Explaining It So Even An Idiot Can Understand

“…Then we’ll end the morning assembly here and proceed directly with the class. Everyone, open your textbooks.”

After finishing the roll call, Professor Chronos, as always, opened the textbook he had brought and prepared to take the chalk to the blackboard.

This was to immediately proceed with the scheduled morning class.

The outstanding students in the class also began to take out their prepared textbooks and school supplies.

Even if the proceedings were rushed, this was something that had been repeated for a month already.

Professor Chronos, realizing that their preparations were complete, took the chalk to the blackboard.

“Then, before we enter the main lesson, let’s take a moment to briefly review what we’ve learned so far.”

-Tap, tap tap!

“What you’ve learned in the nearly one month since you came here was the basics needed to handle mana, which is the foundation of magic. And mana is energy that responds to will to create physical force… Naturally, the foundation needed to handle it must be based on physics.”

The moment he finished writing the necessary content on the blackboard.

Soon, Chronos’s gaze turned to one part of the classroom.

“Camilo.”

“Ah, yes!”

A boy who stood up immediately as his name was called.

Professor Chronos immediately asked him.

“Right here, recite step by step what you’ve learned so far. What are the three basics that need to be mastered to handle mana?”

“Yes, the first is the law of conservation of energy.”

“Sylvia. Summarize and explain what the law just mentioned is.”

“Understood!”

The gaze shifted to the opposite side as soon as the answer was given.

A girl who immediately stood up opened her mouth to speak.

“The law of conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy occurring in a specific phenomenon remains constant.”

“What is it trying to explain?”

“Energy is the result of mass plus velocity… In other words, it means that mass can be converted to energy, and in this case, only the properties change while their numerical values remain the same.”

“Yes, as you said, all phenomena we encounter are not creating something from nothing, but merely ‘transforming’ from something to something else. And this is why magic is not called an omnipotent technique.”

To an outsider, magic might seem like a bizarre and mysterious technique.

But everything in this world has a principle, and all of it can be interpreted mathematically.

The basics, called the law of conservation of energy in physics, or sometimes the law of conservation of mass, are established on this premise.

“Continue, Camilo.”

“The second is the law of conservation of momentum.”

“Clara, summarize and explain.”

“It’s the logic that all types of motion remain constant unless an external force is applied, and the sum of all forces occurring during a collision becomes +-0.”

“Yes, this law also teaches us that all phenomena we know are the result of countless collisions of forces. Naturally, in magic that deals with physical force itself, the process of calculating this should never be omitted. Camilo, tell us the third and final one.”

“The third is the law of conservation of angular momentum.”

“This time, you answer, Camilo. What does angular momentum refer to?”

“While the second law mentioned earlier generally deals with forces in a constant direction, that is, linear momentum, angular momentum deals with rotational motion circulating around a center point.”

“Well explained. Everyone, sit down.”

The students sat down immediately.

After turning his gaze away from them, Professor Chronos stretched out his hand and continued speaking.

“Yes, rotation is a concept that must be understood when operating mana. The reason is that handling magic is ultimately based on the human body… Yet if you focus only on linear movements, that force will scatter and escape the body.”

-Ziing.

A ring of physical force generated in his hand along with a vibrating sound.

This, commonly called a ‘circle’, was one of the factors proving the level of a mana user.

“Creating a circle like this is to gather more force in one place… If multiple circles are created, it becomes easier to induce massive collisions of forces and gather external force. And the magic using these circles is also based on the three basics mentioned earlier… I think even you newcomers will understand its importance sufficiently, as I’ve emphasized it repeatedly so far.”

After finishing the overview, Professor Chronos turned his back and began tapping the blackboard with chalk again.

“Now then, let’s finish the review here and move on to the next topic. We’ve learned the advanced process of this law of conservation of energy among the three major basics. And this law of conservation of energy shares its characteristics in many areas besides basic mechanics. The concept we’ll be learning from today is exactly that.”

Swish. A line was drawn under one part.

The gazes of all students turned to that word at once.

‘Thermodynamics.’

Literally, it’s the study dealing with work related to heat.

“What is heat? Shouldn’t heat also be defined as energy? Nevertheless, why is heat treated separately from basic mechanics?”

Chronos explicitly expressed the questions that arise upon seeing the words.

Then, placing his hand on the podium, he pushed up his glasses and spoke firmly to the students.

“It’s because heat is not just a concept dealing with degrees of hot and cold.”

He, who was serious about everything, put particular weight on this.

Because the topic being mentioned now is as important as the three basics mentioned earlier.

“The molecules of all objects are constantly moving even at this moment, which in itself can mean that heat exists in everything in this world. Naturally, in magic that manipulates all things, heat is a concept that must be considered and addressed.”

The concept of heat exists by law.

The preparation for advanced magic that draws in external force based on circle creation will also be inefficient or erroneous if this factor is not considered.

“The laws of thermodynamics are largely divided into three. Among these, we’ll skip the explanation of how heat applies at absolute zero temperature, which is the third… As it’s premised on the logic that all things essentially contain heat, absolute zero can only be a theoretical concept.”

How can a concept that’s only hypothetical even in academic circles be taught to students who have just grasped the basics?

So what needs to be focused on are more essential and solid concepts. That would be the First and Second Laws.

