kscans

Chapter 236 - Episode 25: Second Half, The DV Target

"But wait, magic power itself isn’t a means of attack, is it."

Maytyl pointed this out. That’s right. Magic power doesn’t interact with ordinary matter. A moment ago, though I was trembling, I deliberately exposed my finger to the laser without shielding it, and I felt nothing.

The destructive force of a battering ram comes from the mass of the ram itself and its rotation, purely physical phenomena. A spiral flame deals damage by turning magic power into high pressure, high temperature air.

You cannot use magic power itself as a source of damage. That is the first problem. But, if that’s the case…

I looked at Alfina.

"The enemy, you could say, possesses the aptitude. It has an organ inside its body that interacts with magic power, or at least with a specific type of magic power. The primary candidate is its nervous system."

Substances that interact with specific magic power under specific conditions do exist, like in the Empire’s geothermal zones or with Magic Catalysts. Take a microwave oven, for example. A microwave uses electromagnetic waves, in other words light, of a wavelength that is efficiently absorbed by the electrons in water molecules.

It selectively delivers energy, which becomes heat in this case, to the water molecules using light. It is the same principle as the excitation in the experiment we just did.

It gives energy to the electrons within water molecules using electromagnetic waves, or light. That’s why things without moisture do not heat up in a microwave. It is the same as how magic power just passes through ordinary matter.

I don’t expect the Magic Insects to have large quantities of a substance that interacts with magic power inside their bodies, like food heated in a microwave.

But those Magic Insects are far more adapted to magic power than humans, let alone creatures like dire wolves. In the case of humans, no matter how strong their aptitude, their vital functions are not hindered at all even without magic power.

However, without magic power, the Magic Insects cannot even support their bodies or breathe. They have come to depend heavily on magic power over the long course of their evolution. And they have evolved to the point of producing lightning strikes. My hypothesis is that this is connected to the Magic Insects’ nervous systems skillfully handling magic power.

Furthermore, a laser concentrates an extremely high amount of energy. This means that if there is even a trace amount of an interacting substance, it will produce a significant effect as a result.

"The Magic Insects’ nerves should contain a certain amount of a substance that interacts with magic power. If we target that organ, something like this becomes possible."

I held up the magic-sensitive plate, which was coated in a substance that reacts to magic power. The result of an excessive amount of magic power being poured into the catalyst on the receiving plate.

What’s more, the enemy is an insect. And conveniently enough, it flies. The DV axis, not domestic violence but the dorsal-ventral axis, one of the fundamental directions that determine an animal’s body structure, is on our side.

"The nerves. We’ll target the central nervous system in particular. For humans, that would be the spine. Take a look at this for a moment."

I moved to the front of the stone slate. Insects and vertebrates like us have a major difference in the structure of their dorsal-ventral axis, the structure from the back to the belly.

First, I placed a hand on my left chest.

"To start, our bodies have the heart on the side closest to the belly. Deeper in, the esophagus, our digestive tract, runs through the center of our body. And on the rearmost side, closest to the back, is the spine, our central nervous system."

I wrote on the slate.

"Insects also have a heart, a digestive tract, and a central nervous system. However, for insects, the order is reversed. The heart is closest to the back. Next is the digestive tract. And then the nerves are on the side closest to the belly."

Ventral Side <-> Dorsal Side
Humans: Heart, Digestive Tract, Central Nervous System
Insects: Nerves, Digestive Tract, Heart

You could say that an insect’s body plan is like that of a human doing a backbend. Well, the brain alone has moved up and over the digestive tract.

Incidentally, this structure from back to belly is determined by a certain gene. For mammals and insects, the same gene is expressed in a reversed dorsal-ventral pattern. The mechanism for creating the central nervous system is the same, only the axis is reversed.

In other words, the common ancestor of the vastly different animal phyla of vertebrates and insects possessed a basic body plan with a heart, digestive tract, and central nervous system along the dorsal-ventral axis. Then, after the ancestors of vertebrates and insects diverged, one of them did a backbend.

We do not know which was the original form. Even older animals, like jellyfish, have neither a central nervous system nor a heart.

"So the Magic Insects are flying towards us with their weak point, their spine, exposed. Is that what you mean."

"Exactly right. An insect’s nervous system is shaped like a long vertical ladder. This means that if we sweep the laser across the Magic Insect’s body from side to side, we’re guaranteed to hit it."

It is like using a laser scalpel to sever the spinal cord, though it is on the belly. An insect’s nervous system is separated into many ganglia, with each body segment having a considerable degree of control. If a human injures their spine, everything below that point becomes immobile. But for an insect, it might just be that one of its segments goes haywire. But what if it is flying.

At the very least, there is a possibility we could prevent those lightning strikes that travel up its body segments.

"We’ll need to verify this. Especially which wavelength of magic power will be most effective for the laser. For that, we’ll use the Magic Insect eggs, no, the embryos or larvae found in the Empire."

