BXBX NOVEL Chapter 147
Chapter 147
It’s been ten days since they boarded the ship.
They passed through the center of the demon forest and entered the territory of the Fresia Empire.
Isaac sighed regretfully.
“We’re already here, huh?”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“When will we meet again?”
“We’ll see each other when the time is right.”
“You don’t seem sad to part ways.”
Kane simply bowed in response to Isaac’s grumbling.
“Take care.”
“You’re no fun.”
The ship docked at the Rehinar port.
Blata expressed the farewell that Kane didn’t.
“Your Highness, see you next time.”
“Ah, only Sir Blata truly cares for me.”
“Of course, of course.”
Blata waved his paw energetically.
The ship was starting to set sail.
Around the time the ship picked up speed, Kane spoke up to Isaac.
“Oh, won’t you meet with the princess before you go?”
It was far too late for such a suggestion.
The ship was already quite far from the port.
Isaac shouted furiously.
“Why are you telling me things late?!”
“See her next time.”
Isaac yelled something in the distance at Kane’s response.
But Kane had already turned around and walked away.
“Mikhail.”
“Yes, speak.”
“Prepare to depart immediately.”
“Where is our destination?”
“The Village of the Golden Dragon.”
“You mean the place marked on the map but with no known way in?”
“We’ll leave tomorrow. Pack everything you’ll need.”
“Understood.”
Mikhail returned to his workshop.
After a long time, Kane went to see Daniel.
He was seated as Chief Administrator, buried in numerous documents.
“Elder.”
“You’ve come?”
“Looks like you have a lot of work.”
“Thanks to the young lord entrusting me with all affairs of the territory.”
“Consider it a chance to catch up on all the delayed work.”
The family’s administrative office had grown quite a bit.
With finances now secure, they were able to hire more talent.
There were over twenty people working in administration alone.
Even so, everyone was busy.
Rehinar was slowly becoming a great territory.
It changed day by day, with endless work needing attention.
“Come to think of it, there’s something here you need to check.”
“What is it?”
Kane accepted the documents from Daniel.
It was a letter of protest from the Orchid Kingdom.
The surviving students had shared what had happened, but it seemed not to be believed.
Naturally.
The king of the Orchid Kingdom was under the influence of the Meyer family’s bewitching magic.
It was no wonder they didn’t believe it.
“You’re giving me something like this so casually?”
"All you need to do is review it."
“How are you handling it?”
“We’ve already sent Rehinar’s official stance and are waiting for a response.”
“What if they decide to attack?”
“Then we’ll have to resolve it with force.”
“You seem confident?”
“Rehinar isn’t what it once was. The current Rehinar could fend off even the great army of Hatzfeld.”
Indeed, with the territory under his charge, Daniel had channeled funds into building up the military infrastructure.
A knight training academy.
The Tower of Water Magic.
A magic artillery station.
And a magic engineering research lab.
Significant investments went into military power.
And that wasn’t all.
The walls had completed their fifth upgrade.
This was why Daniel was entrusted with such responsibilities.
His administrative skills were exceptional.
Despite being of retirement age, no administrator could match his ability.
“Also, thanks to the Grand Temple, our population is growing exponentially, making it easier to recruit soldiers. Priests are in abundance as well. The only shortage we have is commanders.”
It took years to cultivate a skilled commander.
Most high-ranking commanders were nobles by birth.
In other words, unless nobles from other territories moved to Rehinar, it would take at least five or six years to produce a commander.
Currently, only lower-ranking commanders of common origin were available.
Even Daniel’s administrative prowess couldn’t address the sheer number gap.
“There are plenty of commander candidates in Rehinar, aren’t there?”
“…Are you referring to the military school cadets?”
“If you gather all those nobles from the outskirts instead of the central ones, we could secure at least 200.”
“I hadn’t considered that.”
“Try suggesting it to them. They’ll be lining up to come to Rehinar.”
Daniel nodded, then asked the reason for Kane’s visit.
“But, what brings you here?”
“Do you know Eki Hughes?”
“Of course. Her name is quite well-known in Rehinar.”
“What do you mean?”
“That eccentric engineer has been selling all sorts of inventions here.”
“She’s still in Rehinar?”
“Seems like she intends to settle down here. She even bought herself a house.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“How does the young lord know this eccentric engineer?”
“I invited her to Rehinar. Use the family’s funds to support her research. She’ll create something spectacular.”
“Your expectations seem high.”
“This woman is just brilliant.”
Her most notable invention was the magic engine.
Its lesser versions included the mana-powered dynamo and mana core.
It was a crucial component of the teleportation portal.
This technology alone was hailed as being decades ahead of its time.
However, she had showcased technology that was centuries ahead of her time.
Eki Hughes, a woman not even thirty years old.
"At first, she built a massive airship, then a powerful mana engine capable of lifting an entire island. If it weren’t for that meddling Dirk, she could have completed a floating sky castle."
Although he regretted not seeing the completion of the sky castle before, this time was different.
