Chapter 854 – #178_논문감사(2)
#848
1.
Lisenne Erbat bit her fingernails in agitation.
In an hour, at 10 AM, the coordination meeting for the research misconduct audit would begin at the Second Hall of the Secretary’s Office.
There would be a total of 11 participants.
Count Gremory, the head librarian overseeing the misconduct audit, three senior librarians from the Secretary’s Office, five senior librarians, and the author of the paper, Shin Siwoo, and the accuser, Lisenne Erbat, as witnesses.
“This is truly insane…”
Lisenne had been forced to take on this task by Baron Demer due to her massive debt, but she really didn’t want to do it.
It would be a problem if Shin Siwoo couldn’t prove that the paper was his own work.
But it would be an even bigger problem, incomparable to the former, if he did prove it.
Baron Demer had prepared the necessary materials for objections and debates during the audit process, and had promised to take care of things if anything went wrong.
But how could Baron Demer, no matter how powerful, possibly deal with the enraged Count Jemernai and Duke Tiferet?
If he could, he would have stepped forward himself.
In the end, it meant that Lisenne would be the one taking the fall if things went wrong.
“Is this how I’m supposed to live…”
Just as Lisenne was calming herself down with a cup of tea, her hands trembling, Baron Demer appeared.
“Lisenne, are you well-prepared?”
“Yes.”
“You remember the plan, right?”
“Yes, to push for in-depth argumentation no matter what, right?”
In fact, there was no set procedure for a misconduct audit.
Ethical issues or irrefutable evidence would lead to a trial-like process, but cases with ambiguous evidence, like plagiarism, would adopt a variety of methods agreed upon by the accuser and the author.
That’s why they were having a coordination meeting before the audit, like today.
“If Shin Siwoo’s paper was aided by someone else, he won’t be able to answer unprepared questions.”
“That’s right, there’s a limit even if you have a manual.”
“If we push for a free discussion like in-depth argumentation, he’ll eventually show his true colors.”
Lisenne nodded, clutching the thick stack of documents in her hand as if her life depended on it.
It was a collection of tricky questions that Baron Demer and his aides had put together.
“If he can’t answer even three out of ten questions properly, Librarian Gremory will side with us. So don’t worry too much.”
Baron Demer was confident that he knew what kind of person Librarian Metis was.
She was an old-fashioned, orthodox witch, as rigid as Duke Erelim.
She would definitely apply a very conservative standard to the paper of a male witch who had suddenly appeared.
“Are you sure about that…?”
But Lisenne wasn’t so sure.
What Baron Demer said wasn’t entirely unfounded, but she couldn’t imagine the librarian being so prejudiced as to make a misjudgment.
“Of course, trust me.”
“Yes, I will.”
“If this goes well, I’ll forgive all the overdue interest and cut your debt in half.”
“…Yes.”
But what was the point of doubting now, when she was already riding a tiger?
She could only hope and believe with all her might.
2.
The Second Hall of the Secretary’s Office was a large auditorium with tiered seating surrounding a stage.
It was usually used for seminars, so it had an academic atmosphere, but today was different.
“We will now begin the coordination meeting for the research misconduct audit.”
In an atmosphere of solemnity reminiscent of a courtroom, Metis Gremory opened her mouth.
“Accuser, Lisenne Erbat.”
Lisenne, who had been called, first greeted Metis, who was sitting on the central platform, and then took her seat.
Before entering, Lisenne had looked like she was about to burst from the pressure, but now she had a calm poker face.
She, too, was a warrior who had survived in the Red Roof Salon, where all sorts of schemes and power struggles were rampant.
“Author, Shin Siwoo.”
But the moment Shin Siwoo, dressed in a handsome suit, sat down at the opposite table, Lisenne momentarily lost her composure.
She had seen him from afar before, as he was such a famous figure.
Back then, Lisenne’s impression of him was, ‘He’s handsome and looks kind of gentle.’
But the man who was now casting a cold gaze with a firm mouth, devoid of any softness, felt more like a veteran scholar whose reverse scale had been touched than a young witch.
He wasn’t staring directly at Lisenne, but the cold glint in his eyes was enough to make even a 70-year-old witch like Lisenne flinch.
“This audit concerns Shin Siwoo’s paper, ‘The Combination of Different Magnetic Magics: A Discussion on a Repulsion Control Model Utilizing Phase Matching.’
The accuser has raised suspicions that the author’s paper plagiarized the work of others. Lisenne Erbat, do you have anything to submit in addition to the materials you submitted yesterday?”
“No.”
“Mr. Shin Siwoo, the audit committee has determined that the evidence submitted by the accuser regarding the plagiarism allegations is insufficient. Therefore, if the author does not wish to provide an explanation, the audit will be concluded here.”
Lisenne swallowed hard.
She was praying hard in her mind, ‘Please refuse, please refuse.’
That alone would satisfy Baron Demer.
Even if the audit was canceled, rumors would spread that Shin Siwoo had refused the misconduct audit request because he lacked confidence.
Lisenne had no desire to get deeply involved in a fight that wasn’t even her own.
But contrary to her expectations, Shin Siwoo silently nodded.
“I will respond to the explanation.”
