The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 411 The Law of Conservation of Magic Energy
With the turmoil of the maze trial coming to an end, the dejected Ophia finally regained her former liveliness and cheerfulness.

As Ophia's best friend, Ilana was the first to notice that Ophia was different from usual.

One afternoon, the two sat on a bench in the back courtyard of the Great Sage's Tower. Ilana, who was concerned about her, finally couldn't contain her curiosity and asked.

"Ophia, have you... encountered something good lately?"

“I guess so.” Ophia stretched and said in a casual tone, “There’s someone… well, someone I’ve admired for a long time, and recently I’ve found that I know a little more about him.”

Ilana looked at her in surprise, her curiosity growing even stronger.

"...What's the reason?"

Ophia smiled slightly at her best friend's question.

"secret."

secret?

Ilana tilted her head in confusion, but seeing that Ophia didn't seem to intend to continue the topic, she didn't press the matter further.

The leisurely time came to an end with the ringing of the bell signaling the end of the lunch break. The two got up and followed the crowd into the bustling Tower of the Great Sage.

Although the turmoil within the tower was far from over, it did not affect the magic apprentices who were busy with their studies, nor did it affect the prince who had no interest in fame or fortune.

Since the hearing concluded its investigation, research at the Magic Science Laboratory and Corinta has returned to normal.

Although many ambitious mages advised Colin through the "Virtual Realm Resource Restructuring Committee" to seize this once-in-a-lifetime power vacuum to expand the influence of the "Science" school in the Tower of Great Sages, Luo Yan politely declined them all with a smile.

From the very beginning, he never intended to make the scientific school bigger and stronger.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so careful in selecting each apprentice for the Magic Science Laboratory; he would have let all those ambitious guys in long ago.

The Tower of Great Sages is not lacking in ambitious but unappreciated talents, but the seekers who yearn for truth are the true treasures hidden in the shadows.

That's what he really wanted to take with him.

As for those dregs—

Let them stay here.

Prince Colin's complacent attitude disappointed many of the ambitious men who gathered around him, and some even distanced themselves from him as a result.

This unexpected sense of relaxation made Uriel, who was on high alert and ready to fight, feel like he had punched cotton.

In order to meet the challenge from the scientific school, Aristotle II made many painstaking preparations, but now it seems that all these preparations have become a one-man show.

Prince Colin didn't even bother to respond.

Want to take over Alistair's legacy?

Then take it.

……

As time passed, good news seemed to arrive from Huangtong Pass: with the war stabilizing again, the Great Sage was finally returning.

All the professors and tutors were hoping that His Highness the Great Sage would return to take charge, especially Professor Hector, who had been wrongly accused and was waiting for His Highness to come and uphold justice for him.

Luo Yan, however, was not interested in this at all. Instead, he was excited about the good news from Alberto, the shop owner on Craftsman Street.

After more than half a month of searching, the craftsman finally got in touch with his mentor, James Wally.

This silver-level mage, whose research was not valued and who was unable to make a breakthrough, was forced to leave the tower and become the lord's tutor and bodyguard in a baronial territory of the Kingdom of Rhodes.

Now, upon learning that an imperial prince had arrived at the Academy and that this prince had a keen interest in his research, the disheartened scholar saw a renewed hope for a second spring in his career. He immediately resigned from his well-paid job and rushed back from the Kingdom of Rhodes.

Clearly, he cared more about the pursuit of truth and the unknown than about worldly interests.

Since Mr. James was no longer a mentor at the Tower of Great Sages, and re-entering the institution would take some time, Luo Yan met with this "legendary" scholar not in his laboratory, but in his private study.

He was a middle-aged man with a square face, wearing a monocle. He was dressed in a simple, faded robe and had a slightly hunched back from years of working at his desk.

When he entered the study, his steps were somewhat hesitant, and he clutched an old felt hat tightly in his hand, as if he didn't know what to do with it.

"Your Highness, Your Highness."

Luo Yan was very familiar with that anxious look in his eyes.

When Teach first met him, he was in the same predicament, wanting to bet everything, including his life, but unsure where to begin.

"Mr. WALL-E, please have a seat."

Luo Yan smiled and got up from behind the desk, personally pulling out an armchair for him. Then, with a gentle flick of his right hand, the teapot flew above the teacup.

"You must be tired from your journey. Try my treasured tea. I hope this cup of hot tea can ward off the chill of the North."

A steaming cup of tea was placed in front of him. James was flattered and waved his hands repeatedly, but finally accepted it.

"You flatter me, Your Highness, you're too kind..."

"Don't be so formal. In the Mage Tower, I'm just a mage who pursues the truth, no different from you."

Luo Yan sat back down in his seat and began to speak in a gentle tone.

