After the dizzying class on the Department of Magic and Mystique finally ended, the next subject to learn was [Otherworld Ecological Analysis].
As expected, this was not particularly interesting content either.
Just like how seemingly fascinating subjects can become exhausting and sleepy when directly experienced, this was yet another complex lecture sprinkled with theories and explanations.
It might have been my lack of prior knowledge, but in any case, the pace was too fast.
“Umm… so, the bodies of spirits, that is, elementals, are basically composed of 57% hydrogen, 11% oxygen, 22% each of light and gravity, making up over 100%.”
Leaving aside the components I didn’t even understand, why in the world does that add up to more than 100%?
But my courage to raise my hand for questions wasn’t that great, so I let it pass without any inquiry.
After all, it seemed like something everyone else knew, and if I raised my hand, it would be embarrassing.
“If an elemental and a celestial being fought, who would win? That’s an interesting question. However, due to the dimensional limitations between the two and the fact that there’s nothing to gain from fighting each other, that scenario doesn’t happen.”
“Oh, you’re talking about the Cosmopoligical Theory? That’s…”
I was just zoning out during the lecture, and before I knew it, this class time flew by.
How strange, I thought I studied reasonably well in high school, but have I become stupid with age, or is it just that my current body has lower intelligence?
…Maybe I was always a bit foolish from the start.
“My head hurts.”
Moreover, I kept thinking during the lecture that, while I hadn’t realized it in games, most of the professors here seemed to be lacking in some fundamental aspect.
The physical education professor focused solely on bodily training, while some professors had issues like gambling addiction, insomnia, an obsession with explanations, and idealism, among others.
Most of them seemed to be severely afflicted by their own conditions.
Perhaps it takes a touch of madness to truly excel in a field, or is it the other way around?
It’s a classic dilemma: which came first, the egg or the chicken?
Is it madness that allows one to excel in their field, or is the deep obsession with their field what eventually drives them to madness?
It’s a truly difficult question.
Historically speaking, many geniuses and great figures often died young or lived with some form of mental illness.
Considering this, there is certainly some correlation between the two.
As I pondered these various thoughts, I arrived at the classroom for the next lecture and took my seat.
I sincerely hoped this subject might spark at least a little interest in me.
With that hope in mind, I settled down and began to slowly listen to the professor’s words.
“Alright, everyone, please pay attention.”
The male professor slowly wrote down his name and immediately started discussing the topic at hand.
“What is the ideal power? Let’s think about this main theme together. You there, student! Can you give us an answer?”
And the person he pointed to was none other than me.
“Uh, me?”
“Yes! Anything is fine! Please answer!”
“The ideal power…”
Since I had never really thought about such things, I took a moment to think before producing an answer.
“Isn’t it just that a strong being can defeat a weak one?”
“Um…”
The professor looked slightly taken aback, but that was all I could come up with.
After all, power is about the gap between the strong and the weak, isn’t it?
And it’s the rights given to the strong that determine the difference in that gap.
Power isn’t about struggling against injustice, but rather an authoritative force exerted from above downward.
At least that’s how I see it.
“Well, you might think so, but somehow, the power you’ve considered seems to stem more from an abstract idea than from a physical one. But at least, the power I think of is different.”
He spread his arms and spoke.
“The most ideal power is one that is perpetual, never-ending, and can be controlled through rules and regulations, yet immensely strong. That is what I believe power to be. And here, we have that power.”
He lifted a stone that he had brought with him.
A rough stone enveloped in a faint aura, resembling a jewel.
He placed that stone down on the desk as if showcasing something he was proud of.
“As you all know, magic stones greatly influence our lives. They are essential in transportation, steel production, electricity, water supply, and energy. Now, who can tell me where these magic stones come from?”
“From monsters.”
“Oh, thank you.”
I also knew quite a bit about magic stones.
They are often used in games as vital items for trading high-quality goods or to increase affinity with specific demanding characters.
And magic stones are frequently found near the hearts of the monsters they come from, just as their name suggests.
“When the monsters first appeared, they were simply biological disasters. Many clans and skilled individuals had been cultivating their abilities, but they were insufficiently prepared.”
