Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: Villainess: Peria Alperatz (3)
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It didn't take long for the installation of the first magical device in Bartus to be completed.
This was thanks to the frantic efforts of those terrified of what the shadowy lady ruling the marquess's house might do.
It was already infamous in the marquessate that those on bad terms with Peria Alperatz had been vanishing one by one.
In a situation where any delay in the construction might make them the next targets—
From laborers on up to stonemasons and carpenters, countless people had poured their efforts into ensuring the work proceeded without a hitch.
"Finally... it looks like all the work is done."
Once every bit of construction had wrapped up.
Jayden and the other Bartus administrators gathered in front of the completed building, their faces tense.
Swipe—.
The administrators who had assembled in the empty structure eyed each other cautiously.
Everyone except Jayden, who had already guessed the magical device's purpose, was glancing around with faces full of apprehension.
They were so worried about the experiment run by the shadowy young lady that they hesitated even to touch the device first.
"So, who's going to step up and check it out?"
Jayden, standing before the magical device, turned to his colleagues and spoke.
"Well, my son's still young, you see."
"Wouldn't it make more sense for Jayden, since you're right there?"
The administrators trotted out their own excuses, shoving the responsibility of inspecting the device onto someone else.
Their son at home was too young.
Or their health wasn't great.
One ridiculous story after another flew back and forth.
But someone had to take responsibility for the construction's outcome.
And Jayden, who had been deeply involved in the project, was no exception.
"Hah... all right. I'll check it then."
"Ooh, as expected of Administrator Jayden."
"Truly worthy of a knight house's third son—such courage."
In the end, Jayden took on the role of demonstrating the magical device in place of the others.
Hoo—.
Jayden's trembling eyes fixed on the wooden lever in front of him.
"Pulling this activates the magical device, right."
Jayden had already surmised the deputy lord's intentions to some degree.
He had been more involved in the construction than any other administrator.
According to the blueprints Jayden had reviewed, the rod before him was a lever to activate the magical device.
Gulp—.
Jayden stared at the lever, his face tense.
Would the change he expected really happen the moment he pulled it?
Such doubts swirled in his mind.
"......"
Click—.
Jayden's hand grasped and pulled the magical device's lever.
Once the lever was pulled.
The magic installed in the location activated, and gasps erupted from the watching laborers.
"Whoa......!"
"No way, this can't be......!"
"Never imagined something like this could happen in Bartus!"
As all the administrators stared at the wooden lever with eyes wide in shock.
Jayden too faced it with trembling eyes.
"No... how......"
An innovation unseen in any grand mansion around here.
A miracle that could only be called magic.
Voices burst from the mouths of all who beheld it at once.
"Water coming right out of the house......!"
"A magical device that gives water just by touching the lever—amazing. And it's incredibly clean water too."
"Incredible contraption. If every house had one, no more hauling water from rivers or wells."
The true nature of the magical device Peria Alperatz had installed.
It was a system to supply clean water to every household.
Splash, splash, splash—.
Jayden's eyes gazed at the water pooling in his palm.
"Ah......"
It looked pristine at a glance.
Staring into the rippling surface, Jayden soon lifted it to his lips.
Gulp, gulp—.
After quenching his throat with the cold water.
Realizing it was safe to drink, he waved the others over with a surprised look.
"Come on, everyone have a sip. It's even fresher than water drawn from the river."
"The deputy lord's brought us something unbelievable."
"Was the plan to roll this out across the city? Can't even guess how much it would cost."
"To outfit the whole city, you'd need a mountain of gold, wouldn't you?"
The administrators clustered around Jayden began sipping the water one by one.
They each tasted it and marveled.
What was astonishing was that this magical device wasn't the only one installed here, where they stood.
The labor involved wasn't much compared to the results.
Just move the lever, and water was yours.
It was nothing short of a monumental breakthrough.
'Maybe everyone’s been misunderstanding Lady Peria.'
A question stirred in Jayden's chest as he gazed at the magical device.
The mage who developed it was impressive, but Peria, who sought to introduce it, was no ordinary person either.
Surely it was all for the sake of her people.
Perhaps he and the others had misjudged the young lady's kind heart.
"Still, it'd be even better if beer came out instead of water—"
"Are you a genius? How do you come up with such a brilliant idea?"
"Haha, back in the day, the neighborhood called me a prodigy."
Unfortunately, the people around him didn't seem to share Jayden's sentiment.
Hoo—.
White breath puffed from Jayden's mouth.
Winter was drawing near.
* * * * * *
Magic sometimes performs miracles that surpass modern common sense.
Problems that would normally require an engineering approach can be solved simply with magic.
A prime example was the magical device Acheronar had created by combining spells from the First Repository.
Using the formulas and designs I provided, she had crafted a version suited for city use.
As a result, stable water supply to countless households became possible without the massive infrastructure of a conventional aqueduct system.
"We've already finished installing them in six districts. We'll add five more soon."
"Not bad progress. Good work."
Thanks to Acheronar's efforts, pilot districts were multiplying rapidly across Bartus.
After the first pilot district formed, requests poured in to expand to various areas, including the nobles' quarters.
From the water supply system to transport networks and all sorts of conveniences—
Countless modern wonders were preparing, through Acheronar, to step out into the wider world.
"At this rate, we might soon build other infrastructure across the city."
Of course, a standard magical device couldn't have done it.
If it meant one magic stone per household, an absurd number would be required.
But by designing a district-wide system, we achieved the goal with far fewer stones.
