The office was spacious——or rather, it used to be.
On the large, heavy desk, not only was there a mountain of documents piled high, but scattered piles of hastily written notes and half-finished blueprints were also in disarray. There were writing tools exceeding what was needed for signing documents, assorted magical tools, and several small tablet devices shaped like stone slabs from ancient ruins.
The chaotic state didn’t stop at the desk. In the adequately sized room, a huge bookshelf crammed with technical and magical books loomed on either side. The once stylish interior decor had long been removed, and in the vacated space, there were heaps of mechanical parts that looked like junk, wooden boxes, and various materials, including heavily sealed steel containers.
The only area that could barely be called open was the visitors’ desk and sofa.
This room, which no longer served its function as an office, was marked ‘Director’s Office of the Magic Engineering Bureau’ on the outside.
“——Excuse me, Director Simon.”
“Oh, Sheik, what brings you here?”
From the mountain of documents on the desk, Simon, the chief director of this room, peeked out.
Sheik, the homunculus F-0049 named directly by Chrono, had been working with Simon since their days in Spada, and even now remained under him. Originally a member of Sariel’s infantry unit within the ‘Dark Knight Corps,’ he also held a rank in the Empire Army, but during peacetime, he mainly served as Simon’s secretary. He was still dressed in his usual maid outfit.
“We have a visitor.”
“Really? I didn’t have any plans for today.”
“It’s Lady Sophia Sirius Percival.”
“Oh, Sophie.”
I wonder what it’s about, he thought, but since she had taken the trouble to visit, there was no reason to decline.
With the lord’s consent given, Sheik bowed and stepped back. Soon, with another knock, the door opened.
“It’s been a while, Simon. I think this might be my first visit since the retreat from Spada.”
“Yes, it has been. I’m glad to see you looking well.”
“I wanted to come see you sooner.”
“Well, there’s nothing we could do, we’ve both been quite busy.”
Taking a seat on the only available space, the sofa, they began with a safe greeting.
Sophia was the head of the Percival family, one of the four great noble families of Spada, and was also the chairperson of the Royal Spada Academy, which both Chrono and Simon attended. Normally, she would be considered a figure above the clouds, but by some twist of fate, she had concealed her identity and teamed up with Simon to participate in the Fifth Galahad War, resulting in a surprisingly deep personal relationship.
A beautiful dark elf of a suitable age, Sophia felt no need to hide her identity, showing her beautiful face and voluptuous brown skin without hesitation. Her body, clad in a rather revealing white suit, had an allure that made it somewhat difficult to know where to look, especially given that she had fought through the Galahad War alongside the Spada defense.
“Indeed, much has happened since I came here. But now we’ve finally managed to settle down, both you and I. Ah, first of all, congratulations on your appointment as the director of the Magic Engineering Bureau.”
“Thank you. It’s quite an exaggerated title, to be honest.”
Along with the founding of the Empire Army, administrative agencies of the Elroad Empire were being established one after another, and finally, serious national governance was beginning.
The Magic Engineering Bureau is one of the central ministries that were established.
As the name suggests, it deals with the overall development of magical technology. To be more specific, it involves the development and manufacture of equipment used by the Empire Army and the research of ancient magic.
The former is divided under the ‘Empire Factory,’ and the latter under the ‘Ancient Magic Research Institute,’ both placed beneath the Magic Engineering Bureau.
“That’s not the case. Also, should I congratulate you on joining the ‘Anti-Cross’ as well?”
“Please stop… or rather, do you know about that too?”
“It’s said to be the strongest special forces personally selected by Your Majesty the Demon King. It’s a pinnacle that Empire soldiers should aspire to, so it’s bound to be a topic of conversation.”
“Wow…”
Even though I’m at the bottom of the hierarchy, being chosen as a member alongside the ‘Element Masters’ feels more like an unnecessary pressure than an honor. Since Chrono insisted that I agree, I had no choice, and since my responsibilities remain unchanged, it’s not a problem.
