Chapter 133 - Eureka (2)

War advances technology.

Burnel was in a state of excitement.

He had consumed so much coffee and stimulants that one might wonder if caffeine was what flowed through his veins.

After wandering around naked like a madman, he regained enough sanity to put on clothes and stood before Ferda.

Erica was beside him as well.

"Did I not once dissect living demonic creatures and proceed with research?"

"You did."

"There was something I discovered back then."

"I discovered the nerve signals used in the regeneration of a demonic creature's body."

Those nerve signals had been recorded on more than a hundred pages of paper.

Naturally, Ferda did not even pretend to look at them.

"Explain."

"So, so... let us think of it not as contaminated water in a barrel, but as being inside a demonic creature's body!"

He struggled desperately to explain, gesturing with his hands and feet.

"A demonic creature is injured."

"Then the injured area must be repaired, yes?"

"Yes."

"To do that, a signal must be sent to the injured area to concentrate regenerative power there, correct?"

"Yes."

"When that signal is sent, the junk mana flowing through the blood moves toward the affected area."

"That is how it stops the bleeding and regenerates."

"We apply this to the water barrel."

"If we send a signal saying it has been injured to a material that imitates flesh..."

Erica understood what he meant and summarized it.

"If your words are correct, the junk mana will gather at the place where the signal is sent?"

"Exactly!"

Burnel agreed in a voice full of delight.

It seemed that the fact he had made someone understand him had come to him as an overwhelming joy.

"Are you saying we purify it that way?"

"Purify?"

"Ha ha, if it were only that much, then this Burnel getting excited would make me third-rate!"

"It is not mere purification!"

Burnel shouted again in a voice full of excitement.

"Regent!"

"Have I not been telling you all this time that we need mana stones?"

"This is a technique that literally condenses and creates masses of junk mana."

"It can extract an incomparable amount more than simply pulling materials from demonic creatures!"

In other words, they were not merely purifying contaminated water, but also being supplied with the materials to make mana stones.

It was killing two birds with one stone.

"No wonder it took four days."

"In truth, I discussed this with Chancellor Bernard and discovered it on the second day."

"In just two days?"

"Then why did you not report it?"

"Because even if the theory existed, I had to create an object that could apply that structure..."

"After all, if I only said there was a theory, it would not inspire much faith, would it?"

Ferda nodded.

He had already heard plenty of long-winded theories from Burnel.

"So I took two more days and created an object to apply it!"

"And that is this!"

Burnel took out the object he had placed behind the blackboard and showed it to them.

It was shaped like a chain with weights and the like fitted onto it.

The chain had been treated to serve as a mana pathway, and complex magic formulas were drawn on the weights.

Seeing that, Ferda grew a little uneasy and asked him.

"Can even low-Circle mages activate the magic circle?"

"A 3rd Circle mage who knows how to activate magic circles is enough."

"I managed it easily, so as long as they know how to channel mana, it should work."

There was no way he had not considered that.

A 3rd Circle mage was at the same level as the communication mages accompanying the young noble ladies and gentlemen, so there was no problem.

"So does it really work?"

Erica asked, looking down at the weight.

Even Burnel, who had been swept up in excitement, became quiet at this moment.

"We have to try it now."

No matter how excellent a theory was, and even if an object had been made applying that formula, there were countless cases where the object did not work.

For scholars, for inventors, it was the most crushing moment.

Now it was time to confirm it.

Isabella drew water flowing from the Land of Demons into a jar and brought it to the castle.

That day, Ferda saw for the first time what the water flowing from the Land of Demons looked like.

It had a strangely metallic stench, and its red color resembled rust scraped from ironware dissolving in water.

However, unlike rusty water, they had to keep in mind that this was lethal water that one must not even dip a hand into.

"T-then I will begin."

Burnel placed the weight into the water jar.

When it reached about the middle, Burnel infused mana into the chain.

HUMMM.

The water rippled with vibration.

It meant that mana had flowed and activated the magic circle.

Everyone watching was on the edge of their seats.

There was no one who wished for this result, created over four days, to fail.

A moment later, the water that had been cloudy began to gradually clear.

At the same time, a mass of red crystal condensed around the weight.

Burnel carefully lifted the weight.

The red crystal clung to the weight and moved like flesh,

and the water had become unrecognizably clear.

They said one could not know from what was visible to the naked eye alone, but this time was different.

It was exactly as it appeared.

"Good heavens..."

"So there is a method like this."

Isabella and Erica, after examining the water, could not stop marveling.

