Chapter 294

The Wolf Foundation announces the winners every October with the consent of each review organization.

Candidates are generally kept private, and notifications are typically made the day before.

Unlike the Nobel Prize, there is no extreme contact made 1-2 hours before the official announcement, as communication with the winners often causes delays in the presentation.

However, the “notification” is only given the day before; the “review” itself has been ongoing for a much longer time.

The Wolf Foundation evaluates and lists the achievements of thousands of scholars from around the world and narrows down the final candidates.

Now, it only required a vote to decide the winner, but a variable had emerged.

“This has never happened before. Why are you suddenly asking us to change a candidate three days before the announcement?”

Upper management had suddenly ordered that ‘NoName’ be included in the final candidate review without going through earlier stages of the review process.

The reviewer responsible for determining the mathematics prize shouted while shaking the documents he had worked so hard on.

It was true that NoName was remarkable, but still, all seven proofs remained unverified.

If they pressured him to award a prize based on unverified proofs, he planned to resign and leave the foundation immediately.

However, a foundation official responded confidently with crossed arms.

“It has been verified.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s the twin prime conjecture. A report came in from the International Mathematical Union this morning. Verification committees from MIT, Oxford, Zurich, and Singapore have simultaneously concluded that the proof is valid.”

“Oh my goodness…!”

So, an unsolved problem that had persisted for over 200 years was indeed solved by an 8-year-old girl.

The reviewer, who had been frowning and muttering the name of Jesus with a serious expression, took a moment to think deeply before finally speaking.

“If the reputation of the twin prime conjecture is as it stands, she certainly deserves to win. However, the timing is too late. Moreover, the Wolf Prize is not an award given every four years; there will be opportunities next year and the year after… It would not be too late to award her next year, right?”

“Do you really think so?”

The foundation official shook his head.

He narrowed his eyes at the mountains of paperwork piled high.

“Our Wolf Prize is overshadowed by the Nobel Prize in the fields of magic and science, and it does not compare to the Fields Medal in mathematics. What will happen if word gets out that she has proven the conjecture before we announce it?”

“What would happen?”

“Our Wolf Prize will be ignored, and everyone will be anxious about when the girl will receive the Fields Medal instead.”

“Ah…”

It was hard to find a more definitive achievement than proving the twin prime conjecture.

“What if she receives the Wolf Prize first? Our foundation will be mentioned before the Fields Medal for at least three years.”

“…”

“We need to stay one step ahead of the International Mathematical Union. Our reviewers have worked tirelessly through sleepless nights for this. It will be far more rewarding if the world recognizes our achievement.”

Despite claiming to be one of the top three mathematical awards in the world, the Wolf Prize hardly raises a mention in international news.

The reputation in academia does not always correlate with public interest. This was a reality the reviewer had felt while working in Israel.

“Understood. I’ll work overtime for another couple of days to reassess her qualifications.”

“Good thinking.”

While NoName’s achievement was indeed impressive, there were also political motives behind this decision.

Israel was facing an internationally perilous time like never before.

The neighboring governments of Syria and Iraq were already reported to be under the control of an organization known as ‘Balpurgis.’

Even that was uncertain, as the members of the government were operating discreetly according to higher directives without revealing their identities.

Given the occasional sighting of Balpurgis members in Saudi Arabia and Israel as they conducted missionary activities without any hindrance, their influence may have already infiltrated deeply.

“I’m not thrilled about this, but I guess I’ll have to tackle anti-Semitism in Europe and Asia with their help.”

NoName was a girl of Korean descent, yet she enjoyed great popularity in the US and Europe.

Whether in reality or virtual reality, if she could attend the Wolf Prize ceremony, it could pave the way to resolve various diplomatic issues.

That was as long as it was before the Israeli embassy in South Korea received an unbelievable response.

“I cannot attend due to personal reasons.”

“Is there really anything more important than the Wolf Prize?”

“That day is the broadcast debut of an acquaintance…”

“Debut? What is it, an idol?”

Upon hearing ‘debut,’ the foundation official immediately thought of the K-POP industry.

Though the explanation from the diplomat ran long, it ultimately became clear that it was due to the unfamiliar concept of a ‘VTuber.’

“What? A… VTuber? That cannot happen!”

“Then we’ll have to choose another recipient now…”

“That won’t work either! Ugh!”

The foundation was in an unexpected state of emergency.

A man who had devoted his entire life to the foundation could not stand to see the prestige of the Wolf Prize plummet to the depths.

Ultimately, he made a decision for the sake of the nation.

“If she cannot participate in the award ceremony, then we will go directly to her.”

After all, it was still the same virtual reality, and the background would not matter.

As long as there was a banner stand embossed with the Wolf Foundation’s mark, that place would become the venue for the Wolf Prize ceremony.

—

[Connecting to Void Space.]

[Welcome, User NoName.]

It had been a while since I last accessed virtual reality.

Since parting with Emika, I hadn’t had much cause to use the capsule.

I synchronize my avatar with my physical body to reflect even the slightest increase in height.

Right now, even one centimeter, or rather one millimeter, is precious.

[You have accepted the invitation, NoName.]

[Moving to Kariri’s Waiting Room.]

I jumped onto the fluffy mat on the floor and began to grumble.

“I feel like I’ve been scolded almost every day lately. What have I done that’s so wrong?”

It seemed Professor Cheon often watched my VTube videos lately; he summoned me to scold me the moment a vlog video was uploaded.

He picked out the incident where I demonstrated a surge of magical circles to children without preparing an anti-backflow ritual.

He indicated that he wasn’t the only one thinking this as he showed me comments left at the bottom of the video.

