kscans

Chapter 117 - 5 Laying It All Out

"Hey, Vinder."

"Whoa, that was close, Noel."

The tap on my shoulder sent the tip of my pen flying. The character for 'field' I was writing on the paper almost turned into a different character entirely.

"...Are you trying to make me build something for you again?"

With undisguised suspicion, Noel looked from the character on the paper to the ballpoint pen that wrote it. It must have looked like some kind of blueprint to her.

"Don't worry, this is something different. I'm just organizing the problems at hand right now."

Though, to be precise, it was also for the sake of the various things I would have her make next.

"It's your fault I got dragged into that meeting the other day. My back still aches," Fulsy said.

What was the Grand Sage talking about? By any logic, the cause and effect were completely reversed.

"Word that you explained the Empire's monsters at a royal council meeting has reached the Magic Dormitory, Grand Sage. But it sounds like Vinder was pulling the strings behind the scenes, as usual."

"Pulling the strings is a nasty way to put it. I didn't say a single word during that meeting."

"During the meeting, you mean."

Fulsy gave me an exasperated look as I puffed out my chest.

"Today's work is a much more down-to-earth, commoner-like job."

"Compared to having secret talks at the same table as a prince, a grand duchess, and the Chancellor in the royal palace, I imagine any job would seem commoner-like."

"Whoa, I was braced for something, but you've been up to way more than I thought."

Noel took several steps away from me. Trust me, I wanted to put a step or two of distance between myself and all that backroom politics as well.

Still, thanks to that meeting, the broad strokes of our national strategy were decided. The next problem was how to actually deal with the Empire's magic. The difficulty level hadn't changed, but for me, this was a much more straightforward opponent to face.

That was why I was here in the library director's office, our magic team's base of operations. I had Mia go to a meeting with Kenwell and the Knight Order to discuss the container standards we talked about. The Grand Duchess and Alfina were supposed to be busy dealing with matters related to Princess Lisabet.

"Alright, let's get started. Broadly speaking, there are two issues when it comes to the Empire's magic."

On top of the grid I'd drawn, I wrote 'Urgent' and 'Not Urgent', and on the left side, 'Important' and 'Not Important'. It was the so-called Eisenhower Matrix. Then, in the top-left quadrant, 'Urgent and Important', I wrote "Horse-Dragons". In the quadrant to its right, 'Not Urgent but Important', I wrote "Countermeasures for Imperial magic itself".

"I see. So it's not just the clear and present threat of the horse-dragons, but we also need to consider how to deal with the overall level of the Empire's magic that makes them possible," Fulsy said.

"Exactly."

Everyone focuses on 'Urgent and Important' problems. The real issue is the 'Important but Not Urgent' ones. They tend to get postponed, which ends up making every other problem worse and creating countless new ones.

It's a simple two-by-two matrix, but it's a great tool for an ordinary person to sort out a complex situation. Laying things out on a flat plane is a great help to those of us with limited brain space. You take a long list of information, which is one-dimensional, and expand it into two dimensions. If the information is complex and multi-dimensional, you simplify it down to two.

Humans are visual creatures, so thinking in two dimensions is our foundation.

"What about the bottom? Shouldn't we just ignore the 'Not Important and Not Urgent' problems?"

"Yes, exactly. This quadrant is for problems we shouldn't touch. I'm writing it down just to make that clear. By the way, 'Urgent but Not Important' is best left to other people. In any case, our current challenges are dealing with the horse-dragons and preparing for the Empire's magic itself. The countermeasures for the horse-dragons are already in motion. Today's topic is our preparation for Imperial magic itself."

"I get what you're saying. I get it, but it just makes me feel even more uneasy..."

It seemed I had completely lost Noel's trust. I was so aware of my past actions that I couldn't say a thing in my defense, which was frustrating.

"...Have you learned anything from the parts of the Empire's coded documents that relate to magic?" I asked Fulsy first.

The code had hinted at the existence of some other unit on par with the horse-dragons. Unlike the horse-dragons, however, we had no concrete information. I thought that Fulsy, as an expert in magic, might have been able to figure something out.

"This word that the Chancellor's Office decrypted and translated as 'magic' feels a bit strange to me. I read it as a slightly different term. It's not 'jutsu', or 'art'. Based on the context and the meaning of the word itself, I'd say it has a nuance of 'flow' or 'propagation'... Yes, I believe the word should be 'sorcery'."

"The 'sorcery' from 'Sorcery Gold'?"

Fulsy nodded at Noel's question.

"In terms of the word's meaning, yes. However, it doesn't seem to be referring to alchemy. It likely has a much broader meaning."

