Academy’s Genius Mage

In a stately office, an elderly man was skimming through documents.

He had a beard so sharp it seemed capable of piercing any material, and his attire was so extravagant that it was often the talk among the nobility.

Though his build was small, he conveyed no sense of frailty; rather, he appeared robust and compact.

The surroundings were filled with all sorts of opulent decorations, from ivory of the distant east to rare artifacts, everything was here.

Hundreds of years old ceramics and artworks were common items in this place.

In short, it had a strong museum-like feeling.

Of course, the man seated at the desk was the owner of all these treasures.

Knock, knock, knock.

There was a cautious sound of someone knocking.

“Come in.”

The voice was as dry as a drought-stricken field. Yet, it simultaneously carried the weight of a battle-hardened veteran.

The person who entered was Felix from the Hamel Trading Company. With a surprisingly courteous demeanor, he greeted the elderly man.

“I humbly present myself, my Lord.”

“There’s about an hour left until the regular report… Is there something that has come up?”

“It is… I deemed it necessary to report this matter separately, so I came to see you. I apologize.”

The man, Hamel Gestring, owner of the Hamel Trading Company and one who divided the market power in the kingdom of Sonokin, did not even make eye contact with Felix.

Felix instinctively felt that his mood was uneasy, which was understandable considering the recent situation.

The rival company, Bahamut, had been aggressively expanding their operations.

There were also rumors circulating about the opening of a new trade route to the East, leaving Hamel on edge.

Moreover, Bahamut had seized production hubs that were lucrative, like workshops and farms that Hamel Trading Company had exclusive supply contracts with.

It was a situation where even from Hamel’s perspective, there was a need to devise countermeasures.

Money war had begun in earnest.

“Take a seat.”

“Yes, Master.”

Felix, skilled in the art of the intrigue, could not even lift his head in front of Hamel.

“Why are you hesitating so much?”

Swallowing hard, Felix hesitated to speak.

He had pondered over it several times on the way there; whether it was right to report this incident.

Reporting it would surely bring down his wrath, and he could easily lose his head then and there. But still, it seemed wiser to lay it out than to conceal it.

The problem that had occurred was beyond his ability to resolve.

“A letter arrived from the Royal Academy. Patent approval for a new potion manufacturing process has been granted, and they wish to proceed with related business.”

“Interesting.”

Hamel burst into a boisterous laughter.

He laughed gleefully as though watching the antics of a grandson.

But Felix trembled, for Hamel’s half-moon-shaped eyes emitted a murderous aura.

“How very interesting! Surely this report wasn’t worth wasting my precious time on. I was reviewing some very important documents. Felix, have you discovered how to have two lives?”

“A-a minor issue has risen in the project that I was in charge of!”

“Issue?”

Hamel briefly withheld his wrath and recalled what project Felix was handling. In short, it was a lucrative venture.

Felix held a significant position within the Hamel Trading Company.

Not that Hamel ever thought of him as ‘human’, of course.

For the incarnation of greed, Hamel, all subordinates were merely tools.

“Did a problem arise in the asset sale process? Or could it be…”

“It pertains to the Oracle Family.”

“Oracle? Oracle… Ah, the Oracle barony.”

Hamel, with his extraordinary memory, recollected the matter.

“Are you talking about the 3 billion Shillings Baron Lefevre borrowed?”

“That’s correct.”

“If it’s about that, I seem to have heard that the heir of the Oracle Family is paying off the debt. Surely it hasn’t defaulted, right? That sort of issue doesn’t require reporting to me.”

Felix cautiously handed Hamel a letter written on official Academy stationery.

“Hmm?”

Hamel’s eyes were filled with interest.

The sender of the letter was none other than Ian Oracle, son of Baron Lefevre.

“So, the person requesting a negotiation is the son of Baron Lefevre?”

“Yes, it appears he has made significant contributions to the establishment of this patent. It turns out he has been delegated most of the negotiating rights.”

“What is the patent about?”

“It is said to be a new method to enhance the efficacy of potions.”

“Potions, huh.”

Hamel took out a gold coin from his pocket.

It was an old coin that had brought him all sorts of luck so far.

He flicked the coin with his thumb, and it spun rapidly in the air before landing in his palm.

The side with the number came up. A beast-like glint flashed in Hamel’s eyes.

“This could potentially make money. Sometimes, it can even become vital military supplies. So, what’s your opinion?”

“It’s a bit of an ambiguous situation.”

“Even someone like you says it’s ambiguous?”

“That Ian fellow is suspicious of us. Frederick visited us not long ago as well…”

Felix recounted to Hamel all the incidents related to the Oracle Family and the story told by Frederick, the owner of a general store who had visited him.

Through this exchange, Hamel learned that the contract Felix made was officially notarized by the Goldmine Bank and was carefully stored.

“This isn’t good.”

Hamel’s hand, which had been fiddling with the gold coin, came to a sudden stop.

“Is that general store still in business?”

“I’ve sent a cleaner.”

The “cleaner!”

Felix referred to was not in the ordinary sense.

It meant that soon Frederick’s general store would disappear as if by magic.

“Naturally, we shouldn’t leave any loose ends. Our firm’s style is not to get caught up in needless issues. All matters must be handled cleanly. Not even a speck of dust should remain. Yet, I don’t see why you’re so troubled.”

