Chapter 595: Talent Donation(3)
Chapter 595: Talent Donation(3)
Elves are conservative. That is the general perception of them throughout the world.
This is half-right and half-wrong. It is true that elves are conservative—so much so that they even botched the Race War because of it.
However, being conservative isn't always a bad thing. For instance, there is the 'Holy Land,' where records from all over the world are gathered.
As long as certain conditions are met, anyone can enter the Holy Land, regardless of their race. Not only humans, with whom the elves have deep-seated conflicts due to the Race War, but even the demons—whom they cannot help but be wary of—are currently granted entry.
This means that even if they harbor a sense of being a 'chosen people' because they were selected by God, such notions become meaningless once a person's merit is recognized.
Perhaps due to this tendency, elves maintain a very generous perspective regarding magic. Unless it is something exceptionally dangerous, they share most of their magical knowledge.
Thanks to this, the depth of their magical studies is unparalleled. Furthermore, since magic is a realm of talent, it is a distant dream for even humans—who possess great learning ability—to catch up.
The demons might be able to reach an equal footing, but they lack foundational academic knowledge and are essentially in the position of students. In other words, the elves hold a monopoly on magic.
In particular, the mechanization of magic is difficult even for dwarves without elven assistance. After all, how can one mechanize magic without understanding it in the first place?
This alone could be considered quite broken, but this is where the conservative nature of the elves worked in their favor.
[Magic is a gift bestowed upon mortals by God. To prevent the spread of magic is to reject God's gift.]
While they might limit general knowledge, they tend to overlook it when someone openly shares magic.
Based on this principle, they once attempted to pass magic down to humans. The problem was that for an elf, magic is a power as natural as their own limbs.
Humans struggled with even basic magic, let alone high-level spells, so the elves were eventually forced to give up first.
From the elves' perspective, it must have felt like trying to communicate with monkeys who understood the language but were essentially bird-brained.
Furthermore, their own depth was simply too profound. They had moved past being mere veterans; they were practically fossils of the craft.
Thus, while elves are extremely generous regarding magic, ironically, it has become a league of their own that other races find nearly impossible to emulate.
Conversely, this means that most elves are proficient in magic, and every single one of them is a mage.
That doesn't mean they are jacks-of-all-trades who learn a bit of everything; most of them choose to dig deep into a single well.
Because their lifespans are so long, they might occasionally learn other disciplines out of boredom, but everyone has their own distinct specialty.
Just as Arwen is proficient in spatial magic, other elves have their own magic that they excel in.
"…May I ask your names?"
"I am Vamos Cape Sing!"
"I am Natalie Cape Sing!"
At Arwen's question, the two elven youths—who were clearly siblings—answered vigorously.
Their glowing blue eyes were filled with anticipation, and their long ears were perked up high.
Both elves possessed the classic stereotypical appearance of their race: beautiful features, pale blonde hair, and blue eyes.
However, their attitude was more than just enthusiastic; it was passionate, which set them apart from other elves. Many people believe that elves are quiet and dislike noise.
This is true to an extent, as mages must always remain calm and composed, leading them to avoid loud environments. And elves are, by definition, mages.
"Hmm…"
Arwen looked at the siblings standing at attention and fell into thought. On the outside, she maintained her composure, but internally, she was quite bewildered.
What they had just shown her was the magic used when filming movies—virtual reality. What Isaac referred to as magic akin to CG.
That magic was also widely shared, but it was a fairly high-level spell that required tireless effort.
Moreover, to manifest a reality that does not exist in one's own memory, it is impossible to even implement without an extraordinary imagination.
The world is wide and people are many, but still…
Yet, the elven siblings before her had accomplished that feat independently. This alone was an achievement that could be called truly remarkable.
The only issue was that they had applied that virtual reality to a card game—specifically, Call of Duty. To top it off, they had even succeeded in mechanization, something usually considered difficult without dwarven help.
A specially crafted table sat before the siblings, and upon it lay a similarly specially crafted T-34 card.
The magic had vanished because mana was no longer being injected, but if it were recharged, the tank would spring forth just as it had moments ago.
It feels like watching Tony Stark build the Arc Reactor in a cave.
Movie production had been supported on a national level. That was why results of such incredible quality could be produced.
In contrast, the Cape Sing siblings had invented this independently, without any support whatsoever.
An invention that harmonized magic, engineering, and culture. Arwen could absolutely not let this go.
"Impressive. You said your name was Cape Sing?"
"Yes! Your Majesty!"
The siblings answered Arwen's question with vigor. In many ways, they were quite unlike typical elves.
For a moment, she wondered if they were half-elves, but that wasn't what mattered right now. She spoke in a gentle voice.
"I have read countless books and theses, yet this is the first time I have heard your names. May I ask what field you are engaged in?"
"We are both researching illusion magic!"
"As I thought."
