Why is the world so unfair?
The guy blatantly sleeping in the back row gets away with it, but I nod off for a second and...
"What's your name?"
I'm currently in danger of being written in the Death Note.
"Uh, well..."
"Let me ask again. What's your name?"
Meriel Gardner from the Magic Department. Her red eyes fixate on me.
"...Rain Ortiz."
"Hm? Rain?"
The professor's eyes widened a bit. A surprised reaction.
As if.
She'd heard my name somewhere before.
This isn't good.
I wish she wouldn't pay me any special attention.
Please, just think of me as some random passing student number one.
"So you're the one..."
Oh.
"I've heard a lot about you from Professor Rachel. They say you're smart?"
Ahh.
"How about we see if you're good at calculations too?"
The professor handed me a piece of chalk.
She nods, as if telling me to give it a try.
I got dragged up there again.
"I just need to solve this?"
"No, well... Haha, yes. It's something you just learned, so make sure to try it."
Something felt off.
I looked at the equation written on the blackboard. It was some complex mess of symbols.
...No idea. I didn't attend class, so how would I know what was just taught?
If I'd at least glanced at the textbook, I could've faked it.
No, this seems way harder than usual anyway.
Did they cover some new concept?
It's supposed to be a general education class—why assign something like this?
Here's the dilemma.
For a student caught sleeping, is it better to solve it or not?
"What's wrong? Can't solve it?"
No matter how I look at it, the former is better.
I borrowed the power of artificial intelligence once more.
Damn it, I decided not to use it just two hours ago.
'Solve this equation for me.'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Starting calculation.]
To be honest, I wanted to avoid using this now. The bad outcomes weren't just one or two times.
But getting on the professor's bad side seemed worse.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Calculation completed.]
I copied the ridiculously long solution the system provided exactly as given.
"──In other words, there is no solution."
But the professor's expression soured.
The other students started murmuring for some reason.
What?
What did I do this time?
'What was the problem I just solved?'
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[It corresponds to the 'Erndon Theorem,' one of the four great conundrums of magic studies.]
My mind went blank in an instant.
Erndon Theorem? What's that?
...A conundrum?
I hurriedly looked at the professor.
"...We'll end today's lecture here. No homework. Rain? Stay behind and see me."
Fuck.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Meriel Gardner of the Magic Department had always been second place.
Second place ever since her academy days.
She aimed for the youngest professor position but failed.
Her subsequent research stalled in a slump, no progress.
Was there a reason for this?
Meriel pondered. What made me like this?
The answer came instantly.
Rachel Arte! The woman who always looked down on her from above.
She hated her the most.
"She went into Magic Engineering?"
When she heard that Rachel had become a Magic Engineering professor, she was floored.
Of course, Rachel had always been obsessed with Magic Engineering since academy days, but...
Even so. Is she really insane?
"..."
Whatever, she thought. Magic Engineering has clear limitations.
Now all that's left is for me to take first place.
Meriel dove back into her research.
Then.
"A new circuit...?"
News of Rachel's success reached her again.
Her chest tightened.
It felt like anger, or maybe depression.
What is this? A mental issue?
...Just an inferiority complex?
"Fuck!"
It was an inferiority complex. She realized it herself.
The one silver lining was that the academic world had finally declared it a 'limitation' this time.
There was one conundrum she was researching lately. She saw a clue, so she was obsessing over it like mad.
A little more.
A little more.
Just one piece. One piece is all I need. Then everything falls into place.
If I solve this, I can surpass Rachel.
...What is this one piece?
She stalled again there.
Meriel stopped.
She couldn't move forward.
"Professor Meriel, your recent..."
But then.
"This is truly revolutionary."
You again.
"Haha, Magic Engineering surpasses pure magic once more."
Again...
"I'm sure you'll congratulate me."
...
Meriel stormed out of that place.
And prepared a lecture.
A lecture on the conundrum.
"This problem will remain an unsolvable conundrum in magic studies forever."
A hastily prepared lecture without much thought. It was basically 'giving up.'
The students probably all sensed it. The sloppiness of the lecture, the shaky voice of Professor Meriel.
That's when one student caught her eye.
'...Sleeping?'
During my lecture?
In truth, Professor Meriel wasn't the type to care about that.