However, Simon thought he would dislike being misunderstood by those who didn’t know the circumstances, who might think he was certainly strong because he was on the strongest unit, or perhaps being burdened with some needless reputation.
“Wouldn’t it be better for someone like Sophie to join instead?”
“Of course, I wouldn’t mind fighting if necessary, but I have other jobs entrusted to me. So, it’s a relief.”
“Sophie, you’re becoming the chairperson of the new school, right? And you’re also involved with the Empire Army’s Magician Teaching Squad.”
“I’m glad you know about me.”
“Lady Lily told me about you before.”
Chrono and Lily, or sometimes the two of them together, would periodically visit Simon. Mostly for work, but they would find time to dine together in their personal lives.
In particular, Chrono was considerate that Simon wouldn’t overwork himself with demanding job responsibilities, and Lily, following that intent, seemed to have reduced his workload compared to the past.
While many new jobs continued to pile up rapidly every day, Seik, as Simon’s de facto secretary, was managing reasonable working hours at Chrono’s direct command, so physically, there were no issues. Long overtime was prohibited. However, if it was something he wanted to do out of enjoyment, then it was okay.
“I heard it would be a pretty big school.”
“Yes, I’m discussing the creation of an educational institution similar to a magic school. I thought there would be others suitable for the role, but it seems that Karamala lacks any proper school system.”
For states of a certain scale, such as Spada’s magic school or Avalon’s Imperial Academy, it’s common to have a prominent school representing them. Given Karamala’s population and economic scale, it should be expected to have an impressive academy even rivaling a magic school, but due to the impact of a merchant-based council, there hadn’t been any effort put into a school education that didn’t promise clear profits.
Basic education, including reading, writing, and math, was generally conducted by the merchants themselves hiring tutors or operating in a manner akin to private tutoring. Although there wasn’t a consolidated school, many people in that trading city were educated enough to provide the basic knowledge, leading to a relatively high literacy rate in Karamala. Basic arithmetic was the same.
However, with the birth of the Elroad Empire, a unified school education was required. In simple terms, there was a need for an organization to nurture the talents that would support the Empire.
“The Magic School is a place where both my brother and Lady Lily attended, so it’s only natural to model it after that.”
“For now, I’ve been told to do it similarly.”
The Royal Spada Academy is an advanced educational institution in Pandora. At this point, there’s a highly sophisticated education system firmly established, and there’s no reason not to adopt it.
Especially if there are individuals who have managed the magic school before, it would be the quickest solution to entrust it to them.
“If you’re chairing, I can relax knowing it’ll be a normal school.”
“You make it sound as if there’s an abnormal school out there?”
“There’s obviously no such thing.”
“There’s the Freedom Academy located at the southern end.”
“…You knew about it?”
“I know it exists. But I don’t know much else.”
“You’d be better off knowing less. That academy falls under the control of the Empire Army, not the Ministry of Education.”
With the implementation of a proper education system, the Ministry of Education has been established. The schools that Sophia would manage and all schools operating under the Empire from now on will fall under their jurisdiction.
However, the former Karamala Great Prison, now the Freedom Academy, is not considered an educational institution at all, thus it falls outside their jurisdiction.
However, even the legitimate Ministry of Education has about 90% of its staff as homunculi, ensuring that Her Majesty Queen Lily’s intentions are 100% reflected in the system.
“Looking at the governing structure of Pandemonium, I can make an educated guess, but… I won’t do anything foolish like stepping on the dragon’s tail.”
“That’s for the best. Knowing you, I assume you want proper school education in the Empire, so I believe Sophie will get busier than just being a chairperson.”
“With the Magician Teaching Squad, I’m already busy indeed.”
Sophia is also a renowned Rank 5 Adventurer in Spada. She’s recognized as one of the top ice magicians.
The Empire Army will become a military force primarily armed with firearms for the first time in Pandora, but the traditional magician units will still be necessary. For a magician surpassing Rank 3, it’s often the case that using magic is far superior to firing a rifle.
