"There was a record of one boy who submitted a theory similar to this, but the method he used was different from this one."
"Yes, this boy's method is special. He used the overwhelming sinisterness of Cry of Malice to instill fear and suppress other curse mechanisms. He used that magic circle very wisely."
"Indeed. Although, I think I should mention something here—the boy who previously proved this point seems to be related to this one."
"Everyone in this academy is related in some way."
The unidentified figure who introduced Henry and relations turned his head and gazed at the one who had, somewhat unintentionally, made his words sound foolish.
"They are brothers—from the same mother," he remarked in a rough voice.
"So he's following in the footsteps of his brother. If that's the case, then I don't think we should call him a genius."
At that moment, the man who stood slightly higher than the others raised his voice.
"There are all kinds of geniuses in this world—geniuses who invent their own theories, geniuses who take help from others' theories, and geniuses who combine various theories to create one supreme idea. But there is one kind of genius I fear the most. Those are the geniuses with twisted minds, who seek constant improvement without any boundaries.
What's terrifying about them is that they might appear like typical geniuses to your eyes—smiling, helping those who seek their guidance, and showing desperate emotions in pain, just like anyone else. But the moment they see even the slightest ray of opportunity, that genius will bite even the hand that fed them—just to feel the superiority they one day aim to surpass.
However, all of them belong to the category of genius within humankind. And the one I mentioned last—those are the ones who may one day bring change to this world. As there teachers, we should never block their path, because we might unknowingly be stopping the revolution of a future age."
The other members of the committee listened to him silently. The man's voice, old but wise, reflected his experience and knowledge of society and the field of magic.
Henry's eyes continued to gaze at the head committee, awaiting their response. The onlookers who had come to witness the reliability of Henry's theory also joined him in the wait for the committee's judgment.
"Brother... you may have gone beyond and already forgotten about me, but I never forgot you. I will always follow you—and one day, I'll devour and redeem everything you stole from me."
Henry's eyes shined with deep hatred and determination and he waited calmly despite his hart raising slightly.
After a while of waiting, a clear voice rose from the head committee.
"Henry Malckoy, you who have submitted a theory of suppressing and weakening lesser curses by using a superior curse, have shown its truthfulness before us all today.
We, the Head Committee of Malckoy Academy—as the keepers and watchers for the future generation—approve your theory and stand witness to the power of its effectiveness from this moment onward.
It is praiseworthy how you were able to suppress a weaker curse by using the power of a stronger one. More importantly, your use of a magic circle to guide curse energy is highly impressive. That feat alone is enough to recognize you as a magician with a remarkable mind.
As a result of your effort and talent, from this point forward, you will no longer be an apprentice magician, but will be promoted to a fully-fledged graduated magician.
We all wish you success in your future path."
As the words from the Head Committee ended, the one who sat slightly above the others extended his hand, and a glowing object fell from his palm and floated toward Henry, who stood below.
Henry received the object, which resembled the symbol of a flipped book. It was the emblem that represented his graduation, and from then on, whoever saw him wearing this badge would grant him the respect a graduate magician deserved. This was a moment of pride for any magician—to savor the joy after painfully developing a theory and successfully proving its effectiveness. But Henry remained silent, and his expression was bitter.
"They praised me especially because of the circle... but that thing... I'm not the one who developed that idea."
A bitter taste spread through Henry's body. He felt like a someone who stand above others on the strength of their effort, not his own.
"I feel bad for him. Maybe with the benefits I gain, I could help him with his research."
. . . . . . . . .
"Fascinating,"
Auran muttered, holding a basic magical explanation book in his hand. A night had passed, and he, who hadn't taken even a tiny bit of rest from his work, had now arrived at the final basic spell by the time morning came.
Just like before, he didn't take a long break and moved straight into the last spell. Like a drug addict consuming drug, he had mastered the spells like a crazed monster until they were all completed. Only afterward did he take a fresh and calm breath, giving his brain a moment to think—and that was when he remembered the last spell he had finished.
The spell didn't belong to the offensive category like Blade of Time, and it greatly differed from spells like Delay and the third spell he had learned.
But Auran was sure of one thing—out of all the spells, this one was the most interesting to him.
"Now let's try another one."
He dropped the book he was holding and grabbed another from the shelves.
"Basic spell...
He cast the fourth spell he had learned. But unlike before, where he had to go through the process of drawing out mana of time from the space circle, in this time he casually blurted out the word of the spell.
[Detected: Basic spell Appraisal has been cast. Starting the process...]
"Although it feels like I'm the one casting the spell, in reality, it's the notebook that actually casts it. All it does is give me back the information about the object I appraised."
"In the description, all it says is that it uses time mana to dig into the history of the object to extract the information. But since I'm in a place where I cannot directly receive mana into my body, the notebook has taken the responsibility of processing it and presenting the result to me."
"Gotta say, the future me had it all planned out perfectly—even ensuring my safety."
Within a minute, the result of the appraisal was shown in front of Auran's eyes.