Episode 407. Academic Conference Paper Presentation (4)

• This is a revolution against mages…

• Incredible inverse calculation speed. And the magic’s power has been reduced too.

• Aiden will surely be the next Chairman.

“….”

Aiden finished the presentation with a smile.

Domain Expansion, developed for battle against mages.

From the presentation to the demonstration, it was completed perfectly as planned.

‘This much should be enough.’

I showed everything I had prepared.

With this presentation, I’ll solidify my position as the next Chairman, and then I just need to oust Chairman Arthur.

“Aiden-nim, you’re incredible.”

“With this, the Chairman’s award this year is a sure thing!”

“Thank you.”

While Aiden’s followers clapped and congratulated him, Aiden checked his surroundings.

The other mages, intimidated by the most overwhelming performance so far, had their shoulders hunched.

A smile crept onto his face at the expected result, but they weren’t what caught his attention.

“…Smiling?”

“Huh? Aiden-nim. What did you say….”

• [The next presentation is a joint one by Mage Im Sol and Cadet Lee Hoyeon. Please come up to the stage.]

Im Sol looked calm, and Lee Hoyeon was smiling, even amidst everyone’s murmuring.

Aiden’s expression hardened as he looked at the two.

• So it’s finally Im Sol.

• The Chairman said he brought something incredible, so we should be able to expect it.

Aiden sat down, pretending nonchalance.

One of the elders had already been successfully bribed.

A moderately outstanding paper was something I could still overturn.

‘….’

However, after Im Sol’s presentation began.

Aiden unconsciously clamped his mouth shut and began focusing on Im Sol’s presentation.

*

“In other words, I can prove that all magic possesses a core matrix. That is all.”

Im Sol calmly concluded her presentation on the core matrix.

Honestly, I was bored since I already knew everything, but the other mages didn’t seem to be.

“Are there any questions?”

“….”

“….”

The people in the presentation hall fell silent, as if by prior agreement.

Not just the mages watching the presentation, but even the host facilitating it, blinked and stared blankly ahead as if time had stopped.

How shocked must they be to react like this.

Im Sol looked around, seemingly judging there were no questions, nodded her head slightly, and went down from the stage.

No, she can’t just leave like this.

“Come here.”

“…?”

Clap clap clap clap-

I grabbed Im Sol, placed her in the center of the stage, then stepped forward, clapping my hands, and continued speaking.

“Ah. With this, Mage Im Sol’s presentation has concluded. If anyone has questions, please ask them now. There won’t be another chance.”

“Questions, I have questions!”

“There are points I don’t understand!”

Only then did the mages, realizing what they had just witnessed, start coming to their senses one by one, and numerous mages began raising their hands to ask questions.

‘Is it my turn to present soon?’

It feels like it’ll be night by the time that barrage ends.

I blankly watched Im Sol’s presentation, waiting for the timing to cut in.

“Excuse me, may I ask a question?”

“Yes.”

“I heard you were a co-author with Cadet Lee Hoyeon… but only Mage Im Sol has been presenting since earlier.”

Just then, an older-looking mage glared at me and asked a pointless question.

I wanted to coast, but I guess I got caught.

• Come to think of it, why is only Im Sol speaking?

• Was she trying to put her disciple’s name on the scene of changing the history of magic….

• No way. Im Sol couldn’t be that kind of woman. She’s a magic-crazed bitch.

“Haaah….”

I sighed, looking at the murmuring mages.

Why insist on making me do the work when it’s better this way?

“Regardless of what anyone says, Mage Lee Hoyeon provided significant help in writing this paper. Please refrain from asking pointless questions.”

“Rather than a pointless question, it’s simple curiosity. Many mages, including myself, had high expectations for Cadet Lee Hoyeon.”

“….”

Im Sol’s eyes began to furrow.

I should step in before they start fighting.

“Wait a moment, Professor.”

“I’ll handle it. Wait here.”

“No. You don’t need to handle it. Please rest.”

I moved the intimidating Im Sol aside and stood before the mages.

“Coincidentally, the next presentation is my turn, so I will take the questions until then. That should be fine, right?”

“…If that’s the case.”

“I will answer the question Mage Professor Im Sol was addressing. Was it whether unique magic also has a core matrix? Any type of magic requires drawing a magic circle, and if so, a core matrix exists. As proof, Bern Riemann’s Cosby Theorem….”

Actually, answering the questions was just bothersome, not difficult.

As soon as I heard Im Sol say I might be asked questions, I had already checked all related papers.

The mages, initially skeptical of my answers, started asking questions again after a few Q&A sessions.

After several tens of minutes had passed.

I casually checked my smartwatch and continued speaking.

“Since the questions shouldn’t drag on too long, I’ll take them only up to this point.”

Voices of disappointment could be heard, but even if men made such sounds, it would just be annoying.

I looked around, searching for someone.

‘Ah, there he is.’

Aiden, sitting in the corner with his followers, was glaring at me.

His presentation was long forgotten thanks to Im Sol’s.

It’s only natural he’d be furious.

‘I guess I should remind them again.’

I smiled at Aiden, then looked straight ahead and continued speaking.

“Next is the magic I will present. Interestingly enough, there was someone at today’s conference who researched a similar topic.”

