Episode 122. presentation (6)

The first podium, which was wide open, was surrounded by low circular stair chairs.

The first thing I thought was that the previous wizards squatting in this small square-like place had a formal and unbiased discussion.

Although the pulpit lost its color as Seryl’s guardian knights came up to the podium and began to be wary of the surroundings.

A map of the sky depicting celestial bodies was glistening dizzyingly on the ceiling, shaded by the lack of light, and mischievous scribbles were written on chairs and corners of the walls.

More than anything… . At the lowest level of the pulpit, the tombstone with shining phrases written in the magical language still maintained its solemnity even now, even after a lot of time has passed and the rogues have taken over the place.

‘There is no darkness, only ignorance.’

The spirit of inquiry possessed by the first wizards was conveyed intact through the text.

“That is a good word. junior.”

“exactly… . It seems like a proverb worth reflecting on even more in times like these.”

Dana and I, who were waiting at the separate presentation table, expressed regret over the ethos of our ancestors being ruined by Seryl’s appearance.

Under the lofty authority of the imperial family, she had no choice but to bow her head for now.

A black screen spreads over the entire podium… . The light emitted by the phrase that symbolizes this place is no longer visible.

“Show awe to Princess Seryl, the first star of the empire.”

At someone’s command, the pulpit, which should have been full of energy… . It was filled with silence that didn’t match the place.

Above the heads of the observers kneeling on cold chairs, Seryl’s voice echoed.

“It looks like everyone has gathered. Before holding the presentation, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who responded to the invitation of the imperial family.”

Even though it was because she had the authority of the imperial family on her back, Seril’s words radiated pride and authority from a noble lineage.

Since the glory of the imperial family never fades in front of anything else, Seryl did not pay any respect to the Caldera Familiar who quietly appeared on the podium ceiling.

Caldera, too, seemed to have completely turned her head away from her, as if she hadn’t even expected human courtesy.

‘… ?’

Instead, I felt a little bit suspicious at the thought that his sharp eyes seemed to have passed me, but Seryl’s voice, which always paused before speaking, broke in earlier than usual and scattered my thoughts.

“The first tower here is the place where humans first began to study magic, and it is a meaningful space where magic, which is the basis of the theories to be presented today, was born. The Empire was able to achieve its present success thanks to the study of magic, and because of you, the Empire is still moving forward.”

“… .”

“Before looking at and congratulating you for your hard work, since a place is a place, as the host of this presentation, I would like to change one thing from the existing presentation method… .”

Behind the veil, Seryl’s voice, which had been controlling her breathing to clear her throat for a moment, resounded toward the buzzing observers.

“To ensure that the original purpose of the presentation, the meaning of academic exchange, does not fade, and to carry on the will left by the previous wizards… . In this presentation, we will amend the rules so that anyone can freely continue questions and discussions on the topics presented by professors, regardless of status or affiliation.”

The observers who were invited to the previous Kiruna achievement presentations listened to the presentations of scholars and professors and applauded the results of the screening… . They were not allowed the slightest opportunity to actively express their opinions.

“But, as the previous wizards said. Silence is not only the refuge of the ignorant, but also the gravity that hangs on the shoulders of the wise. It will be a theory that anyone here will see for the first time, and it will be an unfamiliar research result. It must be a matter of course that there are many unknowns… . Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, ask questions, and learn. If more people participate in the discussion, the truth buried in an unexpected place will reveal itself, and you will be able to learn more deeply.”

Of course, even so, it would be very difficult for the observers not to be conscious of the imperial family or the scholars of the Imperial Academy.

“I’m going to expand the jury for this presentation to everyone gathered here.”

At her unconventional proposal, the observers looked down at the floor and only rolled their eyes and twitched their lips.

“The presentations of the professors are good, and the counterarguments to their hypotheses are also good. However, it would be difficult for such a process to have much meaning if the authority to evaluate it is not given. If you decide who presents the most academically valuable subject in this… . As the honor at stake is high, participation in the discussion is likely to increase significantly.”

As she said, the eyes of the observers began to shine as they faced an unexpected opportunity.

I was preparing for her plan, which began to catch my eye to some extent.

‘Am I expecting support from the observers in the process of announcing the Mana Reduction Theory and Rane?’

Seryl’s declaration that she will turn the professors’ presentation into a battleground where sharp debates come and go is something that can exist with the conviction that they can win the war.

It was clear that he intended to sweep all interest with the announcement about Rane.

Caldera didn’t react much to this, but… . It seemed that they noticed belatedly that the key point of the presentation was the content that was disclosed without obtaining the consent of Caldera in advance.

“Caldera, are you accepting our offer?”

“I only offered you academic exchanges, leaving the format to you. If you modify the way the presentation is conducted, I will only comply.”

“… All right.”

As the message echoed from the ceiling around the caldera’s familiar language, the observers involuntarily swallowed their saliva.

like that… . In the midst of the tension rising like a balloon about to burst, Seryl called my name.

“Ian Laver. First, present the presentation you have prepared to everyone.”

