kscans

Chapter 222 - Episode 16: Part 2 - An Edison-like Epiphany?

"Hmm, so this is the prophetic ancient dragon's eye. I've never seen one this large. And the paths for the flow of magic are incredibly delicate..."

As soon as we entered the Crystal Chamber, Maytyl stared at the crystal with fascination. I wish she would consider her position for a moment.

Luiza's expression didn't change, but I could tell Clau was tense. After all, two and a half of the disasters we've faced so far have been related to the Empire. Though the person in question seemed less concerned and more driven by curiosity.

"Can we begin right away?"

"Yes, we're receiving a signal almost constantly."

Alfina replied. Then she looked at the Iris I was preparing.

"This will be useful for your experiments too, Ricardo-kun, won't it?"

She looked truly happy. Her smile made me uneasy.

"We're just running a short-term test, it will be over quickly. So, um... please, don't overdo it..."

I held up an empty Magic Crystal.

"Is just one enough?"

"Yes, it's still a very important experiment."

I only brought one Crimson Magic Crystal for the charging test from the start. I have no intention of using Alfina as a battery charger. This is purely to test the possibility of charging Crimson Magic Crystals for the battles to come.

And it was true that this was an extremely important experiment. I explained to Alfina the significance of being able to charge Crimson Magic Crystals on a large scale for the coming battles. Alfina nodded firmly as she listened.

I prepared the Iris. Aiming it at the crystal, I set up a Crimson Magic Crystal that had its magic discharged by a Negative Magic Crystal instead of Magic-sensing Paper.

"Please begin."

At my word, Alfina faced the crystal. Maytyl gave a sudden `biku` twitch. The next moment, a vortex of magic rose from the crystal. Was it just my imagination, or was it stronger than before...

I had to end this as quickly as possible. I hurriedly opened the cover on the light path leading to the prism, focusing the purple wavelength onto the Crimson Magic Crystal. I flipped the hourglass.

Maytyl had also begun her own experiment. It seemed to be a test of running purple magic through a sample magic circuit. The theory was that since crimson magic produced faster calculations than red magic, purple would be even faster still. This was to verify that hypothesis.

Every single grain of falling sand was irritating. The moment the designated time was up, I immediately closed the cover on the light path. Enough time had passed that a normal Magic Crystal would have recovered. Maytyl nodded at me as well.

"The experiment is over. You can stop now, it's alright."

Alfina obediently stepped away from the crystal. A faint sheen of sweat dotted her forehead, but at least there was no change in her expression or gait. If anything, she tilted her head as if to ask if that was really all.

Well, call me overprotective, but I was worried.

"What incredible output. It was more than I imagined. It's certainly effective. The only problem is whether the circuit can handle it..."

Maytyl seemed incredibly impressed.

"More importantly. I need you to test this."

I said in a slightly low voice. Alfina seemed fine, but it was bad for my heart.

"I know, I know. Alright then, let's see how well the crimson one has recovered."

Maytyl came over to the Iris. I handed her the crystal. She placed it on her palm and closed her eyes. One second passed, then two. ...Normally, I should be able to see the light leaking from it...

"That's strange."

Maytyl opened her eyes. She stared intently at the jewel in her palm. Come to think of it, something had bothered me earlier. It felt as if the magical light had passed straight through the Magic Crystal. I hadn't paid it any mind because what I see isn't the magic itself, but the light it indirectly produces.

"Does this mean a Crimson Magic Crystal can't be charged with purple magic?"

I asked. Maytyl nodded. My guess had been wrong. Charging a Magic Crystal is more efficient the purer the magical wavelength. In that respect, the purple magic from the crystal was ideal. For it to fail means...

"Was I not helpful?"

"No, that's not true at all."

I said in a hurry.

"Yes, it's not a welcome result, but finding out in advance that it doesn't work is a huge gain."

Maytyl said. She was right. If we had based our strategy on the premise that we could recycle Crimson Magic Crystals, only to find out it was impossible right before, it would have been a catastrophe.

