Chapter 152
Chapter 152
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 152
Chapter Title: Mana Battery Revolution
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The two, dressed in suits for the presentation, each exuded their own unique charm.
Tia had her short hair neatly tied back in a ponytail, with a silver hanger chip pinned to her chest.
Meiko had a rose pin matching the color of her blue hair affixed to her left breast.
As I approached the two, each radiating different charms, the people crowding around Tia and Meiko turned to look at me.
The gazes directed at me weren't particularly kind.
Nor were they only aimed at me.
The looks cast not just at me, but also at Meiko, who was standing at the center of Tio's presentation alongside me, were equally unkind.
"Why is Professor Tio, famous for manacons, associating with illusion mages of all people...?"
"She must have fallen victim to some shady scheme."
"It does seem suspicious."
"Maybe they have some dirt on her."
The reason was, of course, that we were illusion mages.
Scholars tended to despise us even more than regular mages.
This stemmed from the fact that demons had frequently used illusion magic since ancient times.
As a result, a hundred years ago, when demons were at their peak prosperity and posing the greatest threat to the empire, illusion mages were often branded as black mages and hunted.
That was the moment when illusion magic, which had once flourished, lost its power and future potential.
After illusion mages were lumped in with black mages and executed en masse, several fronts suffered crushing defeats against the demons' illusion magic.
With no proper illusion mages left, the academy and magic schools had to handle the training to counter illusion magic by proxy.
Only then were they no longer treated as black mages.
-The demons may use devilish magic, but to defeat the demon king's army, we need illusion mages.
For that reason.
That was about fifty years ago, wasn't it?
They surely knew that the origins of magic came from demons.
Humans had stolen and used some of the magic that demons and demonkin wielded so adeptly—that was the beginning of human magic.
From there, learning from elves, dwarves, and various other races, it branched into the diverse schools of magic we have today.
'They all wanted to look down on someone beneath them.'
And we happened to be that someone.
A magic school with no physical prowess, no vast wealth like Goldmoon, and nothing as practically useful in daily life as Meister.
We were used as a scapegoat to deflect the frustration of defeats in wars against demonkin.
Though it was ancient history, there was no way those unresolved gazes would vanish now.
Illusion magic remained a school that drew little attention from most.
"Don't mind them."
Meiko said this while lightly gripping the hem of my clothes, her voice steady despite the circumstances.
She spoke in as calm a tone as possible, but I could feel the tremor in her voice.
She had endured this long before I joined the school.
Her body trembled faintly, as if recalling the days before adulthood when she was mocked for being in the illusion school.
I took her hand in mine.
"Huh?"
"I don't care what those people who can only mutter behind our backs say."
"M-Max, your hand just now..."
"So, Master, don't worry too much either. No matter what anyone says beside us, I enrolled here because I believe the illusion school pursues the greatest magic."
"M-Max, ha-hand... your hand..."
Meiko, whose hand I had taken, stammered, flustered and unsure what to do.
"So, Master, just relax today and watch our presentation without worry. After all, I'm your one and only disciple—the one with the greatest talent."
"O-okay... But the ha-hand..."
I looked at Meiko, who was staring at the hand I held, visibly flustered.
Originally, I had grabbed it reflexively to reassure her.
But seeing her reaction today sparked a desire to tease her a bit.
Was it because of that fact that she secretly enjoyed a shota modeled after my face?
I wanted to tease her just a little.
This much should be fine.
After all, I became the object of her fantasies.
"I know. Lots of people will curse us so much we can't lift a hand, but I don't care. In fact, I think this is the perfect opportunity to change perceptions of the illusion school."
"No, not that—the hand..."
"You're right. They're cursing us now, but eventually, those people will acknowledge the illusion school and become our customers."
"M-Max... Th-that..."
Just as it seemed she might burst at any moment.
"Oh, I was holding your hand. Sorry, Master."
"N-No need to apologize..."
Meiko's hand was drenched in sweat.
Unable to even meet my eyes, she withdrew her hand, cleared her throat, and caught her breath.
"A-anyway, I'll be cheering from the back. I've written up the presentation script and anticipated Q&A, so don't worry. And if anything happens, I'll definitely help!"
Her words felt so reassuring.
Her experience participating in countless conferences as the head of a school would surely aid us greatly.
"Human, Meiko! It's time to go up!"
Tia, who had been handling the conference guests looking for her, approached and called out.
"I'll be going then."
"Y-Yeah. Do your best."
"Yes."
Leaving behind Meiko, who stared at her own hand and muttered something, I ascended the stage.
"Whew, I'm nervous. Even after all the practice."
"Tell me about it."
"But your expression looks perfectly calm for someone who says that."
"I just got some good energy."
At my words, Tia glanced back at Meiko.
"You must have received a lot of support from Master."
"You could say that."
"You two seem really close. Closer than a typical mentor-disciple pair, like best friends or something."
"Well, she does occupy a bit more of my thoughts."
"...?"
Tia's eyes widened.
"Every time I see her, I get anxious. She seems oblivious to anything but her research, and I worry she'll mess up somehow since she's so scatterbrained. You know the saying, 'give an extra cookie to the one you hate'?"
"Oh... I see."
"Yes. Of course, she's helped me immensely with magic. Without her, I probably wouldn't be standing here now."
"The chemistry between you two does look good."
Chatting like that, we stood before the crowd.
I placed the bag containing the two types of batteries Tia had invented on the table.
"Nice to see you all! The reason Tio stands before you today is to bring a new revolution following manacons!"
