Second Place is First Place!

Lucien found a seat in the audience, his gaze sweeping over the players still battling it out, his thoughts already drifting to the next arrangement.

After today's activities are finished, all that's left is free crafting, and then we'll finalize the magic communication book's finishing touches...

Hmm, after the game ends, I'll go to the library.

During my few days in Beauxbatons, I've seen most of the sights, but Lucien's most frequent place is still the well-stocked library.

As one of the three major magic schools in Europe, Beauxbatons ' library, in terms of both quantity and scope, will not disappoint Lucien.

It's a pity that I haven't been able to read many books in just half a month. In the future...

A fleeting idea suddenly popped into Lucien's mind: what if he applied for professorships at magic schools all over the world after graduation, teaching students while reading books, moving on to the next school after finishing one? Traveling ten thousand miles and reading ten thousand books at the same time?

Or is there some kind of magic that can create clones, so you can send one to each region? That would definitely greatly improve learning efficiency...

As Lucien's thoughts wandered, time quietly slipped by.

Madame Maxime glanced at the magic clock, and as the hour hand pointed to the designated mark, her loud and clear voice once again resounded throughout the hall:

"Match time is over. All players, please stop operating and leave the alchemy table."

Upon hearing this, the contestants on stage all stopped what they were doing.

Apart from Durmstrang, who made a mistake midway and had to remake a part and seemed a bit rushed, the others had plenty of time and mostly did final checks and stabilization work.

The professors' review and scoring proceeded quickly. The evaluation criteria for the Microclimate Bottle were clear and intuitive, simulating the types and stability of different climates.

Without any suspense, Lucien's submission, with its undeniably excellent quality, received a perfect score of thirty.

At this point, the three-school Alchemy Exchange Tournament has completed three stages: two written tests (each worth 20 points) and one designated alchemy practical test (worth 30 points).

Lucien scored full marks in the first three rounds, giving him a commanding lead in total score.

Maxime then announced the rules for the final and longest segment:

"Next will be the 'Free Alchemy' segment. Each contestant will have a private alchemy classroom, and no one else may enter except for themselves. The classroom will be enchanted with appropriate magic to ensure that the alchemy process is not disturbed..."

The contestants will have a full week to independently complete an alchemical item of their choice.

Beauxbatons will no longer provide any materials; all necessary materials must be obtained by the participants themselves.

Alchemy and potions are disciplines that can create immense value, but their study requires, first and foremost, an investment of resources.

To put it bluntly, you have to burn money before you can make money.

The ability to acquire suitable and rare raw materials is itself a reflection of the comprehensive abilities of an outstanding Alchemy or potion maker.

This week will be a test not only of skills but also of resource planning.

"A week from now, all the works will undergo a unified review. At that time, in addition to us," Maxime gestured to several professors from our school and other schools beside him, "We will also invite several renowned alchemists recognized throughout the Wizarding World to serve as judges, to ensure that works of different types and ideas can be evaluated objectively and fairly."

The Microclimate Bottle was selected for the designated project just now. Since the standards are uniform, it is sufficient for the professors from the three universities to make the evaluation.

However, since free-form judging is unrestrained and lacks a unified standard, introducing a broader and more authoritative third-party judging panel is undoubtedly the best way to ensure fairness and authority.

After the rules were announced, the contestants reacted in various ways, but most no longer showed any strong desire to compete for the "championship".

With Lucien, the "monster" who scored three perfect scores with near-overwhelming ease, ahead of them, the question of who would win the overall first place was already a foregone conclusion.

Why not treat second place as first place? Then we can still try our best to improve!