A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

Investment (3)

***

Rize seemed to want me to experience a major failure, but unfortunately, I had no intention of being scammed.

To be precise, there’s no reason to get scammed. I’m investing in a character whose success is guaranteed, so what’s the scam?

A real scammer wouldn’t approach you like this. They’d come with a cleaner appearance than Jane.

Of course, if Jane had money, she would have approached in a more polished manner.

Moreover, her beauty is slightly hidden by her glasses, but objectively, she is pretty.

“10,000 silver coins have been withdrawn. Please confirm.”

I withdrew 10,000 silver coins from the bank. Since Jane needed to use it, I took it all in cash, not a check.

Due to technical issues, I had to put it in a bag, but the weight felt satisfying.

“Are you really giving me 10,000 silver coins?”

“Yes.”

“…Gulp.”

Seeing the hefty amount of money that commoners rarely touch, Jane gulped.

She looked like she wanted to fulfill her dream with this money immediately.

However, just handing it over like this would be awkward, so some measures were necessary.

“Contract.”

“Pardon?”

“Contract. You said it’s needed.”

“Oh, right! Yes! But I have something to show you first!”

Jane said that and stepped outside the bank. I followed her, holding the bag of silver coins.

Jane kept checking if I was following and then entered a somewhat shabby building.

I wondered if there were places like this in the academy when Jane opened the door for me.

“This is my workshop! It only costs 100 silver coins a month!”

“…”

When she mentioned it was a workshop, I was momentarily stunned. At the same time, my vague memories resurfaced.

If combatants handle the country’s military power, non-combatants handle its internal affairs.

Thus, just as combatants rent training grounds, non-combatants can rent workshops to live and work.

Ellie, who stood out from the beginning of the semester, uses a good workshop, working with a professor.

In contrast, Jane, despite her talent, hadn’t shown it properly, chasing ideals and earning a reputation as an eccentric.

‘She hasn’t given up on her dream.’

I felt increasingly sorry for her. She was trying her best to move steadily toward her dream.

I followed Jane inside. Although the workshop only cost 100 silver coins per month, it was quite clean.

I she needed. She must have been living here since the beginning of the semester.

‘Surprisingly, there aren’t many works.’

The only noticeable items were some iron gloves or boots. She must have barely scraped by to make those.

Considering Jane is a second-year, it’s really insufficient.

She was admitted to the academy, proving her talent, but something was off.

People like her, often called ‘eccentrics,’ also had genius-level talent.

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

Jane’s abnormal genius became a poison.

Imagine explaining a smartphone to someone from an era without smartphones.

Naturally, people from the old times would consider it nonsense. But Jane could make that smartphone herself.

“Please wait a moment! I have something to show you before we write the contract!”

As I looked around the shabby workshop, Jane headed somewhere.

I soon heard crashing and banging sounds, and she returned with something.

It was a blue-colored gemstone, and I knew what it was.

“Do you know what this is?”

“No.”

Even if I did, I should pretend not to know. It was a very important mineral.

As if expecting my response, Jane nodded and excitedly explained.

“This is a ‘Mana Stone’. As the name suggests, it reacts to mana. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this stone makes the fusion of science and magic possible.”

You might find this statement odd. Isn’t injecting mana into weapons also a reaction?

This needs a different interpretation. Injecting mana into a weapon is more like ‘enhancement,’ while a Mana Stone is more about ‘connection.’

A sword made of steel cannot contain magic unless it has some Mana Stone in it.

Thus, to build a ‘Magic Swordsman,’ this mineral is essential. If you don’t nurture Jane, you will have to invest in Mana Stones for life.

“Santiago achieved tremendous advancement by fusing science with Mana Stones. Without them, humanity wouldn’t have developed as it has.”

Well, seeing steam locomotives running around, I doubt that.

Mana Stones play a role similar to semiconductors on Earth, but they can’t replace resources like coal or oil.

