Chapter 834: The Complicated World of Adults
Chapter 834: The Complicated World of Adults
On the podium of the International Alchemy Conference, a wizard in his sixties was addressing the audience in broken English, sharing the developments and decline of alchemy in recent years. Albert struggled to keep his eyes open, the monotonous speech threatening to lull him into a trance.
He had been woken early that morning, and despite downing a large cup of strong tea, he couldn't shake off the drowsiness that kept him yawning since the start of the lecture.
Izabel beside him was in a similar state, while Katherine and Valeria leaned against each other, their eyes closed as they dozed off.
To stay awake, many of the attendees were whispering to their neighbors. The speaker on stage had to amplify his voice to be heard over the audience's chatter, a futile attempt to maintain order.
"Mr. Sierra, has Professor Dumbledore abstained from attending the International Alchemy Conference ever since receiving the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award at the Cairo International Alchemy Conference?" Albert asked, seeking to distract himself from his sleepiness.
"I'm not sure," Sierra replied. "But it's true that I haven't seen Dumbledore participate in the International Alchemy Conference in recent decades." Sierra didn't seem surprised, and he knew very well the reason behind the professor's absence.
The speaker on stage continued to ramble, spouting empty words about how they should promote the development of alchemy. Albert found it ironic that these elders, who were supposed to be leading the way, were partly responsible for the decline of alchemy.
Their inaction and self-serving agendas had turned the International Alchemy Conference into a mere shadow of its former self. Especially when it came to suppressing newcomers, these elders, set in their ways and resistant to change, lacked the capacity for innovation and hindered the progress of alchemy.
The group on the podium was well aware of these issues. Most of them had climbed to their high positions not through sheer stupidity but through self-interest, willing to feign ignorance for their own benefit.
A case in point was the recent complaint lodged against Albert's win of the Barnabas Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Award. Shortly after his return to the country, Albert learned from Bard that someone from Spain had filed a formal complaint with the International Wizarding Federation, questioning his championship and award. Despite all the judges agreeing with the results, the Federation had surprisingly accepted the complaint.
If it had been an ordinary underage Muggle-born wizard, they would have been in a dire situation. There was a saying that "underage wizards don't count as wizards," and they had little to no voice in the community.
However, Albert's numerous accolades, his recent revelation of the Human Transformation Curse to counter werewolves, and the support of the Wildsmith family had quietly swept the issue under the rug. Otherwise, who knew what trouble it could have caused.
Albert was certain there was something fishy going on.
As he chatted with Sierra, a few staff members pushed carts into the venue, distributing a book titled "The Development and Research of Modern Alchemy." It seemed the International Alchemy Conference was attempting to revamp alchemy education with new textbooks.
However, the price of the book gave Albert pause. He suspected that someone was trying to make a quick buck, as the book was quite expensive and not as affordable as a regular textbook. If their true intention was to promote alchemy, they should have made the book more accessible.
While the content of the book was decent and more legitimate than the ones he had bought the other day, it was nothing extraordinary.
At some point, the speaker on stage changed to a wizard in his fifties who began talking about the application of alchemy. However, his presentation was disjointed and brief, lasting only about fifteen minutes compared to the previous speaker's hour-long monologue.
Albert understood the gist of his message: to make alchemy more practical and applicable to daily life, rather than just theoretical knowledge on parchment. The alchemist seemed to believe that only through better application could alchemy truly progress.
Yet, to most people, these words rang hollow. The majority of alchemists were already driven by the desire to turn their alchemical achievements into tangible benefits.
After the second speaker finished, a third, fourth, and finally a fifth alchemist took the stage, each spouting the same empty rhetoric. The audience's patience wore thin, and the organizers seemed to sense this. The meeting was paused, and attendees were invited to take a break, chat, and refresh themselves before the conference continued with the announcement of outstanding works from the International Alchemy Conference this year.
Valeria, sunk deep into the sofa, muttered, "This is so boring. I almost fell asleep."
She hadn't planned on attending this conference, but Katherine had dragged her along that morning.
"Was it really that boring?" Katherine asked.
"Wasn't it?" Valeria turned to Albert and Izabel.
"It was okay," Albert replied.
"What do you mean, okay?" Valeria said, displeased. "I saw you dozing off several times."
"If you could understand what they were saying, you'd find their ideas quite interesting," Katherine said meaningfully.
"What do you mean?" Valeria asked, suspicious.
"The shamelessness of adults," Albert said, covering his mouth as he yawned again. "Oh, I almost forgot, I'm the only one here who's not an adult yet. It's bizarre, but it's also quite the rare opportunity to witness their shamelessness firsthand."
"Are you trying to imply that we're old?" Valeria asked with a smile.
Just then, an elderly man approached them.
"Congratulations, Mr. Anderson," he said with a smile. "You've won the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award at this Cairo International Alchemy Conference. But please keep this confidential for now, and prepare your speech for when you go up on stage. Everyone is eager to hear your unique insights on alchemy."
"I understand," Albert nodded.
"My name is Richard Brick," the elderly man introduced himself, showing no signs of leaving. "Perhaps you don't recognize me, but I've heard about you from my French colleagues."
"Hello, Mr. Brick," Albert said, furrowing his brows as if trying to recall where he had heard that name before.
It was only when he saw Izabel pointing to the book in her hand that Albert remembered who the man was.