The trembling dwarf who had just claimed to be nervous was gone.
She began proclaiming more boldly than any dwarf I'd ever seen.
"Manacons have changed not just dwarven lives, but human lives entirely. No more suffering in summer heat, more efficient work, and even the undeveloped southern jungles and deserts have been opened up."
Tia's words slowly captivated the audience.
Everyone who had come to the conference to hear her presentation listened without so much as a breath.
"To achieve even one such innovation requires tremendous luck. The 99% ceaseless effort and the 1% inspiration that illuminates it. I consider the inspiration for inventing manacons my greatest fortune."
Tia continued calmly.
"But you see, today—no, just recently—I've found a new stroke of luck and inspiration shining on me. It's my co-developer standing right here beside me, Max."
The gazes shifted to me this time.
Like puppets under Tia's control, everyone followed her every word.
'Amazing.'
It wasn't just about excelling in development.
She had the eloquence to captivate everyone at this conference.
Building anticipation for the new product on the solid foundation of manacons.
By mentioning me, her co-developer, she introduced me to the public.
Though it was a script Meiko, Tia, and I had prepared in advance, Tia was performing far beyond our expectations.
"With Max's help, I've sparked an energy revolution that no mage or dwarf has ever achieved."
The term "energy revolution" caused a stir.
Some whispered it was outrageous boasting, while others eyed it as a potential investment.
They trusted Tia, yet harbored distrust toward the illusion school.
Con artists, liars, demon collaborators.
Such baseless stigmas clung to illusion mages.
"How much energy does a mana stone the size of my face typically hold?"
She placed a large prepared mana stone on the table.
"Since no one seems to know, Max, please explain."
"A standard fireball: seven casts. Mana arrows: twelve shots. A fire buster to demolish a building: one shot. Blink to escape danger: four times at most. With a manacore for efficiency, you can boost it three to four times."
Now the baton passed to me.
My role was to hold onto the attention she had drawn.
"Still not clicking? Let's use everyday examples. Twelve photos on a magic camera—that's the limit. For the moving pictures you see in newspapers, three shots. A video letter: barely one. Same with manacores—about four times the efficiency."
Concrete metrics.
By reciting the average performance of existing manacores, I heightened expectations for what was coming.
The audience remained silent.
Listening intently.
"Isn't it ridiculous? This huge mana stone can only do that much. Even with a manacore, manacon runtime caps at twelve hours."
"But what if a smaller manacore could drive several times more efficient energy? So small it's portable, and rechargeable depending on the situation?"
The venue erupted at Tia's follow-up.
Tia beckoned me, and I pulled out the mana batteries from the backpack.
One portable, one stationary.
As the small and large batteries emerged, the crowd buzzed.
"Max, demonstrate it yourself."
At her words, I connected the pre-prepared portable magic circle to the mana battery.
One that activates spells just by injecting mana.
It was an expensive magic circle for just a presentation, but it didn't matter.
Once this was over, it would draw even more attention.
I raised my hand to the sky.
At that moment.
Pop.
A firework shot into the sky.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Rainbow fireworks began bursting in the sky.
"Whoa."
"Wow."
"It's so bright even in daylight?"
"Beautiful."
Despite the sun blazing in the daytime sky, the fireworks displayed their colors vividly.
The magic circle, continuously supplied with mana, kept firing fireworks.
The onlookers gasped in admiration, while scholars and mages stared in shock.
"The mana density feels like five times the output of a standard manacore."
"And the sustainability is impressive."
"With this, no need for Goldmoon's manacores anymore."
After fully depleting the mana, we even demonstrated recharging.
A true revolution.
The eyes of everyone present were already captivated by us.
Except for one person.
"Such output is impossible!"
Kellon, the head of Goldmoon school, shouted.
"Don't try to fool us with illusion tricks! How dare you defile this sacred conference!"
With his golden beard braided elaborately, he insisted it was realistically impossible—a deception.
It was natural for Goldmoon, already selling similar manacores, to see this presentation as fatal.
Magic schools typically announced new technologies at these conferences to attract noble investments or partnerships, expanding their influence.
Our invention heavily encroached on Goldmoon's territory.
Pushback was expected.
"You're right. Not possible with conventional methods. That's why I said Max was my great fortune."
Tia replied calmly, looking at me.
"Max, if you please."
At her request, I took mana water and lutan in hand.
"I'll make sure to get properly compensated for this."
"We'll split the shares 5-5 for sure."
I sighed.
This would leave me bedridden for two days.
Just like the first time combining mana water and lutan.
Grind!
I injected mana water into the lutan container.
Grind!
The harsh friction sound erupted from the two incompatible substances.
Sweat poured down my whole body.
My body trembled from the intense mana backlash.
But perhaps because I'd done it a few times.
It didn't strain my muscles to the point of soreness.
'Feels manageable now?'
Kellon, recognizing the lutan, gaped and yelled.
"Lu-lutan combined with mana water...? Possible?"
I placed the mana water inside the lutan container, which repels mana.
Only then did the friction noise echoing through the venue cease.
Everyone watching couldn't close their mouths.
"Huh, haha... N-not a trick?"
Kellon, the sole claimant of deception, collapsed as if his legs gave out, unable to rise.
"Whew..."
I exhaled deeply, holding up the newly created mana battery.
"This mana battery will spark an energy revolution across the continent."
At my words, the entire audience rose in a standing ovation.
When Tia later demonstrated recharging, everyone rushed forward, clamoring to invest.
With this single joint presentation, the illusion school became the star of the conference.