Ch.104Chapter 104 – Don’t You Think It Makes No Sense Logically?

After class ended, I approached the professor to satisfy my personal curiosity.

“Oh? Student Patos. Do you have a question?”

As I got closer to the professor, I caught a slightly refreshing lemony scent.

She seemed a bit flustered, as if she hadn’t expected me to approach her.

“Yes. I have something I’d like to ask.”

“Great! I always welcome questions from students with academic enthusiasm! However, I need to prepare for my next class right now, so I’m afraid I can’t take your question at the moment.”

She appeared extremely pleased to learn that I had a question.

However, it seemed she had another class coming up, as she expressed difficulty in answering my question now.

“If it’s alright with you, could you visit my office after lunch?”

I nodded at the professor’s suggestion to come to her office if I wanted to ask my question.

They say the thirsty person digs the well, after all.

Right now, I needed detailed information about mana stones and depleted mana stones, so I needed the professor’s help.

“That works for me. Where should I go?”

“Come to Room 512 on the 5th floor of the main building. Now, I must go as I have a class to teach.”

Probably because there wasn’t much time left until her next class started, the professor hurriedly gathered her things and left the lecture hall.

After morning classes ended, with nothing particular to do, I was walking around when I ran into Mina and Elena.

“Oh? Count!”

“Count Severio?”

“It’s been a while. Both of you. Where are you headed?”

I greeted Mina and Elena while observing them carefully.

The two of them, dressed in academy uniforms, had their arms full of various pouches.

“We have alchemy class this afternoon. These are the materials for it!”

“Alchemy?”

Oh, so Mina is taking alchemy.

“Is Miss Elena also taking the alchemy class?”

“Yes. My father always said that to become an excellent mage, one must also be knowledgeable about magical reagents.”

“What the Archmage Marquis Sandrios said is certainly true—learning about this will definitely be of great help to you, Miss Elena.”

There must be a reason why Archmage Marquis Sandrios mentioned the importance of knowing about magical reagents.

I don’t know much about magic myself, only what I’ve read in books.

It was undoubtedly true that Marquis Sandrios, being an expert, would be more knowledgeable than someone like me who is ignorant about magic.

“We should get going now. We’re busy preparing for class.”

“Aren’t you going to eat lunch?”

It was almost lunchtime, so it seemed strange that they were going to prepare for class without eating lunch.

“Ah… we have no choice. Unlike other classes, alchemy requires preparing reagents and experimental procedures in advance. It’s a unique characteristic of alchemy classes.”

At Elena’s explanation, I had no choice but to let them go.

They would know better than me, since they’re the ones taking the class.

“By the way, who is the professor teaching that class?”

“Hmm. You probably wouldn’t know them, Count. They’re famous in the world of mages, but if you’re not interested in magic, it would be a name you’re hearing for the first time.”

A name I’m hearing for the first time, huh. For me, any name would be one I’m hearing for the first time anyway.

“That’s fine. I might want to audit the class sometime if I become interested.”

“It’s Alchemist Vilred Maconkawa.”

Hmm. That is indeed a name I’m hearing for the first time. Just from the name, I get the impression of an old man with a long beard stirring a cauldron.

“I see. Perhaps we could have a meal together sometime when you’re free?”

“I-I’d love to! I’ll enjoy any food the Count treats me to!”

“I would also gladly accept your invitation, Count.”

“Then I’ll contact you both separately later.”

With that, I parted ways with Mina and Elena, promising to meet again later.

So I’ll be eating alone again today, it seems.

I checked the time on my student management window—it was about 10:30.

There were still about two hours left until lunchtime.

‘I’m bored. Maybe I’ll go to the library and read some books.’

Immediately, I turned my steps toward the library.

◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈◇◈

Glesius Academy Library.

This was one of the few places in the academy that demanded near-silence.

No wonder students nicknamed it “the Library of Silence.”

Everyone was concentrating on reading, so only the sound of turning pages could be heard inside the library.

Seeing everyone focused on the words in their books in such a quiet environment, I thought that libraries indeed should be quiet.

Well, I could appreciate that later. What was important now was finding books related to mana stones.

While playing Erasto Chronicle, mana stones were mentioned several times through the dialogue of in-game characters.