It is essential for the Empire Army to train high-level magicians capable of wielding powerful magic. Thus, Sophia’s selection for this educational role was, given her skills and background, somewhat inevitable.
“It can’t be helped; the Empire still has a shortage of trusted personnel.”
“I’ll think of it as meaningful work for now. However, it’s also true that the Demon King is quite passionate about education. The establishment of a compulsory education system is already under consideration.”
“Lady Lily has advised me that it’s too early for that, though.”
“Nonetheless, it’s a very progressive idea. As the Empire expands, it will inevitably absorb many countries with different cultures. At such times, I believe creating a unified consciousness through education, rather than religion, is an effective method.”
Even among Karamala and the surrounding countries of Atlas, even within the same great desert, lifestyles and cultures differ in many ways. Those living in the bustling metropolis of Pandemonium, with its high-rise buildings, cannot possibly share a lifestyle with desert-dwelling crocodile-lizardmen who still swim through the seas of sand in search of prey.
Even if we set aside culture, religion, and racial characteristics, the differences in consciousness among people are significant and varied. Common sense changes with location.
However, what would happen if uniform education were given in any area? Not just simple reading, writing, and math, but if collective behaviors akin to those required in an army could also be taught, then regardless of their origin, people could line up and march at the signal.
“I see… the insights of outsiders are indeed advanced.”
“However, aren’t you much busier than I am?”
“I’m fine; things have really settled down recently. Especially since the Empire Factory matters are more or less off my hands.”
The Empire Factory is a state-owned enterprise that originated from the large-scale production facilities in the Industrial Area, the third layer of the Great Maze prepared by Lily. Additionally, the factories and smithies owned by the wealthy merchants who are part of the council are all under the rights ‘offered’ to Her Majesty the Queen of Pandemonium.
The rights owned by the Queen over the ‘Industrial Area’ and the factories of Karamala have all been consolidated under the management of the Empire Factory.
Of course, it primarily handles the mass production of the Empire Army’s main weapon, the Crow Rifle, as well as essentially becoming responsible for military supply materials.
“Basically, my job is design and development, so I don’t get involved with production once it’s completed.”
There’s no way he could get that hands-on.
The Empire Factory has an immense number of workers. Managing and operating it alone creates an astonishing amount of tasks. What’s required of Simon is the development of revolutionary new weapons that could change the course of battle. Managing people and increasing production numbers would be a ridiculous waste of genius.
“The main Crow Rifle has long been completed, and the machine guns ‘Firefly’ and ‘Hummingbird’ are finally finished, while grenades have been assigned to others… as for firearms, I think there will be incredible craftsmen emerging who will make them even better than I have, so I shouldn’t have to get too involved anymore.”
After enduring the Spada Defense War, the long-awaited mass production model of the machine gun was finally completed.
This includes the mounted heavy machine gun ‘Firefly’ and the portable light machine gun ‘Hummingbird.’
The Firefly uses specialized larger caliber ammunition, while the Hummingbird uses the same rifle ammunition as the Crow Rifle. The standardization of the ammunition was something Chrono had warned them to do from the beginning, so it was considered during the development of a genuine mass-produced model.
“Besides the Empire Factory, President Mordred has also started a new venture called Mordred Heavy Industries, where they are licensing the production of firearms, as well as outsourcing conventional swords and spears. The equipment for the Empire Army will become comprehensive without my direct involvement.”
“Mordred, that undead with an insatiable business spirit, as always.”
“Thanks to the president, the blacksmiths of Spada have been able to start working pretty quickly too. He’s an amazing person.”
The workers at the Empire Factory are predominantly supplied by personnel from the central district directly ruled by Her Majesty the Queen. Seeing a multitude of workers laboring silently and expressionlessly, Simon thought he hoped the craftsmen of Spada wouldn’t end up that way.
While they have skills, those that fall into unemployment would sooner or later find work at the Empire Factory, so the ongoing existence of Mordred Heavy Industries, a proper workplace environment, offers a glimmer of hope. What Pandemonium needs going forward is a normal company where individuals can work while maintaining their sense of self.
