How to Survive as a Dungeon Manager in Another World

31 – Luke Richter (3)

“I am sorry to say to the Dean, but a public seminar is unavoidable.”

“……”

The Chairman of the Imperial Magic Academy, Ariel, looked at Selena with a troubled expression.

“In any case, haven’t both papers already been published in the academic world?”

“No, Chairman Ariel. That kid is just a second-year undergraduate.”

“What does that matter?”

“It matters!”

Selena, without realizing, raised her voice.

There was truth to her words.

It wasn’t simply because he was a student.

The academy was a place of strict hierarchy, where the trustworthiness of research required equally rigorous verification.

Before a researcher could publish a paper, years of study, experimentation, and peer review were necessary.

And now, a mere second-year was stepping forward, claiming to overturn established doctrines with a single paper written over the course of a year?

Moreover, the theories and concepts used in the paper were entirely unprecedented in the academic world.

This wasn’t about scholarly debate; it was a situation where basic procedures and systems were being ignored.

“But… the experimental data is just so perfect. Both quantitatively and qualitatively.”

“No, that’s exactly my point! How is that even possible? Is the boy locked in some temporal dojo, churning out dissertations? There’s no way he could’ve written such a deranged paper in such a short time, alone, without substantial resources!”

“Oh, well, I wouldn’t know. Regardless, isn’t the most important thing this? Lord Luke’s paper has already been presented to the academy, countless individuals have seen it, and the experimental data and theoretical basis are undeniably sound.”

Council Chair Ariel inclined her chin towards Selena, as if demanding a response.

“From what I’ve read, it completely overturns the core hypothesis of your paper, Dean, ‘The Impact of Interactions between Multiple Magic Circles on Resonance Amplification.'”

“That’s… well…”

“Since two conflicting papers have been made public, it is imperative that they be publicly verified, as per protocol. Understood? Dean Selena.”

“…”

Selena, flustered, could only stammer, unable to utter a single word in response.

Ariel observed her, stroking her chin.

Truth be told, Ariel found it just as perplexing.

Leaving aside the paper’s completeness, the sheer volume of research materials and experimental data submitted alongside it was also aberrant.

It was enough work to keep an entire research team occupied for years.

Yet, both the first and second authors were Luke Richter.

Which meant he had accomplished all of this alone in just one year…

‘A monster?’

Ariel was truly bewildered.

Even considering his lineage from the Richter family, this was too far beyond the norm… no, simply not the same species.

Of course, they couldn’t possibly know.

They couldn’t know the chemical reaction occurring between all the future information from the original work, magic, and the concentrated intellect of modernity.

And… that a graduate student driven to madness by the prospect of a degree and funding was already outside the realm of normal humans.

For Luke Richter, a graduate student from a disadvantaged background, fixated on scholarships his entire life, writing a paper of this caliber wasn’t all that difficult.

“The author’s name… Lab Rat…?” He mused, his brow furrowing. “Why submit under a pseudonym, rather than their real name?”

“……Perhaps they wish not to attract attention,” came the reply.

“Ah, that could be. Indeed, a lone student publishing such a paper might invite controversy.”

Selena simply nodded, offering no further reaction.

At least, mercifully, the brat hadn’t used his real name on the paper. That spared her the utter humiliation of the headline ‘Academy Dean Debunked by Undergrad’.

But even so, the blow to her reputation was undeniable.

Selena’s prestige rested on her formidable magical power, but the essence of a mage was, after all, that of a scholar.

Moreover, she was the Vice Head of the Magic Tower—the very embodiment of wisdom and intellect.

“……Unfavorable.”

When a conflicting paper challenging established theories like this was submitted, the academy would hold a closed-door seminar to review it.

The problem was Luke Richter – that madman. One could scarcely fathom what he might do in front of everyone.

But there was no avoiding it. Gritting her teeth, she attended the seminar.

A place filled with everyone from the upper echelons of the Academy to the chief researchers of the Magic Tower.

Luke Richter was…

“Dean Selena’s paper assumes that magic circles interact solely on a planar surface,” he began, sketching several concentric circles on the chalkboard.

He proceeded to overlay the circles with multiple layers of pentagrams.

“However, this premise is flawed. Magic circles are not merely geometric figures drawn on a plane, but rather form a fractal structure intertwined with the very fabric of space.”

Infusing mana into the diagrams, Luke completed the circuit of the magic circle.

As he did, the finished circle began to emit waves of energy.

“When mana converges, these waves collide. At times, they amplify each other; at others, they cancel each other out. Much like the meeting of two tides.”

Luke sketched new figures onto the chalkboard.

