国产精品久久久

Chapter 148

"Do you know about the Magic Engine?"

"Somewhat?"

Back in his days as Ray, Kane often heard Eki talking his ear off about it.

She said that inventing the Magic Engine could make floating fortresses possible.

Just hearing about it excited him.

A fortress that could bombard from the sky—this was the pinnacle of all magical engineering weaponry.

"How did you know I was trying to invent the Magic Engine?"

"You\'re searching for high-grade mana stones and collecting broken power units, aren\'t you?"

"Yes... yes, I am."

"Plus, you\'ll need densely refined black steel."

"What?!"

"To withstand the power of the Magic Engine, you\'ll need higher-quality plating. Since you\'re not familiar with metals, you seem to be collecting all types of strong materials."

"Have you been investigating me?"

"Let’s say that I have."

He was simply listing things she had once talked about.

She was relentless with her questions.

If she didn’t understand something, she would keep asking until she did.

Trying to dodge the topic would only lead to trouble, so it was better to address things directly.

"If I create a Magic Engine, what will you use it for?"

"For constructing a portal connecting the Capital City of the Empire with Rehinar, reinforcing the territory\'s defensive shield, and, lastly, for a floating fortress."

Eki nodded at the first two purposes but responded firmly when it came to the floating fortress.

"If it\'s for war, I won’t create it."

He understood her stance.

For her, magical engineering was a source of pride.

If her inventions contributed to everyday life, she found joy and satisfaction.

But the thought that her inventions could be used in war, which brings misery, made her object.

"It would only be used to lift the fortress."

"But you might change your mind later."

In her previous life, she had initially opposed it.

But when people suffered because of the war…

She was the first to suggest it.

She had suggested floating the entire territory into the sky.

She believed that raising the territory with the Magic Engine and equipping it with cannons would make it impossible for enemies below to attack.

To achieve this, she planned to attach a Magic Engine to an ‘island’ (with all normal people struggling with war) and lift it to the skies. But…

It failed, due to Dirke’s interference.

"I swear it will only be for defense. If I use it offensively, I\'ll write a contract and cut off my own hand."

Kane’s voice carried weight and resolve.

Eki stared intently at him.

He was filled with unwavering determination.

They hadn’t even created the Magic Engine yet, but he looked at her with complete faith that she could do it.

Even if they had the materials…

They might fail repeatedly.

It could take years.

Perhaps even decades.

Yet his gaze was so steadfast.

It felt overwhelming.

"Do you not want to create the Magic Engine?"

"Of course! It’s my dream."

"Then, join hands with me."

"And why should I trust you?"

"You’ve been here long enough to know my reputation."

"You mean the notorious butcher?"

"Among other things, but I’m also the one who shaped Rehinar as it is now. Haven\'t you heard about my reputation beyond the war?"

Eki had indeed heard stories about Kane Rehinar.

How could she not?

If you lived in Rehinar, you inevitably heard about the Blood Demon Young Master.

A ruthless moneylender.

A brutal landlord.

A corrupt trade route manager.

He eradicated everyone who harassed the people of his territory.

There were even stories of him reclaiming all the ill-gotten wealth and using it entirely to develop Rehinar.

One tale that caught her interest was how he used advanced construction magic to dig waterways.

Despite the name, Rehinar was simply a vast, remote territory just a few years ago.

It wasn’t a developed city.

They said the sudden transformation of the city was all thanks to Kane Rehinar’s high-level construction magic.

“But you could still change your mind midway.”

“I already said I’d put it in writing.”

“Nobles always change their minds, don’t they?”

“Are you treating me like the nobles you’ve dealt with?”

Their eyes met.

“I... I didn’t mean…”

Eki had never seen eyes like Kane’s before.

Obsidian-like eyes.

So deep, it was impossible to discern their depths.

There was certainly no trace of deceit in them.

As she fumbled, trying to defend herself, Kane proposed something intriguing.

“It’s a shame—I was going to help you create the Magic Engine without a single failure.”

“Really?”

Eki Hughes was a tenacious inventor.

For someone who was so devoted to magical engineering, nothing sparked her interest more than this.

“Creating the Magic Engine in one go would be an incredible achievement, wouldn’t it?”

“Of course! Any magical engineer fails hundreds of times before completing an invention.”

“If you accept my proposal, you can make the Magic Engine in a single attempt.”

“But this could be a lie to persuade me, couldn’t it?”

She was full of doubts.

Every noble she had met had tried to deceive her.

Her magical engineering fascinated them.

Hiring her to develop inventions could make them a fortune.

So they’d tempt her with all sorts of promises and push her to create whatever they desired.

In the end, everything ended up being war-related, so…

She couldn’t trust nobles.

“I’ll give you a five-second glimpse.”

Kane took out a piece of paper from his coat and unfolded it.

Eki’s eyes widened as she looked at the writing on the paper.

“What... what is this?!”

“The missing piece of the Magic Engine.”

“That’s impossible!”

She was in disbelief.