The reason being that they need mana to react. Hence, there are steam locomotives instead of mana locomotives.

“Um… I don’t know if you understood what I said. Ah! I didn’t mean to be condescending!”

No one said anything.

She probably felt awkward and thought her words might have sounded rude to me.

In reality, I was just listening quietly. This showed Jane’s personality.

“Anyway, Mana Stones are extremely rare. They are almost on par with Mithril. I was very lucky to get this.”

“Who gave it to you?”

“My grandfather gave it to me as a gift.”

Jane’s parents are already deceased. This relates to the darker side of Santiago.

Talking about it now won’t mean much, so I decided to skip it. The advancement of science comes with its own darkness.

“ that can replace it!”

Jane clenched the Mana Stone and shouted. Here, her true worth and genius would shine.

The reason even professors dismissed her as nonsense. The decisive reason for the demons being greatly enhanced when she turned dark.

“I found a way to replace Mana Stones! Although the production process is tricky, and it’s only a theory, I’m confident! I can create a substitute!”

Iron Man made a small arc reactor from scrap metal in a cave. Using only his brain.

“Isn’t it enough if it has a similar effect? The professors said it’s impossible, but I’ll just experiment.”

And Jane would invent a substitute for Mana Stones in this shabby workshop.

As mentioned earlier, Mana Stones are like semiconductors on Earth. Jane was about to create such semiconductors herself.

Comparing the value of Mana Stones with the future material Jane would invent, the latter is overwhelmingly superior.

It’s a groundbreaking achievement that would cause a huge ripple not only in the story but in the entire world setting.

“After that, I’ll achieve my dream. Mechanical limbs for people with physical defects! Powerful strength for those suffering from monsters! Greater efficiency for laborers!”

She didn’t even realize what she was creating. Was she a genius or a fool?

She was so focused on machines that she didn’t even notice she was inventing a new material.

The sad part was that Jane’s inventions had plenty of potential for military use.

It’s impossible for an ordinary conscripted soldier to beat a knight. But if Jane gets involved?

Not only would military power skyrocket, but world dominance would be within reach. The balance would be utterly broken.

‘Later, when she stands out, she’ll even face assassination threats…’

She must be protected at all costs, even if she’s not as fragile as Ellie.

If things get bad, I might ask Kara to have the Tatars protect her. Santiago is too dangerous.

“Um, sorry. I got a bit excited. Do you have any questions?”

“No.”

“Alright. I’ll prepare the contract.”

Jane prepared two sheets of paper and two pens. In a world without printers, it had to be handwritten.

But here, an unexpected problem arose.

“Uh… How do I write a contract?”

“…”

Neither Jane nor I had ever written a contract.

We vaguely knew it should have ‘Party A’ and ‘Party B,’ but nothing beyond that. Jane’s awkwardness was evident.

“First, you are Party A, and I am Party B. Party B pledges body and mind in return for the investment? No, that’s not right.”

Jane struggled for a while, writing the contract. This part also existed in Soul World, so I waited patiently.

Soon, a decent contract would be written, and I just had to wait. Most importantly, I wouldn’t be scammed.

“Um… Does this look okay?”

“No idea.”

Jane let out a helpless laugh. It was clear from her face that she wondered who she was asking.

I could understand her feelings, so I didn’t say much. I just had to check the contract first.

‘…I can’t understand it either.’

It was my first time seeing a contract. I had never received one on Earth either.

Plus, I hadn’t fully grasped the language yet, so reading it felt tiresome. I doubted she wrote anything weird.

So, I casually skimmed through and picked up the pen. Just signing at the bottom would do.

“Sign here, please.”

“Okay.”

“Before you sign, think about it again. Just listening to me makes me happy.”

Oh. She’s too nice.

I looked up at Jane.

She wasn’t lying. She smiled, looking somewhat relieved.

She could have deceived me with a single glance, but she cared about me till the end. This made me more attentive.

