"Lady Kalia Anima was the one who originally conceived the key concepts of hypothesis deduction and hypothesis testing. I merely translated her ideas into the language of scholars. Thus, Lady Anima is the primary author, and I am a co-author."
It was a hard-to-believe story. Hans himself had been amazed by Kalia's intuition while writing the paper, but how could those who had not witnessed it believe it?
However, whether believed or not, the fact remained a fact, which was the beauty of scholarship. The reality that Kalia Anima was the first in this world to devise the methods of hypothesis deduction and testing remained unchanged.
"The lead authorship of a paper is a serious matter. Let's invite Lady Kalia Anima to the academy."
"That's a good idea. We need to verify if Lady Anima actually composed the content of the paper."
Hans and Nashia had anticipated this. That's why only Hans had come to this gathering.
The greater their skepticism, the greater the impact when Kalia proved herself.
"Everyone, please calm down. Regardless of the verification of the primary author, the paper's content is impeccable. I believe everyone agrees on that."
The chairman of the academy ascended to the podium and calmed the hall.
"Of course, but not just the content, the formality of a paper is also crucial."
"That's why we need the verification, isn't it? Master Hans, please convey the detailed situation to the duchy..."
"Yes, I will do so."
Thanks to the chairman's intervention, Hans was able to conclude his presentation and leave. Having achieved his objective, Hans turned his steps towards the duchy.
'But first, I need to send a message.'
Hans wrote a letter, as planned, informing that his presentation went as expected and the reaction of the academy was as anticipated. Sending it by a courier would take time, but Hans had a magical device for transmitting messages.
After tuning the magical wavelength, Hans scraped the device across the letter. Simultaneously, in Nashia's office, the magical message receiver clicked and whirred into action.
Part of the metal plate on the receiver popped up, forming letters. A secretary sprayed ink on it and pressed paper against it to copy the message.
Thus, Hans' letter was duplicated. Nashia smiled as she read it.
"It seems that the paper really did make an impact at the academy."
"It did. Its contents are significant not just for magic but also for medicine and estate management. In fact, those fields might benefit even more from these methodologies."
"How's the party planning going?"
At Nashia's query, the secretary brought out a stack of documents. There were five plans, ranging from small to large.
"What did His Grace recommend?"
"His Grace, the Grand Duke, preferred the magic-themed party. It seems because Lady Kalia enjoys magic."
"Then let's go with that. How soon can we start the preparations?"
"We can be ready in five days."
"Good. Then, the schedule… Ten days from now seems right. Should I tell Kalia beforehand or make it a surprise party?"
"A surprise party could be nice, but it might be better to consult Lady Kalia. After all, she is the guest of honor."
"That's a good idea. Let's do that. She should enjoy it."
"Recently, she has been quite active. I think she would enjoy a lively party."
"Right? The child who disliked leaving her room until she was ten now enjoys playing tag with the servants."
"After her illness, she seemed to have realized the importance of physical activity."
"Yes, I've heard that too."
People often change their personalities after encountering significant events like war, accidents, or illness.
Moreover, Kalia was still a child. Children are known to change day by day even without any specific reason.
"I was worried about how much she had changed," Nashia commented.
"I believe you can be reassured. Lady Kalia has become healthier than before, and contrary to common belief, her academic skills have not diminished."
"That's true. Besides, Aria has always been lively. Maybe Kalia is influenced by her older sister."
Nashia smiled warmly as she thought of her daughters. Meanwhile, the daughters in question were racing around in the garden.
"Heeheeheeheeheek!"
Aria's laughter, or was it a scream, echoed as she dashed away. Kalia was hot on her heels, chasing determinedly.
"Eek! Freeze!"
Just before being caught by Kalia, Aria declared 'freeze' and collapsed onto the spot.
They were playing Kalia's version of 'Freeze Tag.' It was a game invented to compensate for the disadvantage slower runners like Aria faced in traditional tag, where one person could become the sole focus of pursuit. This way, even someone with slower feet like Aria could enjoy the game longer.
The participants included Kalia and Tyir, her younger sister Aria, and her handmaiden Lasra.
Lasra, unlike Muskel who was thickly built like a muscle, had a slightly chubby figure.
Just for that, people often looked at her disdainfully. Lasra lived repressing herself under such scornful eyes.
This sense of powerlessness affected not just her mind but also her body. Lasra often stood hunched over, shoulders drawn in, naturally causing her back to bend.
It was a posture Kalia could not tolerate. She requested her parents to assign Lasra as her personal handmaiden and began correcting her posture.
Thus, recently, Lasra had been with her always, during such games, in classes, and even when Kalia exercised.
"Tyir!"
"Woah, here she comes, she comes!"
"You should run sideways."
Kalia smoothly shifted her leading foot sideways while pulling back her trailing foot, effectively slowing down. Almost simultaneously with stopping, she changed direction to the opposite way she had been running.
At the same time, she noticed Lasra and Tyir lingering nearby and charged fiercely towards them. Tyir, moving sneakily to the side, soon turned and sprinted away.
Seventeen-year-old Tyir was 178 centimeters tall with long limbs. He naturally had good stamina, given his fondness for physical games.
Yet, he had to run earnestly to escape eleven-year-old Kalia. Her running had an indescribable vigor.
Typically, the running of an eleven-year-old child would be described as 'trotting,' but Kalia's running was more akin to a leopard's hunt. Tremendous speed, incredible acceleration!