Late at night on the librarys rooftop, Epherene leaned against the railing and looked at the universitys night view.

She could see the towers blue glow that stretched all the way to the top. At the bottom, the lit lecture rooms, roads, and restaurants of dierent buildings brightened the lands like stars.

Because of the exam period, her night at the university had ended.

Epherene looked at the Ouija board she was holding in her arms.

It had a black edge with a white background, and it was the mini version of the Makaboard, a communication window for the tower wizards.

Its ocial name was JeonSeoPan, an omnidirectional device that allowed multiple communication.

It was a magical tool, more commonly called the Ouija board, that functioned as a bulletin board. It also made communication between wizards possible.

But Professors didnt use them since their lifespan was only 7 to 8 years.

[Perfectly organized, Deculeins lecture notes (currently 4th week), how much would it cost if I auction it o? A one-page sample is available.]

Epherene found it necessary to write that post on the [Towers Secret Bulletin] since 50% of the 100 thousand Elnes donation she received had already been spent on stationeries and magic books.

500 Elnes.

1 thousand for me.

2 thousand.

4 thousand.

5 thousand.

6 thousand. Depending on its condition, I can give more.

Oh, my.

Surprised and mildly scared of the crazy prices, she deleted it immediately. No wonder. I would have bought it if I had a lot of money, too.

For that reason, she found Deculein very strange.

Why did he reveal such ecient techniques and tips without hiding anything?

Most professors received large sums of money to secretly give private lessons, with the condition that the student came on their own accord and was under contract to not reveal it to external sources.

She heard that wizards were the type to always be wary no matter how much money they had and were always jealous of their juniors when they climbed higher than they did.

Taking that into consideration, Deculein, who had changed this year, was acting suspiciously.

Whatever. Epherene shook it o as she took a deep breath, upon which a sudden thought passed by her mind.

My dad probably agonized over something in this railing some time ago as well. Unsolved magic, or something more serious like answers to life, in the night breeze here.

Dont worry.

Epherene took out a letter and recited it in a low voice.

She exchanged letters with her father every week. The voice and video messages that showed a glimpse of her fathers genius had already died, but his handwriting and traces of those days hadnt yet disappeared.

-My daughter. I am making a present for you now

Reading the first sentence is already making her tear up just by reading it.

I will definitely finish your research, dad.

Some of her fathers research was in his letters, and the rest was somewhere in the tower. Epherene knew their exact locations.

Ill make sure to become a better wizard than Deculein, than the enemy

Thats impossible.

Someone intruded her time alone at that moment. Surprised, Epherene straightened up and looked back so swiftly it looked like she was going to break her neck.

Sylvia.

Epherene scrunched her eyebrows as she glared at her.

If youre here to pick a fight, Im not in the mood, so just go.

Sylvia sneered with a troubled face. You call Deculein your enemy, yet you received a private lesson from him. Pathetic. Hypocrite.

What nonsense are you talking about this time? Where did you hear that strange rumor? No, more importantly, you believed it? How noble of you.

Sylvias cheeks puffed. Epherene won against her heart, which could easily sweep o any provocation.

You know what? Mumbling her discontent, she soon grinned, the edges of her lips twisted upwards. Deculein hasnt been to the research lab in almost three years. Not once since your father died.

Pt. Of course. My dad was such a genius that Deculein couldnt do anything without him. Epherene laughed, taking it as an unexpected compliment.

However Sylvia continued. Starting three months ago, Deculein has been going to the lab every day. He cleaned the place and even picked an assistant professor. He brought new magical tools and everything.

Epherenes expression swiftly stiffened at that moment. What do you mean?

Satisfied with that response, Sylvia grinned and twirled, her ticklish tone flowing through the winds as she did. Who knows?

Tap tap

Epherene didnt bother chasing after her even though she left such remarks. Instead, she merely stood there in deep thought.

No way.

Some time ago, my father told me Deculein was monitoring his letters. Hes watching his every move, and since hes after his research, that leaves him with no place to hide it.

No way.

