The Magic Academy's Physicist
Chapter 302: [Boss Fight] The Subjugation Of Gilach (3)

Chapter 302: [Boss Fight] The Subjugation Of Gilach (3)

0% Born in a tent by the seaside. Raised in a container.

That was the summary of Leninya’s childhood.

By the time she became aware of the world, her parents were no longer part of it. The one who raised the early orphaned girl was a relative on her mother’s side.

─ Leninya, this world is rotten.

Her uncle told her about the discrimination against the Golden-Eyed since she was young.

─ In this country, Kaurelia, the ruling class have all the control. The Rothschilds, the Vierbeins, those bastards. If you see anyone with these names, you must be on your guard.

Leninya only half-agreed with what her uncle said, because even those who didn’t bear those surnames persecuted the Golden-Eyed.

By the time she was born, Kaurelia had already been democratized. There was no official system of status or class.

Hard work paid off–was what she thought, and believed it.

But Leninya got a bitter taste of reality at a young age.

When she took a crumpled bill to the bakery, she’d always be given expired bread, and if she went to the flower shop, the price of roses would go up by 30%.

─ That? It’s all discrimination against Golden-Eyeds.

Even though the institutional discrimination was gone, the customary discrimination remained. Golden-Eyeds were still poor, due to most jobs requiring the use of magic.

The only thing that magic-incapable Golden-Eyeds could do was manual labor.

And so she did it. Manual labor.

The reason?

─ Then go to the academy if you want to live well.

To earn money for academy tuition.

Graduating from a prestigious academy guaranteed social status, they said, and believing those rumors, she worked relentlessly.

She worked by day, studied by night, and did this while while sleeping only four, five hours a day.

─ You’re going to break down at this rate.

It was fine, her body was strong so it didn’t break easily.

But that didn’t mean that it didn’t take a toll on her mental health. At the end of the day, Leninya came home limp as a seaweed that drifted onto shore.

The wages that she earned that way just barely got her by, and it was nowhere near enough to feed her relative.

A life of being discriminated against was exhausting. And so she wanted to succeed.

Leninya believed that people were inherently good. She thought that even bad people could change if they were treated nicely.

So that was why. Whether they had less or more than her, she’d give whatever wealth she possessed to others. One for me, one for you. Even by sharing a single bean to eat she wanted everyone to be happy together.

The reason why the girl wanted to enter the academy was clear: to give more to even more people. And to do that, she first had to become a great person.

And finally–

[We welcome to the Iliad family.]She somehow got into the academy.

Although she entered via social consideration admission, but whatever. That didn’t change the fact that she got into a prestigious school.

─ Don’t you think those bastards who came in through SC admission suck at studying?

─ Seriously. I want them gone from our school.

It shouldn’t have changed, surely.

─ Hey, why are you looking at theory books when you can’t even use magic on your own?

The world wasn’t equal even after entering the academy. The children of wealthy families who entered through general admission would pick on her at every opportunity. And each time, Leninya would respond by giving them candy or something.

The reason why she gave out star candies was simple:

Because once they graduated, they’d all be peers. Colleagues. Because, as her uncle said, they’d become ‘comrades’.

She thought she just needed to approach these prudish privileged children with kindness. She thought they’d change. That one day, they’d become friends, and she’d get to join their cartel.

─ What the hell is this. Are you crazy?

The result was disastrous.

Loner.

“.......”

First year. Leninya didn’t even get to go on the retreat and was left alone.

The reason? Because she was a Golden-Eyed. Because she entered Iliad through the back door when she wasn’t good enough to get in.

Because she was a bitch out of her mind who even offered star candies to those who were mean to her.

It’s okay. Everyone will recognize me when I graduate at the top of my class.

She thought there wasn’t any other way now.

So night and day, she focused on her studies.

And it paid off. She had gotten first place on the written of the first exam.

And then, in the final practical assessment, she got the highest mark she could get excluding what was deducted for using mana grass.

Even the professors with unfavorable views of Golden-Eyeds couldn’t undermine or manipulate the evaluation criteria. Leninya was an outstanding student even in their eyes.

Right after the first end-of-semester assembly, Leninya was summoned to the president’s office. There, she received a plaque from the president, and also a scholarship.

See, I just need to do it.

She became confident. It was also around this time that she realized that Kaurelia was a meritocratic country.

Then post-summer when the weather started cooling, an exchange student came from Tilette.

Leninya thought back fondly on those times, because she met a girl named Lotte Saliere. She didn’t look at her strangely for being a Golden-Eyed or anything.

─ I know someone like you. She’s the number one student at our school.

─ What’s her name?

─ Aether.

‘Aether’, was it.

There was such a noun in the old language of the Golden-Eyed.

It was a word that meant ‘giver of light’.

Aether.......

A student who was in a similar circumstance as her. Even that they were the top students of the semester was the same.

I’d like to meet her.

And that wish soon came true.

Not as equal students, but as a student and professor.

She didn’t notice it at first–to think that Professor Asteya Heisenberg was that very Aether.

