In the end, after several comments from the法尊 (Fazun, a title often used for high-ranking sorcerers) were made, the audience cast their votes, resulting in a score of 8 to 2 in favor of the affirmative side, thus declaring their victory.
The debate concluded in a festive atmosphere, and compared to its dramatic ups and downs, the result seemed less significant.
However, what surprised everyone was that Alfred announced several things on the spot, sparking a fervent discussion.
First, the Mage Council expressed serious dissatisfaction with the stagnant progress of the "New Magic Rating Project," led by ten mages. It was decided to cancel the original project, keeping all personnel and resources in place while reconstructing the project named "Charlie Standard Evaluation Plan," led by Master Nahr. The previous participants would now be under Master Nahr's control, who would report directly to the Mage Council.
Second, there was a preparation to add an enrollment plan to attract talents and eccentrics from various disciplines, to be conducted mid-year. This would emphasize theoretical abilities, and the academy would begin preparing various theoretical majors, with more details to be released in upcoming discussions.
Third, Master Nahr and Charlie would be rewarded for their contributions, with specific details to be announced after discussions.
As these three pieces of news were released, the entire academy erupted with excitement.
People hadn't imagined that the debate would have such a significant impact on the academy's strategy, which completely took everyone by surprise. Many speculated that the decision made by the法尊 was due to being deeply impressed by Charlie's arguments.
Some were elated, while others expressed concern.
Those who had connections with Master Nahr were all overjoyed, knowing that good fortune had come their way. They would undoubtedly gain more opportunities for reemployment in the near future, which also meant more chances for advancement.
On the other hand, those responsible for the previous New Magic Rating Project and relevant personnel were undoubtedly in a poor mood. Their projects, severely delayed due to intrigue, had finally faced serious consequences. Now that the higher-ups saw a more promising proposal, they unhesitatingly abandoned the earlier plan. What they had fought for over the past year and a half through political struggles had lost all meaning.
The impact of the second piece of news would undoubtedly be broader. After today, this announcement would swiftly traverse the oceans like a storm, reaching every corner of the secular world. Many families would start to prepare for recruitment ahead of next year's mid-year admissions.
As for the third piece of news, people could only express their admiration and envy; Charlie became a hot topic in the academy, and Master Nahr emerged as the biggest beneficiary of this debate.
As Master Nahr stepped down from the high platform, he looked triumphant, seeming as if he had aged ten years younger, striding with newfound confidence. Waiting near the corridor were several of Master Nahr's apprentices, who greeted him with jubilant expressions upon seeing him and Charlie come down.
"Congratulations on your promotion, Master!" Zach stepped forward.
"Junior brother, you were amazing! We were all stunned down here!!"
Master Nahr smiled in response and turned to Charlie, saying, "Charlie, with the project being restructured, I need your help! To be honest, I don't want to work with any of the people from the old project!"
Charlie pondered for a moment, "Things aren't that simple! Once this project starts, it will be quite large-scale. Even with you and all of us combined, we might struggle to manage it. Plus, we aren't experts in certain new areas, and if we force things, we might run into issues.
So, my suggestion is to delegate authority to ensure progress. The cake needs to be made bigger by everyone together. We should try to overlook some people's shortcomings and work together to make the project successful."
Zach questioned, "What if those people start playing power games and delay project progress? The previous project was ruined that way."
Charlie shook his head, "The main reason the previous project failed wasn't because of everyone's selfishness but because the project itself had a significant structural issue.
First, there was no direct project leader. While collective leadership is democratic enough, it has its obvious downsides. Democratic organizations are often very inefficient; some opposition stems from differing positions, some arise from conflicts of interest, and some are purely borne out of personal vendettas.
Second, the methods for magic level evaluation weren't scientific enough. There was no objective algorithm to resolve disputes, and relying on power dynamics to determine outcomes led everyone to engage in power struggles.
We might face similar issues, but the key is to avoid creating an environment conducive to power struggles at the rule level. Furthermore, our project is fundamentally different; the Charlie Standard Algorithm is a fair method. As long as we establish sufficient and complete rules, we should be able to avoid these situations!"
Master Nahr laughed and said, "Zach, do you now understand Charlie's strength? Though he's young, his insights are incredibly mature, and his thinking is at a high level. Sometimes, even I can't compare with him."
