Chapter 526: The Second Thesis (1)
From the rooftop garden, City Hall Plaza was clearly visible.
Konrad Haven rummaged through his pocket, looking at the exhibition crowded with thousands of citizens.
He offered a cigarette case to Lennok, who had followed him up and was about to light one.
“Do you smoke?”
“I try to refrain before a presentation.”
“I see. Even a genius who’s published a thesis like that gets nervous, it seems.”
Haven chuckled, lighting his cigarette without hesitation.
Was it typical of a city councilman to light up in a smoke-free City Hall, in a garden full of plants? Perhaps. But the way he made the act seem entirely legal was also a skill in itself.
“Phew…”
Haven loosened his tie, leaned against the railing, and gazed at Lennok with his hands in his pockets. He exuded less the aura of a dignified senator and more that of a seasoned agent who had seen countless operations.
Haven, engrossed in smoking with the cigarette dangling from his lips, only spoke after the area near the observation deck was shrouded in acrid smoke.
“Many things have happened since Councilman Reisen stepped down, but it’s true that no one has played the role of a mouthpiece as well as he did.”
“……”
“Since that friend, who was so good at conveying the council’s decisions to the public in an appealing way, left, the very act of building a justification has been fumbling. This event today is one of those mistakes.”
Senator Reisen. Lennok knew that name. A man who had colluded with the black wizard Craig Tyllion to funnel slush funds externally, and in return, assisted Craig’s plan. Hadn’t Evelyn Marcia commissioned Lennok to gather information and then unseated Reisen at a hearing? He had built a friendly image with the public, frequently appeared in the media as the face of the Senate, earning him the nickname ‘City Government’s Mouthpiece.’
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say.”
“It would be best to give up on achieving anything at this expo.”
Haven silently chain-smoked, leaving Lennok in silence.
“I don’t know anything about technology, so I wasn’t involved in this review, but I have a rough idea of how things are going.”
“……”
“There’s an internal choice. To be precise, a desired theme has already been decided: Air Force assets and related technologies directly controlled by the City Government. They’re trying to exclusively gather and manage that information.”
Haven spoke as if he understood Lennok’s feelings.
“I can help you with that. Are you interested in hearing me out?”
But Lennok just stared at Haven, then let out a small sigh and shook his head.
“‘Helping me’ isn’t about winning the expo award, is it?”
“Hmm?”
“Didn’t you yourself say you’d wipe out everything that happened at this expo?”
“Assistant Professor Vylun, that was merely a metaphor for this situation—”
“I heard that there will be no winner at this expo.”
Haven fell silent.
“There were also rumors that it was somewhat related to the judges.”
“……”
“Am I mistaken in guessing the means by which you propose to help me?”
“……If you understand that much, there’s no need to hide it anymore. Did the dean tell you?”
Haven, who had been silent, then burst into a hollow laugh.
“I didn’t realize the information had leaked already. Just how far do Dean Saiolus Garteanon’s connections reach…? Truly, I can’t underestimate him.”
Lennok didn’t respond. There was no need to tell him that he had confirmed the situation through Antares’s advice, combined with Haven’s recent words.
Haven, seeing Lennok’s lack of response, shifted his gaze.
“Opinions are divided in the Senate regarding the City Government’s monopolization of Air Force assets and technology.”
“……”
“Quite a few of us, myself included, have consistently opposed this decision. If the government directly manages the Air Force command, specifically which government agency should be entrusted with its management? And what criteria should be applied to maintain the Air Force during that process?”
A cold smile formed on the city councilman’s lips.
“No one is unaware that even maintaining the status quo would be difficult. They’re just pushing it through for their own benefits and circumstances. We’ve tried to convince others of this fact for a long time, but it’s all come to naught.”
Haven shrugged.
“Unfortunately, it’s time for drastic measures.”
“Do you think that… justifies completely overturning this expo?”
“When I first entered the council, I wondered why my seniors fought as if there was no tomorrow.”
He rummaged through his inner suit pocket, looking at Lennok’s expressionless face.
“Meaningless power struggles, assassinations and political infighting, factional disputes escalating into civil war… I couldn’t understand people who lived as if winning in the present was everything.”
