kscans

Chapter 238 - Episode 27: Joint Conference

Next to the royal palace stood the elliptical training grounds of the First Knight Order. In the center of the tiered stands surrounding it, impressive seats were arranged, split into left and right sections. On the left sat the king, the prime minister, the captain of the First Knight Order, and other dignitaries of the Kingdom. Euphillia was also there, seated among the high nobility.

On the right, the Empire’s flag was displayed. There sat Dagobard, clad in black armor, along with Biral, who had been reinstated as minister. Princess Lisabet was present as well. They had come for a joint military conference between the Kingdom and the Empire regarding the Magic Insects.

It went without saying that the unveiling of the magic laser, which was about to begin, would have an enormous impact on the cooperative relationship between the two nations.

In the lower stands sat Dalgan and the other members of Central Garden, along with the major bond purchasers they had invited. The head of the Giverny Company and the head of the Construction Guild were there too. They were the civilian members who would build the future Central Garden, the rear base for the battle against the Magic Insects.

Merchants had been invited to a military technology test to show them the power that would support the construction of the new city. Though there were no other options, and even if they were compelled by authority, a person’s efforts change drastically depending on whether they can hold hope for the future.

There was also the fact that since the enemy was just insects, there was no concern about state secrets being leaked.

In short, today was just so unbelievably important. The one performing the demonstration symbolized that. The Kingdom’s next successor, who should have been in the audience, was now before us, preparing down on the ground where we stood.

Then again, he was usually like this, wasn't he?

"I heard it was a new magic weapon, so I wondered how menacing it would be, but this is simpler than the Spiralflame."

Craig spun a magic laser cartridge on his fingertip. We managed to shrink the original model, which a single person couldn’t even handle, down to this size.

The completed cartridge had been improved to a three-layer structure, a red Magic Crystal, a flat black Magic Crystal, and a dark black Magic Crystal. Craig then picked up the main body. Noel explained how to use it, his face tense.

The three-layer structure was the solution to the crimson magic laser’s efficiency problem. In terms of my past life’s knowledge, the two-layer structure of a normal Magic Crystal and a Negative Magic Crystal I first proposed was a single heterojunction.

The three-layer structure that Maytyl improved with my past-life knowledge, my advice, involved adding another, higher-grade Negative Magic Crystal underneath. It applies pressure from the outside with a stronger negative charge to the middle Negative Magic Crystal, the one in contact with the red Magic Crystal.

This forces the holes where magic particles fall into a high-density state at the boundary with the red Magic Crystal. It’s the same principle as a double-heterojunction semiconductor laser.

As a result, magic particles fall into the holes with high density in a narrow area just below the boundary. This allows for the focused generation of a pure magic wavelength.

Once Craig understood how to use it, a suit of sorcerous gold armor was placed at the far end of the training grounds, along the long axis of the stands. Five of the Kingdom’s knights stood in a line.

All five were chosen for their superior aptitude. In their other hands, they held crimson Magic Crystals. This was to simulate the exoskeletal armor of a Magic Insect.

"Now, we will begin the test of the new magic staff."

At Marquis Tembelg’s signal, the five knights placed their hands on the armor. The armor began to glow a deep red. Craig took one step forward. The distance to the suspended armor was more than five times the range of the Spiralflame. This wasn't its limit, but rather the limit of the venue’s size.

Craig set the cartridge into the magic staff and aimed it like a rifle.

A ruby-colored beam shot toward the armor. The thin beam collided with the crimson magic covering the armor’s surface. For a brief moment, it emitted a sharp flash of light. Craig kept the beam steady and moved the magic staff from side to side in a Z pattern.

As it passed through the center, something like a small spark scattered from the hole in the armor’s neck. Gachan.

Craig pulled a projection on the back of the magic staff, and the used cartridge was ejected.

He’s using it for the first time, yet why does he look so proficient? To me, who knows about guns from a past life, it looks incredibly cool. Though laser guns weren’t yet practical in my previous world.

But an air of uncertainty drifted through the venue. The test firing had ended so quickly, and the armor was unscathed. A hushed murmur could be heard, particularly from the area where the merchants were seated.

The armor was taken down and dismantled, and a ladder-shaped wooden frame was removed from inside. It was a model simulating an insect’s nervous system, soaked in a magic-sensing agent. This was the real target. It had been sliced into three equal parts, top to bottom, following the path of the laser.

Even the merchants, who had no aptitude for magic, seemed to understand the implication of piercing thick armor to sever a weak point inside. The murmuring stopped abruptly. The knights, who knew the hardness of sorcerous gold armor, were of course even more impressed.

The meaning of the test was explained to the audience. The weapon could sever a Magic Insect’s central nervous system from a great distance, before it could even get close.

Craig grinned at Dagobard. Dagobard stood and began to applaud. Belatedly, a wave of cheers erupted.