Sleep or not, it's their grade to manage.
Today was just a little different.
"Student, what's your name?"
"...Rain Ortiz."
Rain Ortiz.
A name she'd heard before.
The one Professor Rachel kept bringing up...
"They say you're smart?"
She indulged in a petty spite.
A slight boost to her self-esteem, the kind a professor shouldn't do.
A difficult equation introduced alongside the conundrum.
She told him to solve it.
"I just need to solve this?"
But Rain Ortiz went for the conundrum.
"No, well... Haha, yes. It's something you just learned, so make sure to try it."
Fine by her. He wouldn't solve it anyway.
"...?"
But he did.
Rain Ortiz solved the problem.
"In other words, there is no solution."
Meriel ended the lecture immediately. She had no choice.
This, this...
Impossible.
"Student, see me."
Meriel's research lab was quite messy. Papers and books scattered because she didn't organize well, dust everywhere from poor cleaning. You might even spot her black hairs on the floor.
That's why she rarely let even assistants in.
Today was different. Despite it being even messier than usual, she let Rain in.
She pulled out a portable blackboard and immediately wrote a problem.
"Solve it."
"Pardon?"
"This problem. Solve it."
This was another conundrum.
The 'Perkio Hypothesis.' The most difficult one, claiming all mana movements follow rules.
Of course, Meriel hadn't solved it either.
"Uh, well..."
"Can't solve it?"
"...I'll solve it."
Meriel watched Rain, biting her nails. Crunch, crunch—her inexplicable anxiety grew.
Rain just stared at the problem.
Then he started filling the blackboard densely with equations. Meriel watched, growing more shocked by the second.
"All done."
Today alone.
Two conundrums solved.
"...How did you solve it?"
"Pardon?"
"All the problems you solved are conundrums. Ones that even geniuses couldn't crack despite pooling their heads. How could a twenty-year-old student just..."
"Well..."
Rain scratched his head and gave an awkward smile as he answered.
"I just solved it."
Meriel was stunned.
"Haha..."
All those geniuses?
What nonsense.
This is what a real genius is.
Meriel looked back at the blackboard solution.
The lettering size perfectly fit the space, as if he'd known the length from the start. Too precise for coincidence.
This was mental math.
He solved it in his head, then wrote the solution to fit the board.
Meriel staggered and plopped into her chair.
"Rain... Rain Ortiz, right? Definitely."
Her mind was hazy, sense of reality slipping.
But still.
"I have one proposal."
She had to say it.
"Have you considered transferring to the Magic Department?"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Truth be told, I didn't want to solve it.
Even if it was just clicking for the AI to handle, the fallout wouldn't be simple.
But when I consulted the system.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[It appears there would be more incidents if left unsolved.]
That's the response I got.
So I solved it, and now...
"Have you considered transferring to the Magic Department?"
This is the situation.
"Pardon?"
"I'm asking if you'd consider transferring to the Magic Department."
"..."
What I wanted was clearly an ordinary life.
How did things end up like this?
What's wrong?
Was it a mistake asking the goddess for ChatGPT?
But I feel wronged too.
ChatGPT wasn't this capable back on Earth.
Who would've thought an AI toyed with by humans would become so competent in this world?
...Something's off.
No matter what, solving conundrums doesn't make sense.
There must be some other secret──
"Do you need time to think it over?"
Oh right, there's another issue right now.
"No, I'm fine."
"Then give me your answer."
"I won't transfer."
"...Why?"
Professor Meriel tilted her head, unable to comprehend.
"No field has a brighter future than the Magic Department. 'Mana is limitless.' Famous words, right?"
"..."
"Worried about the procedures? Leave it to me. I'll handle it quietly."
"That's not it."
I swallowed a sigh that was about to escape.
"I just want to live ordinarily."
"...Pardon?"
"I happened to solve a conundrum, but I like ordinary."
I just said it straight. I figured it was the best answer.
"...Rain."
But it didn't land with the professor.
"Conundrums aren't something you 'happen' to solve."
Professor Meriel stood from her chair. Then approached me.
"Please reconsider. A talent like yours shouldn't rot away in Magic Engineering..."
Bang.
The lab door flew open roughly right then.
"What are you doing here, Professor Meriel?"
It was Professor Rachel.