The Genius Professor Wants An Easy Life - Chapter 186
I clicked my tongue.
Despite her attempt at her disguise, anyone could tell it was Joanna.
‘Why is she here? And to start a fight at the expo, of all places?’
Just like the saying, “A leaking bucket at home will leak as much outside,” it was exactly the case here.
After the men she had been arguing with ran off, I, as a professor, scolded Joanna.
“This isn’t the Empire. Try to tame your temper.”
“Ha! What do you mean? Why would I do that?!”
“Why would you do that?”
“…….”
“??”
“Ah, really! I just didn’t like those Ran Republic guys, okay?! It’s so annoying. Just you watch! The expo victory will be mine!”
Joanna stormed off, seething.
As I tilted my head, Libel said ominously from the side,
“Should I kill her for daring to… How presumptuous.”
“Yap~ Libel, you like murder too? Wanna be friends? I know lots of fun torture methods. Wanna try them on her?”
“I-I don’t like torture. But… inflicting pain on someone who insulted the professor… doesn’t seem so bad.”
“Why do you keep saying ‘professor, professor’ all the time?”
“Because… I’m the professor’s boy.”
Turns out Libel and her had a surprisingly good murderous synergy.
“Enough with the pointless chatter, let’s go inside.”
Approaching the entrance, all eyes were on us.
“Please, your identity and invitation for verification.”
“I am Van. I don’t have an invitation.”
“If you don’t have an invitation, entry is not…”
“Wouldn’t this work as a free pass?”
As I took out an object, everyone around took a sharp intake of breath.
It was the Meister badge awarded by the Republic’s government.
The dream of every mage here.
“A real Meister certification.”
“And it’s a special edition at that? Directly bestowed by the President instead of a medal.”
“This is absurd! It should be confiscated immediately!”
The atmosphere turned hostile in an instant.
Exaggerating just a bit, everyone gathered here cast hostile glances at me.
Libel was about to growl again, but I smirked and stopped him.
“It’s fine. These looks will soon turn into adoration.”
“!!”
“The more they act like this now, the more embarrassed they’ll be later. It’ll become their greatest embarrassing memory.”
“You’re right, Professor! Make way, you Republic scoundrels! The great legend of the Empire deigns to grace you with his teachings!”
Hans shouted loudly.
By the way, Hans was bursting with fighting spirit, as though he was promised a reward by the President and was determined to take a good share.
But that was only for a moment.
“I-Is this the magitech expo? Can you really do it, Professor?”
Overwhelmed by the grand scale of the expo venue, Hans seemed like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city.
It was indeed impressive.
‘It’s like the size of COEX or KINTEX convention centers.’
If it weren’t for the facade of the Black Flame Dragon, I too might have been unable to hide my astonishment.
Countless inventions were displayed everywhere.
That’s when it happened.
“Oh, who do we have here? Isn’t this the great new star of the Empire, Professor Van the Legend?”
Sharp.
More precisely, a man with a cold, snake-like demeanor addressed me.
The surroundings went dead silent.
They were all gauging the man who had just appeared before me.
That meant he was a person of significance.
“I am Kaplan. I am supported by His Grace, Grand Duke Rutger.”
I crossed my arms.
‘So, it was this guy. The thief.’
I was familiar with his name from before.
Not from any storyline, but from after I became ‘Van.’
He didn’t play a significant role in the storyline’s progress, but in this world, he was quite a renowned figure.
Even mentioned occasionally within the Empire’s magical academic circles.
“To receive the title of Meister as soon as you arrive in the Republic. Truly lives up to the reputation I’ve heard about. Indeed, you are the pride of the Empire.”
The sarcasm and provocation were glaringly obvious.
‘I’m not a child, no need to react childishly. The real contest is later, anyway.’
I thought to move past it when,
“Aren’t you ashamed?”
“Excuse me?”
“To proudly wear a Meister badge that you bought with money. Truly, the shame of the Republic.”
“!!”
…The Black Flame Dragon threw a fastball.
The man’s face contorted with anger.
“How dare you! Where do you get off making such slanderous accusations?!”
“It’s a story that’s spread far and wide in our Empire. Shall I tell it again? The disgraceful ambition that stole a mentor’s achievements, the cold-heartedness of pushing one’s own faults onto a disciple, the inhumanity of embezzling research funds for illegal gambling. Nothing was off the table. Truly, a star beloved by the Empire’s media would love.”
“!!”
Yes.
His fame in the Empire wasn’t due to his excellence as a magitech engineer.
It was because of his vileness.
“That statement. You’ll soon regret it.”
He spoke coldly.
“Planning to present at the expo’s conference?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I have something to announce as well. It’s about a great invention I have painstakingly developed, the automobile. I’m truly excited about it.. I’m truly looking forward to it.”
The feeling was mutual.
As I merely shrugged my shoulders, he gritted his teeth and disappeared.
“With some time before the presentation, let’s take a look at the exhibits.”
I wandered and examined the items.
Perhaps due to the altercation with Kaplan, no one else came up to pick a fight.
But, the stares remained.
Like looking at a monkey in a zoo.
Regardless, I focused on the exhibits.
‘This is the most important part of my plan.’
In some ways, touring the exhibition now was more crucial than the upcoming presentation.
Then, Hans commented in a peculiar tone.
“Hmm. The level of the exhibits doesn’t seem as high as I expected.”
“That’s usually the case. Real innovation typically comes from the Empire’s magical community. The Republic is just good at commercialization.”