He pulled out a cigarette, stared at it for a moment, then put it in his mouth.
“But look at this now. Despite the countless hardships this city has endured, citizens somehow survive. It’s the same.”
Haven turned his back on the peaceful expo scenery and said,
“Once you take that first step, peace and stability are bound to follow eventually.”
“……”
How broadly must one view and interpret the world to utter such words so casually? This wasn’t armchair theorizing, stamping documents with numbers from a desk. The man standing before Lennok clearly understood the lives of the citizens living in this city, yet he was readily abandoning them for his own purposes and motives.
Haven continued, watching the silent Lennok.
“I know what you’re aiming for by participating in the expo. You intended to join the Central Council Technology Advisory Committee through the results of your thesis, didn’t you?”
“You knew.”
“Because I read your first thesis.”
Only Haven’s voice could be heard from beyond the smoke-obscured figure.
“Other fools say that thesis was a product of Aris Richellen’s talent, but I think differently. While the logic of converting two different energies seems consistent with elemental transformation, it’s actually far from the core ideals taught at Sinclair Magic Tower.”
“……”
“Knowing that, isn’t it why Aris Richellen allowed the thesis to be submitted under the research institute’s name?”
After all, discerning individuals like Haven would recognize that it was Evan’s thesis, not Aris’s.
“Instead of organizing past and present data to draw conclusions, proving a theory from the perspective of assuming and looking back at the future… It sounds simple, but the talent to actually capture that process on a few sheets of paper is rare across the entire continent.”
Haven continued before Lennok could even respond.
“If you possessed such talent, you could publish and present your inspired insights at any time. So, why did you specifically choose to appear at this expo, leveraging Dean Saiolus Garteanon’s influence?”
Haven pulled another cigarette from his pocket and said,
“I can only assume it’s because you wanted to directly establish a connection with the council.”
Only then did Lennok understand why Haven had summoned him to tell him all this. Haven had come to him to say that he knew what Lennok was aiming for by participating in this expo, what achievements he had actually made, and how talented he was, and that he could fulfill Lennok’s desires.
“I can provide that connection.”
Haven said.
“Do you want sponsorship directly linked to the Central Council Technology Advisory Committee, similar in rank to Saiolus Garteanon, or perhaps to the Central Council Senate?”
“……”
“If the conditions are met, providing support beyond your imagination wouldn’t be difficult. The only important things are your will and the contract, just those two.”
A sponsorship contract proposed directly by a senator of the City Government’s Central Council. Absurdly, the first offer wasn’t made in a grand senatorial office or a luxurious bar, but in the crowded rooftop garden of City Hall.
Haven looked down at him and quietly asked,
“Will you accept us as your sponsors?”
“If I accept?”
“Then we should go to my office right now and sign the contract. A signing bonus in the hundreds of millions, monthly stipends, incentives several times that amount, and welfare benefits. We promise to provide any environment, equipment, personnel, and location necessary for your research.”
A list of benefits that sounded incredibly sweet. Given that a senator personally guaranteed it, there would be no falsehood or exaggeration in his words. They wouldn’t spare money or time for talented researchers if it meant granting them plausible benefits and funds.
Lennok understood what Haven wanted to say, and how actively he was pursuing sponsoring Lennok.
But Lennok gazed at Haven, then slowly shook his head.
“I’m sorry.”
“Is that so?”
“I believe there’s no falsehood in your proposal, Councilman, but ultimately, the research achievements gathered would be managed under the sponsors’ names.”
There were no benefits given without a price. If something was achieved through their money and infrastructure, a part of it would have to be returned to them. They might speak differently now, but someday they might change their stance, control the research, or intervene in its direction. Lennok knew all too well that the powerful figures of this massive city were the kind of people who wouldn’t hesitate to do such things.
Lennok slowly turned past Haven and replied,
“I don’t want that. My reason for wanting to join the Central Council Technology Advisory Committee isn’t for something like that.”
“Then what?”
“I just want to see the true nature hidden beneath this city’s splendor.”
