Chapter 153
Chapter 153
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 153
Chapter Title: Mana Battery Debut and Tia's Secret
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We were surrounded by crowds of people until the academy conference finally wrapped up.
No matter how many kept swarming in.
"When can we buy one?"
"We want to give it a try too."
"It looks like it condenses powerful mana. Is commercialization possible? If so, when?"
People rushing forward, eager to invest right away.
"We got here first!"
"Are you ignoring the Bolvart family?!"
"You bastard! A mere baron's house like yours!"
"Shut your mouth, you border baron! You're not even worth a central noble's boot!"
Others quarreling over who arrived first.
All sorts of people gathered around Tia and me.
Even those who had dismissed the Illusion School earlier now offered to pay up.
"Take it slow. This isn't something we can mass-produce right away. Just like with the Manacon, mass production requires a lot of research. So, we'll grant the privilege of using these mana batteries first to a select few among you."
Tia handled the crowd with practiced ease.
"Only a chosen few among you will become early adopters of this fusion of dwarf and human ingenuity."
And the select few Tia picked?
"We'll invest!"
"Money's no object! We'll pay up!"
They were the ones who promised the biggest investments.
We had prepared ten mana batteries in advance.
Tia sold all five portable ones and five stationary ones right there on the spot.
She explained how to use them politely and collected payment via contracts.
"Using this mana battery first means you're experiencing the future ahead of everyone else."
With that, Tia turned to the crowd that still hadn't dispersed.
Her eyes held a firm resolve.
"And..."
She stared at the people for a long moment, hesitating before closing her mouth.
"No. That's it for the presentation."
With her closing remarks, the mana battery announcement came to an end.
But the contracts weren't over.
I left Tia to handle the rush for additional deals and stepped off the stage.
The presentation was done, so now it was time for a little rest.
"Max, great job!"
Meiko, who had been watching from below, ran up and patted my back.
"What a smashing success! I figured it'd go well since the product is solid, but I didn't expect it to be this spectacular!"
She seemed particularly interested in the mana water synthesis we'd shown onstage.
"By the way, my disciple, how did you do that? Fusing mana water and Lutan, I mean."
"Oh, that? If you condense the mana to maximum density and apply enough force, it's entirely possible."
"Creating something thought impossible just by condensing mana density..."
Meiko furrowed her brow at my words and muttered to herself.
"That's a brute-force method no ordinary person would ever dream of."
"It's not something anyone can pull off."
I knew that full well.
Not just anyone could replicate it, even if I showed them.
You needed enough mana firepower to overpower Lutan's repulsion.
That's why I'd demonstrated it.
To show just how difficult it was—something not everyone could do.
"You could do it, Master."
"Of course! If my disciple can, how could I, his master, fail?"
Meiko puffed out her chest confidently, but her expression soon hardened again.
Clearly, another thought had flashed through her mind.
"Maybe I've been too stuck in my ways. Depending on how you apply mana, you might achieve the impossible."
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe there's a way to find the Bretilla Flower after all."
The Bretilla Flower.
The legendary flower said to grant physical form to illusion magic.
The very flower that had us making regular trips to the Witch's Forest.
At her words that we might actually find it, I looked at her.
"There's something I want to check."
She finished speaking as if she'd just had a realization and abruptly stood up.
"We should celebrate this successful presentation with a party."
"You two enjoy the celebration tonight. I've got urgent business."
"Heading out to find the Bretilla Flower?"
"I think I can find a lead."
Meiko smacked her lips regretfully.
"I'd love to join my disciple's victory bash, but... duty calls."
"That's a shame. I wanted us to celebrate your first presentation together."
"I feel the same. Missing out on sharing Max's triumph stings. Still..."
Meiko's gaze softened as she looked at me.
"I'm prouder than anyone. You've achieved something monumental no one else could. I might even end up with an illusion mage greater than myself."
"Thanks."
"Anyway, I'm off."
She stood and looked at me.
"No matter that Tio's a dwarf, she's not an adult yet, so absolutely no alcohol! Got it?"
Uh, well...
Truth is, Tia was a full-grown woman?
I couldn't bring myself to say it.
That would mean spilling Tia's secret without permission.
"Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on things."
"Good. I trust you."
With that, she left promptly.