Scribble— Scribble—

I signed my name in the signature field. ‘Sivar,’ not ‘Shibal.’

It didn’t matter since it wasn’t written in Korean, and there would be no problem.

Moreover, the investment was 10,000 silver coins. I could always extend the contract with Kara’s help.

“Thank you. Keep one copy of the contract. Ah, you mentioned wanting a mechanical arm, right?”

“Yes.”

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

No problem. I stood up as she requested.

When I extended my arm, she began measuring with a tape measure.

The awkward look disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. She looked impressive.

“Um… I saw from afar, but your arm is quite long. Your hands are big too. Is there anything else you’d like to request?”

“Just one thing.”

“Please tell me.”

I marked a circle on the palm area. For a more detailed explanation, I used a pen.

However, Jane still seemed puzzled, tilting her head.

She would later equip demons with laser cannons, but she currently lacked experience.

“Drilling a hole isn’t hard, but… may I ask why?”

“Step outside for a moment.”

When I suggested going outside, Jane followed me, albeit curiously.

Once outside, I pointed my finger toward the sky.

‘Rod might see this…’

Pew!

A red beam shot from my fingertip. I had reduced the output, so it didn’t go far.

As you can see, I wanted to shoot lasers from my palm like Iron Man.

Of course, for me, it’s closer to a ‘toy’ and won’t have significant effects.

“Wow…! Wow! Wow!”

But I aimed for Jane’s inspiration. She was astonished, eyes wide, as she watched my beam.

As mentioned, Jane would later equip demons with laser cannons. She just hadn’t thought of it yet.

“How about it? Understand?”

“Yes! I understand what you want! Ah! And if it’s okay, could you visit the workshop often? I want to study your skills!”

“As you wish.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Jane bowed repeatedly in an excessive manner.

This would prevent her from further strengthening demons. Even though it added more responsibilities, it was fine.

“Let me know if you need money.”

“Thank you! I’ll produce good results!”

I left the workshop, receiving Jane’s enthusiastic farewell.

I had to start earning money diligently, so I should pay attention to stocks soon.

Hunting monsters was fine, but for a big payout, there was nothing better than stocks.

“Sivar!”

“Yes?”

As I wandered back to the dorm without much thought, a familiar female voice called out.

I turned around and saw Kara approaching, waving her hand. She wore a plain sleeveless shirt, typical for the weekend.

Her healthy, bronze skin caught my eye momentarily as she approached and spoke to me.

“Where have you been? You don’t have any weapons, so it wasn’t hunting.”

“What about you, Kara?”

“As usual, I went to make offerings. But what’s that paper in your hand?”

Kara noticed the contract in my hand and looked puzzled. I realized I slipped up.

I should have put it in my pocket, but I forgot, distracted by my walk. This would make it obvious.

I rolled my eyes and quietly hid the contract behind my back. It was a suspicious move, but Kara would let it slide.

“It’s nothing.”

“…Really? Then why is your name on it?”

She saw that much? This was troublesome.

After some contemplation, I reluctantly showed her the contract.

It was better to face the music now and try to persuade Kara from the start.

Kara raised an eyebrow and slowly read the contract.

I was sure she would scold me. She had warned me repeatedly to be cautious of scammers…

“Sivar?”

“Yes…”

“Did you buy a slave?”

“What?”

A slave? What was she talking about?

I slowly raised my head to meet her eyes.

Kara read the contract again, looking confused.

“I don’t know who wrote this, but it’s like a voluntary slavery contract.”

“…”

“Cancel this immediately and write a new one. Even though it says Party A and Party B, it’s practically a slave contract. If this is found, you’ll be expelled.”

I wasn’t the one scammed; Jane was. And she did it voluntarily.

Now I understood why she lost all her inventions in the dark route.

“Did she write this on purpose? To get you expelled because she dislikes you?”

Jane wouldn’t think that far. Today confirmed it.

[Faith is rising!]

Does the God of Chaos want to see me expelled?

End of Chapter

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