"Richard Brick, the author of 'The Development and Research of Modern Alchemy'?" Albert asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, I compiled that book. What did you think of it?" Richard seemed pleased that Albert recognized him.
"To be honest, they don't offer Alchemy as a course at Hogwarts," Albert replied, steering the conversation in a different direction. "Most witches and wizards may have heard of Alchemy, but they don't know what it is. It's like those who haven't studied Transfiguration mistaking spells for Transfiguration."
Richard knitted his brows but didn't interrupt. Instead, he waited for Albert to finish, perhaps realizing that his words, though not flattering, would be more useful than empty praise.
To be frank, not many witches and wizards offered their honest opinions.
Most people preferred to pay lip service and flatter him.
"The book is too superficial for those who understand Alchemy, yet too difficult for those who are newcomers to the subject," Albert shared his thoughts on the book candidly.
"Are you saying that 'The Development and Research of Modern Alchemy' has no value?" Richard's expression became nuanced. "Do you have any suggestions?"
"You could publish a simpler book on Alchemy to introduce the subject to witches and wizards who are unfamiliar with it, guiding them to take their first steps into the world of Alchemy," Albert suggested. "Then, your current book could be positioned as an intermediate-level text, and finally, you could publish an advanced-level book, creating a complete curriculum that progresses from easy to difficult."
"You seem to know a lot about this," Richard said, a hint of curiosity in his voice. He didn't seem offended by Albert's words and was considering the feasibility of the suggestion.
"My girlfriend is currently working on a textbook for Ancient Runic, and I'm helping her organize the materials," Albert explained with a smile.
Richard glanced at Izabel and then nodded at Albert. "I will give your suggestion careful consideration."
Richard had to admit that Albert made a lot of sense. Aside from the countries surrounding Egypt, many schools didn't offer Alchemy as a course, not even Beauxbatons, which had produced the great alchemist, Nicolas Flamel.
"You don't seem to like him very much," Sierra remarked, watching Richard's retreating back with interest.
"He gives me the impression of being insincere," Albert said without hesitation.
"You're right about that. Richard is indeed a hypocrite. In fact, most people are," Nicholas didn't mince his words. "As long as you have value, they will never be stingy with their smiles. That guy is actually the honorary vice president of the Alchemy Research Center, and he helped compile 'The Development and Research of Modern Alchemy.' While it looks more legitimate, to be frank, that book is pretty useless. However, you did well to not belittle it completely. You have to thank that man for your Pioneer Contribution Gold Award. They were originally planning to give it to Mr. Aria."
As the conversation turned to these insider secrets, the others perked up and gathered around.
"That Mr. Richard Brick sees value in your alchemical achievements, and they might be useful in certain applications in the future. As for Mr. Aria's magic communicator, it's difficult to use widely because the stones that resonate are hard to find. Of course, this is also related to you visiting acquaintances with Sierra yesterday. They realized that you know quite a few famous alchemists and are adorned with countless dazzling honors. Awarding the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award to you at the Cairo International Alchemy Conference is more meaningful and can be used as a publicity stunt—the youngest recipient in history. Just like when you won the Barnabas Finkley Outstanding Spellcasting Award, it can help raise the profile of the International Alchemy Conference."
"Of course, most importantly, you're still young and have high investment value. At the very least, you're a good candidate for friendship. It's undeniable that it's worth getting to know people like Mr. Richard Brick," Sierra reminded him. "But people like Mr. Richard Brick are not suitable for deep friendships."
"The world of adults is indeed complicated!" Albert quipped.
In the afternoon, no one continued to waste everyone's precious time with long-winded speeches. Instead, they efficiently showcased the alchemical achievements of the twelve contestants.
Albert was the seventh to present.
The first contestant was a middle-aged wizard who had successfully used alchemy to extract and manufacture a type of tranquilizer pill. While not as effective as regular tranquilizers, these pills were easier to store and carry, and they provided a calming effect when consumed, useful for emergency situations.
However, this technique wasn't well-received because the manufacturing process was too cumbersome.
The second contestant was a wizard in his thirties who had used alchemy to create a pair of multi-functional glasses. They enabled the wearer to see clearly in the dark and were rumored to have the ability to see through invisibility. However, the ability to see in darkness and pierce invisibility already existed, so many witches and wizards didn't consider this a significant alchemical achievement.
The third contestant was a witch in her twenties who had extracted the essence of gillweed and formulated an alchemical potion that allegedly allowed one to breathe underwater. Many alchemists considered this a waste of gillweed, an unnecessary endeavor.
The fourth contestant was Aria, whose magic communicator was well-received. It seemed that the device could transmit messages across long distances, which would be helpful for international communication.
The fifth and sixth contestants presented their achievements, and then it was Albert's turn. His projection appeared on the screen, along with his basic information and alchemical creation. A murmur ran through the audience as they saw his young age. The flying ointment was indeed novel, but it seemed to have no practical use for now. However, there was no doubt that it was a useful creation.
But what caught the attention of most people wasn't the flying ointment; it was Albert's age. They were surprised to find an underage wizard among them.
What surprised them even more was that Albert became the recipient of the Pioneer Contribution Gold Award.
Many alchemists shot odd looks at Albert, whispering among themselves and questioning whether there was some foul play involved.
They couldn't understand how an underage wizard could receive such a prestigious award.
Was Mr. Aria's magic communicator really not as impressive as the flying ointment?
(End of Chapter)
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