The world truly has all kinds of terrible coincidences.
So nonsensical that one might think someone is toying with fate, such moments.
And now, this was such a moment for him.
‘How could all the toilets break on a day like today…?’
It’s an absurd coincidence.
How can it be that every restroom is out of order…?
Despite having been an exam supervisor countless times, this was the first time she had experienced such an extreme situation.
In a situation where no solution was in sight…
She glanced at the child blushing and averting their gaze from the corner of the elevator.
‘They really seem to be in a hurry, what should I do…?’
“What should I do, can you hold it a little longer?”
“Of course.”
Luke thought it was quite a childish method, but there was nothing he could do.
Coming back later?
That might indeed be fine.
But could Luke suppress his curiosity in the moment?
After all, how many times had Luke acted on his curiosity in the past?
Exploring the deepest sea, opening a new dimension beyond the sky, changing the positions of stars…
If we count Luke’s magical adventures that began with simple curiosity, they were not few, stretching from the lowest depths to the highest peaks.
Initially, the reason he had stopped those antics was not due to a change in his personality, but rather the fact that there was nothing left to deeply explore that caught Luke’s interest anymore.
Curiosity had always been one thing that Luke could never quite suppress from ancient times until now.
Moreover, perhaps due to this body’s influence, the impulse of curiosity was even stronger now.
So Luke came up with a plan.
‘I’ll pretend the toilet is broken.’
Luke secretly manipulated his magic to create an illusion, and the illusion he conjured was “toilet malfunction.”
Water in the toilet was about to overflow, and that was the illusion Luke showed to the supervisor.
Since the broken restroom couldn’t be used, it was a perfect excuse to go up one floor of the magic tower after the other.
Normally, there was one restroom per floor.
It wasn’t like he actually broke anything, so he hadn’t harmed the facility, yet it was also true that he had abused magic for his own benefit.
That was something to be ashamed of, of course.
Luke could only suppress that shame and avert his gaze.
——–
The Magic Tower Association is an organization where mages share their discoveries, present findings, review their validity, and facilitate exchanges among mages.
Thus, it is a place where those who explore the deeper aspects of modern magical theory gather.
Moreover, since it is also the place where new magical theories and spells are announced first, it is home to numerous “unclassified classes” of magic.
Therefore, it is perhaps only natural that there are places where commoners are prohibited from entering.
“Um, all the other restrooms are broken… Is there really no way around this?”
The female supervisor, wearing an identification badge, and a poor little girl, blushing and clenching her fists, looked like she was about to burst.
It truly seemed like she needed the bathroom urgently.
“Ah, but civilians really can’t come in…”
The man rubbed his head, clearly in a bind.
It seemed that a magic competition was happening down below today, and ironically, all the toilets broke, forcing them to come this far up.
However, it was an area where civilians were restricted, so it was impossible to let her in freely.
“Is there really no way…?”
Seeing the girl’s pleading eyes, he couldn’t help but relent.
Forget the rules.
Should they really stick to principles when a 10-year-old girl is in dire need of a restroom?
After all, she only needed to use the bathroom.
‘Honestly, what could possibly happen?’
“Alright, let’s go.”
With that, the supervisor sighed.
———
The echo of the clicking children’s shoes, the heavy sound of the man’s sneakers, and the sound of a woman’s high heels resonated through the corridor of the magic tower.
The sound’s owners were, of course, Luke, the wizard of the magic tower, and the supervisor.
The distance to the restroom was neither too close nor too far, but the child’s steps were slower than expected, making it take a while.
But they couldn’t urge her along.
The careful steps of the child seemed to be suppressing the urgent need to relieve herself.
The man looked down at the child.
She seemed anxious, constantly darting her gaze around the corridor.
Seeing that made him even more uneasy.
‘Why did the magic tower build the restroom so far away?’
Moreover, all the other restrooms are broken on a day like today?
It’s truly a terrible coincidence.
And right now, hadn’t the exam just begun?
If so, this child likely hadn’t been able to take the exam properly due to the restroom issue.
Thinking that way made him feel a heavy sympathy.
Being only 10 years old, her future still lay ahead of her, but he hoped this memory wouldn’t haunt her as some kind of trauma.
——
The interior of this floor was structured differently from others, with a wide office divided by transparent glass to create a corridor.
Thanks to that, Luke could see the wizards conducting research within the magic tower through the windows as he walked along the corridor.
In fact, the reason he was walking slowly was to admire the scenery.
The formulas and spells written on the blackboards, the magic circles and photos of stars plastered on the boards, and the wizards discussing them.
