Chapter 148
No matter how much Han Si-hyuk enjoyed messing with me, he wasn’t the type to let personal feelings ruin a class.
After glancing my way, Han Si-hyuk promptly began the lecture.
The topic was artifact creation.
“There are various types of artifacts, but the foundation of artifact creation lies in magical power,” Han Si-hyuk said, his gaze sweeping across the students.
“You might have heard about the magic circuits within the body.
Since most of you have gone through your second year, I assume some of you have taken Monster Anatomy.”
“Yes, we have,” a few students responded.
“The early magic circuits were modeled after the ones found in living organisms. Within an artifact, magic circuits flow. Depending on how these circuits are combined, completely different abilities can be manifested.”
The classroom fell silent as the students began taking notes.
“Even the staff you use has a complex circuit embedded within it. The staff’s inherent circuit reacts with your own magical power, allowing you to cast spells. That’s why, even when casting the same spell, the way magical power is released can vary greatly.”
I had wondered why someone who seemed more suited to teaching theology was giving a lecture here, but his lesson had more depth than I’d anticipated.
It seemed there was a reason he had been chosen to judge the artifact presentation.
“When creating artifacts, keeping these principles in mind is crucial. Now, turn to the first page.”
Flip.
The first page of the [Advanced Magic Manufacturing] textbook featured a familiar diagram.
It was an illustration of the Sound Teleport System, which had recently become a hot topic in the Ardel Empire.
Han Si-hyuk drew the structure of the Sound Teleport System on the blackboard, sketching it out like an old-fashioned telephone booth, and labeled the components before explaining each one.
“The Sound Teleport System is a wired communication device that utilizes magical signal transmission. It operates by converting sound into magical signals, which are then transmitted and converted back into sound on the receiving end.”
The miraculous laws of magic applied even here.
While there’s a tendency to use magic as a catch-all explanation for things that might otherwise be difficult to understand, the basic principles of the Sound Teleport System weren’t too different from what I already knew.
“The carbon powder embedded within the Sound Teleport System adjusts the resistance of the communication line, causing the magic signal to vibrate. The Sound Plate receives these vibrations, which are then converted into sound and played through the small communicator.”
Adela’s eyes sparkled as she diligently took notes, trying to absorb every word Han Si-hyuk said.
I, too, was pondering the principles as I jotted down important points.
Understanding the structure of the Sound Teleport System was crucial if we were to create a communication device.
The current system was designed in such a way that it couldn’t send and receive signals simultaneously.
It was a somewhat inconvenient method where you had to go to a telephone booth to communicate, as I had done when I got lost in the square and called Adela.
We needed to figure out how to make two-way communication possible.
As I mentally reviewed the basics of telecommunication and took notes on critical points…
“Hmm….”
Yoon Haul was asleep.
He was dozing off, his head nodding forward.
Han Si-hyuk’s voice might be on the quieter side, but that sharp diction is anything but a lullaby.
Seeing him repeatedly trying to slam his head into the desk, I quickly reached out to stop him.
“…Huh?”
Yoon Haul blinked at the cold sensation, but only for a moment.
Still half-asleep, he let his head drop again.
Except this time…
He started using my arm as a pillow.
“Hey… Hey!”
“Mm….”
This is insane.
Who falls into such a deep sleep during class?!
“When does the class end…?”
Yoon Haul, still half-dreaming, muttered something that would have made Han Si-hyuk grab the back of his neck if he had heard it. But instead, Yoon Haul smiled contentedly, finding my arm quite comfortable.
So, I ended up letting him use my arm as a pillow.
“Alright, that’s it for today’s class.”
After finishing his explanation of the Sound Teleport System, Han Si-hyuk turned to look at us again.
“….”
He glanced back and forth between the sleeping Yoon Haul and me, the unfortunate person whose arm had been commandeered as a pillow. His expression tightened.
It seemed like he wanted to say something, but he conveyed it all with just a look.
Han Si-hyuk let out a short sigh and continued speaking.
“Now, let’s discuss the grading system, which I’m sure you’re all curious about.”
“Yes, Professor!”
“There is only one assessment criterion.”
In Magic Manufacturing classes, the main assessment is usually based on the creation of an artifact, in line with the course’s objectives.
You’re expected to design and create an artifact over the course of the semester.
Han Si-hyuk wrote the grading criteria on the blackboard.
“You can work in groups or individually. The time it takes doesn’t matter, as long as it’s completed within six months.”
At first glance, it sounded like a very generous schedule, much easier than other classes.
But it wasn’t going to be that simple.
“But I will only accept the projects you sketch out in the next 10 minutes.”
“…?”
“What?”
“You won’t be allowed to change your concept afterward.”
Han Si-hyuk checked his watch before repeating himself.
“You have 10 minutes. When time’s up, come up one by one.”
—
We had to finish our idea sketches within 10 minutes and then present them in front of the class.
The students were utterly shocked by this insane time limit.
We had to decide on an artifact to create over the course of six months based on an idea we came up with in just 10 minutes.
Even choosing the right group members was going to be a challenge.
Some students chose to work alone, but our group was pretty much already set.
“This feels familiar.”
