Chapter 447: The Conflict Between the Two Schools
As soon as the first sentence was spoken, all the instructors from the Modern School became serious.
After hearing the first thought, many applauded and exclaimed how brilliant the so-called Algebraic Magic was.
If you were a tutor at Saint Felis Magic Academy, you’d definitely be able to grasp this representation.
Compared to their previous way of naming spells, this algebraic approach was concise, clear, and quite iconic.
Marvelous! Simply marvelous!
But hold your horses, that was just the first tidbit.
After listening to the so-called “Analytical Magic” and “Physical Magic,” everyone fell silent.
They were deep in thought.
The leap in Analytical Magic was a bit too much; it had created a gap with their current system.
After all, their math skills only surpassed basic calculations, while the rest was at best middle school level compared to Earth.
And when it came to monsters and magic, starting with three laws meant some serious thought was required.
Could the three laws be proven? What was the basis?
Gradually, everyone’s gaze settled on the group leader.
He was the most qualified and most academic-inclined instructor in the school.
Even the school director paled in comparison.
After what felt like an eternity, the group leader, Eric, finally spoke.
“The first law in these three is an empirical rule, well summarized. The other two can be deduced and are completely correct.”
“As for this analysis… It seems we should gather every data set together, using the finite to derive the infinite. Quite convoluted, but still accurate!”
He wiped his eyes, which were brimming with tears of joy.
“Fantastic! Absolutely fantastic! These three ideas are like magic born from nothing. That vexing problem that’s plagued our school seems to have found a glimmer of hope within these thoughts!”
Director Borne gasped, “Could it be that issue you’ve been pondering for ages?”
“Yes indeed!” Eric’s face lit up with delight. “We might finally figure out how to boost our Modern Magic students’ power ceiling!”
The insufficient power ceiling of Modern Magic students had always been a massive headache for them, not to mention a frequent complaint from many talented students.
Compared to the Classical School, the Modern School’s methods were step-by-step and rigidly sequential, which lowered the entrance barrier.
However, this step-by-step approach meant less flexibility and innovation, leading to a hard limit on their potential.
What magic they were taught was all they could use, and whatever magic was deconstructed within their school was all they could learn.
It was virtually impossible for students to independently innovate their own spells.
Innovation meant starting from scratch and rebuilding step by step—an arduous task.
And, of course, this magic couldn’t escape the confines of magic circles, which were foundational.
Even the most talented students could only construct magic circles with lightning speed after countless rehearsals; they couldn’t skip this step.
In contrast, the Classical School operated on an instinctual flow; one day, they might have a brilliant idea and suddenly create a new spell.
Or they might tweak things here and there purely by luck until, one day, they stumbled upon some new magic.
Of course, they could also accidentally blow things up.
Such was the nature of instinctual flow—flexible and fluid, without rigid demands.
But the barrier to entry was high; most couldn’t cut it.
So naturally, students with higher talents would gravitate towards the Classical School.
Yet, this didn’t mean the Classical School was superior to the Modern School.
On the contrary, the Modern School, because of its lower barriers and faster learning, outperformed the Classical School on average by a significant margin.
But now, with the materials brought in by Edith, there seemed to be a possibility for resolving this issue.
Analytical Magic suggested that modernity could also be flexible and varied, allowing for a plethora of values.
Meanwhile, Physical Magic focused heavily on practicality, demonstrating that magic could unleash its full potential when integrated with real-life situations.
“Edith, where did you get this data?”
They all knew Edith and figured she didn’t have the chops for this.
“Well… it’s a bit embarrassing to admit,” Edith said with a sigh and a shake of her head.
Eric, growing anxious, asked, “What happened? Did you offend someone?”
“No, no, no! Even though I didn’t fully grasp the last two at first, I immediately understood the value of the first one. I definitely wouldn’t dare offend anyone! I was just astonished that our Modern School allowed a Classical School tutor to guide us.”
Borne frowned, “Classical School? Who?”
“Professor Euphilia.”
Borne cracked a bitter smile. “Her…!”
He was the director of the Modern School, while Euphilia was the head of the Classical School—effectively, they were rivals in some sense. Though Euphilia never thought of it that way.
“I still remember when she audited my class, her comments on our Modern School…”
“What did she say?”
“I feel the Modern School isn’t modern enough,” Edith said with a wry grin. “Looking back, she was right.”
Eric chuckled heartily, “What does it matter? Didn’t she also declare the Classical School wasn’t classic enough? She basically just threw shade at both of us!”
“Yes, but she has the credentials and the skills to back it up.”
On the Classical side, she could suggest the most traditional methods, while on the Modern side, she had the ability to propose more modern ideas that left others speechless.
Eric was still grinning, “We’re magic researchers! We value the quality of thought—if it’s true, we can’t deny it. We should pay a visit to Professor Euphilia soon. Maybe even ask for some face-to-face advice.”
“No time like the present; let’s head over right now!”
Over twenty of them departed from their own building and crossed over to the opposite side.
Belonging to the same Magic Academy, the two schools’ research buildings stood face to face.
As the Modern School crew just hopped over the garden between the two buildings, the Classical School suddenly perked up.
What’s going on? Are those old coots coming over here?
If they do, what should we do? Stand our ground, of course!
Thus, they quickly gathered their people, calling forth everyone present, ready to meet their guests with the warmest welcome ceremony.
“Old geezers! What do you think you’re doing trespassing here?”
“Can’t win in a debate, so you’re ready to get physical? Come on, bring it on!”
Nowadays, within the Magic Academy, the number of new students taking Classical School classes far surpassed those in the Modern School, so the Classical School clearly retained the upper hand.
Literally speaking, it was a case of winning the intellectual duel.
As for a physical brawl? As mentioned before, the Modern School just couldn’t cut it at the upper ranks where instructors were concerned—the Classical School had the advantage.
Contenders, beware!
“Uh-oh, but Borne the Director’s here too… That’s problematic.”
“What about our director?”
“Professor Euphilia said she wanted to rest and asked us not to disturb her, so we didn’t call her.”
However, Borne caught snippets of their whispers and blinked in surprise.
“Professor Euphilia is resting? That’s right; rest is important! Let’s come back tomorrow.”
With that, Borne led the group back, departing quietly, leaving a bunch of bewildered Classical School instructors in their wake.
