Chapter 1171: Suspicious Clues

As Heddy listened to Gawain’s account of the current situation, the tension in her brow—tightly knit throughout—finally began to ease a little. After all, as the Empire’s High Chancellor, she was well aware of these matters. Yet perhaps due to the hardships her family had endured during their decline, or simply her natural disposition, she rarely managed the same optimism as her illustrious ancestor. Still, one thing she understood clearly: the state of the world wouldn’t shift simply because she chose to be hopeful. Only human effort could change the course of events.

“Don’t worry too much about Project 115,” Gawain said, glancing at Heddy with a reassuring smile. “Rebecca and her assistant team are handling the technical and logistical aspects. That girl might be a bit unconventional in other ways, but when it comes to her expertise, no one—not you, not me—can do better. We just need to give her full support: people, resources, whatever she needs. Although this project demands huge investment, the massive profits from the Ring Continent’s air routes and trade railways more than cover it.”

“I understand, ancestor,” Heddy replied solemnly, nodding. “I will make the necessary arrangements.”

“Good,” Gawain acknowledged, then suddenly remembered something. “By the way, have you made any progress investigating the Violet Kingdom as I asked?”

“Tracing the Violet Kingdom’s influence on human magic systems over the past six centuries is a massive and complex task,” Heddy admitted, a hint of embarrassment crossing her face. “Especially since we have to sift through those chaotic, obscure, and unsystematic magical tomes from the old era to find all spells originating from Violet. It’s going to take quite some time. Sorry, ancestor, progress has been slow so far…”

She paused, then added, “But while the overall progress is limited, I did uncover some… suspicious points while cataloging the early materials.”

“Suspicious points?” Gawain frowned. “What did you find?”

“Communication spells, Violet magic array drawing rules, gravity manipulation, and three types of arcane shaping spells,” Heddy said, pulling a neatly organized report from the filing cabinet beneath her desk and sliding it toward Gawain. “These are the clearer examples of magic traced back to the Violet system, submitted early on by the royal magic advisors. They all share one thing in common: they have a ‘black box’ structure, or in some cases, the entire spell is essentially a ‘black box magic.’”

Gawain took the report but hadn’t yet looked at it. Hearing Heddy’s words, he raised an eyebrow.

“Black box…” Standing by Heddy’s desk, he flipped through the pages quickly. The report mentioned several well-known traditional spells, their approximate introduction times from the Violet system into the Loren system, and the evolution of their spell models. The research was still in its early stages, so much of the information was tentative, filled with terms like “estimated,” “speculated,” and “provisional.” Yet even from these rough notes, Gawain could discern some clear clues.

The spells arrived in Loren at different times but all eventually saw widespread use and dissemination. Their spell models were intricate and complex, lacking clear theoretical explanations for centuries. Loren’s mages could only replicate these spells exactly as they were, unable to modify or deconstruct their runic structures, mediums, or energy flows. As a result, the fundamental models remained almost unchanged for centuries, with only minor tweaks here and there. The spells came through multiple channels: mages traveling south from Violet, apprentices returning from the City of a Thousand Towers…

Indeed, when these spells were scattered throughout society and taken for granted, they seemed unproblematic. But when consciously gathered and examined for “suspicious elements,” certain clues began to emerge.

“The spell models can’t be analyzed. Their creators don’t understand the underlying principles. They can only inject mana to produce effects, but can’t alter or dismantle the runes, materials, or energy flows. Such spells are collectively called ‘black box magic.’ Before runic logic became widespread, our magic systems were riddled with these black boxes,” Heddy explained as Gawain pondered. “Some of these black boxes are naturally part of human magic, especially those linked to the lost ancient Gondor magic system. But another portion…”

“Another portion comes from the Violet system, right?” Gawain looked up from the report, his expression serious. “Among the ancient spells we’ve traced to the Violet Kingdom, are there any exceptions?”

“No exceptions. At least among the spells we can accurately trace, every single one is either entirely a black box or has key black box components,” Heddy shook her head. “However…”

“However what?”

“Many of these black boxes are now a thing of the past,” Heddy said, her expression oddly mixed—perhaps relief, perhaps nostalgia. “Though traditional magic systems can’t break these black boxes, the advent of runic logic has unlocked many old black boxes. This includes the classic spells mentioned in your report—communication spells, anti-gravity magic, most arcane shaping spells. These have become calculable by formula and explainable through ‘segment decomposition’ at Jenny’s Runic Research Institute. Some have even become ‘basic knowledge’ in beginner classes.”

Gawain was momentarily stunned, unsure how to react. But he quickly composed himself and refocused on the Violet Kingdom. “Do you think the Violet mages deliberately spread these black boxes?”

“Are you suggesting the Violet Kingdom has consciously planted these ‘hidden dangers’ in human magic systems on Loren for six centuries?” Heddy furrowed her brow again, her expression grave. “Honestly… when I first got this data, I thought the same. So many Violet-origin spells all containing black box elements—it’s hard not to be suspicious. Especially with their strange ‘apprentice inheritance rules,’ the mysterious traveling mages, and that fog-shrouded City of a Thousand Towers…”

Her voice lowered, but she shook her head in the end. “Still, none of this is conclusive evidence—especially when viewed through the lens of ‘classical magic rules.’”

“Classical magic rules…” Gawain sighed, despite his knightly background, he was no stranger to magical theory. “Secrecy at the core, deliberately setting knowledge barriers to maintain isolated ‘secret traditions,’ looking down on or even suppressing attempts to analyze classical magic. Indeed, technical black boxes in magic aren’t necessarily malicious. They often serve to preserve the traditional mage class’s monopoly on knowledge. Besides, the Violet Kingdom is a ‘state.’ It’s reasonable for them to withhold certain core technologies when teaching magic to Loren—our own magical devices sold abroad have their share of ‘patent secrets.’”