The atmosphere was entirely different from the World Tree laboratory he had visited before.
What kind of research were they doing here?
“Alright, here’s the restroom. Hurry and use it.”
“…Okay.”
Thinking he wouldn’t need the illusion anymore, Luke roughly used the restroom and came out, immediately starting to ask questions.
“Um, what are you doing here?”
“Huh?”
The man was slightly taken aback by Luke’s sudden question.
He hadn’t expected him to ask questions in this situation.
‘Was I that awkward?’
After all, how uncomfortable was this moment for a little girl to experience?
They hadn’t spoken a word while they were walking until now.
“Here, we usually validate theories. Normally, we also do experiments and such, but right now everyone is fixated on one particular theory.”
“I see, what theory is that?”
“Perhaps Shahe’s Miracle Formula?”
“Shahe’s Miracle Formula? I don’t know. What is that?”
“Well, you see.”
It was natural for a 10-year-old child not to know.
The man scratched the back of his neck and continued.
The phenomenon called Shahe’s Miracle Formula, considered a thorny problem for modern humanity, was a causal magic formula that suggested that if proven, one could create “miracles” through magic.
Though it seems simple on the surface, it becomes incredibly complex upon deeper examination, rendering it seemingly impossible to prove; even compared to other conundrums, it is a distinctly peculiar formula that, while it may appear to have been proven, leads to entirely different results when one attempts to verify it again.
Hence, wizards joke that perhaps a curse of causality is placed upon the formula itself.
Yet one day, against all odds, it was proven at a small research institute, truly a “miraculous” event.
Moreover, it was not even a magical research institute, but rather one focused on demonic biology. The person who solved the problem even claimed, “It wasn’t me; I woke up and someone had solved it.”
When he attempted to prove it again, he couldn’t at all, so he submitted it to the magic tower a few weeks ago.
And currently, the wizards were gathering, brainstorming, and discussing to validate that proof.
It was genuinely a “miraculous” occurrence.
When he explained this rather amusing tale among many magical anecdotes to the child, she seemed quite intrigued.
After all, if she was attempting to compete in a magical competition at such a young age, it was only natural that she’d find such stories fascinating.
“I’d love to see Shahe’s Miracle Formula too.”
“Haha, really? A child like you wouldn’t understand it very well.”
“…I’m not a child. Please call me Luke Irushi.”
The man looked down at the child’s sulky expression and scratched the back of his head.
“Alright. I misspoke, Luke Irushi….”
‘What a peculiar name and style of speaking.’
A girl named Luke Irushi—he wondered what the faces of the parents who gave that name looked like.
It just didn’t seem to fit at all.
“Well, I can show you, but…”
The man’s gaze shifted to the supervisor standing next to Luke.
She, perhaps feeling the need to remind him, pulled back her sleeve.
“You can’t be away from your seat for too long during the exam. It’s fine after the exam is over.”
“So when does the exam end?”
“About three hours left.”
At the mention of three hours, Luke’s expression darkened suddenly.
“…I can’t understand why it takes so long to solve such questions.”
“…Pfft.”
A 10-year-old child posturing as if he could have solved the problems in less time had they not been busy going to the restroom was rather adorable.
“Some children won’t even finish due to lack of time.”
“Haha, yet you are just a 10-year-old. I don’t think you’d cheat, and I’ll be a witness here for you. Just leave it be. It’s better than sitting idle for three hours, right?”
“Yes, as he said, that’s much more productive and efficient. Isn’t it? Since my answers have already been submitted, can’t I just stay here instead of wandering around?”
Seizing a moment, Luke started to spill out his thoughts, prompting the supervisor to chuckle and shake her head as if conceding.
“Sure, as long as you don’t disturb other students during their exams, I’ll allow that as my discretion.”
At the supervisor’s words, Luke beamed and cheerfully said to the man,
“Now that the supervisor has given her permission, let’s hurry to see that magic formula.”
“Oh, alright. I understand. Let’s go.”
What is he so excited about when he probably won’t understand anyway?
Well, he is still a child interested in magic formulas as a wizard.
——
“Don’t tell me, this is Shahe’s Miracle Formula?”
“Why do you ask? Have you seen it before?”
“You see, I’m the one who solved this… But to see it under a different name as a conundrum here is a bit disconcerting.”
At Luke’s laden words, the wizard gazed at him with a peculiar expression.
“…Huh? You solved this? What do you mean?”
“Just as I said.”
“This is my proof formula. I can prove it if you want.”