Kane Rehinar knew something even she hadn’t been able to figure out.

How could that be?

He wasn’t even a magical engineer—how?

Could it be…

“Are you… a magical engineer?”

“Not at all.”

“Then how do you know the missing part of the Magic Engine?”

“I have no obligation to answer that.”

Kane tucked the paper back into his coat.

Eki was dying of curiosity.

She wanted to create the Magic Engine based on that paper.

Could it really happen?

Could she really create the Magic Engine in one attempt, just as he claimed?

Or was this just another noble’s lie?

Whatever the outcome, she wanted to give it a try.

“Should I take it that you’re rejecting my proposal?”

Kane urged her.

“Wait, give me a moment.”

“I don’t have much time. You need to decide here and now, or you’ll never see this paper again.”

Even though she was a genius scientist, there was no way she could memorize the entire paper in just five seconds.

It made her even more frustrated.

Just 15 seconds—no, even 10 seconds more would have been enough.

As she was lost in thought…

“I’ll take that as a refusal.”

Kane turned his back to her, as if he was about to leave.

Seeing this, Eki grabbed him hastily.

“W-wait!”

“Have you decided?”

“You’re not even giving me time to think; it’s too one-sided.”

“So, what’s your decision?”

“I’ll do it. But please sign a contract that states it won’t be used for war.”

“Fine. Go to the Rehinar estate and meet with Chief Administrator Daniel to draft the employment contract with this as a special clause. If I break it, the contract will be terminated immediately, and the Magic Engine will be reclaimed.”

This was a highly unfavorable condition for Kane.

He was funding all the research, yet there were many restrictions on its use.

Anyone else would think this contract was absurdly restrictive.

“You’re quite bold.”

“I’ll have this paper sent to you through Daniel.”

With that, Kane turned to leave.

But before he exited, Eki asked one last question.

“The paper said that using mana stones won’t allow the engine to function properly. So, what kind of mana stone should I use? I thought a top-grade spirit stone would be sufficient.”

Out of all the words on that paper, she had zeroed in on the core issue.

The paper didn’t specify a solution, so she had to ask Kane directly.

“Use a top-grade blood mana stone, not a normal mana stone.”

“Bloodstone? That’s an extremely rare stone…”

“That’s all you need to know.”

Kane disappeared.

Left alone in the room, Eki stared into space.

Blood mana stones could only be obtained from boss-level mutated monsters.

Top-grade blood mana stones, in particular, were almost impossible to find.

Essentially, they were as good as nonexistent.

Even the Black Crow Exchange couldn’t source top-grade blood mana stones.

The Magic Engine would require a substantial amount of these top-grade blood mana stones.

“I nearly wasted a fortune… maybe even my life…”

This was crucial information.

“Knowing that top-grade blood mana stones are required for the Magic Engine… that’s state-level classified information. Why would he just give it away?”

She tilted her head in puzzlement.

For magical engineers, the materials for their inventions were top-secret.

Vital materials were often designed to disappear if someone tried to dismantle the device.

Magical engineers were that protective about their materials.

“If I were to take off after hearing this, he’d be the only one at a loss. So, what does he trust in?”

Still filled with questions, she found herself heading toward the Rehinar estate without realizing it.

* * *

"[Eki Hughes has successfully moved in.]

[A resident has moved in through an unexplored route.]

[A 4-star character random residency voucher has been awarded as a reward.]

[As a double reward, Eki Hughes\'s favorability has changed to \'interest.\']"

---

“Hey, Kane.”

“Yeah?”

“Is it really okay to tell her about the blood mana stone? It sounds like an essential material.”

“It’s fine. There’s no way she’d be able to obtain a top-grade blood mana stone anyway, and even if she did, that alone wouldn’t be enough.”

“Then what else?”

“We also need the black iron plates and mithril plates that Mikhail forges.”

“Couldn’t another blacksmith make those?”

“Mikhail’s metal quality can only be compared to the legendary dwarven chief smith. Using metal from anyone else would cause the plates to melt under the Magic Engine’s heat.”

Honestly, he didn’t mind revealing everything.

As long as Eki Hughes didn’t fall into the hands of the House of Sun, no noble would be able to gather or fund the materials anyway. The cost would be astronomical.

Right now, Rehinar had an abundance of wealth, thanks to the incredible popularity of KaraShi Jewels. Noble ladies were buying up all of KaraShi’s jewels, creating a huge demand and making other gems pale in comparison.

The endless wealth of Rehinar stemmed from this success.

In the end, Rehinar was the only noble house capable of funding the Magic Engine’s invention.

Kane was confident that Eki Hughes would stay to see her Magic Engine invention through the end.

As Kane smiled with satisfaction at Eki’s successful move-in, he heard Blata call out.

“Huh? Kane.”

Blata raised his head to the sky, his eyes glinting.

“An aura is covering the sky.”

It wasn’t just Kane and Blata who noticed.

“Kane!”

Ahead of them, already aware of the situation, came the Second Princess, Charlotte von Fresia, running towards them in a hurry.