Chapter 22

The Mage Association was in an uproar.

And for good reason—out of nowhere, or rather like a comet streaking across the sky, an unknown mage had appeared from the Labyrinth carrying a thesis on Space-Time Magic.

What’s more, it wasn’t just some half-baked attempt to implement minor magic circles based on knowledge gleaned from the Labyrinth. This was a vast array of theories covering all aspects of space-time magic, perfectly established concepts, and most importantly, functional magic circles commonly used in space-time magic—essentially enough to found an entire school of space-time magic!

“What in the world are these theories?”

“No way! I tried using the magic and objects really did decelerate or accelerate during motion! Is this time-series magic actually working?!”

“Magic that distorts space like this… So you’re saying we can deflect any attack with this?!”

“These magic circles genuinely work. But I’ve never even heard of these theories…”

“What is this nonsense? Is this supposed to be General Relativity?”

“It’s based on Gravity Magic? What kind of connection exists between space-time and gravity anyway?!”

“Next, next section!”

When the scholars and mages saw such a comprehensive yet neatly organized compilation of information about space-time magic—a long-standing wish for all mages—they couldn’t contain their insatiable thirst for knowledge.

As countless scholars copied and read through the thesis, they reached the very last line of the final page…

And their faces immediately turned baffled.

“I have discovered countless magical possibilities and intricate magic circles within this newly established field of space-time magic. They truly are wondrous things, but alas, there isn’t enough space to write them all down.”

“Aaaaaaah!”

“What kind of crap is this?! Just use more paper if there’s not enough space!”

“Damn it! Is this guy playing with us?!”

Just like Fermat’s Last Theorem, which teased mathematicians on Earth for 350 years with its infamous “I don’t have enough room to write the proof,” the scholars and mages were now spitting blood in frustration.

“Damn it! Do you think hiding this will stop us from figuring it out?!”

“We’ll uncover every single magic circle you’ve hidden!”

“We absolutely must understand this space-time magic!”

But instead of being discouraged, the scholars and mages became even more determined, throwing themselves into studying the thesis with renewed vigor.

Some meticulously analyzed the theory, others revisited the basics of gravity magic—one of the foundations of space-time magic—or attempted to deconstruct the provided magic circles.

They were desperate to learn as much as possible about this newly established branch of space-time magic.

“Damn it… what the hell is this theory supposed to mean?”

“No clue. How does gravity magic relate to space-time magic anyway?”

“Grrr… Deconstructing the magic circle doesn’t make any sense! How can something so simple be so intricately precise?!”

But all attempts ended in failure.

Of course they did. General Relativity and the relationship between space-time and gravity revealed by it were extremely specialized knowledge—even in modern Earth’s advanced physics.

In a world where physical laws are riddled with anomalies and people live without giving a damn about physics, understanding such fundamental concepts was impossible.

Additionally, the space-time magic circles Yujin had partially disclosed were incredibly simple in structure despite their highly sophisticated mechanisms, leaving little to gain from deconstruction.

“Bring me the author of this thesis!”

They eventually came to one conclusion:

They had to bring Yujin, the author of the thesis, before them.

***

“So, you’ve come looking for me, huh.”

“Y-yes…”

At a corner table in Mary’s inn sat an elderly man with a long white beard, bowing deeply before a young man with jet-black hair and squinty eyes—Yujin.

“Didn’t expect the heavy-hitter from the Mage Association to show up in person.”

The old man was none other than the president of the Mage Association—the leader of the organization itself.

Normally, he wouldn’t move personally just to meet a single mage—but this was special.

Space-time magic. And not just some partial implementation derived from labyrinth knowledge, but a vast amount sufficient to establish an entire school of thought.

It was worth the president coming himself—not just for formality, but necessity.

“Quite old yourself, aren’t you? Hope I didn’t push you too hard. You could’ve left it to someone else.”

“Haha… No way. How could I possibly leave meeting a fellow like Yujin to underlings?”

Of course, the president wasn’t here purely out of respect. He also intended to leverage his position and decades of accumulated power to easily extract space-time knowledge from Yujin.

But…

The moment he first faced Yujin, he felt it.

When entering the inn, having driven away the other patrons with authority and money, and facing Yujin one-on-one without even the innkeeper present…

“This is interesting.”

The instant the president tried to subtly pressure him with his Great Mage mana, Yujin lazily opened his eyes and revealed his own mana.

And in that moment, the president felt an overwhelming “gap.”

If he were facing a dragon, would it feel like this?

Like prey standing before a predator… no, like a firefly before the sun, he felt utterly insignificant.

Staring into those red eyes that froze his soul and stopped his heart, he experienced a sensation akin to confronting a dragon’s Fear—a legendary phenomenon.

Had it not been for the pride and mental fortitude built over decades as a mage, he might’ve gone mad or fainted on the spot.

He realized then: the being before him was far beyond his reach.

A monstrous figure, like the President of the Academy, whom he’d once felt an immense gap from in his youth.

Perhaps Yujin’s youthful appearance wasn’t as it seemed. After all, the President of the Academy, despite living for centuries, maintained a perpetually young look—partly due to his race, perhaps.

“But those who’ve reached a certain level can return to their prime and halt aging. Isn’t it called ‘rejuvenation’? Or ‘metamorphosis’?”

Though one of the Great Mages, the president hadn’t reached such heights, feeling a bitter pang as he politely requested Yujin’s cooperation.

“I humbly ask you, Brother Yujin. Would you please share your knowledge of space-time magic with us?”

He judged that casting aside pride and making a sincere request was both the safest and most promising approach—for his well-being.

The president silently hoped that beneath Yujin’s enigmatic expression lay a desire for the prosperity of knowledge.

“Of course, we’re not asking you to share it outright. The Guild will do everything in our power to support you. Anything you want…”

“It’s fine.”

Yujin smiled faintly, cutting off the president mid-sentence. It sounded like a refusal… and indeed, the president instinctively feared the worst.

“Please reconsider just once…”

“Haha, seems like you’ve misunderstood my intentions.”

Yujin waved his hand dismissively at the president’s plea.

“I simply meant there’s no need for compensation. I don’t intend to sell knowledge for a price.”

“Huh? You mean…!”

“I see… Then how about this?”

Watching the president’s brightening face, Yujin continued.

“Could you arrange a lecture hosted by the guild soon? I’ll attend as the speaker.”

“Really?!”

Overwhelmed with gratitude, the president nearly knelt, gripping Yujin’s hand tightly.

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Brother Yujin!”

“Haha, no need to thank me. I’ll visit soon, and we can adjust the schedule then.”

“Absolutely! Whenever you’re comfortable! Oh wait, let me leave a contact crystal here…”

“Take your time.”

With that, the president retrieved a communication orb from a space pocket, bowed repeatedly, and departed the inn.

Watching him leave, Tiamat questioned Yujin beside him.

「Yujin, are you really planning to give a lecture? You said you don’t intend to popularize the newly established space-time magic…」

“Ahh, but I still haven’t changed my mind, Tiamat-sama. I never said I’d lecture specifically on space-time magic.”

「Huh?」

Yujin grinned mischievously as he continued.

“I merely said I’d attend as a speaker—not that I’d give a lecture on space-time magic, which I have no intention of doing.”

「Ah…」

“If I outright said I wouldn’t disclose anything, there’d likely be backlash and troublemakers. Hence, this little showmanship to announce a lecture.”

He smiled at Tiamat, who stared blankly at him.

“I didn’t lie.”