Chapter 23 : A sudden impossible thought


    Although Caesar and Sylphy''s intention was shrouded in mystery, there was also the fact that the students needed a rival for the time being. Maybe it was just as well.


    Besides, it was useless to think about the aim of those two entricities. First of all, they might not be thinking at all.


    Mia and Cliff seemed to have their own thoughts, and although it was a little early, let''s have them study by themselves. They had that magic bag. If there were any time left, they would train their Mana operation using the magic bag.


    In the meantime, I also had a few things to do.


    I teleported to Leroy in the centralboratory of the research institute.


    "Magic weapons? Now that you say it, I did make them. Well, it''s just child''s ypared to what I''m working on now."


    Leroy muttered in self-derision as he drank the coffee especially made by Sagami Co.


    "I am thinking of making a magic weapon based on a sword this time. Can I ask you to give me pointers?"


    Leroy continued making a suspicious face.


    "I''m not going to rely on that childish thing that can''t get activated without magic. The firearms you''ve taken into consideration should be enough for weapons. Rather than that, I''d like to start developing a [Generator] as soon as possible," he said the words as expected.


    "It''s not about convenience. Leroy-san, the reason I want to know it is the same as the way you want science now."


    Leroy crossed both of his arms and stared at my face for a short while.


    "Wait a minute," he said, his figure silently disappearing into the back of the room.


    A few minutester, Leroy returned with a sword and ced it quietly on the desk.


    "This is something I made just before I met you. It''s the best work I''ve ever had, but I don''t need it now. Do as you like."


    Even I, who was a novice, could see it. It was aparatively sharp sword.


    "It has a mechanism that will be activated after you put a specially manufactured magic stone in the cavity of the sword hilt. In other words—"


    "The final quality of the sword is affected by the uracy of the magical ore stone?"


    "That''s right. I''m a cksmith. Even if I, as an individual, make it with great diligence, in the end, it all just depends upon the magician''s ability. I have treated it the same as my child, but now it has fallen into a blister. How unforgivable and unbearable it is..."


    The figure of Leroy biting his back so hard reminded me of the reason why this world''s cksmith was so crazy about science.


    "Thank you. Now, I would like to ask you a few questions about the manufacturing process of this sword, if that''s all right."


    "I don''t mind. I will tell you all you want to know."


    Leroy nodded broadly at my request and began to open his mouth.


    I returned to my room to sort out the detailed information Leroy had given me about manufacturing magic weapons.


    In order for the magic ore to be fully effective, the metal, shape, and strength of the sword must be finely tuned. In particr, depending on the type of magic that the magic ore possessed, specific adjustments were required. But, if you made a mistake here, the magic weapon would not be able to disy its strongest prowess.


    I see. If it was that difficult to understand, it made sense why there were so few magic weapons in this world.


    "It''s interesting!"


    If you stop developing something because of this level of difficulty, you are no longer a scientist.


    In fact, the science and technology that we have developed so far is the crystallization of the wisdom built up by our predecessors on Earth. I am no more than an imitator who has borrowed and reproduced that knowledge. Besides, it is in these inexplicable hardships that the seeds of new wisdom will grow.


    [Master, you seem to be in a good mood.]


    Mura''s astonished whisper echoed inside my mind.


    "Yes, it''s fun. How can I not be in a good mood at this point?"


    I had hit a new wall just now. If I seeded in this development, new knowledge would be written in the history of mankind.


    In addition, if I could settle this theory of magic weapons, there was also the possibility that it could be applied to other magic tools for daily life. If that was the case, then it was also connected to what I wanted to do when I''d first arrived in this world. The union of magic and science—the creation of Magic technology!! [T/N : It''s not literally magic technology here, but instead sorcery/ck magic and science. Since he wants tobine them, either I could write it as ck magic science or so. Hence, I thought of using magic technology for now, though it may change if there''s a more detailed exnationter.]


    [Aren''t you a pervert!!]


    That''s not something you are qualified to say!


    I very much wanted to begin the research immediately. But for today, I had to make a summary for tomorrow''s ss. For the time being, I''d simply have to work on it little by little.


    "Now then, let''s begin."


    With a pen in hand, I began to write down on a piece of parchment.


    ◇◆◇◆◇◆


    "Oh, it''s already thiste."


    I looked at the clock and saw that it was 20:00. It was time to go out for dinner.


    When I went to the cafeteria of Sagami Co., Aquido, Ca and Jude were having dinner as well, so I joined them.


    "I see, so the construction work for the research facility of the Institute of Medical Science and the government hospital is progressing well?"


    We''d been working on the development of antibiotics for some time now, recruiting volunteers from the members of Sagami Co. and Toto vige.


    However, because of theck of personnel to invest in that, it hadn''t progressed well. But this time, I had a new territory, Radol. There were plenty of candidates.


    That was why I''d decided to establish the Institute of Medical Science, a medical education and research institute, and a public hospital.