“Your student Alberto often mentions you to me, praising your talent highly, especially your ideas about ‘artificial minds’ and ‘autonomous puppet cores,’ which I personally find very interesting. However, after reviewing your research, I couldn’t find any further details, which is a real pity.”

Hearing his research mentioned so clearly by an imperial prince, a glimmer of light flashed in James's eyes, which had been somewhat dimmed by disappointment.

His tense shoulders unconsciously relaxed a little, and he replied cautiously, "Those...those were just some immature daydreams."

He paused, gripped his teacup tighter, and said apologetically.

"As for the lack of follow-up... that's because it wasn't finished. I apologize for making you laugh."

"Every great creation originates from a seemingly impractical 'fantasy.' Just because it can't be realized today doesn't mean it can't be realized in the future."

Luo Yan smiled slightly, not continuing the topic, but instead handed Ilana's draft of the paper that had been rejected by the Sage's Journal to him.

"To be frank, one of my students has completed a paper, but encountered some... obstacles when submitting it. I know a little about arithmetic, but magical theory is really not my forte. I wonder if I could ask you, a true expert, to help me with some corrections?"

These humble words completely dispelled James's nervousness, replacing it with a feeling of being respected and trusted.

He solemnly took the manuscript and initially read it politely, but his expression froze the moment his eyes swept over the first page.

He adjusted his glasses, brought his nose close to the manuscript paper, almost sticking it to the paper.

His eyes darted rapidly, word by word, his fingers trembling as he traced the complex formulas, muttering to himself.

"Incredible..."

Luo Yan was not surprised by his shock; he simply smiled and took a sip of hot tea.

"Your Highness, may I borrow a pen?" James suddenly looked up, his excited eyes like those of a believer who had witnessed a miracle.

“Of course.” Luo Yan nodded slightly, and with a gentle wave of his wand, a quill flew out of his drawer and landed in front of James.

A piece of manuscript paper also drifted away with it.

"Thank you!" James said, blushing as he thanked him. He quickly took the paper and pen and began to work out his calculations.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Luo Yan estimated that he would need some more time to understand the complex theories of differential and variational calculus, so he suggested that he take it back and study it slowly.

But at that moment, James suddenly stood up with a "whoosh," his excited face showing uncontrollable shock.

"This is unbelievable... Your Highness, are you sure this was really written by your student?! And not by you?!"

“I only did some auxiliary work, it’s nothing to mention.”

Setting down his teacup, Luo Yan looked at his excited expression, raised an eyebrow with interest, and asked a question he already knew the answer to.

“However, I’m surprised you think so highly of this paper… Could you tell me what’s so special about it?” “Special? Your Highness… This is more than just special! This is a groundbreaking achievement!”

James's face flushed with excitement. He pointed to the formula on the manuscript and spoke rapidly in an almost trembling voice.

"For thousands of years, every magician on the continent of Os has known that the higher the level of magic, the more magical power it consumes. The greater the miracle you want to borrow from the gods, the greater the price you have to pay! However, this obvious experience for all magicians has never been explained axiomatically, nor has anyone been able to prove or calculate it!"

He took a deep breath, his tone filled with boundless admiration for the paper's authors.

"But the 'path optimization equation' in this paper does it! It proves, from a mathematical perspective, that 'magic conservation' is not just our intuition, but an objective axiom of the universe! It transforms a vague concept into a set of mathematical formulas that can be precisely calculated! Although I haven't fully understood how this formula was calculated..."

At this point, James looked a little embarrassed. He had spent his whole life trying to prove the conservation of magic energy mathematically, but he never expected that when someone presented him with the answer, he couldn't even understand what it said.

of course.

With a few simple sets of data and the formula usage methods introduced in the paper, he could tell at a glance that the formula was not made up.

James's eyes gleamed with fervor as he looked at Luo Yan almost pleadingly: "Your Highness, please tell me, who is the author of this paper?"

Although he was pleased that his student had received such praise, Luo Yan still felt a little embarrassed by James's enthusiasm.

He coughed lightly and said.

“A master… she probably wouldn’t call herself one yet. Mr. James, as I said before, she is my apprentice.”

“An apprentice…?” James’s expression froze instantly, and he blurted out almost instinctively, “You mean, a magic apprentice? Who completed… the project I left in the lab?”

"Yes."

Luo Yan nodded gently, his mild tone carrying a hint of a smile.

"Moreover, strictly speaking, she is currently only a prospective student."

"A prospective student?! Saint Sith above..."

James was completely shocked.

He stared blankly at the manuscript in his hand, then at the composed prince before him, feeling as if his decades of academic knowledge had been completely overturned in that moment…

However, the shock and ecstasy did not last long.

As his wandering thoughts returned to the present, the flush on James' face gradually faded, replaced by a deep sense of helplessness.

Luo Yan blew on the tea leaves floating in his cup and casually asked a question.

