Chapter 401

Chapter 401: Two Schools of Mages

When Lolan Hill and the others arrived at the seaside, they quickly spotted Letis and the others on the second floor of a seaside restaurant, enjoying cold drinks on the outdoor balcony.

Nia waved from above, and the three below responded as well before walking over.

“Do you want some ice cream?”

After turning past the dark walls and stairs, they climbed up to the second floor, where Letis asked them.

This restaurant was situated excellently on a hillside, offering a panoramic view of most of the harbor. The spacious outdoor balcony on the second floor was adorned with umbrellas, small tables, and rectangular wooden flower boxes filled with low-growing flowers and plants. A few round poles formed a railing, adding a touch of poetic charm.

“Want to… eat some!” Lily said cheerfully, hopping over and walking briskly.

After they sat down, several cups of ice cream topped with cherries were brought to them shortly.

Blowing the gentle and comfortable sea breeze, sipping icy juice, they began to chat, sharing what they had seen that day.

“I saw many new things; some I really liked,” Lily said, to which Bumansa and Nia agreed.

“Of course, all these changes come from technological advancements,” Letis said proudly, as a descendant of a mage born in Rourna, she naturally felt proud.

“It’s indeed more comfortable,” Alena agreed, but she wasn’t envious of Rourna’s new inventions because the Southern Isles, under the Chouyue Council, also developed well. Both had their unique strengths.

“How does Lolan feel about it?” Bumansa looked at the quiet girl drinking juice.

“Me?” Lolan Hill had experienced similar things in her previous life, so she wasn’t greatly impacted. She simply thought the technology hadn’t advanced fast enough yet.

Rourna, or Oz Country, had reached high levels in mechanical and power technologies centuries ago, but unlike her previous life, it didn’t spread as rapidly, and progress slowed down instead.

She was pondering the reasons for this as the world here was different from her past life.

“It feels great, but why hasn’t it been widely adopted? This is Yubaire, though it’s better in many ways, other small places remain unchanged,” Lolan Hill replied.

“Probably because it’s too expensive,” Nia said with a sense of understanding.

“Yes, but the costs are there,” Letis said, raising her finger.

“The purchase, refining, processing, all these require money and costs.”

“Which parts are costly?” Lolan Hill asked with interest, wanting to understand everyone’s perspectives, and her companions came from various parts of the world.

“Firstly, materials,” Letis said deeply, as she herself was from Rourna’s alchemy school.

“Metal ores are mined from various countries, then transported, and each handoff and noble checkpoint requires payment. When we buy from merchants, prices are hard to lower.”

“Labor is also an issue,” Alena shared her experience, coming from the Southern Isles where population density was not high.

“Not many locals can do farming, fishing, or odd jobs. Fewer locals available for work means less labor.”

“Then bring in outsiders,” Lily asked straightforwardly.

“Outsiders would need more pay to travel such distances. Otherwise, they might as well stay home. Moreover, if outsiders come, local food supplies might not support them, requiring imported food, thus increasing costs.”

“I see,” Lily said somewhat dejectedly.

“In summary, profit margins aren’t large enough,” Lolan Hill thoughtfully said.

High material and labor costs made profits slim, prices hard to reduce, and only a small fraction could afford them, limiting market expansion.

A small market and limited overall profit cap meant related technologies and products didn’t grow explosively but progressed steadily.

“But it’s getting better now,” Letis said, holding her cup and looking at the bustling port.

“After Rourna merged with Vergha, resources, land, population, and markets expanded, making it easier than before.”

“If Frost Rose continues to expand and merge the Snowflower Seven Kingdoms’ resources, it should break through previous constraints,” Alena said with a hint of emotion.

“Without the previous barriers imposed by nobles, raw material import prices could drop. With increased mobility, labor costs could decrease,” Lolan Hill added.

“Exactly, isn’t it impressive?” Letis said cheerfully.

“But my favorite thing to do is shatter your alchemists’ fantasies,” Alena raised her finger.

“? Why?” Letis looked puzzled at Alena.

“Our Chouyue School isn’t inferior. If we did it, results would be good too. It’s uncertain who will win in the future,” Alena waved her finger.

“Alright, alright, stop bickering,”

Bumansa intervened, despite Alena and Letis being roommates for over a year, they still seemed like rivals, differing in many views.

After a brief rest at the restaurant, they returned to their residence. Alena and the others retrieved their bought instruments.

At dinner, they continued their debate.

“Using alchemical tools easily preserves food or makes ice cream,” Letis said, highlighting her school’s advantages.

“It’s not difficult. In the Southern Isles, there’s a type of snail that, after modification, naturally has a rune. Adding a little mithril crystal allows it to release cold air. And it doesn’t need metal, so it’s less prone to breaking,” Alena countered.

“But the yield is low, and the cycle is long,”

“The yield isn’t low. Some islands cultivate these snails in shallow waters. With a few mages maintaining them, thousands can be produced in a year. Your production model requires more metal and mages, right?” Alena rebutted.

“What about magitech vehicles or airships? You can’t popularize those,” Letis threw out another advantage.

“While vehicles don’t work, our special beasts adapt better to various terrains. They can traverse everywhere without roads,” Alena continued.

Lolan Hill listened quietly, feeling intrigued and gradually sorting out the characteristics and advantages of both schools.

The alchemists clearly overlapped with industrial machinery from her past life, excelling in heavy industry, large machinery, standardized production, and capacity.

But the Chouyue School had advantages in biology, pharmaceuticals, adapting to diverse environments, flexibility, and low material demand.

If they could combine the strengths of both, it would be ideal. Unfortunately, it seemed challenging at present.

(End of Chapter)