Ridiculous Gift

The moment the demonstration ended, the entire auditorium exploded into chaos.

 

Nobles, scholars, merchants—every single person present—began talking at once, their voices overlapping in a symphony of excitement, disbelief, and sheer amazement.

 

"This… This is sorcery!" one elderly noble gasped, nearly toppling over as he clutched his cane.

 

"Impossible! How can voices travel through an artifact like this?" another demanded, his monocle nearly falling off his face as he squinted at the device.

 

"Are there spirits trapped in these devices?" a younger mage blurted, looking suspicious. "Is it—gasp—cursed?!"

 

"Oh yes," Alaric said flatly, finally making his way back to the stage. "I specifically designed it so that if you don't use it for three days, a vengeful ghost will whisper insults about your fashion sense."

 

The young mage paled. "W-What?!"