# Chapter 78
—
Arthur was flustered at the completely unexpected situation.
*‘What do I do now?’*
To think that the presenter wasn’t chosen but *appointed*.
Of course, Yenika had familiarized herself with the material to a certain extent, but only for the part she was in charge of.
She wasn’t capable of explaining and leading the entire experiment from start to finish.
At that moment, Yenika rose from her seat.
“Yes, Professor.”
With that calm reply, she stepped up to the podium.
Then she carefully laid out the materials and supplies she had prepared over the past three weeks.
Her composure, without a trace of agitation, drew quiet admiration from the students.
*‘Even though she was suddenly called on… she’s not shaken at all?’*
*‘Well, she *is* the eldest daughter of the Hazel conglomerate. Hardly any reason for her to be nervous.’*
*‘I heard the head of the Hazel family is a genius among geniuses. Then it makes sense his daughter would be the same.’*
By then, Yenika had finished her preparations and turned her gaze forward.
Professor Chizzy gave her a nod.
“You may… begin.”
With that permission, Yenika opened her mouth.
“Hello, everyone. I’m Yenika Hazel, and I’ll be presenting Group A’s experiment today.”
Applause followed her introduction.
Yenika waited patiently for the clapping to die down, then calmly continued.
“What our group has prepared concerns the transformation of *mana crystals*, which form the core of magi-engineering.”
“……”
“Mana crystals are stones infused with mana, a rare mineral found only in very specific regions. Modern civilization has achieved much through this resource. The simplest examples being automobiles and trains. Mana crystals are also utilized across countless other fields.”
With that brief explanation, Yenika picked up a mana crystal.
At the same time, rippling mana seeped into the crystal.
*Bzzz!*
Sparks of static electricity burst from the crystal.
Placing the sparking mana crystal atop the podium, Yenika resumed her paused explanation.
“As you can see, when mana is infused into a mana crystal, such currents are generated.”
“……”
“These currents can be used to read at night or to power various machines. For instance, instead of riding a horse, one can take an automobile; instead of teleportation, a train. Those are the most typical uses.”
After taking a steadying breath, Yenika picked up a parchment.
“We investigated whether mana crystals produce specific reactions to certain types of mana. To begin…”
The students watching once again murmured in admiration.
To be frank, Yenika Hazel’s presentation was perfection itself.
Her pronunciation, her pacing, even her composed gaze sweeping across the audience.
Leaving aside the experiment process itself, just her presentation manner alone was worthy of an A grade.
But Arthur saw differently.
*‘Oh no… she’s just bluffing without actually knowing.’*
The start had been good, but the real problem came after.
She couldn’t properly explain the most critical part—the experiment process.
It wasn’t strange; that wasn’t her assigned portion.
But ultimately, this presentation required explaining both the process and the results.
And superficial glossing over would never earn a good grade.
“Hmm…?”
“Something’s off.”
Sure enough, a few students were tilting their heads at Yenika’s words.
Professor Chizzy’s expression also sank lower.
At this rate, they wouldn’t just lose the A—they might not even be able to show what they had prepared.
Arthur quickly began racking his brain.
*‘Isn’t there some way? A method to pass my thoughts to Yenika?’*
As he frowned slightly in thought, he noticed Leon beside him murmuring in admiration.
“Ooh… Miss Yenika’s doing better than I expected.”
“……”
“At this rate, there’s no need to worry, don’t you think, Arthur Bayern?”
Arthur blinked, then muttered.
“There it is… the solution.”
“…? What are you suddenly talking about?”
Arthur smirked.
“We’re pressed for time, so I’ll be brief, Your Highness.”
“…?”
“Can you use that ability from before? The one that connects minds—between me and Yenika?”
Leon tilted his head.
“I mean, I could… but why? She seems fine.”
“You call that fine? She doesn’t know anything and is just stalling with vague words.”
“…Seriously?”
“Of course. Just look at Professor Chizzy’s face!”
Leon turned his head.
Then, realizing, his expression stiffened.
“You’re right… Professor Chizzy’s eyes always droop whenever he dislikes something. And right now, they’re drooping a lot.”
