Mages Need Money
While the reclamation squads were being crushed beneath Nautilus by the very disaster they had summoned upon themselves, yet another self-inflicted calamity was swelling in Daiyen's office atop Nautilus.
What these fools who invited their own doom had in common was their delusion of cleverness—their schemes always boomeranging back as catastrophe. And the current lord of Bostain territory, who cared more for the capital than his own domain, was no different.
"Here's the list of merchant companies the lord borrowed money from, you see."
Even as the fool squandered Bostain's finances on bribes to the capital, Eira had thoroughly grasped the territory's vulnerabilities by keeping things running through sheer force of will. She'd long suspected he kept up his idiocy because she propped him up, so now she stepped forward decisively—to topple him on her terms, minimizing harm to the people.
"This one's fine to let collapse."
A red mark sat beside the company that supplied most of Bostain's imported grain. Absurdly overpriced even accounting for transport, riddled with corruption and embezzlement, it earned an immediate death sentence without mercy.
"We can import cheaper and more through Nautilus anyway, so no issue there."
All the scum shielded by the lord's patronage until now—untouchable lest the commoners suffer—filled the hit list. Beneath each name, their crimes and corruption were detailed. Once every influential company was sorted for execution or reprieve, and kill methods planned, Eira asked with eager anticipation:
"So, what's our opening move, you see?"
"Lucy made something perfect."
Daiyen pulled a magic R&D report from the stack of Nautilus updates and showed the record of Lucy's magitech invention. It described a hearth that absorbed excess heat using preservation mana alongside furnace mana, then preserved a steady temperature even after the fire died down.
No matter how generously Suhyun funded research, Daiyen never let a single coin go to waste. Even with his blanket approval, she handled Lucy's grants personally—demanding research proposals first. Officially to shield the socially naive girl from scams or needless spending; really, to steer her toward profitable projects. Daiyen decided if the budget was bare-minimum or ample based on potential, and Lucy astutely chased what Daiyen would favor.
Leveraging the near-unlimited preservation-mana water Suhyun supplied, Lucy's plan yielded this Heat-Preserving Hearth report. Eira cried out upon reading it:
"Oh my, we have to buy this, you see!"
Bostain relied on classic Western fireplaces for heat. But their fuel efficiency was abysmal—most warmth fled up the chimney, sucking out room air too, for barely 10% effectiveness. Only the fireside warmed; too close burned, one step back chilled.
Lucy's hearth radiated most heat to reflect around the room, storing excess from big burns to release slowly, boosting efficiency. Perfect for thawing Bostain's brutal winters—Eira's eyes gleamed.
"We'll sell these through our caravans and swallow their influence whole."
"Oh, brilliant idea, you see! Let's plan it out quick!"
"Then we need to mass-produce."
"Hmm, at least 30 before Nautilus departs would be ideal, you see."
"Urgh, it'll take time, but what choice is there."
Unfortunately, socially green Lucy didn't pad her timelines in reports. Suhyun might've tipped her to build in buffer, but too late now. Daiyen, crunching minimal sleep/rest into the schedule, deemed it feasible. Innocent Lucy couldn't outtalk Daiyen's persuasion.
Warm-hearted Lucy yielded to tales of northern kids freezing, starving families burning fortunes on inefficient logs, parents braving deadly winters for work. A cynical mage might scoff "What's that to me?"—but Lucy was still kind and naive, crumbling to Daiyen's (blackmailish) plea for the children.
"Waaah, it's so hard."
In her workshop, tears flowed as she thought of those kids, head tilted back to keep them from contaminating the transmuted copper for the hearths.
Sometimes, calamity just found the unlucky.
Nautilus, laden with ample timber for Chromore, departed on schedule. Eira, bidding farewell with her followers, glanced toward her family lands.
"We'll be busy from here on, you see."
Until now, survival; now, victory loomed. Her men grinned, thumping chests knowingly.
"No worries, miss—northern men don't crumple at 'tough.'"
"Monsters thinned after Suhyun's purge, defenses bolstered. We can hold without you now."
"Oh? Chasing me off, you see?"
"Nah, setting you free."
Most logging site managers had served her house since her grandfather's day; Eira knew them since childhood. Pathetic adults who couldn't force the "young fool" home despite the dangers—but for staying with them, they'd gladly die. For safer, happier grandkids? They'd charge monsters bare-handed, smiling.
"Just hold on a bit longer, you see."
"Haha, holding's our specialty—no sweat."
"Yeah, time you married, miss."
"Hah, mage's got skills, but bedroom prowess? Who knows."
