The Duty Of An Academy Student Should Be To Study - Chapter 88
Episode 88
Several days had passed since the summer breezes brought vacation to the academy.
Contrary to the verdant greenery outside the windows, the lab was filled with the smell of metal and dust, and muted shouts filled the air.
“Done!”
Rose had a massive protective gear resembling a helmet covering her face. Her eyes, partly obscured by the protective gear, sparkled with delight.
Carefully, Rose turned off the power of the small furnace and used tongs to retrieve the sample inside.
It was an artificial asbestos she had created by altering the chemical structure using mana. Even at the highest temperature emitted by the mana engine, it remained solid and retained its form, not melting.
For weeks, Rose had struggled and pondered to create a new friction material for her invention.
While natural asbestos had excellent durability and heat resistance, it fell short when it came to withstanding the power of the mana engine.
A revolutionary new material was needed. Only then could Rose’s planned invention become a reality.
No matter how brilliant an idea was, if it was impossible to obtain the materials practically, it would remain just an idea.
Rose took off the protective gear from her face and placed it on the desk. After investing weeks of effort, the achievement she had finally obtained made her breath catch slightly.
‘It wasn’t in vain.…’
She still needs to conduct stability tests, but I’ve succeeded in creating asbestos infused with the power of mana.
Rose momentarily sat down, her legs giving way beneath her as she let out a long sigh, covering her face with both hands.
She had to finish her invention and submit it to the contest before vacation. With each passing day, Rose grew more anxious.
She wanted to create a perfect and groundbreaking invention, without any room for doubt or criticism. As her ambition and expectations were high, so was her anxiety.
‘I’ll make sure to complete it perfectly.’
Rose took a deep breath, placing her trembling hands on her knees. This contest was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her. Being a student of the academy, she could boldly attempt various experiments with the research funds provided by the school.
However, after graduation, she would have to do it on her own without the academy’s support. She believed that her chances of winning this year were the highest.
No, she had to win.
That thought was solidifying in her mind. If she had been allowed to keep trying even after failing, she wouldn’t have felt this desperate.
Rose already knew that the world wasn’t very forgiving towards her. She wouldn’t have been this desperate if the world had been more lenient. She couldn’t afford to be patient until success came her way; that attitude wouldn’t lead to success.
Just when Rose was struggling to calm down her intense emotions, Theo Lixton, who had briefly left the lab for assistant duties, returned.
Theo noticed Rose, who had just stood up with an excited expression, a little late and approached her in surprise.
“Rose, are you okay?”
“Yeah.”
Rose, responding to Theo’s call, snapped out of her thoughts and quickly started explaining.
“Senior, please take a look at this. It stayed intact even at the highest temperature.”
Theo carefully examined the mana-infused artificial asbestos. It maintained its shape perfectly, with no signs of warping or melting.
“You did it after all, Rose. Well done.”
“If it weren’t for the idea of artificial asbestos from you, Senior, I wouldn’t have come this far.”
“But in the end, you were the one who accurately calculated the mixing ratio.”
Mana manifested in four different types of mana stones based on its properties. The power that led industrial innovation came from the fire mana stone and, naturally, was more expensive.
The mana infused into the artificial asbestos was extracted from the gravity and hydro mana stones, which were relatively cheaper.
Rose spent several weeks calculating the ratio between the two. It wasn’t easy, but she eventually achieved the desired result.
Now, using the artificial asbestos, she needed to create a band brake and install it in an actual vehicle, conducting multiple stability tests to ensure it worked effectively. The most crucial aspect of a braking system is its stability.
Theo gently patted Rose’s round and small shoulder.
“Shall we celebrate our achievement by dining out? My treat.”
It was about dinner time before she realized it. Rose had been in the lab all day and had just managed to have a piece of bread for lunch.
She hadn’t felt hungry at all during that time, but now the hunger had suddenly hit her.
However, Rose didn’t utter the words of going out for a meal. A strange hesitation gripped her.
It was because a passage from a letter she had read a few days ago by Jasper came to mind.
“Don’t get too close to Theo Lixton. It annoys me. Why? Just because I feel that way.”
Rose got lost in thoughts about Jasper for a moment, and in this quiet moment, Theo suggested again.
“On a day like today, we should eat something fancy. Don’t you think so?”
In reality, there was no reason to refuse Theo’s suggestion. It was a day of significant progress for the research that had been stuck in a rut for days. She decided to celebrate with good food, just as Theo had suggested.
