Chapter 29 – No Eternal Friend, No Eternal Enemy (4)

When the Wayne brothers spoke, the surroundings were dyed with silence.

It was not a silence of listening with respect, but rather a form of mockery to ensure the jokes coming out of their mouths would not be diluted by noise.

The stage that Thomas Wayne had set up with his own hands was thus laid out, and the Wayne brothers began to run wild on it… Where had the joke that the angry crowd expected gone? Only the eloquence of an outstanding magic engineer was filling the silence.

“The method presented by participant number 3, Derek Melsbain, who spoke first—linking up with businessmen and merchants—has many problems.”

“W-What?”

“There are countless possibilities on the snowfield for them not to return due to unavoidable reasons like death or injury. Moreover, breaches of contract, such as selling off or embezzling the compasses in the middle, occur frequently, and it is not easy to punish those who operate on the snowfield. That means there is no binding force. Above all, if they make up any excuse, there is no way to verify it.”

“…”

“Ah, apart from the integrity of the contractor, the fact that we don’t know how long it will take to recover them is especially fatal. Do you have anything else to say?”

Derek Melsbain could not refute.

Since it was actually the method adopted by his own Ember, he had seen that the side effects of uncertainty and instability were significant, just as Thomas said.

“There is none…”

Derek could only hang his head. It was something that actually happened, which could not be refuted by any words.

“It’s good to see you acknowledge it. Then, I will pass the next turn to participant number 20, Willas Wayne.”

Thomas passed the baton to his brother. Since immigration only had meaning if the brothers did it together, he could not be the only one drawing attention.

As Thomas gave a nod, Willas Wayne swallowed hard and spoke.

“The synchronization of the magic circuit board after purchasing location indicators in bulk, developed by participant number 14, Seira Atmos, also has big problems. The location indicators that must be driven into the ground are fixed and differ from the steadily maintained Eternal Embers. They have a very high possibility of being damaged or lost by wild animals and weather. And the further the distance and the harsher the weather, the more malfunctions occur. May… I continue?”

“…Please continue.”

“So, the magic circuit board synchronization type…”

Although Willas used polite language as if he possessed a timid personality, he did not hesitate to tear down the logic with brutal thoroughness.

It was as if the human Willas and the magic engineer Willas possessed separate personalities.

Even Seira Atmos, who was criticized by him, completely forgot that he was a yellow-band and began to listen closely to Willas’s words one by one.

After the sequential and logical refutations of the brothers Thomas and Willas Wayne continued for thirty minutes,

“…I think this is enough to prove they have the qualification to participate in the debate, right?”

Neither the participants nor the onlookers could close their mouths. They truly remembered the entire beginning and end of the debate.

No, since even they could not memorize the contents of such a long debate, they had no way to judge if the Wayne brothers’ words were correct.

They merely assumed so because the haughty participants accepted it humbly.

However, whether it was because participant number 18, Ian Draco, who had discriminated against their origin even before the start, could not accept the refutation directed at him in the final turn, or because he disliked the atmosphere that was flowing strangely favorably toward the yellow-bands,

“Hmph! Anyone can find fault with someone else’s argument. If you want to claim that you are proper magic engineers, you must present a constructive solution. In the end, doesn’t your argument amount to nothing?”

He criticized them once again.

At that, the favorable atmosphere reversed once more. Aside from Ian Draco’s emotionally charged words, he was entirely correct.

This was because the qualification of a debater did not arise when criticizing others’ arguments, but when expressing one’s own opinion, even if it might be wrong, and seeking solutions.

“That is correct. It would only be fair for us to present a solution as well.”

However, the Wayne brothers merely smiled as if they had been waiting only for this, and began to develop their own argument.

Thomas spoke first.

“If it were me, I would install magic wavelength amplification towers.”

“Magic wavelength amplification towers?”

“The principle by which the compass displays location is by detecting the magic wavelength of the pre-registered Eternal Embers core, which is the same for both the synchronization type and the installation type. The point is detecting the wavelength emanating from the Eternal Embers or the indicator, so if it were me, I would install wavelength amplification towers here and there so the compass can detect the location anywhere.”

The solution presented by Thomas was a new perspective that had not appeared so far.

However, there was bound to be a reason why an opinion had not appeared in a place where these smart prospective magic engineers gathered.

Naturally, counterarguments followed.

“You are speaking absolute nonsense.”

“Which part?”

“The technique of amplifying wavelengths to allow a compass to search for locations even from a distance is already an obsolete technique. If you know the basic premise that the ice age was caused by a magical phenomenon, that means it is not something that should come out of the mouth of someone calling himself a magic engineer.”

The ice age that covered the continent was a disaster caused by the runaway phenomenon of Eternal Magic. The weather itself possessed its own magic wavelength, meaning that the reception and transmission of magic wavelengths emitted by other materials were disrupted by this harsh environment.

That was the reason why synchronization and installation methods, which were backward but simple and honest, were still used.

“I wondered what kind of great solution you were presenting, but it has no substance at all.”

Soon, numerous mocks followed. The fact that the magic wavelength was disrupted by the ice age, a disaster starting from magic, was basic common sense that one must not be ignorant of.

But just as everyone was scoffing.

“Still, it is the most interesting thing said today. Since everyone was trying to solve the problem with realistic methodologies rather than magic engineering methodologies, I thought this place was a leadership meeting.”

The blonde participant number 1, who had been observing the debate so far, said so.

