Laurent was safely brought back to the hall by Lumen, still clutching his copy of Instant Speech tightly in his hand.
He returned to his seat among the judges, seemingly unaware that the demonstration had already ended. His fingertips lingered along the edges of the pages and the special patterns on the cover, while his pale blue eyes shone with obvious reluctance to put it down.
"Hey, Laurent!" The alchemist sitting beside him, wearing a single crystal monocle, nudged him with an elbow, his tone half-teasing and half-envious. "Come on, let me see that treasure! You've been holding onto it for ages, and you even got a free international trip out of it..."
This alchemist was clearly familiar with Laurent. Before he had even finished speaking, one hand was already eagerly reaching for the book.
Laurent deftly pulled Instant Speech against his chest and leaned slightly to the other side to avoid him, muttering under his breath, "Lance, what's the rush... At your age, in front of everyone, it's unbecoming..."
Hearing this, the alchemist named Lance trembled with anger, his monocle nearly shaking loose. Judging by his expression, if not for the occasion, he might already have fired a minor jinx at Laurent.
Seeing this from the front, Lucien quickly patted the pocket of his robes. Several brand-new copies of Instant Speech rose into the air as though lifted by invisible hands, flying towards the judges' table and landing precisely in front of each judge and professor, except Laurent.
Lucien then picked up the copy he had used for the demonstration and showed everyone the back cover.
"Everyone, please allow me to briefly demonstrate how to use Instant Speech to add a contact, or rather... 'add a friend'."
Hearing this novel yet fitting Muggle phrase, Madame Maxime and the others picked up the thin books in front of them and turned them over.
In the lower-left corner of the back cover was a special code composed of characters, faintly glowing with magic like a unique magical signature.
"This code uses a set of magical characters I designed. Every copy of Instant Speech has a unique code representing its 'identity'," Lucien explained as he lightly traced his wand through the air. Golden magical light flowed from the tip, quickly forming dozens of clear floating characters for demonstration.
"Next, please open to the first page," Lucien continued. "Use the tip of your wand to enter the information you wish to record, such as a name."
He paused and added specifically, "There is no need to use your real name. Whether you do so is entirely up to you."
After all, the wizarding world had never lacked curses that targeted true names or specific personal information. Such caution was instinctive for any experienced wizard.
The famous curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching post at Hogwarts was the most well-known example.
The judges moved quickly, their wand tips tapping and sliding across the blank first pages.
"Finally," Lucien said, drawing everyone's attention back, "by entering the unique code from the back of another copy of Instant Speech, you can send a request to that user."
"Once the request is accepted, the connection is officially established. After that, as long as your magic permits, you can communicate with your 'friend' at any time, just as you saw in the demonstration."
The process was far simpler than anyone had expected.
Almost immediately, the soft rustling of wands moving across paper came from the judges' table, accompanied by occasional exclamations and quiet chuckles as someone successfully sent their first experimental message.
Several Alchemy Masters and professors who were normally highly respected, solemn, and old-fashioned now displayed the curiosity and excitement of children receiving a new toy for the first time.
They bent over their copies of Instant Speech, writing and drawing, occasionally exchanging glances as they tried sending simple greetings or meaningless doodles, completely absorbed in exploring this new method of communication.
As for the scoring?
No one mentioned it anymore.
The result had already become an unspoken consensus.
Instant Speech was no longer merely another "excellent student alchemical work." It was a creation capable of changing the way wizarding society communicated and perhaps even defining a new era.
In its presence, scores and rankings had already lost much of their meaning.
While the masters at the judges' table satisfied their curiosity, the contestants waiting below and the surrounding student spectators could only suffer.
They watched longingly, craning their necks, their hearts itching with impatience as though scratched by a cat's paw, wishing they could rush forward and try it themselves.
But with Headmistress Maxime and so many renowned masters present, no student dared to act rashly.
Just then, a new line of handwriting appeared in the Instant Speech book held by Madame Maxime.
Antoine Fael: [What do you think of my student?] (smiling emoji)
Madame Maxime instinctively turned her head to look at Nicolas beside her, only to find the exact same smile on his face as the one in the emoji.
Madame Maxime, seated at the centre of the judges' panel, took in Nicolas's relaxed and gratified smile, and the corners of her lips curved into an understanding smile of her own.
She naturally knew the true identity of "Antoine Fael."
As the host, she had personally confirmed every guest judge who had been invited.
At that moment, she could clearly see the unmistakable pride Nicolas felt for Lucien, his student and successor.
Madame Maxime lowered her head slightly and tapped her wand against her copy of Instant Speech, leaving a reply:
[When I first met Lucien, I had a feeling that this child would one day change the wizarding world. I simply never expected that this "future" would become the "present" so soon. It's far too fast...]
After writing the message, she raised her head again and looked towards Lucien, who stood alone at the centre of the presentation platform.
Warm sunlight streamed through the windows and enveloped him, making his dark-gold hair shimmer.
Faced with a scene that seemed destined to be recorded in history, the young man stood tall, his dark green eyes still calm and composed.
The appreciation in Madame Maxime's eyes deepened. She cleared her throat, and her resonant, elegant voice rang throughout the hall, silencing the surrounding whispers.
"Lucien, your 'Instant Speech' is undoubtedly a masterpiece. I am curious, and I believe many people here would also like to know, how did you come up with such a... brilliant idea? What inspired you?"
As soon as she finished speaking, not only did the professors and judges who had been experimenting with Instant Speech stop and look up, but the contestants and students below also fell silent in anticipation.
Everyone's attention was focused on Lucien.
He met their gazes, gave a slight bow, and replied in his usual unhurried tone,
"Thank you for your praise, Madame Maxime. In fact, the idea did not come entirely from nowhere. Like many inventions, I stood on the shoulders of giants, drawing upon and combining the wisdom of those who came before me."
The shoulders of giants?
The moment he said this, the curiosity of everyone present, whether judges, professors, or students, was immediately piqued.
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