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Chapter 98
“Yeah. Since you’re the youngest, they at least gave you some support for something that had no chance of working. If it were me, not a chance.”
Stefan’s eldest brother, who was in charge of imports and exports, muttered as he sat down on the sofa in the reception room.
“Titi, I don’t care if you research and build things alone in the basement. But running a business is a no-go. Our family, the Panteagos, can’t risk its name and castle on a failed venture.”
“Exactly. Instead, study all you want. You even got accepted into Felodian Academy, the most prestigious school in the Flannel Empire. We can support you in your studies as much as you like.”
Stefan’s second sister, who handled the family’s accounts, and his second brother, who styled himself as the family’s legal advisor, each added a comment.
“Right. Let’s drop this pointless talk and have dinner together, my little one.”
At his mother’s words, Stefan finally exploded.
“This time is different! I brought something that’s actually viable for business!”
Even at his protest, his family members looked away, their faces indifferent.
No one seemed the least bit interested in the business presentation Stefan and Jaeyllin had prepared.
“I’m telling you, this time is really different! Just listen seriously for once!”
Even as Stefan clenched his lips and breathed heavily, his sister only pinched his cheek like he was cute.
“Okay, okay. Let’s wrap it up quickly and then go eat something tasty with big sis.”
Letting out a deep sigh, Stefan whispered softly to Jaeyllin.
“Sorry. My brothers and sisters are way older than me, so I guess they still see me as a little kid. My mother too.”
“Uh, it’s fine. Still, once they hear what we prepared, their minds will change.”
“Right. If they still say it has no potential after this, then my siblings are just fools.”
The presentation began. All the designs and magitech devices that Stefan and Jaeyllin had made over the summer, losing sleep over them, were laid out before his family.
As the presentation went on, the laughter that had lingered on the family’s faces faded, replaced by seriousness in their eyes.
They were looking with the eyes of businesspeople.
“…Using this mana amplification design, we can drastically reduce the amount of mana crystals required to power magitech devices. The biggest obstacle in the market has always been the rarity of high-purity mana crystals. That’s why my past inventions lacked profitability. But with this one blueprint, even low-quality crystals—which usually get discarded—can power devices.”
“Y-Yes. Even large-scale artillery-type magitech, which required high-purity crystals but were still impractical due to low power or one-time use, can now deliver strong firepower!”
After explaining the amplification design, Stefan and Jaeyllin even demonstrated miniature magitech devices—capable of harming monsters—that could be powered with low-quality crystals, making them usable even by ordinary people with no mana.
But skepticism still lingered on the family’s faces.
Stefan’s mother rubbed her chin and asked:
“Does this really work in practice?”
“Yeah. It’s just too unbelievable when you bring us something this amazing all of a sudden.”
“Yes, it does. There are still flaws, of course, but it runs. Of course, we’d need field use to refine the details…”
Jaeyllin picked up a gun-shaped device and rotated it as she explained. Suddenly, a scream erupted among Stefan’s family.
“Ahhh!”
“Eek!”
Startled, Jaeyllin blinked at them in confusion.
With hands raised or heads ducked, his family peeked out nervously, pointing at the device.
“Could you… maybe put that down while you talk?”
Without realizing it, Jaeyllin had been pointing the barrel at them. She quickly lowered it to the floor.
“Ah, s-sorry. It won’t work anyway since there’s no crystal inside. Oh, and it has a safety mechanism too.”
“Since we can’t exactly use it ourselves, can’t you show us with something else?”
At his sister’s request, Stefan took out a low-quality crystal he had prepared, then measured it with a mana gauge.
Soon, the amount of mana inside was displayed: 3k.
“This is so worthless that no one bothers mining or selling it. To be marketable, a crystal needs to hold at least 500k. I went through a lot of trouble to get this one. With it, we’ll power the magitech device built on our amplification design.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Stefan slotted the crystal into a thin, panel-shaped device.
With a humming sound, the inscribed magic circle activated and the device began to run.
The reception room, still heavy with late-summer heat, instantly cooled.
“A normal cooling device without the amplification design consumes a 1200k crystal in a month. Jaeyllin and I measured this ourselves in the basement over the summer. That means it uses 1.6k per hour. So this crystal wouldn’t even last two hours.”
“Then if we just wait two hours, we’ll know whether the amplification works?”
“Yes, exactly.”
At Stefan’s mother’s question, Jaeyllin stiffened as she answered.
Two hours was no short wait.
In the meantime, they had tea together. Setting her cup down, Stefan’s mother asked:
“So, with a 1200k crystal, how long would this device run?”
“W-With our calculations… around twenty-four years.”
“I see.”
Though she spoke calmly, inside she was astonished at the revolutionary reduction in mana consumption.
“How did you even come up with such a design at your age? Most people chase flashy, visible results. Foundational schematics aren’t easy to research.”
Perhaps due to Stefan’s influence, his mother seemed to have at least a passing knowledge of mana design.
“M-My father was a magitech designer. He passed away a long time ago, so I barely remember his face… but he left me his books. They had his notes and unfinished schematics. That’s where I got my inspiration.”
“I see.”
“I just finished what my father started, really.”
“He must be very proud. To see his daughter grow this much.”
Her warm, seasoned smile made Jaeyllin blush as she bowed.
“Th-Thank you.”
As they were chatting over tea, Stefan’s elder brother suddenly stood up.
“Time’s up.”
While they drank, the hours had flown by. They checked the device again—it was still running flawlessly.
After a thoughtful pause, Stefan’s eldest sister spoke.
“Shouldn’t we secure a stock of low-quality crystals right away?”
“Do they even sell them? They’re usually discarded.”
“Then we’ll just take the discarded ones. Or even buy a mine outright. A low-quality mine won’t cost much. I’ll also check if we can source supplies overseas.”
Impulsive as ever, Stefan’s eldest brother called his aide and dashed out of the reception room.
“Sorry, little one. I can’t stay for dinner tonight.”
His sister and mother also excused themselves soon after.
As the family dispersed, Stefan’s second brother lingered, then approached Jaeyllin with a sly smile.
In a low voice, so Stefan and Adrian couldn’t hear, he asked:
“Have you registered a patent for this yet?”
“N-No, not yet…”
“Then you’d better. Do you have a lawyer?”
“N-None.”
“Perfect. I’m the Panteago family’s legal advisor. If you like, I’ll be your exclusive lawyer. I promise nothing will ever work against you.”
He handed her a business card, which Jaeyllin accepted with a dazed look.
“Think about it and let me know.”
The new term was approaching. As the days passed, Jaeyllin sighed more often.
Once back at the academy, she would inevitably face Lionel again.
She would avoid him as much as possible, but she wasn’t confident she could hold herself together every time their paths crossed. Thoughts tangled endlessly.
Since deciding to sever ties with Lionel, the world felt empty, like she had no place to stand.
She hadn’t realized it before, but it seemed his existence had been the ground beneath her feet.
Since that day, Jaeyllin had drifted like a wrecked ship stranded in the vast sea. Only having work to focus on kept her going.
She tossed and turned in bed. What once felt like soft, comforting bedding now felt stifling. She couldn’t sleep.
Rising, Jaeyllin stepped outside. She needed some air, or else she’d be awake all night again.
She was about to sit on the terrace to catch the breeze when she noticed someone already there—Adrian.
By the light of an oil lamp, he was reading. At her presence, he lifted his head.
“What are you doing up at this hour?”
“C-Couldn’t sleep…”
“Why? Thinking about going back to the academy keeping you awake?”
“Y-Yeah.”
Jaeyllin nodded and sat down beside him.
Beyond the marble railing, the faint chorus of insects rose into the night.