My design allowed one magic stone to supply countless homes.
It was a far more advanced structure than ordinary magical devices.
In the end, we built city infrastructure with tremendous magic stone efficiency.
"Hmm—."
I had only just reviewed Peria's report and checked my mental blueprint.
Swipe—.
Soon, my gaze shifted to the grimoires stacked on my desk.
"......"
Grimoires piled in one corner of the desk.
These were books from Celestia's collection that were undergoing degradation, set aside separately.
Thud—.
I opened one, flipping through the pages one by one.
The original purpose of this plan.
In other words, to check the grimoires' degradation rate.
'Compared to the ones Lua took out, these are degrading much faster.'
Perhaps because magic from them was being cast daily by countless people.
The grimoire in my hand was already significantly degraded.
Even compared to the spells Lua Polaris presented at the academy, the degradation here was markedly quicker.
The original texts of First Repository spells, once lost from Celestia, were returning to the library—
This was proving the most effective way to reclaim them.
'If we keep installing infrastructure, we might recover most of the First Repository spells.'
A hugely positive outcome for Celestia and for me.
It meant even more samples piling up in the library.
My understanding of the new formula system was steadily growing too.
If this continued, I might soon repair and use existing spells on my own.
"......"
After finishing with the grimoire in hand.
Thud—.
I closed its cover.
As I set down the First Repository grimoire, the title of another beneath it caught my eye.
'—Godflame Descent.'
A Fourth Repository spell, Godflame Descent.
This spell I had used, via a summoning rite, to crash the mobile fortress from outside Celestia.
It had only been cast once beyond Celestia's walls.
And the reason such a grimoire lay on my desk alongside First Repository books.
There could only be one.
"Things don't always go exactly as planned."
The Fourth Repository grimoire before me.
The degradation of 'Godflame Descent' was already complete.
* * * * * *
Kallife, the lead mage of the Magic Corps, was not one for commotion.
Though a battle mage who wielded flames, he didn't enjoy lingering in noisy warzones.
Paradoxically, he loved peace.
He honed ever stronger spells simply because he hated prolonged fights.
Such was Kallife Variant, the mage.
"What's all this racket?"
And now, Kallife was frowning at the din assaulting his ears.
Ever since arriving in Alperatz Marquessate's city, a constant dull noise had plagued him.
Thud, thud, thud, thud—!
Amid the endless heavy axe blows and hammer strikes.
Unable to bear it as he rode through the streets, Kallife halted a passerby.
"Hey, why's the whole city so damn noisy?"
"Hah, huff......!"
"They’re tearing up every house along the road. Did a fire break out recently or something?"
One citizen on the sidewalk looked up at Kallife in bewilderment.
Having spotted the ornate robe patterns, perhaps.
His face pale with fear, he soon answered Kallife cautiously.
"It's because everyone wants the magical devices the deputy lord's providing."
"Magical devices? Handing them out?"
Kallife glared at him incredulously upon hearing this.
No mage in the Magic Corps was ignorant of magical devices' expense.
Even his own 'Polaris No. 1' in his pocket cost a month's pay.
And they were giving them away in bulk to nobodies?
It made no sense unless the lord had gone mad.
"You expect me to believe that? How do you hand out pricey magical devices to commoners?"
Furious at the absurdity, Kallife grabbed the citizen's shoulder.
It had to be nonsense meant to mock him.
But the citizen stuck to his story.
"Th-that's... I don't know the details. But since it's the deputy lord's project, there must be a reason!"
"No matter how rich House Alperatz is, why toss magical devices to street rats?"
Even if the lord had made a fortune, it defied logic.
If you had such valuables, you'd stockpile them at home, not give them away.
Yet the citizen's tale grew even more outlandish.
"And I heard eventually every house will get one."
"Wait... what did you say?"
"Th-the deputy lord... wants every home to have clean water."
Outfitting every household with magical devices—
Kallife felt a vein throb at the lunacy.
Did Alperatz have a magic stone duplication mine or something?
No, even that wouldn't make it possible.
Magical devices were products of skilled mages' laborious effort.
Supplying every home? Impossible unless House Alperatz's head had lost his mind.
"Completely insane. Do they dig up mages and magic stones here? Doing in a territory what even the capital couldn't."
"Th-that's......"
"No, wait. Actually, it just means they have the wealth for reckless schemes."
Greed darkened Kallife's eyes.
Separate from whether they could truly supply every home, it was clear an immature noble lady wielded vast fortunes.
And being young, she'd lack savvy in negotiations—
With the right persuasion, Kallife could extract a massive 'gift' from her.
"I need to head to the lord's castle. Request an audience with the deputy lord."
Leaving the citizen, Kallife gripped his reins and called to his subordinate.
He didn't have much time.
If the marquess's lady granted him 'conveniences,' he could direct a more 'efficient' investigation.
Better to seal the deal swiftly.
Having ordered his subordinate, Kallife added.
"We'll meet the deputy lord by evening at the latest."
Kallife was an investigator dispatched by the capital's orders.
By evening at latest, he'd have his chat with the naive noble girl.
And there, discreet dealings would unfold.
If magical devices were to be wasted on commoners, better Kallife take them for worthier uses.
A sinister smile crept across Kallife's lips.
"Offering frank advice to an inexperienced deputy lord is only proper for a central noble, after all."
Even Kallife didn't buy the absurd rumor of the marquess's lady belonging to a secret society.
But for smooth negotiations, one needed the right leverage.
Now it was time to gather dirt to pressure House Alperatz.