Chapter 1124 – #267_A Rough Magic Academy Slice Of Life (3)
#1118
1.
From early morning, the Hessed Academy was as bustling as a marketplace.
The convention hall, a remodeled ballroom, was so crowded that there was barely any room to step, despite its spaciousness that could easily accommodate 500 people. The rest of the academy was also filled with beautiful women, making it as chaotic as a rush-hour subway.
“Wait a minute! Watch where you’re going!”
“You’re the one who should be careful!”
Witches, dressed in long gowns to look their best, were running around with distressed expressions, trying to avoid having their hems stepped on.
Those who managed to find a spot away from the crowd were chatting amongst themselves, wiping away the sweat that had gathered despite the cool late autumn weather.
“Oh my, it’s so chaotic. I didn’t expect so many people to come.”
“That just shows how much attention we’re getting. I’m glad I came an hour early. There’s already no space left on the guestbook.”
“Seriously, what’s so important about an interim report….”
“We’re here too, aren’t we?”
The project that the Hessed Academy was in charge of was the ‘Complete Restoration of the Gate,’ commissioned by the Immigration Office. The reason the academy was so crowded today was because it was the day of the project’s interim report.
Since it was funded by the Gehenna City Hall’s joint research fund, key figures related to the project had gathered to review the feasibility of the project.
However, if you were to ask, ‘Is it normal for this many witches to gather for a research project’s interim report?’ the answer would be ‘No, it’s not.’
Gehenna is a society of trust based on honor.
Attempts to embezzle research funds or present nonsensical results to steal the budget are suicidal acts.
Even the least intelligent person wouldn’t choose to be cursed for generations just for a bit of money, so there’s no need for many observers.
Moreover, the conversations are usually filled with jargon that is incomprehensible to those outside the field, making it incredibly boring.
Therefore, most of the time, it becomes a ‘league of their own,’ with only the researchers in charge and experts from related institutions engaging in debates.
However, Siwoo is a new-generation idol whose every move attracts attention in Gehenna.
“Who cares if I don’t understand the presentation? I can just feast my eyes on the handsome and fit Count who’s the talk of the town.”
“I heard there’s a ball after the report. Do you think the academy president will dance again today?”
This chaotic scene was the result of witches who had no particular interest in whether the ‘Gate’ was restored or not, visiting as if they were going to a concert.
“More importantly, what are we supposed to do in such a small place?”
“They’re a bit lacking in the sense department.”
Among the witches who were wandering around, either expressing interest or grumbling, there were also men who were moving swiftly.
“My lady, would you grant me the honor of escorting you?”
“Cute? What’s your name?”
“Ms. Esther, would you like another martini?”
“Oh my? I just happened to need one. Hehe, you’re quick on the uptake, aren’t you?”
Dressed in neat tuxedos, the attendants were expertly serving various drinks and providing assistance even in the midst of the chaos. They were the hosts from Rose Glass, hired by Siwoo.
Trained in perfect aristocratic etiquette under Takasho’s guidance, the hosts were fully committed to easing the disgruntled witches’ moods.
After an hour of many witches suffering like tourists who had booked their trip on the wrong date, the interim presentation time finally approached.
Sharon, seeing the crowd that had exceeded expectations by three times, used her wit and opened all the windows that doubled as walls on one side of the convention hall. She then placed new chairs in the garden, accommodating a total of 800 witches, and the interim report began.
“Academy President Shin Siwoo will now preside over the interim report.”
When Siwoo stood on the podium, looking as stylish as ever, the atmosphere in the hall was as if an idol concert had been muted.
Although there were no cheers like ‘Milky-skinned Shin Siwoo!’ or ‘Oppa!!!! I love you!!!’, everyone’s eyes were sparkling.
As Shin Siwoo was the most talked-about figure in Gehenna, with both a large fanbase and many critics, everyone was anticipating what would happen.
Whether Count Shin Siwoo would create another sensation, or whether that horny bastard would completely fail.
“……”
Siwoo, standing on the podium, couldn’t help but flinch.
He had never imagined that Duchess Erelim would be sitting in the very front row, the VVIP seats reserved for officials and experts on the ‘Gate.’
Her overall white appearance made her look like a vengeful earthbound spirit in Siwoo’s eyes. He didn’t know why, but she was probably sitting there, cursing that this event would be a complete disaster.
“Hoo.”
Siwoo took a short breath and composed himself.
“Hello. I am Shin Siwoo, the president of the Hessed Academy and the head of the Department of Basic Studies.”
However.
That wouldn’t happen today.
2.
Siwoo did not disappoint the expectations of many witches.
More precisely, he did not disappoint the expectations of his ‘fans.’
“Our research team in the Department of Basic Studies has completed the framework for the ‘Complete Restoration of the Gate’ project. At least, theoretically.”
From Siwoo’s first words, the hall lost its composure and began to murmur.
There had been several attempts to repair the ‘Gate’ over the past few decades.