* * *

Ian Laver.

He is Frill’s mentor who is threatening Seril’s position, and a rookie professor rumored to be in charge of the Emperor’s top-secret research.

Immediately after graduating from the Imperial Military Academy, he was assigned to the front line and while performing his duties as an officer, his dissertation on the command system of magic soldiers made him a full professor in Kiruna.

At the time, Kegar, who read the research materials he submitted to the conference, couldn’t notice the extraordinary feeling of Ian at all in the paper.

‘Until this point, obviously, Ian was just a newbie who didn’t know how to properly prepare even the basic form of writing a thesis.’

As more and more people are paying attention to his progress in recent academic societies, Rubedo scholars also analyzed the research materials he submitted and came to the same conclusion as Kegar.

The reason he was appointed to Kiruna was just a bait to induce other officers to take an interest in military-related research without leaving the frontline.

‘but… .’

Surprisingly, within a few months of being appointed full professor, he showed an unbelievable achievement in extracting a new magic language from the Bible.

Considering that even inside the Imperial Academy, where support from the empire is concentrated, the possibility of a new magic language being registered in the future is slim… . Listing two new words through personal research was close to impossible.

Of course, it is surprising that two unique magic users have appeared under him, and that talented students who are comparable to them have appeared and received much higher grades than last year and are making headlines.

Ian was able to have such a great influence in a short period of time because his research achievements were outstanding.

It was a strange thing to scholars how he was able to extract two new magic languages without any expertise in the Bible.

Not only Kegar, but also other Rubedo scholars had no choice but to look at Ian standing on the podium with puzzled eyes.

‘Professor Dana in the same department must have handed over the research results.’

To Ian, who has strong support from the lower-ranking students and is causing a great repercussion in Kiruna, Dana, who is running wild without obeying the school’s control, but has overwhelming skills, must have felt like a good partner.

No matter how brilliant his rhetoric was, if his professionalism as a professor was pointed out, it would be difficult for him to earn more than a talkative demagogue.

If Dana, who usually researched many fields as she was interested, handed over some of her research results to help him… . Then, all the questions fit snugly.

No matter how much he studied based on the data Dana handed over, it would be difficult for him to withstand the barrage of questions from the judges and observers.

Ian, standing proudly in front of Kegar, who was sharpening his sword at such a thought, smiled.

“The first tower was a place where wizards who had no prejudice in dealing with the world gathered… . It is a pleasure to be here for the first time to introduce you to my research and the theory of my assistant, Karl.”

eyed.

The light that radiated from his fingertips along with his incantation split into many colors.

“… !”

In the beginning, the day when people who had no trust in God were divided and driven to the brink of extinction.

The figure of the wise man who downloaded the Bible from Elma and brought together the humans who doubted and quarreled with each other was drawn.

“The owner of the first tower, the wise man who rooted theology in the world… . I dedicate this honor to Afar.”

* * *

The members of the Imperial Academy doubted their ears at the beginning of Ian’s conversation as if it were a normal greeting.

Mina, Frill, and Carol, as well as those who couldn’t understand the true meaning of what he said at once, looked around the agitated surroundings and expressed their bewilderment together.

“… Now, does that mean that the sage who rooted magic science and theology in the world is the same person?”

“That’s right.”

The easiest way for humans to move mana is to chant the magical language.

In ancient times, even magic was not properly defined.

The wise man who first taught humans how to use mana to make fire was someone who could read the Bible.

Based on the historical materials remaining in the ancient temple and the first tower, Ian cross-examined the data on the time when theology and sorcery were born.

“And, this has been revealed a long time ago. It just intensified the confrontation between sorcery and theology, and it was taboo to identify the two.”

Even for Kegar, this was an irrefutable fact.

‘but… . Research on the sage, Afar, was forbidden not only by magicians but also by theologians, and the truth was buried. By the way, to bring it out in public again in a place like this… .’

This was an act of turning both the theologians and magicians into enemies.

‘… You’re insane.’

Kegar, who decided to observe his intentions without asking any additional questions in response to Ian’s answer, looked ahead with cool eyes.

“First of all, I would like to introduce you to a new magic language that was able to extract his teachings written down by Afar’s disciples by comparing them with the Bible.”

“… .”

“I think even those who are not familiar with theology know how the creator God created the world.”

According to the modern interpretation of the Bible, it was said that the world was created when Elma shined the order of light in the chaos of darkness.

This was the same as the principle of magic, the act of arranging chaotic mana according to the will of the caster.

“However, the primordial darkness, the world filled only with chaos, was also created by Elma. Afar taught his disciples that Elma first created a world full of disorder.”

“… !”

“Theologians have been claiming that Afar misinterpreted the Bible… . I started deciphering the Bible, assuming that his claim was true. By extracting new words that have not been identified so far, we have been able to uncover the basis for his claim.”

I call this… . It’s called ‘Clinamen’.

It was the name of the magic language he newly discovered, criticizing the scholars who were in a hurry to hide the truth due to their factional quarrels.