Chapter 122

Rize seems to want me to get hit hard and learn a lesson, but unfortunately, I’m not in the mood to be conned.

To be precise, there’s really no reason for me to get scammed. I’m just investing in someone whose rise to success is certain. What kind of scam is that?

A real scammer wouldn’t even approach like that. They would have come at me with a cleaner appearance than Jane’s.

Of course, if Jane had money, she would have shown up in a much neater outfit than this.

Plus, even if her beauty is hidden behind those glasses, I can objectively say she’s pretty.

“Ten thousand silver coins have been withdrawn. Please check.”

I withdrew ten thousand silver coins from the bank. Since Jane needed to use them, it’s all cash, not a check.

Having cash wasn’t a problem since they neatly classified it in bundles of one thousand silver coins.

Due to technical difficulties, I had to shove them into my pocket, but I liked the weight.

“Um, is it really ten thousand silver coins?”

“Yeah.”

“······gulp.”

Seeing a fortune that ordinary folks could only dream of made Jane swallow hard.

She looked like she wanted to fulfill her dreams with that money right away.

However, I couldn’t just hand it over like that without making it look suspicious, so I needed to take action.

“Contract.”

“What?”

“Contract. You said you needed one.”

“Ah, ah! Yes! Before that, there’s something I want to show you!”

Saying that, Jane stepped out of the bank. I followed her while holding the bag of silver coins.

Jane kept checking whether I was trailing her, and eventually entered a rather shabby-looking building.

I was puzzled, thinking, “Was there such a place in the Academy?” But then Jane opened the door and said,

“This is my workshop! It only costs a hundred silver coins a month!”

“··· ···”

The mention of “workshop” made me slightly dazed. At the same time, faint memories started to emerge.

If combat jobs are responsible for the nation’s military power, non-combat jobs handle the human resources of the nation.

Thus, just like combat jobs rent training halls, non-combat jobs can also live by renting workshops.

Eli has stood out since the beginning of the year, so she tends to use a better workshop. She’s been doing research with a professor since before.

On the other hand, Jane, while talented, hasn’t been able to properly display it. She’s become known for chasing ideals and being eccentric.

‘Looks like she hasn’t given up on her dreams.’

The more I thought about it, the more I felt a sense of pity. Her effort to move step by step towards her dream was commendable.

I walked into the room Jane opened. Although it only cost a hundred silver coins a month, the workshop was relatively tidy.

It only had basic blacksmithing facilities and various tools, but it had everything one could need. It looked like she had been living here since the start of the school year.

‘But surprisingly, she doesn’t have many works.’

The only things that caught my eye were a pair of iron gloves and a pair of boots. Those must have been painstakingly crafted.

Considering that Jane was a second-year and not a first-year, this was genuinely lacking.

Now that she’s in the Academy, she is indeed talented, but there’s something odd about her talent.

These are often called “eccentrics,” and people like Jane possess a degree of genius.

‘When she goes dark, she treats other humans like monkeys, so…’

Her abnormally superior genius has turned into poison in Jane’s case.

It would be like explaining smartphones to someone from an era where they had yet to be invented.

Naturally, an ancient person would dismiss it as nonsense. Yet, Jane can actually create that smartphone.

“Please wait a moment! Before we sign the contract, there’s something I need to show you!”

While I was looking around the shabby workshop, Jane headed somewhere.

Then, I heard a crashing sound, like something heavy had been dropped, and soon after, she brought something back.

It was a gemstone that predominantly glowed blue, and I knew exactly what it was.

“Do you know what this is?”

“I don’t know.”

Even if I did, I had to pretend I didn’t. It’s one of the important minerals.

Jane nodded at my response, as if confirming her suspicion, and excitedly explained.

“This is a mineral called ‘magic stone.’ As the name implies, it’s a stone that reacts to magic power. Thanks to this stone, it’s fair to say that science and magic can coexist.”

Some might find that a bit puzzling. Isn’t injecting magic into a weapon also a reaction?

