The Magic Academy's Physicist-Chapter 112: Gathering Of Evil (3)

Chapter 112: Gathering Of Evil (3)

The Beasts gathered around the round table once more after taking care of the situation.

The Great Mechas sipped on their beryllium tea with calm expressions as if nothing had happened. It was a top-quality product that they’d gotten from the land of elves via a secret route.

“Now, let’s get to the main subject.”

Akasha was the first to speak. Although Rosemary was the one leading this meeting, Akasha also had tons to say. If there hadn’t been anything going on, she would’ve held a gathering first.

“As I said before, I met my sister in Saliere territory. I think she regained her memories.”

“Oho, is that so?”

“I’m telling you it is.”

Akasha waved her hands up and down in joy.

“She called my name as soon as we first met! It’s at least proof that her memories are coming back.”

Akasha’s mind was already off in happyland. The tedious game of ‘observing’ humans would come to an end, and there would be a grand return to the Demon Army. She’d command the Second Brigade together with her as they waited for the day their King would resurrect. She couldn’t ask for anything better if that happened.

But there was always someone in the group who burst another’s happy bubble.

“This one doesn’t think so.”

“... What.”

Jǫrmungandr put down the cup of quality beryllium tea she’d been drinking with added yellowcake powder1 because of its blandness and continued.

“Your sister came to this one’s home. She offered to do this one a favor that within her means in exchange for some of the mana stone that this one produces.”

Instead of sugar cubes, Jǫrmungandr put some polonium in her tea and stirred it with her nail.

“... What did you ask for?”

“It was a simple assignment of taking care of the Youko. She could have damaged the Saliere territory for convenience’s sake in the process but she didn’t.”

Aether could have stood by as the Youko plundered to guarantee their food supply and well-being. In fact, such behavior would’ve been fitting of the Demon Army.

“If her memories had returned and she was testing or despising humans, she would not have made such an inconvenient decision.”

The other Great Mechas might not know, but as one who’d served the Demon King with her for a long, long time, Jǫrmungandr could tell.

“That one always chooses whatever action yields the most profit in the shortest amount of time. Even if she does not remember her time with us, that nature wouldn’t have changed.”

A person’s nature didn’t change easily. Humans, elves, beastkin, and Beasts were the same in this way.

The same went for Jǫrmungandr herself. She was someone who stayed in her mountain because she didn’t care for anything other than things related to Elementals or the beastkin. Rosemary was always ranting about humans whenever she saw her and Akasha was a child who only cared about her sister.

“That’s nonsense.”

As such, Akasha didn’t believe Jǫrmungandr’s words.

“There’s a logical error to what you’re saying. If Aether really doesn’t remember anything, how did she find you? You aren’t going to say some crap like you went to see her yourself, are you?”

Jǫrmungandr’s home was at the peak of Pitchblende Mountain, specifically the ‘Falling Dragon Peak’ known for its rough, steep terrain. With the location being where it was, nobody tried to enter it nor was it a place easily accessible.

She wasn’t going to try and explain this. Shrugging her shoulders, Jǫrmungandr drank her neutron-heavy tea.

“This one does not know why, either.”

“Are you shitting me right now?”

“It isn’t such trivial things that matter, but the power to see through someone’s essence. If this one says it isn’t, it isn’t.”

“Showing off just because you lived long....”

“I thought this before, but you are a bit different from your older twin. You should learn how to treat your elders, at least.”

“Then why don’t you bring me my sister.”

Until then, the other Great Mechas had only been listening. Quintus was only making noises of interest, and Tertius usually remained silent during arguments like these.

The only one who could step forward was Rosemary. Deep in thought, she spoke up.

“Maybe it was that beastkin brat who spilled the info?”

“Who are you speaking of?”

“You know, that wee kid you take care of sometimes. I don’t know what she ate to grow up even shorter than me.”

“Well, it could be.”

It was guessing territory from this point. Without certainty, the Beasts quickly lost interest. It was because Rosemary was the only one who enjoyed this kind of reasoning while the rest preferred to see the situation for themselves.

“Now it’s my turn, right?”

Rosemary put her hands on the table and rose. As she had been the one to gather their comrades this time, she had something urgent to say.

“Alright, don’t be surprised. It seems that big sis is dating some elf at the Academy.”

“...... What?”

“Put your cup down and listen calmly. That’s what the rumors are saying.”

Akasha’s face scrunched harshly. Her eyes naturally turned to Rosemary’s aide, Jack Blanton.

“Orléans, is that true?”

Orléans was the true name of Duke Blanton.

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.

“Yes, it is.”

“... Tell me about it.”

At the younger twin’s request, Rosemary told Akasha about what she’d seen and heard. It took quite a long time but none of the comrades were bored. It seemed the idea of a Beast building a relationship with an elf had come as quite the shock.

