Genius Wizard Conceals His Origins

The concern that her brother, just a year older, might be suffering from overwork was somewhat alleviated after seeing Eugene dash off more than a dozen replies to letters in one go.

Soon, Lena’s worry turned into suspicion.

The difference between the two is that the latter is easier to dismiss.

“Ugh…”

With a somewhat eased mind, she blew out the candle and lay in bed.

Then, there’s something she always does. 

Choosing a suitable doll from near her pillow and hugging it close.

Among the large, soft teddy bears, an unusually small doll was touched.

A white rabbit doll, now slightly worn.

Lena whispered with a sigh as she held the doll to her chest.

“Did I worry for nothing?”

Well, even if he’s a bit dazed, it’s probably not a big problem.

She’s like that sometimes, too.

If he was really straining himself to raise money, she would have responded seriously, but seeing Eugene’s grinning expression, even that worry had faded.

Right. He’ll manage well enough. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

After all, Lena knew well that the gray-haired young man living in the storage room cared deeply for his family and that he considered honesty a very important virtue.

If he was truly having a hard time, he would come to consult her.

Believing this, Lena tossed and turned in her blanket and slowly closed her eyes.

She had just started a new business anyway. Lena was too busy to be distracted by something so out of the blue.

The next morning.

“Eek!”

Rubbing her eyes as she wandered into the kitchen, Lena almost screamed when she glanced through the gap of the storage room door.

Eugene was combing his hair first thing in the morning.

She immediately raised the threat level from suspicion to vigilance.

#August 6th. Slightly cloudy.

They say that a person’s first impression is determined by appearance.

That’s because until you have a conversation, appearance is the only element to judge a person by.

This is also the reason why most businesspeople, including Lena, groom their appearance, as it’s a way to gain considerable favor from the first meeting.

It’s a method that businesspeople who value trust as the highest virtue have used since ancient times.

On the other hand, Eugene Oslo was not cut out to be a businessman.

From Lena’s experience, what really mattered wasn’t “how good-looking you are” but “how neatly you maintain yourself.”

Eugene completely failed on the latter.

Good heavens, who goes to a degree conferment ceremony without even tidying their hair?

Yet that same Eugene…

…was clumsily combing his hair.

“……”

During breakfast time…

Eugene was putting fried eggs in his mouth with a relatively normal face, but after seeing such a scene, she couldn’t just sit by.

A reasonable inference about ‘why he was dazed’ had also been made.

She opened her lips.

“Eugene.”

“What is it, Lena?”

“By any chance, has your heart…”

Have you started liking someone?

Just as she was about to ask so frankly, Lena abruptly closed her mouth.

Eugene and Susan, as well as the twins who had woken up early today, a total of four pairs of eyes were focused on Lena.

Asking about Eugene’s love life in a situation where the entire family’s attention was focused was quite embarrassing… [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

In the end, Lena decided to use her quick topic-changing skills honed through various business dealings.

“…Are you not having a hard time mentally?”

“Huh?”

“W-well, you’ve been looking distracted often lately. Yes.”

“I see. Even though I’ve heard that doctoral student life is tough, you never say it’s hard, Eugene. Is work very difficult?”

Just then, cover fire came from Susan.

Eugene smiled awkwardly and replied that he was fine. She couldn’t ask what she was really curious about, but thanks to this, she was barely able to change the topic.

“Brother, you look handsome!”

“Do I?”

“Yes! What’s the occasion?”

“Occasion…?”

She was really barely able to change the topic.

Only after Eugene left to prepare for work did Lena finish her meal.

She thought, swallowing a sigh inwardly.

This is exhausting.

What’s all this about? It started with worry, but the person in question looked so carefree.

In the end, only suspicion remained in abundance.

Lena shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Right. Business, business.

There’s a lot to focus on. Although today is somewhat relaxed, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do.

“Thank you for the meal. I’ll go up to my room.”

“Alright, dear.”

She was about to go up to her room after lightly greeting Susan.

“I’m heading out.”

“Okay, take care.”

Lena saw it.

While Eugene shouldered his bag to leave for work…

An unfamiliar object was stuck in the front pocket of that bag.

“A pipe?”

It was a tobacco pipe.

It was probably the one he had received as a gift from Director Lovelace before.

