MTLNOVEL Chapter 3 - Genius
Chapter 3 – Genius
Ethila Bedford is a genius.
She is a second-year student at Tristida Academy.
Based on her exceptional understanding of rune and elemental magic, she possesses skills that not only her peers but even advanced magicians in the magical world cannot easily overcome.
Despite being a young girl who hasn’t even undergone her coming-of-age ceremony, she has published three papers in academia that have been recognized by professors.
Even the professors’ top apprentices who work as teaching assistants take at least a year to write a single paper.
She completed three papers in just half a year.
What I just mentioned was already close to a remarkable achievement, but what’s truly astonishing is that each paper was in a different field.
Magicians choose a field to research for their entire life.
Just as scholars divide their research fields, so do magicians.
If it’s fire magic, then fire magic; if it’s rune magic, then rune magic; if it’s metal magic, then metal magic.
Though they all create miracles with mana.
Because each field of magic has vastly different formulas, structures, and properties.
It was an essential choice for better efficiency.
That’s why Ethila was the only student receiving a full scholarship at the academy.
She receives attention from numerous magic towers, including the Red Tower.
She has been evaluated as someone who will ‘reach transcendence,’ the ultimate goal of magicians, in just 5 years.
This was a very unusual case.
Even the current heads of the magic towers reached their prime in their 40s.
‘……’
Scratch, scratch, her pen moved busily.
‘Lady Ethila. I’ve brought tea….’
A woman in a maid’s uniform walked into her dormitory.
Her name was Langlang, a skilled knight and maid arranged by the Bedford family for Ethila.
Ethila did not respond.
‘I’ll leave the refreshments and tea here….’
Since she couldn’t disturb her while she was focused on her studies.
Langlang bowed her head and carefully left the room.
‘……’
Ethila Bedford was a noble.
She had such a discerning palate that she would only consume tea brewed from high-quality leaves and confections made by master craftsmen.
She was a beautiful girl characterized by ruby-red hair, skin as white as jade, and a gentle smile.
She put down her pen for a moment and reached for the tea and refreshments.
Dignity was evident in her every movement.
As the only daughter of the high-noble Bedford family, she grew up receiving abundant love and attention from her parents.
The elders of the Bedford family were people who understood the importance of home education.
There were no rough edges to her personality.
‘……’
Ethila Bedford was a student admired by everyone.
She had a charm that inspired envy in girls her age and attracted male students with less than pure intentions.
‘…..’
Ethila Bedford is competent.
Ethila Bedford is strong.
Ethila Bedford is the best.
Ethila Bedford is the finest in the world.
Ethila Bedford is lovely.
Ethila Bedford is charming.
Ethila Bedford is pretty.
Ethila Bedford is smart.
Ethila Bedford is wise.
Ethila Bedford is the most perfect human in this world.
Everyone admired Ethila Bedford.
The assessments of her greatness are absolutely natural facts.
It will never change forever.
She sat back at her desk.
And moved her pen busily.
About an hour passed.
‘Ugh……’
Currently, Ethila Bedford is crying.
‘This is so frustrating…!!’
Her sharp voice echoed throughout the room.
‘What the hell is this…!!’
This was the first time Ethila had been so agitated.
Her gaze went to the paper on the desk, which was identical to the test paper Esther Tristida had received from the head of the family.
“Millennium – Hellfire Recreation”
She stomps her feet while sitting in the chair.
‘I was working hard to solve it, and I definitely could have solved it in just one more month…!!’
On her desk, besides the test paper, there was another paper document spread out.
“Ostana Monthly – February Issue”
In the newspaper, large bold letters stood out.
“The Millennium problem that tormented magicians finally solved!! The one who solved it is none other than a 15-year-old boy from Tristida!?”
Ethila bit her lip.
How much effort had she put into solving this Millennium problem?
She had invested even more effort and time than in her school classes and thesis.
She had put aside her favorite kindling novels and kept staring at the test paper, which made her feel like her eyesight was deteriorating.
She crumpled up the test paper with the answer written on it.
‘Ugh……’
Everywhere around her, this was all anyone talked about.
-Have you seen that the Millennium problem was solved?
-I saw it, but I really don’t understand what they’re talking about?
-I just had a flame element class, and the professor couldn’t stop praising someone, saying there’s a new star in the Flame School.
-Huh, wasn’t it solved by the Tower Master or someone like that?
-They say the solver is 15 years old, the youngest son of the Tristida family.
-What!? Younger than me!? He’s the same age as Ethila!! That’s amazing!!
-Even Ethila said she couldn’t solve a Millennium problem, isn’t a Millennium much more impressive than a dissertation?
His not-yet-fully-grown fist trembled.
‘This is so annoooying…!!’
Ethila’s scream echoed.
This was an emotion she was feeling for the first time.
