Ki Ju-seon already your father?”
“…Ohhh~ My third father.”
“Seok-hyun God! Seok-hyun God! Seok-hyun God! Seok-hyun God! Seok-hyun God! Seok-hyun God!”
“Take me! Take me! Take me! Take me!”
After the research students’ incomprehensible praise ended…
Ki Ju-seon pulled over an empty desk and placed it between us.
Bang!
An action that might seem somewhat rough.
I understood it was uncontrollable joy emerging from his excited state.
Whirr. Click.
Ki Ju-seon sat silently at the desk until all the research students left, then spoke immediately as the door closed.
“Isn’t it childish?”
An abrupt question.
I understood its true meaning.
“No, it isn’t.”
“Don’t you think it’s far-fetched?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Do you really believe it’s possible?”
“Yes.”
Questions and answers exchanged without stating the exact subject.
But I continued answering with eyes full of conviction.
“…To think there’s a student who shares my dream.”
“You’ve been dreaming of the same thing, Professor?”
“Yes, what do you call it?”
It takes about four years for a student to become a proper contributor to society.
Two years if they show talent early and get scouted by a guild with full support.
One year if they possess brilliant talent.
Ki Ju-seon found this timeframe frustrating.
Even now, dungeons could suddenly appear and monsters could emerge to kill people.
How long must the powerless live under others’ protection?
Yet those with power didn’t always save those without it.
Some might fight for honor or greater wealth, with salvation being merely an incidental byproduct.
It was true that the wine drunk while protecting nobles tasted sweeter than the bread crumbs earned protecting commoners.
‘That’s why Ki Ju-seon turned to research.’
A way to allow commoners to protect themselves.
If they couldn’t build power in their environment, create something that would provide power automatically.
Something that would let ordinary people instantly wield power equivalent to a knight.
“I call it Manaplate Armor.”
Manaplate Armor.
“Better than the name I came up with. Let’s go with that.”
It was time to properly kindle this research’s spark.
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