"Oh? That's insulting nobility, you see—double quota for you today, uncle!"
"Eek! Better chop fast—might sleep tonight after all."
As banter flew in parting, worry faded from Eira and the northerners' faces, replaced by smiles and hope.
Morian, one of Nautilus's mages, rose at orphanage wake-up time. Her private mage quarters opposite meant near-identical schedules; older kids even held her spare key.
"Sis, up!"
Ena, among the older orphans, shook her awake. Morian stirred.
"What time'd you crash?"
Lena, eyeing the shadow mage's deep dark circles (on-brand?), asked worriedly. Half-asleep, Morian recalled last night's clock.
"4:30 a.m.?"
"God, sis, you're insane! Suhyun said early bed for growth!"
Morian smirked at Lena's freakout—clearly gospel to her. Orphans distrusted adults from constant betrayal, but latched hard once trusting. Suhyun called it unmet infantile dependency; Morian saw cultish faith. Even she thought his magic godlike—imagine kids, magic-illiterate, clinging to their sole savior. From vermin-infested shacks sharing body heat (lest tomorrow's corpse), gnawing hunger, to warm homes and full bellies? Divine intervention.
"Had to help Lucy sis."
Lucy's Heat-Preserving Hearth needed few materials but tons of labor. Trimming ate time; Lucy begged Morian's aid. Repaying magic lessons, she couldn't refuse.
"Guess no choice then."
Lena dropped her nag at "Lucy's request"—the treat-bearing visitor who brought unthinkable cookies. Morian sighed relief. Lena's mom-scolds hit even eldest Morian, all spot-on, forcing endurance till she vented.
"Kids okay?"
"Two colds, rest fine—colds nearly gone."
"Room too cold?"
Orphanage and Nautilus heating: central floor systems. Hot water piped room-wide, adjustable—even naked, you'd sweat. Morian fretted if kids scrimped from shyness, like early days. Lena:
"They snow-frolicked, stuffed snow in clothes for endurance bets—no biggie."
"Ah."
The rascal duo popped to mind—too hale for "cold," but yeah, them. Morian ground teeth, chuckling despite.
"Tell me when they're better. Time for a talking-to."
Not rags or fear or malnutrition—just dumb kid games. Unthinkable pre-Nautilus.
Post-breakfast, Lena waved her off to Suhyun's spot. Daiyen scheduled hearth time loosely, but Lucy pushed overtime for today's polar bear dissection.
In the new internal room, Lucy awaited.
"You okay?"
"Fine."
Sleepless potion-chugging left Lucy's eyes bloodshot, but pupils blazed excitement.
Mage through and through, huh?
Mages craved diverse, quality experience—growing imagery, handling varied mana to hone affinity and mystery. Preservation-mana practice let Lucy master stable high heat, refining mana quality. Hooked on new gains.
"Let's start."
Suhyun dropped the polar bear carcass in empty space. Lucy and Morian reeled from dense ice mana and alien pressure—even dead, it menaced. Morian surged her own mana to cope.
"Here we go."
As Suhyun began, they frantically noted sensations. Direct butchery beyond their skill; observation was best.
Peeling ice-embedded monster bits from pelt, skinning—magic galore.
"Whoa!"
Spells dissolving tissue between hide/muscle, siphoning oils/fat—reminder: artifact-track grad. Telekinesis plus arsenal dismantled mountain-sized beast like precision machinery.
Minimal damage per part; they mana-boosted focus to log Suhyun's hands, chasing every trick.
Monster corpses brimmed mana—prime for magitech, catalysts, mediums. Suhyun shared freely; they absorbed hungrily.
"Claw-extraction spell?"
"Weakens anchor tissue—localized, or ruins reagent value. Formula in my study."
Bear dismantled steadily under quick replies. Lucy marveled at pristine vitals: pierced thick renal artery to freeze, then bilateral carotids—organs untouched, bleed minimized by ice mana. Slaughterhouse-fresh.
Morian chilled envisioning: spear-fixed fleeing bear, turned for dual carotid thrust. Perfect hunter. She knew hunting—city-forest poaches. Deer soured if botched; guts burst, meat wasted. But flawless mega-beast takedown? Eyes sparkled, learning mode.
Clean muscle/gut stripping, synovial harvest took a day. Half-day per bear average; this full sort in one? Lightning.
"Compare notes—spot each other's misses."
"Got it, sis."
Suhyun's stores swelled; earnings meant access. Lucy's hearths paid per unit, but Morian's options slim.
Claws could ice-enchant shadow slashes...
Eying tiniest of twenty claws, Morian trailed Lucy.