Chapter 173
Humans cannot use Magic.
When a Mage waves a wooden wand with a mysterious incantation, Magic goes poof! and appears, so people who don't know any better like Pastel might be mistaken and revere Mages, but Magic is not the Mage's own power.
A Mage is closer to a prayer practitioner reciting an incantation. Magic is merely all things in nature hearing the prayer and granting it on the Mage's behalf.
It wasn't much different from the self-proclaimed Fairy, the artificial spirit, crying God! God! and doing wish subcontracting, including how it boasts when the results turn out well.
However, unlike the embarrassing situation of a Mage when he was picked apart, the story was different for a priest.
The chosen priest class, which became able to wield mysteries because God personally shared divine power with it, literally wielded divine power.
With a single hand gesture, incurable diseases were cured and monsoon rains fell on dry earth. The individuals became able to perform miracles at any time, parting the clouds and making the sunlight shine down from above.
To the point where it was so excessive that they mistook themselves for gods.
Worship and corruption.
Those who came to completely possess the divine power of a naive personal god after painstaking schemes and betrayals are called Demons.
The being who made the Usurpation of Divine Power so overflowing that the god died and created a void without revelations was called an Archdemon.
Even though the person in question claimed innocence, saying that God had just suddenly handed it over, before failing to endure a hundred years of continent-wide Pursuit and Assassination and fleeing to the Demon Realm.
However, a while later, the god who was thought to be dead returned perfectly fine and opened the Era of the New Covenant along with a doctrinal reorganization, making the Godslayer's infamy very ambiguous. Since the god didn't give any related revelations or correct the excommunication at all, as if forgetting the Archdemon's existence, the Archdemon remained one, though.
In fact, the reason the infamy was maintained was that there were also quite a few trivial crimes like holding a blade to the Emperor's neck, making him prepare a Sky Whale bound for the Demon Realm, and then fleeing to the Demon Realm.
As for the Emperor's neck, it would have been fine if the Crown Prince, who was watching with a Thump-thump, Pit-a-pat heart wondering when it would be cut, became the new Emperor, but the Empire's budget having been strained once to procure a Sky Whale was a very big deal.
Of course, even though the Archdemon participated in the Church Subjugation led by Blossom Kraft and established great merit, he gained a complex and subtle reputation and treatment once again.
Unlike these eventful records of the historical mainstream, the Demon Realm had quite a different evaluation of the Archdemon.
Originally, the Demon Realm was a place for fugitives.
The Archdemon, who settled down during a time when power was everything, wielded overflowing divine power and settled in very well. After a long struggle of over a hundred years, he formed a single sphere of influence across the entire Demon Realm and literally wielded divine power, even threatening the Demon King's Authority.
The Archdemon was no different from a living myth for Imperial-born immigrants. His position was solid, whether in a good or bad sense. This glory and power would continue forever.
That is, until a certain Family with Pink Hair, who was pure, kind, and had charity as a hobby, started snooping around the Demon Realm.
Several hundred years passed after the Archdemon settled down.
Cannibalistic Barbarism hadn't faded at all. The situation where power was everything hadn't changed at all either. As a former priest, I could find no situation as displeasing as this.
When the Empire was eyeing the Demon Realm and the Demon King declared a Trade Embargo, he attempted a fundamental blockade.
The Pink Hair's proposal to introduce the Empire's new civilization and completely reform evil customs to make a good world for people to live in worked on the Archdemon. After all, he was from the Empire and liked Imperial civilization.
In fact, it couldn't be helped.
Magic stones are ores found only in the Demon Realm. If they brought in the Mana Stone Engineering that was in full development in the Empire, it would be easier than swimming while touching the ground. You'd be a fool not to invest.
The Archdemon polished his smuggling techniques and smuggled Imperial goods extensively. When one sphere of influence acted while ignoring the policy, the trade blockade collapsed in an instant.
The Pink Hair, outwitting the smuggling beginner, gave a thumbs up.
And then they smuggled in a massive amount of cold weapons—the Empire's new civilization (it's Bellamont steel, so the quality is great! What a totally new civilization!)—and caused a civil war.
"Kraft...!"
Branded in an instant as a traitor to the Demon Realm, the Archdemon had to end the civil war with his own hands.
But in the end, it became the fatal cause of defeat in the Great War, and the Archdemon had no choice but to become a fugitive in the Demon Realm as well.
What followed is a story that can be told at length or briefly.
In front of the fleeing Archdemon, another pure, kind Pink Hair whose hobby was charity appeared and apologized for the Family Head's betrayal.
They worked hard to help him get to the Empire, showing utmost sincerity as if to repay the Family Head's betrayal. They partially restored the Archdemon's subtle honor, promoted harmony with the Great Temple, and eliminated Pursuit and Assassination.
The Archdemon had no choice but to ruminate on the realization he had learned during his priest days that bloodline and the individual are different. The Family Head who scammed him was the problem; the name Kraft itself wasn't bad.
He thought so until the Pink Hair stabbed him in the back, sealed him when he let his guard down, and then became the Family Head in recognition of that merit.
In betrayal, the aftermath is more important than the success.
The Pink Hair, who cleanly sealed the Archdemon after swiftly backstabbing him and turning him into a very large risk factor, was fully qualified to be the next Family Head.
"Kraft...!"