“That means he’s displeased with Yenika’s presentation. We don’t have time. Connect us quickly.”
Leon nodded and quietly activated the power in his eyes.
*Flash!*
If it had been magic, such a trick would never have worked.
Mana appearing in the classroom would be sensed by any high-level mage.
But Leon’s ability wasn’t magic.
*‘The cursed bloodline of the imperial family… their powers can’t be detected.’*
Arthur turned his gaze back to Yenika.
Though she continued speaking as if nothing were wrong, her voice was slowing as the strain built.
After a moment watching her, Arthur closed his eyes and murmured inwardly.
*‘Yenika, can you hear me?’*
Yenika froze, lips sealed.
“…?”
Students and Professor Chizzy tilted their heads at her sudden pause. Then Yenika’s gaze shifted.
*‘…Lord Arthur?’*
Arthur smiled.
*‘You’re really making me do all kinds of crazy things because of you. Still, well done. Now, let’s start over.’*
—
—
When Professor Chizzy first called her, Yenika had been flustered.
*‘Of all people, why me?’*
It wasn’t that she had neglected the group project, but neither had she participated with much effort.
Normally, that much involvement would have been enough to get by in a presentation.
But this wasn’t a normal project.
The level was such that it could practically be published as an academic paper.
And no one but the main experimenter, Arthur Bayern, could truly explain it.
Still, Yenika hadn’t shown her panic outwardly.
If she couldn’t even maintain her composure, then the three weeks of effort would go to waste.
*‘At the very least, I need to look fine on the outside.’*
Luckily, she was confident in keeping a calm expression.
She was also skilled at making things sound plausible.
Thanks to that, she managed to get through the introduction and set the mood decently.
But soon she hit her limit.
*‘…….’*
Once the real explanation began, her shallow knowledge was quickly revealed.
Most of the students didn’t notice, but Professor Chizzy did.
From between his heavy eyelids, his chilling gaze bore into her.
From that alone, Yenika knew instinctively.
*‘…I’m screwed.’*
There was no way such a seasoned professor wouldn’t see through her flimsy words.
She sighed inwardly, but didn’t abandon the presentation.
Stopping now would mean forfeiting even the bare minimum of points.
So she continued as best as she could—until.
A familiar voice echoed in her head.
*‘You’re really making me do all kinds of crazy things because of you.’*
*‘……?’*
*‘Still, well done. Now, let’s start over.’*
It was Arthur Bayern’s voice.
Startled, Yenika opened her mouth, but Arthur quickly instructed her.
*‘First, demonstrate the process of mana crystal transformation. Get ready, Yenika.’*
Regaining her composure, Yenika firmly closed her parted lips.
“…?”
The students looked puzzled.
That Yenika Hazel, who had spoken so smoothly until now, suddenly fell silent—it had to be from nerves.
But soon, she regained control of her expression and re-focused the atmosphere with a cool tone.
“…My apologies. I’ll resume the presentation.”
With that, Yenika picked up the mana crystal.
She placed it into a box that had already been set on the podium.
The deviation from her earlier explanation piqued the students’ curiosity.
Yenika spoke again.
“What I’ll show you now is the experimental process that supports our theory.”
“……”
“Must mana crystals only react to mana in order to produce energy? Or do they respond to other forces as well? That is what this experiment seeks to determine.”
At that, Professor Chizzy, who had been silent, raised his hand.
“May I ask a question, Miss Yenika?”
“Yes, Professor.”
“What is the purpose of that box?”
“This box is specially designed to contain any reactions from the mana crystal so they don’t spread outward.”
Professor Chizzy stroked his chin.
“A special box, hm… but is that necessary? Mana crystals are… stones filled with mana. They don’t explode.”
“……”
“So it seems dubious. Why put it in a box at all?”
At that pointed remark, Yenika instinctively glanced toward Arthur.
*‘Oof, sharp question.’*
*‘……’*
*‘As expected of Professor Chizzy… how do I make this convincing?’*
As Arthur frowned in thought with his eyes closed, Yenika clenched her fists nervously.
*‘…I wish he’d hurry up and say something.’*
The pause was already souring the mood again.
