As for the Alchemy professors from the three schools, after years of teaching young students, they naturally understood the average standard for this age group and had already formed a fairly accurate expectation of what the presentations would be like.
Therefore, compared with the often concise and straightforward scores and comments given by the invited judges, the three professors would usually add a few words of encouragement about the contestants' creativity or effort after giving their evaluations.
The only exception was the invited judge named "Antoine Fael," who was seated slightly toward one end of the judging panel.
He appeared exceptionally gentle. Whenever a contestant stepped forward, he listened carefully before offering detailed and encouraging feedback.
He would always accurately point out one or two areas that could be improved, such as a rune structure that could potentially be optimised or a more stable material that might serve as a substitute.
This "Antoine Fael" was, naturally, Nicolas Flamel, who had come under an assumed name.
At first, the other professors and judges did not think much of this unfamiliar name.
However, as he offered several brief and seemingly ordinary suggestions, those with real expertise gradually began to notice something unusual.
His advice often went straight to the heart of the matter, stripping away unnecessary complexity and carrying a sense of profound simplicity.
The students on stage might only understand the specific changes he suggested, but the Alchemy Masters below could glimpse broader approaches to Alchemy and higher-level guidance hidden within those few simple words.
This quickly made the other judges realise that the alchemical skill and depth of knowledge possessed by the seemingly unremarkable Mr. "Antoine Fael" were unfathomable.
As for why they had never heard his name before, none of them found it particularly strange.
Even in today's relatively interconnected wizarding world, there were still reclusive wizards who disliked worldly affairs and chose to live in seclusion, finding some remote forest or mountain valley where they could devote themselves entirely to magical research.
Potion Masters and alchemists were particularly prone to this sort of "habit."
The presentations and scoring for the previous contestants proceeded one after another, and as the scores and comments accumulated, the atmosphere in the hall gradually built towards a climax.
"The final contestant, from Hogwarts, Lucien Grafton."
Lucien calmly rose and walked onto the presentation platform under everyone's gaze.
What he carried was not some strange object radiating faint magical light, but simply two thin hardcover notebooks.
He placed them on the long table before the judging panel.
Following the usual procedure, Madame Maxime, who was presiding over the judging, spoke.
"Please begin presenting your work and explain its function."
Lucien's gaze swept across the judging panel, and a polite smile appeared on his face.
"Thank you, judges. Before demonstrating its function, I may need the cooperation of one of you. And this demonstration... will also require a little extra space."
"Space?"
Hearing Lucien's words, a guest judge wearing a single crystal monocle repeated the word in surprise.
He raised his head and glanced around the hall. Beauxbatons Palace was already renowned for its grandeur, and this hall, reserved for important occasions, was exceptionally spacious, large enough to accommodate thousands of people at once.
Yet this seemingly very young contestant was saying that he needed even more "space"?
Meeting the curious gazes directed at him, Lucien nodded slightly.
"Yes. This alchemical creation of mine is called 'Instant Speech'."
He picked up one of the hardcover notebooks and showed it to the judging panel.
"Its core function is to enable long-distance, instant communication between users. It can transmit written text, voice, and synchronised images."
Several of the Alchemy Masters on the judging panel seemed to straighten slightly in their seats.
"As for its effective range, within the same county, it can guarantee clear and synchronised transmission of both images and sound. If the range is expanded to cover an entire country, or even international communication..."
Lucien paused briefly.
"Therefore, in order to demonstrate the functions and limits of 'Instant Speech' more effectively, I would like to ask whether any of the judges would be willing to assist me by Apparating to a designated location far enough away. We need to establish a genuine long-distance connection."
Silence.
After finishing his explanation, Lucien set the notebook down and waited for a response.
For a moment, the judging panel fell into complete silence. No one immediately commented or began discussing the work.
The potential of the concept itself, combined with the calm confidence in the boy's tone, seemed to require some time to process.
It was Nicolas, under the alias "Antoine Fael," who finally broke the silence.
He did not ask about complex rune arrays or the principles behind the magical connection. Instead, he asked a much simpler question.
"Lucien, what is the production cost of your 'Instant Speech'? From a technical standpoint, could it be mass-produced and widely used?"
That question immediately pulled the other judges out of their thoughts about the underlying magical principles.
Indeed, no matter how impressive an alchemical creation might be, if it could only exist as an expensive laboratory marvel or a luxury available to a tiny elite, then its practical significance would ultimately be limited.
Everyone's gaze returned to Lucien, now carrying an even greater sense of scrutiny and expectation.
Lucien had naturally prepared for this.
In a steady voice, he answered questions about the core materials, the difficulty of reproducing the rune arrays, and the approximate amount of labour required. Although the figures he gave were still fairly high, they were nowhere near an impossibly astronomical level.
More importantly, he clearly explained that several key stages still had considerable room for optimisation and simplification.
"I believe Alchemy should not merely be a secret kept in ivory towers, nor should it exist solely for the pursuit of greater power," Lucien's voice echoed through the hall, carrying an insight beyond his years. "It should be a means of improving the lives of all wizards."
"That is why, while developing 'Instant Speech', I devoted considerable effort to simplifying the production process and reducing the cost of the basic version. Of course, this also means that some functions of the basic version, such as image clarity and stability over extremely long distances, will be limited. Finding a better balance between cost and performance is something I am still working to improve..."
A teenager stood before some of the finest Alchemy Masters in the field, presenting not only a creation capable of changing the way wizards communicated, but also ideas about popularisation, cost, and improving everyday life.
Several elderly alchemists fell into even deeper silence, their emotions stirring.
It was not that they had never considered such matters.
On the contrary, because they had spent their lives immersed in Alchemy, they understood the difficulty and value of such ideas better than anyone.
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