06. Evolution?
06. Evolution?
"Yes."
He gave a polite bow, stepped out briefly, and returned with what looked like documents.
Obviously a contract.
"What is this? Not doing it with magic?"
"That's not something you use willy-nilly. It's better in writing whenever possible, all things considered."
"Yeah?"
He took it in stride, no big deal.
Before they knew it, two copies of the contract were laid out on the table between them.
The contents were exactly as they'd discussed.
Yeonseo would provide Sihwan with about 500 pyeong of land near the Academy entrance, and in exchange, Sihwan would pay Ha Yeon-seo 5% of the future sales from that workshop.
Various clauses outlined around that core deal.
"Looking at it now, it kinda seems pricey."
It was basically creating something from nothing anyway, so gross sales or net profit wouldn't make much difference, but 5% of sales still looked like a hefty chunk.
Land like that couldn't cost more than 10,000 gold, tops.
"Oh come on. I'm promoting it for you too."
"Then you... be the promotional model too."
"Promotional model?"
"Yeah. Help promote the shop... something like that. You're taking 5% of sales, so that much is the least you can do."
"Hmm. Fine, whatever. No biggie."
She agreed without a clue what Sihwan was thinking.
As long as it was promo-related, it wouldn't be anything too weird, and good promotion meant more revenue for her too, so no downside.
'Gotta put her in a bikini for the posters.'
If she could read Sihwan's mind, she never would've agreed....
And so, Sihwan and Yeonseo finalized the contract by mutual agreement, exchanged documents, and wrapped it up.
"Well, that's that... What about you? Staying on?"
Now the remaining topic was Yuina.
Whether she'd keep instructing after Sihwan graduated, and if not, when she'd quit, etc.
They were already short-staffed from the 11th Floor Incident last time, so if she bailed too, it'd mean a massive hiring spree.
"But I've got a question."
Just as Yuina was about to speak, Sihwan jumped in first.
Classic Ryu Si-hwan—cutting in bold as brass, smooth as silk.
"...."
Yeonseo shot him a frosty glare. But it soon softened to a resigned look.
This guy just wasn't gonna change, no matter what.
"Where does your funding come from?"
"What do you mean?"
"Listen. Running this Academy costs money, right? Operating expenses, salaries, whatever."
"It costs quite a bit."
"And you give trainees 30 gold every month too."
"Yes."
"But no entrance fees or registration fees or anything? So why run the Academy? What's in it for you?"
Sharp observation.
He'd been living at the Academy for the past two weeks, and there was zero sign of it turning a profit.
If anything, money poured out: stipends for trainees, salaries for instructors, maintenance fees, taxes on the grounds, etc... No income anywhere.
Were they renting out space inside to cover costs? Nope. Yuina was a special case; most instructors commuted from the outer city, and anyone staying on-site was just on 'duty shift.'
At a glance, it was basically a public institution with zero profitability.
"Oh. That's what you were wondering?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm." Yeonseo nodded, lighting up a fresh cigarette.
Already her second one just at this meeting.
She leaned back on the sofa, arms crossed, propping up her ample chest.
"Our Academy's pretty famous, you know?"
"Heard."
"Graduates are all above-average talent."
"You kill off the weak ones first, duh."
Cull the weak, and of course only the strong make it out....
"Bottom line, grads are top-notch, so guilds aren't gonna ignore that."
"Ah. So you let guilds recruit here in exchange for cash or something?"
"Not bad brains on you."
Such a secret.
In a brutal Tower like this, a guaranteed talent pipeline? They'd come with sacks of gold.
"Well, even without that, maintaining this place is pocket change."
She leaned forward, blowing smoke right at Sihwan.
Fwooo.
A cloud of haze hit his face.
"Hey, why you always blowing it at me?"
"You know the city outside is mine, right?"
"...Huh?"
The city beyond the Academy gates.
Pretty big one—lots of people, bustling trade.
At least 100,000 population, easy....
"That city's yours?"
"You really had no idea~."
Not like she owned the market or something—just straight-up hers?
Like, actual ownership?
"Everything in the city's mine. Land, buildings, goods, people... all of it."
Holy shit.
"So the people outside are all slaves?"
"Nah."
She flashed a grin.
"All free citizens."
That was creepier.
Free, but hers.
Were all these "Advanced Races" just nuts?
"But she said the Academy isn't yours?"
"Academy's the family holding. I just run it. Might as well be mine, though."
"Gotcha."
"Anyway, that satisfy your curiosity?"
"Yeah, mostly."
"Then shut up a sec? Got stuff to discuss with Ina-ssi."
Seemed pissed he'd barged in.
"Got it."
Simple answer from him.
Nothing left to ask anyway.
"I'll be staying on."
"Hmm. Okay being away from hubby?"
