I Need the True Ending to Graduate - Chapter 94

【 Presentation 】

Regardless of whether I’d unlocked Evan’s past or not, time flew by like an arrow, and at last, the day of the academic conference presentation that I truly, genuinely did not want to face arrived.

The conference was held in a lecture hall located inside the Academy. It was inside the Academy, but it was a building I’d only ever entered once, early on after being transmigrated into the game, when I’d gotten lost and wandered in by accident. That was how unfamiliar it was to me.

It was also a little far from Jeran’s laboratory, but since it was on the way, we decided to meet up and go together.

I judged that going with Jeran would be better for my mental and emotional stability than going alone.

I felt slightly like I wanted to die, and Jeran greeted me with his usual gentle smile.

Jeran offered words of encouragement the entire way to the lecture hall for my tense, stiffened state, but none of it really registered.

Still, since it did help a little, I didn’t forget to thank him.

That was how I arrived at the conference hall, and before long, I gave my presentation on my research topic.

Every time my turn approached, it felt like drawing a waiting ticket and waiting for death. I could see the number of people ahead of me decreasing, and at the same time, it felt like my throat was tightening along with it.

Even so, contrary to my worries, I finished the presentation well.

I answered the various questions related to the presentation properly, and I didn’t get torn apart the way my real self used to be torn apart by my advisor.

This was definitely thanks to Lucia’s outstanding talent.

‘If I’d written it with my own brain, I wouldn’t even have been able to pick up the pieces.’

While I felt grateful that the game system had helped me, the thought that I’d have to wring my useless brain dry and write a thesis once I returned to reality was daunting.

‘It’d be nice if there were a system that helped me write my thesis even after I went back. Something that’d turn whatever nonsense I wrote into a brilliant paper.’

It was a pleasant thought just to imagine, but since it was obviously impossible in reality, I stopped there. Thinking further would only make me more miserable.

Anyway, I got through the conference presentation without incident, but there was one thing that bothered me.

It was a question thrown by someone whose face clearly screamed, ‘I’m a professor.’

He said to me:

“I listened well to your presentation. It seems you’ve worked quite diligently on this research. Both the theoretical aspects and the magic circle you actually designed show no major flaws. It was a solid presentation. You’re graduating with this research topic, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You still have quite a bit of time left until graduation, so if you continue this research until then, I believe it’ll definitely yield significant results.”

I listened politely, like a child hearing New Year’s well wishes from adults at a relative’s house, when suddenly the professor stated gravely.

“However, there is one problem.”

“A problem…?’

I asked cautiously, secretly swallowing the saliva pooling in my mouth. My heart pounded as if it might burst out of my throat.

In my head, I was frantically combing through the presentation, trying to figure out what on earth the problem could be.

At last, he set the presentation materials I’d prepared down on the desk and said,

“Miss Lucia Even, do you truly believe that there is another world beyond the dimension?”

I knew that within dimensional transfer magic research, there were heated debates over the existence of other worlds. But I hadn’t expected such a direct question to be thrown at me so suddenly, and I was too flustered to speak.

In the meantime, the man continued.

“Your research is all conducted under the assumption that another world exists beyond the dimension. But what will you do if that other world does not exist?”

“….”

“This isn’t a problem unique to you alone, Miss Even. It’s an issue that most researchers who study dimensional transfer magic inevitably run into. Even if not right now, if you continue your research, you’ll eventually be forced to confront that problem.”

The man paused briefly to catch his breath, then looked straight at me standing on the podium and asked plainly.

“Do you believe that the world Galore Jamis left behind in his memoir truly exists? A world where everyone is equal regardless of race, gender, religion, nationality, or status. Do you think a world without nobles or commoners, without imperial family or emperor, can truly exist?”

Before I could properly organize my thoughts on the matter, words slipped out of my mouth. Just like in past moments of crisis, Lucia spoke in my place.

“Yes.”

At the utterly resolute answer, the man flinched in surprise for a moment, then carefully asked again.

“Why do you think so?”

In response, I, or rather Lucia, replied naturally.

“Because it’d be troublesome otherwise.”

It was such an empty and absurd answer that it felt like all the strength drained out of me.

‘No, this is the first time I’ve seen someone say something with absolutely no basis this confidently.’

This wasn’t just anywhere; it was an academic conference. It went far beyond the level of boldness that could be excused as youthful audacity.

Soon, not only the professor who had asked the question, but everyone seated here was bound to criticize me.

