Magic, steel, heavy industry

Chapter 18 Knowledge

Vilan calmly met Llorente's gaze.

The day had finally come. He knew that the changes in "Vilan" would attract the attention of those around him. In fact, Vilan was already quite surprised that Llorent had waited until now to ask.

He clasped his hands together, placed them on the table, and uttered the excuse he had prepared beforehand.

"If I told you that I only learned about this in the last couple of days, would you believe me?"

Llorente narrowed his eyes slightly. "I believe Lord Vilan, but I don't understand..."

"That's normal. Even I don't quite understand it myself. Ever since the day I learned how to use my magical talent, this knowledge has been like a pre-existing memory, constantly appearing in my mind. To be honest, I even dream about digesting this knowledge at night."

Vilan lied without blushing at all, his face showing a hint of helplessness, appearing very sincere.

There was no solution to this problem, and the best approach he could think of was to attribute it to his magical talent.

Isn't it said that my magical talent is cursed? Well then, let you figure it out yourselves. Since it's cursed anyway, it's normal for some bizarre effects to occur, right?

Sure enough, Llorente's expression changed; even the most composed person couldn't remain calm after hearing this reason.

"You mean... knowledge that appeared out of thin air?"

"Although I don't know how to explain it, it's obvious that's the case."

Llorente fell silent, not because he didn't trust Vilan, but because he was thinking about other things.

How can knowledge appear out of thin air? Is it really because of that magical talent?

However, it's not impossible, considering that the monster-like talent that could destroy magic cores was already beyond his understanding of magic.

After a moment's thought, Llorente nodded. "I understand. Perhaps this is some deity guiding Lord Vilan."

"Perhaps, I don't know if it's good or bad, but knowledge has chosen me, and I have to do something so as not to disobey God's will, right?"

"Of course, whatever Lord Vilan wants to do, I will fully support him. Please forgive my offense. I will go find those stonemasons now."

"Wait, yesterday I had Bering visit a few carpenters. Take them to the workshop with you. They'll be treated the same as everyone else. We can finalize the contracts later."

Vilan suddenly remembered something and temporarily added some tasks for Llorente.

"A carpenter?" Llorente asked, somewhat puzzled.

Vilan nodded. "It's about the blue magic powder and the improved crossbow. You should urge them on. If they can produce results within three days, I will give them a bonus."

"I see."

Llorente bowed slightly and then left the study.

But the moment he closed the door, Llorente's expression suddenly turned serious.

"Am I overthinking it...? Vilan... he shouldn't be possessed by a demon..."

Similarly, Vilan breathed a sigh of relief after Llorente left.

Sure enough, in a world with magic, lying becomes easier, since supernatural forces truly exist.

Fortunately, he had integrated the original owner's memories, so he didn't reveal any flaws and was able to pass this test.

From then on, I no longer needed to hesitate when using the knowledge in my mind.

Vilan's vision for the development of his territory was actually quite clear: to step into the industrial age and, ideally, to quickly develop firearms and cannons, so that he would feel secure.

Although he is now a lord, Iron Anvil Territory is too barren. To realize his grand vision, he needs more resources.

Violence is the basis for the struggle for resources.

He rubbed his temples, then started writing on the paper again.

"Iron smelting and cement, these industries that serve infrastructure construction, are just getting started. Once they have tested the most stable methods, they can begin small-scale production and application."

"As for military force, 10 guards are clearly too few. We must recruit more soldiers and arm them as well."

Vilan did a quick calculation and immediately felt overwhelmed.

Ultimately, it all comes down to not having enough money...

He slumped onto the table in despair, feeling utterly confused.

Yes, the box of gold coins he brought looks like a lot, but if he really started spending them, it would be empty very quickly.

A moment later, Vilan raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"It's time to make those parasites spit out what they've eaten."

……

At night, the Buck Mountains are chilled by wisps of cold air that cut into the ridges like blades, swirling up withered yellow leaves that mingle with the scent of pine needles and rustle through the twisted jungle.

The wind howled through the cracks in the rocks, adding a strange sense of dread to the quiet forest path.

This is the western foothills of the Stag Mountains, the easternmost territory of the Anvil Territory. Following the mountains eastward, crossing the continuous mountain ranges, one completely leaves the territory of the Kingdom of Orion.

The reason there is a dirt road in the forest here is because the iron mine on which Iron Anvil Territory depends for its survival is at the end of the dirt road.

In the dim jungle, Mount nimbly traversed the leaf-strewn woods, his slender frame allowing him to overcome numerous pesky obstacles and reach the end of the path.

He skillfully climbed a large tree, burying his body as much as possible under the branches and leaves, and then his bright eyes peered silently through the darkness at the distant mine.

As Lord Vilan's bodyguard, Mount always seemed inconspicuous.

Whether moving forward or backward, he always lagged behind the group, furthest from Vilan.

Even after arriving at the castle, Mount only patrolled the back of the castle and rarely saw anyone else.

Mount doesn't care about his lack of presence; on the contrary, he enjoys being alone and prefers to be invisible.

Not everyone wants to be in the limelight like Saka.

Mount said this to the captain when Carreras advised him to be more proactive.

It was precisely because of his personality that when Vilan needed someone to keep watch over the mine, Carreras recommended him without hesitation.

Tonight marks the second night that Mount has been keeping watch.

He never left the jungle, rarely stood up straight while walking, and divided the hard bread in his arms into several portions to strictly control his supplies.

What sets him apart from others is his eyes—eyes that can see everything even in the darkest of nights.

Unfortunately, the people in the iron mine were very cautious, and only the occasional sounds of whipping and cursing proved that work had not stopped.

Just as Mount thought it was going to be another boring night, a rustling sound of running suddenly reached his ears on the path behind him.