Complex geometric patterns, born from the layering of the magic circles, unfolded before their very eyes.

“But these waves do not act merely on the three-dimensional plane as we know it. The structure of a magic circle is inherently non-Euclidean, and the topological singularities acting within higher-dimensional space are far more complex and varied in aspect….”

In the chilling silence, only his voice echoed softly.

He continued to expound, but most of those seated simply stared at him, dumbfounded, their faces etched with bewilderment.

Then, an elderly gentleman cautiously raised his hand, posing a question.

The old gentleman was Isaac Eckhart, the commander of the Imperial Order of Mages.

“…I would like to hear more about this higher-dimensional space you speak of.”

“One could describe it as a complex space with curvature, perhaps.”

“I would inquire as to the correlation between that and the magic circle.”

“The formula of a magic circle is a diagram drawn on a plane, but the mana waves emanating from it affect actual ‘space.’ You can clearly confirm this by referring to experiment data 3-B that I submitted.”

“I saw it, but understanding it is another matter entirely. If I’m reading your words correctly, you’re saying it’s possible to amplify the efficiency of existing resonance formulas by at least tenfold with the same amount of mana?”

“Precisely.”

A murmur rippled through the hall.

The faces of the mages were a tapestry of confusion and astonishment.

Isaac Eckhart furrowed his brow and spoke again.

“Additional verification is needed, but I remain skeptical. You accomplished all of this alone? By what means?”

“Why couldn’t I?”

“…What?”

As he said, it was commonplace for Luke in his previous life.

Doctoral theses, academic conferences, administrative tasks, grant proposals, interim reports, final reports, laboratory cleaning, professor’s business trip accommodation booking, foreign postdoc real estate contracts… He had toiled like a slave for years under a malignant professor.

So, for him, to utilize information from the original work with an overflowing budget, and write a paper overturning the existing slipshod theories?

A year was more than enough time.

Of course, those who witnessed his reaction thought:

‘An impossible talent.’

Truly blessed with a talent from the heavens.

Even if he lacked talent as a mage, his talent as a scholar reached heights that brushed the very sky.

At the same time, covetousness began to stir.

The identities of those attending the seminar were mostly elders or professors from the Magic Towers.

A thrall… no, a disciple? Producing this level of performance in just one year?

It was no exaggeration to say he possessed the talent to shatter the established structure of the five Magic Towers on the continent.

Therefore, Isaac asked,

“Do you have a supervising professor?”

“No.”

“Then how would you like to come under my tutelage?”

A truly extraordinary proposition.

But Luke Richter, upon hearing this, replied:

“I would rather die.”

“…What?”

Resolute.

Nay, obdurate to the point of coercion.

A year had passed.

“Dean! Deaaann!”

“…What?”

“Luke Richter, wouldn’t you know, he’s at it again…!”

“……”

Luke Richter, whose practical marks were wanting, had presented a new thesis to compensate for his deficient credits.

“This time, it’s a refutation of your existing paper, Dean, on the purity of mana crystals… um, what was the title again?”

“’The Influence of Mana Crystal Purity on Higher-Tier Spellcasting.’”

“Ah! Right! A paper refuting the contents of that paper, sparking summons from the academic circles…”

“……”

For Selena, academic summons had become an annual affair.

The reason, none other than Luke Richter.

He churned out papers like a factory, and thanks to him, the academic world and the Magic Tower were put on high alert.

The pen name he used, ‘Lab,’ instead of his own, had become so renowned that he was called a Sage in the public eye.

That wasn’t all.

Whenever he found an opening, he caused all sorts of deranged incidents at the Academy, shortening her lifespan by at least a decade.

The antics he committed during the entrance exam? Child’s play.

Using the student council, he declared he would overturn the Academy’s antiquated system and bulldozed his way through everything. As if that wasn’t enough, he would point out theoretical errors in the written exams, tormenting the professors to no end.

Whenever an issue arose, he would report it to the Imperial Family, citing it as a means of cultivating relations, and thanks to that, the Imperial Family began to take a positive interest in the fellow.

With each passing day, the Red Magic Tower’s pressure also intensified.

The Tower Lord’s insistence on inviting the Sage ‘Lab’ to the main tower was so intense, it was enough to cause her to develop bald patches where none had existed before.

Thus, having suffered at his hands countless times, and cleaned up every mess…

The fellow graduated from the Academy and left for the Imperial Palace, declaring he would become a low-ranking official.

And now.

“aaagh!”

Selena howled inside the carriage.

The thought of facing Luke Richter again after a year was enough to make her head spin already.