And a long time later.
Blossom Kraft appeared in front of the Archdemon, who was still locked in prison.
This time, it was a Pink Hair who wasn't pure, whose kindness was subtle, and whose hobby wasn't quite charity. It was an appearance without a single ounce of pretense.
The girl, who hadn't even reached adulthood yet, asked for help to become the Family Head, saying she would reform her evil Family.
As a former priest, he could not ignore the young girl's righteous request, especially in a situation where he had been betrayed twice by that evil family and had made up his mind to overturn them someday.
There was the issue of her breaking her promise like a true Pink Hair and locking him back in prison after he helped her with all his heart and finished this and that, but it was a trivial problem.
"Kraft...!"
At this point, one might wonder if the Archdemon, who kept getting tricked by Pink Hairs, was the problem.
Ellie thought so too.
As a Reformer who re-evaluated the Archdemon's Demon Realm reform plan—which would have been achieved if not for the Pink Hair's tricks—and restored his honor, she thought the Archdemon's clumsiness was the problem, but the direction itself had no major issues.
The Archdemon was a rare Reformer in the old Demon Realm where people only showed off their power, so she couldn't help but feel favorable toward him.
In the first place, someone walking a path no one has taken before is bound to be clumsy. The Pink Hairs were the bad ones.
"The coal supply chain is a weak link. Compared to the Magic Stone mine, high-quality coal mines are severely lacking, so we're importing Bellamont coal."
Ellie personally gave a policy briefing in front of the Archdemon.
Drawings of trains and skyscrapers covered the table. It was a completely different direction from the Archdemon's Mana Stone Engineering reform plan, but this was a new generation's achievement in its own right.
A proud feeling made the corners of her mouth rise.
The Demon narrowed his brow and rubbed his chin.
"It's not a big problem right now, but when National Land Development begins in earnest and demand increases, the Empire's interference will be inevitable."
"Yes. That's why we're conducting Hybrid Research with Mana Stone Engineering."
"The Empire is half in doubt about the potential of Pure Engineering, so it doesn't restrain it severely, but Mana Stone Engineering will be different."
"Right."
There is nothing as threatening as the place of origin for magic stones that has acquired Mana Stone Engineering.
"The control over magic stones and human resources for research is so extreme that the research itself is difficult."
Ellie smiled as her Reformer senior understood right away.
Her pointer tapped a report on one side.
"So I'm pinning my hopes on the train Pastel confiscated."
It was about the train and the engineers' party encountered in the Port City. The engineers' party, who must have been Cultists, all died in a massacre presumed to be the Church silencing them, but the train with its abnormally high technological prowess remained.
"With current Pure Engineering, that kind of speed is absolutely impossible. I can guarantee this on the Kingdom's honor. Thanks to being kicked out of the hotel, I couldn't see the Trading Group's report, but it's definitely a hybrid."
If not, it would mean the Church had surpassed the technological prowess of the United Kingdom, which was like a Pioneer of Pure Engineering, so it didn't make much sense. It would be one thing if it were a group that had been investing in Pure Engineering in the first place, but it wasn't.
"It is a hybrid!"
A cheerful voice suddenly rang out.
When they turned their heads, Governor-General Pastel was poking his head out through the crack in the door.
The pink eyes quickly scanned the Demon and Ellie.
"They say the proportion of Mana Stone Engineering is overwhelmingly higher at 7 to 3. The Trading Group's technical team said they could increase the speed even more if they got the Royal Family's help."
"Oho, interesting. What are the specific details?"
"I don't think Lord Demon needs to concern himself with the details!"
"What?"
It was good news, but Ellie somehow felt a chill run down her spine. The observing gaze was unusual.
But perhaps it was a misunderstanding, as the girl with Pink Hair soon smiled brightly. Small footsteps entered the room.
"I didn't know Ellie was making these kinds of plans! I'll tell the Trading Group to share the train data with the Royal Family! I think we can do joint research!"
Pastel's finger poked Ellie in the ribs.
"The patent rights will be negotiated by the Working-level Staff!"
"Really? If you do that, it's great for me."
Specifically mentioning negotiations by the Working-level Staff was no different from saying that Ellie herself, who was originally Pastel's Core Working-level Staff, could interfere at her own discretion.
A fierce patent rights negotiation is unfolding between the Royal Family Representative Princess Ellishita and the Governor-General's Office Representative Aide Ellie.
Ellie, who had been secretly worried that Pastel was angry after she was kicked out of the hotel, felt relieved.
She didn't think Pastel, who was extremely rational in handling work, would continue to hold a grudge just because she briefly acted, prioritizing national interests, but even that bit of anxiety was resolved.
Still, she should be careful from now on.
Walking a tightrope between a cold-hearted friend and national interests is bad for the heart.
"Yeah, yeah! Since Ellie is a workaholic, it seems like you need work so much that you're briefing Lord Demon unnecessarily! I'll give you some work!"
Pastel pointed at herself proudly.
"A kind superior who makes sure her subordinate doesn't become unemployed!"
Wow.
A sound effect came out of the girl's mouth.
Ellie tilted her head.
Is that really a kind superior?
But it was what she wanted, so she felt good.
"Thanks."
"Yeah, yeah!"
Pastel nodded enthusiastically.
"Because I'm totally kind!"
Her pink pigtails fluttered.