Chapter 442

[Breaking News) Unspecified, the youngest recipient of the Fields Medal at the age of 9 years and 7 months]

Two days before the International Congress of Mathematicians at Harvard University, news of the award for Unspecified was leaked.

Officials from the International Mathematical Union were furious and began searching for the source of the leak.

However, when they realized that the culprit was their own president, their stance changed to, “Well, these things happen sometimes.”

Meanwhile, the media that received the information in advance immediately lifted their embargo and began publishing articles one after another.

Coincidentally, the issue of Unspecified’s citizenship surfaced at the same time.

[Unspecified announced on personal broadcast that they received U.S. citizenship… full immigration hint?]

– I knew it since they went to America, but it’s bitter…

– Wow, is Unspecified finally getting taken away?

– They really take everything that looks good; what a bunch of jerks!

– They just got to America a month ago, and it’s already happening?

– They must have been working on this from the start.

Unfortunately, the rewatch video after the game clear was not provided.

People who encountered the big news from the morning had no choice but to rely on the testimonies of viewers at the time.

[Unspecified Minor Gallery]

[Summary of yesterday’s broadcast and questions accepted][147]

In a Resonance streamer broadcast called ‘Yui Arimura,’ they matched with Unspecified under the nickname ‘Asha.’

Being a newbie, they were a bit flustered in the beginning but cleared Chapter 1 with incredible talent.

Then, their identity as Unspecified was revealed, and from that moment on, they both achieved great success (for details, refer to VTubers).

When asked after the broadcast if there were plans to return to Korea, they replied that they received U.S. citizenship.

They seemed to say they wouldn’t return until April because they would be busy?

Instead, it seemed likely they would have to drop by before August due to a national exchange event.

As people’s support continued, an international call suddenly came in ← this is the Fields Medal, wow!

Viewers went crazy, and Unspecified ended the broadcast abruptly.

From here, they began accepting questions.

[Comments]

– Why suddenly play Resonance? They usually played ‘Wall of A.’

└ (Writer): It seems that the school assigned a project to create a Resonance game, and they did it for preliminary research.

└ Wow, that’s amazing, lol!

└ It’s just preliminary research, and they’re putting on a performance at the level of rankers.

└ Am I the only one looking forward to the game created by Unspecified?

– Have they completely left Korea?

└ (Writer): I’m not sure. The atmosphere of yesterday’s broadcast seemed quite warm.

└ I think they’ll probably stay with dual citizenship between Korea and America.

└ That much is actually a relief.

– I checked the rewatch, but Unspecified is gone, and there’s a blonde older sister instead?

└ This is truly a gaming fanatic…

└ What about you, lol?

└ That avatar is practically Unspecified’s twin; not knowing that is a bit…

– They aren’t going again like last time, are they? Please let this be the time they succeed…

└ Since it’s 30 minutes by car from Andover, it seems awkward not to go.

– 9 years and 7 months is insane.

└ This is the most shocking thing, yet no one mentions it, lol!

└ Unspecified is like a puppy… we have to multiply the years lived by 7 to get human age…

└ So that means they’re 67 years old? Hahahaha.

└ A 7x compressed life, wow!

* * *

[Massachusetts ICM 2053]

The opening ceremony of the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) begins with the Fields Medal award.

With over 5,000 mathematicians gathering from 130 countries, the entrance to the university was bustling with people.

“Excuse me, could you tell me the way to Memorial Hall?”

“Hey, everyone, look! Unspecified is here!”

“Ah.”

The presence of 5,000 mathematicians means there are at least 5,000 people who know me.

People rushed towards me as if I had honey smeared all over my body.

Honestly, even if the news of the award hadn’t leaked, my very existence was like a spoiler.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t have any reason to be here.

“Oh my, you’re so small and cute…!”

“Hey! Keep your distance! You’re scaring the child.”

“Hey kid, do you want some chocolate?”

“No, thank you. I brushed my teeth before coming.”

The very person who attracted the crowd turned around and began to protect me.

‘Why is Dad taking so long to park?’

I quietly sat on a nearby bench piled with snow.

Then, it seemed people had made an appointment to line up.

Eventually, one by one, they came up and asked to take pictures with me.

“Is that the Fields Medal?”

A curly-haired woman sitting next to me lightly asked.

When I nodded in response, she clapped her hands.

“You are an amazing child. Truly impressive.”

“Ha ha, thank you.”

If I stayed here longer, I felt like I would melt under the avalanche of compliments.

Just as I was about to send a text stating my location, Professor Cheon appeared through the crowd.

As he raised his hand and waved, I brushed the snow off my backside and jumped down from the bench.

“You found me quite well!”

“I just walked towards where the people were.”

“Oh, that’s a good method. Memorial Hall is along that path over there.”

“Then let’s go quickly. We’ll be late for the awards ceremony.”

“What does it matter if we’re late?”

Since coming to America, the only thing that changed is that I’ve become more relaxed in my mindset.

As I walked through the campus, I noticed a beautiful Gothic-style building.

As we reached the main entrance along the red exterior wall, a security guard wearing only a black suit in this cold weather blocked our path.

“The event is still ongoing inside, so we appreciate you visiting later.”

“It would be a bit troublesome if we can’t go in right now.”

“I apologize. Just a little bit longer—”

“I’m here to receive an award.”

I took off my white beanie to reveal my face.

“Oh my God, it was Unspecified! Please enter quickly. There’s someone inside who’s anxious to find you.”

“I guess we’re a bit late.”

“Make sure to apologize for that, all right?”

