Chapter 45: Commoner’s Example

“I’m thinking of confiscating all the rings.”

The morning in the territory of the Grand Duchy began with Ruri’s complaints.

With a clearly annoyed expression, she approached while speaking.

For Perda, who was having breakfast, it was uncomfortable.

“I see.”

So he responded without much interest.

“The workers you brought don’t listen to me at all. Is it really that hard not to spill even a single drop of blood in this castle?”

“I don’t know.”

“Fine, let’s say they can spill some. But they don’t even clean up what they dirty!”

“Oh, really?”

“If they were afraid of dragons, they would at least correct their behavior, don’t you think?”

“Do whatever you want.”

Ruri’s talkative mouth stopped.

She glanced at him sideways, looking irritated.

“Perda is the worst.”

“Oh, really?”

“Even now you’re answering carelessly.”

“I see.”

“Is it just because I cleaned you once that you’re acting like this?”

How petty.

She said it very quietly, but Perda heard it.

It would be a lie to say he didn’t hold a grudge about that day.

But since he had already taken revenge, he decided to respond more seriously.

“The refinement of mana stones is a long process. Research doesn’t happen overnight.”

“And you, who reached the third circle so quickly, can understand that?”

“I learned to see it from the perspective of ordinary people.”

The Perda of the past wouldn’t have understood.

But the current one, remembering his own rapid progress, could understand others to some extent.

“I see.”

This time it was Ruri who responded without interest.

“Then delay the punishments a bit. If there are good results soon, then—”

“UHAHAHAHA! UHAHAHAHAHA!”

Before Perda could finish, a mad laugh echoed through the castle.

The sound was getting closer.

“UHAHAHA! Finally! I finally did it! I don’t have to keep baking these damn mana stones anymore! UHAHAHA!”

The madman was Vernell Marquis.

Greasy hair and a half-open robe.

Both Perda and Ruri followed him with their eyes.

Perda took a sip of his tea.

“They say if you speak of the tiger, it appears. Looks like he finally got results.”

At last, the reason he had brought Vernell was confirmed.

After running around like a madman, Vernell devoted himself to sleeping.

He had sacrificed sleep and life for his research.

When he stood before Perda, he was properly dressed.

“I thought it would work today, but I actually did it. Hahaha!”

“Then explain it to me.”

“Yes! Of course. You see, it works like this…”

Vernell began explaining enthusiastically.

For a full hour, he talked nonstop, filling a board.

“Did you understand?”

After listening to everything, Perda replied.

“Did you understand it?”

“I-I, of course I did! I even organized it… I tried to explain it in the simplest way…”

“Hmm.”

Perda thought.

‘It seems I’m not very intelligent.’

Becoming an archmage had been pure effort.

He didn’t understand anything Vernell said.

After 30 minutes, he already felt like he was seeing the universe.

He lost focus and came back when it was over.

He looked at the assistant researchers.

Their eyes were shining.

Far too bright to have understood anything.

‘No one understood anything.’

They were people sent by Stephan Pascal, supposedly talented.

If he was a good merchant, he would have sent the best.

‘At least there’s no risk of leakage for now.’

Perda took it positively.

After all, it was enough for Vernell to understand it.

“Show me.”

“Yes!”

Vernell brought one of his devices.

It was a mana stabilizer.

By infusing mana, it fixed a zone in the air with fifth-level magic.

“A beast’s corpse is inserted stimulated with electricity…”

Mana emerged from the corpse.

It was impure mana, useless, floating like contamination.

“Then it’s heated to a certain temperature, compressed, and cooled like this…”

After the process, a crystal appeared.

It emitted white vapor.

A bright blue object.

“This is a mana stone!”

Vernell presented it proudly.

It glowed faintly like a magic crystal.

It was an impressive moment.

But not for Perda.

‘It’s impure.’

It was something he had already seen in the future.

However, unlike that time, the color was duller and gave off a somewhat crude feeling.

Just in case, Perda asked Vernell.

“What’s the efficiency?”

“Uh… that…”

Vernell, who had been confidently spewing incomprehensible knowledge, froze.

“Vernell Marquis.”

“Y-yes.”

“I asked you a question. What’s the efficiency?”

“I-it’s just…”

Vernell answered with difficulty, sweating cold.

“If seven mana stones are consumed… one can be created.”

“Then the efficiency would be 14.2%.”

“Rounded, it would be 14.3%. And also…”

It seemed there was still more.

And it wasn’t good.

“Mana leaks when increasing the stone’s capacity… so it would have to be reduced by half…”

In other words, fourteen stones were needed to produce one at real efficiency.

“About 7% then.”

“If the initial process is included, it’s 7.1%… ah, I’m sorry.”

Vernell thought.

Ah, it’s over.

My research ends here.

It would be better to hire mages than use something with 7.1% efficiency.

Internally, he had already sentenced himself.

As he went through the five stages of grief, Perda spoke after a moment of silence.

“About the efficiency.”

“Yes.”

“Can you increase it?”

“Huh…?”

“I asked you if you can increase it.”

Perda had already decided since the moment he brought him.

If this man didn’t give up, he had no intention of considering it a failure.

Vernell nodded.

“Y-yes. It’s possible. I’ll achieve it.”

“Good.”

Perda stood up.

“Then continue researching.”

Vernell blinked.

Was that all?

Perda added.

“I’ll gather those who need to hear this. Until then, organize the research and the demonstration better. Understood?”

“Y-yes!”

Perda left.

He was betting on something he couldn’t even guarantee.

So he could only do his best.