After hearing everything, Akasha threw her teacup over Rosemary’s head.

Smash!

“Bring that bastard here right now.”

“Calm down, Akasha. I’m in the middle of checking because I can’t believe it either. Blanton keeps saying that it probably is so it’s a bit confusing at the moment.”

“Then don’t say it in the first place!”

“Just keep it in mind. If I don’t say anything and it becomes a problem later, it’ll all fall on me, no?”

The reason why the Demon Army was more powerful compared to the Empire was due to these meetings. Because the chief executives of each troop would gather at every opportunity and exchange information, they were flexible in the way that they dealt with problems.

This was the same case. Even a simple rumor was reported. Having ‘Scope’, information from Rosemary in particular was fairly accurate even if the source was based on rumors.

Akasha scowled as she pulled on her hair.

“This won’t do. You keep an eye on that bastard until we know for sure.”

“Didn’t I tell you already? I’m staying low until the Lodestone comes to the capital.”

“It did.”

“What...?”

Akasha recapped the things that happened at Saliere County. Except for crashing through the mansion’s window.

“The storm damage caused by Octavus was more successful than I’d have imagined. Even without the great Primus here, the museum got flooded from that alone so they decided to move the seal stone to Tilette.”

“Ha, picking on this one again....”

“It’s practically confirmed that the Lodestone of Fire will be inside the Academy. It’ll probably be there for half a year before maintenance of Saliere County’s museum is finished.”

At the sudden news that one of the keys to resurrecting the Demon King was coming into her area, a smile spread across her face.

“Good.... Very good.”

Then this changed things.

**Leaving Angelica to Vermel, I left the clubroom and made my way to where the chairman was.

I organized a lot of thoughts while I walked.

The immediate ones being how I was going to explain to Lotte and Freyr about bashing a fourth year senior’s head in, if it was fine to leave those Literature Club members who were spreading rumors, how to solve the next stage of the hydrogen bomb, what to eat for dinner.... etc.

And the deepest concern of all was something related to the chairman.

“Come in, please.”

Chairman Robespierre had asked me to come see him when I came back to the capital. As soon as he heard my knocking, he opened the door as if he’d been waiting.

Nobody in the world would know that numerous nobles including this man paid my tuition for the next semester.

“Is the miniaturization of Flare that we discussed last time going well?”

Nope.

“I’ve been working on it.”

Going to start on it now.

“Good, I look forward to the day it’ll be finished. It’s the only hope of Fire Magic we have.”

The chairman had ordered the miniaturization of the Flare scroll at that secret meeting with Miss Heerlein and others.

The official reason was to streamline the distribution of supplies on the warfront. Looking at it like this, he only seemed like a normal Fire Mage showing interest in the magic called Flare.

The reality was something different.

The standard of ‘miniaturization’ that Robespierre was talking about was different from the one used in warfare. Miniaturization here meant to ‘make a tiny scroll that can be carried in inner pockets’.

To put it simply, it was for assassination purposes.

This man intended to overthrow the country.

“On a different note, did you register for courses?”

“I’ll do it at the Registrar’s Office tomorrow.”

If I stayed too long, then someone else might misunderstand. For some reason, I was uncomfortable being in a room alone with a man after I’d started hanging around Vermel. I just said what I needed to and left.

Then the next day.

I dropped by the Office of the Registrar to register for courses.

This world didn’t have PCs so everyone had to register at the same place. According to Lorewell, it was a pain because of all the students who gathered at every end of the break to try and get the ‘gut courses’.

First years didn’t have anything like that. Like the universities on Earth, you ran out of time and credits just by taking the required courses for your major. Since I got first place overall, I could take six more credits than other people but I didn’t want to play Hermi*ne all the way here, too.

Universities were originally a place to study alone. The TA was better than the prof, and the textbooks in the library were more dependable than the TA.

Because it was the registration period for first years, the building wasn’t that crowded.

The ones who came to register were indeed mostly first years. Being the race that I was, I was pretty much able to memorize faces that I saw once. Daisy, Hashalé, Chloe, Lierra, Maxwell, Ernst.... I hadn’t had any deep conversations with them but they were all faces I’d at least said hi to.

The ones that I didn’t recognize.... repeats?

I suppose that wasn’t my concern. And as I was about to move on–

“Hello.”

A girl in a deep black dress suddenly popped out from one side and greeted me.

I jerked away and couldn’t even scream at her abrupt appearance. My poor heart, geez.

“It’s my first time doing course registration, so... would you be able to help me for a moment?”

The indigo-haired girl held out a course registration paper while looking at me with bright eyes.

And who the hell was this?

Footnotes

1. "Yellowcake (also called urania) is a type of powdered uranium concentrate obtained from leach solutions, in an intermediate step in the processing of uranium ores" (Wikipedia)