"Sorcery..."

"Well, we can't learn much more from these fragmented documents. But between the horse-dragons and their carriages, there's no doubt that the Empire's magic technology is superior to the Kingdom's."

"I see. In that case, it might be best to call the Empire's magic 'sorcery' to distinguish it. Speaking of Sorcery Gold, Noel, there was something I wanted to ask you as an alchemist."

"Wh, what is it?"

"Does a liquid that can dissolve gold... Aqua Regia... exist?"

"It does. Oh, I get it. You were wondering if you could use it to process Sorcery Gold, weren't you? Too bad. Aqua Regia can't dissolve Sorcery Gold."

Noel explained rather quickly.

"No, I just wanted to know if Aqua Regia existed. I see, so it does. I'll have to get in touch with Senior Dalgan..."

That would make dealing with the 'Urgent and Important' problem much easier.

"Anyway, back to the main topic. There's something I need you to make, Noel."

"Here it comes. Wh, what is it?"

"Um, it's shaped like a stretched-out party hat. I need them in three sizes, small, medium, and large, with ten of each, all with perfectly uniform shapes."

I drew a small cone, shaped like the hollowed-out inside of a party cracker.

"The shapes are simple enough, so I can do it, regardless of the types and quantity. But what are they for?"

"To put it simply, they're the tips for a piece of lab equipment. I need to handle very small amounts of liquid with precision," I said.

They had to be made thin and narrow, and despite their small size, the shapes had to be consistent. Furthermore, given what they would be used for, I wanted to sterilize them at high temperatures.

That meant Sorcery Gold, which could be precisely processed and was resistant to heat, was the optimal choice.

"Hmm. Well, if it's just a simple shape like this, it might not be that much trouble."

As she spoke, Noel jotted down the measurements I showed her.

"Then there's the pipette to attach these to, and also..."

I showed her the designs I had made, based on my memory of lab equipment from my past life. Noel's face gradually started to twitch.

"Each one isn't so bad, but with this many different types..."

"As for the budget, or rather, the Sorcery Gold, I've already secured it from the Chancellor."

"Please don't talk about Sorcery Gold like you can just pick it from a field somewhere. The Chancellor..."

"I told you, didn't I? This fellow was at the same table as a prince, the Chancellor, and a grand duchess, hatching wicked plans."

"Th, that was just a coincidence. I don't want to hear that from the director who was napping right there."

"Things like that don't just happen by coincidence!"

"A, anyway, the sponsor is of the highest rank, so you don't need to worry."

"The glares from my seniors... the snide remarks..."

"Rejoice, if this goes well, you might graduate from your apprenticeship."

"I'd be happy to stay an apprentice for another ten years!"

I've already asked Plural and Kenwell about the glass components. And Fulsy already has some equipment he uses to make his Magic-sensing Paper.

I suppose this covers the preparations for our return from the Red Forest. There's no guarantee this project will succeed. But it has to be better than relying on luck, like when I happened to find that compound that worked on the air sacs.

"So, about this plan to go to the Red Forest," Fulsy said, his face full of anticipation, while Noel muttered to herself as she neatly redrew my clumsy diagrams.

"Right. We'll enter the Red Forest using the Western Observatory as our base. I've asked Prince Craig to provide us with a knight escort, but are you really coming too, Director? You could just wait here for the samples."

"Of course I am. An opportunity to enter the depths of the Red Forest is a rare one indeed."

Didn't he say his back hurt just from going to the royal palace? Well, his knowledge would actually be a huge help, so I was grateful.

"By the way, what exactly are we going there to do?"

"Just as I said at the beginning, we're going to find a countermeasure to the Empire's magic, or rather, its sorcery. It's something we have in this very room..."

I glanced around at the black walls surrounding the room. To put it simply, it was a material that influenced magic. From what Fulsy told me, the black dye mixed into the walls was completely insufficient, both in terms of cost and effect.

Right, I need someone who knows a lot about dyes, paints, and pigments. Was there anyone like that...

"Stop being so mysterious. Well, knowing you, I'm sure it will be something interesting."

"I can't handle the actual experiments myself, so I'll have to rely on you, Director. The equipment I just asked Noel to make is for that purpose."

"Hoh hoh."

Fulsy's gaze returned to the diagrams that Noel was now frantically designing. He really was like a child with a new toy.

"After this, I have to meet with Her Grace the Grand Duchess about the Bertold workshop."

I sighed, recalling the summons I had received from Euphillia today. I wondered what had happened with Princess Lisabet. If all went according to plan, she should be returning to her country around the time we arrive at the forest.

I just had to make sure her souvenir was delivered properly.