Because it was temporarily used as an examination room, the layout in the real room looked a little empty, and the professional magic lamp was not lit, but the curtains were directly opened to let in the natural light outside.

"Apprentice Moriarty, commissioned by the Hockenheim Academy, I and Master Michelle will preside over your annual assessment. Do you have any doubts about this? According to the rules of the college, you have one chance to appeal and can ask for a change of examiner. Suke said to Moriarty first, obviously he was the chief examiner with a higher professional rank, and the female mage was in a supporting position.

"No, sir." Moriarty sat up straight and said.

"Good. Mage Michelle. With that, Suke turned to look at the female mage.

"Okay, Master Suke." Michelle nodded, then looked at the test participant coldly, with some arrogance in his eyes: "Apprentice Moriarty, because your magic courses in the past school year have been all about the basic theory of magic, so this annual assessment will also be based on this. ”

"Of course."

"Conventionally, you have 10 minutes to think about it before answering a question." The female mage added.

"Thank you."

"So, let's start now." Michelle's words were simple and straightforward.

"Please." Moriarty took a light breath and said.

"Please specify: four magical elements and at least three derivatives." Master Suk asked first.

"The four magical elements: water, fire, air, and earth; Three Elemental Tokens: Thunder, Ice, and Stone. Moriarty replied unhurriedly.

"Please briefly describe the relationship between mana, spirit, and elemental affinity." Master Suk nodded, then asked a second question.

"Mana provides the energy to activate the spell casting; Spirits build spell structures; Elemental affinity allows mages to communicate with the elemental plane more effectively. However, in a strict sense, there is no zài companionship between the above three, nor is it mutually helpful. Therefore, I very much agree with the view of His Excellency the Grand Arcanist of Tacitus in his essay "On the Three Pillars of Magic": 'Mana, spirit, and elemental affinity are but three flesh rods that mages use to curry favor with the goddess of magic, and although they all look similar, they are completely different goods, and they serve three completely different black holes'. Moriati thought for a moment, then said.

"Have you read the books of His Excellency the Grand Arcanist of Tacito? You must know that your Excellency's thoughts and writings have always been synonymous with bias and radicalism in the eyes of mainstream mages and scholars. Although the Grand Arcanist of Tacitus had died fifty years ago, the debate over him continued. Master Suk glanced at Moriarty with some surprise and said.

"Geniuses and madmen often just hover on two sides of a thin thread, but sadly, the world often can't accommodate both." Moriarty replied with a faint smile.

"Apprentice Moriarty, please write: the decay equation of the magic element and the derivation formula for the transformation of the water element into the ice element." At this moment, Master Michelle suddenly pointed to a glass blackboard on the other side of the room.

Looking at the female mage's expression, it seemed that she was a little dissatisfied with Moriarty's slightly fishy statement just now quoting the Grand Arcanist of Tacitore, so she directly raised a rather complicated magic number thesis. Such a question will definitely not be able to cope with the test taker with slightly poor numeracy ability. This is because in the derivation of equations and formulas, at least three auxiliary calculation conventions and two geometric theorems of magic structures need to be used. This is almost the highest-end theoretical question that may occur in the mage's apprentice level assessment. Even Master Michelle himself, without special preparation, cannot guarantee that he can be deduced on the spot. …,

"Okay, as you wish." Moriarty glanced at the mage, smiled gently, then stood up and walked over to the large glass blackboard, picked up a white pen, and began to write.

After about ten minutes, two-thirds of the area on the blackboard, which is four meters long and two meters high, is covered with meticulous and neat reasoning formulas. Putting down the white pen, Moriarty turned around and stood beside the blackboard, settling. Then, the two mages walked over to the blackboard and watched.

"Very well, Moriarty, your answer is flawless. To be honest, your table surprises me. Standing in front of the blackboard and scrutinizing it for nearly five minutes, Master Suk turned his head to Moriarty and said, his eyes filled with appreciation.

"You're right." Although she was still a little unhappy in her heart, looking at the string of clear and logical reasoning formulas in front of her, the female mage was also secretly frightened. You know, this question was an additional test question that she decided on improvisedly this morning, but she took it out in advance because of the excitement in her heart just now. I didn't expect Moriarty to finish it so lightly, it was unbelievable.

"Thank you." Moriarty, who scored another point, smiled slightly, not in a hurry or impatient.

"Please be seated." Master Su Ke sat back down at the back of the test bench and said, "Based on the table of the three questions just now, I think your annual assessment results can already be rated as excellent. However, I have one more essay question here that you have assigned to you to answer. ”

"Your Excellency?" Moriarty's mind flashed with Schmidt's name, but he remained unmoved: "Please, Master Suke." ”

"Apprentice Moriarty, please discuss the significance of alchemy to the Great Magic System." Master Suke smiled and asked.

"Alchemy? Sure enough..."

