A Wonderful Match

After the mascots from both sides had made their entrance, it was time for the Quidditch players to enter the pitch.

Ludo Bagman was shouting the name of every Quidditch player at the top of his lungs. When Viktor Krum finally appeared, the atmosphere in the stadium was completely ignited, and countless spectators cheered for Krum.

"So this is Viktor Krum?"

Albert studied the young Seeker hovering above the pitch on his broom through his Panoramic Binoculars with great interest. He was a tall, lean man with thick brows, large eyes, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. He was not particularly handsome—certainly nothing like a pretty boy.

Accompanied by the referee's shrill whistle, the match officially began.

Both sides' Flying Brooms were incredibly fast. The Bludger was rapidly passed among the Chasers from the very start. Even Albert had to admit that compared with the thrilling match before him, Hogwarts Quidditch Matches were practically children's play.

However, compared with the match itself, Albert was more interested in the Panoramic Binoculars in his hands. He had discovered another use for the thing: as long as he turned the slow-motion dial on the right, it could slow everything within his field of view. It was practically black technology.

As far as Albert could remember, there was no magic capable of producing such an effect.

Even more remarkably, if he pressed the match analysis button on top and aimed the lenses at the attacking Chasers, purple text such as "Eagle Head Offensive Formation" would appear. Even Albert could not immediately figure out how it worked.

Yet despite possessing such advanced technology, the magical world was astonishingly backward in certain respects, especially when it came to communication devices like the one that had appeared at the International Alchemy Conference.

If he had not seen