[ Episode 224. Unexpected encounter]
I knocked on the principal’s office door and immediately heard Deos’s voice.
“Come on in.”
As soon as I opened the door, the nasty smell of mana began to vibrate.
“Are you the first author of this paper?”
“Oh, Carmen. Shouldn’t we start by saying hello and saying hello to each other?”
“okay! I was in too much of a hurry!”
As soon as I entered, it was dizzy to exchange words with them.
I greeted Diene, who had arrived earlier, and greeted Deos.
“Forgive me for being late. I haven’t been able to hear from you because I’m busy preparing my thesis.”
“Oh oh! After all, you are the first author!”
A shaggy wizard named Carmen made a fuss.
He looked like a maniac in case someone wasn’t a warlock.
“haha. Seekers are very interested in our students. For now, students Adrias and Lucia should sit comfortably.”
Deos was skilled at recommending a table to Lucia, who had suddenly visited.
I sat next to Diene and looked at the wizards across from me.
There were about 15 people in total, but only three of them who sat across from us were de-bowers.
All the rest of the other seats in the principal’s office are their assistants.
“First of all, let me explain, Student Adrias. These seekers from Portrion came to see the thesis being co-authored by students Adrias and Diene. He said he has something to say about his dissertation, so I hope we can have a good conversation.”
Investigator was a title that referred to Debauer in a good way.
However, in reality, they were called devourers rather than seekers, and they did not dwell on what they called themselves.
Anyway, it was not a bad opportunity for me either.
Most of the devourers had little desire for fame or money.
Therefore, it was highly likely that he came for a literal intellectual quest rather than to take away my thesis.
“We are grateful to the wizards of Portrion for their interest in our thesis.”
“Are you the first author? yes?”
“That’s right.”
I nodded my head to Carmen, who was obsessed with the first author from earlier.
“I have heard of Bahat’s daughter, but you are the first. What’s your name?”
“This is Adrias Cromwell.”
“Hear it for the first time!”
Carmen, who spoke with a shaking beard, was certainly not a normal person.
Then, around the time I was worried that my eyes would suddenly turn around and use magic, another devourer spoke to me.
“I heard from a conversation with Miss Diene first, but you are the real owner of this thesis, right?”
“If it wasn’t for Diene, it would have been just a delusion. Her credit is greater to be called the owner.”
“Hmm. You are humble.”
The one-eyed woman who stopped Carmen for the first time nodded.
Thanks to that iconic feature, I recognized who the opponent was at once.
‘Biente to dry to death.’
A combat warlock who had a great reputation before entering Fortion.
Although he was polite and polite, he was an opponent who couldn’t let his guard down.
“Anyway, it looks like all parties have gathered, so let’s start talking in earnest. Are you also related?”
The last debauer pointed at Lucia and asked.
Then Diane answered instead.
“Yes, he is a friend who is helping us.”
“Good.”
Unlike Carmen, the clean-looking old man had an appearance that anyone would associate with being a wizard.
He said, putting a copy of the thesis we distributed around on the table.
“First of all, I apologize for reading your thesis without permission. I keep in touch with the head of the Department of Magic here from time to time, but I hear that a paper on an interesting topic has come out.”
When I asked how he got it, it must have been Beril’s work.
well done berial.
“How far is the thesis going?”
“More than 90%.”
“There are still some left.”
It was said that it was more than 90%, but the reaction of the developers was skeptical.
They probably know what we mean by 90%.
“Still enough to assign a rating. So we assigned a rating instead, is that okay?”
“On the contrary, thank you.”
The dissertation’s grade assignment was to select wizards with public confidence every year and grade the papers that came out during the year through them.
However, there was an exception to this, and that was the grade the developer gave.
The ratings they gave have a much stronger power, especially since they don’t rate any papers, so all the authors of the papers wanted Devourer to grade them.
“Are you saying you’ve already rated it?”
Diene, who had been listening, interjected quietly.
Then Biante, who was next to him, nodded.
“that’s right. In fact, it could have just been published, but the three of us came here because we wanted to personally meet the authors of the paper.”
There was a moment of silence after that.
Looking around, I could see that Diene was acting like nothing was wrong, and Lucia was estimating the other person rather than focusing on the conversation itself.
“Actually, it’s kind of funny when you look at it. How do we rate the research achievements of others?”
The one who broke the silence was the Devourer, who seemed to be the leader of the three.
I hadn’t heard his name yet, so I couldn’t guess who it was.
It wasn’t that I knew all the characters.
“Furthermore, we are sorry to dare to evaluate this thesis that you have established. But for the advancement of academia, it would be much more helpful for us to rank them.”
“We are rather honored.”
“Thank you for saying that. Can I ask you a question before I tell you the grade?”
“Tell me.”
The old man’s eyes flashed for a moment.
It felt like it was looking right through me, but I was just leaning comfortably against the backrest.
“This thesis. Anyone can think.”
“That’s right.”