"what happened?"

James sighed heavily, put the paper back on the table, and gave a bitter smile.

"I... am just a little disappointed."

He paused, looking at the paper on the table with a complicated expression, and continued.

"Even this great achievement, which is enough to go down in the history of magic, is not enough to impress the sages in the tower... I think it's probably pointless for me to come back."

Fulfilling the law of conservation of magical energy was his lifelong pursuit.

The formula established in the paper in front of him not only perfectly filled the missing piece of the "law of conservation of magic energy," but also provided a theoretical basis for further energy conservation and "the interconversion of different forms of energy."

If even such results are not enough to catch the eye of the reviewers at The Wise Man's Journal, then all his efforts seem to be in vain.

Seeing James's dejected mood, Luo Yan did not comfort him, but after thinking for a moment, he spoke.

"Truth does not become truth by claiming it to be truth, nor does wisdom become wisdom by claiming it to be wisdom. Mr. James, I tell my students that when you feel lost, you should trust your own judgment and just be yourself... Now, I want to pass this on to you."

"Since you acknowledge that this is a remarkable task, I think... completing it would be more meaningful than complaining and feeling frustrated. What do you think?"

James was slightly taken aback, and his eyes, which had been dimmed by disappointment, seemed to have a glimmer of light rekindled because of these words.

Complete it...

Wasn't I back precisely to complete that unfinished research?
If it were for worldly gain or the admiration of others, he could obtain even more through his magic in the Kingdom of Rhodes!
Why come back here?

He looked at the young prince before him, his expression more moved than ever before, and suddenly stood up from his chair.

Seeing the surprised expression on Prince Colin's face, he bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Your Highness. You have helped me find my direction in life when I was lost. I think... this must be the will of God."

Seeing the serious expression on James's face, Luo Yan gradually suppressed his surprise and nodded with genuine satisfaction.

"It is my honor to be able to help a promising scholar. I believe that the future Tower of Great Sages will be different because of your return today."

“Perhaps, though I don’t have such lofty ambitions,” James grinned, paused for a moment, and then continued in a serious tone, “Although I have lost faith in the Great Sage’s Tower, if it were you… I would be willing to follow you for the rest of my life!”

Luo Yan smiled as he read the declaration of loyalty.

“I’m glad you think that way, but… to be honest, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stay here for much longer.”

James looked up in surprise.

"what?!"

etc--

Didn't you call me back?
What does "can't stay long" mean?!

James could not possibly question the prince in that way, but the look of astonishment in his eyes clearly showed it on his face.

Luo Yan sighed and said softly.

“The situation has changed. The letter you received arrived too late, and a lot has happened in the meantime. But don’t worry, although I may not be here for long, I will definitely get your re-employment sorted out before I leave… Also, the Magic Science Laboratory, which is your original laboratory, you can continue your research there, and it won’t have any impact even if I’m not here.”

He planned to have Miss Castellion take over the laboratory.

That fellow, like himself, wasn't cut out to be a scholar, but as a lord, he was more than capable of providing shelter for scholars.

He spent a lot of time cultivating the "bond" between her and the other apprentices, and now that work is done.

Unaware of what had happened during this time, James simply stared blankly at His Highness the Prince before finally uttering a single sentence after a long while.

"But...why?"

"Similar reasons to yours," Luo Yan gazed at the unchanging snowfield outside the window, "Perhaps I will pass through here again, but I ultimately do not belong here. Either I leave on my own, or... I can only wait for others to come and drive me away. Why not be more dignified?"

He didn't explain further, but simply took out a beautifully crafted business card from his pocket.

The front of the business card features the words "Roxai Collin" in gold foil, while the back displays a simple yet precise map of the continent of Janna.

“Our world is vast, and the Northern Wastes is just the tip of the iceberg. If one day you really can’t make it here anymore, you can also bring your project to Deadwood Harbor to find me.”

Luo Yan smiled and placed the business card in James's slightly trembling hand. "Give this business card to the governor there, and he will bring you to see me."

He paused, then adopted a serious tone and continued.

"Until then, I hope you can stay here, continue to complete your theory, and give some guidance to my still immature students from the perspective of a magician."

"Science can exist without Colin, but it cannot exist without them... Well, you may not know what science is, but you can ask my students, and they will tell you."

James didn't understand the word he was hearing for the first time, but he could feel the unprecedented solemnity in the prince's voice.

He took a deep breath, placed his right hand, which was used to holding a wand, against his chest, and bowed solemnly like a knight of the Kingdom of Rhodes.

"Your Highness, I swear in the name of Saint Sith! I will fulfill your instructions and continue along the path you have shown me!"

"Just swear by your surname," Luo Yan nodded with a smile, looking into those devout eyes as he continued, "I look forward to your future performance—"

"And our future reunion!"

(End of this chapter)