“Then we will proceed.”
Metis, wearing glasses, flipped through the documents.
Librarian Metis tilted her head slightly.
“Shin Siwoo, you haven’t submitted your research notes. Have they not been delivered yet? You may submit them now.”
“No. I have no intention of submitting them.”
“Since Mr. Shin Siwoo has stated his intention to provide an explanation, this audit must thoroughly verify the plagiarism allegations. Research notes are an important factor in determining plagiarism.
The choice of whether or not to submit them is up to the author, but refusing to submit them may work against you in the audit. Are you aware of this?”
“Yes, I will not submit them.”
“Understood.”
Lisenne clenched her fist under the table.
He submitted the paper but is trying to hide the research notes?
He must have something to hide.
“There is no set procedure for explaining plagiarism allegations. Therefore, I will mediate an agreement on the argumentation process between the author and the accuser. According to custom, I will ask the author’s side to present their proposal first.”
Even Lisenne felt burdened by this situation, but Shin Siwoo had been calm and collected from the beginning.
He rose from his seat.
“I request in-depth argumentation.”
Lisenne felt a shiver run down her spine, cutting through her anxiety.
That’s it.
Today was her lucky day.
If they had talked about cross-verification through reference materials or an internal review by the audit committee, it could have become even more complicated.
If this paper was really part of Count Jemernai’s project to favor his son-in-law, it wouldn’t be difficult to supplement the documentary arguments.
That’s why she had been trying to steer the discussion toward a free debate format.
She had been worried about how to lay the bait, and now a big fish had swallowed the hook whole.
“However, there are two conditions.”
“Tell me.”
“I would like to have an audience.”
“An audience?”
There was a slight commotion in the quiet audit committee seats.
It wasn’t unprecedented to have an audience for plagiarism-related audits, as it was often difficult to determine right from wrong.
But it was rare for the author’s side to request it.
In the case of in-depth argumentation with an audience, there would be opportunities for questions not only from the accuser but also from the audience, and it was difficult to guarantee that one could answer perfectly.
Even the author of the paper could sometimes falter under a barrage of questions from different angles.
If they gave overly long or vague answers, it would immediately lead to a worsening of suspicions.
It was a self-defeating move for an inexperienced witch, no matter how you looked at it.
“In return, if I completely clarify the matter, I want the accuser to compensate for the potential loss of income due to this audit.”
Librarian Metis, who had been showing a puzzled expression, nodded as if she understood Siwoo’s intention.
A hint of interest flashed across her eyes, which rarely showed any emotion.
He had been receiving home visits recently through his paper.
But if they held an audit with an audience, the number of ‘potential customers’ for home visits would decrease.
Shin Siwoo would be explaining the paper during the clarification process.
He was saying that the accuser’s side should bear the compensation for that loss.
In short, it was a raise of the stakes.
The burden of compensation would also be placed on Lisenne’s side, but if she failed to clarify the matter with an audience present, her reputation would truly plummet.
After a brief discussion with the surrounding librarians, Librarian Metis declared.
“Very well. However, the number of audience members will be limited to one hundred, and the potential income will be calculated as half of the average fee paid for home visits. Mr. Shin Siwoo, do you have any objections to this adjustment?”
“No.”
Home visits were detailed one-on-one coaching.
On the other hand, the audience would be more like attending a lecture, so it was a reasonable calculation.
“Lisenne Erbat, will you accept the author’s proposal?”
Meanwhile, Lisenne was pondering, fiddling with her nails.
Something was off.
Shin Siwoo’s attitude was too confident.
Not only did he propose in-depth argumentation, but he was also bringing in an audience.
As Lisenne pondered, Siwoo issued an ultimatum.
“Despite the accuser’s insufficient evidence, I have agreed to clarify the allegations. I believe I have shown sufficient respect for magic. If you refuse this proposal, I will leave it to the audit committee’s internal review instead of in-depth argumentation.”
Lisenne’s mind flashed as Siwoo finished speaking firmly.
Wait a minute.
Isn’t this just a bluff?
In-depth argumentation was the best way to clarify plagiarism allegations, but it was a disadvantageous method for the defending side.
Even experienced witches sometimes made mistakes when faced with unexpected questions.
Perhaps he had wanted an internal review from the beginning.
The best scenario for him would be for the accuser to back down from the somewhat burdensome proposal and decide on an internal review.
In this case, he could give the impression that he was being fair, since he hadn’t insisted on an internal review from the start.
In other words, it was a bluff that cleverly secured both practical benefits and the appearance of innocence.
That’s what Lisenne concluded.
“I will accept the proposal.”
“Understood.”
Librarian Metis summarized the agreed-upon terms.
“We have confirmed that the accuser and the author have reached an agreement. The method of clarification is in-depth argumentation. The author’s request is to have an audience of one hundred and to charge the accuser for potential income loss if the clarification is successful. Is there anything you understand differently?”
“No.”
“No.”
“The research misconduct audit will be held at this hall at 5 PM the day after tomorrow. Please be present at the scheduled time. This concludes the coordination meeting for the research misconduct audit.”
Lisenne looked at Shin Siwoo’s face one last time.
“……”
She couldn’t read his expression.
======
