Academy’s Genius Mage

The carriage provided to the Academy students, though simple, was comfortable.

Ian sat comfortably on the seat.

The Academy students, except for Edel, were all offspring of noble families. Therefore, any issues with the carriage could cause problems.

Children of wealthy noble families used their families’ private carriages, but there were quite a few students who opted for the Academy-provided ones.

This was because they had the advantage of riding immediately without waiting.

Therefore, the administrative office paid a lot of attention to this matter.

‘Is there no way to contact Mr. Fredrick separately?’

Ian sat with arms crossed, lost in deep thought.

Fredrick was someone connected with Ian; to be precise, with Ian’s father, Lefevre.

He once worked as an assistant to Baron Lefevre, and now operated a fairly large general store in the capital city.

He was the only person who knew in advance about the Oracle Family’s debt.

‘And the only one who is suspicious.’

Ian had dropped hints about possibly having to place a large order for potion containers.

Once the patent filing was completed, construction would begin immediately, and preparations for production would commence.

He might need not just a thousand, but ten thousand potion containers.

Regardless of the situation, there was a need to meet Fredrick again.

‘But he’s not in the capital now.’

Ian wondered if Fredrick was deliberately avoiding him to not meet.

‘Still, I should make an attempt. At the same time, an investigation into Fredrick starts.’

Investigating a noble was entirely different from investigating a commoner. There was not much burden in investigating Fredrick.

‘When results come, I can decide whether to hold onto it or let it go.’

Though they had a past connection, if Fredrick was involved in the misconduct of the Hamel Trading Company, Ian had no intention of forgiving him.

On the other hand, Ian was worried about his safety.

Ian planned to instigate competition between the two trading companies over the exclusive sales rights of the new potion.

A fierce battle between the Bahamut Trading Company and the Hamel Trading Company was to unfold.

‘In that situation, if it seems disadvantageous for the Hamel Trading Company, they might attempt a scapegoat approach. If Fredrick got involved, his very existence might be toxic, thus threatening his life.’

Explaining such a scenario might elicit Fredrick’s cooperation and unexpectedly lead to smooth resolutions.

‘I will definitely meet him.’

Ian closed his eyes to rest.

After a short while, the carriage arrived at the government office. The coachman opened the carriage door.

“It will be done shortly. Please wait a moment.”

“Understood. Take your time.”

The coachman was courteous.

Leaving the carriage in standby, Ian entered the government office.

This place, in charge of the capital’s administrative affairs, was a towering three-story building.

Despite many people coming and going, the interior was remarkably quiet.

Due to the handling of important tasks, security was tight.

Ordinary people tended to shrink back just at the sight of swords and armors.

Of course, Ian wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.

“Compared to Helios, this is nothing.”

Even though it had been a mere moment, the experience of having a dispute with royal Helios had made Ian grow considerably.

“A mage!”

“An Academy student.”

“Impressive, isn’t it?”

Instead, folks started to take notice of Ian, seeing the cloak and staff that symbolized the Academy.

Thinking of the ladies on campus who had attempted personal conversations with him several times recently, Ian pulled his hood deeper to ensure his face wasn’t revealed.

His destination was the patent office on the third floor.

“Welcome. How may I assist you?”

Despite hearing many tales about civil servants being lazy, those seemed to be incorrect rumors.

The staff member received Ian warmly with great politeness.

Initially, Ian removed his hood.

It was etiquette to remove one’s hood in an official setting.

“Oh my.”

The employee admired. It didn’t take long for a personal sentiment to mix into her kind gaze.

Ian quickly got to the point.

“Hello. I’ve come to handle a patent matter.”

“It’s quite rare for an academy student to visit. Please come this way!”

Ian followed the desk clerk into a room located midway down the corridor.

Inside, a middle-aged man, half-buried in paperwork, was seated.

“Manager, a visitor is here.”

“Hmm?”

The manager was slightly surprised. It was quite rare for a staff member to personally escort a guest.

The manager didn’t even consider the possibility that the staff member was being so courteous because she was smitten with Ian. He simply assumed he was from an esteemed family.

Of course, Ian thought the same.

“Please come in. Have a seat here!”

The manager offered a seat. Almost simultaneously, the female staff member asked kindly.

“Mage, would you like me to prepare some tea?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine.”

“Then please, have a comfortable discussion.”

The staff member left the room with a peculiar smile. At the same time, Ian started to think about whether there might be another exit.

Meanwhile, the manager keenly observed Ian, or more accurately, the staff he was holding and the cloak he was wearing.

“It seems like you are from the Academy. Nice to meet you. I’m Manager Hoikin, and I’m in charge of patent affairs here.”

There was a sense of trust in the way he mentioned being in charge.

Being a manager indicated a quite high position in the government office.

Ian belatedly realized that such generous treatment was due to the Academy attire he was wearing.

“Please take care of me well. I’m Ian Oracle from the Department of Magic Studies.”

The manager was inwardly puzzled. The Oracle Family wasn’t renowned enough to warrant such direct escort by a staff member.

However, he didn’t let it show on his face.

There must be some unknown reason.

“Please take care of us well, Ian. Is it a magical item you want to patent?”

