“Well then, Mr. Yujin, we’ll be on our way.”
“Sure, take care.”
After finishing a meal with Hugo and his party, Yujin accepted the payment they insisted on giving and returned to the inn; they bid farewells to him as they left. He briefly greeted Mary who was clearing the dishes before heading back to his room.
[So, assuming you’re going to write this thesis, where do you plan to conduct your research?]
Tiamat posed the question to him. Where would the research take place?
“I can just do it in the subspace. It looks like there’s already plenty of research equipment there.”
[That’s true, but…]
“Ah, but first, I’ll need paper and a pen.”
Fortunately, the inn seemed to have pens and paper available, so Yujin quickly made his way toward the stairs leading to the first floor.
“Innkeeper!”
“Hmm? Oh, Mr. Yujin, what is it?”
“Would it be alright if I borrowed some paper and a pen? I’ll pay for them if necessary!”
“Oh, don’t be silly. Just take them and use them! If you need more, just let me know!”
Mary readily agreed and sent Yujin back upstairs.
That solved that. With paper and pen retrieved from Mary’s husband’s room, Yujin entered the subspace.
A pitch-black void stretched around him, and the treasures he had swept from Tiamat’s Tomb were scattered all over.
He roughly selected the items that seemed useful for his research and pulled them aside. Then, he spoke.
“Alright, let’s give this a try.”
[Do you want some help? Of course, you’re a dragon too, so you probably have a natural talent for magic… but your knowledge is probably lacking.]
“Hmm… I’ll try it on my own for now. If I get stuck, I’ll ask for your help then.”
[That’s a commendable attitude, but… fine. Just remember, if it gets too hard, don’t hesitate to tell me.]
It seemed Tiamat didn’t want to discourage his determination to work on his own. She spoke softly and began silently observing Yujin from behind.
Of course, Yujin had his own thoughts on the matter.
Knowledge, huh…
Tiamat had indeed passed down some knowledge about magic, but most of it was related to the powers of dragons.
Beyond that, Yujin didn’t even fully understand how the magic system in this world functioned, let alone other forms of magic.
But it didn’t matter.
Let’s approach this through science and intuition.
He decided to rely on the realm of intuition he gained through his scientific background on Earth and the instincts he had developed as a dragon. He murmured to himself.
[Gravity is the curvature of space-time.]
[Hmm?]
“Nothing important.”
He remembered the science of Earth and smiled faintly.
***
General Relativity.
The most successful theory of gravity in modern physics. It laid the foundation for much of contemporary science.
This theory that was formulated by Earth’s brilliant scientist Albert Einstein redefined gravity not as a simple classical force, but as a new kind of phenomenon linked to the geometric properties of space-time.
While adding detailed explanations might make it seem complicated, the core relationship between space-time and gravity boils down to this:
—Strong gravity distorts space-time.
However, this statement isn’t entirely accurate.
It would be more precise to say that gravity is the result of space-time distortion.
In short, everything that generates gravity causes minute distortions in space-time.
But there was one particularly interesting aspect to consider.
“Lady Tiamat, could you pass down just a bit of knowledge about gravity magic?”
[Okay.]
In this world, gravity magic existed.
Magic that could strengthen gravity, reverse its effects, or alter its direction. Such spells related to gravity were already well-established.
The same was true on Earth.
Even on Earth, certain awakeners who specialized in magic could use gravity spells. There had even been attempts to harness their abilities to find magic related to space-time.
Of course, those attempts ended in failure.
But Yujin was different.
Spatial teleportation, subspace… the reasons such things can exist…
Mana was a power that defied the laws of physics. It was a power capable of creating miracles that would otherwise be impossible.
In terms of physics, it was akin to a singularity.
There’s no need to base everything on gravity magic itself.
Yujin trusted his intuition and the computational ability he used to process the inspiration it provided.
Ever since becoming a dragon, he had gained the ability to perceive the magical flow of time and the resonance of space.
It became possible for him to do things that were impossible for humans or any other living creature.
He combined these insights with his understanding of space-time, scientific knowledge, and calculations.
Of course, Yujin wasn’t a scientist, but he had a decent level of related knowledge. After all, he hadn’t started out as an awakener; he had gone through the full course of university education before his awakening.
During his studies, he had taken the physics courses very seriously, even though they had begun to lose importance with the emergence of Mana. Perhaps it was because the diminishing importance of physics reminded him of his parents.
No, that’s a ridiculous thought.
He suddenly chuckled softly at the thought and wrote something down on the piece of paper.
Tiamat who was watching him work looked utterly astonished.
What kind of knowledge is this? I’ve never seen anything like it.
Having been born into a world steeped in mana from the very beginning, Tiamat found the concept of physics both alien and refreshing. That was only natural.
Magical power (Mana), along with aura, divine power, and demonic power were the four great powers that transcended the physical laws that formed the basis of physics. Dragons, as the masters of mana, were living proof of this defiance.
Their very existence rendered physical laws insignificant. In such a world, the development of a discipline like physics was unlikely.
