Magic Genius of the Fallen Dukedom - Chapter 3.1
The Last Vassal
“The Imperial status system is stark. While it’s said that in this era, if one has money and power, even commoners receive treatment akin to nobility, the Eon Empire was undoubtedly a status-based nation officially. However, within the Hibernium Academy, it’s different. Regardless of one’s status, professors are professors, and students are students. There was a principle of equality among students.
But what if a student disrespects a professor?
‘Wh…what did you just say? Platinum… What?'”
“Ah, don’t you have any title? Even so, as a professor at Hibernium, you receive treatment akin to minor nobility, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call you ‘Your Lordship.”
“No, that’s not the issue!”
Professor Platinum was taken aback.Honestly, his fluster bordered on anger.
Born into nobility but possessing talent akin to a beggar. A noble without money, power, or ability, merely a facade of nobility—such individuals were perfect targets for releasing his pent-up anger.
Before him, who had risen to the position of professor at the prestigious Hibernium Academy from a commoner background, the sight of a high-ranking noble who only kept silent and looked down was thrilling.
“However…”
How can you suddenly change like this?’
The quiet boy who had been the subject of his gaze disappeared, replaced by an arrogant gaze as he leaned back slightly in his chair, chin raised to look down at him.
With the current expression added to his already handsome appearance, he became the epitome of nobility. Suppressing the fear rising in his subconscious, he shouted louder.
“Aden Myon! How dare a student speak to a professor like this!! What is this…!”
Without a hint of fluster, a calm response came back.
“I thought you wanted a conversation applying the status system by insisting on calling me ‘Young Duke’. Otherwise, allow me to correct you, Professor.”
“Th-this…! I have nothing to teach to a student who doesn’t show respect. Get out of my class immediately!”
It was a moment of realization. If even one subject of a course wasn’t completed, a student would fail the entire semester.
He wouldn’t want to fail, especially after struggling for three years from the 2nd circle.
Would the student come to him, kneel down, and beg? He might even cry, pleading to be given another chance.
Yet, Platinum wouldn’t relent—he would give an F. And he would spread rumors among other professors, eventually making sure that the student couldn’t endure at Hibernium anymore. The happy circuit unfolding in Platinum’s mind shattered into pieces at Aden’s next words.
“Then, will Magic Taxonomy be considered completed?”
“…What?”
“I want to attend the class, but if it’s inconvenient for you to see my face, you’ll let me pass the class, won’t you?”
“What kind of nonsen… No, why are you demanding completion when you know nothing about Magic Taxonomy? Isn’t it obvious that a certain level of knowledge about this subject must be verified to complete it?”
Flustered by the unexpected reaction of his interlocutor, Platinum responded adeptly. An irrefutable principle.
Though he was always the first to arrive and the last to leave the library, Aden, who barely maintained a C in his note-taking grades, found this principle particularly painful.
But Aden’s response was strange.
“At the very least, if it’s the content of this textbook, I have it all memorized.”
“What?”
Laughing at Aden’s finger pointing to the thick textbook spanning five hundred pages, he snickered. But his laughter lost its way with the following words.
“Page 131. The reason elemental magic became predominant over incantations is because it was the most intuitive and human-like form, making it easy to visualize. Considering that the vividness of a mage’s intention directly correlates with the accuracy and power of magic, it’s natural that easily visible and touchable natural elements have been the mainstream of magic since ancient times.”
Rustle, rustle— Students quickly flip through pages, glancing at the professor, their mouths agape in realization. It must be accurate.
They know. Who else but Platinum himself would have read this book the most?
“…Page 229, 16th line?”
A question popped out involuntarily, despite knowing better than to mess with his pace.
‘That dimwit wouldn’t have memorized the entire book.’
It’s a clever trick to pretend memorization by just memorizing that one page. If asked about another page, they’ll likely falter. And then, they’ll apologize to him.
That’s what must happen.
“Additional elements beyond the basic four elements of water, fire, wind, and earth, the most popular among them are electricity, ice, and poison…”
“Page 58.”
“Magic classification can be divided into functional classification and technical classification…”
“P…Page 359.”
“The difference between strategic magic and combat magic lies in the technical difference depending on whether the mage themselves participates in combat or not…”
Nevertheless, no matter how many times he was asked, not a second of hesitation passed Aden’s lips as perfect sentences flowed out.
The students who had been quickly flipping through the pages each time the professor asked a question eventually found themselves staring blankly at Aden’s mouth.
“Is he really that dullard we thought he was?”
“Was he just memorizing magic taxonomy books in the library every day?”
“Is he only prepared for today because the professor keeps nagging?”
“No matter how hard he studied, he couldn’t have memorized the pages, could he? Did he use memory magic? But he’s only a 2nd circle mage.”
“Look at the professor’s red face. He might explode at this rate.”
Platinum tried to keep his head together.
He shouldn’t have entertained the provocation from the start.
Since he had asked the questions and Aden had answered them all, it became difficult to completely ignore Aden’s demands.
To salvage the situation as best as possible…
“Well… you did study diligently. However, it’s not accurate to say that this textbook encompasses the entirety of magic taxonomy…”
“That’s true. This textbook is too biased towards spellcasting and has several critical errors. Phillian Blanc’s ‘Imperial Magic System’ is more systematic and the terminology is clearer, so it might be better to use that as a textbook. Let me list some of the major errors…”
As Aden began to point out errors in the textbook, the author of said textbook—Platinum himself—ultimately couldn’t overcome his humiliation and stormed out of the classroom. Until Aden casually walked out afterward, the classroom remained eerily silent.
* * *
Ka-chak—
Aden entered his dorm room, and not long after, the door was hastily opened.
It was the person he expected.
Contrary to the quiet and fierce image in the classroom, the girl who came in while panting opened her eyes wide and shouted.
“Master! What were you thinking—”
“Oh, the little kitty is here?”
“What on earth were you planning to do with the professor…
Oh, by any chance, are you planning to leave the academy and return to the estate?”
Although it was kept secret within the academy, Izein Caddock belonged to the rare Feline tribe, and the Caddock family had been serving the Myon family for generations.
“Kitty, come here.”
“Don’t call me that!”
“Seriously. Can you drop the act for a moment? I just want to pet you after so long.”
Izein was about to retort but then looked at Aden once again.
There was something different about his demeanor and gaze today. She sighed and then reverted to her human form. The golden-furred tabby cat trotted over and leaped onto Aden’s lap.
The soft fur wrapped around his hand.
“How have you been?”
“What’s going on?”
Aden grew up with dogs and cats as a child.
Since the young Feline tribe was unable to transform into a human, Aden only knew them as cats and dogs.
The shock of finding out that the cats and dogs that they adored were actually them still lingered into Aden’s mind.
They were the last vassals of the Myon family.
