Chapter 166: Laurent’s Trap

A week passed in a flash.

During this time, the debate between the particle and wave camps had spread from the Tower of Truth to every tavern and coffee shop in the kingdom.

It was said that even the wandering mages on the street would argue until they were red in the face over whether an electron was a small ball or a wave in between begging.

Inside Klein’s mage tower, however, the atmosphere was as calm as the eye of a storm.

Lia sat at her desk, a thick magic book open before her, but her gaze frequently drifted to the window.

“What are you looking at?”

Klein’s voice came from behind her. He was holding a freshly made cup of hot cocoa, which he placed beside Lia.

“I’m thinking about what methods that Master Laurent will use to deal with us.” Lia took the cup, and the warmth spread from her fingertips.

“Nothing more than the same old tricks.” Klein sat down beside her and picked up another book on aether theory from the desk to browse. “Questioning, suppression, using authority to create public opinion.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” Lia took a sip of the hot cocoa, the cloying sweetness making her frown. “I’m worried he’ll target you.”

Klein’s page-turning paused for a moment.

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I’m the one who proposed the theory, but you’re the one standing by my side, allowing the theory to gain a firm footing.” Lia looked at him.

“My qualifications are too shallow. Even as a Seventh Circle, in the eyes of those old fossils, I’m just a junior. But you’re different. You’re an Eighth Circle Archmage, an authority on spatial magic.

Your support gives my theory a weight that cannot be ignored. Therefore, the most direct way to tear down my theory is to first tear you down.”

Klein put down the book and turned to look at her.

“So?”

“So, I think he will try to attack your reputation, question your academic ability, and even… question your character.”

Lia’s gaze turned a little cold. “For example, saying you’ve been bewitched by a young female apprentice, abandoned the rigorous spirit of science, and started promoting some heresy.”

Klein was silent for a moment.

“Then he might be disappointed.” He reached out and gently pinched Lia’s cheek. “Because I have indeed been bewitched.”

Lia slapped his hand away, her cheeks a little hot.

“Be serious.”

“This is serious.” Klein’s tone was very earnest. “Lia, don’t worry about me. In this world, no one who could defeat me academically has been born yet. As for reputation, that kind of thing means nothing to me.”

Just then, a sharp eagle’s cry came from outside the window.

A magnificent white gyrfalcon circled down, a golden scroll tied to its claw.

“It’s here.”

Klein stood up and opened the window.

The gyrfalcon flew in, landed gracefully on the desk, and set down the scroll.

The scroll was made of some special metal, branded with the griffin crest of the Royal Academy of Sciences.

Lia picked up the scroll. It was slightly heavy in her hand, with a cold texture.

She untied the ribbon on the scroll and unrolled it.

Gold-stamped words came into view.

The content of the invitation was grand and filled with aristocratic ceremony.

The gist was an invitation for Lord Klein and Professor Lia to attend the “Origin of Matter” seminar at the Royal Academy of Sciences, to jointly discuss the future of magical physics.

But at the end of the letter, there was a postscript written in small font.

“Additionally, to promote academic exchange, this seminar will feature a special ‘Classical Theory Review’ session.

Master Laurent will personally demonstrate his famed early-career ‘Aether Wind’ experiment to verify the absolute nature of light’s propagation in the aether medium.”

Lia’s eyebrow twitched when she saw the words “Aether Wind.”

“Aether wind?” She looked at Klein. “What’s that?”

“A classic experiment, believed to prove the existence of the aether.”

Klein explained,

“Their logic is that if light propagates in a medium like the aether, then as the Earth orbits the sun, it’s like sailing through an ocean of aether.

In that case, there should be a tiny difference in speed between light emitted in the direction of the Earth’s motion and light emitted in the opposite direction.

This difference is the ‘aether wind.’ It sounds like the difference between sailing with the current and against it.”

“Exactly. When Laurent was young, he designed an extremely precise interferometer and claimed to have measured this tiny difference, which made him famous overnight and established his position in the world of optics.”