‘Just when I thought I’d get through this easily thanks to the game system.’

I calmly waited for the sentence that would be passed down on me, but contrary to my expectations, the professor didn’t say a word.

Everyone present nodded as if they agreed with my answer, and just like that, the presentation ended.

Thus, I was able to safely get through the horrifying academic presentation, but throughout the remaining presentations that followed mine, his question kept circling in my head.

‘Something about this is bothering me….’

Up until now, I’d read quite a number of research books and papers based on Lucia’s research plan. I couldn’t call myself an expert in magic, but at the very least, I’d acquired some very basic knowledge.

I hadn’t been particularly interested in whether another world existed or how to prove it.

To begin with, the entire field of dimensional transfer magic had developed under the assumption that another world existed, so if you denied that fundamental premise on which the discipline was built, there’d be no point in researching it at all.

Because of that, I’d never felt the need to dig into that issue. Even looking at recent research trends, rather than questioning that problem, the focus had been on the practical feasibility of realizing dimensional transfer.

So I’d focused on ‘how’ to make dimensional transfer possible, and hadn’t paid much attention to anything else.

But now, it was different.

‘I think I need to investigate the other world in more detail.’

Otherwise, there’d have been no reason for the professor to throw such a question at me, or for Lucia to step in and answer it.

Moreover, the professor’s remarks themselves had been rather abrupt and strange.

In this hopelessly rigid class society, where simply stating your name lets people figure out whether you’re a commoner or a noble, the contents of Galore Jamis’s memoir that the professor brought up were far too radical.

‘He must definitely be a noble, and someone who’s never experienced, or even imagined, a classless society. Yet suddenly he’s talking about human rights and speaking of freedom and equality. No matter how I think about it, it’s strange.’

Even if it was an empire with an imperial family above it, he wasn’t in a position where he’d have much reason to harbor serious dissatisfaction with the class system.

He was thoroughly on the side that enjoyed the benefits of the status system, and breaking free from a class society wouldn’t bring him any particular advantage.

I didn’t know exactly what kind of hint it was meant to be, but I had a feeling that the answer to an important issue I was overlooking lay there.

Just as there had been meaning behind all of Ruad’s and Evan’s words and actions.

‘I should probably look for the book that man wrote. Galore Jamis, was it? I should try to get my hands on his book. The conference will be over in a few days and then it’ll be vacation anyway, so I’ll have plenty of time.’

As I quietly resolved this to myself, Jeran, who had approached the seat beside me before I knew it, spoke to me. It was a quiet whisper that others couldn’t hear.

“Miss Even, you’re thinking that once the conference ends, you should read Galore Jamis’s memoir during vacation, aren’t you?”

“…How did you know?”

When I answered with my eyes wide in surprise, Jeran gave a faint smile. The look in his eyes as he gazed at me was as gentle as ever.

“That was exactly the kind of face you were making.”

Then he added, “However, it won’t be easy to obtain Galore Jamis’s memoir. He was an ancient wizard from a long time ago, and there are so many books circulating that falsely use his name that finding the genuine article will be even more difficult.”

“…Then does that mean I’ll never be able to see Galore Jamis’s memoir?”

No matter how I thought about it, it seemed like an important book that I ought to read, but my motivation was already deflating.

However, it wasn’t as though there was an absolute reason I had to see Galore Jamis’s memoir.

No quest had appeared, and in fact, things were quiet. That meant Galore Jamis’s memoir wasn’t essential to progressing the game.

If it was truly too difficult to obtain, giving up wouldn’t cause any problems in reaching the true ending.

Since writing my graduation thesis and filling the capture targets’ affection meters to 100% would mean all the conditions for seeing the true ending were satisfied.

‘But I don’t know why it feels like I’m forgetting something important.’

As I quietly resigned myself while pushing aside that uneasy feeling, Jeran opened his mouth.

“…It might be impossible to see his memoir directly, but you should be able to obtain books written by others who read his memoir and transcribed its contents from memory.”

“Oh, really?”

It was disappointing that it wouldn’t be the original text, but for now, just being able to learn what Galore Jamis had said in his memoir was more than enough.

When I couldn’t hide my delight, Jeran nodded with a gentle smile.

“Yes. If you put in a little effort, you should be able to find them fairly quickly. Fortunately, he didn’t suddenly disappear or anything like that, and because he lived a long life, his works have been steadily preserved.”