chapter_0151

152 – Introducing the Items that Will Spark Innovation

152 – Introducing the Items that Will Spark Innovation

The two people in formal attire exuded different charms.

Tia had her short hair neatly tied back in a ponytail, with a silver hanger chip pinned to her chest.

Meiko had a rose of the same color as her blue hair pinned to her left chest.

As I approached the two, who possessed such distinct charms, the crowd surrounding Tia and Meiko turned to look at me.

The gazes directed at me were not particularly kind.

It wasn’t just the looks aimed at me.

The eyes that were also on Meiko, who was positioned at the center of Tio’s presentation alongside me, were equally unkind.

“Why is Professor Tio, famous for his Manacon, with those illusion wizards…?”

“Did something strange happen to him?”

“It does seem suspicious.”

“Could he have been compromised by them?”

The reason was, of course, the fact that they were illusion wizards.

Scholars were people who viewed us with more disdain than they did other wizards.

This was largely due to the fact that demons had frequently used illusion magic for a very long time.

Thus, a century ago, when demons were thriving and posing a threat to the empire, illusion wizards were often hunted down and classified as black wizards.

That was the moment when the once-thriving illusion magic lost its power and potential for the future.

Since the mass execution of illusion wizards branded as black wizards, we had been helpless against the demons’ illusion magic on several fronts.

With no formal illusion wizards left, the education on countering illusion magic was conducted by the academy and various schools.

Since then, they said, we had not been labeled as black wizards.

– Even those who use demon magic need illusion wizards to defeat the Demon Lord’s Army.

That was said to have been fifty years ago, right?

It’s not like they didn’t know that the origin of magic came from demons.

The magic that demons and the demon race skillfully used was something humans had stolen and used in part, marking the beginning of magic.

After that, as elves, dwarves, and various races learned and studied magic, it branched into the diverse schools of magic we have today.

‘Someone wanted to look down on us while keeping us beneath them.’

That was precisely the case we found ourselves in.

A school of magic that lacked physical power, had no strength, and wasn’t as useful in real life as the Goldmoon was.

It was merely used as a means to turn around the feeling of defeat in the war against the demon race.

It was a story from long ago, but there was no way we could shake off the gazes we had not resolved back then.

Illusion magic was still a school that did not receive much attention from many.

“Don’t worry about it.”

Hearing such words, Meiko lightly grasped the hem of my clothing and spoke.

She tried to maintain a calm tone, but I could feel her voice trembling.

She had been hearing such things since before I joined this school.

It seemed like memories of the time when she was insulted as an illusion wizard before becoming an adult were surfacing, causing her body to tremble slightly.

I held Meiko’s hand.

“Uh?”

“You think I care about the words of people who can only mutter from the back?”

“M-Max, you just…”

“So please don’t worry too much, Master. No matter what anyone says from the side, I believe that this illusion school pursues the greatest magic, which is why I enrolled.”

“M-Max, your hand…”

Meiko, whose hand I was holding, stammered and didn’t know what to do.

“So, Master, please don’t worry too much today, and just enjoy our presentation. After all, I’m your only disciple and the one with the greatest talent, right?”

“Ah, okay… but your hand…”

I saw Meiko looking flustered at the hand I was holding.

It was a hand I had reflexively grabbed to reassure her.

But seeing her reaction today, I felt a desire to tease her a bit.

Maybe it was because I had secretly enjoyed creating a shota modeled after my face.

I wanted to poke a little fun.

This much should be fine.

I had become her imaginary daughter, after all.

“I know that many people will criticize us to the point where we can’t even use our hands, but I don’t care. Rather, I think this opportunity is a chance to change the perception of the illusion school.”

“No, it’s not about that, it’s your hand…”

“Right. They’re cursing us now, but eventually, those people will recognize our illusion school and become our guests.”

“M-Max… that…”

Just when it seemed like she would burst at any moment.

“Ah, I was holding your hand. I’m sorry, Master.”

“You don’t have to apologize…”

Meiko’s hand was drenched in sweat.