He had brought her to the territory much sooner than when he was Ray.
The chances of seeing the sky castle completed were now much higher.
“Now that I know she’s still in Rehinar, I’ll go see her. I’ll leave the affairs of the territory to you, as usual, Elder.”
With a wave to Daniel, Kane headed off into the territory.
---
A woman wearing glasses was clutching her head in frustration, shouting out in despair.
“Ugh! I’m running out of money!”
She was in the midst of crafting a masterpiece.
Rehinar was a city of water.
Its waterways were impeccably organized.
She had the idea that if she could harness this system, she could generate electricity with a mana generator. However...
She was severely short on research funds.
The essential material for a mana generator was a high-quality mana stone.
Not just any mana stone, but water elemental mana stones.
As an engineer, her only option was to buy these stones, but they were expensive.
“Should I ask the mages to help me find some water mana stones?”
She shook her head.
She had already asked a few times, and all her requests had been turned down.
To obtain water mana stones, one had to venture into the demon forest, but without a special permit, entry was impossible.
Everyone had turned her down, suggesting instead that she just buy the stones.
“But where am I supposed to find high-quality water mana stones?!”
The stones available in the market were not the quality she needed.
“The Black Crow Exchange has good water mana stones, but they’re outrageously expensive.”
Selling her inventions just to fund her research wasn’t sustainable.
To make matters worse, she was also behind on her rent for the Tower of Magic’s lab.
If she didn’t come up with something soon, she risked being kicked out.
She needed to create a brilliant invention quickly to secure the money for her next project.
But she couldn’t think of a solution.
How could she raise the funds for her inventions?
As she wrestled with the problem, a knock sounded on the door.
Knock, knock!
"Oh no, I’d better pretend I’m not here."
She held her breath, suspecting it might be another mage come to complain about her unpaid rent.
Knock, knock.
Another knock sounded at the door.
“P-Please, just go away,” she whispered.
Her plea went unanswered.
The door clicked open.
In the corner, she squeezed her eyes shut.
“Why didn’t you respond when you were clearly inside?”
“Ah… hahaha…”
She forced an awkward laugh at the sound of the man's voice.
“Could you give me just one more month to pay the rent?”
She had mistaken Kane for a mage come to collect rent.
She was a commoner; mages were all nobility. Kane had such an imposing aura that she naturally assumed he was one of them.
“Is your research going so bad that you can’t even afford to pay rent?”
“Y-Yes, exactly. Just like mages create new spells, I feel such joy whenever I invent something.”
“What if I told you that you could conduct your research without worrying about money?”
Her eyes lit up.
Being able to research without financial worries was her dream.
“That’s exactly what I’ve always wanted!”
“If I fund all your research, what can you offer me in return?”
Full research funding. That was all she could hear.
She thought of all the inventions still in her mind, even those she hadn’t dared to try.
Excitement bubbled up. It was a dream come true.
Her heart raced, but then she hesitated.
“Didn’t mages say they weren’t interested in my inventions?”
“I’m not a mage.”
“T-Then who are you?”
“Kane Rehinar. The one who’s about to be your superior.”
“Ka-Kane Rehinar?! The… the Blood Demon Young Master!”
Eki’s face turned pale.
A demon stood before her.
This was the man who regarded human lives as insignificant. The name "Blood Young Master" wasn’t earned for nothing.
If Rehinar weren’t a city of water, she’d never have come here.
This was the only place where her inventions could truly be put to use.
Even if she was uneasy about Kane Rehinar…
Her spirit for research couldn’t be restrained.
Yet the very person she least wanted to encounter had come directly to her.
“It’s a bit awkward when you look so startled in front of me,” Kane commented.
“S-Sorry.”
Though she was older than Kane, the difference in their social status naturally made her speak respectfully.
“So… what brings you here?” she asked, voice trembling.
Standing face-to-face with a man known for his ruthless cruelty, fear took hold of her.
People of Rehinar admired Kane, but they were his vassals. She was an outsider and knew him only as a merciless man.
“I’m here to recruit you.”
---
[A quest to establish a base can now begin. Would you like to proceed? (Y/N)]
---
The quest notification appeared, but Kane didn’t accept it.
This was a game, yet it also felt like reality. If he played his cards right, he could avoid doing the base-establishment quest. He would miss out on some rewards, but time was of the essence.
So, he opted for a workaround.
“I’ll give you a dedicated lab, full funding for your research, and enough capital to settle here,” Kane offered.
It was a generous proposal, almost impossible to refuse.
But such offers always came with a price.
“I… don’t make weapons. I’m someone who researches things that improve daily life,” she said, mustering the courage to state her principles despite her fear.
“Who said otherwise?”
“Pardon?”
“I’m not asking you to build weapons. I’m only interested in the magic engine you’re set to invent.”
At the mention of a “magic engine,” her eyes widened.
Everything she had invented so far was merely groundwork for this. She aimed to create what no one on the continent had managed to make—a true magic engine.