Chapter 220: The True Beneficiary

The Arcane Network—the cornerstone of magical industrialization, the foundation that channels magical power into countless homes—was the greatest catalyst behind the rapid development of the Cecile Domain.

Gawain had no qualms about sharing this technology with others. In fact, if possible, he hoped the Arcane Network would spread even faster, covering the entire Southern Territory, or even the whole Kingdom of Ansu.

He understood clearly that while the Arcane Network was the foundation of magical industrialization, it was far from the whole picture. To truly build this vast system required a complete set of advanced ideas, a precisely coordinated research and development framework, and a wealth of deeply studied theoretical knowledge. Only with these could new magitech devices and industrial chains emerge. Without them, the Arcane Network would remain just that—a network.

.

Viscount Andrew gazed at the newly laid honeycomb Arcane Network on the northern side of the mining town. Neatly arranged hexagonal rune arrays were inscribed on ceramic tile bases. Once connected, these would be covered with protective plates and finally sealed with cement. This strange yet orderly rune pattern was unlike any magic circle Andrew had ever seen. Naturally, he assumed it was another marvel of “ancient Gondorian magic technology.”

“I can send craftsmen to help lay the basic Arcane Network at the Tansang mines and guide your people on how to expand it,” Gawain said with a smile, noticing Andrew’s obvious interest. “I’ll also provide you with a technical manual—magic is a precise discipline. The network must be laid exactly according to the manual’s instructions to function properly and connect with the arcane engines.”

Viscount Andrew was skeptical. “That… must come at a steep price, right?”

Magical craftsmanship was priceless, and ancient magic technology even more so. The mages of the northern Violet Kingdom guarded their automaton and magic circle techniques jealously. Every magical device sold to the Ansu Kingdom was exorbitantly priced and rigged with complex self-destruct mechanisms to prevent knowledge leaks. To Andrew, the ancient Gondorian techniques Gawain displayed were just as precious.

“The cost is lighter than you think,” Gawain replied. “Besides the construction expenses and craftsmen’s wages for the first phase of the network, I only ask for closer cooperation with Tansang Town. It has the largest commercial port on the Whitewater River and attracts adventurers and mercenaries from all over the Southern Territory. I hope to gain partial free use of the trade port and the opportunity to establish a merchant guild there. The Cecile family is building its own industries. We’ve found trade routes to the north, and if we expand westward…”

“The Leslie family is willing to cooperate with you,” Viscount Andrew said with a smile, understanding Gawain’s meaning. “But the details should be discussed with my business advisor—I’m no expert in these matters.”

The negotiations ended amicably.

Andrew didn’t linger long—though curious about this wondrous land, he was eager to equip his mines with these magical machines. That afternoon, he returned to his domain to prepare funds and ready his team to receive the “Arcane Network technical guidance group.” After Andrew left, Gawain didn’t return directly to his manor. Instead, he went with Hetty, Amber, and others to the mechanical workshop to inspect the assembly and test run of the new rotor-type arcane engine.

“Are you really okay with selling both the Arcane Network technology and the arcane engines to the Leslie family?” Hetty asked, voicing doubts similar to Amber’s earlier concerns. She hadn’t spoken up before because she sensed there was more to Gawain’s plan, but now she wanted answers.

Gawain glanced at Hetty, Rebecca, and Amber beside him and smiled. “Looks like I’m not the only one with questions.”

“You explained a lot yesterday, but I’m sure you didn’t tell us everything!” Amber said, eyes wide. “I thought it over last night and I’m convinced you have some deep scheme behind this!”

“Do you think our neighbors, after getting the arcane engines and the Arcane Network, will reverse-engineer the rune logic and magitech theories from them?”

“Absolutely not,” Hetty shook her head firmly. “Reverse engineering like that is impossible—like trying to deduce the name of the paper maker just by looking at a sheet of paper. But what worries me is that Viscount Andrew might try to replicate them. He probably can’t copy the arcane engines without the necessary factories and machine tools, but he could replicate the Arcane Network. Especially since you sold him the technical documents. The materials and processes for the network aren’t complicated. With blueprints and craftsmen’s guidance, he could lay the network wherever he wants. He might even secretly trade the network technology to others…”

“If that happens, I’d laugh myself awake every night,” Gawain said cheerfully, his smile almost dazzling Amber’s eyes. “I’d be thrilled if he spread the Arcane Network everywhere, if he convinced the whole world to lay it down.”

