Julia Plumhart was more than a little shocked.
She had greeted him with what she considered a killer smile, and he fainted just from seeing it?
She had thought that if she showed off her charm, seducing a junior who looked this naive would be child’s play.
But when reality turned out to be nothing like her expectations, her pride took a considerable hit.
“Julia. Take a look at yourself right now. Even a perfectly normal person would think you’re a ghost and run away.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Julia realize her mistake.
She had been so absorbed in the materials Ludger had given her that she’d stayed up all night, completely forgetting that she was no longer in a normal condition.
In truth, from the moment she started living in this research building, her life had already drifted far from anything resembling “normal,” so it took her a bit longer than usual to notice.
“Hoo... I should go wash up for a bit. Could you wait in my lab, Professor?”
Naturally, the research building was fully equipped with shower facilities as well.
It was an optimal place where food, clothing, and shelter could all be taken care of. Which was precisely why graduate students could never bring themselves to leave.
After levitating the unconscious Robert, Ludger headed for Julia’s laboratory.
Calling the interior “clean” would have been generous, to say the least.
Materials were strewn everywhere, along with all sorts of miscellaneous equipment and piles of clothes.
Even if it was her personal space, surely it hadn’t been meant to be used this freely.
Considering Julia’s usual image, it was surprisingly disillusioning—but at the same time, it spoke to just how busy she was, to the point that she couldn’t spare attention for trivial things.
“Well, this is something.”
Even the sofa meant for guests was piled high with clothes, so Ludger used telekinesis to neatly gather them all and stack them off to one side.
Once the clothes were cleared away, the imbalance became obvious, so he swiftly tidied up the books and documents scattered across the floor as well, again using telekinesis.
Countless sheets of paper fluttered through the air, moving of their own accord—a truly spectacular sight.
It was as if each sheet of paper possessed its own soul, knowing exactly where it was meant to go, flapping invisible wings to get there.
“Ugh... ngh.”
Right then, Robert, who had been laid on the sofa, opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw upon waking was a chaotic spectacle of books, papers, and miscellaneous objects busily flying around the room.
“P–Poltergeist!”
After blurting out that single word, Robert promptly fainted again.
Just as the tidying was coming to an end, the lab door opened and Julia walked in, having finished washing up.
Perhaps because she knew she had a guest waiting, she’d come back in a hurry, and her hair was still slightly damp, not fully dried.
“Did I keep you waiting long?”
“It was nothing. More importantly, are you feeling better now?”
“Yeah. Washing up helped a lot. My head feels clearer—something like that.”
Realizing just how embarrassing a state she’d been in when she approached Robert, Julia felt her face flush slightly.
Then, belatedly, she noticed just how impeccably organized her laboratory had become.
“...Don’t tell me. Professor, did you clean this up?”
“It was far too messy. Since I was waiting anyway, I organized things a bit.”
“I didn’t make a mess, you know? Everything was arranged according to what I needed at the time.”
While offering an excuse that clearly wouldn’t convince anyone, Julia scanned through the neatly arranged documents one by one.
‘Huh?’
Internally, she was more than a little flustered.
She had assumed that Ludger had simply tidied things up to make them look presentable.
But judging from the contents of the documents and books laid out in neat rows, they had been clearly and properly categorized.
“...Don’t tell me you actually read all of this and sorted it by content?”
“If I’d just organized things randomly, you’d have trouble finding your materials later.”
Ludger said it as if it were nothing, but Julia could only stare at him in shock.
No one knew better than she did just how vast the amount of material in this lab was.
Ludger had reviewed and organized a volume that would’ve taken at least a week just to skim—doing it all in the short time it took her to wash up.
What kind of cognitive ability was that supposed to be? The speed alone was absurd, and the accuracy defied belief. It wouldn’t have been strange for a brain to melt under that strain.
‘Honestly. Why am I even worrying?’
After all, this was Ludger Cherish.
And the level of magic he had reached by now was something even Julia couldn’t begin to measure.
Impera? To be blunt, even if that were the case, Ludger would still be an unprecedented genius. But her intuition told her it wasn’t just that.
“More importantly, that kid is still unconscious? He’s got a big build, but his constitution seems weaker than I expected.”
In reality, he’d woken up once in the middle, seen Ludger cleaning the room, mistaken it for a ghostly apparition, and fainted again—but Ludger didn’t bother to mention it.
“More importantly, did you go through all the materials I sent you?”
“Yes. Staying up all night was worth it.”
“There was quite a lot. I was worried it might have been too much.”
“Says the one who dumped that mountain of materials on me? Well, honestly, I could’ve taken it easier—but I didn’t want to.”
If the process had been nothing but suffering, she wouldn’t have pushed herself this hard.
To be honest, as she read through the materials Ludger had compiled and handed to her, Julia found herself enjoying it.
The act of stuffing information into her brain felt rewarding.
Watching a path that had been blocked and frustrating slowly come into focus gave her a sense of catharsis she could hardly put into words.
Of course, when she thought about the road she still had ahead of her, this was nothing more than the very beginning.
From here on, even more obstacles and trials might be waiting.
Even so, she felt it was fine.
Better than spinning in place, unable to do anything at all.
Even if unknown dangers lay ahead, moving forward was far better.
That was how one who walked dreams ought to be.
She had been taught that way, and she had grown up watching the backs of people like that.
‘And he said that child he brought along could help me, too.’
She no longer harbored any doubts. If Ludger said so, then the odds were high that it was true.
No—she was certain of it.
“Oh, right. I completely forgot to offer coffee to our guest. Please wait a moment. I’ll make some right away.”