‘Going to the restaurant together is not a big deal….’
Rose hesitated, looking at Theo for a moment, and eventually nodded her head.
* * *
A restaurant in the capital city, where the clientele never ceased, and was featured in a gourmet magazine.
Rose and Theo entered the restaurant and sat in a relatively secluded corner. Glancing through the menu, the prices were beyond what an average person could easily afford.
Inside the restaurant, everyone was elegantly dressed. Not a single worker that could be found in the communal housing area where Caleb briefly stayed was in sight.
Rose absentmindedly fidgeted with her sleeve. She had no idea it was such a fancy restaurant.
She had casually dressed for a summer outing without much thought. The dress she wore was what she typically wore when moving around comfortably, and it didn’t suit the ambiance of this place.
Rose stammered awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed.
“This place is… fancy, senior.”
“If I’m going to treat ourselves, might as well go somewhere upscale. I make money.”
“Thank you, senior. I should have dressed more appropriately.”
“Just because you dress up doesn’t make everything beautiful. You look fine as you are. You didn’t have any restrictions when you came into the restaurant.”
“Well, that’s a relief, but…”
“You’re beautiful without dressing up. Don’t worry.”
“Oh, okay.”
Rose felt flustered and awkward, unsure how to respond. Theo seemed unfazed.
After Theo skillfully placed the order, the courses started arriving on the table one by one. They continued their meal, casually discussing the contest.
There was no reason to feel nervous, but Rose started feeling uncomfortable halfway through.
‘Maybe it’s because Jasper warned me.’
Even with Theo right in front of her, a part of Rose’s mind was preoccupied with Jasper.
‘If he finds out we came to the restaurant together, he’ll be upset.’
She thought without needing to see. She could vividly imagine his expression of annoyance and disbelief. How could she pacify him?
Lately, Rose found herself associating everything with Jasper. It wasn’t intentional. Her thoughts seemed to flow towards Jasper Conway on their own.
Tap, tap.
Theo lightly tapped the table as if knocking. The sound brought Rose back from her thoughts about Jasper, and she looked at Theo.
“Rose, are you listening to me?”
“Yes? Oh, I’m sorry. I got lost in my thoughts…”
“Well, you tend to do that often. I’m used to it. Thinking about magic engineering again?”
The prodigy is always engrossed in magic engineering. That was Rose Bell’s original image and indeed the reality.
But now, she wasn’t thinking about the magic engineering. The only thing that came to her mind was a certain guy who had confessed to her, a guy who seemed arrogant yet delicate, rough and tough but tender.
Feeling a dryness in her throat, Rose hurriedly took a sip of water. Theo smiled playfully.
“I’m going to talk about something important, so focus on me.”
“Yes, senior.”
“I’ve realized while preparing for this contest that we complement each other quite well. Rose, what are your thoughts?”
“I agree. Senior, you grasp practical and financial aspects that I might overlook.”
“Not only for this contest, but I’d like to work with you in the future too. Do you have a career path in mind?”
“No, not yet…”
“How about the Weir Company?”
Wasn’t Weir Company the multinational corporation that held a solo exhibition last time? It was a prominent and well-known company in the engineering field.
Jasper had managed to get an invitation to the Weir Company exhibition and had even invited Rose to join him. It was there that she had coincidentally held hands with Jasper…
‘No, no! Stop it. Stop thinking about Jasper.’
Rose shook her head slightly.
The seriousness in Theo’s dark eyes made it clear that this was not just casual conversation.
“I have some connection with Weir Company.”
Rose recalled their encounter at the expo and nodded her head.
“Did you enjoy the expo? My friend who used to work with me invited me there for the event, and it’s beyond what I had imagined.”
He had certainly said something like that. If he had been given an invitation to the evening event, he must have had a good rapport with someone from Weir Company.
Theo continued calmly.
“I think next year, I might be working at Weir Company. It seems they are planning to establish a new research facility near the Baskirk Republic. It’s right next to the factory zone, so it’s a great environment for collaboration with practitioners.”
“Establishing a separate research facility within a company… That’s incredible.”
“And if there’s someone you’d like to work with as a research partner, they encourage you to speak up… Rose, I’m considering recommending you.”
“What?”
The unexpected proposal made Rose shiver.
“Of course, only if you agree. Are you open to going abroad with me? Don’t worry about the salary and accommodation. The working conditions will be incomparable anywhere.”
Theo looked at Rose with a self-assured smile, as if there was no way she would reject such an offer.