“Why?” Rebecca blinked, clearly confused.

Gawain smiled and asked them in return, “How long do you think it would take the Cecile Domain alone to cover the entire kingdom with the Arcane Network?”

“Cover the whole kingdom?!” Rebecca gasped. “That would take a lifetime! Not to mention swamps, forests, rivers, and lakes…”

“Uh… I never said we’d cover all of that,” Gawain was used to being interrupted by this straightforward, stubborn girl, so he kept going without missing a beat. “Obviously, such a huge undertaking can’t be done by the Cecile Domain alone. It requires countless people’s efforts.

“Our magitech is rooted in the Arcane Network. With it, our machines have endless power, our soldiers get the fastest energy replenishment, and the research and development of magitech devices happens here. So no one understands the ‘practical value’ of the network better than we do. Even if others develop faster with the network’s help, the advantage we gain from it will always be greater.

“In the hands of Viscount Andrew and others, the Arcane Network will always be just a network. The technical details are too few; all the research and principles are hidden inside an invisible black box. Plus, the traditional mage research methods in this world limit them. At best, they’ll copy and expand the network, using only its most superficial parts—like powering their mage towers, lighting crystal lamps, or conducting some spell research within the network’s range. But we can do much more.

“What I gave Viscount Andrew is a set of technical documents and a strict standard. This standard will become the basic guideline for everyone laying the network. In other words, all Arcane Network technology that spreads from now on will be the same. Whether in the Leslie Domain, the Kant Domain, or any other noble territory in the Southern Territory, the network they lay will fully comply with the Cecile industrial and military equipment interface standards… I don’t need to spell it out, but you should understand.”

Rebecca thought for a moment and raised her hand. “But I don’t understand!”

“I do,” Hetty said, her eyes no longer confused but filled with astonishment, even a hint of reverence. “Ancestor, you… you mean…”

“The simplicity and advantages of the Arcane Network are obvious. Soon it will spread and cover the entire Southern Territory, even the whole kingdom. One day, as far as the eye can see, there will be energy interfaces prepared for Cecile industrial and military equipment. Whether laid by our friends or enemies, they will do all this work for us. And I look forward to the moment these networks connect and link to the Cecile Domain,” Gawain smiled, watching the rotor-type arcane engine undergoing its final preparations. “But that’s the future. For now, I just want to use Viscount Andrew’s connection to sell mining equipment to every mining territory in the Southern Territory. The Cecile Domain’s development needs more resources, and right now, their mining speed is just too slow.”

Only then did Amber fully grasp what was happening. She connected all the dots and for the first time clearly saw what Viscount Andrew stood to gain and lose in this process. The conclusion shocked her. “Wait, I just realized—you previously spent a large sum buying enough arcane materials from Tansang Town to supply your domain for three years. And now Viscount Andrew is using all that money to buy your mining equipment—and it’s even the first-generation machines being phased out…”

“Those machines’ magical mechanisms were still made from ore bought in Tansang Town,” Gawain added.

“And more and more places will buy your machines and learn to lay the Arcane Network. They’ll help you mine, farm, and lay the network—and they’ll pay for it!”

Gawain nodded. “To ease my conscience, I give them a 20% discount.”

Amber: “…”

In the center of the assembly workshop, the last group of inspectors had just left the massive, advanced arcane engine.

Its sleek silver-gray casing sat quietly like a crouching steel lion. Inside its swollen “abdomen,” a rotor mechanism forged from refined steel, equipped with a series of angled stress plates, was precisely mounted on the central axis. Eighteen repulsion generators were symmetrically installed along the inner wall of the casing, controlled by a stable linkage system that triggered the runes and acted as a governor.

A silvery metal sphere floated out from among the workers, stopping beside the new engine’s control panel. It turned and gave Gawain a slight nod.

In this solemn atmosphere, even this comical little fellow seemed… well, still pretty comical.

With great ceremony, the little sphere pulled the first set of control levers. A low hum filled the air as the runes activated, and the central wheel connected to the rotor began to turn solemnly.

(End of chapter)