Surely, Eugene must be a non-smoker. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

If I remember correctly, wasn’t it after putting that to her lips that Sister Louise, while still a doctoral student, started to become a lab hermit?

It was an ominous, terribly ominous sign.

Click.

Staring blankly at the closed front door, she opened her mouth.

“Susan.”

“What is it?”

“I think I’ll go out today, too.”

Lena was certain.

She felt that this uneasy feeling would only go away if she confirmed with her own eyes how Eugene was living.

It didn’t even take an hour for Lena to regret that decision.

Specifically, it was the moment she set foot on the campus of the Federal University of Magic.

“Ah.”

She blinked with a sigh.

People in front.

People to the side.

People everywhere.

Moreover, they all seemed to be students around her age.

Lena felt intimidated.

She herself couldn’t understand why.

Why? From rubbing shoulders with employees as a consultant for the telegraph bureau to now being able to socialize with prominent figures, why did she feel intimidated just being surrounded by students her own age?

“Hmm…”

[Let those who wish to learn enter here]

[Let those without the will to learn not approach]

This symptom worsened as she passed through the Gate of Knowledge.

The summer semester is still in full swing. Numerous students preparing for final exams were wandering around the campus.

Eventually, Lena even began to feel the illusion that all of them were staring at her.

In reality, quite a few university students were glancing at Lena, and she had no way of knowing that it was because of her excessively elegant appearance for a student…

She could only wander around looking for the research building and guess the reason for this strange phenomenon.

“Is it because I have no friends…”

She had no memory of having pleasant conversations with peers since graduating from school.

Living like that for over two years, it’s no wonder she’d be tense among students.

It was quite ridiculous.

Instead of blaming her own lack of planning for coming to the university so unprepared, Lena decided to resent the person who caused this mess. Eugene, Eugene.

Then suddenly, her steps stopped.

It wasn’t that she wanted to stop.

Where is this?

The path ended.

Green grass in front, a trail behind. At some point, there were hardly any students in sight.

Lena had no way of knowing that she needed to take a path called the “Walking Trail” to get to the research building…

And so, Lena got lost.

It took five seconds to realize she was lost and 30 seconds to accept that she had made a mistake that only the directionally-challenged Eugene would make before she started looking around for the way.

There was only one clue.

Eugene works in Research Building 3.

Unfortunately, that was of little help in finding her way around this vast campus.

Even if she wanted to go back the way she came, the Gate of Knowledge marking the campus entrance had long since disappeared from view.

This really is a series of absurd events. [Only on Galaxy Translations! / Axiomatic]

As she was mumbling this to herself, resting for a moment on a bench…

A man walking out of a modern building near the bench glanced at Lena and suddenly spoke.

He had a strangely brazen impression.

“I haven’t seen your face before. Do you have business at the Experiment Building?”

“N-no.”

“Then?”

“…Could you tell me which direction the Research Buildings are?”

When she asked that, swallowing her shame, the man nodded after a slight contemplation.

“Well. This works out well. I was on my way to the Research Building anyway, so let’s go together, lost one.”

“Pardon?”

“Hm?”

Lena doubted her ears for a moment.

The way he addressed her, a stranger, was unusual.

Even though the Federal University of Magic is known to have many oddballs, this seemed to go beyond that level…

Even as she followed the man onto the main road, Lena felt strange.

Surely, it’s natural to feel grateful to someone who’s helping you, but for some reason, Lena felt uncomfortable with this brazen-looking man.

This feeling of being irritated without a clear reason.

“……”

As she walked lost in these trivial thoughts, three buildings standing tall on the outskirts of the campus came into view.

The man pointed to the buildings and said.

“That’s the Research Building.”

“Ah, thank you.”

Help was help, so Lena expressed her gratitude sincerely.

As she was about to step toward Research Building 3…

“Wait.”

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, but could you wait about five minutes before going to the research building?”

An incredibly suspicious request.

She was about to frown reflexively, but suddenly feeling something odd, Lena instinctively crouched down and looked towards the research building in the distance.

Soon, she understood the meaning of the man’s words.

On a bench right in front of Research Building 3…

There sat a familiar gray-haired young man.

Beside him was a female student with dark brown hair, talking side by side.

“…Huh?”