At that tense moment, Arthur spoke once more.
And through Yenika’s lips, his explanation emerged.
“Because it explodes.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Mana crystals react to certain energies by exploding. What our group experimented on was precisely how this explosion occurs—and that was the objective of this study I mentioned earlier.”
Professor Chizzy’s drooping eyes subtly lifted.
At the same time, murmurs spread through the class.
“What?”
“Mana crystals explode?”
“How could that be?”
It was shocking—mana crystals were widely known as a safe energy source.
As the students murmured, Yenika replied with confidence.
“Then we’ll begin the demonstration. Please be aware there may be a sudden flash.”
With those words, she took something out.
Professor Chizzy’s eyes sharpened.
*‘A… mana crystal?’*
What she produced was another mana crystal, glowing with a different light from the one already inside the box.
The professor recognized it immediately.
*‘Elemental magic… of the dark attribute.’*
Understanding the experiment’s intent, he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“……?”
The students blinked in confusion at his laughter, but Professor Chizzy waved it off.
“Ah… apologies. The experiment is just so unusual I couldn’t help myself.”
At those words of praise, the students’ eyes widened in surprise.
Arthur alone smiled knowingly.
*‘As expected, Professor Chizzy. He understood instantly.’*
Mana crystals were considered safe because once their mana was depleted, they discharged harmlessly.
*‘But what if mana is injected again into a depleted crystal?’*
And if that mana was an elemental force—specifically dark-elemental magic—it caused a violent explosion.
*‘Because of the dark attribute’s inherent ignition effect.’*
The reason mana crystals were still considered safe was simply that this fact wasn’t widely known.
*‘Even I wouldn’t have known, if not for that explosion at the mana power plant.’*
Drawing from that experience, Arthur had investigated further and discovered the truth.
So he had hurriedly added this stage to the experiment.
*‘The quickest way to prove the question of mana crystal safety… is to show an actual explosion.’*
And the one best suited to handle it was Yenika.
Because her magic was of the *dark* attribute.
That was why Arthur had been somewhat reassured about this part—and so was Yenika.
“Then, let’s begin.”
With that confident declaration, Yenika infused mana into the crystal.
*Rumble…!*
Her mana darkened into thick shadow, pouring into the crystal.
The moment the students blinked—
*Boom!*
The mana crystal inside the box exploded in a flash of light.
“—!”
The students gasped at the sudden blast.
Inside the box, faint flames flickered, and the crystal turned into a white starburst.
One student couldn’t hold back an exclamation.
“Whoa…?”
“It really… exploded?”
As the murmurs spread, Yenika withdrew her mana and glanced at Arthur.
*‘Now explain, Yenika.’*
She gave a small nod, then calmly continued the explanation with Arthur feeding her the details.
*‘The subject of this experiment…’*
“The subject of this experiment…”
Arthur explained, and Yenika articulated his words with polish.
She recounted how the experiment had been conceived and prepared, relaying everything they had worked on with clarity.
Finally, Yenika bowed lightly.
“…That concludes our group’s presentation. Thank you for listening.”
Silence fell over the classroom.
“……”
No one spoke. They simply stared blankly at Yenika.
The silence was broken by Professor Chizzy’s applause.
*Clap, clap…*
The sound snapped the class back to their senses.
One by one, the students began to clap as well.
*Clap, clap, clap…!*
Soon the entire classroom was applauding, as if enchanted.
Seeing this, Yenika exhaled a long sigh of relief.
*‘…It’s over.’*
All she had done was give a presentation, yet it felt as though all her energy had been drained.
Her legs even tingled faintly as she looked at Arthur.
*‘Well done, Yenika.’*
His smiling face seemed to be saying that.
Which made Yenika let out a small chuckle.
*‘You did everything, and you’re telling me well done…’*
She turned to return to her seat.
That was when a student muttered:
“Wow, as expected of Yenika Hazel.”
Yenika’s steps came to a sudden halt.
Soon after, more whispers followed—her name passing from one mouth to another.
“Group A’s preparation… Yenika Hazel must have done it all.”
Yenika Hazel’s expression twisted ever so slightly.
—
