Chapter 22.
Outside Winter City, on a stretch of barren frozen land, banners fluttered violently in the cold wind.
Sylvia stood atop a temporary platform, with five hundred elite soldiers led by Victor behind her.
Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword as her clear voice rang out.
“From today onward, this land will beco the heart of the Northern Territory—the Heart of Winter Industrial Park.”
Hundreds of craftsn, rchants, and officials below bowed in unison.
“Within three months, I want to see the first blast furnace ignited.”
Sylvia turned and stepped down from the platform, walking toward Logaris West, who stood nearby.
“Have you chosen the person?”
Logaris pushed his glasses upward.
“Aaron. You should rember him.”
“That bookworm from Saint Arcadia Academy?” Sylvia raised an eyebrow. “Can he handle it?”
“He was my student. His Magitech theory is solid, and his managent ability is not bad either.” Logaris paused slightly. “Besides, he owes a favor.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a young man wearing thick glasses hurried over.
Aaron was nineteen years old, thin in build, and carried a stack of blueprints in his arms.
“ntor, Your Highness the Duke.” He bowed respectfully.
Logaris spoke directly.
“Have you finished the planning proposal for the industrial park?”
“Yes.”
Aaron unfolded the blueprints and pointed to the dense markings covering them.
“According to your theory, I divided the park into four functional zones.”
“The first zone is the iron slting blast furnace district, equipped with three large magitech furnaces capable of producing fifty tons of steel per day.”
“The second zone is the Magitech component processing district, with ten assembly lines dedicated to producing armor core components.”
“The third zone is the worker residential district, including dormitories, dining halls, and a dical station.”
“The fourth zone is the storage and transportation district, connected directly to the city’s Magitech Train station.”
Sylvia glanced over the blueprints and nodded.
“Efficient work.”
Aaron released a quiet breath of relief and handed over another sheet of paper.
“This is the procurent list. We need a large quantity of mana crystals, alchemical materials, and construction steel.”
Logaris took the list and scanned it briefly.
“Money is not a problem, but the supply channels for mana crystals will need to be reopened.”
“I will have Grayson coordinate with you,” Sylvia said.
Aaron hesitated slightly.
“ntor… about recruiting workers…”
“It has already been arranged.”
Logaris pulled out a list of nas.
“The unemployed and the poor in the city heard that als and wages are provided. They are nearly breaking down the doors of the recruitnt office.”
Aaron’s eyes lit up.
“That is excellent.”
Logaris looked at him.
“Starting today, you are the first administrative governor of the industrial park. All matters will be under your full responsibility.”
Aaron inhaled deeply and nodded solemnly.
“I will not disappoint you.”
***
Three days later, the construction site of the industrial park was filled with noise and activity.
Hundreds of workers swung shovels and pickaxes, carving deep trenches into the frozen ground.
Aaron stood at the center of the construction site with a asuring rod in his hand, constantly directing workers to adjust their positions.
“Dig two more feet deeper on the left!”
“Compact the foundation on the right side!”
A dirt-covered worker straightened his back and wiped the sweat from his face.
“Sir, can this job really earn money?”
Aaron smiled.
“You are earning five Copper Sparrow Coins a day now. When the factory is finished, the wages will increase.”
The worker’s eyes imdiately brightened, and he worked even harder.
Not far away, Logaris stood beside a carriage holding a docunt in his hand.
Sylvia walked over and glanced at the docunt.
“What is that?”
“A list of foren,” Logaris said.
“Aaron recruited a group of literate children of old craftsn and descendants of bankrupt rchant families from the city and appointed them as junior supervisors.”
Sylvia glanced over the list and raised an eyebrow.
“That boy actually has so skill.”
Logaris closed the docunt.
“He understands how to use people.”
At that mont, Aaron hurried over with excitent on his face.
“ntor, the barracks for the first batch of workers have been completed. They can move in tomorrow.”
“What about the blast furnace foundation?”
“It has also been completed. The main structure should be finished within a week.”
Logaris nodded.
“Good speed.”