But this needs to be interpreted differently. Injecting magic into a weapon is more like ‘enhancement,’ while the magic stone is closer to ‘connection.’

A sword made of steel cannot contain magic, but if it has even a bit of the magic stone, that’s possible.

Therefore, for the so-called ‘magic swordsman’ build, that gemstone is essential. If I don’t nurture Jane, I’ll end up investing in magic stones for my entire life.

“Santia has achieved tremendous progress by merging science with magic stones. Moreover, without magic stones, humanity wouldn’t have developed like this.”

Well, given that steam locomotives are still running around, I don’t quite agree with that.

Magic stones are akin to semiconductors on Earth; they can’t replace resources like coal or oil.

The reason being, they need magic infused to react. That’s why we have steam trains running, not magic-powered ones.

“Um… I hope what I’m saying is making sense. Ah! I’m absolutely not being sarcastic!”

No one said anything.

It seems she thought her awkwardness would come off as rude to me.

Honestly, I didn’t say anything and just quietly listened. Jane’s personality was shining through.

“Anyways, magic stones are incredibly rare minerals. It’s not an exaggeration to say they’re almost on par with mithril. It was sheer luck that I got this.”

“Who gave it to you?”

“My grandfather gifted it to me.”

Jane’s parents have already passed away. This is tied to the dark side of Santia.

It wouldn’t mean much to bring it up now, so I let it slide. The darker side exists alongside scientific advancement.

“I need this magic stone to realize my dream, but… as you know, I don’t have money, so I turned my eyes to other options! If there’s no magic stone, I’ll just create something that can replace it!”

Jane shouted, tightly gripping the magic stone. Here, her true self and genius are about to shine.

The reason even professors dismissed her as nonsense and refused to support her is the critical reason why demons become drastically stronger when she goes dark.

“I’ve found a way to replace the magic stone! Although the production process is complicated, and it’s merely theoretical, I’m confident I can create a substitute material!”

Iron Man made a mini arc reactor from scrap in a cave using just his brain.

“If I can produce similar effects, that’s all that matters, right? Professors said it’s impossible, but we only need to experiment!”

And Jane plans to invent a replacement material for the magic stone in this shabby workshop.

As I mentioned earlier, magic stones are like semiconductors on Earth. Jane will personally produce such semiconductors.

When comparing the value of magic stones to what Jane plans to invent, the latter is overwhelmingly superior.

This would bring about a massive wave throughout not only the story but the entire world.

“And then I will realize my dream. To provide mechanical limbs for those with physical disabilities! To offer great power to ordinary people suffering from monsters! To enhance the efficiency for those who work hard!”

The problem is, she doesn’t even realize what she’s making. I can’t tell if she’s a genius or a fool.

She’s solely fixated on machines, completely unaware of her invention of a new material.

What’s even sadder is that all of Jane’s inventions have significant potential for military use.

It’s impossible for a soldier recruited on a whim to defeat a knight. But if Jane gets involved?

Military power would soar, and seizing global dominance would be a breeze. The balance itself would crumble.

‘Eventually, if she shows her talents, she’ll be faced with assassination threats…’

Though not as clueless as Eli, she’s undeniably one of those figures that need protection.

If necessary, asking Kara to secure Tartar’s protection wouldn’t be a bad idea. Santia is too dangerous.

“Um, um. I’m sorry. I got a bit carried away. Do you have any questions?”

“No.”

“Understood. Then I’ll prepare the contract.”

Saying that, Jane got two sheets of paper and two pens ready. In a world without printers, it had to be written by hand.

However, an unexpected issue arose here.

“Um… how do I write a contract?”

“··· ···”

It turned out neither I nor Jane had ever drafted a contract.

We both kind of knew that ‘Party A’ and ‘Party B’ had to go in there but didn’t know much beyond that. This was a moment showcasing Jane’s clumsiness.