Moriarty's heart moved, but he didn't rush to answer, but slowly closed his eyes and began to ponder, this was the first time he had used ten minutes of reflection since entering the examination room.

After about nine and a half minutes of meditation, Moriarty opened his eyes and replied:

"Alchemy, at its root, is the materialization of magic. As we all know, most of the magic and magical powers are displayed and embodied in an energetic way. Although it is gorgeous, it is lacking in emptiness. However, alchemy has used the alchemy equation and the structural magic array to 'materialize' and fix the originally virtual magic. This is a subversive and revolutionary impetus for the diverse use of magic. On the other hand, the magic props created by alchemy also give ordinary people ways and opportunities to use magic. In other words, alchemists used guò alchemy, bridging the boundaries between the magical world and the real world, greatly expanding the significance of magic to the whole world. ”

"So you mean that alchemists will dominate the wizarding world in the future and become the ruler of the mages?" At this time, the female mage suddenly asked a sharp question.

"I'm sorry, Master Michelle. Due to the limitations of existing alchemy techniques and the scarcity of magical materials, the role of the alchemist cannot really be realized. Moriarty shook his head and said, "Especially magic items, for example, are still scarce for mages, how can they be popularized among civilians?" The problem Moriarty is talking about is the key to the inability of magic to become a truly dominant force in this world. Because of its lack of universality, the flow of spells can only become a rare high-end power. Although it may seem incomparably powerful, it is too convoluted to become a decisive force on the stage of influencing the course of the world.

"I'm afraid that's a bit of a sophistry, isn't it?" The female mage didn't seem to want to let Moriarty go, and said, "If you follow your logic, wouldn't ordinary civilians be able to use the power of so-called alchemy to perform magic?" So where are you, noble mages, you? ”…,

"The strength of a mage lies in thought, not in magic; The nobility of a mage is one of character, not status. Dear Master Michelle, In the face of the other party's rebuttal, Moriarty smiled faintly and responded.

"You!"

"Alright, it's okay, Mage Michelle." Seeing that the female mage was going to continue to entangle, Master Suke finally stopped him: "Whether or not Moriarty's answer is to your liking, at least, it is a point worth discussing. ”

"Yes, Master Suke." The mage's world is highly hierarchical, and although the other party is only one level higher than herself, the female mage immediately shut her mouth obediently, but there was still some disbelief in her eyes.

"So, Moriarty, you can get out. As for your assessment results, you will be notified by the Academy in three days. With that, Master Suk waved his hand to Moriarty and motioned for him to leave.

"Yes, I'm leaving. Master Suke, Master Michelle. Standing up from his seat, Moriarty bowed to the two examiners and walked out of the room.

"Master Su Ke, he..."Seeing that the door of the real yàn room was closed again, the female mage looked at the examiner with some reluctance.

Although Moriarty did perform very well in this annual assessment, Master Michelle was unwilling to let the other party get an excellent result so easily. After all, female mages are also women, and some small bellies are inevitable.

"I know what you're going to say, but you'd better not say it." Without even going to see the female mage, Master Suke stood up directly.

"Why? That's just a mage's apprentice. Mage Michelle said with some exasperation, and her voice grew a little louder.

"Looks like you didn't hear my last question clearly." Su Ke turned his head, looked at the female mage, and said coldly.

"What do you mean?" Master Michelle was stunned for a moment and asked.

"I repeat, then, that this 'On the Significance of Alchemy to the Great Magic System' was answered by one of your Excellency's appointed Moriarty apprentices. Do you understand it now? Someone, designate! Master Suk accentuated his tone and said with some impatience, "So, I hope you don't get too busy because of some small things. The results of the annual assessment of Moriarty's apprentices are what they should be. ”

"Your Excellency..."Mage Michelle recalled this detail that he had just overlooked, and a line of cold sweat immediately broke out on his forehead. A mage apprentice who can attract the attention of a mid-level mage is indeed not at the mercy of a first-level junior mage. In particular, there is also the presence of the unknown position of the mage Su Ke, if you let your Excellency know your unforeseen intentions, I am afraid that the female mage will have to bear the terrible consequences.

"If you don't have any more doubts, come with me and report to the hospital now." Master Su Ke ignored the female mage and walked out of the real room first.

"Yes, I don't have a problem anymore." Mage Michelle nodded hurriedly and immediately followed.

Half an hour later, Schmidt received a message from the academy in the Mage Tower, which was a copy of all the answers to Morriarty's questions in the annual assessment.

"'It is a subversive and revolutionary impetus for the diverse use of magic'...'It bridges the boundaries between the wizarding world and the real world'... I have to say, your answer is wonderful, my nephew. His Excellency Schmidt was silent for five minutes after listening to the whole message, and then he suddenly burst out laughing when he looked out the window at the large school building not far from the tower, and this was the first time in forty-six months that Schmidt had been so happy.