Zach could only give a thumbs-up and chuckle, "Charlie, do you have some personal enmity with Princess Aisha? I feel like she has it in for you!"
Master Nahr chuckled, "It's not just you who feels that way; everyone has noticed it!"
Charlie sighed, "Yeah! Some grudges might not be resolved after all!"
Charlie didn't elaborate on the details, and others couldn't press him for more information.
Meanwhile, in the spherical hall of the highest magic tower of the Arcane Ring, several shadows sat on the stone chairs in the reception area. A faint halo enveloped the entire room, appearing sheer from the inside, while outsiders could only see a dazzling energy shield.
An elder smiled and said, "He actually invented something called a 'compass.' It looks simple, yet it conceals quite an intriguing mystery. It seems rather interesting."
"I'm more concerned about another issue," another white-robed elder said, his expression grave. "In retrospect, it's frightening! That statement: 'Our top mages seem to be in a state of confusion, unable to find a path to advancement, with an unseen barrier looming before us, as if ancient legendary mages are just legends.' I was deeply struck; this child is just a magic apprentice yet speaks about the actual problems we are facing!"
"Could it be something Nahr taught him? Nahr must have also touched upon that barrier!"
Alfred pondered, "Whether this situation is revealed by Nahr isn't important. What matters is that Charlie's two solutions are both very constructive and align with some of my thoughts. I've encountered numerous strange phenomena in the field of electromagnetism that contradict our existing theories, indicating a significant lag in magical theory, which severely affects our ability to extrapolate at higher levels."
The white-robed elder spoke up, "If this is Nahr's idea, he should have written relevant papers by now, right?"
"That's why I admire this young man," Alfred replied, turning toward the elder holding the exquisite white jade staff. "Gerald, I heard that he had some conflicts with your apprentice recently? It seems you even got physical."
Felinhard could hardly suppress his inner irritation. He sighed and nodded, "Yes."
"I'm planning to promote him to Crystal Badge Apprentice to honor his contributions. Since he and your apprentice are both the most promising students, let's prevent any further incidents that could harm the academy, shall we?"
Felinhard responded, "That's their business as juniors; I shouldn't interfere! Are you suggesting we cancel the honor duel? Aren't you afraid they might have thoughts about it?"
Alfred chuckled, "You're right not to intervene! The honor duel can continue; at that time, Angelina can step in to ease the atmosphere. As long as it doesn't turn into a fight to the death, that's good enough."
"I have no objections."
How annoying! At their ages of several hundred years, how could Felinhard not catch the implications in his words?
Alfred chuckled, "So let's discuss the reward plan next! Starting with Nahr, his proposal has helped us break the deadlock, allowing us to justifiably cut the old project. Honestly, I'm tired of seeing a bunch of elders squabbling over trivial benefits while ignoring the overall interests of the project and engaging in power play."
Gerald replied, "For Nahr to lead this project is already a significant reward for him; I don't think we need to offer too much at the moment."
"In my view, this should be considered work! We're handing him a big responsibility," Alfred turned to Angelina. "Elise, what do you think?"
Angelina smiled elegantly, "I agree with Gerald's opinion; this time, we can temporarily hold off on the reward and calculate it after he has achieved results."
Seeing Alfred frown slightly, Angelina added, "This is also a form of protection. We shouldn't put too much pressure on him at this early stage."
"Alright, then let's give him some points as a reward." Alfred immediately caught on and said, "Now, what about Charlie's reward? Besides granting him the status of a Crystal Badge Apprentice, I also want to hire him as a theoretical adviser for the Arcane Ring; this would be a new position. He has a lot of ideas that might bring some fresh perspectives to the academy's rigid instructors."
Felinhard hesitated, "I fear that might not be possible. The academy has never hired an apprentice before; if we set this precedent, I'm concerned that the faculty and students might feel unbalanced."
"There isn't a precedent for this, but no one has ever given us bottlenecked individuals any valuable suggestions. Apart from him, this hasn't happened in decades."
Seeing the two getting serious, Angelina smiled, "William, I understand how you feel; sometimes we mustn't rush into things. Moreover, this might not be good for Charlie — it could be overpraising him! You're placing him in a dangerous position!"
Alfred laughed, "Alright! Elise, you're always right; I guess we'll have to settle for just giving points as a reward."