I Became A Flashing Genius At The Magic Academy - Chapter 46

Alterisha’s private research lab was adjacent to the alchemy lecture and practicum room. Students often considered it just another storage room. Even Professor Maizen treated it as such, filling it with teaching aids and miscellaneous supplies.

Despite its modest appearance, Alterisha treasured this space. It was a sanctuary compared to the days when she had to sneak into damp basements for her experiments. Here, in this humble room, she could work openly without fear of discovery.

This little haven was what kept Alterisha going, enduring Professor Maizen’s unrelenting harassment. Within these four walls, she dared to dream of a brighter future.

"Alterisha, hand over the paper you wrote." Those words struck her like a bell tolling doom. She bowed her head, resigned. ‘So, it has finally come,’ she thought.

Professor Maizen said, ‘I'll give you an opportunity to participate in the presentation.’

‘Opportunity.’

That word echoed in Alterisha’s mind. Yes, it was an opportunity… a chance for her, an unremarkable alchemist, to finally rise and spread her wings.

But that opportunity came with chains. Professor Maizen clung to Alterisha’s efforts, using this so-called chance to shackle her ambitions.

Still, what choice did she have? “There will be another opportunity next year, won’t there?” the professor said.

"Yes."

Maizen’s tone shifted, soft and sugary, like an adult coaxing a child to part with a beloved toy. “Hand it over,” she said, extending her hand for Alterisha’s precious paper.

Her fists trembled as she reluctantly obeyed. Five years of work. Five years! For some, it might seem short, but to Alterisha, it encompassed her entire life as an alchemist.

She had been happy.

Every moment spent in cramped, dark spaces, semi-basements, shabby rented rooms, and leaky attics, had been worthwhile when her research bore fruit. When she finished this paper, it felt like bringing a child into the world. She had been overjoyed, brimming with pride.

Now, Maizen was stealing it from her.

"Do you understand? I’ll help you prepare a proper presentation next year.”

It was a lie. She wasn't capable of such kindness. She would likely steal her next year's paper as well.

"... Yes."

Alterisha murmured, the only answer she could safely give. The professor’s influence loomed too large. A single word from her could destroy Alterisha’s career before it began.

"Now, hand it over."

Carefully, Alterisha organized her paper, surrendering it to Maizen, who took it with the air of someone claiming what was rightfully theirs.

“Oh, by the way,” Maizen added, “if you manage to write another paper, I’ll see about getting you into this year’s presentation.”

"... Thank you."

"Yeah, keep up the effort."

Once Maizen left, Alterisha sank to the floor. A second paper? With so little time before the presentation? It was nothing but another cruel game. A trap to ensure she failed, so Maizen could mock her yet again: ‘I gave you a chance, and you couldn’t even seize it.’

It tormented her deeply and pained her, but…

Overwhelmed by helplessness, she buried her face in her hands.

‘What should I do?’

For years, she had endured loneliness and abuse, clinging to dreams of soaring free one day. Yet hope had become a double-edged sword. It would have been easier if she had none at all. She might have given up and found peace.

But Professor Maizen kept throwing her that small glimmer of hope, preventing her from giving up.

After several years, even the dim-witted Altherisha began to realize that the crumbs of hope were just that—crumbs—and that it was impossible to grasp them.

Until the very end, Maizen tortured her with hope. 

The hope that if she wrote another paper, she’d let her participate in the presentation.

‘But... Can I really write the next paper?’

She had no confidence left.

***

As Flame said, in Stella Academy, even as assistant professors or helpers, one could be the supervising professor of a club. What was truly absurd was that the policy had been revised due to professors finding it troublesome to take on the role of club supervisor.

Not that he minds. After all, Baek Yu-Seol had never gotten along well with professors.

Arriving at the alchemy practicum room, he made his way to the storage space tucked in a corner. Though it was labeled as storage, everyone knew it was practically a research lab.

As he reached for the door, he encountered Professor Maizen exiting the room, a thin envelope in her hand.

"Hello, professor." 

Maizen barely acknowledged him, walking past without breaking her stride. Yet, she seemed… different. There was a hint of satisfaction in her expression, even a small smile.

'What’s going on?'

Pushing open the slightly ajar door, he stepped inside. There, he saw Alterisha sitting on the floor, scrambling to pick up scattered papers.

"Uh… You came?" 

She seemed strangely flustered. Her glasses were smudged, and her eyes were slightly red. 

Baek Yu-Seol approached her with a stiff expression, his gaze sweeping over the scattered papers strewn across the floor.

“Why, why are you looking at those?”

“... Assistant Alterisha.”

He stared straight into Alterisha’s pink eyes.

“The paper you’ve been working so hard on... Where is it?”

