The free-fall experiment concluded swiftly, but even after Helleram had dissipated the vacuum field, the professors remained stunned.
"It seems Corru was right; some of our theories in the Land of Mages have indeed fallen behind those of the outside world," Helleram remarked with a sigh.
Besides the heliocentric theory and kinetic energy formula, Lin En's research manuscript contained several unverified theories, demonstrated with symbols Helleram couldn't comprehend—clear evidence of a mathematical system distinct from what they knew.
Theodore, Kevin, and the others looked uncomfortable at this admission, yet none voiced any objections.
"The population in the Land of Mages is simply too small," Philip sighed from the side.
Though the Land of Mages had evolved into a sanctuary of magic over centuries, it still housed only 600,000 people, with around 7,000 official mages, fewer grand mages, and merely seven legendary ones.
Meanwhile, beyond their borders, the Sacas Empire alone boasted a population of 20 million. Even with the Church's relentless persecution, their number of official mages likely exceeded that of the Land of Mages several times over. It wasn't impossible that they had developed some theories first.
"Mr. Lin En, thank you for taking the risk to bring this valuable research manuscript to the Land of Mages," Helleram paused before continuing. "I have a request: I would like to invite you to join Yieta Academy as a professor, to establish a new discipline and teach the novel knowledge of the Arcane Society."
The unfamiliar symbols in the manuscript suggested that the knowledge of the Arcane Society was part of a systematic study, requiring specialized learning to understand their meanings. If Lin En agreed, Yieta Academy would undoubtedly gain fame when these theories were published.
Lin En weighed the pros and cons. Joining Yieta Academy had its advantages: it would resolve his identity issues, provide him with a powerful ally, and grant access to the academy's magical archives to supplement his magical knowledge.
However, the downside was that Yieta Academy, lacking a legendary mage, might not withstand pressure if he proposed even more groundbreaking theories. Helleram might not be able to protect him.
After much contemplation, Lin En nodded in agreement. From his interactions with the grand mage, Helleram seemed neither arrogant nor stubborn. He tolerated the halflings conducting flight experiments in the square and refrained from dismissing Lin En's theories outright, making him a suitable collaborator.
Reliability was paramount. It would be disastrous if he encountered someone like a certain famous inventor who liked to claim others' research as his own.
With Lin En agreeing to the professorship, the atmosphere lightened. Even Kevin, who had been the most opposed earlier, softened, realizing that if these theories proved correct, the entire Yieta Academy would benefit.
The topic of the harbor town explosion and the destruction of a critical transport route was not raised again; there was no clear party to blame.
Blaming Lin En? That was absurd. As Corru's friend, Lin En had risked being captured by the Church to bring the Arcane Society's knowledge and Corru's apprentice to the Land of Mages. Holding him responsible would be inappropriate.
On the contrary, the entire Yieta Academy owed him a debt of gratitude.
As for Johnny and Laud, one was an apprentice who knew little and was simply brought along, and the other had worked for the Land of Mages for decades. There was no point in pursuing responsibility with them.
Considering all this, they had no choice but to accept the loss of an important transport route.
"By the way, Master Helleram, when we fought Archbishop Anserik in Harbor Town, one of Corru's apprentices suffered a magical backlash. Do you think there's any hope of saving her?" Lin En suddenly recalled and asked.
"Let's go have a look," Helleram said, rising and leading the interested professors out of the room.
Ten minutes later, Lin En and the others arrived at the dock. The sailors from the Brotherhood were still detained there. After Laud reassured them, the group proceeded to the lower deck of the sailing warship.
There, a massive ice coffin awaited them, containing a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, lying motionless with a face as pale as paper and her eyes closed, leaving it unclear whether she was unconscious or already dead.
"Using freezing to maintain minimal bodily functions?" Kevin, the professor of morphomancy, nodded. "This might give her a chance of survival."
However, after melting the ice and conducting a thorough examination, Kevin became more uncertain. "Her body seems fine; it appears her spirit has suffered severe trauma. Could you tell me what spell she was casting when the backlash occurred?"
"Soul Scream," Lin En replied.
"She's a psion?" Philip immediately frowned, asking sharply.
"Is there something wrong with that?" Lin En asked, puzzled.
"There's nothing inherently wrong, but Yieta Harbor no longer has any active psionic mages," Philip sighed, explaining further.
Three years ago, a catastrophic event occurred in the Land of Mages. The psionic school founded by Grand Mage Mork conducted a special psionic experiment that resulted in the deaths of thousands in an entire village. The Mage Council was outraged and sent three grand mages to annihilate the school, subsequently banning private research into psionic magic.
Mages registered as psionics were now required to join the newly established Psionic Academy in the Mage City if they wished to continue their studies, where they would be subject to strict supervision.
"There are rumors that those dark mages developed a forbidden psionic spell, but the true reason is known only to the legendary mages," Philip said with a hint of resignation.
As a result, Yieta Academy had not recruited another psionic professor after Corru's departure, as it was no longer deemed necessary.
Lin En was stunned. What kind of forbidden magic could lead the Mage Council to impose such severe restrictions on an entire school of thought?