Mind Control
Suddenly launching the project meant I had to assemble a team first. Up until now, I'd been building everything pretty much single-handedly, drawing on advice from various people here and there. But if I wanted to spread golems even further, I'd need more hands on development and design. Sure, technicians and pilots could be trained through my territory and the academy, but R&D was a whole different beast.
Golems naturally drew a ton of attention anyway, so once word got out about the project, curious folks would probably show up. Still, nothing moved forward if you just sat around waiting—you had to hustle and gather people yourself.
"…So you're asking the Alchemy Department to help you out?"
"You guys know magic inside out, you're pros with tools, I can run you cheap, and as long as I feed you on time, you'll tag along without complaints. You tick every box for the intellectuals I need, that's why."
"What the hell do you think we are?!"
In the fatigue-and-hunger-soaked Alchemy Department classroom, Professor Rodellini snapped from the lectern as I openly recruited right in front of everyone—but her voice was weak. The shelves where lecture materials were usually stacked had traces of steamed potatoes everywhere. During my absence, they'd apparently boiled a batch together; potato peels piled high in the trash. Source? Obviously my fields.
That sapped her resistance a bit, but she was still a professor—Vespia's top alchemist. She wasn't about to let me turn her and her students into free labor without a fight.
"Our kids and I are already pouring all our time into alloy research because you sweet-talked us! I was the idiot who fell for it, but isn't it too much to have us hanging on your every whim?"
"To figure out what level those alloys need to hit, don't you need to know golems inside out? From the Cyclops to the new models we're building. Join in, and you'll learn a ton about my golems."
"…You serious?"
Professor Rodellini eyed me skeptically. Fair enough—my words sounded like I was spilling all my trade secrets. Her face turned dead serious.
"New knowledge and techniques are always welcome for any alchemist. But kid, you know what it means to just hand out your knowledge and tech willy-nilly, right?"
"That my value tanks, yeah?"
She nodded.
"The more you spread your knowledge, the less anyone needs to stick with you. Worst case? I absorb everything you've got, claim the golem tech as mine, and roll out improvements."
Just like she said—if someone else mastered golems completely, the power balance flipped. Especially her; she'd cram it all into her head, spit out upgrades, and declare herself the golem guru. Her social cred still outranked mine, so it wasn't impossible.
"What you're doing is basically burying yourself. Want me to laugh and call it a stupid grave?"
"Thanks for the concern."
Most people wouldn't bother warning you if they didn't care. At her level, she could've nodded along, stolen the tech, and profited off her own spin-offs. The fact she spoke up meant she was looking out for me big time.
But if I was backing down, I wouldn't have started.
"How about a different angle?"
I'd thought this through too. Casually, I stepped forward; she backed up, and suddenly I was at the center of the teacher's desk.
Thud.
I slammed the desk just to try it—felt good—and scanned the room.
…Everyone's faces were already half-sold from the promise of food earlier, but I'd committed now. Time to keep going.
"You're right, Professor—from my perspective alone, it's insanely dumb. Golems—specifically cockpit golems—have just cleared their first big hurdle and are starting real deployment. Unless something huge goes wrong, they'll carve out a permanent spot in Vespia Kingdom's arsenal."
"Kid, aren't you underestimating Abatus a bit?"
"If you really thought they were superior, you'd have brought them up as an example from day one, not now."
Back when I was yapping about golems nonstop, she could've smacked me down with chimeras anytime. Holding off till now meant the timing felt right—but deep down, she admitted chimeras lagged. She hadn't even considered them a solid counterexample; they'd been shoved to a mental back shelf.
Hit the mark—Rodellini clammed up.
"In that scenario, I bring in a bunch of folks outside my core trusted circle to the golem dev site. Sure, this time I'm driving and you're all assistants, but it's prime tech-theft opportunity. Learn all about golems, right? My value dips for sure. There are people smarter than me out there—hell, maybe in this room—who could replace me quick."
"No, I wasn't trying to dunk on you, Baron…."
As she flustered, I pressed on.
"But here's the thing—that's the point."
"Huh?"
"What?"
One student blurted in confusion. I spread my hands and laid it out.
"If someone better than me jumps into golem dev? That's exactly what I want."
The classroom went dead silent. Rodellini crossed her arms, watching.
I kept rolling.
"If two, three, a bunch of us tackle what I've been doing solo… stuff I shelved for time or cash, someone else might try. Stuff I miss, someone else spots."
Every eye locked on me. I grinned.
"Doesn't that skyrocket cockpit golem tech and polish it to perfection?"
Suddenly, breakthroughs become possible—paths I couldn't find alone.
"Glory and riches over golem progress?"
"Yep."
Obvious question, short answer.
Rodellini stared, then sighed heavily.
"Must be nice being loaded… Nah. You're just plain nuts."
She looked half-defeated. But her eyes? Burning with hunger.
"A proving ground for scholars to compete and innovate…."
The woman who'd called me crazy and devalued my rarity was already brainstorming fixes for golem flaws she'd spotted.
The quiet alchemy students too. Some would bail, realizing my path wasn't theirs. But the ones itching to race me down it? They'd bite for sure.
"Sign-ups open till tomorrow—I'm swamped. Sorry."
Push harder now, and I'd spark backlash. Better ease off. This was plenty.
"—This chance to try…."
"—If golems blow up bigger, grabbing knowledge now pays off."
"—Depending, golems could become alchemist turf—better job prospects…!"
They were hooked. Made sense—alchemists' hard-won tech had been rotting without outlets, till golems gave it purpose. Combining stuff for new creations? Alchemy and golems overlapped nicely.
A term popped into my head; I smirked.
"Tech that handles alchemy and golems. Call 'em magitech engineers?"
Dig deeper, it'd veer into pure magic territory. But for fields blending magic and machines? That was it.
Time to drop it.
"Anyone wanna pioneer magitech with me?"
Did I misread the flow? Dead quiet.
Rodellini clutched her head.
"…But this is the Alchemy Department. You can't just spawn a new one out of nowhere."
"Sounded cool, my bad."
"And pioneering? We're starving here—sticking close to what we know makes more sense than some wild detour."
Did I piss her off too much? Fail.
Atmosphere tanked on my watch—I'd fix it.
How to salvage?
Best way to sway crowds? My investor's face flashed up.
"Oh yeah. My territory needs teachers for education push. Can cover salaries, meals, housing, even some mid-to-low mana metal supply."
"…Salaries? Meals? Housing?"
Weak sauce? Not enough pull. Ramp it up.
"Plus rare metals from that Gold Sun prince, and funds worth ten times Cyclops market price. Gonna splurge on experiments this time."
"What."
How much was it again?
"Mina said even splitting half into ten parts could buy a capital house with a yard."
"Can I apply? Right?!"
Hungry Rodellini led the charge; poor alchemy kids swarmed.
"—Always been interested."
"—Golems rule! Golems rule!"
"—S-Salaries, meals, housing for real…?"
They signed up like piranhas on chum.
I grinned and bellowed.
"Funding's secured. Savings too. No cash worries—burn the whole academy to ash as research fuel if we have to. Let's do this, everyone!"
"The whole academy…!"
Like I'd cast mind control, a manic glint sparked in their eyes. Overflowing morale—I smiled.
"—If money fails, just throw more at it."
Investor wisdom, spot on.