Chapter 22
Translator: True Detective
### Chapter 22: Railgun Experiment
On the way back to the laboratory after finishing the noisy schedule at the Duke family.
The rattling of the carriage feels somehow relieving.
*'......It was quite a long five days.'*
Fortunately, the marriage talk passed over vaguely.
Whether Duke Cassian was just testing the waters, he didn't forcefully add more words beyond that.
Rather than consideration as a family head, it's a kind of leisure, I guess.
*'They get along so well like that, is there a need for me to step up and rush it now.'*
Exactly this kind of feeling.
Whatever it is, it's something for me to take a breather.
The three days I took to recover from my injuries were quite peaceful.
Especially the last day at the territory was quite pleasant.
"Rihan, try this. It's a specialty of our territory, the acidity is strong so it'll be perfect for your taste too. Hurry."
Because the sight of Yveline excitedly introducing famous restaurants since it's her home was strangely refreshing.
"Senior, you enjoyed it too, right?"
[......It wasn't bad. The fun of looking around for the first time in a thousand years was quite worthwhile.]
Seeing her voice much softer, it seems she was really satisfied.
Right. After suffering crossing the threshold of death as soon as we arrived, there should be at least this much reward.
Passing the scenic road, we entered the entrance of the capital.
Familiar yet bustling air.
But my head was already somewhere else.
*'As soon as I get to the lab, I should experiment with the Ring of Words first.'*
What on earth is the principle.
How does language acquire physical binding force.
I am so curious about that mechanism.
Besides, as my hierarchy rose this time, my mana pool also became quite large.
High-energy experiments I couldn't even dare to do before due to lack of output.
I think I can try them now.
Really, I'm fucking looking forward to it!
***
Inside the carriage entering the center of the capital.
A persistent gaze is felt amidst the rattling vibration.
Yveline, sitting in the seat next to me, was staring intently at me with her head slightly tilted.
A moment later, she threw out a single word abruptly.
"......Rihan, your aura changed a bit? I didn't notice, but when did you become 1st Hierarchy?"
Did she finally recognize it.
You don't know how much I went around leaking mana without hiding it to hear this sound.
But I deliberately pretended it was nothing.
I retorted while looking out the window indifferently.
"Ah, that? Well, trying it out, it wasn't much a big deal than I thought."
"Ha, how dumbfounding. Since it's at the level of an Academy graduate, of course it would be easy."
"......."
No, so she's coming out like that here?
It's not that I'm particularly anxious to be acknowledged but.
Wanting to see her flustered appearance, playfulness slightly arose.
I kept my mouth shut and turned my head away altogether.
Perhaps flustered by my blatant reaction, Yveline hesitated for a moment, then soon burst into laughter, *Pfft*.
"Just kidding, idiot. What if you're really disappointed about that?"
Yveline leaned her body slightly towards me.
A faint scent of roses spreads suddenly inside the narrow carriage.
She pulled my sleeve slightly and lowered her voice.
"Congratulations, Rihan. I'm serious. Actually, if it's you, of course I thought you would. You have to be extraordinary to be you."
The appearance of her playfully winking with a fluttering eye smile looking at me is strangely attractive.
*'Mmm, well. Not bad.'*
To be honest, it feels like being babied but.
If the partner is Yveline, this kind of babying doesn't seem bad either.
While I was desperately suppressing the smile trying to hang on my lips, a voice throwing cold water came from the doll in my arms.
[Rihan, your cheekbones ascend at just one compliment mixed with coquetry from a girl. Truly pathetic.]
Eleanor's impression was heard, but I decided to ignore it lightly.
****
*Clack―.*
As soon as I opened the lab door and entered, I was engulfed in a strange feeling.
It clearly hadn't even been empty for a week, but for some reason, it feels like I've been away for a very long time.
As expected, my mind is comfortable here.
My own space where I have my own time and can research to my heart's content.
*'As expected, home is the best.'*
Thinking so, I walk down the hallway, but the atmosphere is completely different from usual.
Senior researchers who normally passed by ignoring greetings are giving me benevolent smiles.
*'What is it? Why are they like that, making it awkward.'*
Honestly, it's a bit creepy.
Eyes as if looking at a precious guest.
*'......Why are they doing that. I'm dying of awkwardness.'*
[Ahem, is it not a natural occurrence. It seems those lowly things finally realized your greatness even a little. Being a disciple I directly taught, noticing it now is far too late.]
*'Still, it's too blatant. Like they have some ulterior motive.'*
While walking bickering with Eleanor in my arms.
The figure of Director Barman could be seen from afar.
Seeing him after a long time, it's a somewhat welcome face, so I was about to wave my hand.
"........."
The problem was right after Director Barman spotted me.
He threw away his dignity and started running towards me like fucking crazy.
Fuck, what is it.
As soon as he stopped in front of me, he grabbed my shoulders.
"I'm glad you came back alive! Sir Rihan!"
"What is it, again."
"You, what on earth did you do to Duke Estal! No, what did you do that the Duke is acting like that!"
"Haha....... I don't know either."
At my answer, the Director's voice trembled.