"He's not planning to go anywhere for a bit."
"With the workshop going up, makes sense. Whew, one less headache."
Yuina was staying.
Never had much drive to climb the Tower anyway. Short-term goals were just saving cash and building influence.
"Smart move, really. With that asshole, no-concept personality, she'd croak spectacularly anywhere else? Make enemies left and right."
"Harsh words."
"Just facts."
Grinning as she hurled insults to his face—total upper-class vibe.
Never lost a staring contest.
Sihwan was just that shameless....
"Never met anyone like you before? Used to it now, but that first consult? Nearly passed out. 'What kinda freak is this?'"
"Same here."
"Sigh. How'd our Academy end up like this?"
"Tell me about it. I even got married."
"Ahaha. True. Fate's a bitch."
"Nah, you reaped what you sowed."
"...Shut it."
Clap clap.
"Anyway. How you building? Calling workers?"
"Nope. Heading out to build now."
"Now?"
"Yeah."
Sihwan stood right up.
Bari rose too, and Ina peeled her butt off the seat.
"What? Like how you made the cigarettes?"
"Similar."
They headed out.
For some reason, Yeonseo tagged along.
.
.
"Here."
Yeonseo personally guided them to the plot.
Right by the entrance, practically.
Well-kept lawn, decent size, but no real purpose.
"What? Not unused—just wasted space, huh."
"Wasted? Human senses must suck."
Yeonseo, on her fourth cig already, clicked her tongue.
"This land serves a purpose as-is. Balances the scenery. I'm handing over that view for you."
"Yeah yeah, got it."
Total nonsense, but contract's done.
Whatever.
Sihwan positioned himself at the plot's edge.
Compressed Material 3,710L/t
Meta-atom 500L/t
Nanomaterials 30L/t
Compressed Material 1,302L
Meta-atom 933L
Nanomaterials 39.9L
[Facilities]
Control Center: 1
Collector: 23
Nuclear Fission Device: 15
Nanomaterials Synthesis Plant: 3
Research Lab: 1
[Units]
Construction Robot: 33
Luckily, connected smoothly to the underground Base.
Ryu Si-hwan's nation now had some resource slack.
Especially Nanomaterials at 30L daily—huge stability boost.
"Whoa... 30 liters of Nanomaterials a day... That same loser Base? Chest feels all puffed up."
"What nonsense you spouting."
"Hey. Hubby's having a moment—don't ruin it, wife."
"What'd you say?"
"Nvm. Nothing."
Sihwan started operating immediately.
With Ha Yeon-seo and Yuina watching.
Plot was spacious—no errors like last time.
Factory—a basic industrial plant for mass goods.
Requirements: Research Lab LV.1
Compressed Material: 500
Meta-atom: 20
Instant Build: 13 nano
Resources good.
All perfect.
"Instant Build!"
Press.
A tremor shook.
"What's that? This shaking."
"Ah, Chief Instructor, that's...."
Yuina knew.
Where it came from.
But debating whether to spill.
'Ryu Si-hwan built an unauthorized Base under the Academy.'
Should she?
Meanwhile, a streak of light zipped past them to the plot.
Chwaa!
Foundation piled up in seconds, walls rose, and a massive 5-story building stood tall.
Took just 10 seconds.
In that blink, a modern Earth-style mega-factory popped up, slick as hell.
"That's quite the spectacle. Where'd you even...."
She who'd stayed cool even when Bari made cigarettes? Eyes went wide.
Making one item vs. whipping up a building? Different scale.
Even for Noblesse, you'd need a high Coding Type Noblesse.
But Sihwan and Bari? Pure their own power.
As Humans.
How could it not amaze?
"Alright, first up—mass-produce cigarettes here."
"How much?"
"Dunno. How much we get?"
Sihwan turned to Bari,
"If we run the Factory full tilt on cigarettes, up to 10 million packs a day max."
"Whoa—no need that much."
10 million packs daily?
"Does that even make sense? Then it's not luxury anymore."
Yeonseo was floored too.
"Of course adjustable. Assuming full Factory power on cigs, dumping every resource as produced."
"Got it. What's a good production rate?"
"......Asking me?"
"Yeah. City's yours, right? You can ballpark it."
"......"
Yeonseo's deadpan stare.
But she sighed and answered.
"At 20 gold a pack... not huge demand. Citizens' average income's 15 gold monthly."
"What? They're dirt poor."
"Assuming top 10% elites all buy in—100,000 packs a month sounds right. Then export to other Area 5 cities or floors, ramp up."
"100k monthly is 3k daily—piece of cake."
"But wait—that output? Resources from? Labor?"
Yeonseo frayed a bit, mind boggled.
"Oh, sorry. Built a Base under the Academy. Mining resources there."
Sihwan came clean.
"...What?"