We will hit them with different magic power wavelengths and check if the nervous system absorbs the magic power as predicted. Essentially, an X-ray. I heard from Craig that while the eggs at the Magic Vent he and the others found in the eastern Empire were destroyed, they left a few samples behind under heavy guard.

"So we can break through the magic power barrier on the surface and attack the nerves lying just inside. I feel like this could work."

Maytyl, who had raised the initial question, was now nodding.

"The other problem is resources. This method doesn’t just consume magic power."

I moved on to a different issue.

"Isn’t the magic power efficiency good. You’re not passing it through a circuit or converting the magic power into an effect, right."

Noel said.

"That’s true. However, when generating magic power with this method, the Magic Crystal will lose its magic particles and become un-rechargeable."

For reference, in the case of a semiconductor laser, you apply voltage and keep moving the electrons, which are the equivalent of magic particles. In other words, magic particles are supplied to the ordinary Magic Crystal, and they are extracted from the Negative Magic Crystal.

It might be possible to create such a magic particle cycle, but unlike the nearly completed laser, it would be difficult to do in time. That would be a task for the future, if at all.

For what it is worth, I have already confirmed that a normal, empty crimson Magic Crystal can be charged with Purple Magic. Of course, I tested this using Purple Magic created from both positive and Negative Magic Crystals.

Well, maybe I should have just been straightforward and asked Alfina for her cooperation back then. But what worries you, worries you.

"I see. The amount of crimson Magic Crystals is a fraction of the amount of normal red ones, after all."

"And we have to use a lot to generate the Purple Magic to lure the Magic Insects, don’t we."

Maytyl and Alfina commented. When the conversation turns technical, Alfina only speaks up when she is needed. What incredible intelligence…

Whoa, now is not the time to be boasting about my partner. As her unreliable counterpart, boosted by knowledge from a past life, I have to at least explain things properly, even if the knowledge is borrowed.

"In the future, if a Purple Magic Vent appears and we can create a Mana Charging Furnace for crimson Magic Crystals, we’ll be able to recharge them. But if we use up crimson Magic Crystals as a disposable laser source, we won’t be able to do that."

"I see. So that’s why you chose this design."

Noel looked at the prototype.

"The other thing is the possibility that crimson magic power is sufficient, or rather, suitable. The Magic Insects receive Purple Magic at their core and then cloak their bodies in crimson magic power. They’re likely using crimson magic power. If so, it’s highly probable that the nerves I mentioned earlier also use a substance that interacts with crimson magic power, what we would call a Magic Catalyst."

"...So you’ll use rechargeable crimson Magic Crystals to excite a pure red Magic Crystal, which will be the disposable part. The Empire has tons of Negative Magic Crystals. They’re so un-mined that there are even places where they’re exposed on the ground."

Resources are depleted starting from the areas closest to human habitation. That means Negative Magic Crystals, which were considered useless, should still be left in places convenient for transport.

"What do you think."

I asked the sorcery team. The three of them looked at each other.

"…………Yeah. This is the only way. I have a lot of questions, though, about the laser, the Magic Insect’s anatomy, and all sorts of things."

"Indeed. This gives us hope. By the way, this laser, could it not also be applied to radar…"

Maytyl and Fulsy grew animated.

"What’s the procedure for making the new sorcery staves. Even if it’s simple, we’re creating something completely new."

Noel cut in, as if to stop the other two from going off on a tangent. It showed her awareness of her role, which was directly tied to production. Truly reliable.

"You’re right. We need to create a prototype from this proof of concept and then refine it into a mass-producible model."

Noel is correct. Whether we can make it in time for the Magic Insect swarm’s attack. It is going to be extremely tight. And that is not the only device we have to build.

"Noel, I’d like you to handle the tube part of the new sorcery staff. Maytyl, you’ll be in charge of the light source cartridge, which is made of two types of Magic Crystals bonded together. Headmaster, please continue to prioritize the improvement of the Purple Magic generator, and also finish the Magic Vent Antenna and the anti-Magic Insect radar. Alfina, please continue assisting the Headmaster as you have been."

I assigned their tasks. Fulsy looked a little disappointed. You do understand that your role is the most important one, right.

"The tube is Sorcery Silver. Considering mass production of the magic-reflecting catalyst…"

"Noel, can’t you make it so the laser’s aperture can be opened and closed with magic power."

"...If I incorporate some kind of magic circuit switch into the tube…"

"If it is about the Magic Catalyst for reflection, you should ask me."

"Alfina, about the conditions for when that laser fires…"

Everyone began a clamorous debate. Alfina, next to Fulsy, was also answering Maytyl’s questions.

From this point on, I, with my lack of aptitude, cannot interfere.

I suppose I managed to fulfill my role as the source of knowledge from my past life.

Still, I really messed up this time. I took on too much work, got overwhelmed, and lost sight of my priorities. I made the most common, and the worst, mistake a mediocre person can make when they are busy.

I looked at Alfina. It was thanks to her getting me to focus on the new weapon that I was able to come up with the laser idea in the first place. Otherwise, I would probably still be wracking my brain right now.

I really need to work harder so that I can be a partner worthy of Alfina.