    "Oh, we''ve already started recruiting the first batch of researchers. Although I know you are busy, but—"


    "I know. Leave it to me."


    In this world, medical science was still an unknown research area. It couldn''t be helped that I couldn''t even talk about research without basic knowledge. And it was the same for medical professionals.


    "I have also applied for it."


    Ca announced while stuffing herself with her favorite cutlet.


    "I see. Study diligently, okay? So, what about the recruitment?"


    "About this, we already have around 500 applications."


    "Fi-five hundred..."


    Same as the dumbfounded Aquido, I was also considerably taken aback by this piece of information.


    The confirmed applicants were the group of Tana, several people from Toto vige, and the original staff of Sagami Co. who were working on the production of antibiotics from the beginning.


    Up to this point, the confirmed people were less than 50. I hadn''t expected to receive ten times more applicants.


    "This includes Radol, Tosh group, former soldiers of Amuzureth Kingdom''s army, and their military physicians. In addition, there were applications from doctors from all over the Empire who were introduced by the Commercial Guilds."


    I didn''t intend to make medicine my primary source of ie.


    Of course, if other merchants were to patent the drug and monopolize it, there was a possibility that it would not be distributed to the poor who really needed it. That was why I would patent it. However, the patent would be granted by a newly established organization called the Medical Science Research Association.


    Utilizing the enormous amount of money to establish free hospitals in all regions possible and conduct medical checkups. That was the kind of organization I was aiming to start.


    "I don''t mind, but as expected, 500 is a lot. We need to sort them out. Jude, divide and interview all of these 500 people. The hiring requirement is whether they truly want to help others."


    "I understand. I will begin it as soon as possible."


    As I nodded in satisfaction at Jude''s words, Aquido said, "The other day, Theo and Calogero, who were undercover, returned. We have protected ny percent of the families of the Amuzureth Kingdom''s soldiers."


    "90%, what about the rest?"


    Aquido shook his head with an expression of anguish. So, 10 percent of them had already been executed.


    "I see. I suppose so. In fact, we should be d that we were able to protect ny percent of them."


    To be honest, ording to my earlier expectation, I would have been satisfied as long as we could protect half of them safely. That was what I thought.


    "About that, ording to the information from Theo and the others, they were able to protect them so easily because all of the people received a revtion."


    "Revtion?"


    "Apparently, when Theo and his team visited a rtivelyrge city in the Kingdom, the families of the soldiers they were to protect had already gathered to escape. Thanks to this, they were able to skip the unnecessary acts of persuasion. The one thing they all had inmon was—"


    "So that was the revtion."


    What a strange story, and also a too convenient one for us. This definitely wasn''t just some coincidence, that was for sure.


    It was possible that they were trying to trick us into believing they were spies or something. But it was just too unnatural to think that they all received the same revtion. If they did, they would have lied even better.


    "For the time being, we have already settled them in the Arcroy Fortress until their new town is established."


    "I understand. Please take care of it."


    Anyway, this settled my biggest fear these days. I should be just d for now.


    "By the way, Ste is living in the school dormitory, right? Is she well?" Ca asked as if she''d just thought of it.


    I would be troubled if she kept clinging to me all the time. This was a good chance for Ste to separate from me. That was why I''d instructed her to live in the dormitory at the academy with Aria for the time being.


    Of course, Ste had adamantly refused to separate from me even for a short time, but I kept persuading her. As a result, Ste''s mood had dropped to the bottom.


    "She waspletely angry this time and didn''t even say anything. So, I don''t even know about that."


    "Hee~ it''s surprising for that Ste not to talk to Grey-sama. It seems like she is pretty angry."


    "Well, yeah. But she''s quite sociable. I''m sure she''s doing well."


    Although there was still the problem where she couldn''t sleep properly if there wasn''t me as a body pillow, for a fifteen-year-old, she was strong enough.


    My only concern was Ste''s intense dependence on me. I was the only family member for Ste in that mansion. For better or for worse, I was the only one in Ste''s world. No, I was the only one for her. No matter how well we got along, for her it was just a human rtionship mediated by me.


    At this rate, if I left this ce, Ste would definitely shut herself in her old shell. That was what I felt.


    [Master, are you nning to leave this ce? I hate it! I want to be together with all the onee-chan!]


    Mura''s desperate words seemed to keep reverberating inside my mind, but I was also surprised by that emerging thought.


    I didn''t have any intention of leaving this ce for now, and neither did I have the ways to do so.


    First, what would I do if I returned with this body of a child that had no memories of Earth at all? That was just an unbelievable delusion.


    "What happened, Grey-sama?"


    "Ah, nothing. Don''t mind it."


    Now that I finished my dinner, it was time toplete the work. Let''s prepare the materials for tomorrow''s ss.


    After briefly saying goodbye to Jude and the others, I left and went back to my room.