– “Is it too dangerous to leave kids alone like that? Shouldn’t the homeroom teacher keep a close eye on them?”

– “Take care of yourself, Name (Na Me)!ㅠㅠㅠ”

– “Magic is scary ㄷㄷ That’s why I don’t learn magic.”

– “There are moments where she seems to mishandle her own body, which is unsettling… I recommend getting some psychological counseling for the kids…”

Kariri, who was listening to my complaints, stretched my cheeks.

“You should be thankful that you have a family that worries about you! Why are you so fearless?”

A family that worries about me.

I still don’t feel much sense of having a family.

And I keep thinking about my old family, causing my heart to grow uneasy.

I stretched my arms and legs, trying to shake off the feeling.

Kariri returned to her seat and assisted in setting up the broadcasts for the kids about to debut.

Her mouse fluttered around as she frantically manipulated four monitors.

“Only when she’s like this can we see Kariri as a proper professional.”

“You’ve finally realized? I have years of broadcasting experience!”

“The first part of the self-introduction is about an hour each, and from the second part, the four of us will conduct a talk show, then all together play a four-player game, right?”

“Yep. But the first part might run a bit long; is that okay?”

“I’m free today. I’ve cleared my schedule.”

“Okay! Let’s have a great day together, NoName-sama!”

“By the way, how are Adella and Niel doing? Do you think they’ll be okay?”

It seemed that they had already conducted cooperative gameplay without revealing her avatar before debut.

“Even if they are a bit awkward, they should improve over time. Who is great from the start?”

Despite saying that, Kariri slightly bit her thumbnail.

Among us, Kariri seemed to be feeling the most nervous.

I watched the debut song music video ‘Coup d’État’ by the first class of ‘Safari Dream’ over and over again to soothe my mind and body.

“How about it, Name? The song really is great, right? Niel wrote both the lyrics and composition! The more I see Niel, the more I realize she can do anything!”

“She didn’t just rest for three months.”

“Of course! I’ve been busy confirming avatars with Adella and Judex, training in vocals, shooting the music video, and practicing games.”

She proudly introduced Niel’s achievements.

[17:57]

Three minutes until the broadcast starts.

I monitored instead of Kariri, who was visibly trembling.

[Safari Dream – Adella]

In virtual reality, Adella was nearly the embodiment of an idol, casually toying with cat ears.

The scraggly clothes she used to wear were gone, replaced by a fluffy jumper and white pants that fit her perfectly.

When I turned my head to look at another monitor, I saw Dan Ni El, wearing black scaly clothing, flailing in the corner, which seemed troubling.

[Safari Dream – Judex]

“…! Kariri, I mean Yoonseul, wake up. Is that okay?”

“Uhh… Why? Aah, what’s that!”

As a type of decoration placed in the room, a [Giant Ice Block 2m×2m×2m] was there.

Niel’s long tongue was stuck to the ice and wouldn’t detach.

“This is serious!”

[17:59]

Kariri hurriedly turned on the microphone to relay her voice for the broadcast.

“Judex, what are you doing over there? Why are you putting your tongue on that!”

[Uh uh! Eeeh! Uh oh!]

“Open the item window and put it in your inventory!”

Kariri’s urgent voice made Dan Ni El press random buttons in a panic.

The more he did that, the more the settings window obstructed her view, making matters worse.

[Uhmm!]

“What do you mean, how do I do that?”

“Ugh… The decoration cannot be controlled from the center…! What should I do… What should I do!”

While Kariri was also panicking and flustered, the second hand completed a full round.

[Safari Dream – Adella]

[ON AIR]

[Safari Dream – Judex]

[ON AIR]

“Let’s turn off the camera first.”

“Y-Yeah, that’s right, the camera!”

It’s unfortunate to have a mistake on the first broadcast, but first, we have to manage the crisis.

Pop-!

One screen completely shut off, and the chat window beside it was filled with countless question marks.

“Name, stay here and hold the fort. I’ll be right back to resolve this. Ugh, that silly older sister…!”

—

‘Surprisingly, I’m very nervous about this…’

Adella kept fiddling with the fur of her jumper as she looked at the clock.

It would be a lie to say that the moment of debut didn’t cause her anxiety.

Even now, my hands itched to scratch the wallpaper.

The more I understood the advancements of modern life, the more acutely I felt how much money was needed to attain a body.

[You have to pay back 300 billion won later?]

[It’s not a problem if it’s 300 billion or 500 billion! The moment Adella appears, money will pour in!]

[Well, you do say nice things.]

Back then, I didn’t think much of it when Na Me jokingly said those words, but in terms of amounts, it wouldn’t be unusual for a hero to receive such wealth for defeating a demon lord.

I worried that Na Me might be overexerting herself due to the sense of responsibility to bring me back into the real world.

Therefore, Adella decided to do her best, no matter how little she might have to contribute.

This VTuber broadcast would be the start.

Though she wasn’t as versatile as Dan Ni El, at least she felt confident enough to not fall behind in energy.

[18:00]

[Safari Dream – Adella]

[ON AIR]

‘Today, I’m going to set myself ablaze!’

Then, the promised Wednesday arrived promptly at 6 PM.

[Adella Ch.]

[Just Chatting – Your kingdom is doomed! From now on, Adella will rule here!]

[Broadcast Time – 0:00:01]

[Viewer Count – 3929]

With gray ears perked up and a well-kept long tail swaying, she alternated her gaze between the screen and the chat room with a playful look in her eyes, ready to part her moist, ruby-hued lips.

[Safari Dream – Adella]

[OFF AIR]

“Eh? What? My broadcast just shut off!”

What greeted Adella was a black screen and a chat window filled with question marks.