“First, Party A is Mr. Sivar, and I’m Party B… so Party B swears to devote body and soul in exchange for investment? No, that doesn’t sound right.”

After some serious contemplation, Jane struggled with writing the contract. This is something I’d seen in the Soul World, so I patiently waited.

Eventually, a decent contract would be drafted, and I could just sit still and let it happen. There’s no way I’d be scammed out of my cash.

“Um… something like this should work, right?”

“I don’t know.”

“··· ···”

Jane gave a resigned smile, clearly expressing the feeling of wondering who she was asking.

I could totally understand her thoughts, so I didn’t say anything. First, I needed to check the contract.

‘······But even I can’t say I understand it.’

This was my first time receiving a contract in my life. I’ve never received one even back on Earth.

Plus, since I haven’t completely grasped the language yet, it felt annoying to read. I figured it wouldn’t contain anything strange anyway.

So, I just brushed it off and picked up the pen. Signing at the bottom of the contract should be enough.

“Just sign here.”

“Okay.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to think about it again before signing. Just listening to my story makes me happy.”

Wow. She’s just too kind for her own good. I glanced up to meet Jane’s gaze.

It seems she wasn’t lying, as she was wearing a bright smile. It looked like a relieved smile.

She could’ve easily pulled a fast one on me, yet she’s being considerate to the very end. That just made me feel all the more uneasy.

Swoosh—slip—

I wrote my name in the signature spot, not as “Sivar,” but as “Shibal.”

It doesn’t matter whether you write it this way or that, and it’s not like I’m writing it in Hangul, so it wouldn’t be an issue.

Most importantly, the investment amount is ten thousand silver coins. When contract renewal comes, I can bring Kara along.

“Thank you. You can keep one copy of the contract for yourself, Mr. Sivar. Oh, before that, you mentioned you wanted a mechanical arm, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then please excuse me for a moment. I need to take your measurements.”

I didn’t mind that at all. I got up at her request.

As I stretched out my arm, Jane brought out a measuring tape and began taking measurements here and there.

Her blank expression was nowhere to be seen, and I found her serious demeanor rather attractive.

“Um… I noticed from a distance that your arms are quite long. Your hands are big too. Do you have any other requests?”

“Just one.”

“Please tell me.”

“Here.”

I marked a round spot on the palm of my hand. I used the pen to provide a more detailed explanation.

However, Jane still seemed not to comprehend my intent and tilted her head in confusion.

In the future, she would fit demons with laser cannons, but she seems to lack experience for now.

“It’s not difficult to make a hole, but… may I ask why?”

“Let’s step outside for a sec.”

When I suggested stepping outside, Jane seemed puzzled but complied readily.

Once we were outside, I pointed my finger towards the sky.

‘Rod might see it…’

Pew!

A red beam shot out from the tip of my finger. I minimized the output so it didn’t travel far.

As you can see, what I wanted was to fire a laser from the palm, just like Iron Man.

Of course, to me, it’s more of a ‘toy’ and wouldn’t have significant effects.

“Oh…! Ooh! Oooooo!!”

But my goal was Jane’s inspiration. Upon seeing my death beam, Jane’s eyes widened, and she gasped in awe.

As I mentioned before, Jane is someone who fits demons with laser cannons. She just hadn’t thought of it until now.

“What do you think? Got it?”

“Yes! I think I understand what you want! Ah! And if it’s not too much trouble, could you visit the workshop often? I’d like to study your skills, Mr. Sivar!”

“Sure, do as you like.”

“Thank you! Really!”

Jane bent over repeatedly in a way that felt overly excessive.

This should prevent any further enhancements of the demons. Although many parts will require more care, that’s fine.

“If you need money, just say so.”

“Thank you! I’ll make sure to deliver good results!”

I received a very enthusiastic send-off from Jane as I left the workshop.

Now that I’ll have to earn money, I should start giving some thought to stocks.

While hunting monsters is fine, there’s nothing better than stocks for making big bucks all at once.

“Sivar!”

“Yeah?”

Just

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