Being a genius isn't just about finding the answer—it's about questioning what others think is already solved.
That is the case after one of the mysteries that baffled even the most esteemed minds in the kingdom was solved by a mere child. Her name was Herta Wissenschaft, the astute daughter of Albrecht and Theresia Wissenschaft.
Through collaboration, creativity, and a daring leap of logic, she, along with her father and a small group of researchers, discovered the existence of Spiritron, a subparticle that governs the relationships between magicules and elementals.
The revelation not only disproved the limitations of previous hypotheses but also sparked the dawn of a new magical understanding.
So, as time went on after Herta's first noteworthy accomplishment, she continued to expand the concept of Spiritron alongside her father in their manor's study.
"This is such an impressive concept, dear," he commented, eyes tracing the blackboard filled with calculations and diagrams. "I was wondering how we will proceed from here."
Herta stood beside him, arms crossed, her gaze sharp with focus. "We could probably find a way to harness these particles and manipulate their flow."
"Good idea," Albrecht acknowledged. "If Spiritrons are the arbitrator between elementals and magicules, then reconfiguring the ambient flow around them might allow us to reproduce the elemental phenomena in a controlled environment."
Hearing his statement, Herta began to meditate and use her unique skill, High Intelligence, to generate an idea for their research. Eventually, her mind lit up, and she turned to her father.
"That means pseudo-summoning without relying on capricious contracts or ritual methods is possible," she suggested, her tone clinical. "Just imagine the potential raw data, creation, and power source we could discover."
Albrecht met his daughter's gaze, impressed yet again. "Your mind never rests, does it?"
"It's not rest I'm after, Papa—it's validation," she answered, offering a slight smile. "Proof that leads not only to a solution, but a new question, one that started a new validation."
"Then you'll never run out of purpose," Albrecht replied, his expression softening. "The world will always have questions waiting for you to answer."
Herta's eyes sparkled slightly, moved by her father's words. But before she could respond, a sound captured her attention.
Knock... knock... knock...
A crisp, deliberate knock echoed from the study's entrance. Both turned as Marlene stepped inside, bowing respectfully.
"Pardon the interruption, Lord Albrecht. You have a visitor."
Albrecht widened his eyes, surprised.
"A visitor? Who could it be?"
"It's Sir Bellum, Milord."
Herta raised an eyebrow, arms still crossed.
"Oh? What was the purpose of his visit, Marlene?"
"He wishes to collaborate with you two in your research."
Albrecht exchanged glances with Herta before returning to Marlene.
"A collaboration, hm? Well, I suppose it is a great request," he commented, marching towards the doorway before looking back at his daughter. "Shall we?"
Herta nodded, uncrossing her arms. "Of course, I'd like to hear what he brings to the table."
Without further hesitation, the three left the study. Their footsteps echoed along the manor's polished hallway as they moved towards the main entrance. A calm breeze drifted across the slightly ajar doorway, carrying the scent of fresh soil and wind.
Waiting just beyond the threshold stood Bellum Aristroticus.
Clad in his usual sharp coat and crisp top hat, he carried a compact case under one arm. His expression was calm and unreadable, but it softened as they approached.
"Oh, it's the young lady and her father," he said in his calm, composed manner. "I hope I'm not bothering you two."
"No, not at all," Albrecht replied, walking forward with a warm smile. "We were just expanding upon the concept of Spiritron."
Bellum's lips curled into the faintest hint of amusement. "I wouldn't expect anything less."
His gaze shifted toward Herta, gleaming with a hint of admiration. Ever since he first met her, he couldn't help but be amazed by her brilliance and achievements.
"I assume this young lady has already added another layer of complexity to the concept," he continued, expecting an innovative response.
Herta smirked, confidently folding her arms. "I just thought about pseudo-summoning."
"Pseudo-summoning, hm? That sounds interesting," Bellum remarked, clearly intrigued.
"Indeed, she's always one step ahead of us," Albrecht interjected, gesturing back toward the interior manor. "Come, let's continue our discussion inside."
Bellum offered a polite nod. "Please, lead the way."
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As Herta walked down the hallway with Albrecht and Bellum beside her, they came across a familiar woman with lavender hair flowing elegantly—it was Theresia. She saw them coming and smiled warmly.
"Oh, good day, Mr. Bellum," she greeted politely. "What brings you to our home?"
"I would be collaborating with Albrecht and your daughter on their progress concerning the Spiritron," he calmly explained.
Theresia nodded, acknowledging his goal, then turned to her husband. "Darling, I will borrow Herta for the summoning practice later this afternoon in the garden."