I shouldnt be worried. The research is stored in a place he could never find. The magic that protects it scatters over time, but even so, Deculeins greed will never be able to locate it. Remembering the code we used to play, he left it somewhere only I

No way

It couldnt be. It couldnt be!

My father is a genius. He has never been wrong, which is why Im confident the research that Deculein is conducting has nothing to do with my father.

She repeated it over and over again.

No way!

Sylvias voice ceaselessly rang in her ears.

*****

There were only three days left before the Bercht conference.

Finally, at long last, I completed the [Beginner Psychokinesis] just in time.

Fortunately, I got the timing right somehow.

Satisfied, I took a shower in the building. I had one made here since it was too bothersome to keep going back to the main house for such a simple task.

Knock knock

I heard a knock on the door as soon as I wore my robe and came out.

Who is it?

Its Roy.

Whats wrong? Say it.

Yes, my Lord. Your finances are in peril.

My eyebrows immediately furrowed. My finances?

Yes. At this rate, it might run out in 2 months

I nodded. Well, I hadnt given a lecture these days, so I had no other income aside from my salary as a professor. On the other hand, my expenses were endless, including 150 mana stones, books, and a wide array of ancient books.

Wait.

Using psychokinesis, I retrieved a safe, which only responded to my mana, hidden under the floor of the building and opened its lid.

Lets see.

I took out whatever I could get my hands on, revealing it to be a pottery product, the Flower Vase of the East that I bought at the auction house for 2.5. million Elnes. I was about to use [Midas Hand], but I paused.

My remaining mana was [1,635].

If I wanted to sell it at the right price, I had to use all 3 thousand.

Come back in 3 hours.

Yes, I understand.

Roy left, and I waited until my mana had fully recovered.

As I did, I checked the item using my [Man of Great Wealth] ability, revealing its light to be as brilliant as it had always been.

[Midas Hand] wasnt that eective when used on enlightened treasures. it only raised a 30,000 output to 30,300, for example.

However, the Flower Vase of the East was definitely an uncultivated item I have to try it at least once.

After waiting for 150 minutes, my mana was finally filled to the brim.

Gathering all of it, I used [Midas Hand] on the Flower Vase of the East.

Shoooooooo

The blue smoke came out from my fingertips and passed through it, causing its surface to sparkle.

The result was

[The Flower Vase of the Master Craftsman from the East]

Description:

This vase, made by a master craftsman, is magically infused with its creators heart and soul.

Its potential has been enlightened using [Midas Hand].

Category: Pottery Vase

Special Eects:

The flowers in this vase will never wither.

In addition, they will also gradually fade out and bloom into new flowers, each petal having the effect of a potion that has at least [Intermediate-level Fatigue Recovery Eect] to [Upper-Intermediate-level Fatigue Recovery Eect].

The 2.5 million Elnes vase had become a product so good I didnt even want to sell it anymore.

Hmm

The potterys design alone made its value overflow, but now it also had the potential to become an inexhaustible product maker.

Its better to sell it.

Its potions fatigue recovery effects had no use for me. My body didnt get tired at all, and I was confident there wasnt a lot of money to be made by growing and selling flowers.

Knock knock

Roy came back and knocked exactly after 3 hours, as instructed. I opened the door and handed the vase to Roy.

Look for someone to reassess this and sell it. Well be able to easily gain five years worth No, ten years worth of finances with it.

But my Lord. Isnt this one of the items you bought at the auction house Roy was flustered, but I was disconcerted just as much.

Over Roys shoulder, Yeriel was approaching with short and quick steps. Hey~ I came because you said you needed money~

That kid, who said shed be staying over for only a day, had already been here for three days. I honestly didnt even know the mansion was this spacious.

I knew youd soon be in such a state. I can lend you some with an IOU

I shook my head. Theres no need for that. Ill be reselling this vase anyway. Roy, take it to an appraiser.

What? Are you crazy? Yeriel grimaced.

I thought about it for a moment and soon realized she was right. I corrected my words. No. I happen to have time, so Ill go with you.