It wasn’t a statement made out of blind patriotism.
It was a fact.
‘With the majority of high-level mages, Lv. 7 and above, being overwhelmingly from the Empire, it’s natural that more innovative theories come from there.’
However, having complex and advanced theories doesn’t directly translate to marketability.
There are practical limitations to transforming these theories into magical tools that need to be adjusted for reality.
The Republic’s forte was such ‘commercialization.’
‘In other words, often the theories themselves aren’t particularly remarkable.’
As I quickly scanned through the exhibits, walking around the expansive expo hall,
I knew I had to hurry to see everything.
Meanwhile, mages from the Republic sent sneering glances my way,
Thinking I was moving too quickly to properly appreciate anything.
‘There’s no need to look closely at magical tools of this level.’
Then, I encountered an unexpected figure.
“You’re? Professor Van? They say enemies meet on a narrow road!”
A villainous-looking pretty boy.
It was Senin, the culprit behind the plagiarism scandal!
Senin glared at me as if I were his sworn enemy.
‘I have indeed caused him a lot of trouble.’
(He tried to frame me but ended up being buried by the academy.)
(He was caught cheating the casino because of me and went to jail.)
(His father attempted something dreadful but was stopped by me, leading to his family’s ruin.)
…All were instances of karma, but I couldn’t completely blame him for seeing me as an enemy.
“Well, look at you, all high and mighty, but now in such a sorry state.”
“……”
“Be prepared. The Royal Family’s schemes are no small matter. Not only will you lose the rights to the automobile, but the Vanmily Merchant Group will go bankrupt, and you’ll be framed as the plagiarist, incurring a huge debt. And I, with the support of the Royal Family…”
“Scared?”
“…What?”
“Are you barking because you’re scared now?”
“!!”
“I understand. The things you’ve been through recently must have been tough. I think it was too much for someone as young as you to handle.”
But Senin’s reaction was unexpectedly different.
“I… I…”
While I expected him to get angry,
“You dare to say such things…”
Tears welled up in his eyes.
‘Ah.’
I realized something I had overlooked.
There are two paths for Senin.
He becomes either a corrupt magnate or a merchant of salvation.
Either way, he ends up being a powerhouse that influences the commercial world.
But that’s the future. Right now, Senin is just a seventeen-year-old boy.
Still untempered.
Clumsy and weak.
“I will never forgive you. Never.”
Senin disappeared, filled with bitterness, and I was left with a troubled expression.
‘No, why am I feeling so sympathetic?’
Shaking my head, I moved on.
It was time for the much-anticipated lecture.
* * *
Naturally, my lecture topic was about automobiles.
I presented on the core technology of the mana engine, including the bipolar theory and the separator membrane.
As for the reaction…
“……”
It was icy.
Not a single polite clap was heard.
It was expected.
“Your presentation seems remarkably similar to Mr. Kaplan’s earlier.”
“It’s a bit different, but it seems cunningly plagiarized.”
“It’s not just similar; it’s complete plagiarism. To think you dared to present stolen material. Ha, the audacity knows no bounds.”
Ridiculous accusations were exchanged.
My presentation slot was right after Kaplan’s.
The placement hinted at malicious intent.
The problem was with the content he had presented.
‘It looked more plausible than my original content.’
When plagiarizing technology, merely copying exactly is the act of an amateur.
Kaplan was a master of such magitech plagiarism crimes.
He had created a new theory based on mine.
Upon close inspection, it was essentially the same content, but at first glance, it appeared superior.
Moreover, most people here were in cahoots with him.
“Whose patent registration date is earlier?”
“Professor Van the Legend’s side was earlier, but it’s said that Mr. Kaplan’s side delayed theirs to perfect the theory further. It seems they took advantage of this to steal the technology and hurriedly register it first.”
The response seemed prearranged.
A few reputable magitech engineers frowned, but they dared not raise their voices.
The mafia was backing these people, after all.
It was an utterly frustrating situation.
“Do you have anything more to say, Professor Van? If you do not acknowledge my patent rights willingly, we can sort this out in court. Be prepared for a substantial compensation payment in case of your loss.”
Kaplan provoked.
Just as one would expect from a plagiarism dispute expert, he had all his evidence prepared.
‘But that doesn’t mean I can’t win.’
I crossed my arms.
Just as the Royal Family backs him, the Ecclesia backs me.
More importantly, I was different from the victims he had dealt with so far.
I had the ability to dismantle his false evidence.
However, a courtroom battle is not what I desire.
‘It would take too long. Going through appeals and waiting for a verdict from the Mage Tower’s international court would take more than five years.’
Who has the time to wait that long?
I want to see the automobile being sold to the world as soon as possible.
Above all,
‘I must make them pay for daring to steal my property.’
Compensation money after winning the lawsuit? It’s not enough.
The downfall of the Royal Family.
That is what I aim for.
Of course, it might sound peculiar.
How could I possibly bring about the downfall of the Royal Family that dominates the Republic?
There was a way.
“No, I will not sue. Dr. Kaplan, I will acknowledge the patent rights to your automobile.”
Kaplan looked puzzled.
He didn’t seem to believe my words.
I even applauded for him.
Coolly, elegantly, and with dignity.
“Your performance today was truly impressive. Outstanding.”
Clap. Clap.
My applause echoed in the silent lecture hall, like thunder announcing the storm I was about to unleash.
“Thank you for giving me such valuable lessons. I have gained great inspiration.”