Zing-

I lightly raised my magic power, waking up my stiff body.

“The magic I will present is… the secret technique for fighting mages. Domain Expansion.”

“…What?”

“If it’s Domain Expansion, isn’t that the magic Aiden presented?”

After giving the mages a moment to recall Aiden’s magic, which they had forgotten due to the shock of Im Sol’s presentation, I drew a magic circle.

‘Sky-Piercing Palace Expansion.’

Magic power waves spreading around my body created a thin membrane, which gradually expanded to fill the stage.

My Sky-Piercing Palace Expansion’s basic form is invisible to the opponent, but I mimicked the fluid, water-like effect to allow comparison with Aiden’s.

This way, even laypeople will understand that it’s the same type of magic.

• It looks similar to the magic Mage Aiden presented?

• Aiden has been an active mage for over 10 years. Naturally, this will be weaker than Aiden’s.

• Unlucky from the start. To have Aiden as an opponent!

Turning my head, I saw Im Sol with her eyes wide open.

Unlike the other mages, she seemed to have already realized the power of the Sky-Piercing Palace Expansion.

“Professor. You remember what Aiden did earlier, right? Please cast some magic at me, just like that.”

“…Mm-hmm.”

I focused my mind and deployed the Sky-Piercing Palace Expansion.

A large barrier centered around my body emitted intangible waves, and magic power waves dominating the surrounding space circled me, constructing the domain.

A peculiar flow of magic power, felt only within the Sky-Piercing Palace Expansion.

Feeling my body lighten, I sent a signal to Im Sol.

Im Sol fired pre-prepared magic at me.

High-level spells, more difficult to reverse than the basic ones Aiden blocked earlier.

Crackle crackle-

Rumble-

Im Sol’s magic visibly slowed down the moment it entered my domain.

The exact same effect as Aiden’s Domain Expansion.

His magic stopped there, but I exerted additional control over Im Sol’s magic that entered my domain.

With my special skill [Magic Resonance], I can understand all magic power.

Meaning I can interfere with other people’s magic.

I interfered with Im Sol’s magic as if my magic power had been one from the start.

As reversing magic became easier with the domain deployed, I could show something more intense than Aiden’s performance.

“…Is what I’m seeing right now even real?”

“Unbelievable. That’s….”

I gulped, looking at the magic before my eyes.

Im Sol’s magic was frozen in mid-air, dominated by my magic power.

‘This isn’t the end.’

As it is, it’s just slightly more advanced magic than Aiden’s.

Like an orchestra conductor rushing towards the finale, I raised my hand upwards, and simultaneously, the magic Im Sol fired soared into the sky.

BOOM- BANG-

The spells collided with the barrier in the presentation hall, exploding with loud noises before disappearing.

“….”

“….”

The mages in the presentation hall watched me with blank expressions.

‘Not bad.’

It’s a shame it’s only men, but receiving attention felt pretty good.

“This concludes my presentation on the secret technique for fighting mages, Domain Expansion.”

I bowed my head slightly.

It was a shame there were no cheers, but perhaps due to the consecutive onslaught of Im Sol’s and my magic, the mages were still dazed.

Clap clap clap clap-

Just then, the sound of applause began from behind me.

“…This is truly a revolution against mages. Isn’t it?”

“Tsk, absolutely.”

Im Sol spoke to me with a smile, and at her words, the mages snapped out of it, sending thunderous applause one by one.

I bowed to the audience, expressing my thanks.

Since I’m still young, a polite image is better, you see.

Looking around, the only place remaining silent was Aiden’s faction.

“F-fake! Everyone. This is beyond the level of a mere first-year cadet, isn’t it? Th-this is unbelievable…!”

After the applause gradually subsided, Aiden’s voice echoed in the now quiet presentation hall.

His pride must have been wounded, thinking his prepared magic was outclassed by a cadet.

Just when I thought I might see Aiden’s true nature here.

One of his followers standing behind him firmly grabbed his shoulder.

Aiden turned around, startled, and the follower vigorously shook his head.

As if telling him he had to back down here.

“Grrr….”

While I watched to see what was happening, surprisingly, Aiden immediately stopped causing a scene and sat down.

‘That guy isn’t a follower.’

I need to remember that.

I committed his appearance to memory and turned my gaze away.

• Uh, uh… With this, I conclude all presentations. I offer my thanks to everyone who graced the conference… uh…

While the flustered host tried to regain control, I turned and approached Im Sol.

“The conference is finally over.”

“Indeed.”

“It’ll probably cause a huge stir, right?”

The core matrix we presented is content capable of overturning the history of the magic world.

Im Sol herself guaranteed it, so it must be true.

“It’s going to be incredibly troublesome. I’m refusing interviews, so you’ll have to handle it.”

“What do you mean?”

Im Sol shook her head, seemingly bothered, and went down from the stage. I smiled and followed her.

“Professor.”

“Hm?”

I said, sticking close to Im Sol.

“Didn’t I tell you yesterday? That it wouldn’t take 10 years.”

“…That’s right.”

“Don’t worry about anything and just wait. Okay?”

“…Yeah. I’ll look forward to it. Hoyeon.”

I smiled, tapping the Professor’s flushed cheeks, and Im Sol turned her head towards me as if hiding her blushing face.