Unable to even look me in the eye, she withdrew her hand and cleared her throat to catch her breath.

“Ah, anyway, I’ll be cheering from the back. I’ve written down the presentation and anticipated questions, so don’t worry. And if anything happens, I’ll definitely help!”

Meiko’s words felt incredibly reassuring.

Her experience as the head of a school who had participated in numerous conferences would be a great help to us.

“Mr. Human, Ms. Meiko! It’s time to go up!”

Tia, who had been dealing with the guests of the conference, approached and shouted.

“I’ll go.”

“Y-Yeah. Good luck.”

“Yes.”

I left Meiko, who was muttering something while staring at her own hand, and went up to the stage.

“Phew, I’m nervous. Even though we practiced a lot.”

“Indeed.”

“Your expression is calm, considering that.”

“I just received some good energy a moment ago.”

At my words, Tia turned to look at Meiko.

“You received a lot of help from your master, huh?”

“Something like that.”

“You two seem to have a really good relationship. It feels more intimate than a typical master-disciple relationship, doesn’t it?”

“It does make me a bit more concerned.”

“…?”

Tia’s eyes widened.

“I feel uneasy every time I see you. You seem to know nothing outside of your research and are so clumsy that I worry you might make a mistake. You know the saying about giving an extra cookie to a disliked child?”

“Ah… so that’s it.”

“Yes. Of course, I’m receiving a lot of help regarding magic. If it weren’t for my master, I probably wouldn’t be standing here now.”

“Your chemistry does seem good.”

As we exchanged such words, we stood before a large audience.

I placed the bag containing the two types of batteries invented by Tia on the table.

“Hello, everyone! Today, I, Tio, stand before you to bring forth a new innovation following the Manacon.”

The dwarf who had just been trembling with nerves was nowhere to be found.

She began to shout with more confidence than any dwarf I had ever seen.

“The existence of Manacon has changed the lives of not only dwarves but also humans. We can now work efficiently without suffering from the summer heat, and previously undeveloped southern jungles and deserts have been newly explored.”

Tia’s words slowly captivated the audience’s attention.

Everyone who had come to the conference to hear her presentation listened without making a sound.

“To achieve such an innovation even once, a great deal of luck is required. 99% is made up of relentless effort, and the 1% of inspiration that illuminates this effort. I considered the inspiration I had when I invented the Manacon to be my greatest fortune.”

Tia continued speaking calmly.

“However, today, no, since a while ago, I have found a new fortune and inspiration shining upon me. It is none other than my co-developer, Max, who has come up with me.”

The crowd’s attention turned to me this time.

As if they were being manipulated by Tia, everyone followed her words, swept away.

‘Impressive.’

It wasn’t just that she was good at development.

She even had the eloquence to enchant those who had come to this conference.

Building anticipation for the new item we were about to present based on the solid achievement of the Manacon.

By mentioning me, her co-developer who had come up with her, she was making me known to the public.

Although it was a script that Meiko, Tia, and I had prepared in advance, we were executing it far better than we had anticipated.

“With Max’s help, I have initiated an energy revolution that no wizard or dwarf has ever achieved until now.”

The mention of an energy revolution began to stir the crowd.

Some whispered that it was nonsense, while others were hopeful that it might be an item worth investing in.

They trusted Tia, but at the same time, there was a lingering distrust towards the illusion school.

Swindler, liar, demon collaborator.

It was probably because I was an illusion wizard with such absurd labels.

“How much energy do you think a mana stone the size of my face typically holds?”

She placed a large mana stone on the table that she had prepared in advance.

“I don’t think you know, so Max, please explain.”

“If you use a typical fireball, it can be used seven times, twelve times for a mana arrow, one time for a fire buster that can demolish a building, and only four times for a blink that can save you from a crisis. If you create a mana core to enhance efficiency, you can increase it by three to four times.”

Now the baton had passed to me.

It was my duty to maintain the attention she had drawn.