“First, the First Law of Thermodynamics. The total amount of energy existing in an isolated system is always constant… As explained earlier, this shares characteristics with the law of conservation of energy, so we’ll skip it and explain the second law right away.”

Then, Professor Chronos circled one of the words written on the blackboard and said, holding it up as if to show it:

“The Second Law of Thermodynamics. The ‘entropy’ existing in an isolated system never decreases.”

Unlike other parts, this sentence was particularly emphasized.

The reason was that those trying to understand this field make the most errors in this Second Law.

“…Is there anyone who has previewed this entropy?”

Before explaining it, Professor Chronos looked around at the students and asked, just in case.

Originally, mechanics is something that can only be properly learned when entering the high school level of the academy, or even higher in graduate school.

The advanced class learns it early in recognition of their unique abilities, but naturally, even what they’ve learned so far is high in difficulty, so it’s not easy to preview the next process.

So usually, barely keeping up with the progress is about all they can do.

“Yes, there’s one.”

But in every year, there are always one or two who show exceptional talent even among geniuses.

The red twin-tailed girl who just raised her hand was one of them.

“Binz Jogret.”

Professor Chronos asked, uttering that name.

“Do you understand what entropy, mentioned in this Second Law, is?”

“Yes.”

Binz stood up with a confident face.

Professor Chronos, looking at her, pushed up his glasses and said firmly.

“Then summarize and explain it here in an easy-to-understand way.”

Because he believed that if she truly understood, she could fulfill what he wanted.

“Entropy is a word expressing the thermal state of matter, mainly used to explain the flow of unusable energy. Because of this, the energy of an isolated system can only increase, and the formula for this is the size of thermal energy divided by the movement of heat…”

“Binz Jogret.”

But it was enough to hear the introduction for that thread-like expectation to evaporate.

“What did I say at first?”

Binz shrank at his stern gaze.

Although she was a child with strong pride and stubbornness, she couldn’t help but be intimidated by Professor Chronos’s gaze.

“…You said to summarize the Second Law of Thermodynamics.”

“I said to summarize it in an easy-to-understand way.”

Chronos’s eyes narrowed even more.

“And you were tasked with showcasing your knowledge in front of these ignorant children here. In such a situation, do you think the meaning will be conveyed if you just explain the content from the textbook verbatim to those who know nothing?”

“That’s…”

“As I’ve emphasized many times, what’s needed in science is not memorization but ‘understanding’. And true understanding is not just grasping the concept alone, but being able to share it with others for it to have meaning.”

Logic that only one person understands ultimately remains in the realm of imagination.

Professor Chronos is a person who thinks that understanding is only established when it’s shared, and that’s why he has always aimed to induce answers from students when conducting lectures.

This question is no exception.

What he’s inducing is understanding, not memorization, certainly not just reciting the content from the textbook.

“I’ll say it once more. Do you pride yourself on perfectly understanding that knowledge you’ve acquired and being able to explain it in an easy-to-understand way?”

“…I’m sorry. My thinking was shallow.”

Binz Jogret finally couldn’t answer and bowed her head.

Her face seemed full of dissatisfaction, but Professor Chronos mercilessly gave his evaluation and ordered her to sit down.

And he thought.

The reason she scored 97 points in the midterm exam, which was a very regrettable score, was because she had limitations in expression like this.

‘Essay writing is also an important quality when entering academia. That concept should be emphasized from an early age, especially for outstanding children.’

It’s not easy for 14-year-old boys and girls to fully satisfy that quality, even if they’re clever.

So normally, this would be where it ends, but…

“Dale Enberton.”

Just one person.

Unlike before, this year’s class had one child who fulfilled even that condition.

“You must have previewed like Binz, right?”

“…”

“Dale Enberton!!”

“Huh?!”

The boy who was focusing on the blackboard, Dale Enberton, screamed and hurriedly stood up from his seat.

His shoulders hunched as he was startled. His appearance, looking like he might burst into tears with just a little more stimulation, was stirring feelings of guilt in those who faced him.

“…Ahem.”

For just a moment at that sight.

Professor Chronos, who was briefly distracted, cleared his throat to dissipate the atmosphere and quietly asked Dale.

“…Were you dozing off?”

“N-no. I was just so focused that…”

“It’s good to concentrate on the class, but focus on me rather than the blackboard.”

“I-I’m sorr… Ack!?”

The boy bit his tongue, so flustered was he.

If such behavior was the result of not participating in class, he would have considered expulsion, but the girl in front of him…

No, the boy had succeeded in achieving the top rank not only in the entrance exam but also in the midterm exam.

“…Normally I should reprimand you, but if you answer the current question, we’ll move on.”

So let’s give him one chance.

Unlike the second-place student, expecting to see if he can give an answer that will satisfy him.

“Dale Enberton. Summarize and explain the entropy mentioned in the Second Law of Thermodynamics to the best of your ability.”

“To the best of my ability, you say?”

“Yes, explain it so even an idiot can understand.”

Although his voice was sharp, Professor Chronos was speaking seriously.

Even geniuses are bound to be idiots when it comes to new fields.

So, can that boy explain what the Second Law of Thermodynamics is trying to say in a way that even such idiots can easily understand?

“Well…”

After pondering with his chin in his hand, Dale answered the question.

“Leftovers, scraps.”

“…”

“…Is that not it?”

An ambiguous voice lacking confidence.

‘This dimwit!’

At that question, the expressions of the entire advanced class crumpled at once.