The most brilliant scholars of Gehenna had put their heads together, and among those attempts, there was even a joint collaboration between the Truth and Name Academic Society and the Emerald Tablet.
As a result, although a complete repair was impossible, they were able to temporarily compensate for the Gate’s imperfections.
However, a mere newly established academy had taken on the project, and just over a month later, they were claiming that ‘complete restoration is theoretically possible.’
The Erelim Academy had already guessed this information based on their excellent intelligence (even this was faster than expected), but the other witches had not.
The reaction was explosive.
To exaggerate a bit, it was like this:
“Wow, I knew that guy would cause trouble.”
“Count Shin Siwoo never sends the wrong letter. It’s the recipient who received it wrong. Count Shin Siwoo has counted to infinity. Twice. Shin Siwoo wasn’t born from his mother. He completed the mission of conception with his own hands. 911 is for emergencies….”
“If someone asks about the future of Gehenna, tell them to look up and see Count Shin Siwoo.”
“Just grab my hair once….”
Each one was a whisper, but with hundreds of them, it became a roaring sound. However, these reactions were not the mainstream opinion.
The witches of Gehenna, while revering the mystical, were paradoxically also very logical people. Magic was built on the foundation of common sense, not just the realm of the mystical.
The new Count who could conquer great witches more easily than superconductors.
Even if it was the words of Academy President Shin Siwoo, who made a hit out of everything he touched, they couldn’t help but doubt achievements that violated ‘common sense.’
“Is he trying to inflate the research capabilities of the Hessed Academy?”
“I heard that the workload in the Department of Basic Studies is murderous. Is he just trying to make it look like they’re achieving something by mindlessly grinding their staff and putting on a show?”
“I want to see it in a positive light, but hmm, what should I do….”
These witches, along with everyone else, were left dumbfounded by the situation that immediately followed.
“Now, before we get into the specifics of the project, let’s go over some basic information about dimensional magic.”
Siwoo suddenly started a lecture.
Dimensional magic formulas were deemed impossible to use at a high level unless you were at the level of Keter. Naturally, the basic concepts and approaches were incredibly difficult and followed their own unique laws.
Only the witches at the Immigration Office in charge of managing the ‘Gate’ or the witches who had participated in past research consortia had a fragmented understanding of it.
However, as soon as Siwoo took on the research project, he immediately standardized the unique magic system used in dimensional magic formulas.
In simple terms, he translated a thesis written in Latin into English and taught it to the researchers. He was providing the audience with the groundwork for efficiently using his researchers in the form of a lecture.
“That’s it. We’ve reinterpreted the dimensional magic formulas as closely as possible to common magic grammar.”
As mentioned earlier, presentations for research projects are very, very boring for non-experts due to their deep expertise.
It’s an endless hell where you doze off for a bit while they’re talking about things only they understand, and then you wake up to them talking about even more difficult things that only they understand.
Therefore, Siwoo’s introductory lecture on basic concepts was enough to capture the audience’s attention.
“Did everyone understand?”
“……”
Despite his efforts, only a handful of witches understood it at once.
The lecture was detailed and kind, but the content was so high-level. Some parts even felt like a cult, and they were so unconventional that they went against mainstream discourse.
But what are witches?
They are more obsessed with consuming magical knowledge than diabetics are with sugar.
The witches, who had only come to see the handsome chef’s face and were expecting half-cold leftovers (i.e., expert discussions), suddenly found themselves eating ‘Dimensional Magic Formula Theory – Following Standardized Interpretations,’ a dish of offal.
“Ew! What is this! It’s a completely heretical interpretation! Yum yum.”
“Do you think all meat is the same just because it’s grilled and has a Maillard reaction? What did you make with offal! Slurp slurp.”
The witches chewed on the offal dish from Chef Shin Siwoo, which was oozing with flavor, and savored it, rolling it around on their tongues.
It was a strange dish they had never eaten before, but it was still better than cold, stale rice.
“Ooh, what is this taste?!”
“Well, it feels a bit strange and weird, and I’m not sure if I should be eating this… but it’s delicious!”
Most of the witches had only eaten first-class steak their entire lives, but they quickly recognized its value.
It was a deep flavor that made you tilt your head when you took the first bite, opened your eyes when you took the second, and made you exclaim, ‘Is this really free?’ on the third.
Shin Siwoo understood dimensional magic formulas to a level where he could give lectures beyond a superficial level. He could be called the god of offal dishes.
With this preliminary work, the ‘interim report on the research project’ that followed would no longer be just a ‘league of their own.’
Not only the experts who were invited to monitor whether the Hessed Academy was faking it, but even the audience would understand the basic framework of the project and start from there.
The reason why Shin Siwoo gave such an unconventional free lecture was clear.
“…That’s how confident he is.”
“And he’s also promoting the Hessed Academy’s lectures. This is more high-level than I thought?”
“High-level? This is a full-fledged lecture that you can’t get even if you pay for it! It’s also blasphemous!”
That’s right.
Siwoo was planning to turn this opportunity into a triple experience point event for leveling up the Hessed Academy.
