Chapter 118: A Transcendent Boasting
"Alright, that's the end of my presentation. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."
As Durin's voice faded, the entire conference hall fell silent. Clearly, everyone was contemplating the ideas Durin had just proposed.
Although Durin's explanation was quite vague, adopting an attitude of "I've finished my grandstanding, you can fill in the blanks yourselves," the assembled top scholars and mages quickly grasped his concepts and were momentarily immersed in the future world Durin described.
Indeed, the history of magical alchemy is something any student willing to attend the Imperial Mage Academy's history classes would know. However, it was unprecedented for someone to point out the reasons for its failures as insightfully as Durin did.
As soon as the mages present understood the significance of Durin's words, they realized that if what Durin said were true, then magic—once a unique ability wielded solely by mages—might fall from its pedestal.
But is falling from the pedestal necessarily a bad thing? If one day everyone in the world could enjoy the convenience of magic, if one day magic research was no longer confined to just mages, then how rapidly could the development of magic explode?
Durin had offered a vision of a hypothetical future, but precisely because this future was indeed conceivable, even within reach, every mage present realized the value of magical alchemy as Durin described it and became deeply enthralled. Of course, it was not merely because Durin mentioned that one could stay at home without any worries.
Regarding the discussions among the mages present, Durin thought for a moment but decided not to mention his plan to pilot the technology of television in the Mage's Tower just yet.
Yes, after hearing from Scar about the possible existence of a certain type of magical mineral resource—mana stones—in the Dwarven Kingdom that could replace mages as a human resource, Durin had already put forward a proposal to develop television. However, considering that the main researcher for this technology was the already overworked Scar, Durin chose not to steal the spotlight and decided to wait until Scar had discussed it privately with the dean before making it public.
As for why Durin himself didn't participate in the research? Researching magical alchemy was far less interesting than making films. He was naturally too lazy to handle such minor tasks. Moreover, he had been busy planning what to film for the first program on television, leaving no time for invention and research, which was why Scar seemed so full of resentment.
After all, Durin's reasoning was indeed far-fetched. The television technology wasn't even developed yet, and he was already thinking about what to air. It was like worrying about how to explain yourself after farting in public before it even happened.
In short, although Durin did not provide a detailed description of magical alchemy due to time constraints, he straightforwardly shared his vision for it in the final moments of his presentation—such as a magical camera that could record images, a magical recorder that could capture sound, and a magical drawing tablet that could directly sketch pictures on a mana-infused page. While these inventions might not seem as complex as the ahead-of-its-time magical video recorder, they were still essential foundational technologies.
Moreover, to make his words more convincing, Durin straightforwardly explained concepts like mobile phones, computers, gaming consoles, and the internet in terms the magicians could understand. After all, boasting didn't require accountability, and it wasn't certain that anyone would actually be able to create these things. Or even better, if someone did, Durin had long grown weary of this boring world.
Besides, the key isn't the basic applications, but the practical ones. If these things were really created, without someone like Durin who transcended eras, no one would likely realize their potential impact.
The mages were initially bewildered by Durin's descriptions but were soon captivated by the unimaginable world he depicted. Even though Durin was only describing a fantastical era, having personally experienced such a time gave his words a unique persuasiveness and realism that entranced these rational mages.
It wasn't until Durin stepped off the stage to let Scar take over that the mages slowly came back to reality. Despite wanting to continue hearing Durin's almost transcendent boasting, the class had to move on to Scar's lecture on the basic principles of magical alchemy due to time constraints.
In fact, aside from a few genuine scholars, most mages found it difficult to expand their existing knowledge. Consequently, even some renowned mages struggled to understand Scar's basic principles of magical alchemy and almost felt like they were back in their early student days, fighting off drowsiness.
In contrast, the new students, still in a state of ignorance regarding magic, eagerly absorbed Scar's knowledge. Many of them took notes diligently, showcasing the advantage of youth—they were more adaptable and had greater potential for growth compared to their middle-aged counterparts whose knowledge had solidified.
As a result, many mages gradually left due to the tediousness of the lecture. They had come primarily for Durin, and with him no longer teaching, they saw no reason to stay.
Watching these departures from the back row, Dean Hohenheim observed coldly and silently noted those who remained. It wasn't an intentional screening but rather a leader's instinct. After Durin's lecture, Hohenheim had grasped the true significance of magical alchemy and the potential 'miracle' it contained. Those who left might have dismissed it as youthful nonsense, but only those who understood the feasibility of Durin's words recognized the immense possibilities within that vision of the 'future.'
"Ah, not good, not good, I'm really getting old. I almost fell asleep sitting in the classroom..."
Dean Hohenheim's words were clearly heard by Picor and Dylan sitting nearby. Despite hearing them, they dared not complain and instead pretended not to notice, diligently taking notes on Scar's key points.
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