“The biggest suspicion against Violet is that they’ve taken this too far—doing it for a full six centuries, always hiding it. That naturally raises eyebrows,” Heddy nodded. “After all, while we keep ‘core secrets’ in our exported magical devices, we’re always upfront about it. Patent protection laws aren’t exactly a secret.”

Gawain hummed thoughtfully, lowering his head for a moment. He mulled over the potential risks behind these black boxes and Violet’s possible motives. Then he looked up, speaking thoughtfully: “In any case… we’re gradually uncovering the technical principles behind these black boxes. That’s the right direction. Whatever Violet’s reasons for creating them, it’s crucial we hold the knowledge ourselves.

“There are still many black boxes in the traditional magic system. Since these have come back into focus and raised our concerns, we need to take targeted action. Heddy, continue cataloging and tracing traditional spell models linked to the Violet Kingdom. Trace and locate them as quickly as possible, and send them to the Runic Research Institute. Have Jenny organize a team to work on targeted decryption. This might be a long-term project. If necessary, set up a permanent office within the relevant technical department.”

Heddy immediately bowed her head. “Yes, ancestor.”

“Decryption is one part,” Gawain continued. “Traditional magic remains a vital part of social production—among mages who use traditional spells, and in remote areas where magical technology is less developed, old spell models still dominate. We can’t just ban them outright. So we need to keep up with public messaging.

“We must explain the existence of ‘technical black boxes,’ organize respected experts and scholars to publicize the limitations and inefficiencies of black box spells, and promote the advantages of new spell models optimized by the Imperial Runic Research Institute—better energy efficiency, easier learning, and so on. If mages hesitate before using these ‘outdated spells,’ they’ll be more open to new methods.

“Also, take this opportunity to solicit help from all sectors. Encourage spellcasters to actively report any black box spells they know. Offer bounties to scholars passionate about mathematics and runic logic nationwide. Those who make outstanding contributions won’t just receive monetary rewards—they’ll earn imperial medals, and their names could be permanently inscribed on the capital’s memorial wall. For many mages and scholars, such honors are even more enticing than money.

“We’ve long worked to shift traditional spellcasters’ views—turning ‘analyzing classic spells’ from a despised act into a glorious, patriotic endeavor. That effort has borne fruit over the past two years. Now we must go further. We not only encourage and praise those who break tradition and analyze old magic, but also publicly brand the stubborn groups clinging to outdated black box spells as ‘ignorant and backward’—because that’s the truth.”

Heddy nodded as she listened. When Gawain finished, she couldn’t help but ask, “And regarding the Violet Kingdom, what about public messaging there…”

Gawain shook his head immediately. “At this stage, no propaganda against the Violet Kingdom. First, we lack solid evidence. Second, we don’t even know their true motives. Especially since the Alliance was only recently formed, and we’re still trying to establish further communication with Violet, stirring up hostility now would be counterproductive.”

He smiled and shrugged. “Besides, there’s no benefit to it. So just focus on strengthening messaging within the magical community. After all, black boxes aren’t unique to Violet’s magic. Our own human magic systems have plenty of inherited black boxes too.”

Heddy considered this thoughtfully, then slowly nodded. “Understood.”

“Although we’re not planning to take any confrontational actions against the Violet Kingdom at this stage, we still need to maintain caution and continue our investigations,” Gawain said. “That reclusive kingdom up north… whether or not they truly pose a threat, their methods and the influence they’ve exerted on the continent of Loren over the past six centuries are enough to keep us on edge. I’ll have Amber keep working on gathering intel from within Violet, while you continue organizing and summarizing those historical archives. Also, inform Victoria to focus her efforts on monitoring the northern borderlands. After all, the main activities of those Violet mages are still concentrated up north… Now that they’re right under our noses, they’d better learn to abide by Cecil’s rules.”

Hetty diligently took note of every instruction Gawain gave. Then, noticing the thoughtful expression still lingering on her ancestor’s face, she couldn’t help but ask, “Is there anything else you want to add?”

Gawain looked up from his reverie, his words carrying a hint of implication. “I’ve been wondering—who else could possibly understand that mysterious ‘Mage Kingdom’ better than we do?”

Hetty’s eyes narrowed slightly as she caught on. “You mean…”

“Who knows mages better than the gods of the mages themselves?” Gawain crossed his arms and spoke in a low voice. “Even if it’s a goddess who’s spent thousands of years deliberately staying out of it all…”

Hetty’s eyes widened a little, and after a brief pause, she drew in a quiet breath. “The magic goddess, Mylmina… That’s certainly a bold angle to pursue, but it carries significant risks, doesn’t it? After all, the situation with the magic goddess is very different from that of the dragon goddess Enya. Enya has completely ‘disengaged’ and can communicate with us freely, but Mylmina took a more subtle approach to her withdrawal. Her divinity and connection to the mortal world haven’t been fully severed. If we ask her about Violet… could that cause her to reestablish ties with the mortal realm?”

“Worth a try,” Gawain said with a shrug, clearly unfazed. “If there’s something she can’t answer, she’ll just stay silent. Of course, when dealing with divine matters, even the act of asking questions carries some risk. We’ll need to set up strong anti-divine barriers on site and be very careful with our questioning techniques—fortunately, I have quite a bit of experience in this area.”

As he spoke, his mind drifted to Melita Pernia, who had once discussed those forbidden topics with him. That memory bolstered his confidence.

Yes, in this regard, he really did have plenty of experience.

(End of chapter)