Tap.
The magic stone quietly vibrated on the table.
“Those who had no way to respond perished, while those who did had to struggle against overwhelming numbers. However, what changed the situation was none other than the magic stones found near the hearts.”
“…”
“Like someone who has heard that a hair loss treatment is the monster’s tooth, or as if a potent restorative ingredient had been discovered, magic stones became an unusual but exceedingly powerful resource.”
Sadly, it seemed that hair loss treatments could not yet be created in this world.
“With just the news that ‘money can be made,’ many who couldn’t even catch a single monster jumped eagerly into hunting them. Foolishly.”
“Was it a failure?”
“No, it was a success.”
“Then why…”
“The monsters that were excessively hunted began to dwindle. Isn’t it amusing? A being from beyond dimensions that once sought to ruthlessly massacre humanity was crushed under the weight of material desire and absolute numbers!”
The professor spoke with a laugh, as if even he found what he said amusing.
“Occasionally, the really high-level gates and monsters pose a threat to humanity, but that’s about it. Our gap has widened to the point where heroes in various places, not just the academy, can close top-grade gates within a day.”
Humans are adaptive creatures wherever and whenever.
When a species’ old nemesis, which once posed endless challenges and fear, can easily be defeated by individuals, that gap cannot be bridged.
Even their skins and magic stones, which were once overflowing, are now traded as rare items.
Unlike common occurrences of events happening during academy entrance ceremonies or gates opening, this game had a reason for ending relatively peacefully.
Unless world-ending gates open simultaneously across the globe, there shouldn’t be many difficulties.
“Furthermore, the continuous energy derived from that is…! The amount of value generated after gathering all the magic stones is astronomical!! That’s why there were also people trying to cultivate monsters… but so far, there have been no successful cases.”
“Is there someone raising monsters?”
“Oh, it seemed impossible to cultivate them, but I’ve heard that if you establish intimacy with a spirit or monster from a very young age through special methods, it might be possible at a very low probability… but I don’t see why anyone would go to such lengths.”
I couldn’t fully agree with that statement.
It was, after all, a dismissal of beast tamers.
Giving up on the vision of flying with wolves, tigers, or dragons is a bit too much to bear.
Giving up on being a dragon rider?
That is a romantic notion not easily discarded.
Moreover, though it hasn’t been revealed yet, characters capable of taming monsters also emerge later in the story.
“Resources are always limited; infinite power does not exist, and consequently, we must seek new resources once again. Even if there may be dangers along the way.”
“By ‘dangers’ you mean…”
“Much like the founding fathers when establishing a nation or company, there will be countless investments and costs involved, leading to the possibility of sunk costs. We must be prepared to endure that.”
Something felt off.
Perhaps it was my misunderstanding, but I doubted the costs the professor mentioned were simply about money…
“The ability to achieve the maximum profit with the minimum value, that is what we will learn in our lectures.”
“…”
However, as I mulled over the professor’s words for just a moment, his lecture quickly transitioned to another topic.
.
.
.
.
“So, in conclusion! We must use the existing magic stones more efficiently or find new resources! And here’s your assignment: think of a creative way to use magic stones. That’s all.”
After approximately another thirty minutes of speaking, the professor concluded his lecture.
This subject, compared to others, was relatively interesting and amusing.
There were a few spine-chilling parts in the professor’s words, but they seemed like jokes at best.
However, I still had one thing to resolve.
Swoosh.
Complex patterns and shapes with tangled lines spilling out from my crumpled bag.
“Haa.”
Yes, I have to solve the assignment from the magic professor.
I somewhat wanted to avoid it, but neglecting the assignment could jeopardize my selection as a scholarship student.
The target of being a scholarship student that I had set from the beginning is not something I plan to abandon easily.
But right now, I didn’t have anyone around me who could lend a helping hand.
“If that’s the case…”
The solution is simple.
“I need to find someone to help.”
Fortunately, I knew a certain wizard who could never turn down a request from others.
One of my favorite characters.
Despite that, I wondered if we could actually have a proper conversation if we met, given her personality.
I began walking to the place where she was likely to be.