◇◇

Moving from the training grounds to the adjacent royal palace, we participated in the strategy meeting. The agenda was how to best deploy the laser we had just seen.

"This is a Magic Insect egg that was bathed in crimson magic. The body was moving inside the egg, so it was likely just before hatching."

Dagobard held out a rectangular sheet of paper about a meter long. It was the Magic-sensing Paper we sent to the Empire along with our request. I had heard the results in a letter, but this was the first time I had seen the actual thing.

This was what you could call a magic-based X-ray. Magic was directed at a Magic Insect larva just before hatching inside its egg, and the Magic-sensing Paper placed behind it captured the image. As expected, there was a long, white, blank organ in the center of the Magic Insect. Its shape resembled a ladder combined with several lumps. This indicated that the Magic Insect’s nervous system contained a substance that strongly interacts with magic.

The two particularly large masses in the head were likely the brain. There were two similar white patches toward the tail.

"Thank you. This gives us confirmation. By the way, what is this here?"

I looked at an oval shape pictured next to it. Only the bottom part was glowing.

"That is an egg without a larva. It just happened to be next to the other one."

An unfertilized egg, it seemed. Dagobard, his expression still sullen, took out the next sheet of paper.

"…These are the current observation results from the Blood Mountains."

The reconnaissance team in the dragon territory, led by Fabius and the others, had begun observations using the Antenna sent from the lab. It seemed Dagobard had received them on his way to the Kingdom. The measurements indicated that there were multiple large masses of crimson magic in the Blood Mountains, with points of Purple Magic scattered throughout their centers.

"Judging by how they’re spread out, the crimson magic is likely coming from the Magic Insects. I wonder if they’re in the Pupa stage," Maytyl said, looking at the distribution map. She was probably right.

A supplementary note mentioned there was almost no change in the position of the crimson magic. We didn't know the terrain inside the Blood Mountains, so we couldn’t make any hasty judgments, but the number was staggering.

"The eggs found in the eastern part of the Empire were also arranged around a source of Purple Magic. We should assume that multiple large swarms are currently hibernating," Craig said. Dagobard nodded gravely.

"I see. So the Purple Magic located in the centers are the vents in the Blood Mountains. There are at least several dozen of them… Has any more Purple Magic appeared in the Empire since then?" Fulsy asked.

"Two more weak sources have been found. The Magic Insects likely didn’t come due to the season. The one closer to the Imperial Capital is under strict surveillance, and we are preparing to utilize it as a crimson Mana Charging Furnace. As for the one closer to the Blood Mountains, we are considering sealing it as much as possible with the Magic Catalyst you will be providing."

To lure the Magic Insects into the dragon territory, the various Magic Vents were an obstacle. Those near the Blood Mountains would be weakened with magic inhibitors, while those deeper within would be turned into crimson Mana Charging Furnaces.

That said, it would naturally be more convenient to have the furnaces closer to the battlefield, making the selection process extremely difficult.

"In the Kingdom as well, places with strengthening crimson magic are beginning to appear. It should be soon."

When Fulsy said that, everyone’s gaze turned to Alfina.

"We have confirmed from the images shown by the crystal that the calamity will arrive in early summer. At least, within the Kingdom’s borders," Alfina answered. This more precise timing was derived from integrating information from many people, based on things like the seasonal vegetation in each location.

"We have seen the power of this magic weapon, the laser," Dagobard said, glancing sideways at me.

"The Empire will devote all its resources to supplying Magic Crystals. By the way, how many of those can be prepared?" Biral asked.

"Y, yes. Um, well… In another two months, we can have a thousand, no, two thousand," Noel answered, trembling. Craig and Dagobard nodded at each other. The magic laser’s official adoption was decided.

Next was the deployment of forces. With Craig and Dagobard, the commanders of both armies, at the center, a triangular military formation was decided upon, with the planned site for Central Garden as its anchor.

Three Purple Magic generators would be prepared. Two simple ones would be given to each army. The largest one, controlled by Alfina, would be placed at the planned Central Garden site. The three generators would be used to attract the Magic Insect swarms as comprehensively as possible, while also preventing them from concentrating completely in one spot. Naturally, the handling of Alfina’s generator, being the most powerful and controllable one located in the center rear, was of utmost importance.

I dug my nails into my palm under the table. This was the best course of action overall, including for Alfina’s own safety.

"As king, I approve this cooperative framework between our nations for the great calamity to come."

"As the plenipotentiary representative of the Empire, I approve as well."

The king and Dagobard signed the treaty of alliance. The broad strokes of the battle for the future of the Kingdom, the Empire, and human society had been decided. If we could just avoid losing in the first year, we could use the information gained from the fighting to refine our countermeasures.

There was still a long road ahead, but we had somehow cleared one major hurdle. Yet, there was still a mountain of things to do.

I was planning to head straight back to the lab, but it seems there’s some kind of reception. I’m busy, so I’d really like to decline…