Unrivaled under heaven.
For a girl who had always been praised as a genius without equal under the sky, the sudden appearance of a rival was…
A disaster like an earthquake or tsunami.
‘It’s the first time I’ve seen the young lady lose her composure…’
Langlang, who had been standing guard outside the dormitory door, sighed.
Thinking she should bring more sugar and caffeine, she left her post temporarily.
***
Dalfi called me.
‘Young master.’
‘What.’
‘What are you doing right now?’
I was kneeling, putting my hands together, and praying to the heavens.
Honestly, although I confidently used Nob AI, I wasn’t sure if it was accurate.
Even though AI is supposedly high-performance, it can’t even draw human fingers properly.
So I had no choice.
‘Ah, you don’t know…’
In South Korea where I lived, there was a famous saying.
‘If you pray earnestly, the whole universe will come together to help you!!’
Dalfi sighed.
‘If you were that nervous, you could have at least reviewed it. You submitted it ten days earlier than your siblings. I still can’t forget the expression on the family head’s face at that time.’
Hmm, Porto’s expression at that time was indeed fierce.
It was closer to looking at trash than looking at his child, as if saying, ‘You young punk, giving up without even trying!?’
‘Master Porto is a man who follows through when he says he will.’
‘I know.’
‘I will follow you wherever you go, young master, but I wonder if you can endure the battlefield.’
She seems to have already determined that I will become a soldier.
It wasn’t just Dalfi.
Everyone in the mansion, including the servants, tried to say goodbye to me.
-Good luck, young master.
-He was really a kind-hearted person…
-He was just a freeloader. In a way, this is the natural course of things.
‘I heard demons like minors, wouldn’t the young master be eaten first?’
Still, the servants meant no harm.
Thankfully, only my siblings berated me.
My siblings were so focused on this test that they didn’t even do their usual teabagging and just ignored me.
‘Really. Others spend money to hire famous magicians…’
‘Where would I get money? I don’t even have money to buy books.’
Dalfi massaged my shoulders.
Painfully, that is.
‘Owwww…!!’
‘Sometimes I feel murderous impulses rising when I look at you, young master.’
‘This is treason…!!’
‘You are not a king, young master. And soon you might not even be a young master anymore.’
Dalfi released his hands.
His grip strength was like a gorilla’s.
Still, I knew Dalfi was worried about me.
‘Well, don’t worry.’
‘……’
‘Would I be doing this if I had nothing to rely on?’
Dalfi blinked.
‘Sometimes.’
‘Huh?’
‘Very occasionally… I feel that the young master I see now is different from the one I’ve known until now.’
His voice was puzzled.
‘Have you taken some kind of drug?’
‘A very expensive and rare drug, yes.’
That drug was reincarnation.
‘Hmm.’
‘It’s a good thing, isn’t it? Let’s have a drink.’
‘You’re definitely more charming now than the depressed and timid young master you were before.’
I stood up from my seat.
‘It’s about time.’
‘Yes.’
‘Take care. I’ll be waiting.’
Today is the announcement day for the successor test.
Honestly, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t scared.
No matter how perfect an AI might be, it still hasn’t been verified.
I didn’t know if this was a reliable method or an unreliable one.
Still, AI was all I could trust.
I had no exceptional magical knowledge, no charisma to captivate people, and I didn’t receive as much allowance as my siblings.
My options were limited.
I didn’t want to go to the battlefield no matter what it took.
Honestly, if Porto tried to enlist me, I had already made plans to escape with Dalfi midway.
As I walked toward the family head’s room, I met my third brother who despised me greatly.
‘Cadet Esther. Congratulations. Our family will have a soldier born.’
‘……’
‘I was wondering when our youngest, who only wastes food, would leave the mansion, but to think it would be today!’
In my memory, Felix was close to being a devil.
Despite being rough himself, he was trash who tried to relieve his inferiority complex and stress by maliciously tormenting me.
‘Brothers, do you know who’s the most useless person in our family? It’s Esther.’
‘Since you’re the most lacking and inadequate, you should put away the wooden swords of the other brothers. Don’t you agree?’
‘How are you going to participate in parties later? Your etiquette and speech are a mess. Don’t tell people you’re from the Tristida family when you go out.’
In modern terms, he was like a school bully.
Such guys should be exposed by celebrities, but unfortunately, there was no such profession in this world.
In the past, I would just take the beating quietly, but now it’s different.
‘Brother.’
I stopped in front of the family head’s room.
‘Yes?’
Felix also stopped walking.
Smack-!!
I slapped the back of Felix’s head with all my might.
‘Aack!?’
Leaving the stunned Felix behind, I quickly entered the family head’s room.
And I greeted my father who was sitting.
Felix followed me in with a red face but couldn’t say anything in front of my father.
Hmm, indeed, stress should be relieved promptly.