Not the rulers who controlled this city now, but the power holders who directly contributed to founding this city in the past. The Elder Council. To reach them, to directly ask them about the secrets of the Black Consumer Project, Lennok had to establish connections with the City Council himself, without anyone else’s help. The moment he became subservient to a senator’s sponsorship, aiming higher than that would become a distant possibility. From the very beginning, Lennok had no intention of accepting Haven’s proposal.
“Even though the winner of this expo was virtually decided from the start?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I see… I understand your feelings.”
Haven gave a bitter smile, tossed his finished cigarette, and lightly dusted his hands. He rummaged in his pocket, then pulled out a crisp business card and pressed it into Lennok’s hand.
“But it’s also true that I don’t want to see a talented researcher die in a place like this.”
“……”
“Hand this card to the security guard at the government building’s back gate, and they’ll tell you a safe escape route and time.”
He said that and turned his back.
“I spoke grandiosely, but it won’t take long. Only the audience seats where the judges and spectators are. The wizards and researchers from the magic towers will mostly be safe.”
Did he mean he made the offer just in case, without high expectations from the start? Haven’s neat demeanor, showing little lingering regret. Lennok silently watched his receding figure.
His calm and indifferent expression made it hard to believe he was a criminal about to commit an act of terror in City Hall, where tens of thousands of Vulcan citizens had gathered. But to Lennok, that detached attitude felt like the most dangerous and certain manifestation of disaster.
The moment he realized this, Lennok opened his mouth.
“If you think that, could you grant me one request?”
“……A request, you say.”
Lennok quickly thought, watching Haven slowly turn his gaze.
‘Antares only spoke about what would originally happen at the expo; he didn’t mention how to deal with it.’
If a senator himself planned the terror, how absurd would its scale and organization be? If this situation was what Antares spoke of, did it mean Lennok had to resolve this crisis?
No, but Antares only foresaw and advised on a future where Lennok didn’t participate in the expo, not a future where he did. If a variable existed that would envelop this situation with even greater impact, requiring his intervention, then it would undoubtedly be…
“Please delay the schedule until my review is over.”
“……”
Lennok chose his words carefully, looking at Haven, who was silently gazing at him.
“If the order was by name, my turn shouldn’t be far off. Perhaps by now…”
[Rebatenon University, Assistant Professor Evan Vylun.]
A clear announcement echoed from the speaker on the rooftop garden wall.
“…The time has come.”
What did it mean to call Evan Vylun’s name at this point? Haven didn’t answer, and Lennok slowly turned to face him.
“I’ll be waiting.”
With that single statement, Lennok slowly walked down into the garden. Haven leaned against the railing, arms crossed, lost in thought. Below Haven’s shadow, a faint silver glow shimmered, emitting a strange vibration.
The faint vibration then transformed into the tremor of a voice, taking on the clear form of language.
[Councilman.]
“How was it?”
Haven asked without looking at the shadow at his feet.
[There are no openings, strangely enough.]
The shadow replied quietly.
[He definitely hasn’t learned martial arts, yet he gave no room to break through his rhythm. Had I moved, he surely would have reacted.]
“I see. Is that so…”
Haven had just tried to seize an opportunity to secure Lennok’s person through his attendant, but surprisingly, the attendant was saying he couldn’t find a way to act without being detected by Lennok.
Haven’s eyes glinted coldly.
“He’s not destined to end up as an ordinary researcher or assistant professor. The request he made to me is likely the same.”
[Will you wait?]
“Considering the interval between announcements so far, the review will take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.”
Haven replied with an expressionless face, without looking at the shadow at his feet.
“He didn’t ask me for a mere reprieve of that much time.”
[Then…]
“He asked me to confirm the contents of the thesis he’s about to present.”
Evan Vylun. Assistant Professor at Rebatenon University.
Even after hearing that a terror attack might occur at City Hall due to the power struggles among the City Council senators, he showed no agitation. He didn’t say, ‘Stop the terror,’ ‘Think of the people’s lives,’ or ‘Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?’ Instead of such obvious pleas, he came up with a completely different method, and only at the very last moment did he present it to Haven.
He must have been confident that a single request would change Haven’s mind. That there was a variable in his second thesis that could stop the terror, which would throw the entire expo into chaos and kill all the judges. Evan was trying to persuade Haven precisely by saying that.