“It’s actually a potion formula.”

“I see. Did you bring the documents with you, or do you need any explanations on how to prepare them? The procedures can be quite complicated.”

Ian pulled out the documents from his jacket. Seeing their considerable thickness, the man asked for a moment and reviewed them.

“Oh! As expected, academy students are different. You’ve prepared the documents perfectly. Most people tend to miss one or two items. Hahaha. Really impressive.”

“I know you must be quite busy, so I wanted to avoid bothering you.”

“Thank you for saying that. By the way, a new potion formula, isn’t this something significant?”

Hoikin looked at the documents with a curious gaze.

The title included, “Patent on a New Potion Formula Combining Distillation Theory and Synergistic Magical Formulas.”

For a non-expert like Hoikin, the terminology seemed likely hard to grasp.

“I’m not sure what method this involves. Judging from the content… Wow. It’s fascinating how the potion’s efficacy can increase like this.”

Ian had neatly organized the experimental results in a table. It was something he prepared with his roommates the day before inviting Professor Frost.

“Initially, everything appears fascinating. Over time, as it becomes standard, it will be accepted as a norm.”

“Hmm! You’re absolutely right. However, these days, too many bizarre items get submitted. It’s been a long time since we received a patent application with such a conventional form.”

“You must be working hard.”

“It’s my job, after all. Hmm, let’s see… The patent holder is Professor Frost Nordmün, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“The agent is Ian Oracle from the Academy’s Department of Magic Studies. Please sign here.”

Ian took the pen and signed promptly.

Hoikin then added his seal. The documents were moved to a registration file afterward.

“The registration is now complete.”

“That was simpler than I thought.”

“It usually isn’t. Most people visit three or four times just to have all the documents ready. Thanks to you, Ian, everything was perfectly handled from the start.”

No other individuals in the world were as familiar with books and documents as theoretical mages.

Ian bowed gracefully.

“Thank you.”

“Once the review is complete, we will notify the Academy. The contact will be made to the agent.”

“Excuse me, how long does the review process take?”

“Well, um. It’s a bit hard to pinpoint. It usually takes about a month, but in some cases, it can take more than six months. However, since this case involves a patent from an academy project, it should be processed quickly.”

“Understood. I kindly ask for your assistance.”

“Take care!”

Hoikin bowed politely. Ian pulled his hood down low and sneaked out through another exit.

* * *

When Ian returned to the dormitory, he found Milo doing push-ups. Milo ensured that he do exercise for at least an hour every day.

“Isn’t it hard for you?”

“Even if it’s hard, I have to do it. If my muscles fade, so will my popularity. Hup! Two! Hup! Two!”

Ian wanted to give a piece of advice but held back, fearing Milo might take it to heart.

“Where did Edel go?”

“He went out, discussing herb supplies with his father. Whew! Hoo!”

“He can take it slow.”

“The push-ups need to be done swiftly!”

“Not you. I meant Edel.”

In any event, since Professor Frost had already given prior permission, there was no issue with going out. It wouldn’t be a bad opportunity to come and go.

“Do you think it’s that easy? Huff, huff! The professor acknowledged it, you know.”

“Hey, Milo.”

“Whew… what?”

Having finished a set, Milo assumed a resting position.

His determination to prevent any muscle loss was evident. He might as well have enrolled in the Department of Martial Arts with that attitude.

“Could you introduce me to a good informant? The Vinettia Family must have some capable people.”

“An informant? Why? Planning to haunt someone?”

“Do you think I’m like you?”

Ian sighed. But Milo strongly denied it.

“You clearly don’t know me. I take care of things myself. I don’t rely on others. Anyway, what’s it about?”

“I need to look into something, discreetly.”

“If it’s a simple investigation, it’s fine, but if it smells fishy, it’s a different story. Well, I don’t think you’d be into anything shady.”

“It’s just a simple inquiry. I just need the whereabouts.”

“If that’s all, it’s easy. Oof!”

Milo eased out of his resting position, shaking his arms to relax them.

“When do you need it?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Then I’ll contact our family to get someone on it. Who should they find?”

Ian tore off a piece of paper and wrote down Frederick’s name and the name of his shop, handing it to Milo.

“Why are you looking for a general store owner? Did he run away with your money?”

“Something like that. I’ll explain once it’s resolved.”

“Alright, then.”

Ian sat on the bed to rest.

He needed to conserve energy to read ancient literature at the Great Library later.

Milo glared at Ian with a dissatisfied expression.

Ian, feeling the gaze, looked back at him slowly.

“What?”

“You need to provide a down payment for the informant. Are you planning to have them work for free? Did you leave your conscience at the patent office too?”

“For a moment, I wondered. Didn’t we have an agreement?”

“What agreement?”

“Did you forget the clause about actively collaborating on my projects?”

“… Is this a project?”

“It’s a huge project. It’s confidential for now, though.”

Milo was at a loss for words.

There was no avoiding it. The 25% royalty share was an exceptionally alluring offer.

“It really was a slave contract.”

Despite his words, Milo got to work on Ian’s request promptly.

And that evening, Ian also sent a letter to Frederick’s general store.