Virtual reality magic is a form of magic that utilizes illusions. It was quite predictable that the siblings would be involved in illusion magic.
Previously, illusion magic was famous for being a field with poor prospects. There were many questions about where illusions could possibly be used.
However, since the advent of films, it had been reborn as a field with a bright future. To turn the Xenon Biography into a movie, it was necessary to cultivate talent.
Illusion magic alone isn't enough. What matters is how they integrated it with the cards.
If it were simple illusion magic, she would have passed over it with indifference. However, the illusion magic the siblings showed her was integrated with engineering.
The specially crafted table and cards. She needed to delve into each component.
"It is remarkable. Not only are you so proficient in illusion magic, but you have also succeeded in mechanization, something said to be possible only for dwarves. Who taught you?"
"No one! This is an item we invented on our own!"
This time, the younger sister answered energetically. Her clear, ringing voice was reminiscent of a canary.
Arwen put on an impressed expression at the sister's answer and asked for an explanation.
"Can you explain the principle behind it?"
"Yes. First, it must be noted that the illusion magic cannot be activated with this card alone. As you can see from this table, a specially crafted table is required."
"May I ask why you went through such trouble to create it?"
"It is to prevent potential misuse, as well as to derive various result values!"
That certainly made sense. If illusion magic could be activated with just a single card, it could be misused in many ways.
Hadn't the tank just now let out a thunderous roar? That alone could create anxiety, making it dangerous.
Arwen nodded as if convinced, but then she suddenly became curious about the last part. To derive various result values?
"Does illusion magic not only output fixed values?"
Illusion magic does not change actively. it always shows an illusion based on fixed values.
This was the reason why so-called CG work was so incredibly difficult. If it could change actively, it would have been adopted long ago.
Since her curiosity outweighed her shock, Arwen couldn't help but be skeptical. She wondered if the siblings were lying.
"That is correct. However, by using this table, we can show various result values. While it isn't autonomous, we can show more diverse results simply by adding them ourselves."
"You mean you have to do the work manually for each one."
"Yes. But it is worth the effort."
Arwen nodded. Then she slowly organized her thoughts.
Cards integrated with illusion magic. To use those cards properly, a specially crafted table is required.
Neither the table nor the cards can be utilized at 100% capacity on their own; without one or the other, they are merely expensive trash.
Furthermore, the results shown by the illusions are diverse. Although for now, they can only add things manually, if it develops further…
…Hm? Wait a minute.
She felt like she had seen this somewhere before. Arwen tilted her head and fell into thought.
Surely, in Isaac's past life…
Isaac's past life, where he would play games installed on a computer while coolly hurling insults about each other's parents. It was similar to what she had seen there.
The same went for the cards that only functioned properly with a specially crafted object. Something felt unusual.
Come to think of it, how did they manage to make a mere card produce illusion magic? And the fact that it only works with the table.
Arwen looked up and stared intently at the Cape Sing siblings. The siblings were waiting quietly with those same expectant expressions.
Any other elf would have said they had made something quite useless, but Arwen, who had observed Isaac's past life, was different.
The siblings likely had no idea, but it seemed they had invented something far beyond imagination.
"…I shall ask one thing."
"Yes!"
"May I ask what is required to produce those cards?"
"Of course! It involves…"
The brother began to lay out an explanation, but it was all Greek to Arwen.
From what she could gather, it seemed to involve alchemy, but while she knew the basics, she was practically a layman when it came to that field.
Still, since they seemed to have done their own research, she felt she should at least offer some praise.
"It is wonderful. However, I wonder if mass production is possible. Even with the help of dwarves and factories, it would be quite difficult."
"Mmm…"
The siblings both let out a low groan, as if they had expected this to some extent. Their ears, which had been perked up, also drooped down.
However, just because mass production was impossible didn't mean they couldn't install it at all.
Arwen gave the two siblings the good news with a gentle smile.
"Still, I shall make a suggestion to Xenon. I am sure Xenon will gladly give his permission."
"R-Really?"
"Ah! Come to think of it…!"
The brother was surprised, and the sister let out an exclamation as if she had realized something late.
Arwen cleared her throat awkwardly at their reaction. It was a rumor that had already spread widely throughout Albenheim.
In fact, it was practically an open secret. Arwen's face grew hot for no reason, so she spoke hurriedly.
"I shall contact you soon. From now on, you will have to show your work to Xenon, not me, so prepare yourselves thoroughly."
"Y-Yes! Understood!"
"We will not disappoint Lord Xenon!"
While Albenheim was preparing this bombshell of an invention.
"How is it? Do you understand?"
"A world where demons invade and everything moves toward destruction? And we're going to roleplay while imagining a world like that?"
"Yeah. And we'll set stats for each person. Did you bring the dice?"
"Here they are."
In his own territory, Isaac was beginning to spread yet another form of entertainment.