“His request was polite, but his confidence is arrogant. Does he think his thesis is truly that valuable?”
“……”
Haven laughed, and the shadow remained silent.
“He’s a genius who once shook Vulcan’s energy business. If he’s so certain, there’s ample reason to take the time to confirm it.”
Haven looked at his wristwatch, adjusted his suit cuff, and turned.
“Delay all planned schedules by 15 minutes. Contact the other councilmen.”
[Councilman, but…]
“I’ll be waiting in the audience.”
Haven disappeared down the garden stairs without waiting for the shadow’s reply.
BOOM!!
A massive auditorium, illuminated only by sparse lights.
The door closed with a great drum-like sound the moment he stepped onto the stage. An oppressive roar, as if crushing the participant’s spirit. The first-floor seating, covered by thick curtains, and the second-floor seating, submerged in darkness, made him feel as if he were standing alone in a cramped closet.
Lennok quietly looked up at the second-floor seating, shrouded in darkness. They seemed to have tried to block views with security barriers and magic formulas, but it was meaningless to him. Lennok could clearly see the faces of those sitting in the second-floor seats.
‘About 10 people. Not all of them were senators.’
Three or four individuals in suits and lab coats. The familiar face of Jon Meyer. And several elderly and middle-aged men and women looking this way with languid expressions. Those who appeared to be around Konrad Haven’s age were likely the senators participating in this expo. And in the very front row, a man in a military uniform watched Lennok with an intrigued gaze. His alien, fish-like face was striking. The dazzling insignia on his shoulder made it obvious he was a high-ranking general related to the Air Force. He was probably the one who decided the award theme for this expo.
“Assistant Professor Evan Vylun. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Someone from the second-floor seating spoke while Lennok was lost in thought.
“You might not know it, but most of the people here have known your name for a long time.”
“…”
“To be precise, even before you published your thesis on the conversion of magic power and electricity, which caused a stir throughout academia.”
“Is that so?”
Had he done anything noteworthy enough to gain the attention of the Senate under the identity of Evan Vylun? The only times Lennok had exposed himself as Evan were when he dealt with the Guido Cult missionary and when he confronted Branch Manager Amila Bainzer.
The judge’s words continued even as he pondered.
“So I didn’t expect you to present a thesis at this expo. For a researcher with genius talent, every moment is an opportunity. To the point where there’s no need to specifically choose a time and place to present a thesis.”
Silence fell.
Both Lennok and the judge knew that nothing would change no matter how long they discussed that fact. There was an internally designated topic for this expo’s award, and researchers who had thoroughly studied those technologies and achieved results. It was a gap that Lennok could never catch up to by merely changing his research results or revising his thesis content now.
Antares and Sleeman, Fedora and Konrad. Hadn’t all his helpers and rivals, both overt and covert, given him hints about this fact? There was no reason to hesitate. Lennok immediately picked up the mobile stand holding the engine and stepped slightly forward onto the stage.
“During the three days of the expo, strange rumors were often heard.”
“Rumors?”
“Yes. Absurd rumors that the winner and theme of this expo had already been decided.”
Lennok smiled, looking up at the silent audience.
“Of course, I didn’t believe such nonsense. It’s ridiculous that such corruption could be involved in an expo directly managed by the Central Council Senate.”
“……”
“However, it’s also true that even if things did proceed that way, it wouldn’t greatly matter.”
“……Wouldn’t matter?”
“Yes.”
Could Dean Saiolus Garteanon truly have been unaware of the inner workings of this expo? Lennok thought that was unlikely. But despite that, why hadn’t he mentioned it to Lennok beforehand? Why hadn’t Antares bothered to explain a specific solution when he gave his warning to be careful? Why had Lennok asked Konrad, who planned to ruin the entire expo, for a reprieve only until his presentation?
“Because the results of the thesis I’m presenting today happen to be very deeply related to the theme of those rumors.”
It was because the content of the thesis Lennok was about to present here today would, from the outset, penetrate the core of the theme the councilmen desired.
Feeling the atmosphere in the audience growing tense, Lennok smiled.
“I intend to create… a new path in the skies above this city.”