Volume 7 Chapter 20-2 I Just Wanted To Know My Limits
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
Liz placed the photo and pressed the button, just like she did yesterday. To block out magic energy, they sealed any gaps so light wouldn't leak. Trusting Liz's words, "I think I did it," Randy nervously pulled out the holder on the receiving side.
"...It's done."
As Randy whispered, a large version of his photo appeared. It wasn't perfect yet, but the quality was better than a regular lens. With a few more tweaks, it would be good to use.
Everyone working on the prototype got really excited when they saw the enlarged photos. They had managed to enlarge a small photo, not just start with a big one, which was a big deal. Large photos usually needed a studio, but this method could turn small photos taken anywhere into big ones. That meant there could be a lot of demand for it.
Plus, by making the camera smaller and using tiny photo paper, they could still enlarge the images. Students were amazed, saying, "This is incredible," and thinking about all the possibilities. But this was just the start.
Now, everyone was curious about one thing.
"...I wonder how big it can get."
Emma said this softly.
Once their curiosity was sparked, they couldn't stop. They rebuilt the casing, opened the light outlet, and projected an image onto the biggest paper in the lab, keeping it detailed.
"This is amazing!"
Everyone was excited, but Randy's excitement was different. Sending light as magic, enlarging it, and projecting it... The photo was on special paper, so it worked like a photograph, but even plain paper could show an image.
"It could work like a projector."
Once he thought that, he couldn't stop.
"Let's project onto something bigger!"
"There's no paper bigger than this!"
"You're silly. As long as it's white and flat, anything works."
Those words got everyone thinking. White, large, and flat──
"The school wall is white, right?"
"That's it!"
Julius said, "That's not it!" and Cory and Annabelle looked worried, but the other students cheered.
So, everyone who agreed ran out of the warehouse, carrying as many magic crystals as they could, and headed straight to the sports field as the sun started to set.
Without stopping──except for Julius, of course──they quickly set up the big crystal lens on a raised platform in the center of the field.
It looked like some strange ritual, catching the attention of students on the field. Julius shook Luke's shoulder.
"Lucas, is this really okay?"
"It's fine. It won't explode."
Judging if it was okay based on whether it would explode was extreme, but that's how Luke was, and Randy and Cecilia too.
Now, Liz and Ellie were happily adjusting the lens, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. The others were also excited, getting ready, so it wasn't just Luke and Cecilia who couldn't be blamed....
But this was important for them. For Liz, Ellie, Cecilia, Luke, and the Magic Tool Research Club, all the data they'd gathered might finally show results against the huge school building──it felt like the peak of their work.
They wanted to see if their research worked. With that determination, they went all out, and finally, the device was ready.
"We're all set!"
Liz waved happily. Randy placed the enlarged photo, saying, "Alright, let's try it."
The light was turned into weak magic power by a special mirror, made stronger by another mirror with a gem, and Randy's photo, now visible light, passed through the huge lens.
However...
"Huh? It's faint."
"It's faint, indeed."
As Randy and Liz said, only a faint silhouette of Randy showed on the white school building.
"The sun?"
"It's the sun."
"That pesky thing."
It's not scary, but it's definitely the sun's fault. Even though it's setting, it's still bright outside. In this light, the projected photo is invisible. They were so focused they forgot this basic issue and felt disappointed.
"But still, even if it's faint, it means the experiment worked, right?"
Hearing Randy's words, Julius sighed in relief. It wasn't as bad as he thought. Luke laughed and said, "Told you so."
"You just need to block the sun."
The ancient magician smiled mischievously and pointed at the sky.
Dark clouds quickly covered the sun, and the academy was plunged into darkness, like night.
Students on the field were scared by the sudden change, and those in the building peeked out of windows to see what happened.
Ellie smiled at Randy, not caring about the chaos.
"Alright, Randy. Try again!"
"Of course, the great magician."
Randy smiled and set up the photo again. From Julius's view, it wasn't "true to form," but this time, the light clearly projected Randy's image onto the entire school building.
Randy, sitting proudly with his legs crossed, and even the words 'a clean vote' below, were clear.
"""Woooh!"""
Everyone cheered and high-fived. They were happy their data worked and could handle such a big scale, but their joy was short-lived──
"Hey! What are you doing!"
"Don't move there!"
From the other side of the field, two instructors ran over, kicking up dust.
"Darn it! Scatter!"
"Everyone, run!"
At Randy and Noah's command, everyone grabbed their things and ran in different directions. The big crystal was put into Liz's item box, and Randy and the others turned away from the instructors to escape.
"Victoooooor! This is your doing, right!?"
A voice called Randy from afar.
"How did they find out!"
"Silly. Your proud face must have given it away."
"Randy, sorry. Let's meet at home."
Ellie and Liz used Randy as a decoy and teleported away. The dark clouds cleared, and the sun shone on the academy again.
"Victor!"
"Instructor, there's more to explain──"
"First, tell me what you were doing."
That day, Randy's image on the school wall, and him being caught afterward, were seen by many.
By so many people... those students who had gathered in the building under the guise of a meeting──
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