Chapter 243
Franz was sitting face-to-face with Arian across a small table in a corner of the research lab.
“Magic Tower lord, you’ll get indigestion at this rate. Please eat slowly.”
Arian said softly with a smile on her lips.
Only then did Franz realize that he had been wolfing down the sandwich.
But it couldn’t be helped. He really hadn’t eaten anything all day.
Feeling awkward, he was wiping his mouth with a handkerchief when Arian’s gaze turned toward the center of the research lab.
“Have you finished making all the magic tools you mentioned before?”
“Yeah, I made enough to give two to each country and still have some left over.”
“Two each…”
Arian’s brow furrowed. She seemed to be thinking deeply about something.
Tap, tap, tap-.
Her slender fingers tapped the table before stopping.
“Wouldn’t it be difficult to operate with only two per country?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Suppose a gate appears at the edge of the empire. It would take over two weeks to deliver that information by letter, and another two weeks for the person in charge to arrive at the gate. Considering the time it takes for a gate to overflow…”
It certainly made sense.
The time it took for a gate to appear in the world, overflow, and spew out Monsters was about a month.
Considering that the primary means of transportation in this era was the carriage, resolving the issue within that one-month timeframe was close to impossible. The further the gate’s location was from the capital, the more true this became.
Since Franz could normally go anywhere on the continent using magic, he had forgotten that he needed to consider transportation.
“I need to come up with a solution…”
Tap, tap, tap-.
Franz’s fingers tapped the table. It was a habit of his whenever he was thinking about something.
He didn’t have time to be depressed over making a mistake. If he had promised to make and distribute the magic tools, he had to keep that promise no matter what.
“Magic Tower lord, say ah-.”
Lost in thought, Franz opened his mouth automatically. The sandwich entering his mouth, and his chewing and swallowing it, all happened outside his conscious awareness.
“Is that the fastest way after all…”
Producing enough magic tools so there wouldn’t be a shortage. If a danger level measuring device were relatively close by, the time spent traveling would be vastly reduced.
But it was by no means an easy task. Just obtaining the holy relics was a massive undertaking in itself.
As Yusti-ah had said, his only option was to formally speak with the religious order and receive them. And even that wasn’t guaranteed.
“Then is there no other way…?”
Franz mumbled, the sandwich Arian had fed him still in his mouth, thinking deeply.
Means of transportation, travel distance, time required…
The related factors linked together in a continuous chain. In the endless sea of thought, it felt like he was just on the verge of grasping something.
After a moment.
“Arian, what do you think it would be like if everyone could use Spatial Movement Magic?”
“It would be a true innovation. You could go anywhere on the continent if you set your mind to it.”
An innovation…
Naturally, it was an impossible feat. Spatial Movement Magic was something ordinary people couldn’t use even if they were to rise from the grave.
Even for a skilled Mage, moving a single small object was the limit. And even that was only when the distance was less than a few meters.
But if he changed his way of thinking a little…
“I just need to make a magic tool like that.”
Just as a gate was a door connected to another dimension, he just needed to make a door connected to another place.
Of course, that wasn’t an easy task either. Imbuing Spatial Movement Magic into a tool was a huge problem right from the start.
However,
“It sounds like fun…?”
He was incredibly curious about the upheaval a magic tool would bring to the world, and the revolution it would cause, to the point that a smile naturally formed on his lips.
“Did you come up with a good idea?”
“Yeah, a very good idea came to mind.”
“That’s a relief.”
Arian smiled and offered the last remaining piece of the sandwich.
Only after naturally accepting and eating it did Franz realize that he had been fed the sandwich all this time.
“…I can eat by myself.”
“You’re saying that after eating it all?”
When she put it like that, he didn’t really have anything to say…
It wasn’t particularly important anyway, so he didn’t need to worry about it.
“Arian, go home a little late today.”
“If you say it like that, I might misunderstand, you know?”
“…I’m asking you to help with my research.”
At Arian’s playful laugh, Franz let out a long sigh.
It seemed like she was getting more and more sly by the day.
For the next few days, Franz poured all his energy into developing the spatial movement device. A single small mistake could cost a person’s life, so everything had to be perfect.
Fortunately, he didn’t skip any meals during that time. It was because Arian took care of his lunch and dinner.
Not only that, but she also helped with his research after getting off work, so thanking her a few times wouldn’t be enough.
Perhaps thanks to those efforts, the development of the device had made tremendous progress and was on the verge of completion.
