LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 8 Part 5
I walked hand in hand with the girl through the crowd.
Carbuncle had completely taken a liking to her and was now perched on her shoulder.
It seemed that since spirits adored her, animals naturally gravitated toward her as well.
The Magic Ceremony was a lively event, serving as a grand stage for magical research presentations.
There were food stalls provided by the venue, as well as magic booths showcasing experimental spells still under development.
Companies and renowned mages each had their own booths set up.
For someone like me, who grew up in the countryside, this was the first time I had attended an event dealing with magic on such a grand scale.
“Whoa, this is amazing! The excitement here is even bigger than the Otherworld Festival back home.”
“Well, of course! The Magic Ceremony attracts not only prominent figures in the magical world but also high-ranking government officials from various countries. It is not to be compared with some rural festival.”
“I see… So, it’s basically a war.”
There were spells to accelerate tree growth, cultivation magic used in farming, and spirit activation techniques applied in mechanical production.
A pharmaceutical company’s latest revelation—a new drug utilizing magic in its manufacturing process—was particularly drawing attention.
Everywhere I looked, I saw groundbreaking magic I had never encountered before.
“Whoa, Inori’s name is listed as a development collaborator.”
“The ‘Witch of Wisdom’? She’s the most talked-about figure in the pharmaceutical industry these days.”
“Really?”
Back when I was born, the prevailing thought was to keep magic and science separate.
But in recent years, hybridization—merging magic with science to create synergy—had been gaining traction.
Unlike my master, whose work mainly revolved around the Magic Association, Inori frequently took on corporate contracts from pharmaceutical companies.
Sophie primarily worked with local governments, while the Seven Sages operated on a completely different, grander scale.
“Magic-based drugs have been making waves in fields like cancer treatment—reducing risks while enhancing effectiveness—as well as in addiction treatment. In any major pharmaceutical breakthrough, you’ll find Inori’s name. Lately, she’s even ventured into developing treatments for sexually transmitted diseases. There’s hope that she might create a cure for AIDS.”
“You sure know a lot about this.”
“I know everything about the Seven Sages.”
This girl was quite the magic fanatic.
For someone so young, she sure studied a lot.
As I admired her dedication, I suddenly noticed a group of men in suits wearing sunglasses entering my field of vision.
“What’s with those intimidating guys?”
“SPs—security personnel. This place is crawling with big names. If anything were to happen to one of them, it would become worldwide news in an instant. That’s why security here is so tight.”
“Oh wow, I recognize that guy! He’s a famous YouTuber. And over there, that’s another top content creator. Wait, even movie actors are here?”
I never imagined I’d find myself in such a dazzling place.
“Maybe I’ll even find my future husband here… Oof, a movie star, a YouTuber making millions a year… So many choices… Hehehe…”
“What are you muttering about? You’re creeping me out.”
She looked at me with sheer disgust.
I must have had quite the look of unrestrained greed on my face.
“The Magic Ceremony is a grand event showcasing the world’s most advanced magic. If the film industry has the Academy Awards and the Oscars, and fashion has Milan and Paris Fashion Week, then this is their equivalent. It’s not exactly a place for some no-name countryside witchling.”
“Says the kid.”
She sure had a sharp tongue.
It seemed to be an inborn trait.
She kind of reminded me of a certain old hag who constantly ordered me around.
But she had a point.
The Magic Ceremony wasn’t just some festival.
There was something about the atmosphere here—something different.
I could feel it in my bones.
“Still… there sure are a lot of research presentations on time magic.”
Corporate booths mainly focused on pharmaceuticals and industrial applications, but when it came to individual mages, time magic research seemed overwhelmingly dominant.
There were also presentations on spatial teleportation, but even those were primarily framed as applications of time magic.
The girl nodded knowingly. “Well, of course.”
“Time-space magic is the ultimate dream of all magic scholars. It’s the most difficult, most cutting-edge, and most prestigious field. Because so much about it remains unknown, it’s also a realm full of potential.”
“So, time magic is that big of a deal?”
“Indeed. Especially teleportation and internal clock manipulation—companies are pouring massive funds into them. For struggling mages, it’s the perfect way to make a fortune in one shot.”
“Like YouTube, huh? A dream worth chasing. But why time magic? There are so many other fields.”
“The pursuit of eternal youth and instantaneous travel. With those, humanity’s intelligence and capabilities would skyrocket. In space science, it could lead to planetary migration, efficient energy utilization from distant stars, and even waste disposal using the sun. It could solve countless problems.”
“…I guess that makes sense.”
Before coming here, we had used Sophie’s magic to teleport, but that required pre-prepared magic circles at both departure and arrival points, along with specialized knowledge and skills.
What people were aiming for here was something far more seamless and accessible.
“If we master the manipulation of internal clocks, we could halt the progression of degenerative diseases in medicine. Time reversal could even rejuvenate people. And unlike medical procedures, magic is purely skill-based—once the know-how is established, it can be replicated with ease. Low cost, high return. Time-space magic is the ultimate dream of mankind.”
“I see.”
If I really thought about it, it was an incredibly lucrative business.
Magic was a means of bending the laws of reality, holding the potential to surpass the limits of science.
It was a way to achieve the impossible.
At that moment, my master’s face crossed my mind.
If the ‘Eternal Witch’ put her mind to it, she could make immense contributions to the advancement of time magic.
Yet, as far as I knew, she had never pursued such research.
With her abilities, she could easily earn enough to live in one of the world’s most luxurious mansions, without lifting a finger.
Existing techniques alone could be worth tens—no, hundreds of millions.
And yet, she chose to live modestly on the outskirts of Lapis, having her apprentice nurture a forest while leading a quiet life.
Somehow, I felt like I understood why.
Advancing time magic could undoubtedly save countless lives.
But at the same time, it would likely erode the value of life itself—the significance of limited resources and finite existence.
And that, perhaps, would bring about something terrible.
As I watched the girl speak so passionately, I couldn’t shake that uneasy feeling.