Then a lot happened after that–Aether was actually the top executive called a ‘Heaven’ of the Demon Army, the absolute majority of the Golden-Eyeds in the northern Elankayas were part of the Demon Army, they were half-machines because they were under the ‘Curse of Ironzation’ or something, etc. She heard and learned a lot of unbelievable stories.

It was a tangled mess of complications, but so what. Aether was a good person in Leninya’s eyes.

After breaking out of her thoughts, Leninya rummaged through her pocket.

“Miss, would you like candy?”

“Huh? Mm. Thanks.”

Apparently she lived a thousand years, starting from the time of mythology. Although they looked similar in age, she should be addressing her respectfully.

Aether popped the star candy Leninya gave in her mouth and calmed her insides.

“Did the talk with Vermel go well?”

“It did. He told me they needed my help to drive out the Demon Army from the coast.”

Leninya had been on her way back after the conversation with Vermel.

Vermel Horde, a student she only knew by name. She had been quite surprised when she learned that an elf like that had been Miss Aether’s classmate at Tilette.

He said the teacher looked seasick and asked me to go take care of her.

That was how much he cared, so they must be special to each other. Leninya thought that she’d act tactfully.

The mint candy that Leninya gave her actually seemed to be helping. Aether was calming down, slowing her breathing.

Leninya’s gaze glanced over at Aether.

“Your bags are still pretty bad.”

“Because I haven’t been sleeping.”

Lies.

Those shadows beneath her eyes had been very dark since the time she was protesting at her house. And back then, Aether was sleeping eight hours a night.

It had to be something else, not insomnia.

As she was thinking that, a stick of mana grass was held up in front of her.

“Want a smoke?”

“......Thank, you.”

She put the cigarette in her mouth.

There was a bitter taste, something subtle and teasing like stewed herbs.

The wrapped paper film on the outside said ‘Goldenstein’. It was a fancy handwriting.

This is expensive.

She had never had mana grass like this in her life.

There was a strange feeling somewhere.

This teacher... she tries to give back whenever she’s given anything, come to think of it.

Aether conducted a give-and-take with every little thing. If she received a star candy, she’d give a cigarette; if she was treated to a meal, she bought dessert. She’d even count cleaning the lab and pay her for it.

It was as if she hated being indebted.

At some point, Leninya realized this.

It’s nice, but it’s weirdly frustrating.

Leninya was the type to just give unconditionally. On the other hand, Aether was the type to give back as much as possible.

In a way, they were mirrors of each other. Similar, but slightly different because they were flipped. It was like the ‘parity collapse’ that she learned in class.

“.......”

Leninya looked at the teacher with smoke held in her mouth.

Miss Aether who mourned the elves who died from the atomic bombs while pretending to be calm. And the elves who were still determined to keep her in check.

The memories of the past few days played like a film.

Perhaps that was why–the teacher’s eyes seemed to be glistening with melancholy.

“Miss.”

Curious about something, Leninya spoke up.

“Do you believe in inherent good, or inherent evil?”

“I believe in neither.”

An immediate answer.

“Why?”

“I know the samples of both sides.”

There were angels who maintained trustworthiness even if they died, and then there were scums of the world who would gauge and stab you in the back whenever the opportunity arose.

But a person who was the former could be the latter to someone else. And conversely, the latter could change into the former.

It was the view of life of someone a thousand years her senior.... No, like her ancestor.

“Good and evil are ambiguous concepts. Even the default that everyone’s born with is all different.”

“...I think everyone’s a good person.”

“That Rike girl who bullied you didn’t seem to be, at least.”

Aether stroked Leninya’s head as she smoked.

It was a hard, but soft hand, like cheesecake that had been in the freezer.

“There was a time I thought like you. Thought that if I was sincere, that the other party would also be.”

“.......”

“I don’t know what kind of principle you have, but there’s only one thing that matters: don’t take losses. And live life to the fullest.”

There was a weight to those words, although she didn’t know exactly why it felt that way.

“I hope you believe what I’m saying to you. It’s a practical tip for life in a nutshell.”

The grace of a teacher was like the sky, was it?

For some reason, she felt like she had to take it to heart.

“Leninya.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“What did Vermel say?”

“He said to just keep practicing wielding my staff when we got to the island.”

Aether nodded slightly.

“When we get there, there’s going to be a friend who’ll help with your training.”

**The person who greeted Leninya when she arrived was a small girl.

A girl wearing a fluffy black dress and a head round as a grape.

The moment she met the girl, Leninya couldn’t help but show interest.

Because she was a fellow Golden-Eyed.

“Are you sis’ successor?”

“......Excuse me?”

The girl said that out of nowhere.

Successor? What in the world was she saying?

“Hmm, you do look interesting in person. I can sense a special aura.”

“......?”

“Sis does have an eye for people. If you had been diligent in the Demon Army, becoming a Heaven would have been a piece of cake.”

A girl who kept saying things that made no sense from the first meeting.

Her eyes narrowed.

The navy-haired girl circled Leninya and observed her, looking at her closely as if she was appraising a jewel.

This kind of gaze made her feel uncomfortable; it even felt a bit scary.

Boof!

“Ow!”

“Rosemary, quit your nonsense and teach her.”

Miss Aether smacked the girl lightly. And from that, Leninya was able to learn one thing.