Few people knew what Gerald Whitesmith did inside his research lab.
The reason was simple: he never invited anyone in.
Ever since the contractors had hauled in his research equipment, Gerald was the only person who ever stepped foot inside the room.
A few of his classmates—such as Amae Vandenberg and Luluck—seemed to treat each other's labs like lounges, constantly visiting or hosting one another, but Gerald had no interest in doing the same.
To him, the mere thought of someone crossing the threshold into the room where he kept his research materials was deeply unsettling. It might have been a different story if there were someone he trusted implicitly, but so far, no such person existed.
He didn't consider himself secretive; this level of caution was simply common sense to him.
Thus, on this day, no one had any way of knowing who he was exchanging information with via magical communication, or what they were discussing.
"...That concludes the report."
Sunk deep into his high-backed office chair, Gerald listened in silence to the voice emanating from the small magical communication device.
It was a dedicated line for the Whitesmith family, routed through a complex network of relays.
The technology was still clumsy and inefficient; keeping a line open for a mere ten minutes cost about as much as a day laborer's daily wage.
Today, the call had already dragged on for nearly an hour.
"...Understood in full. Is there anything else?"
"Given the circumstances, we believe it would be prudent for you to sit out this upcoming rookie tournament."
"...I'll see what I can do."
Without waiting for a reply, he cut the power to the communication device.
Gerald folded his arms and sank into thought.
Glancing up at the ceiling, he watched a model of the planetary system drifting in midair, entirely unsupported.
On his desk, pendulums that were identical in length and weight swung at completely different intervals.
(...I'll never have enough hands to handle this on my own.)
Eventually, he let out a soft sigh and left the room.
The twilight corridors were beginning to hum with after-school activity.
From the direction of the training grounds came the echoing clashes of what sounded like mock battles between students. Spurred on by the rookie tournament, many seemed to have abandoned their research entirely in favor of combat training.
In the end, it was merely an intramural competition, but because it was hosted by Magias, many hailed it as "the battle to decide the next generation's archmages." On the day of the event, spectators flocked from every corner of the royal capital—the largest metropolis on the continent—and seats sold out in an instant.
Distinguishing oneself here drew offers from prestigious guilds, and it was not uncommon for students to secure their post-graduation careers on the spot. It was no exaggeration to call it a life-altering tournament.
Gerald had intended to enter as well, if only to prove once and for all who stood at the absolute top of the first-year class—no, their entire generation.
Though he was the type to submit paperwork without delay, the application form he had been given remained blank. And just moments ago, any intention of filling it out had evaporated.
"Ah~! Gerald-sama~!"
As he walked down the hallway lost in thought, Luluck appeared from around the corner. Whatever had happened, she was utterly failing to hide her buoyant mood.
"The witch, is it?"
"It is quite rare to run into you like this, Gerald-sama. Tee-hee."
"You seem to be in high spirits."
"Indeed I am! I just submitted my application for the Magias rookie tournament moments ago!"
Gerald wondered how someone could get so worked up over something so trivial, but he quietly let her speak.
"Between the Faculty of Magic and the Imperial Archmage Faculty... the roster is full of formidable opponents, but on the name of my grandmother, I have no intention of losing. Naturally, that goes for you as well, Gerald-sama. In this rookie tournament, I shall claim the championship title and make a truly dazzling debut!"
"Hate to burst your bubble, but I'm not entering."
"M-My? Is that so?"
"Yeah. Got some other business to take care of."
"Well, that is quite unfortunate..."
Watching Luluck mutter with an awkward look on her face, an idea suddenly struck Gerald. If he didn't have enough hands, he just had to rope someone else into helping. That was what their Imperial Archmage Faculty representative usually did, anyway. He wasn't accustomed to asking for help, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
"Good timing, actually. Witch. There's something I need you to do."
"My, a favor for Gerald-sama? Please, ask whatever your heart desires!"
"Withdraw from the rookie tournament."
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"
"Keep it down. I'll explain."
"WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!?!?!? W-W-Why would you ask such a thingggggggggggg!!?!!?!?"
"Listen to me carefully. This tournament—"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOO!! I WANNA—GASP—I WANT TO ENTER THE ROOKIE TOURNAMENTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!"
"A-All right, just calm down for a second. I'll explain everything properly."
No one heard the rest of their conversation.
The only thing known for certain was that the very next day, Luluck submitted an official withdrawal notice for the rookie tournament.