"Sure, Honey," Albrecht agreed without hesitation. "I'll make sure to bring her there."
Giving a knowing smile, Theresia's gaze lingered on her daughter just long enough to offer a silent encouragement, then she walked past them down the corridor.
With the hallway quiet again, the three continued walking and returned to the study. As they entered, the scent of chalk and paper filled the air. Bellum's gaze focused on the blackboard filled with calculations and diagrams.
Surprised, his eyes widened in admiration. "This is quite the battlefield of thoughts."
"Well, most of it was Herta's handwriting," Albrecht pointed out, chuckling under his breath. "I merely offer corrections and second opinions now and then."
Bellum gave him the side eye, smirking. "Careful, Albrecht. At this point, your daughter will be leaving your intellect in the dust."
"Hey, I'm doing my best to keep up, okay?" he scoffed, feeling a bit offended.
Seeing her father's subtle humiliation, Herta stepped forward and gently tugged his sleeve.
"Papa, should I slow down for you?" she suggested, looking at him with faint concern. "I don't want you to collapse from mental fatigue trying to prove yourself."
In response to her proposal, Albrecht dismissively waved his hand with a warm smile.
"Don't worry about me, dear," he reassured his daughter. "Just continue to do your own thing while I try everything I can to set a good example for you."
Touched by his words, Herta's eyes flickered slightly. But before she could respond, Bellum cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to him.
"Sorry to interrupt your father-daughter moment, but I have something to contribute to your ongoing advancement," he offered, showing his compact case to them.
Albrecht raised an eyebrow, interested in his proposal. "Oh? Let's see what you have there."
With that approval, Bellum placed the case on the table and unlocked the latch to reveal a small handheld device made of metal and crystal, surrounded by a few slender measuring tools. The core was a circular module encased in translucent casing, pulsating faintly.
Upon inspecting the contraption, Albrecht widened his eyes. "This looks promising. Did you commission Benjamin to make this?"
"No, he's still busy mingling with Miss Sommerville," Bellum responded dismissively. "This is something I developed on my own."
"I see," Albrecht acknowledged, rubbing his chin. "Can you tell us more about this device?"
"Of course," said the gentleman, picking the apparatus out of the case. "This is a prototype capable of Spiritron density in an active environment. It's still in early stages, but it might be useful for quantifying the field fluctuation."
While Bellum was explaining, Herta leaned in to analyze the device. After a few seconds, she approached the blackboard and reached for a chalk to write something. Albrecht noticed his daughter's action and went to investigate.
"What are you doing there, dear?" he asked curiously.
Herta glanced up and met her father's gaze. "I'm writing down the runic configurations on Mr. Bellum's device and analyzing its benefits and drawbacks to make reasonable adjustments."
"Oh? Have you already found a flaw?" Bellum asked, raising an eyebrow.
Herta nodded and pointed to a specific line of runes. "This array was engraved between two sensor nodes, and it will most likely cause an error in the readings. I recommend rerouting it through a stabilizer ring instead."
"You caught that without even activating it? As expected of you," Bellum commended, clearly impressed by her deduction skill.
"We're dealing with a sensitive particle here," she clarified plainly. "Even the slightest hiccups would mess up the data."
Albrecht and Bellum exchanged glances, both bewildered by her quick understanding of the concept. Later, the three engaged in an in-depth discussion, incorporating their expertise to enhance the prototype.
Bellum described the operational principles of the device, then Albrecht translated that into usable calibration methods, and finally, Herta hypothesized potential integrations with their pseudo-summoning model.
By the end of their brainstorming, a new concept took shape.
"Behold, our latest design—the Spark Model," Bellum announced, presenting the blackboard now filled with an integrated design of Spiritron detection and their elemental induction.
Albrecht stepped back, admiring the newly arranged diagram. "Honestly, this is beyond what I expected from a single meeting. It feels like we're laying the groundwork for a new field."
Herta set the chalk down, eyes settled on the calculation she had just added. "Then it would be proper to publish it."
"Oh? You're suggesting an academic paper?" Bellum asked, interested in her proposal.
"Indeed," she affirmed confidently. "And I'll be naming it the Spark Model Hypothesis to ignite the new start of the Spiritron investigation."
Both Albrecht and Bellum nodded in agreement, aware that their collaborative discovery had already taken its first breath.
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A few minutes later, the sun reached its peak, signaling the arrival of the afternoon. Albrecht, noticing the sunlight streaming through the window, remembered the promise he had made to his wife.
