Chapter 101
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The Great Mage of the Ma Engineering Department (2)
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"This semester's goal is the same as last semester's toooo..."
Lilliana, the department head, scribbled the lecture outline on the blackboard.
Genius handwriting is a thing for a reason—her writing danced around like some ancient script, completely wild and free.
"Second-year artisans and first-year apprentices form pairs, and ha, by the end of the semester... the core is completing one magitech item."
The department head finally gave up on the board, let out a deep sigh, and scanned the students.
"Hehe... Last semester, everyone made such cool magic tools that grading was pure joy...!"
She continued in an excited, childlike voice.
"Especially the video communication magic tool from the Estelle artisan and Lunaris apprentice pair—it was truly revolutionary."
Video communication magic tool, huh.
When it was blatantly called the Apple Phone Mk2.
"Perfect timing, too—the official contract for the imperial order was signed yesterdayyy! Everyone, applause!"
The classroom soon filled with clapping.
Half envy, half "of course."
I ignored the stares pouring my way and let out a long, drawn-out yawn.
If we could mass-produce this in the palace and get everyone an Apple Phone, that'd be ideal.
"Ahaha~ Pretty much all Lunaris did, though."
Senior Estelle, sitting beside me, scratched her head with an awkward smile.
"Feels like I'm just along for the ride, kinda embarrassing."
"What are you talking about? Without your attention to detail, we couldn't have pulled it off."
As I replied indifferently, Lilliana clapped to refocus the class with forced cheer.
"Aaaanyway—first up, submit your experiment plans and blueprints. The, the deadline... let's say end of the month, plenty of time."
She raised a finger for emphasis.
"O-One tip: don't aim for something insanely grand right from the start."
"Department head, but the top duo went straight for something insane last semester?"
"...Those two are exceptions."
Laughter rippled through the room as she smiled faintly and continued.
"We'll prioritize potential over practicality or polish in evaluations. So use what you've learned faithfully... got it?"
With that, she naturally flipped open the thick textbook she'd brought.
"Aaaanyway, shall we get into the material...?"
Grumbles of "boo" echoed from around the room.
"Boo—too harsh."
I threw my voice into the protests too.
No way—theory class?
Magitech major classes are self-study by rule.
"I, I heard last semester the prof dumped most of the theory on Estelle or just did self-study..."
But Lilliana, usually so meek and spineless, had a surprisingly firm stance here.
"Th-This semester... no slacking! Your ideas were great, but the circuit basics were way too sloppy!"
Didn't you just say you loved all the cool magic tools we made?
*
Afternoon practice time.
Lilliana gave the second-year artisans and first-year apprentices free time to brainstorm ideas separately.
While other groups huddled and pondered, Estelle senior and I made a beeline for the department head, like we'd been waiting.
"Y-Yes...! Knew you'd come right away!"
Lilliana greeted us with sparkling eyes.
"Can't wait to see what outlandish idea you've got this time! Um, let's see... the proposal?"
Her gaze shifted to Estelle senior.
Senior gave a wry smile and nodded toward me.
Expectant eyes naturally turned my way.
"Weeeell—no proposal."
Laziness aside, it'd get completely overhauled after talking to her anyway. No point doing double work.
"No problem! So, what are you making this time?!"
"Thinking of building a camera."
She tilted her head at my answer.
"Ca... mera? What's that...?"
"Ah, like... a video recording magic tool?"
Truth be told, all that hassle last semester to make a screen-projecting video comm tool was buildup for this.
The real key is filming.
Recording.
What's the point of killer content if you can't capture it?
Forcing yourself out of bed every time, squeezing into crowds at set times—that's torture.
Of course, this world's "content" is sadly just colosseum fights less tense than UFC and cheesier than WWE, or plays with forced dialogue tones.
But content's content—first, build the system properly, then anything's possible.
"The idea actually came from that artifact you showed at my entrance interview."
"Artifact? ...Ah! The illusion projector!"
"Yeah, exactly. Projecting memory images into the air."
I nodded and went on.
"We already nailed real-time projection of distant scenery onto a plate, right?"
