Anyone involved in the world of magic would recognize that Alpeas was a chosen one of the gods. The problem was that he radiated his talent without discrimination in terms of time and place.
Every time he engaged in a debate, he dominated it, and if his opponent made even a small mistake, he pursued it persistently and gained recognition.
Very few people knew that Alpeas had no malice in his actions, with Klump being one of the few who understood him. It's not that he was arrogant, but his passion was overwhelming, which made people tire of him.
In reality, Alpeas was someone who genuinely admitted his mistakes if he made them and congratulated his opponent on their victory without resentment.
However, the problem was that such instances were extremely rare.
Even Alpeas found it boring to wait for his beer and walked around the tables, socializing with people. Klump, though worried that Alpeas might get into trouble again, seemed to shake his head as if it were futile to try to stop him.
"Saroph, did you come for a drink in broad daylight?"
Alpeas, holding a beer, greeted Saroph, a native of the capital and one of the few rivals of Alpeas. Although Saroph consistently lost in debates, the prevailing opinion was that, aside from Alpeas, he was the most promising light mage. Naturally, Saroph was not in a good mood, but Alpeas approached him without worry.
"Oh, right. Saroph, didn't you send an article to the Royal Academy this time? I took a look, and it was quite interesting."
"What? Why did you read my article?"
"Isn't it obvious? My specialty is also in the field of photons, and I'm an enthusiastic follower of the Royal Library. Anyway, I read it, well done."
"Is that so that you thought?"
At that moment, among the young mages, recognition of research leading to an official appointment as a Court of Light mage was considered the highest. Once research was approved, not only were the costs of a personal research facility granted, but the mage in question also became a member of the Court of Light, which was an unparalleled honor for mages.
A week earlier, Saroph had submitted his masterpiece to the Royal Academy, making him one of the top candidates. He couldn't help but be anxious about Alpeas' opinion, his rival.
"Well, Saroph, you've handled it very well. There was no margin for error. The focus on energy intensity was, frankly, brilliant."
Saroph's expression immediately brightened. But Alpeas didn't stop there.
"But there was an error. The nature of the light waves was incorrect."
"What are you saying? It has already been experimentally proven that light is waves."
"That's true, but I have a different opinion. If you look at recent results, there are too many aspects that can't be explained solely by the wave theory. Maybe light is more similar to particles."
"Sigh... Alpeas, why are you even spreading rumors? Many critics have argued that there were errors in the particle experiments. If light is a particle, how would you explain the wave properties? They are entirely different concepts!"
The question of whether light was a particle or a wave was the hot topic of the time in which Alpeas lived. While the wave theory was predominant, there was a group of scholars who continuously raised objections, and Alpeas was one of them.
"Do you really believe what the critics say? I've also seen documentation saying that errors were found in the particle experimentation process. But they addressed it in a non-scientific way. Couldn't that be the real mistake?"
Saroph, who was already a bit drunk, got up from the table. Besides dealing with insomnia due to his research work, now Alpeas was bothering Saroph by making it sound like the world was laughing at him.
"Enough already! Who asked you to review my work? If you're so sure of yourself, why don't you present yours! With your absurd arguments, they would see you as a clown!"
"I'm concerned about you. Even if you fail this time, couldn't you just improve it later? The important thing is not the thesis but realizing the truth, don't you think?"
Saroph couldn't take it anymore. Ultimately, what he really wanted to say was, "You failed this time, didn't you?"
"Get out! I want nothing to do with you in the future!"
Alpeas returned to his seat, the taste of fresh alcohol in his mouth. He didn't have an uncomfortable expression because he thought discussions with his rival were mutually beneficial since they both shared the same specialty.
But Klump was worried about Alpeas.
They first met in an inn in Basuka. Both were outsiders in the city, and being outsider students, they had bonded and had been spending time together for about a year.
Honestly, Klump wasn't lucky. Even if he saw himself as an inspector, who would compete against mages?
"Alpeas, who do you think you are to step in and try to fix things if others can't?"
"Where's the problem? If something's wrong, it should be corrected. That's what intelligence is."
"Please, don't you know how people call you? Arrogant Alpeas, that's what they call you these days."
"Haha! You know what? I like it more than being called something like the glow of milch."
Magic was a field of talent, and Alpeas had more than enough talent. No matter how hard he tried, modesty was just a facade for him because, in the end, he believed his talent would shine.
"This is also the curse of a genius. Come on, come on. Don't worry so much, and let's drink. Hey, Raphne, pay a lot of attention to the snacks. This friend eats more than a bear."
"Haha! Of course, if Alpeas wishes, I can give him all he wants!"
Raphne, a waitress at the bar, had love in her eyes. It was evident that she was deeply in love with Alpeas. The way Alpeas treated all women as if they were lovers made Klump feel a pang of jealousy.
Even though he wasn't involved in a serious romance, Alpeas had so many women around him. Even the men here saw him as an enemy, and jealousy was evident in their looks.
"Now even Raphne, huh? It would be better if you had a real relationship. What the hell are you thinking?"