But Yujin’s knowledge that was imported from another world offered Tiamat new insight. For the first time, she felt she was beginning to understand the concept of space-time, which she had only ever perceived and manipulated instinctively, in a more systematic way.
She spoke without realizing it.
[Yujin, I’ll teach you about space-time magic.]
“Huh? There’s no need for that just yet.”
[No, I’m just curious. If your knowledge could be combined with traditional magic, imagine how far it could develop.]
“Hmm… if that’s the case.”
Following her words, Yujin accepted the knowledge Tiamat offered about space-time magic. He fully grasped how phenomena such as the time-stopping magic he had once used were possible.
This is interesting. Let’s keep going.
Space-time magic was fundamentally something mortal beings couldn’t easily wield, but Yujin thought it might be possible.
Transforming it into a branch of magic that even ordinary mortals could use at a basic level….that seemed feasible.
***
Three days later.
“It’s done.”
[It’s done.]
Yujin who had just finished drafting the paper, and Tiamat who had been watching beside him, both muttered to themselves.
At least for now, they had completed the creation of a new branch of space-time magic.
On the desk Yujin had brought in, there were two stacks of papers.
One was a dissertation that fully documented all the details of the newly formulated branch of space-time magic, while the other was a submission draft that included only the theories, concepts, and a few selected magic formulas.
The essential formulas and easily comprehensible theoretical elements had been deliberately omitted, and even the foundational theories were encoded in a way that would be indecipherable to anyone without extensive knowledge of modern physics.
As its label as a submission draft suggested, Yujin intended to present this version. This way, there was no risk of someone stealing the magic.
Most importantly, Yujin had no intention of fully disclosing the complete content of his dissertation. While technology itself is neither good nor evil, the people who use it are capable of both.
In a world where the potential improper use of his space-time magic was unpredictable, Yujin had no plans to recklessly spread it.
“Well then, shall we get going?”
Yujin packed the submission draft, smiled, and stepped out of the subspace.
When he was about to leave the inn, he ran into Mary who happened to be cleaning.
“Mr. Yujin! Are you heading out to grab some food?”
She knew that Yujin had been holed up in his room recently, absorbed in his research. It wasn’t the first time she had brought meals to his room when he had skipped them entirely.
When she saw him now, she thought he was finally stepping out for a meal.
“Oh, I’ll eat later. I need to submit this to the Mages Association first.”
“Huh? What is that?”
When Mary saw the submission draft Yujin was holding, she asked curiously. Yujin smiled and replied,
“It’s the result of three days of research.”
“What? You’re already finished with it?”
“Yes. So I’ll submit it quickly and come back. I’ll eat after that.”
With those words, Yujin left the inn and headed straight for the Mages Association building in Labyrinth City.
The Mages Association is a place that values knowledge above all else. No matter how talented a mage might be, they’ll never acknowledge anyone who falls short academically speaking.
That was why Yujin had prepared a “card” that would put the Mages Association in a position of dependency.
With this, at least, the Association would stop pestering him about magic-related matters within Labyrinth City. Tiamat would probably be satisfied with that much.
Thinking along those lines, Yujin arrived at the Mages Association building. When he approached, a mage who seemed to be acting as a guard stopped him at the entrance.
“Stop! This is the Mages Association headquarters. What brings you here?”
“I’m here to submit a thesis.”
“A thesis…?”
The mage looked at the stack of papers in Yujin’s hands but quickly turned his gaze to Yujin’s appearance. His expression soured almost immediately.
“You’re from the East, aren’t you? What could someone from a place with no connection to magic possibly have to submit as a thesis…?”
“I’m a mage too, you know.”
To prove his point, Yujin casually conjured a flame in his hand. The guard’s expression shifted slightly, but only just.
“Ha, fine. Let’s hear it. What’s the topic of your thesis?”
“Space-time magic.”
“…What?”
The mage’s face twisted in an odd expression as if he had misheard Yujin’s response. But when he saw Yujin’s serious expression, he let out a dry laugh and said,
“Ha, does this guy think magic is a joke? Do you really think that all mages are the same? Someone from the East who is probably not affiliated with any organization talking about space-time magic? Stop talking nonsense and get lost…”
“In that case, would you like me to provide proof?”
“Huh?”
With those words, Yujin retrieved a gold coin from a subspace. The mage’s eyes widened as he realized Yujin had the ability to use subspace magic, but what happened next left him utterly stunned; his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
Yujin flicked his fingers and sent the gold coin spinning upward. Then he pointed a finger at the coin and cast his spell.
In an instant, a magic circle unfolded at Yujin’s fingertip.
And then—
The coin stopped.
“……!!!”
The gold coin actually froze mid-air and lay completely motionless.
The space around the coin turned ashen gray in a spherical shape, and within that area, neither magical power nor air movement could be detected.
It was as if time itself had come to a standstill.
“Uh… uh…”
“Do you believe me now?”
Yujin smiled cheerfully as he looked at the mage who could only stammer in disbelief.
Not long after, the Mages Association was turned upside down.
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