"Duke Cassian sent a message directly! Saying he promises full support to you in the name of Estal! And he threatened that if we make you suffer even a little, he will flip the entire laboratory over!"
The Duke, his ability to take action is truly amazing.
It seems he outright threatened the laboratory.
I finally understood why the senior researchers were acting so awkwardly.
Director Barman carefully pushed me inside as if treating a treasure.
"Anyway, go in and rest well! Sir Rihan is the treasure of our lab! No, the lifeline of our lab! If you need anything, just say the word!"
Under the solid backing of the Duke family's unlimited support and the Director's overprotectiveness, a week passed without incident.
****
"I'm going to the library, Rihan. Don't do weird things."
Yveline headed to the library saying she would organize materials.
It is finally perfect alone time.
I had no chance for a few days because Yveline was sticking around like a sticky rice cake.
Finally, the opportunity came!
[Rihan. What kind of obscene act are you going to show this time?]
I took an Imperial coin from my pocket and rolled it lightly on my finger.
"I got some mana now, didn't I? I'm finally going to try implementing what I only drew blueprints for in the past due to lack of output."
[Oho, is that bizarre bundle of formulas of yours finally seeing the light? I will open my eyes wide and watch.]
What I am going to do is an electromagnetic acceleration cannon.
In other words, a **Railgun**.
It was time to restart that experiment, which failed sparking only sparks due to lack of mana in the past, with the output of the 1st Hierarchy.
The principle is clear.
Assume two parallel magic power rails as conductors, and place a conductive coin between them.
If mana is substituted into a strong current and flowed, a strong magnetic field is formed between the coin and the rails.
The Lorentz force ($F = I\ell \times B$) generated at this time is the method of accelerating the coin beyond its physical limits.
*'But the firepower is a bit dull just like this.'*
There is one more decisive variable this time.
The Ring of Words worn on my finger.
Through a short clinical trial of a week, I roughly grasped the laws of this ring.
Commands that shake causality itself like 'Die' or 'Disappear' are no different from a suicidal act with my current output.
On the other hand, simple commands that slightly twist the branches of physical laws had much less risk.
It means the clearer and less complex the concept, the less recoil and mana consumption applied to the body.
Exactly three times.
It was the limit value that the current me could safely twist reality.
I precisely twisted the mana increased to 1st Hierarchy and designed bluish acceleration rails in the air.
*Ting—.*
As I flicked my finger, the coin slipped between the rails as if drawn by magnetism.
I reached out the hand wearing the ring and recited lowly.
"**Acceleration (Ga-sok)**, **Irreversible (Bi-ga-yeok)**."
In an instant, the mana spewing from the ring wrapped around the rails and the coin.
Not only increasing speed, but the concept of irreversible, which refuses energy flowing backwards or dispersing, is forcibly overlaid on top of physical laws.
Now within this system, the only thing the coin can choose is advancing forward.
There is no gap for energy to leak due to air resistance or friction.
Until it collides with overwhelming mass blocking the front and pours out all the energy it holds, that is.
"Now, I will show you a physical destructive power you would never have seen in Senior's era. Named Railgun."
[Hoo. I'll look forward to it.]
I substituted internal mana into massive current and poured it into the rails.
*Sizzle, sizzle—!*
The air around the coin could not withstand the rapid potential difference and ionized.
Blue plasma sparks flew and the oxygen concentration in the room changed rapidly.
The extreme acceleration design, which suppressed friction coefficient and air resistance with Kotodama, reached the critical point.
"**Launch**."
*Kwaaang—!*
A shockwave breaking through a sonic boom shakes the interior of the lab.
The coin, launched at a speed lightly exceeding Mach 5, became a white flash impossible to even identify with the naked eye and stretched out.
The flash penetrated the target set up in front like a piece of paper.
"......Uh?"
Embarrassment popped out first.
That is a 3rd Hierarchy defensive mana alloy target cherished even in the laboratory.
The 3rd Hierarchy mana alloy target, which I believed would block it sufficiently, was pierced smoothly like soft tofu.
But the flash didn't stop there.
The guy dug lightly even into the thick special stone wall of the laboratory.
A hole the size of a fist was punched open in the wall.
The cross-section of the hole was heated red like lava and bubbling.
Eleanor muttered as if surprised.
[......Rihan, you bastard, what on earth did you employ. Without chant, without magic circle...... you mean you produced this level of power with just a single piece of metal? Teach that formula to me too!]
"I told you. The efficient conversion of kinetic energy."
I answered deliberately pretending to be calm, but my heart beat as if it would burst.
It's fun!
I think I can make something even greater than I thought?
But the dopamine filling up was only for a moment.
"Kyaaaak!"
A high scream presumed to belong to a female was heard from beyond the wall.
"........."
I was so excited I forgot for a moment.
That the direction I made the hole was not a dead end.
The fact that someone's laboratory clearly exists beyond that wall as well.
*'Fuck, don't tell me it penetrated a person too, right?'*
If there was a person on that trajectory, they would have burst without even a chance to scream, let alone resist.
In short.
Properly fucked.
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