Henceforth, Thy Name is Lab Rat

The numerous ventures in the Energies County all rested on a solid foundation of population in the end.

With so many people gathered, even in medieval times, public safety would normally be a mess.

That was the achievement of the previous count, who had massively expanded the security force by printing money.

"Y-Young master…."

"Akion…?"

Thanks to that, out of all the free incandescent bulbs handed out, only about one person per week tried to steal and sell them.

Even by Akion's standards, the security in this medieval territory was impressive.

Impressive, but….

"The storage compartments of the streetlights need keys. Without them, it means there's an inside job in the county…."

"Young master, your face is scary…!"

"I just want to stuff someone in boiling oil."

This incident was on a large scale.

They'd stolen the incandescent bulbs from the streetlights, but only from diagonally opposite ones.

The pattern was zigzag, as if they'd been removed for maintenance.

On the street where a date had turned into a crime scene investigation, Akion began personally canvassing the area.

"Of course!"

"Young master Akion will sort it all out!"

There were two advantages to this.

First, Akion's face was known everywhere in the county.

Second….

"They said they were collecting them for maintenance! A bit forceful, but…!"

"I saw it with my own two eyes! They had the Energies crest on!"

In this era, nobles were kings to their territory's people—noble beings with blue blood flowing through their veins.

To commoners, they were judges who solved everything, tax collectors, territory managers, and more.

Thanks to this synergy, most of the residents answered honestly.

"Someone impersonating us Energies…?!"

"So, accomplices posing as Energies security stole dozens of bulbs… Pathetic scale for such audacity."

Apparently, someone from Akion's workshop—a person leading Energies security—had "collected" the bulbs.

"What? You let those guys into our house without confirming they were yours?!"

"Well, honestly, with helmets on, how do you tell without seeing their faces…."

"Everyone, calm down."

"If young master Akion says so…."

Impersonating the family and theft to boot.

In this era, it was a crime deserving harsh punishment.

And above all, this was….

"Goldie, contact Father for me first."

"Yes! I'll head to the mansion!"

Something the family head had to personally crush.

They'd overlooked minor incidents with light punishment and recovery, but this was blatant and large-scale.

"How do you want to handle it?"

"Make them regret being alive."

"Hoo…."

It was an insult to Energies.

And power never tolerated such things.

*

The culprits were caught more easily than expected.

The keys to lock the streetlight cases were held only by workshop people to prevent bulb theft in the first place….

"M-M-My lord Count! I swear! It wasn't my idea!!"

"Please, just once, spare me…!!"

Two security guards on street patrol at the time.

They'd collated with one craftsman from Akion's workshop, and it was confirmed.

"Drag them away."

"Hiiiaaak!!"

"Coooount!!"

They allowed some graft as per custom, but this crossed the line too far.

The count couldn't tolerate it. Thus….

"I'm back, my lord."

"Good. What did you find?"

He immediately sealed off Ridaside.

Many protested, but they shut up at the news of dozens of stolen bulbs.

The theft disguised as maintenance had happened this afternoon, witnessed by plenty.

"Toby from Akion's workshop—his house is empty. Family likely smuggled out already!"

"I see. Search the merchants' wagons."

"Yes, sir!"

Even the security forces couldn't be trusted now.

How many had colluded with the workshop craftsman?

They might have already smuggled people out and wiped their tracks.

"Security captain."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

From the count's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perspective, none of his subordinates were trustworthy right now.

"Starting with you, I'd love to personally thunderbolt every security head…."

"Gasp! I swear! I know nothing!"

"Is that so?"

If so, he had no choice but to show his power.

Not yet at 10th circle, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mages were monsters entering superhuman territory from 7th circle.

"Then hurry up and bring that thief before me, you incompetent fool."

"Hiiik!"

"And from now on, if even one Energies affiliate goes missing… they won't live in peace!"

For a mere mana-using security captain, it was impossible.

With lightning striking right in front, the captain bolted out to catch the criminal.

"Whoa."

Akion watched it all from the side.

Fortunately, in his 18 years, his father had never laid a hand on him like that.

Akion's trauma switch flipped to bootlicker mode instead.

"Father, you're extra cool today."

"Ahem, you think so?"

"The manliest man I've ever seen."

"Hmph. Of course. As your proud father, I can't sit idle when my child and family suffer! No way!"

His dad's weakness for flattery was a flaw, but anyway.

It wasn't bad for Akion either.

Power in Energies came from his birth father and family head, Delpord.

He could dump the hassle on him and snag sweet budgets and favors(?).

"Alright, Akion. What do you want?"

"For this bulb theft, grant me command authority over the criminals."

Akion just needed to slaughter the punks who messed with his precious bulbs.

So….

"Hmm. Possible, but… what for?"

"They stole bulbs, so slave them making bulbs till their sentence ends."

16 hours a day, 7 days a week, unpaid slaves!

Akion had done it for two or three months himself.

How he'd wanted to tear that evil professor apart….

"What's the point of beating them dead? Cuff 'em and make 'em work!"

"Like grinding serfs on the estate. Good! Use the thieves however you want once caught!"

Akion wanted them to feel that misery too.

Human rights? For criminals in this era?!!

"Hieek, Tower Maaaster…!"

"Goldie, fear not. Would Akion turn you into a slave?"

Of course, both Goldie and the Tower Master knew how workshop craftsmen got ground down.

They could only pray for the criminals' souls.

*

"Huff, huff…!"

Toby, the tanning craftsman from Akion's workshop.

There was a story behind him causing such a massive incident.