"Still, it's a bit strange. I wonder if the conditions are different from a normal Magic Crystal."

Maytyl rolled the Crimson Magic Crystal with her fingertips.

There was a possibility. If charging a Magic Crystal with magic was 'excitation' as I imagined, then we would need to apply just the right amount of energy. It might not be a simple matter of using a high-energy wavelength. I had been assuming that, unlike with electrons, the energy levels of magic were simpler, but...

"No, wait. Energy levels? The same as electron excitation... Ah!"

Perhaps I had been fundamentally mistaken this whole time. I had been understanding it through the metaphor of magic as light and sorcery circuits as electronic circuits, but that's strange when you think about it. Sorcery circuits should be understood as optical circuits. That in itself is fine.

But if that's the case...

"You've thought of something, Ricardo."

"Yeah. Well, I have no proof. But I've thought of one problem. What is it that becomes empty inside a Magic Crystal?"

"Is it not... magic?"

"Yes, there was another possibility. What if the thing that flowed from the Magic Crystal to the Negative Magic Crystal wasn't magic..."

At my words, Alfina and Maytyl looked puzzled. And rightly so, since magic was actually flowing.

"First, I want to try this."

Proof is better than theory. I brought a Negative Magic Crystal into contact with a scrap Magic Crystal. A light flared and then subsided. With that, this Magic Crystal was now empty. And if my theory was correct...

I picked up a Crimson Magic Crystal that still had plenty of magic left in it.

"Use this to charge the empty scrap Magic Crystal."

With that, I placed the scrap Magic Crystal in the Iris.

"...So even though our hopes of replenishing them were just dashed, you're going to use a crimson one to charge a scrap Magic Crystal."

With a look of dissatisfaction, Maytyl drew out the magic from the Crimson Magic Crystal. The crimson wavelength, purified by the dragon crystal, struck the magic-depleted scrap Magic Crystal. After a moment, I removed the scrap crystal and handed it to Maytyl.

"...Huh?"

Maytyl looked surprised as she held the Magic Crystal between her fingers.

"Just as I thought. The magic hasn't been charged. Right?"

"...Y, yes."

Maytyl looked bewildered.

"My interpretation of the phenomenon caused by the Negative Magic Crystal was completely wrong. What was flowing wasn't magic. It was the particles that generate magic, trapped inside the Magic Crystal."

Magic is a type of force. In my previous life, there were four types. Gravity, electromagnetism, the strong nuclear force, and the weak nuclear force. And in this world, there is magic in addition to those.

And in my past life, all four forces shared a common structure. There are particles that 'generate' the force, and there are the particles of the generated force, the force carriers.

For example, in the case of electromagnetism, the electric force, light is the force-mediating particle, the force carrier. It's highly likely that the magic drawn from a Magic Crystal is also carried by some kind of force particle that doesn't exist in the universe of my past life.

And, if magic corresponds to photons, then considering the 'universal properties of force,' what's inside the Magic Crystal is...

"In short, a Magic Crystal is no different from Edison's light bulb... So a Negative Magic Crystal isn't so much 'negative' as it is..."

Concepts from my past life bubbled up in my mind, putting everything in order.

"Ricardo-kun?"

"He's probably fine. Noel said it too, but when Ricardo starts saying strange things like this, something amazing is sure to come of it."

"Is that so? Even though I don't understand it..."

"I suppose so. In this field, Ricardo and I have spent so much time together..."

I finally connected it to the concepts I learned in my past life. I had long considered magic to be the fifth force of physics, and I even thought that recharging magic was excitation, yet look at this mess. A physics student would have realized this in an instant.

I looked at Alfina and Maytyl, exasperated with myself. For some reason, a smug-looking Maytyl and a slightly pouting Alfina were facing off.

What happened?

Oh well, I'll explain when we get back to the lab. With my own vague understanding, I won't be able to explain it with words alone.