“Initially, I intended to ignore this letter. I didn’t think it would yield significant profits due to the continent’s peaceful state…”

“You fool!”

A stream of harsh criticism poured out. Hamel bit into his cigarette and lit it.

“If it’s peaceful, then make it unpeaceful! Instigate war by any means necessary! If injured people are needed, release a monster or two! Are you planning to start a charity now?”

“I-I hadn’t thought that far. I apologize!”

“It’s not that you hadn’t thought of it, but rather you didn’t want to get involved with that Oracle Family’s brat. You’re a coward. A thoroughly base coward!”

In silent reflection, Hamel inhaled deeply on his cigarette. His eyes filled with contempt bore into Felix.

“Why couldn’t you ignore that letter?”

“The Bahamut Trading Company moved.”

“What did you say?”

“There’s intelligence that indicates they made contact with Ian Oracle before the letter arrived.”

Hamel exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air.

The situation was turning out to be more severe than he had anticipated.

However, the perspectives of the two differed markedly.

Felix was focusing on Ian, while Hamel was concentrated on the Bahamut Trading Company.

“It seems they’ve caught a whiff of something.”

“I think so too. It doesn’t appear to be a simple patent.”

“Did you confirm the details?”

“We’re in the process, but our expert says the content is difficult to trust.”

“Set up a meeting immediately!”

Felix was startled.

Curiously, Hamel was the more cautious one.

He awaited the suggestion to observe a bit longer. It would allow them to buy some time.

“Bahamut has made a move! He could wipe out that debt of 3 billion shillings in an instant! Meet with him somehow and secure the contract!”

“But evaluating the efficacy and proceeding cautiously might be…”

“Exaggerate the efficacy! If someone dies from side effects, cover it up! But letting the Bahamut folks steal the march on us is unacceptable! Move immediately, you idiot of an idiot child!”

Felix stormed out of the room.

He feared that if he hesitated even a little, the blue blade might pierce through his heart.

“Damn it!”

Crash!

An innocent railing shattered mercilessly under Felix’s foot.

Lately, nothing seemed to go his way.

What infuriated him the most was Ian’s letters being distributed to all major trading companies.

‘How dare he try to line them up?’

Felix’s lips twisted into a grotesque smile.

‘I’ll let it slide this time. But soon enough, you will be sold off as a slave!’

However, Felix felt a chilling realization once more.

If this plan failed, it wouldn’t be Ian who ended up enslaved; it would be him.

This was the first time.

An endeavor left a bitter aftertaste like this.

* * *

“Did you call for me, Professor?”

Ian visited Professor Frost’s laboratory after being summoned.

Professor Frost waved some documents in his hand.

“The investigation results are out. Just as you anticipated.”

The detailed registration records of Hamel Trading Company’s real estate were meticulously organized.

Ian scrutinized the documents while standing.

“A significant amount of noble properties have changed hands.”

“As you probably noticed, there’s been a concentration trend over the past decade. While it’s not uncommon for companies to purchase lands or estates from nobility, it’s undeniable that most of the listed noble families have fallen.”

“However, this alone doesn’t serve as conclusive evidence.”

Ian’s voice was calm. Professor Frost nodded in agreement.

“It could merely be a coincidence. There’s still a missing link. Proving it would be impossible unless the head of Hamel Trading Company confessed.”

“I suppose it can only be used as a hint.”

“How’s your side of the investigation?”

Ian sighed as he set the documents aside.

“I still haven’t located Mr. Frederick. According to the informant, it’s likely that we won’t find him as things stand.”

“As expected.”

“Nevertheless, we’ve planted a bait with Hamel Trading Company, so we’ll soon receive contact. I plan to seize the opportunity then.”

“Do not overextend yourself. Isera would be deeply saddened if anything happened to you.”

“Surely not.”

Ian left the laboratory.

His next destination was the salon located near the main gate.

Ian had rented a private room there.

It was something unimaginable for a first-year, but Ian was different.

It was a very quiet, room-style area.

Upon entering, a man in a fine suit rose to greet Ian.

“Are you Ian Oracle?”

“Yes, I am.”

“It is truly an honor that you’ve made time for this! I am Woodward Bahamut, the eldest son of the Bahamut family. I serve as deputy manager of the company. Pleased to meet you.”

The two shook hands.

The first impression was very positive. The business manner was exceptionally good.

It felt more like he was rightly brought up rather than simply wealthy.

What particularly appealed to Ian was that the Bahamut Trading Company had sent their successor.

‘It’s proof that they don’t take this undertaking lightly.’

It was more significant than if the head of the Bahamut Trading Company himself had arrived.

The fact that the successor came implied they intended to watch over this for a long time.

“The pleasure is all mine. I never expected to meet the deputy manager of the Bahamut Trading Company. That too, with you reaching out first.”

Woodward was the one who had sent the initial letter to Ian.

Even from the letter, Ian had a hunch that he was a decent person. One can infer a person’s character from the vocabulary and handwriting they use.

“Were we the first to contact you?”

“Yes. So far, no other responses have come in.”

“Well, that’s fortunate! Hahaha.”

Woodward laughed brightly.

It was evident that he genuinely enjoyed this work.

“But how did you come to contact me first? Honestly, I was surprised. The method I patented isn’t well known.”

“Ah, about that…”