Sky City, Nevis, the headquarters of the journal Arcana.
The Small Teleportation Array suddenly lit up, and the Grand Mages on duty each received a notification.
They picked it up and read it, and all were immediately astounded.
"Full conversion to Oracle: lumens (unit of luminous flux) +18.21%, duration +15.36%, scribing time -12.11%, material consumption -51.08%..."
"Comparisons across multiple sets of experimental data..."
"Spell scroll improvement techniques..."
"An introduction to the magical adaptation of Oracle..."
"Incredible! Once fully converted to Oracle runes, the improvements over the original were actually this great!"
"The estimates in the previous paper were correct!"
"The instability in the spell structures demonstrated earlier was actually caused by misunderstandings and mixing in Elvish Script?"
Roland had become something of a rising celebrity in arcane circles lately. Anyone with eyes could see that these were his results, and his response to the earlier doubts and criticisms.
Faced with a paper capable of founding an entirely new discipline, anonymity and confidentiality no longer meant anything. A fresh round of heated discussion immediately swept through the headquarters of Arcana.
"Have you heard? Oracle... has been adapted for magic!
Scribing scrolls entirely in Oracle works. At least, there are no problems with using it for the vast majority of level 0 spells!"
"Oh, come on. You called me over here acting all mysterious, and I thought something had happened. Isn't it just another magical script?"
"This one's different. Its figures really are better than Elvish Script across the board!"
"What? Doesn't that mean it's a supermagic script?"
"The news came from the High Mages working with the Grand Mages. Quite a few High Mages have already been trying to reproduce the results as review assistants!"
As for whether it's a supermagic script, we'll find out in time!"
Opinions flew back and forth.
Sure enough, within just a few days, someone successfully reproduced Roland's results in a laboratory.
For those High Mages, Light was about as minor a cantrip as could be. Scribing a scroll like that was certainly no difficult task.
Instead, it was the process of learning Oracle, mastering it, and adapting it for magic that took some effort.
Even following the paper's instructions, they found it rather taxing.
It gave them all the strange impression that they had returned to their Apprentice Student days, dutifully studying the basics.
Fortunately, spells such as Scholar's Zeal provided considerable help.
With their exceptional intelligence and various methods, they still managed to reproduce the results within just a few days.
The outcome was beyond doubt. Once they had successfully mastered it, they also learned the technique for improving spell scrolls.
"It really is an improvement across the board!"
The result was so astonishing that it even overshadowed Atrelin's traditional New Year celebrations. The mages were busy discussing it throughout the holiday.
Something remarkable happened. Almost from the day the headquarters of Arcana received the submission, the voices of opposition and criticism vanished overnight.
Those people were no fools. Stubbornly bad-mouthing Oracle at a time like this would only get them torn to shreds.
"He actually managed to produce results of this caliber?"
Gallo was well informed and heard the news almost immediately.
When he learned that Roland had fully converted Light to Oracle in one go, and had even used a substantial investment of gold to improve the runes for nearly a hundred level 0 spells, he immediately realized that his own side's schemes had failed.
Nothing could stop the magical adaptation of Oracle!
If they had completed Light alone, one could have argued that it only suited Light.
If they had added two or three more, one could still have argued that it only suited those few...
But they had improved the spell scrolls for nearly a hundred level 0 spells. What else was there to say?
As for the stability of the spell structures...
The full conversion of Light to Oracle had already proved that it was not a problem.
Their own side simply had not mastered it properly, introducing errors when mixing it with Elvish Script!
"What do we do, Gallo...?"
The members of the school looked toward their young leader, bewilderment in their eyes.
"Were we wrong all along?"
"We didn't hurt him at all. We only helped the brat make a name for himself."
"I don't believe it! I'll try reproducing it myself!"
Finally coming back to his senses, Gallo summoned servants to fetch various papers and inks, then began his attempts with a grave expression.
"Right, there might still be some flaw in it!"
The other members of the Orthodox Runes School hurried to help, like drowning people clutching at a lifeline.
Before long, a new orb of Light formed in Gallo's palm.
"He really solved it!"
Gallo's hand trembled slightly, as though he were holding something terrifying.
As they gazed at the orb, bright but not dazzling, like a creation of the gods, everyone present realized that spell scrolls...
No, the entire magical script industry was about to be turned upside down!
"Maybe it only works for this one spell? Try the others!"
Oksaya still refused to believe it. But after finding a few excerpts from the paper and reproducing one of its improvements to Prestidigitation, he too fell silent.
"Forget it. There's no point in continuing the tests.
Oracle and the results of its magical adaptation have truly established themselves!"
Gallo slumped into his seat and waved a hand, beginning to question everything.
They were not the only ones testing the experimental results now. Plenty of other people following the matter were doing the same.
In other words, no one had found a flaw.
But... it's still infuriating!
Why does seeing him succeed feel even worse than failing myself?
January 10, 10024, at the final review hearing, in a solemn, imposing hall.
"That concludes the review, which resulted in unanimous approval. Let us begin the vote."
Antonia, a legendary mage and grand arcanist, looked at the manuscript in his hands with mixed emotions. He, too, found it incredible.
Judging by his experience, a new discipline really was about to be born.
It would bring many changes to Atrelin.
The adjudication panel, comprising High Mages, Arcane Commissioners (Grand Mages), and three Grand Mages serving on rotation, began its vote.
Before long, countless Arcane Marks rose like brilliant stars into the night sky, slowly floating toward the hall's vaulted ceiling before finally merging into a special mark belonging to the journal Arcana.
Entirely as expected, Roland had once again secured the opportunity to publish in Arcana.
"This panel hereby grants approval for publication!"
Antonia struck the gavel.
With that heavy, muffled knock, all the turmoil of recent days seemed to come to a definitive end.
Yet everyone understood that the impact of this matter had only just begun!
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