Chapter 156

Chapter 156. The Gray High Mage (1)

The sun set much faster than expected.

Is it because the Imperial Capital is at such a high latitude?

It had been an incredibly long day. I was out with Mint for dinner, and the Imperial Princess sat beside me, her face wrapped in a scarf.

“Colder than I thought it’d be.”

“The weather’s been fluctuating a lot lately.”

Winter was almost here. The princess lowered her scarf, and for a moment, I glanced at Mint. Her porcelain neck was exposed beneath the fabric.

“So… you said you visited the Alarad Viscount family? Heard some rumors about someone being kidnapped, but never got the full story.”

Mint sipped her tea delicately.

“It was related to a murder investigation.”

“Seriously?”

We shouldn’t talk about patients…

“A headless corpse was found in the Alarad Viscount’s house. The Security Management Team asked for help investigating.”

“Oh my!”

Mint’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“I managed to prove that this wasn’t a murder case but rather a natural decomposition process of the body.”

The Viscount family was very grateful.”

Mint tilted her head slightly.

“How do you even figure that out?”

“Complicated stuff. Your Highness might find it hard to follow… Are you sure you want to hear?”

“Go ahead, I’m fine with it.”

I hesitated for a moment. Should be okay to tell her, right?

Mint isn’t a child anyway. And it’s not like this story is super serious or anything. Just talking about how people die… no big deal.

“When someone hangs themselves, their neck usually starts decomposing first, separating the head from the body. The Security Management Team misunderstood it as a decapitation.”

Mint nodded slowly.

“But seriously, could you just convince them with that? If they found a body, escaping blame would’ve been tough.”

No presumption of innocence here. In this world, you need to disprove whatever conclusion the Security Management Team comes up with.

Even with noble status, it seems like the Viscount couldn’t just walk away clean… though they probably received some favors while hospitalized.

“There are specific signs of neck fractures left behind when someone hangs themselves, which remain even after decomposition. That’s what proved it.”

“Didn’t know that existed.”

“Like everything else, you only see what you know about,” Mint murmured, staring off into space.

“Are you an expert on dead people too, Teacher?”

“Not exactly. It’s just that if I mess up treating a patient, they end up dead. So… it’s kind of the same line of work, really.”

“Royal Inspection plans canceled. This sounds harder—and riskier—than I thought…”

“Probably best not to get involved.”

Plus, there’s always the chance of catching something contagious. Better safe than sorry.

I absentmindedly brushed Mint’s hair with my fingers. Her locks were soft like silk, as usual.

***

Amy lay on her graduate dorm bed, scratching her head. It had been a long and exhausting day.

Ah, so unfair.

That was the strongest feeling I got today. Professor Asterix just stepped out of his carriage and disappeared somewhere with the princess by his side.

Amy sighed deeply.

If she studied hard, succeeded, and eventually became a professor, could she live like Asterix someday? Probably not. Still, it was quite the sight to take in.

With all the research projects led by Professor Asterix bearing Amy’s name, she’d surely gain fame easily enough.

But honestly…

Even seeing regular couples walking down the street made her envious sometimes. How much more so when her mentor goes on dates with an incredibly beautiful princess?

It’s normal to feel a bit bitter watching that. Amy blinked a few times.

Guess I just need to keep pushing forward. What other choice is there?

***

The next morning.

As I opened the lab door, Violet was sprawled out on the sofa. Seeing her like this made me chuckle involuntarily.

I sighed.

“Still haven’t returned to work?”

“Only been a week. I’ve been exploring nearby restaurants around the Academy and meeting people.”

“Wow… impressive.”

“Here’s what I’ve compiled. A list of decent places near the Academy for you to consider if you’re planning any dates with the princess.”

“Ah.”

She had a point. I didn’t have much to say in response, so I just placed my bag on the desk and sat down.

“Let me give you the list.”

“This is helpful… but honestly, you’re always spot-on, Violet.”

“Isn’t that what I’m here for?”

Violet handed me a piece of paper.

“Thanks.”

Just as she said, it was a neatly organized list of restaurants near the Academy, complete with ratings.

“You ate four meals a day?”

“Ordered half portions each time.”

She truly was an oddball. As she looked at me mischievously, I felt a shiver run down my spine.

“Say… wouldn’t it be nice if I met a decent nobleman like Professor Asterix and lived comfortably?”

“Seriously? You’ve already spent a whole week enjoying yourself while dodging taxes!”

I sighed again.

I could introduce her to someone. There are plenty of lonely souls out there who’d be interested. Age, looks, profession… nothing glaringly wrong about her. Personality… well…

After pondering for a while…

Yesterday alone, I dealt with a viscount family. Sending out a few letters would make finding someone easy enough. But thinking about it, pity for whoever ends up with her outweighed everything else.

“No one comes to mind.”

“Really?”

“No thanks.”

“Let me know if you change your mind.”

I shook my head firmly. I save lives; I don’t sell poor souls to crazy people.

Still, she’d probably manage fine on her own. She always has.

“Alright then.”

“See you later, Professor.”

Violet stood up and left.

***

In the meantime…

Anything involving Professor Asterix was currently one of the hottest topics in the Imperial Capital. Naturally so.

His relationship with the princess, discussions within academic circles, solving plagues, creating new medicines, disputes with temples… Every day brought fresh news.

Healers and even unrelated commoners were taking notice.

And today’s big addition:

The supposed “locked room” murder at the Alarad Viscount’s mansion. Newspaper offices went berserk over it. Of course, it wasn’t actually a locked-room mystery, but details rarely matter when legends are born.

“What on earth does he do?”

The Gray High Mage, Kanatus, flipped through the newspaper. Page after page filled with exaggerated nonsense. Seriously, how many miracles can one person perform?

Developing new medicine. Solving plagues across the empire. Being the princess’s lover. Making groundbreaking discoveries that shake academia… People seemed determined to turn this professor into some sort of hero.

Kanatus, a veteran mage, had seen plenty of self-proclaimed geniuses come and go.

People aren’t born great—they’re made. While not everything written about him could be false, it certainly wasn’t all true either. Scrutinizing his achievements more closely would likely reveal flaws.

Kanatus turned another page. What was this nonsense about the “locked room” murder at the Alarad Viscount’s mansion? Another ridiculous story added to the pile.

-Over the past few days, the difficult riddle of the headless corpse at the Alarad Viscount’s home baffled the Security Management Team until it was finally solved by an Academy professor.

Kanatus sighed.

-It was proven that the death was not murder but suicide, and during natural decomposition, the head naturally separated from the body. Thanks to this, the Alarad Viscount was cleared of homicide charges…

It wasn’t a locked room, nor was it murder. Typical trash journalism.

Anyway…

The reason the High Mage was heading to the Academy was simple: He intended to ask Professor Asterix about the battery discovery mentioned last time.

Personal curiosity aside…

He wanted to verify what was fact versus fiction regarding this professor. Surely, there must be a mix of truth and lies.

People love creating heroes.

Perhaps they simply wanted to believe that this Professor Asterix could solve all the empire’s problems.

“Master Sage, what’s troubling you?”

Oster, Kanatus’s assistant mage, tilted his head curiously. Their master was still flipping through the newspaper with a grim expression.

“I was reading about the person we’re about to meet. His background is unusually colorful.”

“He’s completely famous. Never shows up at social events or imperial gatherings though.”

Oster chimed in supportively.

This was also a matter of pride for the mage tower.

It’s strange that someone unrelated to their field made such a significant discovery about batteries. How did someone outside their circle accomplish something so monumental?

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