At some point, melodious music began to resonate in the hall, growing clearer and more exhilarating.
Accompanied by the flow of light and shadow, a semi-transparent staircase appeared in a corner of the hall, hovering in mid-air. The staircase then continuously extended forward, leading directly to the floating seat at the central platform. A beam of light descended, and an elderly man with white hair and a white beard slowly stepped onto the staircase, making his way to the seat.
"Esteemed mentors, fellow students, and friends, hello everyone, I am Crawley, the editor-in-chief of the Thousand-Year Magic Journal." As the old man walked, his voice was transmitted through alchemical devices, reaching every corner of the hall. "I am honored to host this debate today and hope to bring you a spectacular debate competition."
Applause erupted in the hall.
"I believe many of you have already participated in this discussion regarding the evaluation strategies for magic levels. Over the past two weeks, many brilliant ideas have emerged, sparking excitement among us.
Among them, the most eye-catching is undoubtedly Master Narl's paper.
Some say it is a masterpiece, full of inspirational sparks that could fundamentally resolve the disagreements in the rating system and possibly unify the field, establishing a large data model that could trigger a revolution in the post-magic era.
Others view it as an ambitious work, seeking to draw attention and impress." Crawley paused for effect.
Despite not being able to see the distant audience, a buzzing sound filled the hall.
"The academy's higher-ups recognized this divergence and thus organized this debate. The affirmative side consists of the two authors of the paper, Master Narl and the relatively known first-year apprentice, Mr. Charlie." Crawley gestured toward the central platform, and lights shone down on the two individuals.
A mix of cheers and jeers broke out in the hall, with both applause and sounds of discontent.
"The opposing side features outstanding mentors from various departments of the academy, including Grand Magisters from the Fire, Frost, Nature, Arcane, and Light departments, as well as masters in jewelry, alchemy, enchantment, and weapon forging. They represent a comprehensive knowledge system of the academy, showcasing formidable strength; I will not introduce each one individually."
This round of applause seemed more appropriate, likely due to the number of apprentices affiliated with these ten mentors making up half the audience.
"Additionally, I must introduce the judges of this debate, led by Her Highness Angelina, the Ice and Snow Magic Respect, alongside four other judges. Their opinions will determine 50% of the outcome, while the remaining 50% will be decided by votes from the audience. Each seat is equipped with a voting device, and once we enter the voting phase, we will open up voting privileges.
Now that I've briefly explained the rules, I won't delay the debate any longer. I hereby announce that the debate commences now, and we will enter the affirmative's argument phase. The affirmative has five minutes to present their viewpoints, please!" Crawley gestured, and the light on him gradually dimmed, leaving Master Narl as the only focal point in the hall.
"Wait!"
Just as Narl was about to present his theories with a small outline in hand, a clear voice interrupted his statement.
Everyone was stunned, including both sides, the host, and even the judges on stage. The audience was similarly baffled, holding their breath, observing the unexpected situation on the high platform through the magically amplified images above the hall.
The person who called for a halt was Princess Aisha, and as a judge, everyone wondered what her intention was!
Charlie couldn't help but feel a surge of anger, scoffing inwardly at the audacity of this woman. She truly should not be provoked! Even though he had already paid the price of losing everything for his earlier mistakes, her anger was far from quelled, and now she wanted to suppress him further during the Arcane Ring debate! How delightful! She harbored quite a strong desire for revenge!
Narl questioned, "Do you have any guidance for us, Judge Aisha?"
Aisha smiled and asked, "Master Narl, are you preparing to be the main speaker?"
"Yes."
"Before we begin the arguments, I would like to ask a question."
"Go ahead."
"Is this standard algorithm genuinely Charlie's idea?"
Narl nodded in affirmation.
"Good! Since it's Charlie's idea, why not let him explain the principles of the algorithm himself? Wouldn't it be more meaningful to hear from the original creator? I believe everyone would like to hear the origin of this idea, right?" Her words stirred waves of reaction within the hall.
Since the establishment of the Arcane Ring, countless debates had been held of varying scales, and among the hundreds of large debates held in the Arcane Hub, none had encountered a judge demanding a sudden change of the main speaker, as this was beyond their authority.
The audience was equally puzzled, unclear about Princess Aisha's sudden intervention.
Given the authority of Aisha's mentor, Mr. Alfred, no one dared to challenge her for the time being.
Meanwhile, in a certain corner of the audience, a young man surrounded by friends was chatting animatedly, "My sister really is quite fiery! She can't stand any nonsense! Haha! This should be good to watch!"