“With that said, I’m currently focusing on the Ancient Magic Research Institute.”
“Ancient magic and ruins are the foundation and driving forces of the Empire. Lady Lily must also be putting in the most effort there, right?”
“Indeed, there are mountains of technologies that could take a lifetime to fully unravel, and it feels like there’s still so much buried beneath.”
Pandemonium itself is a giant ancient ruin.
Once a massive shelter that could accommodate large numbers of ancient peoples. Because it has partially restored that function, it is now almost possible to accept refugees from Spada or anywhere else without limit.
Living ancient ruins. Therefore, many lost ancient magical technologies remain here.
From famous examples like teleportation circles and visions to secret functions that manipulate the shifting sands of the Atlas Desert, they exist.
“In addition to the Great Maze, there are humanoid heavy machinery and ancient armors, as well as plenty of ancient weapons like EA and Iron Spiders… Oh, and in the new Fifth Layer ‘Great Mage Palace,’ there are half-mechanized monsters appearing, allowing us to obtain mysterious parts as well, so the work is endless.”
“Hmm, these are all areas where little research has been executed. Furthermore, researchers of ancient magic itself are rare. Unless one is deeply knowledgeable in magic, proper analysis might be impossible. Are there enough people to handle this?”
“I am much better off than when I was doing it alone. The homunculi make for excellent assistants. Moreover, Regin has more knowledge of ancient magic than I thought, which has been incredibly helpful. It turns out that some blacksmiths also dabble in ancient magic.”
The blacksmith Regin, who had been a great help during their time in Spada, had evacuated to Pandemonium, and Simon was relieved to confirm he was safe.
During their conversation about each other’s recent situations, he had mentioned:
“I’ve dabbled a bit in ancient magic in the past, so I can probably help out with some basic tasks.”
Thus, after losing his shop and being without work in the new land of Pandemonium, Simon was eager to invite Regin to the Ancient Magic Research Institute. As a rare blacksmith capable of effortlessly maintaining Chrono’s cursed weapons, Regin was welcomed with an extraordinary salary and benefits thanks to Lady Lily’s good graces——but Simon never anticipated that Regin would demonstrate such extraordinary skill in ancient magic research beyond mere expectations.
What did it mean by having dabbled a bit? Currently, there was no one more knowledgeable about ancient magic than Regin.
The situation was such that there was no one besides Lily.
“Regin… ‘Death Maker’ Regin? Isn’t that person a beardless dwarf?”
“Yes, but do you know him?”
“On the contrary, I thought you didn’t know. Regin Strath was a very famous blacksmith some time ago. It is said that the Mordred Weapon Trading Company rose to prominence because of his incredible skills, reputed to be the best in Spada.”
“Oh, I see… So, that’s why he seemed unusually close to the president. But if he’s such a great blacksmith, why is he in such a small workshop?”
“Well, it seems like various things have happened. If he’s not talking about the past, it probably means he prefers it that way.”
“I see, then I won’t ask. If I inadvertently upset him and he leaves, the research lab will be finished.”
What’s important is not the past. It’s about the solid knowledge and skills.
The Ancient Magic Research Institute is always recruiting immediate assets. A rare talent that connects to ancient magic, once grasped, will never be let go. They will be bound to analyze the magic formulas.
“Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”
“Recently, Shik has been taking care of me. Besides, the work’s priority is ordered, so I’m just doing them in order.”
“I see, if it’s with the backing of Your Majesty the Demon King or Your Majesty the Queen… is it related to teleportation or the sky battleship?”
“Both are high priorities, but they aren’t number one.”
“Oh, so there’s something more urgent than these?”
“The top priority right now is the communication device.”
The urgent development of the communication device is a request from Chrono, and Lily has also approved it.
