After Fang Zheng tore apart their landing ship, the live broadcast feed cut off. But the lecture hall did not calm down because of it; instead, it erupted into an uproar. Quite a few people raised their hands and directed their questions at Shizuku Kitayama on the podium.
"How did you make magic work on machinery? Even if such a massive machine were moved with Flying Magic, that wouldn't be easy!"
"Kasugano developed a new energy core to serve as its power supply."
"What weapons did you equip that mecha with?"
"Kitayama Industries is not a military company. We are not licensed to manufacture weapons."
Shizuku Kitayama had no choice but to clarify.
"Those were all Kasugano's designs. Everything you just saw was merely the result of him using the mecha to cast magic."
"What kind of joke is this? You're saying that enormous mecha can cast magic? How is that possible?"
"I'm sorry, but that is not the subject of this lecture."
"..."
Question after question was hurled at Shizuku Kitayama as if they would never end. Students, instructors, and those who had come to watch the thesis competition all wore eager, anxious expressions as they voiced the doubts buried deep in their hearts. It was no wonder they were so excited. Modern research into magic in this world had only begun a few decades ago. Put simply, while everyone was still discussing how to improve the power of steam locomotives, someone had thrown a maglev train at them—and brought out a finished product. In that situation, they could either question their entire lives or do everything possible to gain more knowledge.
Faced with the torrent of questions—or rather, interrogation—Honoka Mitsui was so frightened she could barely remain standing. Yet Shizuku Kitayama continued standing calmly at the podium, answering