Victoria and Sylvia sat side by side in the waiting room.
Around them, some contestants were doing some last-minute cramming, some were resting with their eyes closed, and others were pacing anxiously back and forth.
A tense atmosphere hung over the entire waiting area.
Sylvia kept fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, her gaze repeatedly straying toward the corridor leading to the Final Defense conference room. At last, she could not help speaking:
"I wonder how Senior Greg is doing now... He isn't pushing himself too hard again, is he?"
Victoria leaned back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest. At that, she raised an eyebrow, her tone seemingly casual but filled with quiet certainty:
"If it's him, I'm sure he'll be fine."
"Huh?"
Sylvia turned to her in surprise. "Victoria, I didn't realize you had so much faith in Senior Greg."
"It's not really faith. I just..."
Victoria propped up her chin thoughtfully. "I get the feeling that no matter what happens, that guy always finds a way to bluff his way through. So I figure this shouldn't be a problem for him either."
I never thought Victoria already understood Senior Greg so well...
Sylvia's eyes dimmed a little at those words, but she soon rallied, nodded, and said softly:
"That's true... Senior Greg always manages to do something unexpected."
Meanwhile, inside the Final Defense conference room, Greg had officially connected to the Hachimi brain interface. Facing the gazes of the five Academy Heads, he no longer felt the slightest guilt.
Isadora announced, "Then please begin explaining your views on this topic."
Greg nodded and began reciting the knowledge he had just received in his mind:
"Regarding the Origin of Magic, we must first clarify a basic premise: magic as we understand it today