“Ahem…”

The room quieted down at the pointed remark.

They should have discussed how to solve this problem through magic engineering, but they had tried to solve it outside of magic engineering by citing the reason that it was impossible.

However, there was another reason why they remained silent.

The blonde participant number 1 was none other than Leona Melville, the granddaughter of Herman Melville.

The value of the name Melville and Leona’s reputation of graduating at the top of the academy at the youngest age carried that much weight.

“So, how are you planning to solve the fundamental problem of magic wavelength disruption? You must present that for it to be called a proper solution.”

Leona merely felt bored by the bickering that would only occur in a leadership meeting; she had no intention whatsoever of defending the Wayne brothers.

“That is… deciphering the magic wavelength emitted by this ice age environment.”

“Deciphering?”

“Yes. If only we can decipher the magic wavelength of Eternal Magic, we will be able to design the wavelengths of the compass and the amplification tower accordingly.”

Thomas presented the answer. However, there was no one who agreed with him.

“…It is a very one-dimensional and ridiculous claim.”

It was Leona’s harsh criticism.

Of course, due to the nature of the compass, finding an innovative improvement plan was close to impossible. Even if it was far-fetched, creative and innovative thinking that broke out of the mold was needed.

Although the Wayne brothers’ argument might have been meaningful in that it at least presented a new possibility,

“Deciphering the magic wavelength of Eternal Magic. That is something even my grandfather could not do.”

Their solution was something that even the Advanced magic engineer Herman Melville had not succeeded in.

It was the greatest invention in human history, created by Icing Techwind, a man possessing the reputation of a great mage and a great magic engineer, embedding his essence into it.

When such an object went out of control, would its magic wavelength remain constant, and even if it did, could it be deciphered?

It was no different from saying one could reverse gravity to lift an elephant with bare hands.

It was talk that ignored the absolute, unchangeable laws of physics in this world.

Just as the expectation directed toward the Wayne brothers was rapidly cooling down in that manner,

“Herman Melville couldn’t even do it, so it’s impossible? You are talking pathetic nonsense.”

Someone hidden in the crowd muttered so.

The owner of the voice was the person wearing the hood from before, and everyone began to pay attention to him.

“What right do you have to run your mouth when you aren’t even a participant? Keep your mouth shut.”

Ian Draco, who had been criticizing the Wayne brothers all along, spoke irritably. His excessive words and behavior seemed to be aimed at winning Leona Melville’s favor.

However, whether it was because Herman Melville was insulted, or because Leona felt embarrassed realizing anew that she, too, had unconsciously set limits as a magic engineer,

“Then why don’t you speak? Though it does not seem like something a coward hiding his identity should say.”

She ended up giving the hooded man the floor.

“I was feeling bored anyway, so there’s no reason I can’t.”

The man stood up, pulling off his hood as if he had been waiting.

“I am Eilen Vale. I come from the same Ember as the Wayne brothers… and Demian Vale is my father.”

He introduced himself.

The yellow armband wrapped around his arm was revealed, but no one pointed it out.

“The son of that Lord Demian Vale…?”

Demian, who received Herman Melville’s favor, was one thing, but how great would his son be?

Such thoughts combined with his face, which looked as though he had barely turned twenty, producing a huge misunderstanding about Eilen Vale.

At this moment, only the Wayne brothers were surprised once that Eilen was alive, twice that he had taken the qualification exam, and thrice that the one defending them was Eilen Vale…

‘That bastard was Lord Demian Vale’s son…? Impossible.’

Ian Draco, who had bet his license, only wished to kill his past self.

* * *

“…Demian Vale is my father.”

I, who had only been watching the debate, revealed my identity to everyone and added logic to the Wayne brothers’ argument to express its feasibility.

In my own way, I explained it at their level so they could understand.

However, perhaps because there were many logics that could not be understood unless one’s mastery was of the Intermediate level or higher, most of them merely listened with blank faces.

The same went for Leona, the granddaughter of Herman Melville.

‘An Ember won’t try to kidnap me over this, right?’

I felt worried even as I spoke.

I had resolved so much not to reveal my mastery, but in the end, I had revealed it.

All of this was to save the Wayne brothers.

‘They are more useful than I thought, the Wayne brothers.’

However, I did not step forward due to some ridiculous sense of kinship or pity for belonging to the same place. It was solely because the Wayne brothers’ abilities were far superior to my thoughts.

Although I already possessed the powerful card of the boy who had reached the Intermediate level, talent was something that could never be recruited enough.

Although they were the number one targets for elimination, with this level of skill, it was right to embrace them somehow.

The Wayne brothers showed dramatic changes in their expressions.

-How on earth are you alive?

That was the expression they wore when I revealed myself.

-What does someone like you know to step forward?

That was the expression they wore when I began to develop the argument.

-Why did you step forward for us? Why on earth…

That was the expression they showed when I defended their argument.

‘They’re almost won over. Willas seems practically touched.’

Just as I was feeling satisfied looking at the faces of the Wayne brothers, who looked as if they would swear loyalty to me,

“We are executing official duties, make way!”

Crash!

Dozens of police officers suddenly burst open the main gate of the library and rushed in.

“Eilen Vale, here you are.”

“What is this about?”

“We have obtained circumstantial evidence that you committed cheating in the beginner magic engineer qualification exam held today, so you must come to the station with us.”

“Pardon? What do you mean…”

“What are you doing? Drag this criminal away immediately!”

I was reduced to a criminal in an instant.