"Human, good work!"
Tia returned after wrapping up the additional contracts, letting out a sigh.
"They were so desperate to buy... I only took contracts for five more portables and five stationary ones, then turned the rest away. It's not ready for full production yet, and we agreed in advance on the extra units."
"No more contracts?"
"Of course not. We made a promise, remember? Just ten units total for now—five each."
Tia's eyes were resolute.
"If we greedily overcommit and fail to deliver, it'll be chaos. For dwarves, trust is as vital as skill!"
"I see."
"Now let's head back and toast to our success. But..."
Tia glanced around, looking for Meiko.
"Where's Meiko?"
"She left early—said she had more research to do."
"She couldn't stay for the after-party...?"
"Inspiration struck during the presentation. You have to act on it right away."
"I get it. Happens to me all the time. Still, it's a shame. Parties are better with more people."
Smacking her lips, Tia unbuttoned the top of her suit in frustration.
"Let's hurry back. If the other scholars catch us, we might never make it home."
Urged by Tia, we quickly left the academy.
Business was done—no need to linger.
The scholars had already headed off to other presentations.
Ours wasn't the only one, so it was only natural.
Don't need to see the other presentations?
No problem.
Tomorrow, papers from all the factions mentioned would flood in.
I could review the videos and analyses on my own then.
For now, focus on our success.
On the way back, I glanced at Tia.
"By the way, Tio, wasn't your goal to earn recognition from the dwarves?"
I nearly slipped and used her real name, Tia.
She was still playing the boy dwarf.
"It was."
"So why announce at the Imperial Academy? Even if dwarves came, there'd only be a handful. Why not at a dwarf factory or their conference?"
Tia laughed as if it were obvious.
"Because it's an invention we developed together. Not just mine. That's why here—the Empire's academy draws more people than dwarf society. And..."
She thought for a moment, then met my eyes.
"What I'm about to say stays between us. I'm not ready to tell the world yet."
"Understood."
"Truth is, I lied to you about one thing."
A brief silence.
Then she spoke again.
"Truth is, I'm not a boy dwarf. That's not why I couldn't join the factory properly. Actually..."
A soft sigh.
I had a hunch.
"I'm a female dwarf. One who absolutely couldn't enter the factories. My name's Tia, not Tio. Sorry for fooling you all this time..."
She spoke with a grave expression, like revealing the world's darkest secret.
"I see."
I hadn't expected her to come clean right here.
I figured she'd announce it publicly later.
From her actions so far, it seemed she'd planned to reveal her true self after achieving undeniable success.
The Manacon and mana battery seemed success enough.
Who knew she'd spill it now.
"Y-You're taking it awfully calmly."
"I had my suspicions."
"Y-You did? How...?"
"No beard for a boy. Not much muscle either."
"Ah... Sharp eyes. Most other races don't notice."
She gave an awkward smile and continued.
"I planned to tell you today, but felt it wasn't enough yet..."
"It's more than enough."
"Huh?"
"It's plenty. Hell, inventing the Manacon alone is an achievement no other dwarf could match."
"Really?"
"You conquered nature itself. No legendary mage can do that. But you did."
"Ah..."
"And don't downplay this invention just because I helped. Like you said, it's a mana energy revolution."
Tia's eyes lit up.
She looked more spirited now.
The hesitation I'd seen when she confessed her gender had faded a bit.
"Was being a female dwarf why you couldn't present at a dwarf conference?"
"Pretty much. They wouldn't let me brag about the mana battery. They'd nitpick that a human helped."
"So that's why you hesitated at the end onstage. Deciding whether to reveal your gender."
She nodded.
"Ahem, anyway, you're my partner now. You needed to know."
Tia waved her hands bashfully.
"Sorry. Got too serious there."
"It's fine. Honesty suits you."
"So, celebration party at your workshop?"
"Sounds good."
"Great. I'll grab some booze and food. I know a spot with killer drinks!"
And so we bought booze and headed back to the workshop.
"Hehe, human... Mind if I study you a bit?"
Tia, flushed from the alcohol, said to me.
Grinning, she shed her suit and approached.
"Human..."
"Tia?"
"Do that thing. You know..."
That thing?
What thing?
"Like last time."
Tia's voice was moist as she spoke.
"Illusion magic."