“In that case, it would be better to brew one more cup.”
“One more? For that unconscious student?”
“No. You can ask Robert after he wakes up. The extra cup I mentioned is for someone else.”
“Someone else is coming?”
At her question, Ludger didn’t answer. Instead, he looked into empty space.
Julia naturally followed his gaze.
Soon, she could see it—mana gathering in the air, tracing an incredibly complex yet systematic spell formation.
As the magic completed, there was a flash of light, and a woman appeared out of thin air, slowly descending to the floor.
“Yoo-hoo. Julia. I came to visit.”
“Rine?”
Rine, who had revealed herself through spatial transfer, waved cheerfully at Julia with a bright smile.
“Huh? Big brother, you’re here too?”
Rine beamed at Ludger.
Julia asked her,
“What brings you here? You usually let me know before coming.”
“I just wanted to see your face for the first time in a while. I was worried about how you were doing.”
“Didn’t we meet just last week?”
Ludger listened quietly to their conversation.
The two had crossed paths in various ways since their first year, and it seemed they’d continued their connection ever since, growing quite close.
After all, they still met regularly even after graduation.
‘Considering how busy Rine is as a magic researcher, and how busy Julia is now... it can’t have been easy to make time.’
Even if Rine possessed spatial transfer and was free from physical distance, she would’ve had to carve out time again and again to make appointments.
It was proof that their friendship had grown deeper than before.
“Be honest. You just skipped work because you didn’t feel like doing it, didn’t you?”
“H–Huh? No! It’s not like that! I just thought you looked really busy lately, so I came because I was worried.”
Rine waved her hands, vehemently denying it, but Julia’s eyes only narrowed further.
Julia, sharp as ever in situations like this, didn’t miss how Rine kept glancing sideways at Ludger even as she spoke.
I see. So that’s how it is.
“Honestly. No matter how urgent it is, how can you just show up without even contacting me first?”
“Hehe. Sorry.”
Julia decided to let it slide. At the same time, she found herself wanting to support the feelings her friend was harboring.
Naturally changing the subject, Rine asked Ludger,
“Big brother, have you been well? I heard about it—you returned as a teacher at Seorn, right?”
“It’s not a complete return. Rather than teaching regular classes, I’ll be giving special instruction to a small group of students.”
“Ahh. The special class, right? I heard something about that around the time before I graduated. Is that unconscious kid over there one of them?”
“That’s about right.”
“Hehe. Seeing you again at Seorn feels kind of new. Back then, I had to call you ‘Professor.’”
At Rine’s shy words, Julia let out a soft sigh.
She was more than a little surprised to see her friend—whom she’d thought was rather awkward—actively appealing her charm far more boldly than expected.
From the subtle smile in her eyes, to casually brushing back the hair at her temple while she spoke.
And for someone who had supposedly come on a whim, there was even a hint of makeup on her face.
Not just any makeup. The kind that looked natural, barely there—yet was actually quite difficult to pull off.
From Rine, who normally had no interest in makeup at all.
Regardless, Ludger and Rine were deep in conversation.
“Big brother. Actually, I’ve been working on something new recently. Could you take a look at it?”
“Ah. Is it the one you mentioned before?”
Ludger accepted the materials Rine handed him. He didn’t bother asking why she’d brought such things along when she was visiting a friend.
He was far more interested in the magic Rine had been thinking about.
At the center of the handwritten notes—presumably written by her—was a magic circle of complex design.
The circle looked oddly familiar, and Ludger realized it resembled an astronomical clock.
With a more serious expression, he read through the contents in detail.
Rine watched him with a slightly anxious gaze.
Looking at it like this, memories surfaced of submitting assignments to Ludger, or taking exams under him.
“I’ve reviewed it.”
After neatly organizing the papers he’d finished reading, Ludger handed them back to Rine.
“S–So? What do you think?”
“It’s hard to say anything with certainty right now. But if this magic you’ve devised reaches completion, it could cause an upheaval capable of changing the world.”
It was an evaluation that even made Julia, who was listening beside them, flinch in surprise.
Knowing that Ludger didn’t offer empty praise, it was clear he meant it.
“Rine, just what kind of magic are you trying to create?”
“It’s just... something related to the nature of my mana.”
“Spatial-aspected mana, right?”
The magic Rine was preparing was an advanced form of spatial magic, expanded according to the nature of her mana.
“This shouldn’t be called spatial magic. It would be more accurate to call it dimensional magic.”
That was the name Ludger gave it after looking through her materials.
“Dimensional? Rine, don’t tell me you’re actually—”
Rine smiled awkwardly and nodded at his words.
“The reason I was able to come up with this idea is all thanks to you, big brother. What I’m trying to create is a more advanced form of the Crystal Corridor you once made.”
“What I created was nothing more than something usable once or twice. But yours is far more stable.”
Moreover, while Ludger had fixed the coordinates of the Crystal Corridor to Earth alone, Rine’s magic didn’t have its coordinates fixed to any single place.
In other words, if she wished, her magic could peer into dimensions far more distant than that.
The other, similar worlds she’d spoken of that day.
“I’d only been vaguely thinking about it before, but now I can finally start working on it properly. ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) Of course, I’ll probably hit roadblocks along the way—but when that happens, it’s okay to ask you for help, right?”
“If I’m not busy, I’ll help. I’ve grown interested in your magic as well.”
Between the two of them, words like multidimensionality, spatial curvature, and parallel worlds flew back and forth.
Listening quietly, Julia muttered with a sigh-laced voice,
“Somehow... my magic feels pathetic in comparison.”