Chrono deeply understands the importance of information communication as knowledge from another world, and through her domination of Pandemonium, Lily seems to have further deepened that understanding. In the central district of Pandemonium and the residential areas within the Great Maze, Lily’s eyes and ears are everywhere, and there are no blind spots. Everything is under the control of the formidable Your Majesty the Queen.
All information is gathered, processed, and computed by a superhuman intellect, something that even the genius alchemist Simon believes to be an impossible feat. In fact, it is speculated that Lily’s calculating power is supplemented by the blessing of the Fairy Queen Iris, but pursuing such significant secrets would require more lives than one could count, so Simon tries not to think about it further.
“Pandemonium covers all communication areas with Lily’s telepathy ability and the functions of the ruins, but it’s still not possible to achieve the same thing elsewhere.”
“I see, considering the empire’s objectives, the main battlefield will not be domestic defense but rather the foreign expedition to strike the Crusaders that are rampant in various places.”
“Gaining the ability for long-distance communication, of course, and even short-distance communication that allows real-time exchanges within a single battlefield will provide considerable advantages… or at least, that’s what your older brother seems to think.”
“Of course. Coordinating with distant units requires considerable command ability, but if they can communicate, even amateurs could manage adjustments.”
Facilitating coordination with remotely deployed units is a fundamental benefit of communication. Of course, delivering information swiftly and accurately under the commander’s guidance would yield astounding effects.
“So, what are the results?”
“Not much, really. While examining the communication functionalities of the Great Maze, I tried to replicate what I could with our own versions of small vision and tablet communication devices, but usable locations are limited, mainly around the Monolith, with many constraints.”
“I see, it makes no sense if it can’t be used anywhere.”
“Yeah, it’s problematic if communication gets cut off just from a bit of magical influence, and progress has been slow… but for now, it seems we’re coming close to a minimum viable form.”
“That’s impressive. Enabling communication without relying on ancient ruins is indeed a groundbreaking innovation.”
“No, it’s not innovative at all. It’s all manual labor.”
Reproducing the ancient universal information communication technology is a long way off, but there’s something capable of enabling long-distance communication right here in Pandemonium.
No, it is precisely in Pandemonium, with its Fairy Queen Lily, that such a thing becomes possible.
“For now, I’ve created a minimum communication device by having all the fairies assist as communication soldiers.”
The fairy telepathy communication device is the only one that currently meets the conditions demanded by Chrono.
However, a communication device designed entirely relying on the fairies’ unique magic is merely a telepathy amplifier.
In essence, it’s equivalent to saying that a complete communication device is not yet possible. Simon wore a dissatisfied expression due to the crushing defeat of the current technology.
The massive tower Temen Nigru, which stands at the center of the city and is also the symbol of Karamala.
Since Pandemonium came to be governed by Lily, it has essentially become the political center and the Central Government Office.
The main ministries of the established empire gather in Temen Nigru, and through the advanced communication systems within the tower, a system has been established to instantly reflect the will of Your Majesty the Queen Lily. The homunculi and bureaucrats equipped with ‘thought control devices’ obediently follow the queen’s orders, acting as her brain and limbs. The current Temen Nigru is no longer merely a symbolic tower, but a living, breathing monster that moves the empire at will.
In one such room of Temen Nigru, the brain, Your Majesty the Queen Lily, and the shadows of two individuals kneeling before her were present.
“Well then, the assessment of the recovered assets has finally been completed… My, how well did you gather all of that?”
“Haha! I have dedicated myself wholeheartedly to protect the wealth of Spada!!”
“You’re just being ridiculous, you greedy pink.”
Lily glared at Pink, who was brazenly proclaiming her hard work.
How many people exist who can maintain a calm demeanor when being glared at by Lily in the empire? A Rank 5 adventurer is no joke.
“Well, fine. Consequently, bringing out an enormous amount of wealth from Spada and contributing to the protection of the people and maintenance of public order is something that Your Majesty the Demon King would also appreciate. I acknowledge your efforts.”
“Haha! Thank you very much!”
With exaggerated humility, Lily let out a heavy sigh.