“He claimed?” Lia caught the key word. “You mean, there’s a problem with that experiment?”

“A very big problem.”

A cold smile touched the corner of Klein’s lips.

“Many people repeated his experiment back then, but no one could obtain the same result as him. The conclusion of most was that there was no such thing as an ‘aether wind’ at all, that the speed of light was constant in all directions.

But Laurent used his power and influence to suppress all dissenting voices, claiming that everyone else’s instruments were not precise enough.”

“So, he’s going to pull the same trick again?” Lia understood. “At the seminar, in front of everyone, he’ll successfully replicate his experiment to prove the existence of the aether, and thereby fundamentally negate our theory?”

“That’s just the first step.” Klein picked up the invitation. “His real killing move is at the end.”

He pointed to another postscript on the back of the invitation.

“‘In light of Lord Klein’s outstanding achievements in the field of spatial magic and his profound insights into the wave theory of matter, the Academy sincerely invites

Your Lordship to present your views on the topic of ‘Spatial Ripples and Aetheric Disturbances’ during the seminar.'”

Lia’s face darkened.

‘Spatial Ripples’ was one of Klein’s most famous theories.

He believed that high-circle spatial magic could achieve teleportation because the caster created “folds” or “ripples” in space at a microscopic level, thus achieving rapid travel.

And now, Laurent was cleverly tying this concept to his “aether.”

“He’s setting a trap for you.”

Lia’s voice was cold.

“If you admit that spatial ripples are disturbances in the aether, it’s tantamount to admitting the existence of the aether, indirectly supporting his theory.

If you deny it, he will in turn question your theory of spatial magic, saying that you don’t even understand the propagation medium of your own magic, so what right do you have to support some ethereal particle theory?”

“A catch-22.” Klein’s expression remained calm. “Or rather, forcing me into a self-contradiction.”

“And the most vicious part,” Lia clenched the scroll in her hand, “is that he has placed this topic as the grand finale of the seminar. In other words, no matter how we debate before, he will ultimately turn the spearhead on you and use this question to deliver the final blow.”

This was not just an academic dispute anymore. It was a blatant trap and suppression.

The target was never Lia from the beginning, but Klein.

What he wanted to destroy was Klein’s reputation and authority in the magical world.

“I take back what I said before.” Lia stood up and paced around the room.

“I’m worried. Klein, you can’t go.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s unfair.” Lia stopped and turned to look at him.

“He’s using an experiment built on a lie as a standard for judgment, and then attacking you with a philosophical question that can neither be falsified nor proven. This isn’t an academic discussion at all, it’s thuggery.”

“So what?” Klein walked up to her and reached out to smooth her furrowed brow.

“If I don’t go, they’ll say that the authority on spatial magic was stumped by a small aether problem. They’ll say I can’t even justify my own theory. Your situation will be even more difficult then.”

“If you go, you’ll fall into his trap.”

“Not necessarily.” A sharp light flashed in Klein’s eyes. “Traps are for prey. But sometimes, the hunter can also get his leg caught in his own trap.”

He took Lia’s hand and pulled her to the window.

Outside, the blizzard had stopped. The sun broke through the clouds, casting a dazzling light on the snow.

“Lia, have you forgotten what our most powerful weapon is?”

“What is it? Your Eighth Circle magic, or the various ideas in my head?”

“No.” Klein shook his head, his gaze falling on the sunlight outside the window. “It’s light itself.”

“The cornerstone upon which Laurent built his false temple is light. He thought he controlled light, defined light. But he was wrong.”

Klein turned his head and looked at Lia.

“We only need to prove that the nature of light is completely different from what he understands. When the cornerstone he is so proud of collapses, that temple will naturally turn to ash.”

Lia looked at his confident eyes, and the worry in her heart gradually subsided.

That’s right, she had almost forgotten.

In her hands, she still held a trump card powerful enough to subvert the entire field of optics.