"We did."
"So this semester's goal: go beyond simple broadcast to semi-permanently store moments, even changes in scenery."
"Definitely... a brilliant idea."
Lilliana nodded seriously as she listened.
"Keyword's storage over broadcast, then?"
Sharp as ever.
She nailed the core.
"Storing a single frozen image? One sheet of parchment does it."
"But my endgame... is capturing long sequences whole."
"In other words, containing flowing time. A mindset worthy of the spatial archmage, Miss Lunaris."
"Could see it that way."
I nodded along.
She really clicks with me.
"Looks like the focus should be on a high-capacity storage medium, not a video recorder."
I mentally erased "camera" from my plan and filled it with SD card and USB.
"Name it... Memorial Crystal for now?"
I reviewed the engineering in my head.
Compress video into digital bits of 0s and 1s for storage.
No semiconductors or digital code here, though.
But mana is.
"Converting visual info to mana vibrations and displaying on a plate..."
"Tech you and Estelle perfected last semester."
"Now, solidify those vibrations inside a crystal."
I traced a dense grid pattern in the air.
"Ultra-high purity crystals with extreme mana conductivity have invisible fine lattice structures."
"Miss Lunaris, are you thinking of trapping visual-info mana inside the crystal...?"
"Close. More precisely, collide the waves with the lattice to etch tiny grooves."
Like grooving an LP for sound.
Or lasering a CD surface.
This idea stemmed largely from 'Lunaris's' talent.
Interprets modern engineering through magical, magitech lenses into feasible reality.
Used to chafe at relying on vague intuition.
But after reaching archmage realm and grasping magic's essence, time to fully leverage this genius.
"Can't follow your ideas completely yet... but I get sequentially imprinting mana vibrations onto internal circuits."
"Exactly. Stack changes over time like tree rings."
Talking magic ecology prof, then her—feels effortless.
I mention new theory, she syncs instantly.
She's the real genius.
Later, just toss simple ideas and let her handle it all.
Estelle senior in her lab, collaborating perfectly.
"Assuming storage works... how to replay later?"
"Reverse. Flow mana through crystal—grooves vibrate it back to original visuals."
"...!"
Lilliana's eyes went wide.
"My god... another monster magic tool incoming!"
She couldn't hide her excitement, jumping up and stomping in place.
"Materials key, right?! Regular magic stones can't handle that precision. Degradation, data loss inevitable!"
She grabbed blank paper, scribbling furiously with a quill.
"Need at least 95% mana conductivity. Ether diamond, or dragon eye maybe..."
"Um, department head?"
Estelle senior, who'd been quiet, chimed in.
"Sorry to interrupt, but top-tier materials for class supplies?"
"Ah! N-No worries!"
Lilliana waved her arms wildly.
"I'll cover it all. Got leftover research funds—buy materials with that...!"
"Ahaha—thanks, but special treatment just for us feels off..."
"Th-Then call it top-student privilege from last semester?!"
"Calm down first, department head."
Estelle senior waved her hands awkwardly.
"She's right, yeah. Costly materials are an issue."
I nodded.
Beyond privileges—mass production pricing doesn't work.
"That AC we made on break with prof? Great performance, but mithril core killed scalability."
"Uuu..."
Lilliana deflated, shoulders slumping.
"Knew that was a problem... Need to redesign structurally sometime..."
"Wait. Hold up."
Estelle senior's eyes narrowed.
Her gaze flicked between me and the head.
"What'd you just say, Luna? Made what over summer break?"
"...Ah."
"Department head! Stealing my apprentice?!"
"S-Sorryyy..."
Hurt dripped from Estelle senior's voice.
I averted my eyes, pretending not to notice.
"Weeeell—if you'd stayed on campus break, you could've joined..."
"I... didn't stay because I wanted to."
She smacked her lips bitterly.
"I... needed money."
"...Ah."
Right—post-golem incident, her finances tanked hard.
"Scholarship cut, sponsorship gone—tuition's barely scraping by."
The room sobered at her self-deprecating laugh.
I fidgeted, twirling my hair around a finger in embarrassment.