She gave him a nervous, almost foolish smile. "Oh... I gave it to the professor. There's an academic conference coming up soon, you know. The professor said she wanted to use my paper for that. It's a great opportunity. Having my research presented among such talented alchemists..." 

"Hooh, assistant Alterisha. That’s practically theft. Will your name even be on it?" 

His words struck her like a blow. She faltered, her smile wavering before she forced out a laugh.

"Hehe... It's okay! This is all part of the experience. That's how this industry works. It's not just me who gets things taken away. Everyone goes through it. They all go along with it." 

That was how aspiring alchemists endured… by yielding, by swallowing their pride, by bowing their heads. Alterisha didn’t say the rest out loud, but somehow, Baek Yu-Seol understood anyway.

The alchemy academic community was suffocatingly small. The saying about everyone being connected within two degrees of separation was no exaggeration.

One misstep, one wrong word to the wrong person, and an aspiring alchemist could find their path barred forever.

She wasn’t wrong.

Everyone did it. They all went along with it.

However, none of them truly accepted it. They were forced to accept it.

Probably.

This conference was supposed to be Alterisha’s moment. The moment she had dreamed of… the moment her research would be unveiled to the world.

For that moment, she endured and persevered through the pressure from Maizen Tyren. But Maizen said, ‘Just wait one more year. You'll have another chance next year, won't you?’

And so she had given in. Because she had no other choice.

‘In the game... Things like this never happened.’

Baek Yu-Seol’s thoughts raced. By now, Maizen Tyren should have been preparing to present the Tyren Point Potion B, which she stole from Eisel, at the academic conference. But the timeline had shifted.

Now, it was Alterisha’s work that had been stolen.

What came next? She would likely be forced to turn to the nearest, most accessible alchemist… Alterisha.

‘I guess this wasn’t the time to just ask her to be the club advisor…’

Alterisha had presented her research, gaining even more recognition from all the alchemists than Professor Maizen.

It made sense. Maizen’s stolen and repackaged work was little more than a student-level project. Meanwhile, Alterisha’s research, honed by years of relentless effort, was the real thing… a masterpiece.

There, she gained confidence for the first time.

‘I can continue to be an alchemist!’

That conviction had allowed her to survive the scorn, neglect, and oppression.

But the current Alterisha was on the brink of collapse. No matter how hard she tried to appear positive, the barrier protecting her inner self had become so weak that a mere tap would easily break it.

Baek Yu-Seol glanced absentmindedly at the board, where the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique lay unfinished and abandoned.

Perhaps within a month, Professor Maizen would complete the legendary formula.

Baek Yu-Seol had tried to take things slowly, giving Alterisha the chance to finish it herself. But after seeing her so broken, he couldn’t stand it anymore.

Recovering her research paper was one thing, but now there seemed to be no other way to give Maizen a significant blow.

"Assistant, you were working on another paper, right?"

"Huh? What...?"

"Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique."

"Ah... Huh. The one I solved with you? You know that the Alchemical Engineering Cross Technique has been an unsolved problem for 300 years. Do you think you can solve it now? I've tried to approach it from various unique angles, but it just doesn't work."

"Hmm... I remember the part where you got stuck last time. If we solved just that part, it would show us a way forward, right?"

"Hmm? Well, that's true..."

"I solved it."

"... What?"

Alterisha’s motion halted abruptly at Baek Yu-Seol’s words. She slowly raised her stiff neck and locked her gaze with him.

"But no matter how much I solved that part, I couldn't understand what it meant."

"What... did you say? You solved it for real? Really?"

"Yes. Shall I show you?"

Nodding her head like a maniac, Alterisha eagerly gazed at Baek Yu-Seol as he took out a pen from his breast coat pocket and wrote down a simple formula.

Then Alterisha’s large pupils widened even further, and she gasped silently, her mouth hanging open.

"Ah...!"

She had realized something. Unlike him, who could only observe and copy, the true genius’s mind flashed with numerous images, formulas, and alchemical recipes.

"This is... Unbelievable..."

Baek Yu-Seol wasn’t meant to solve this problem himself. It was crucial for her, a true genius, to submit the research paper on her own and gain confidence, but more importantly, funding is given to the person who completes the paper. 

He had no intention of becoming an alchemist. He lacked the ideas and abilities for it. He merely relied on his specs and pretended to be smart by following recorded recipes.

She, however, was someone who could change the world.

"If we add scattering and reflection to Triny's coefficients, then apply Panussen’s flow..."

She was completely absorbed as if possessed by something, forgetting that he was sitting in front of her. Each time Baek Yu-Seol saw her, he marveled at her concentration.

Leaving Alterisha alone, he got up quietly and closed the door, leaving without making a single noise.

‘I’ve done my part.’