“Still not feeling it? Then let’s go with something more familiar. If you take twelve photos with a thermal camera, it will all be consumed. If it’s a moving picture you see in the newspaper, three will be all you can manage. You might barely be able to create one video letter. Similarly, if you use a mana core, you can enhance efficiency by about four times.”

Concrete indicators.

By reciting the average performance of other mana cores so far, I raised expectations for the upcoming item.

The audience remained silent.

They were simply listening to me.

“Isn’t it ridiculous? That such a large mana stone can only do that much. Even if you use a mana core, the time you can use the Manacon is limited to twelve hours.”

“But what if you could operate energy that is several times more efficient with a mana core smaller than this? What if it’s so small that you can carry it around and even charge it depending on the situation?”

As I continued, the atmosphere began to stir.

Tia gestured to me, and I took out the mana batteries I had packed in my backpack.

One portable and one stationary.

As soon as the small and large batteries appeared, the crowd began to buzz.

“Max, please show us directly.”

At her words, I connected the mana battery to the magic circle I had prepared in advance.

A magic circle that activates magic as long as mana is supplied.

It was a magic circle that cost a considerable amount just for a presentation, but it didn’t matter.

After this presentation, there would be even more interest.

And I raised my hand to the sky.

At that moment.

Boom.

Fireworks shot up into the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Colorful fireworks began to burst in the sky, even in broad daylight.

“Wow.”

“Whoa.”

“Can it be this bright even during the day?”

“Beautiful.”

The fireworks shot into the sky, vividly displaying their colors despite the sun being out.

The magic circle, continuously supplied with mana, kept bursting fireworks.

The crowd that had come to watch was in awe, while the scholars and wizards were left speechless.

“The concentration of mana felt here is five times that of a typical mana core.”

“The sustainability is also impressive.”

“With such an item, we wouldn’t need to use the mana cores sold by Goldmoon!”

After using up all the mana, we even demonstrated how to recharge it.

It was truly an innovation.

The eyes of everyone present were already captivated by us.

However, there was one person.

“This output is impossible!”

Kellon, the head of the Goldmoon school, shouted.

“Don’t try to deceive us with illusions! How dare you insult this sacred academic gathering!”

With his golden beard twisted, he argued that it was impossible and that this was a trick.

It was only natural for him to react this way, as Goldmoon had already created and sold similar mana cores.

All magic schools typically announced new technologies at such conferences, gaining investments from many nobles or collaborating to expand their influence.

Our invention had significantly encroached upon Goldmoon’s territory.

It was only expected that there would be backlash.

“Indeed. It cannot be done with conventional methods. That’s why I mentioned that Max has been my great fortune.”

Tia calmly replied, looking at me.

“Max, I’m counting on you.”

At her words, I held the Mana Water and Luitan in my hands.

“I will definitely receive proper compensation for this.”

“I told you, we’ll split it 50-50.”

I sighed.

Doing this would wear me out for two days.

Just like when I first combined Mana Water and Luitan.

Kagakak!

I injected the Mana Water into the container made of Luitan.

Kagakak!

The friction between the two substances, which could never meet, created a loud noise.

Sweat poured down my body.

My body trembled from the powerful backlash of mana.

But perhaps because I had done this a few times before.

It didn’t feel like I was straining my entire body to the point of muscle pain.

‘This is quite manageable now, huh?’

Kellon, recognizing the Luitan, gasped.

“Y-You can combine Luitan and Mana Water…?”

I trapped the Mana Water inside the container made of Luitan, which repels mana.

Only then did the noise of friction that had been ringing out in the venue disappear.

Everyone watching couldn’t close their mouths.

“H-Hahaha. It wasn’t a trick?”

The only one who had claimed it was a trick, Kellon, sat down as if his legs had given out, unable to rise.

“Phew…”

I exhaled deeply, holding up the newly created mana battery.

“This mana battery will spark an energy revolution across the entire continent.”

At my words, everyone erupted into applause.

When Tia demonstrated that it could even be recharged, everyone rushed towards us, shouting that they wanted to invest.

With this presentation, Tia and I had made the illusion school the star of this conference.