‘But most mentions were about monsters appearing in mana stone mines causing mining operations to halt, or about the recently produced mana stones being of poor quality.’

As could be inferred from the in-game characters’ mentions, mana stones were mined from quarries and had quite specific evaluation criteria to determine their quality.

However, that was all I currently knew about mana stones.

‘Where would books about mana stones be…’

I had visited the library occasionally before, so I roughly knew where books on different subjects were located.

But finding a book that specifically dealt with a particular object was not easy.

“I have a question.”

I approached the librarian.

Librarians are usually good at finding books.

Plus, the academy’s librarian was said to have lived in the library for a long time.

With those long ears, she looked like an elf, which would explain how she could spend so much time in the library.

Among students, she was known as the “walking encyclopedia of the library,” so she would definitely know where to find the book I was looking for.

“What are you looking for?”

By the way, you can speak freely in the area where the librarian is.

The library information desk where the librarian is located has a soundproofing spell that prevents sound from leaking outside.

“I’m looking for books or papers that specifically deal with mana stones.”

“Ah, those books are in Row E, Number 34, second shelf.”

“Thank you.”

As expected of a librarian. The nickname “encyclopedia of the library” wasn’t an exaggeration after all.

I went to Row E, Number 34, second shelf, as directed by the librarian.

[Research on Atmospheric Mana Distribution Through Comparative Analysis of Mana Stone Quality by Year]

[Research on Mana Stone Improvement for Better Magical Tool Efficiency]

[In-Depth Analysis Series: Mana Stones]

[Alchemy, Basic Magic Studies – Mana Stone Edition]

Looking at the bookshelf, there were numerous books about mana stones, but only a few seemed suitable for me.

‘I should read the In-Depth Analysis Series and the basic book.’

There seemed to be very few books for beginners.

I picked up two books and headed to a nearby desk.

‘I should start with the basics, after all.’

After choosing the In-Depth Analysis Series and the basic book, I began to read them carefully.

Perhaps because it covered the basics, it was quite a thick book, but it was reasonably readable.

‘The explanations are good.’

I was able to thoroughly read both books until lunchtime.

After putting some basic knowledge into my head, I finished my meal and headed to the main building.

Didn’t that professor say her office was Room 512 on the 5th floor of the main building?

‘512, 512, 512…’

After climbing to the 5th floor of the main building, I looked for Room 512.

Fortunately, among the doors with various numbers, I was able to find the one with the number 512.

[Room 512]

[Professor Emelda Carmen, Magical Engineering]

‘So she’s a Magical Engineering professor.’

Emelda Carmen. Her name seemed to suit her appearance.

I stood in front of the door and carefully knocked first.

—Knock, knock.

“Yes, someone’s here. You may come in.”

At Professor Emelda’s voice saying I could come in, I carefully opened the door.

As I entered, Professor Emelda appeared to be organizing what looked like various research documents.

“Ah, may I address you casually?”

“Within the academy, you may address me casually.”

“Alright. Then I’ll call you Student Patos.”

Professor Emelda got up from her seat and approached the sofa.

“Please sit here. Now, you said you had a question?”

She remembered exactly why I had come here.

“Is it possible to regenerate depleted mana stones that have used up all their mana?”

“Regenerate depleted mana stones? That’s impossible.”

Professor Emelda showed a reaction as if she couldn’t understand.

“Don’t you think what you’re saying doesn’t make sense by common standards?”

It seemed that in this world, the regeneration of depleted mana stones was something that couldn’t be understood by common sense.

“When the mana stored in a mana stone is completely gone, the stone loses its function to store mana. According to scholars’ research, it has been observed that the mana storage space within the stone collapses simultaneously with the use of mana.”

“So, you’re saying that the mana storage space in the stone is damaged, making it unable to accept mana anymore?”

“You could put it that way.”

From Professor Emelda’s words, I could be certain.

That depleted mana stones could be regenerated if I used my ability.

“Is that so? Then regenerating depleted mana stones would be no different from denying common sense.”

“That’s right. Numerous scholars have researched the recycling of mana stones, but not a single one has ever succeeded.”

Well, I could experiment with this now.

“Do you happen to have any depleted mana stones?”