Raphne replied, "Haha, as you know, I'm the one everyone appreciates. Besides, I'm not really trying to hit on anyone. I like smiles, and I would be completely enchanted by that smile."
When Alpeas stroked his chin and smiled, it was clear that his appearance was enough to make women surrender. Klump also wondered if that kind of smile would really work. Even without any real commitment to women, Alpeas was the public enemy number one of all the men in this place. Klump decided to try his luck with a charming smile.
"What do you think? If I smile like this, will I have a killer smile?"
"Oh, yes! Is that a killer smile, indeed? A killer smile! Haha!"
"Do you want to die?"
"Haha! I was just joking. Actually, it was quite impressive. You can use that smile later at the party. The girls will fall for it."
"Party? Do I really have to go? After all, I'm not a mage."
Tonight, House Astard is hosting a party with the theme "Night of Young Mages." Although House Astard has no special connection to magic, in that era, hosting parties was a way for the nobility to establish authority through various excuses.
"Is there a rule that says only mages can come? All kinds of people from all walks of life will attend, so you should make some contacts. Influence is important, in addition to skills."
"It's a bit funny that those words come from your mouth."
"What can I do? First of all, you need to rise high to spread your significance. Anyway, I ask you to accompany me. Who knows if you'll find your soulmate there?"
Motivated by his enthusiasm for the sword, Klump wasn't interested in connections. However, at the last sentence, he couldn't help but question the possibility.
After all, who knows? Could a young rural swordsman climbing to the city fall in love with a refined noble lady from the city?
Suddenly, as if he had caught a cold, Klump coughed repeatedly.
"Hmm! So why shouldn't we go and see?"
***
The Astard mansion, one of the wealthiest families in the capital, appeared dazzling and opulent, as if it crossed the line between extravagance and legality according to the laws of nobility.
Three hundred crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling of the hall, and the marble table with golden details was covered with exquisite delicacies brought from all over the world.
The nobility danced with their partners to the music of the musicians, while in another corner, elderly politicians engaged in conversations and wine.
"Hello! I'm Ogent Klump. Have you come alone?"
"Kyahh!"
Upon seeing Klump, a woman screamed and ran away. How could one not be amazed by the sinister smile of a man who looked like a thief? It was literally a killer smile. Klump was left in shock, and Alpeas burst into laughter as he approached and gave him a tap on the back.
"Puhahaha! Did you really say that? Oh, wow!"
"Curses! I'm a fool for believing you. But where have you been all this time?"
"The lovely ladies were insisting on talking, so I went to keep them company."
Klump looked in the direction Alpeas pointed. The elegant city women were blushing and shyly moving away from Alpeas.
"Darn it. I think your back is more attractive than me from the front. Everyone's looking at you."
"Haha! It doesn't matter. Aren't they all like this? Since we're here, let's eat until we're full."
Since there were many delicacies that Klump had never seen in the countryside, he was excited too. He decided to take advantage of his solitude to eat without worrying about what the women might think and headed to the table. Alpeas chuckled as he did so. This simple but positive friend of his was likable.
While Klump enjoyed the food a bit clumsily, Alpeas took care of greeting the nobles who approached every five minutes. When the head of the Astard family personally appeared at the party, all the nobles looked at Alpeas.
"Pleasure. The famous Alpeas, right?"
"It's an honor that you recognized me. It's a great party. Thank you for inviting me to this event."
"Haha! Making friends with talented young people is a pleasure. I hope to see you more often in the future."
"Yes, if you call me, I'll be happy to attend."
So it will be. Enjoy the party!"
Although the conversation was brief, the fact that the head of the Astard family spoke with someone who had just started their social life and exchanged more than two words with a newcomer mage was a notable sign of sympathy.
Alpeas, satisfied, turned and looked at Klump, who was stuffing meat into his mouth as if he were ravenous, with a perplexed expression. It was clear that he was indulging his insatiable appetite with food.
"Don't your jaws ever get tired? Where do you think all that food you eat goes?"
Klump chewed the meat and pointed at his biceps. Alpeas simply shook his head. Despite feeling the gazes of many women, he found it boring. He looked around with quivering lips for something interesting and finally noticed a woman leaping between the tables on the other side of the hall.
"Eh?"
His first thought was that he was definitely not a mage. She was wearing a simple dress instead of the typical gypsy attire, and, most notably, instead of her characteristic short hair of intelligence, she had long black hair that reached her waist. She held a plate in one hand and a fork in the other as she joyfully leaped from side to side, which didn't fit the formal atmosphere of this place at all.
"Oh? Is that the family head's daughter?"
At Klump's words, Alpeas, intrigued, didn't take his eyes off the woman and only turned his head slightly to ask.
"Is she the family head's daughter?"
"You don't even know that and came to the party? Well, I can't expect any courtesy from you anyway."
"I don't know. Well, explain it to me."
"Her name is Erina Astard. She's 19 years old this year. We could say she's the only problem in the Astard family."
"A problem? Because of her troublesome character?"
"No, her intelligence is a bit below average."
Alpeas finally turned to look at Klump. One might think he was mocking his words, but the friend he met in Bashka wasn't the type to make cruel jokes.