Whod be receiving the item was also important.

There would always be scammers at stores, and I could distinguish them all by their characteristics.

What? No, it hasnt been long since you bought this, and youre already reselling it. Ill just lend you some

Youre noisy, Yeriel.

Noisy?! Youre about to lose money right now! You wont get even half the price of it! How much did you pay for this?!

2.5 million.

I can guarantee you itll only sell for 1 million. You bought this as an antique investment, and youre selling it after less than two months!

Yeriel was questioning my conviction, and even Roy seemed doubtful of my decision. Well, their worries werent unwarranted.

If youre so worried, then come along.

No! Im not worried, you piece of shit! Hey!

Hey?

Yeriels screaming the moment I questioned her behavior, though she still grumbled in a much smaller voice. No, Im not worried Youre just about to do something that doesnt make any sense Dont you know that? If youre going to waste your money on that

Its not a waste of money. Ill show you, so just come with us.

Wow, seriously, youre so stubborn

Her face was filled with anger and frustration, but I smiled at her once and went outside.

Fine. Ill see where this goes. Yeriel added.

*****

After an hour, Yeriel arrived at the appraiser with Deculein.

Huuuuh She thought Deculein had been out of his mind lately.

He didnt meet with Julie at all, and the Bercht conference overlapped too, which made her overly sensitive.

This

Deculein always seemed to be determined to do inhumane things whenever he got overheated, and this time was no different.

This is tremendous. When the famous appraiser in the system looked into the pottery he bought two months ago, he expressed so much awe that he seemed to have lost his mind.

Yeriels mind briefly went blank.

Deculein replied. If its tremendous, then?

Yes. Not only does it have aesthetic value Theres more to it that I cant confirm.

Its not that you cant confirm. You just dont want to let us know.

What? No. Its just

If you grow flowers in this vase, it wont wither. Eating the petal of that flower will recover your fatigue.

The appraiser bowed down quickly with his eyes wide open. Yeriel also flinched.

Recovery of fatigue?

W-wait Of course! I didnt know, but if thats true, then it has an excellent eect!

Thats right.

Deculein looked around the room and put a flower in the vase as decoration.

Theres no need to go all the way to Routen. After growing this flower to prove its eectiveness, we can hold a small auction at Haylech.

He then gave Yuklines fountain pen to the appraiser.

The Yuklines pattern might attract people. Ill give you a commission, of course.

Ah, yes! Ill do my best! You might receive 10 million at least and 15 million if theres more competition!

At that moment, my 2.5 million investment instantly increased to 10 million, causing Yeriel and Roys eyes to widen.

Good. Ill leave it to you to spread the word. Roy, Ill leave the overall observation to you.

What? Ah, yes. I understand.

Thats it for today, then.

Deculein went out first. Yeriel hesitated for a moment, then followed him not long after.

You got lucky. C-congratulations. Yeriel glanced at Deculein on the side of the road.

Not bothering to reply, Deculein gave the two an order. Yeriel, Roy, take this vase and go back to the mansion.

Huh? Where are you going?

I have something to do at the tower.

Why are you frequenting the tower these days? Yeriel narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

You dont need to know.

If you have a new lover, then go ahead and throw away that straightforward and inflexible woman~

Shut up. Deculein got in the car without any explanation and left immediately.

Vroooom

Huh. Seriously, that guy is a pain in the ass.

Yeriel and Roy were left in the middle of the road.

There was no complaint. It had been a while since she came to the system, so she should at least look around the luxury street.

Roy? Youve been through a lot lately, so pick anything if you want. Ill buy it for you.

What? No. Its okay

Just take my offer. I know youre having a hard time these days The two walked together through the luxury area.

That day, Yeriel bought luxury goods for 5 thousand Elnes and a wallet worth 300 Elnes.

******

The last time I worked at the tower this week, I searched for exam questions used three years ago while planning the midterm exam.

In other words, I was going to refer to the exams that Deculein had given before.

This is extreme.

I could already tell how difficult it was just by looking at it.