Following the fall of Capital Spada, a teleportation escape to Pandemonium was executed from the royal castle, but naturally, this meant that they left with little more than what they wore. While there was some leeway to take treasures and supplies from the royal castle, personal wealth remaining in the noble district was nearly untouched.
What would have originally been completely robbed by the Crusaders was instead collected by Pink, who leads a battalion in the Chaos Knights, and brought back to Pandemonium.
From gold and silver coins, to jewels, artworks, antiques, and valuable magical tools and weaponry, everything of worth was gathered. The sheer volume of items took significant time to assess up until now.
With the assessment completed, Pink’s work became specific, and negotiations for her military merit started, albeit belatedly.
“Now, bring out the rest.”
“…Huh?”
“That can’t be everything. Skimming off 20% is a bit too greedy, don’t you think?”
Pink submitted the assets she had recovered herself, though she did not claim it was everything.
According to Lily’s assessment, Pink has pocketed about 20% of what was recovered for herself.
“Ahaha, what are you talking about… I have no idea…”
“Stop it, Pink. It’s foolish to lie in front of Your Majesty the Queen.”
Zenongart, the leader of the Chaos Knights and Pink’s superior, admonished her as she tried very hard to deny it.
“Your Majesty the Queen is generous. If you just admit it right now, I’m sure you’ll be spared for your efforts.”
“Uh, my treasures…”
While whimpering and flailing her arms like a fool, she finally formed a heart shape with her fingers, and magically, a treasure chest tumbled forth amidst a pink glow.
The treasure chest that emerged from the distinct spatial magic was designed with a dark wood finish, gleaming golden edges, and a large padlock— a design unmistakable for its purpose.
“This is not just mine; it’s the combined power of the entire Pink battalion—a crystallization of sweat and tears! I only wanted to reward everyone’s hard work!!”
“The one handing out the rewards is not you, but Chrono, isn’t it?”
The one who bestows rewards recognized by military achievements should be the monarch, not a mere unit commander. The battalion members are not mercenaries hired by Pink, but regular troops of the empire.
“More importantly, hurry and put that empty treasure chest away and reveal the hiding place of the treasure.”
“…”
Tsk, she clicked her tongue internally but reluctantly stored the chest back into the pink spatial magic.
She never claimed that the skimmed treasures were inside that treasure chest. If retrieving the chest satisfied her, it was simply a misunderstanding on the part of the other party—Pink is a person of resilience, who will battle fiercely to protect her own interests.
“I dare say, Your Majesty the Queen. It might be better to bestow a little share from the recovered assets.”
“If the knight of the empire retrieved it, isn’t it only natural that everything belongs to the empire and Your Majesty the Demon King?”
“Of course, all ownership will belong to Your Majesty. However, this is not a matter of right, but a matter of morale. This stubborn Pink refuses to yield because she thinks it would not be worth it if not one of the treasures she amassed remained.”
“A materialistic fool blinded by the golden shine— I would like to say that, but it’s only natural for people to be motivated by benefits.”
Do you possess no loyalty to Your Majesty the Demon King? It is only natural for the knights of the empire to offer everything they have to the Demon King.
It is easy to admonish.
However, the one being admonished would not take it lightly. Such one-sided words would only foster resentment.
Loyalty is something to be offered, not taken.
“In addition to the reward corresponding to your military merit, I’ll give you the chance to choose one item from the recovered treasures as a special prize.”
“…One for each person?”
“Yes, one for each member of the battalion. But as the commander, you can choose three, and the vice-commander can pick two.”
In that moment, numerous equations sparked in Pink’s mind.
The number of recovered assets. Number of battalion members.
Whether to take the 20% hidden treasure and run away, or agree to this reward and continue with the Chaos Knights.
The calculations of profit and loss were immediately deduced.
“Haha! This is a most grateful happiness!!”
“Make sure to choose something valuable.”
“Then, I’ll immediately summon the entire battalion!”
“But first, reveal the hiding place. There won’t be a third time.”
