“……”
After scanning the surroundings to ensure no one was paying attention, Sean said with a serious expression,
“Watch your words. Do you think the exploration team was formed for no reason? After dozens, even hundreds, of academic papers were presented, discussed, and reviewed in the academic community, this possibility was established.”
“I know.”
“You know, and yet you are saying such things?”
Sean, who had raised his voice, quickly lowered it,
“Do you know how many professors participated in this? You’re challenging all those old folks now.”
“But what if it’s true?”
As Elric shrugged, Sean frowned.
He was well aware of Elric’s skills.
However, he couldn’t fathom that hundreds of reputed scholars had drawn a line over years of research.
“Explain.”
Elric pointed to a spot on the map that was attached to the plan.
“This spot here. It’s a fissure caused by tectonic plates colliding. It’s like a cliff that drops straight down. Geological surveys suggest it’s been there for at least a hundred thousand years, so this would be the only place they’d think a dragon’s nest could be.”
An enormous mana was created when two strata collided.
Over thousands of years, it must have settled and condensed between the fissures.
The theoretical basis was strong.
-From high to low.
The fissure was much deeper than the ground.
So deep that the end couldn’t be seen.
-From hot to cold.
The sun didn’t reach it, so it had to be colder than the surface.
-From wide to narrow.
The end of the crack would be very narrow.
Magicians, finding traces of dragons, eliminated impossible hypotheses one by one until only one place remained.
And so, they concluded that the dragon’s nest was here.
“But there’s one element in this fissure that violates the Three Laws of Mana Stream.”
“Quit dragging it out.”
“The underground is hot.”
Sean’s expression darkened.
“What? There’s no volcanic activity here. It’s 300 meters underground, where the sun doesn’t even reach.”
“But there’s hot groundwater originating from volcanic lava.”
“Volcano? Where on earth is there one here?”
Elric pointed to a spot on the map.
And Sean frowned again.
The place Elric pointed to was the Akran Volcano, located far north in the ‘Ring of Fire,’ a restricted area that was far from the dragon’s nest in the southern continent.
Then Elric began to speak rapidly.
“The water originating from the Akran Volcano penetrates below the continent without passing through the sea due to the unique topography of the ‘Ring of Fire.’ The Dragon Spring vein, used as a water source in villages formed along the east coast, is part of it. So…”
As Elric pinpointed each terrain, Sean’s gaze followed, and his complexion grew paler.
“Considering all these conditions, the only section where the tangled groundwater can descend is here.”
Then Elric drew a large circle around the section where the dragon’s nest was said to be located.
“…But as you can see on the last page, they successfully collected the dragon’s magical wavelength from nearby.”
Sean spoke in a retorting manner. And Elric chuckled in response.
“Didn’t I say there wouldn’t be a nest here?”
“What?”
“There will be one. Definitely. After all, it’s a spiritual place where mana must gather. Here.”
“Then where do you think the nest is?”
“Here.”
Elric pointed to a nameless cave far to the west of their original location.
“It’s definitely here.”
His voice was very firm.
“…Damn. How do I explain this to that old-timer?”
Sean had to constantly scratch the back of his head irritably all the way back to the lab.
The more he pondered what Elric had told him, the more he was convinced that he was correct.
And also, the fact that the real dragon’s nest might be at the last location Elric pointed out.
That was an even bigger problem.
Now, he had to confront the professor, and it was entirely his responsibility.
Sean’s professor was a powerful man, even being mentioned as the next dean.
He loved political games more than research, and adored his appearance more than his papers.
He had forcibly recruited Sean just to maintain a good image with his family lineage.
Therefore, the professor despised anything that tainted his authority.
Considering he had spearheaded this expedition plan, he would obviously be furious upon hearing there was no nest.
‘Should I just pretend I didn’t know and move on?’
But then again, this opportunity was important for Elric.
If it became known that Elric had accurately identified the location of the real nest, who knows? He might get his name published in newspapers.
‘Let’s give it a shot.’
After hesitating for a while outside the professor’s door, Sean finally mustered up the courage to knock.
“Hmm! Sean, so you’re saying the nest might be in a completely different place?”
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Professor Brooks looked at Sean with an overtly displeased expression.
“No, it’s just that I think there’s also a possibility that it might be here. I wanted to seek your expert opinion on it.”
Sean tried to phrase it in a way that wouldn’t upset Professor Brooks.
But Brooks’s gaze was already fiery enough to scorch him.
‘Damn! This is why I didn’t want to come!’
If it weren’t for Sean’s background, Brooks probably would’ve thrown an ashtray at him by now.
“You’ll need to convince me why you’ve come to that conclusion. And if you can’t… It doesn’t matter if you’re the heir of the Nalesta family, I won’t let it slide.”
Sean’s mouth went dry, but he clenched his fist and slowly continued explaining.
As expected.
As Sean continued, the expression on Professor Brooks’s face subtly changed.
“…That’s what I suspect.”
After the entire explanation…
Tap.
Tap.