It was uselessly hard.

Back then, my character mistook the level of the test as superiority, which became the birth of such ridiculous tests.

Allen, are you there?

I called my Assistant Professor through the crystal ball, and it only took him 30 seconds to run all the way to where I was.

Yes, Im here! Allen now proudly wore the assistant professors badge after passing my screening.

I tapped on the test paper from 3 years ago. By any chance, do you know where the original copy of this problem is?

Original copy?

Yes. This test is probably the result of my arbitrary modification. This document isnt recent, so if there is any data left from three to five years ago, bring it to me.

Oh, yes! Ill look for it!

Allen went out and came back carrying loads of files nearly as quickly.

Here you go!

Okay.

I looked at the papers using [Understanding] eyes, which immediately allowed me to realize something.

It was as I had expected.

This work was really worth referring to. I was certain of it, considering I had studied it to some extent as well.

A good problem would make anyone naturally admire it once they had solved it.

The sense of accomplishment theyd earn from it would feel so surreal it could even make them smile. Deculeins exams were dicult, but they were also rather intriguing.

Allen, this is a magic exam paper, right?

Of course, magic wasnt mathematics.

Therefore, even if it was just a test paper, there were special parts to it.

Oh, yes! Of course!

Good. You may go.

Thank you!

I looked through the test with [Understanding].

[Understanding Pure Elemental Magic sample problem: Calculate the formula for question 7 on paper, analyze the hints of the circuit, combine it correctly, and put mana into such an inferred spell.]

The answer to the problem was then revealed in the form of an image.

As if a painting was blooming in the air, the solution became clearer and more distinct than nature. As the colors spread like flowing water, I witnessed a woman be born on the canvas.

Each of the pictures parts represented an element. Her white dress was the wind, the sky was the water, the spreading clouds were mists, and her beautiful eyes, nose, and lips were a harmony of various elements.

It was truly suitable for the subject Understanding Pure Elemental Magic. I could even go as far as saying it was the perfect problem for it, and it offered the perfect solution as well.

I closed my eyes as I began to feel soft caresses throughout my entire body. It stimulated Deculeins characteristic [Aesthetic Sense].

The painting seemed to comfort wizards who struggled with the exam, yet it was strangely filled with faint anger. However, even that was used as decoration, making the masterpiece even more vibrant.

Ha.

I couldnt help but laugh in vain.

Unknown jealousy rose within me. It felt so close to desire.

Since the old Deculein wouldnt reuse this problem, I had no choice but to modify it.

I would be jealous of this beauty I never even thought of before, but I would have humbled it easily.

This test was perfect, and it suited my lecture. It was right to call it the Test of a Head Professor

That being said

I gazed at the lady in the picture floating in the air. It wasnt Epherene.

It didnt seem like I had seen her anywhere.

Who in the world was this woman?

Knock knock

I heard a knock again. I messed up the picture and opened the door, revealing Allen on the other side of it.

Professor! There were more, so I brought them! Then, Ill be on my way!

Great timing.

Coming up with an idea, I grabbed him before he could leave.

Yeees?

He tilted his head.

I spoke. Get ready.

What? Ah, yes! What should I prepare?

He wasnt aware of what I was doing, but he was quick to solidify his will. I had always liked the fact that he never questioned me or my actions. Get ready to go to Bercht.

What?

However, this time, Allen couldnt help but be so surprised by my decision that he had to question if he heard correctly.

Calmly, I reiterated my thoughts. I am choosing you as my assistant at Bercht.

Allen blinked. His eyes, nostrils, and mouth slowly widened afterward. His lips especially parted far enough for a fist to easily fit in his mouth.

Whaaaaaaat

Shut your mouth.

His eyes swelled when he closed his mouth. Since he seemed like he was about to explode, I decided to try to calm him down.

Of course, you have the right to decline. Bercht could be dangerous

Ah, itsNo! Thats no! I want to go!

Really?

According to Berchts regulation, bringing a companion was a must even if there was no escort driver. Unfortunately, I had no one to take with me but him.