"How is it?"

"It really did remove the junk mana in the water, just as you said."

"Of course, it could not remove all of it, so a tiny amount of mana remains, but..."

"It is at a level safe enough to enter the body."

"Rather, it is less dangerous than gulping down groundwater."

The fact that he had been acknowledged made Burnel's heart swell.

This was not simply something worthy of acknowledgment by academia.

What mattered was that a spawn of Iorga, the Aspect of Water, had said so.

Ferda also clenched his fist at his own decision.

'This was the answer.'

Beyond simply finding a source of drinking water, it had become a foothold that could seek another development for the territory.

'They say war advances technology, and it seems they were right.'

This path he was walking did not lead toward an escape.

Rather, it was leading him deeper inside.

He was walking toward the enormous treasure held within the labyrinth.

Ferda encouraged him for this astonishing achievement and patted his shoulder.

"You worked hard."

At that, Burnel's body swayed greatly, and he collapsed on the spot.

It was the aftereffect of clinging to research and invention for four days without sleeping properly.

Erica seemed vaguely aware of that fact as well, but she still said this on purpose.

"A dog that has outlived its usefulness is put down... so that is how it is?"

"... That is not what this is."

Under the leadership of the Iorga spawns, they temporarily drew in a water source from the Land of Demons.

Since the water source was in the Land of Demons, they placed it away from Hestia village and drew water from there.

Isabella announced this as a substitute for the current drinking water problem in the village.

"Is water from the Land of Demons not dangerous?"

"I heard that if you drink contaminated water, you might turn into a demonic creature..."

"But what else can we do?"

"It does not look like rain will fall for the time being."

"If the great rulers of water approve of it, should it not be drinkable?"

Although there was aversion, the response was that they had no choice.

And by showing their will to obey the words of an authority, things proceeded smoothly.

The problem was, as expected, the nobles.

It was Ferda and Erica who announced it to them.

"You expect us to drink water drawn from the Land of Demons!"

"No matter what, is that not going too far?"

"Is that not the same as telling us to die slowly?"

Like nobles raised in refinement, they raised an uproar and shouted that they would drink only groundwater.

Ferda even gave a demonstration and drank the purified water right before their eyes.

He showed that there were no ill effects, but even so, it was difficult to smother the atmosphere that had caught fire.

"No matter if it is Regent Ferda or a legendary adventurer, we cannot drink such water."

"If time passes and we turn into demonic creatures, what will you do then?"

"Will you take responsibility?"

They were spreading conspiracy theories to a degree that could be considered rude.

Erica asked this through a telepathic message.

-Should I just tell them to die?

He did not say it aloud, but inwardly he agreed.

They were fellows better suited to one short, powerful sentence than to a tedious, pedantic explanation that seemed to show off intellectual vanity.

Those spirited faces were sure to change before even a day passed, and if he could see those faces, Ferda would be the one in a pleasant situation.

Olivia approached Ferda and asked.

"It truly is safe, yes?"

She looked between Ferda and Erica.

Erica answered.

"The head of Iorga personally certified it."

"That much is reliable information."

Olivia also drained a glass of water cleanly.

"Mm, it tastes clean."

She finished by planting trust with a bright smile.

Only then did the nobles stop acting like children and begin drinking the purified water.

'How strange.'

'When I drank it, they acted as if they were dying, but when Olivia drinks it, they happily gulp it down.'

'That irritates me.'

When he glanced toward Erica, his eyes met hers.

Perhaps they were thinking the same thing, for the two simply nodded without saying a word.

In any case, the drinking water problem among the nobles was also resolved.

'The mana stone problem is solved too.'

Rather, they could extract them more easily than from demonic creature corpses.

They said the process had been shortened by a full two-thirds, so the production of mana stones to be used as ammunition had become twice as fast.

With this, they could prepare again for another month.

Ferda also decided to begin reorganizing his own abilities in earnest.

'Red Circle 4-star and Shadow Circle 1-star.'

If one looked only at his amount of mana, he was 5-star.

'But I am not 5-star.'

Since he could not use 5th-tier magic, he had to understand it only as having far more mana than other 4th Circle mages.

That was an element he could use as a hidden card.

'On top of that, the Shadow Circle simply looks like a shade at a glance.'

It was made not of blue mana, but black.

If one did not focus properly, one would not notice that he had another circle.

Above all, because Ferda was a Red Circle mage, no one would even imagine that he would have an auxiliary circle in the lower tiers.