Thus, he turned to his daughter and said, "I think it's time to take you to your mother, dear."
Bellum, hearing his remark, couldn't help but smirk. "Sounds like Theresia has found her new purpose after leaving the Genius Society a few years ago, and it's nurturing this young lady's magical aptitude."
"I know," Herta recognized, puffing her chest confidently. "She must be excited to teach me more about summoning magic since I utilized it to solve the Solitary Particle Theory."
Albrecht smiled at her assertion and gave Bellum a small nod. "I'll be back after escorting my daughter, so feel free to stay and review the Spark Model, if you like."
"Of course," Bellum responded calmly, waving his hand. "I'll be right here."
After that, Albrecht and Herta left the study and walked down the hallway, with the polished floor reflecting the midday light that streamed through the windows. They eventually headed outside into the vibrant manor garden, where fields of flowers danced in the gentle wind.
In the center stood Theresia, her lavender hair swaying elegantly as she turned around upon sensing their presence. Her expression lit up at the sight of her daughter.
"Right on time," she said warmly, meeting her husband's gaze with a knowing look. "I see that you remembered our agreement."
"Of course, I did," Albrecht replied, placing a hand on Herta's shoulder before gently nudging her forward. "She's all yours for the afternoon."
"Thank you, darling." Theresia's voice softened as she watched him head back inside.
Once Albrecht was out of sight, she shifted towards Herta, who had patiently waited for her the entire time. Meeting her daughter's gaze, the mother couldn't help but smile.
"Now, let's continue where we left off during our last session," she began, her tone filled with excitement. "Do you still remember what we had discussed before?"
Over the past few weeks, Theresia taught Herta more about the basics of summoning magic, from creating summoning circles to resonating with the surrounding magicules and managing mana consumption when calling upon stronger elementals.
"Naturally, I remember, Mama," Herta replied confidently. "And you ended the last session by teasing me about the evolutionary line of elementals for our next one."
"That's right," Theresia nodded, clearly pleased. "Today, I'm going to discuss it, as well as the various types of elementals. So, listen closely, sweetie."
Herta nodded and settled down on a comfortable patch of grass in the flower field, eager to soak up some new knowledge. Seeing that, Theresia giggled and then cleared her throat.
"Elementals evolve in a naturalistic order, advancing through five stages: Lesser Elementals, Medium Elementals, Greater Elementals, Elemental Lords, and ultimately, Great Holy Spirits."
As Theresia explained, she picked up a stick and drew lines and symbols in the soil, creating a pyramid to represent the elemental hierarchy.
"The higher the rank, the stronger and more pronounced their appearance and personalities become. Most beginners can only summon lesser and medium elementals, but with training, you can reach further beyond."
Herta quietly analyzed the structure in her head, committing the progression to memory.
"Now let's move on to the different types of elementals," Theresia continued, brushing aside a few petals. "There are eight distinct elements, and they are divided into two broad groups."
She pointed to a circle of flowers near her.
"The 'lesser elements' are space, earth, water, wind, and fire. These are the most traditional and easiest to connect with."
Then she gestured towards the sky and the shadow under the tree.
"The 'greater elements' are light, darkness, and time. These are far more difficult to summon and usually require both affinity and deeper understanding."
With that explanation, Herta immediately processed the information.
"I'm curious," she murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly. "How do these elementals remain in our world upon summoning them?"
Theresia smiled, anticipating her daughter's question. "You see, they often inhabit temporary vessels to help them maintain their presence without fading too quickly."
"Temporary vessels, huh? Like what?" Herta pressed onward, feeling more curious.
Her mother picked a flower beside her and held it out. "Take this flower, for example. In this state, a lesser elemental might use it as an anchor, living within it until their magicule reserve is completely depleted."
Hearing that response sparked a realization in Herta. She furrowed her brow, then asked, "Do they have to use biological vessels? Or can they occupy artificial medium too?"
Theresia blinked at the unexpected follow-up inquiry. "They can... though it's far rarer. Why? What are you planning?"
"Don't worry about it, Mama," Herta reassured her mother, even as a sly smile played at the corners of her lips. "Just a trivial thought came to mind."
"Okay then..." Theresia said slowly, still slightly puzzled, but chose to let it slide. "Well, when you're ready, we'll try summoning a medium elemental next. Let's see how far your affinity for elementals has come."
Herta said nothing as her eyes turned to the flower. A flicker of an idea had already begun to take shape in her mind.
Unbeknownst to her mother, she was planning to use the knowledge she had gained to make something no child had ever thought to make.
A living doll.