Without a word, Professor Brooks rhythmically tapped his desk with his index finger.
It was his habit when deep in thought. As the furrow on his brow deepened,
“Whose opinion was this speculation?”
“It… It’s from Elric Melvinger of the Elemental Magic Department!”
“Ah, the pride of the Melvinger family, huh? Then I need to think about this even more.”
Professor Brooks smirked.
“Professor…”
“It’s certainly a plausible guess. I was momentarily swayed by it, too. Such insight and perspective are hard to come by for an average student.”
“But…!”
“But! That’s all. Haven’t you considered the loss that occurs as groundwater flows southward? Moreover, all the evidence you’ve presented is merely conjecture, right? You’re saying all this without a shred of evidence. It just seems like you pieced together various papers that are already out there.”
Professor Brooks continued with a light chuckle.
“I heard that Mr. Melvinger is on academic probation again and is at risk of expulsion? He’ll surely fail the supplementary exams with that incompetent body that can’t even accumulate magic… It seems like he had some scheme up his sleeve.”
Idiot.
Sean’s fist tightened at that word.
Whether Professor Brooks noticed Sean’s reaction or not…
The professor made a dismissive gesture, as if he didn’t want to hear anymore.
“You might have tried to trick this naive one here, but you can’t deceive my eyes.”
“But…”
“Hmm?”
“But… isn’t there a possibility that Elric Melvinger’s speculation could be right?”
Sean asked, his voice tight, as if suppressing something.
Professor Brooks looked Sean up and down, about to scold him for saying something ridiculous, but then suddenly smiled kindly.
“Of course, unpredictable things can happen. As the dean, I can’t just ignore the opinion of a student who hasn’t been expelled yet.”
“Then…!”
“So, here’s my proposition.”
“…What do you propose?”
For a moment, one corner of Professor Brooks’s mouth twisted into a smirk.
“I’ll give you an opportunity on behalf of the department. How about a bet?”
“A bet? Sure. Deal.”
Elric ran to his dormitory in a heartbeat and nodded at Sean, who had been ranting about what happened with his advisor.
Sean, visibly agitated, snapped,
“Hey!”
“Man, you’re loud. The next room can hear you. Keep it down.”
But Sean didn’t pay any heed to Elric’s remark.
“Aren’t you angry?”
“About what?”
“That the dean would practically rob a mere student of such a treasured item…!”
Sean couldn’t get Professor Brooks’s final bet proposal out of his mind.
-I’ll delegate to you all the authority necessary to form an exploration team. Mr. Elric Melvinger’s hypothesis seemed plausible, so what harm is there in verifying it?
-However, as you know, the department’s budget isn’t exactly generous. So, we’ll need a solid justification to persuade the Finance Department. If the exploration fails, we need something to fall back on…
-So, here’s what I propose. I’ve heard Mr. Elric Melvinger always treasures an heirloom from our founding dean. How about putting that up as collateral?
Usdun Melvinger, the founding dean of Usdun Academy, was Elric’s grandfather.
Elric had never met him personally because he passed away before Elric was born.
However, having left such a significant mark in continental history, Elric knew his face from statues and was familiar with his achievements through legends.
The sole heirloom left to the family by such a revered grandfather was with him.
Or, more accurately, it was an heirloom passed down through the generations to the head of the Melvinger family.
It was a faded necklace shaped like a swastika and commonly known as a Magical Necklace.
Elric often wore it, occasionally forgetting its importance.
However, to those who revered Usdun Melvinger and worshipped the magical scriptures, it held unparalleled significance.
Professor Brooks was demanding that exact item.
Although he made it sound like a simple ‘collateral,’ it was clear as day whose hands it would fall into.
For other nobles who prioritized family honor above all else, it was a suggestion so insulting that a duel wouldn’t have been out of the question.
Yet…
Smirk.
All Elric did was chuckle softly.
“That old man has had his eyes on this for more than a day or two.”
“Are you really saying that right now…?!”
“Still, thank you. In the end, you took my side, didn’t you?”
“Damn it.”
Sean slumped down in place.
Although he had been angry on behalf of Elric until now, seeing the actual person involved react this way made him feel even more drained.
Elric, on the other hand, looked at his friend with a fond expression.
“…So, what will you do now? Will you really give it up?”
Professor Brooks attached a condition that, if a nest was indeed found at the place Elric speculated, he would waive the tuition fees.
It was a do-or-die situation.
“Well. It’s a fair deal.”
“Ugh! After all…”
“But one thing’s missing.”
“…?”
“On our side, we stake my family’s treasure, but on their side, they only offer to waive the tuition? The balance is off.”
“So?”
For a moment, Elric’s smile looked just as wicked in Sean’s eyes as Professor Brooks’s.
“The dean should also stake something of equivalent value, like his tenure as dean. Don’t you think so? The balance has to be right.”
“…!”
Only then did Sean recall another nickname that had quietly spread among the students regarding Elric, aside from the ‘Disgrace of the Melvinger Family’.
The stubborn mule of the Melvinger family.