“Magic Tower lord, we just need to insert this, right?”
“Yeah, just put that in and it’s done.”
Before Franz’s eyes was the spatial movement device, right on the brink of completion. The device, studded with high-purity magic stones here and there, looked similar to a door frame.
If there were a difference, it would be that its size was quite massive.
He had made it large enough for two carriages to pass through side by side, so it was only natural.
“Please let it succeed.”
While Franz was worrying like that, Arian brought over the round magic stone that had been sitting on the table. It was the final piece needed to complete the spatial movement device.
“You do it, Magic Tower lord.”
“Do I really have to…?”
“It’s a magic tool that you designed and made, Magic Tower lord.”
That wasn’t exactly true. From design to production, there wasn’t a single part that Arian’s hands hadn’t touched.
Even if it was only 10 or 20 percent, it was undeniable that she had contributed.
So what else could he do?
“U-Ueh…?”
Instead of the round magic stone, Franz grabbed the hand holding it. Since they had been together from the beginning, it was only right to be together until the end.
Arian looked at him, flustered, but he had no choice but to try and ignore it.
“I’m putting it in?”
“Y-Ye-es…!”
With Arian’s reply, the magic stone went into the hole with a click.
At the same time, the device began to operate. A blue light entered the intricately drawn Mana Circuit, and a tremendous amount of energy gathered inside the massive door frame.
Franz just took a step back with Arian and watched the sight.
“Is it a success…?”
“It looks like it for now, but…”
He couldn’t say for sure until there was a definite result. Just because the device was operating didn’t mean everything was normal.
“Magic Tower lord, can I ask you just one thing…?”
“Yeah, ask away.”
“H-How long are you going to hold my hand…”
Franz’s gaze, which had been directed at the massive device, slowly dropped downward. At the end of his gaze were their two hands, still holding onto each other.
“Ah, sorry.”
“A-Ah…”
When Franz hastily pulled his hand away, Arian slumped her shoulders as if it were a shame.
“I’ll go over there, so try throwing anything through this.”
Unable to endure the awkward atmosphere, Franz took a step forward.
The place he arrived at was the opposite side of the research lab, in front of a device that looked exactly like the one they had just completed.
A dim light was similarly swaying inside the door frame of this device as well.
“Arian! I’m ready!”
“Yes! I’ll throw it!”
Arian’s voice rang out from the opposite side of the massive research lab.
Not long after that.
Thud-.
A small piece of iron passed through the spatial movement device and fell in front of Franz’s feet.
Franz picked it up and immediately returned to Arian.
“Arian, is this it?”
“Yes…! That’s it…!”
A bright smile spread across Arian’s face. She was happy that the spatial movement device was operating normally.
Franz felt the exact same way.
Clap-!
Their palms met in midair.
Afterward, the two joyfully began to handle the remaining issues.
To check the safety and effects on living creatures, they sent a mouse through the device, and they experimented with many substances, including magic stones, magic tools, metals, and liquids.
And so, there was only one experiment left.
“Magic Tower lord, will you really be okay…?”
“I’ll be fine.”
It was to confirm whether it was safe for a human to pass through the gate.
The subject of that experiment was none other than Franz himself. He couldn’t bear to put another innocent person on the testing block.
Phew-.
Letting out a long sigh, Franz slowly took a step forward.
Arian just watched him with a worried expression.
His toes disappeared beyond the dim light, followed by his knees and thighs.
It was a situation where nothing could be seen beyond the device. Fear crept up in a corner of his mind, but Franz stepped forward without hesitation.
The sensation he felt in his body was not much different from when he used Spatial Movement Magic. It might be a little dizzying for first-time users, but they would definitely be fine once they get used to it.
'It’s a success…'
The place Franz soon arrived at was the opposite side of the research lab. He had safely passed through the device.
“Magic Tower lord! Are you okay?!”
Had she been that worried? Arian’s voice immediately rang out from the opposite side.
With a joyful heart, Franz immediately headed toward her.
“Magic Tower lord…!”
As soon as he came into view, Arian came running straight at him. Then, she opened her arms wide and pulled him into a tight hug.
Franz, who couldn’t possibly be unaware of her feelings, just silently patted her head.
“So the question is what to do with this now…”
Was it not a magic tool developed with great effort by the Magic Tower, and an innovative item that would change the landscape of the world? Naturally, he couldn’t provide it for free.
He would have to discuss the details with the emperor, but…
It seemed like it would be a good business venture.