“Y-Yes…!”
Finally resigned, Pink had all of her recovered assets confiscated. In Pandemonium, there is no one who can hide anything from the Queen.
However, surprisingly, following the proposal from her superior, Zenongart, Lily accepted it and distributed a clever reward allocation. Although Pink couldn’t secure as much personal gain as she had hoped, considering the excitement among the battalion members during the treasure selection, it became a reward that greatly boosted morale for the whole battalion.
Taking everything into account, Pink, as the captain, saw her approval ratings rise while also securing gains beyond a minimum standard. In other words, she won overall.
The Pink battalion can still earn more.
Having judged this, Pink eagerly looked forward to the next battlefield. Next, how to efficiently earn more—yes, igniting the spirit of justice.
July 16, 2021
Previously, I received a new doujinshi and several gifts from Mico, who had previously sent me doujinshi from afar in Hong Kong.
After passing through the editorial department, it safely reached me. Thank you very much!
As the original author, I couldn’t be happier to receive such wonderful fan art not once, but twice. The new doujinshi has upgraded its packaging, reportedly costing four times as much as the last one… I’m amazed by the incredible enthusiasm!
It centers around Nel, along with Lily and Fiona, and even features Chrono, Raspun, and the Crusader Soldiers, showcasing tremendous dedication.
As one of the main heroines, I want to put in the effort to respond to expectations for Nel’s character. I will definitely have her in a cat ear maid outfit. I’ve also written a setup for that (in the latest chapter being written), so please look forward to it!
A little behind-the-scenes setting and meta commentary.
This time, I feel rather apologetic about how much of an explanation episode it has turned out to be.
In the one before last, there was the enjoyable Freedom Academy, and in the previous one, it looked like a Rekiul episode disguised as a Fiona episode, but now in this chapter, it has mostly focused on explaining the current status, so I made an effort to try and lessen the explanation feel in every episode.
However, there was no other opportunity to place this conversation, and it became clear while progressing with writing that the explanation of creating a fairy-style telepathy communication device was necessary, so I retroactively decided for Simon to work on it here. I reflected on my lack of preparation in plotting.
Furthermore, Pink’s story was added in at the very last moment. If I hadn’t written it now, there probably wouldn’t be another chance. So, I forced it in, a near-explanation episode, but with many words, please forgive me!
Regarding the name of the Magic Engineering Bureau.
First, there is a distinction between “magic” and “magic engineering”: magic refers to the various techniques wielded by magicians, primarily represented by Fiona. In this work, magic engineering holds a broader meaning, encompassing everything related to magic… that’s how it’s been set up.
Specifically speaking of the breadth of what relates to magic, representative of magical craftsmanship such as production and processing utilizing magic is one element. Also, things like alchemy, which don’t fall under traditional magic, are included in magic engineering.
So, if it were called the “Magic Development Bureau,” it would give an impression of focusing solely on developing new attack and defensive magic used by magicians, thus the correct term is magic engineering when the primary focus is on production development.
Also, I use “magic engineering” whenever I find it sounds cooler.
Regarding why Fiona possesses the forbidden tomes from Barbatos and Ivrham.
This is not due to any special circumstances, but rather is a result of her basic activities as a witch. Occasionally, there are scenes where Fiona is seen reading, but she has always been a bookworm and a studious person. It’s not so much about studying to grow; it’s naturally her life’s work as a witch. This is something a witch raised by a mentor truly embodies.
For that reason, Fiona is actively involved in collecting knowledge related to magic as a witch. On the very day she arrived at the School of the Gods, she utilized Nero to enter the forbidden library.
Even during her school days in Elysion, she continued with such activities, implying she acquired lots during that period. While a solo adventurer, Fiona already reached a high level and had sufficient funds for her magical pursuits, including authentic spellbooks like the two that appeared this time boasting a considerable collection.
She does not think herself remarkable, nor do Chrono or Lily know, but the one who can most accurately evaluate how impressive it is would be Sariel.
That’s all for now.