Awakening The Only SSS-Rank Class! Now Even Dragons Obey Me Chapter 853: The Scholarly Debate

"Actually..."

"The main reason I came is about a request from the Supreme Council." Varcas paused briefly and added.

"Oh? What request?" Daniel asked with a calm and indifferent expression.

He guessed there was an important reason behind this old man’s visit. It was impossible for a professor to come to his quarters randomly and just to see him.

There must have been a reason or a request.

Varcas stepped forward a few steps.

"After what happened with the main tablet... the Supreme Council has almost split into two factions."

"Some believe you are one of the greatest geniuses in the tower’s history."

"But others..."

He paused for a few moments.

"Think that everything we saw was just the result of your talent in comprehending the legacy, and that doesn’t necessarily mean you are superior in magic itself."

Serys frowned quietly. She could almost guess what the rest of the sentence was and could guess which group was trying to diminish Daniel’s achievement.

They were definitely Lioran’s most extreme supporters. The faction that would do anything to ensure he became the tower’s heir.

And naturally, they felt threatened by Daniel’s presence and wanted to downplay and devalue his achievement.

"That’s why it’s been decided to hold a scholarly debate. Not a fight, not a practical test, not a display of power, but just a discussion about the truth of magic." Varcas added.

This debate was proposed because they thought it was the most moderate and only choice that maintained fairness.

Because everyone was sure that in terms of power and magic, Lioran naturally had a significant advantage. They couldn’t see this boy’s power and thought it was due to some kind of item. But there was no way he could be stronger than Lioran, right?

The room fell into silence again.

"A debate?" Daniel murmured quietly. He had expected to be evaluated sooner or later, or that Lioran’s supporters would try to take him down so he wouldn’t have any way to threaten the future heir’s position.

But he hadn’t expected it to be so soon. Did that mean they felt that threatened? Had his achievement caused that much of a stir?

This time, Serys answered.

"One of the tower’s oldest traditions. Its age goes back almost to the time of the founders."

"In this debate, no spells are cast, no battles take place. Each professor presents one of their theories of magic."

"Then the participant must show that they truly understand that theory."

"Meaning?" Daniel asked quietly.

"Meaning if there’s a flaw in the theory, you have to find it. If there’s a better way, you have to present it. And most importantly... you have to prove why your argument is stronger than the professor’s."

"If you can’t argue... you lose. But if you can convince the professor... you win." Varcas completed her sentence.

His gaze deepened for a moment, and he continued.

"There, power has no value. Only understanding."

Daniel stared at the formulas on the table in silence for a few seconds.

"What’s the benefit of passing it?" He then asked.

Naturally, he wasn’t willing to do a boring debate without any value or benefit. He wanted to get the maximum benefit he could from doing it.

By doing the debate, he could certainly improve the views of all the professors and elders toward him and raise his position in the tower even higher.

But his intuition told him he could get even more rewards.

"If the result is truly impressive, we’ll ask the Supreme Council right there to allow you to participate in the Trial of a Thousand Spells sooner." Varcas answered without delay.

"Given what happened with the tablet... there’s a good chance they’ll agree. In that case, you won’t have to wait for the official time."

"You mean the council would be willing to change the rules for one person?" Serys looked at the old man in surprise. In her view, those extreme old men wouldn’t do such a thing.

"After the tablet was broken... many rules have already changed." Varcas smiled.

Then he continued.

"Of course, it won’t be easy, because today almost all of the tower’s great theorists will be present." He raised his fingers one by one.

"Professor Ryndor, the greatest expert on mana theory. Professor Maloris, the creator of several standard spells now taught in all the world’s towers."

"Professor Kastian, the greatest researcher of elemental laws."

"Professor Urmon, an expert on mana rings and the structure of magical cores."

Then he paused.

"And... Lioran."

"He’ll be participating too?" Serys unconsciously raised her head.

"No." Varcas shook his head.

"Today he’s not a participant. He’ll be present as one of the scientific judges, alongside the Supreme Council members."

Daniel just nodded. No worry, no excitement. As if Lioran’s presence or absence made no difference to him.

"Anyway, you’d better prepare and come to the council hall in three hours." A few minutes later, Varcas left the room.

When the door closed, Serys immediately turned to Daniel.

"Do you know what this means? Almost all of the tower’s thinkers will be gathered there."

Daniel calmly arranged the papers on the table.

"Everything you say will be recorded, every answer analyzed. If you make just one mistake, your credibility will be destroyed before you even enter the Trial of a Thousand Spells."

"Are they logical people?" Daniel asked only one question without even raising his head.

Serys stared at him in surprise for a few moments.

"...Yes, but why are you asking?"

"Then there’s no problem." Daniel placed the last paper on top of the rest.

As long as they didn’t try to suppress him without reason and make things illogically difficult, there would be no problem.

He shouldn’t forget that aside from his own talent, among his Fallen there were also very great mages.

At the same time, that short answer made Serys completely silent for a few seconds. She really didn’t know if this man was overly confident... or if he really knew something others didn’t.

Then her gaze went to the bookshelf.

"At least let me bring you a few more books about the professors’ theories. If you know how each of them thinks, you’ll have a better chance."

But contrary to her expectation, Daniel didn’t go to the shelf. Instead, he closed all the open books one by one. The sound of thick covers closing echoed in the room’s silence.

"You don’t want to study?" Serys asked in disbelief.

Daniel picked up his pen and placed a completely blank sheet of paper in front of himself.

"If the answers to the questions were inside these books... after a thousand years, there wouldn’t still be so much disagreement among the world’s greatest mages." Then he said quietly.

Then he wrote the first sentence on the paper.

"Magic is not commanding mana."

Then the second sentence.

"Magic is persuading the laws of the world."

Then the third sentence.

"A spell is just the language of dialogue with the laws."

Serys watched in silence.

Daniel wasn’t memorizing old theories at all. He was building his own theory about the nature of magic from scratch.

She also fell silent and said nothing, just sat there quietly.

Until time passed slowly. One hour, two hours, and finally...

Three hours later...

The great doors of the council hall opened quietly.

A massive circular hall, its ceiling hundreds of meters above, and thousands of luminous runes shining on its walls.

Tiered rows of seats stretched into the distance. All of the tower’s senior professors sat in their designated places.

The Supreme Council members were present in the highest section of the hall.

Among them... Lioran sat on his chair with his usual calmness.

His gaze turned toward Daniel the moment he entered the hall.

At that moment, all the gazes of those present also focused on Daniel.

A heavy silence filled the entire hall. The debate had not yet begun.

But everyone knew...

Today, something far beyond a scholarly discussion was about to take place.