Yoon Haul, Adela, and I—the same team from the artifact presentation.
“We’re going with the communication device.”
“Got it.”
Since we had already planned to create this artifact, the idea was more or less settled.
Yoon Haul, now fully awake, confidently drew bold lines on the large sheet of paper.
“Do you have a specific image in mind?”
“It should be small enough to fit in one hand.”
“I’m not sure if we can fit all the magic circuits in that size, but I’ll give it a shot.”
Yoon Haul was the type who excelled at self-study rather than in class.
He had already absorbed a lot of the design concepts for the Sound Teleport System from his time in Natalie’s workshop.
Swish, swish.
Yoon Haul sketched out my instructions without hesitation.
“The entire front will be used as a screen.”
“A screen?”
“The entire screen should display the recipient, and it would be good to include a function for sending text, in case speaking isn’t possible.”
“Sending… text?”
“Like a letter.”
The problem was that my instructions were a bit advanced for Yoon Haul to process all at once.
Yoon Haul tilted his head in confusion but quickly continued sketching.
“Add a camera on the back.”
“A camera? What’s that?”
“Never mind, let’s leave that out.”
Of course, I had to give up on a few things.
“Wi-Fi wouldn’t work, would it?”
“…?”
“Of course, there’s no way we could browse the internet…”
“If you keep asking for weird things, I’m going to tear up the paper and run away.”
“Uh, sorry.”
If I could set up just one network, I could make a fortune!
I tried to add a few more features, but Han Si-hyuk’s voice cut in from the podium.
“Two minutes left.”
Swish, swish.
Yoon Haul’s sketching speed increased.
A moment later, Han Si-hyuk’s stern voice echoed through the room again.
“One minute left.”
Other students, flustered and panicking, began scribbling down anything they could think of.
Yoon Haul glanced at them, then calmly put down his pen.
“Submit your sketches.”
At least we had finished our sketch in time.
—
Han Si-hyuk furrowed his brow as he reviewed the sketches submitted by the students.
The sound of nervous students swallowing echoed throughout the room.
It was time for the professor’s on-the-spot critique.
“Hmm.”
Like Professor Grint before him, Han Si-hyuk’s voice was cold as he spoke.
“This is terrible.”
What he had just seen was, indeed, the worst.
It was an idea sketch for a lightweight staff, attempting to improve an existing design.
“You say you want to make it lighter, yet you’ve increased the number of magic circuits? The volume has increased, but the weight has decreased? Does that make it a lightweight staff?”
“Well, uh… it was supposed to…”
“Why don’t you just make a giant balloon instead?”
With a dismissive flick, Han Si-hyuk tossed the sketch aside.
“Wow… He’s just like Professor Grint….”
“Do you think we’ll get chewed out too?”
“This is terrifying….”
The whispers of the students standing at the back didn’t go unheard, but Han Si-hyuk didn’t care.
He was already assessing the next sketch in front of him.
At the Ministry of Magic, he had overseen artifact evaluations.
These evaluations determined whether an artifact was suitable for commercialization, assessing its safety and efficiency.
As a Seer, Han Si-hyuk could sense the potential embedded in an artifact, and the Sound Teleport System had been one of the projects that had passed through his scrutiny.
With that in mind, none of the sketches in front of him showed any promise.
Just a quick glance was enough to tell they were all child’s play.
“Pathetic.”
With another flick, Han Si-hyuk moved on to the next sketch, only to pause when he saw a familiar name.
Han Siha, Adela, Yoon Haul.
One was his younger brother, another his assistant, and the last was a promising young Seer who would likely succeed him.
Han Si-hyuk motioned for Han Siha to come forward.
“Han Siha, step up.”
He wasn’t planning to go easy just because they were familiar faces.
If anything, he intended to be more critical than with any of the other sketches.
‘It might be somewhat decent, but it won’t be good enough to impress me.’
“You called?”
Han Siha stepped forward, smiling brightly, but Han Si-hyuk’s response was icy.
He spoke quietly, so only Han Siha could hear.
“If you flirt during my class, you’re dead.”
“…!”
“Even if your sketch is terrible, you’re dead.”
“Harsh.”
He’d seen Han Siha practically glowing with happiness, sitting next to Yoon Haul.
Han Si-hyuk, in a rather foul mood, flipped through the sketch irritably.
“Hmm.”
Despite the 10-minute time limit, the sketch in front of him was surprisingly well-organized.
Although he hadn’t fully examined the sketch yet, he was reminded of the detoxification artifact from before and added,
“I told you not to do anything dangerous.”
If they dared to present another artifact like the one from last time, he was ready to tear up the sketch on the spot.
Han Siha shrugged and responded to Han Si-hyuk’s comment.
“It shouldn’t be dangerous.”
“….”
“-Sir. Professor.”
Han Si-hyuk finally looked satisfied as he fully examined the sketch.
“What’s this?”
At the top of the sketch, the artifact’s name was written.
Han Si-hyuk read the complex name aloud, slowly rolling it over his tongue.
“Sound Mana Trans Telephone.”
An artifact designed to convert sound into mana and transmit it—an abbreviation.
“…Smartphone?”
It was a name he had never heard before.
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