“But it is. Making this idea into a thesis is another matter. It is the realm of certainty.”
The fragrant smell of mana was thick.
It felt like the air was getting heavy with every word he said.
“Sure yes sure! If you’re not sure, try a topic you won’t even look at! For example: It’s like a person with no reputation suddenly picks up a stone rolling down the street and says it’s a gemstone and processes it. Others have seen the stone with their own eyes, but cannot be sure that it is a gemstone. No, rather, the one who is sure that it is a gemstone is crazy.”
He’s right.
My thesis is a thesis that could not be made in the first place without certainty.
He gave a very accurate analogy.
“But you picked up the stone and processed it as if it were a raw stone. I wonder about the source of that certainty.”
“I can’t say that. sorry.”
I couldn’t answer.
Because I know the information in the game?
no. This is a problem caused by the subject of this thesis itself.
The reason why I was able to be sure of this thesis was the knowledge in the game, but there was a more fundamental cause than that.
Even in the game in the first place, the knowledge that was discovered due to the cause.
“The answer is, that is enough. That word is enough to understand that there is a source that is not just researched.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
Luckily, he didn’t ask too much.
But I guess it wasn’t Carmen.
“Why can’t you talk? I am curious!”
“It is my personal matter. You could call it a trade secret.”
I spoke politely, and Biante joined in.
“He is under no obligation to tell us. Besides, we are guests, so please be polite, Carmen.”
“Okay.”
Carmen let out a pained sound, and the grass died.
Apparently, he couldn’t go against Biente’s words.
“It took a long time. There are many things I want to talk to you about, so let’s talk about the rank we’ve decided on first.”
When the leader drew his hand once in the air, colorful letters were engraved.
The letters filled with dreamy colors soon became letters we can read.
“That’s…….”
“The rating of this thesis is ‘out of rating’.”
Everyone was at a loss for words at the first hearing grade.
The grades of universal papers are numbered from 5 to 1, but there was an extra special grade.
However, it was the first time even I had heard that it was not a special grade, but a grade.
“What exactly does being out of class mean?”
Deos, who had been listening without interrupting our conversation until then, asked.
The leader nodded at his question, which represented our question.
“Probably an unfamiliar grade. In fact, even if it never came out, it’s okay.”
He winked at Biente.
Then Biente continued to explain.
“Out-of-grade is literally the story of being out of grade. The limited express is such a category, but the difference from the limited express is whether or not it can become universal knowledge.”
“Universal knowledge?”
“yes. This treatise you have made will become universal knowledge. In a word, it means that the academic value is high enough to become common sense in the world.”
I was a little bewildered, but when I heard Biante’s explanation, it seemed that he had given it an absurdly high price.
Diene must have felt that way too, so she said in a slightly trembling voice.
“When you say universal knowledge, do you mean basic common sense, such as the five elements?”
“That’s right. When this thesis is completed and once again properly reviewed and passed, there will be a change in all magical academia. Of course, even if it is passed, sufficient research will have to be conducted.”
After Biante’s explanation, Deos looked back and forth between us and the Devourers with a shocked look on his face.
However, Diene and Lucia were also surprised.
“You are not surprised.”
The old leader, the leader, smiled and told me.
Of course, I also tilted my head at the unfamiliar word “out of grade,” but it was true that I wasn’t surprised.
But you don’t have to tell me that fact.
“I’m just managing my expression, but I’m not surprised.”
“Funny. He even lies leisurely…”
I thought he had a good reason, but I noticed right away.
Is it also a debowler?
Still, I was confident because I hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Actually, I knew your name well because I had heard it for a long time. But I didn’t know it would be like this. Also great.”
did you know me
Devourers are those who are cut off from the world.
It was strange that he knew me like that.
“It is overrated. I am just an academy student.”
“okay. Now that we’ve talked about grades, let’s talk more about this thesis.”
“Before that, may I ask a question first?”
“Tell me.”
“What is your name?”
“Come to think of it, I didn’t get a full name.”
The leader nodded.
Then Carmen spoke first.
“I am Carmen. I mainly make artifacts.”
“This is Biante. I used to wander around when I was young, but now I’m just a mage who studies ancient magic in a corner of Fortion.”
The two already knew.
However, Diene and Lucia let out a surprised exclamation as if they had inferred their identities after hearing their names.
In particular, their gaze toward Biante was full of longing.
By my standards, it’s just a merciless battle mage with no blood or tears.
“I’m sorry I lied about you until now.”
The last remaining leader opened his mouth.
Unlike saying he was sorry, he had a smile on his face, but he asked for our understanding.
“I can’t show you what I saw. But I can tell you the name.”
When I thought I was going to spend more time than I thought, something vaguely passed through my mind when I said that I wasn’t the one I saw.
‘No way……’
He opened his mouth before I could finish my thoughts.
“My name is Maxwell Pendragon. My personality often changes, so please excuse me.”
The owner of Portion.
he was in front of me
[Episode 234. An Unexpected Encounter] End