“Yes.”

We received our name tags from the reception staff and entered Memorial Hall.

“Unspecified, could you come this way? We need to start the award ceremony soon, so there isn’t much time.”

In the distance, the President of Harvard University and the Governor of Massachusetts were delivering speeches.

I parted ways with Professor Cheon midway and hurried into the waiting room behind the curtain.

“Oh, hello there.”

“Finally, the star of the day has arrived.”

In the waiting room, two men in suits with bow ties stood up to greet me.

One was in black, while the other was in a deep blue.

“Hello.”

As I nodded slightly, they greeted me with bright smiles and shook my hand.

“Your formal attire is very fashionable, young lady.”

“Oh, this? I rented it in a hurry, does it suit me?”

I removed my long padded coat and slowly turned to show off my outfit.

It was just an ordinary black suit with black pants and a black jacket.

Underneath, I wore a simple white shirt.

Suddenly, one of the men burst out laughing.

It didn’t sound like he was laughing at me, so what was it for?

“Unspecified, you rented this from the Simon & Sons Tailor Shop in downtown Boston, right?”

“Oh, how did you know?”

“I actually live in Boston. My elementary school daughter had a suit made there for her year-end performance last month, and it looked just like what you’re wearing now.”

“Ah, I see?”

“Ha ha, don’t worry. It suits you perfectly.”

I was relieved to know there was no issue.

For something that the staff hurriedly brought me to, the waiting time was surprisingly long.

It seems the lengthening speeches are universal, no matter where we are in the world.

“Excuse me, Unspecified?”

“Yes?”

When three Fields Medal winners gather, the mathematical jokes start, right? Is it that time now?

Fortunately, I didn’t find myself in a situation where I had to worry about what joke to tell.

“There’s something I’ve been curious about for a long time; who on earth is Maria Euphrasia Terarubi?”

In that moment, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

In the past, I had her name as the first author on five of the seven mathematical papers.

Excluding the Collatz conjecture and the strong Goldbach conjecture, all the ideas were simply taken from her.

I can’t exactly explain it as a minimal courtesy to my mentor…

How should I even phrase this?

[This is a blatant lie. It is deceiving the people.]

At this moment, the words spoken by Saetbyeol lingered in my mind.

You cannot navigate this harsh world without lies.

[When the lies are exposed, I am so scared of the repercussions… don’t you think so, older sister?]

But my younger sibling’s earnest gaze kept flashing before me.

‘Alright, I won’t lie. I won’t lie.’

I bowed my head and began to recite the truth, one by one.

“Maria is my mentor.”

“Oh. If she’s your mentor, she could be a university professor. How interesting. How did you meet her?”

“She was the only one who spoke to me when I was left all alone in the past.”

“In the past?”

“Yes. In the past.”

“Last year? The year before?”

“Umm, no. Much longer ago.”

“Oh… the capsule…”

The Indian mathematician in the blue suit covered his mouth with his hand.

He began to listen to my story with a frown on his face.

“I had no one in this world who wanted to talk to me. When I was holed up in my room like a recluse, the only companion I had was Mentor Maria. I learned all my knowledge of physics and magic from her. I learned mathematics diligently, researched together… Looking back, it seems quite amusing.”

“I’m sorry to bring this up, but the person you refer to as Mentor Maria didn’t originally exist in this world, did she?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Oh dear… I can only imagine how hard it must have been for you in that confined space.”

The Indian man had tears welling up in his eyes.

“I realized at that time how big of a blessing it is to have someone to converse with. That’s why my family is incredibly precious to me now.”

“You truly endured a lot. I’m so thankful for how bravely you’ve lived, Unspecified. Mentor Maria must be passionately cheering for you in spirit too.”

From beyond the partition, the sound of applause echoed. It seemed the speech had just ended.

At that moment, an ICM staff member opened the door and gestured for me to prepare.

“Congratulations on receiving the Fields Medal, Unspecified. Please wait behind the curtain until your name is called, and then you can step up.”

“It’s Unspecified.”

I immediately corrected them.

“It’s Unnamed. That’s my name.”

* * *

“The next award goes to Unspecified, Mathematician from Phillips Academy Andover. Congratulations.”

The aging president of the International Mathematical Union called out Unspecified’s name.

A round of applause louder than ever echoed through Harvard Memorial Hall.

As I stood shyly behind the curtain in my adorable suit, President Lichtman introduced my achievements one by one.

Meanwhile, Professor Arti from the Indian Institute of Technology was secretly wiping away tears upon hearing my unfortunate story.

The existence of Maria, which had generated considerable discussion in the academic community, was finally revealed.

Some people belittled all of Unspecified’s abilities as being fabricated just because of that one individual.

“But that wasn’t the case. Maria was an imaginary mentor created by that child. In the end, it was an expression of their true self.”

A young child conjured up an imaginary being to endure anxiety and loneliness.

Being trapped in a capsule magnified that hallucination.

While conversing with their imaginary mentor and being trapped in virtual reality, they absorbed knowledge like a sponge from every source available on the internet.

Professor Arti believed this was the reason Unspecified displayed exceptionally extraordinary mathematical abilities.

Despite being covered in the filth of tragedy, they ultimately blossomed beautifully.

That is the fruit of today.

“Once again, congratulations on receiving the Fields Medal, Unspecified.”

Professor Arti spread his hands wide and offered a more fervent applause, wishing for a smooth journey ahead for them.

Considering all the adversity Unspecified had faced, it would only be reasonable for fortune to follow them from now on.