"Hurry, run faster!!"

A genius alchemist's workshop where skills and knowledge exploded just by entering?

Plus, lifetime free rental of that powered driver magic tool for affiliates!

Seduced by the craftsmen….

"Run before that madman Akion comes!!"

He thought it'd be 18-hour crunch mode insanity!

Serfs were no different, and guilds banned crunch for quality reasons anyway.

Plus, work was hard after dark.

"Damn it, Toby! With this, we can feed our family?!"

"Live like kings!"

But the bulbs hidden in his bosom made it possible.

The direct victims—workshop craftsmen—shed bloody tears.

"Run faster!! Like when your wife caught you sneaking to the red-light district! Thrash those legs like a wild colt!!"

"Uwaaa!!"

This couldn't go on.

Even with good pay, bodies broke.

Kick him out? They'd bring priests and heal him fully!!

"Never going back there…!!"

Toby felt the intense urge to live for the first time,

bribed some security guards heavily, and executed his plan.

Thus stealing about thirty bulbs.

The other thirty were with black market merchants, but Ridaside's blockade stopped them.

No matter.

Family smuggled out, and selling these secretly would let him live lavishly.

"One year+ service gets severance pay."

"Y-Young master. What's severance…?"

Suddenly recalling Akion's "severance pay."

"That makes no sense…!!"

Would an evil boss forcing month after month of crunch give that?

Medieval common sense said no,

so Toby planned to grab his share and bolt.

And then—

"Hiiiaak?!"

Of course, karma came back.

"There he is!!!!!!!!!!"

"That's our question piñata!!!"

"Wh-what the?!"

"Mages are flying in?!?"

Energies mages pursuing with all sorts of spells.

Knights and soldiers too, but mages were more aggressive ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠because….

"Young master said one bulb per question!!"

"Hand 'em over!!! I'll ask them all!!!!"

"Hiiieee?!"

Akion had whispered to them.

Science & engineering Q&A for each recovered bulb.

"Young master whispered the answer! Kill that bastard now—!!"

"Wait! Young master said not to hurt his hands!"

"Then blow off his legs?! Kyaaahoo—!!"

Fueled by that, Energies mages chased at full throttle,

and Toby was caught in less than half a day.

"You damned bastard!! Running won't save you!!"

"Who knew all the mages would chase us!! Huff?! Hiiik! Hiaaaak?!"

Thus, Toby and accomplices withered in the tightening net of mages.

*

"All recovered."

The bulb reclamation op ended in a flash.

With Energies and Tower mages all mobilized, it felt too anticlimactic for Akion.

"Didn't expect such excellence…. Good. Energies team, Tower team? All attend special lectures soon."

"Kyaaahoo!!"

"Haa, haa! Science! Scieeeeence!!!"

"So fun~! So fun~! Engineering studies so fun~!"

They did good work, so.

Akion happily scheduled special lectures for all.

Middle-aged folks acting like that was a bit cringy. Anyway.

"Toby."

"Y-Young master…."

Time to chew out the runaway slave… er, lab tech.

Fortunately, Toby captured intact, limbs fine.

Meeting Akion's gaze looking down,

"Gasp."

His emotionless—thus more terrifying—stare made Toby shrink.

"Mr. Toby. I told you to speak up if work was too hard."

"Th-that's…."

"As a slave… no, grad student… no, my workshop employee, I planned to give severance. You really disappointed me."

Akion's every word stabbed like a dagger.

Especially that noble young master's "disappointed"—Toby felt ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his heart stop.

"P-Please forgive me once, young master! I just—."

He slammed his head to the ground.

To live, anything!

"Ah, I get it. Crunch mode hell, right? So…."

A pouch dropped before him.

"This, silv…?"

"Severance."

"What."

Toby's severance!

The naturally open pouch brimmed with gold and silver coins!

"G-Good lord. How much is that."

"He really meant to give it…?"

"Lord have mercy. How kind is young master…!"

Onlookers gasped at the generosity.

"Take this home. You're quitting regular employment."

"Y-Young master…!"

Clutching the pouch, Toby burst into tears.

"Th-thank you so much! To this scum, real severance…! And forgiveness too…!!"

Such a merciful young master, yet a mere craftsman fled with family assets over some overtime like meals!

And still forgave the crime!

Tears blurred Toby's vision.

"Uh, no forgiveness."

"Pardon?"

"Compensate all damages from this mess."

Before seeing the contract on the table ahead.

Having worked with Akion, familiar with papers, he naturally picked it up.

Toby was more skilled than expected.

His leatherwork was excellent.

"Including mage costs… about this much."

"Gasp."

Akion had no plans to let him go.

Roughly 20 years.

"Sign. Or real trial."

"I-I'll siiiign…."

Thus, everyone but Toby was happy.

Metetasi, metetasi.

* * *

A few days after that little(?) commotion.

A wide clearing by Ridaside parish.

In the crisp spring weather,

"Hey! Don't put cargo there!"

"Oi, mister. It says dig there."

The soccer-field-sized lot was being totally uprooted.

Bathhouse construction had finally begun.

A work song with a slightly reddish fervor.

"Young master, what's that tune?"

"Something boiling inside… an urge to stand and cheer."

"Yeeah, exactly…."

Akion had just hummed a reworked song from boredom in the workshop.

"Th-the workers uniting in patriotic fervor for the county."

"See! Even I feel the patriotism surging!"

"Akion, I never knew you held such tender patriotism. A truly fine song…."

Who knew it'd spread this far.

To avoid execution, Akion had to phrase it vaguely.