Aaron hesitated slightly.
“However… there is a problem.”
“Speak.”
“The core components of the magitech furnace have not arrived yet. Without them, even if the blast furnace is finished, it cannot be ignited.”
Logaris remained silent for a few seconds.
“I will personally design a simplified engine to ensure the furnace can operate first.”
......
Inside Winter City, Logaris' temporary laboratory.
The room was piled with various Magitech components and blueprints, and faint fluctuations of mana filled the air.
Logaris sat at his workbench, holding an alchemical pen and rapidly sketching lines across a blueprint.
“The energy output must be reduced to a third-tier level, but stability must be increased…”
“The structure of the magitech circuit can partially reference the design of fourth-generation armor cores, but the materials must be replaced with cheaper ones…”
The lines on the blueprint grew denser and denser until they eventually ford a complex magic array.
Logaris set down the pen and stared at the blueprint for a long ti.
“This should work.”
He stood up and walked to the corner of the room, retrieving a fist-sized mana crystal from a box.
“I will create a prototype first.”
At that mont, the door opened.
Lilith walked in carrying a tray with a cup of hot tea resting on it.
“Your tea.”
Logaris did not look up.
“Put it on the table.”
Lilith set down the tray and hesitated.
“May I ask a question?”
“Speak.”
“That work you assigned … the one about removing mana pollution using a human body. What exactly does that an?”
Logaris lifted his head and glanced at her.
“It ans exactly what it says.”
Lilith’s expression changed.
“You are not planning to throw into the magitech furnace, are you?”
“You are overthinking it,” Logaris said calmly.
“Your physique can convert mana into pure Aether. That is extrely useful for environntal purification in the industrial park.”
Lilith sighed in relief before asking another question.
“So what exactly do I need to do?”
“Stand beside the furnace and absorb the overflowing mana pollution.”
“…That is all?”
“That is all.”
Lilith remained silent for a few seconds before turning and leaving the room.
Logaris lowered his head again and continued working.
***
One week later, the industrial park had begun to take shape.
The main structure of the blast furnace had already been completed, and technicians were installing the final magitech circuits.
Aaron stood beneath the furnace, looking up at the enormous steel structure with excitent in his eyes.
“It is finally about to succeed.”
Sylvia stood beside him, her gaze sweeping across the entire park.
Workers were busy at their respective positions, and their faces carried a long-lost sense of hope.
“What kind of people were these workers before?”
Aaron returned to his senses.
“Most of them were unemployed vagrants. So were bankrupt rchants and craftsn.”
“And now?”
“Now they have jobs. They have inco. There is light in their eyes.”
Sylvia said nothing and simply watched the scene quietly.
Logaris walked over holding a small tal box.
“The engine is finished.”
Aaron accepted the box carefully and opened it slowly.
Inside was a palm-sized Magitech device covered in intricate runes.
“This is the core engine?”
“A simplified version, but it is sufficient.” Logaris said. “Install it, and the furnace can be ignited tomorrow.”
Aaron nodded and walked toward the blast furnace.
Sylvia looked at Logaris.
“Do you think this plan will succeed?”
Logaris pushed his glasses upward.
“If even this cannot be accomplished, then the Northern Territory truly has no hope left.”
Sylvia smiled faintly.
“You really have no talent for comforting people.”
“I only speak the truth.”
The two stood side by side beneath the furnace, watching the busy workers.
The sun slowly sank beyond the horizon, and golden light spread across the frozen land, bathing the entire industrial park in warm colors.
Sylvia suddenly spoke.
“Logaris.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you.”
Logaris was briefly stunned and turned to look at her.
Sylvia’s profile appeared unusually gentle beneath the sunset.
Logaris remained silent for several seconds before looking away.
“Do not beco sentintal. I am only protecting my investnt.”
Sylvia chuckled softly and said nothing more.
In the distance, Aaron’s voice rang out.
“ntor! The engine has been installed!”
Logaris raised his head and looked toward the blast furnace that was about to be ignited.
Before long, the Northern Territory’s first Magitech factory would be born.
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