Peter asked curiously, "Why does Your Highness say that? Does Princess Aisha have some grudge against Mr. Charlie?"
Daniel smiled but didn't elaborate. He came from the region of Haines and certainly understood the reason behind Aisha's reaction. That particular embarrassing incident had spread widely in Haines, and out of royal dignity, Daniel wouldn't mention it directly. However, with Prince Wenning revealing the story, it was another matter.
In another part of the audience, Qianxue furrowed her brow and asked, "Huh! Why is Princess Aisha so antagonistic towards Brother Charlie?"
Colin casually replied, "Qianxue, did you come from Haines? How could you not know about this tale?"
"What tale?"
David subtly tugged at his older brother's sleeve and remarked, "Big brother is a man of the wind, glowing wherever he goes. It's only natural for him to catch the eye of the princess."
As he spoke, he covertly glanced at Qing Tong, only to find her smiling silently.
On the high platform, Master Narl spoke sternly: "Judge Aisha, your request exceeds your authority. You must understand, I can actually refuse it."
Aisha smiled, "I understand. I just want to verify a few things. If someone has no real ability but lives comfortably as a student under the protection of respected elders, that would be unfair to others!"
The phrase "respected elders" felt particularly jarring in this context.
"Are you questioning my character?!" Narl's anger was palpable. Such baseless doubt would undoubtedly harm his reputation. He shouted, "Please, Judge Aisha, do not cast insinuations. Whether Charlie has merit or not is not for you to judge. The truth will speak for itself. Your provocations won't work on me! If you have evidence, then bring it forward; if not, do not disrupt the order of this debate!"
Charlie couldn't help but sigh inwardly. While Narl's self-defense seemed quite strong, he subtly lost the upper hand in the public perception. Highly intelligent individuals often possess dark hearts; they are suspicious, sensitive, and firmly believe in conspiracy theories. Therefore, the more intensely one reacts to doubt, the more it indicates their own insecurity, which is a logic they embrace.
"Teacher, let me handle the arguments!"
Narl frowned and replied, "But you haven't prepared, have you? I don't have a detailed script, just some key points and notes. How do you expect to articulate that?"
Charlie smiled and replied, "No problem, it's just a matter of explaining this algorithm clearly. It's not that difficult."
Faced with this request, Master Narl hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't trust Charlie; it was that Charlie hadn't prepared anything at all. To improvise on such a grand stage was quite challenging! The master felt he wouldn't be able to manage that.
"Don't worry, Teacher! Everyone knows I'm speaking off the cuff, I'll just say a few words."
After Charlie's strong insistence, Narl finally nodded in agreement.
Charlie met Aisha's gaze and smiled casually, asking, "Can I start now?"
"Mm!" Aisha's eyes sparkled with intense determination. She was curious to see what someone who once struggled to articulate a few sentences in front of relatives could showcase now.
Charlie stepped up to the speaking podium, his smile unfaltering: "I don't know what everyone thinks about data. Some might find it dull and uninteresting, while others think exploring data is boring and pointless. I won't comment on that right now; instead, I want to share a little story that happened to me.
Four months ago, I took the initiative to seek a job at Master Ron's plant nursery. I had no experience in cultivating plants at the time, and I was put in a tough spot by the nursery director, making it difficult for me to get the job.
I made a bet with him, asking for a chance to prove myself: if I lost, I'd give him a Jordan staff, but if I won, I'd get the job at the nursery.
As a result, he assigned an experienced gardener to compete against me in growing Crying Grass, with a period of seven days, even though it was my first time cultivating Crying Grass.
A week later, the Crying Grass he grew was generally 10 to 20 centimeters taller than what I had cultivated. He secretly used a magic scroll to 'nourish' his plants.
If we were to look solely at the size of the plants, I clearly lost. However, the judges ultimately declared me the winner of the competition."
Charlie deliberately paused, allowing the question of why to brew inside each listener's mind before he revealed the answer: "Because I made the Crying Grass bloom into 'Grinning Face Flowers'!"
At this point, the hall erupted into a buzzing noise, and the opposition began whispering to one another.
The transformation of Crying Grass into Grinning Face Flowers wasn't a secret within the Arcane Ring; the academy already had mature methods for accelerating the growth of Crying Grass, which were more effective than Charlie's natural method but also far more costly. Many apprentices just didn't understand the reasons behind it.
An elderly man from the opposing side asked, "Did you use growth spells or any other means to augment the life energy?"
Charlie shook his head. "I only used conventional botanical techniques and did not employ any external means."
At this point, Aisha scoffed and warned, "Charlie, please pay attention to your topic and don't stray! Do not bring up unrelated matters!"