'I will use lightning with the Red Circle, and shadow magic with the Shadow Circle.'

After deciding in advance how he would operate his mana, Ferda focused on another element.

He needed something to oppose him, and right now, Ferda had that tool.

'Earthly Punishment.'

A gift from Lucy Philiaz.

She had called it that, saying it was not punishment sent down from the heavens, but punishment rising from the earth.

From the outside, it looked no different from an ordinary staff, and no one would think this was an arcane treasure given by Lucy Philiaz.

'Come to think of it, did she say it would absorb that power if I brought a branch struck by lightning to it?'

Ferda took out the branch he had received from Ahmed Hashim as a token of friendship.

He brought the branch to the staff.

Then the particles and the like hidden in the World Tree branch visibly flowed toward the staff.

SSSSS...

It absorbed everything without leaving anything behind, and something astonishing occurred.

All traces of mana left behind by the World Tree branch disappeared, and it became an ordinary branch.

Even more astonishing was the fact that despite absorbing all those traces, no mana could be felt from this staff.

Just in case, he flowed mana into it as before and checked its power.

CRACKLE!

It was certain.

Its power had increased compared to before, and it had become stable.

'It was already more powerful than Dark Bolt...'

He thought that the heaven-defying Lightning Bolt might be able to produce firepower similar to Lightning Spear, an existing 4th-tier spell.

An object that made magic power come out one tier higher with no side effects was an arcane treasure whose value could not be calculated.

'With this, the means I possess have increased by one more.'

Heaven-defying lightning that could surpass darkness, the strongest when it came to destruction.

Shadow art that deceived the opponent and struck at their blind spot.

"Hmm..."

He was considering how to use this tool.

Ferda's fights always began with display and ended with display.

Unlike in the past, when he showed the confidence that he could overwhelm them, now he needed a strategy befitting a mage.

At least so that he could land the final blow when he faced that man, Gokma.

Ferda began his research.

One month after the incident occurred.

They had gathered a tremendous army of no fewer than twenty thousand in total, centered around the mother demonic creature.

Of course, not all of them were lethal monsters.

Among them, half were slow like Melted and had incomplete forms, while half had the forms of monsters or threatening beasts.

Even among those in beast form, large demonic creatures like bears numbered only around two hundred.

Even so, if those things swarmed in all at once, they would be helpless.

Erica judged that the forces had gathered sufficiently and would move.

To prepare for an all-out battle, Olivia gathered the entire staff and entered the final operational meeting.

Ferda also participated, listened to the discussion on preparing for the defensive battle, and asked Count Concillus about his situation.

"Count, how is the situation on your end?"

-There is nothing to say.

-I am a man who has been waiting for this very moment.

"Do you have no drinking water problem on your side?"

-Yes.

-We can endure one more week with the items Blue Eye brought us.

It was support from outside, but they had sufficient justification to receive it.

Burnel had shared the technology, and based on that technology, they said, "We are giving you a few samples to test."

They were supplies used for the subjugation of the Land of Demons, so they had only fulfilled their duty as an ally.

-Regent.

"What is it?"

-I will tell you in advance.

-It has been an honor to serve you, even briefly.

-It would have been nice if we could have met a little earlier.

Ferda wondered why this man was suddenly saying such sentimental things.

It sounded like the last words of a knight going to die on the battlefield, and irritation welled up in him.

"Do not say pointless things."

"If you are pushed back, retreat to Hestia no matter what."

-If this castle falls, I will bury my bones here.

-It is the quality of a knight to kill even one more enemy in order to save a hundred people.

-I will kill a hundred more and save ten thousand.

-So I beg you, please protect the people of this Grand Duchy's territory.

"... I understand."

There was no guarantee he would die, but Ferda decided to clearly remember his words nonetheless.

At that moment, Isabella threw the door open and entered.

"The demonic army has begun to move!"

Had what was finally coming arrived?

Ferda thought that and rose from his seat.

However, Isabella's words were not over.

"But their direction is different from what we expected!"

His body flinched.

"What does that mean?"

"The thousands of troops that were there are not moving toward us."

"Rather, they are moving in the opposite direction!"

"The opposite direction means..."

"They are moving toward the imperial capital!!"

The situation was the exact opposite of what everyone had expected.

Before he could even ask whether that was true, Ferda's communication crystal ball hummed.

He had never imagined he would be so glad to hear that oily voice.

-R-Regent!

-This is terrible!

The Crown Prince, Alexander Arken, shouted in a voice full of panic.