But unlike Vernell, who was trembling, Perda thought differently.

‘If used properly, it works.’

Perda knew it.

Magitechnology would advance no matter what.

And he knew how difficult that process had been.

When Vernell first presented it, he was ridiculed.

“Who would use that?”, “What is it for?”, “It’s vulgar.”

But what happened afterward?

‘The mages ended up using it more.’

Because it offered a convenience impossible for traditional magic circles.

The era where magic was an exclusive monopoly would end.

Perda knew it.

That was why he had enough reason to trust Vernell.

***

Ten days later, guests arrived.

Count Consilus and the manager of the Pascal company, Stephan Pascal.

Vernell repeated the demonstration and explanation.

With ten days of preparation, it improved.

But it was still complicated.

“Ho… I see.”

“I understand. Interesting.”

Perda observed them and asked.

“Did you really understand it? I didn’t. Speak honestly.”

Both confessed.

It was clear there was no sincerity in their words.

“Haha… sorry. It’s a habit to nod. I’m ignorant in this.”

“I didn’t understand either… I was embarrassed to admit it…”

Vernell felt uncomfortable.

He thought he had simplified it quite a bit.

“But in summary, the efficiency is low, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Hmm… it’s quite an ambiguous object.”

Consilus muttered, stroking his beard.

Vernell was sweating.

Stephan tried to salvage the situation.

“From an economic standpoint, it doesn’t seem good right now, but being able to supply mana is valuable…”

“Ah, I already explained that… it can’t be used to supply mana to mages. It doesn’t recover or recharge like potions or elixirs.”

“Ah… then it’s complicated…”

Stephan stepped back.

Both were negative.

Vernell’s back was soaked.

But Perda had already expected this.

“Don’t worry about efficiency for now. That will be our chief technician’s job later.”

Perda had anticipated it.

He knew that at this stage, all he would get were negative opinions. That was why what he had shown them wasn’t really for that, but for something else.

“I’d like to hear your ideas on what we should create first with this.”

“What exactly do you mean?”

Perda raised the mana stone that Vernell had created.

“I mean a revolutionary energy source that can replace what mages do. Think about tasks that require mages, and also those that, honestly, are too trivial for them.”

What he needed was an idea.

Count Consilus and Stephan were experts in their respective fields. At Perda’s words, the count was the first to speak.

“If we can imitate mages with this… does that mean we could fill the lack of mages on the front lines with infantry?”

He was a military man to the bone.

So the first thing he thought of was war.

“It’s possible. If it becomes a weapon, using magic won’t be a problem.”

Perda gave it a name that would one day be known.

“Magitechnological infantry.”

“Ho… magitechnological infantry…”

The count’s eyes lit up.

Mages were efficient in almost any situation, especially against creatures.

In the Far East there were more magical creatures than monsters.

It was an urgent need.

But, as on any battlefield, mages avoided it.

“The concept is good. If we can cover the absence of mages, there is hope. If we solve the efficiency, we should focus on weapons first.”

The count was resolute.

But Stephan intervened.

“Your point is valid, count. But… what about transport?”

Stephan already had his own interest in this investment.

“Transport?”

“Yes. In war, the most important thing is supply. Power is useless if you can’t sustain it.”

“That’s also true. But in the Far East there is an abundance of materials. If we focus on producing here, that problem can wait.”

Neither of them gave in.

‘I did well to ask them.’

Just by watching them argue, it was already clear what they wanted and what the problems were.

Stephan wanted to reduce logistical costs.

The count wanted to save lives.

Both had solid reasons.

“It seems we won’t reach an agreement. It would be best for you to decide, Lord Regent.”

“Yes, I think the same.”

The decision fell to Perda.

“I think it’s best to leave the decision to the one responsible for development.”

“Huh?”

Perda threw the responsibility directly at Vernell.

“Me?”

Vernell was stunned.

But everyone was waiting for his answer.

He had to choose.

“Uh… well… I…”

Vernell was a pacifist.

He preferred to create useful things rather than weapons.

Even so, he spoke cautiously.

“I think… it’s best to start with weapons…”

“As expected.”

“Of course weapons are important, but… after seeing the count’s territory… I changed my mind.”

He remembered when he had been on the verge of death due to mana overload.

He saw the people’s suffering.

“First, we must stop the creatures that threaten our home.”

“Hmm… alright…”

Stephan yielded.

Although his priority dropped, he would eventually benefit as well.

“We are also researching weapons. We’ll be able to give good news.”

“Well done. Your research will be the light of the Far East.”

It seemed everything was ending well.

“About those weapons…”

Perda intervened.

“Will they be as complicated as your explanation?”

“Uh… probably yes…”

“Perfect.”

Perda already knew.

Vernell created incredible things but far too complex.

He didn’t understand the importance of simplicity.

“Fortunately, I have an excellent test subject.”

“A test subject…?”

“Yes. Come in.”

A man entered.

Everyone was surprised.

He wore armor but marched in a ridiculous way.

A complete mess.

Vernell felt chills.

“Malcolm of Peach Hill! I have arrived!”

“Good. I have a task for you.”

“Give the order!”

He looked like an energetic child.

It was not pleasant to watch.

“What is 2 times 2?”

“4!”

“Correct. And 7 times 6?”

“13!”

“Well done.”

“Thank you!”

Malcolm smiled proudly.

The others were horrified.

Where did they get this guy?

Perda patted Vernell on the shoulder and said.

“Make it simple enough for this guy to understand and use.”

“Huh?”

“I trust that at least you’ll be able to do that.”

“……Huh?”

Vernell felt his mind go blank.