usatvline Chapter 136 : Chapter 136
Chapter 136 : Chapter 136
Chapter 136. National Policy — Establishing the Northern Magitech Academy
This was the Magitech Internal Combustion Engine 2.0.
With it, the production of some small and medium-sized vehicles could finally be put on the agenda.
However, that excitement lasted less than three minutes.
When Logaris West picked up the calculator beside him and began calculating the cost of this prototype, the smile on his face gradually stiffened, eventually turning into a textbook “mask of pain.”
Star-Pattern Steel main body: 500 Golden Lion Coins.
Liquid Mithril circuitry: 2,000 Golden Lion Coins (excluding labor costs).
Focusing crystal assembly: 200 Golden Lion Coins.
And a variety of other high-end auxiliary materials…
This was only the cost of materials, not including labor or equipment depreciation.
“Five thousand Golden Lion Coins…”
Logaris stared at the cold string of numbers on the calculator, feeling his teeth ache.
For reference, a full set of fourth-generation Magitech Armor only cost about 1,000 Golden Lion Coins.
And this was merely the cost of a single engine.
If they wanted to fully re-equip the Northern Territory’s army—even just one armored division—the expense would be astronomical.
As for civilian use, that was even further out of reach.
“I still need to optimize it further and bring the cost down.”
Logaris crumpled the cost sheet into a ball and tossed it into the trash, then slumped into his chair, rubbing his temples.
The technological barrier had been broken, but the cost barrier now loomed like an insurmountable mountain.
To achieve mass production, they had to find cheaper substitute materials.
Even if performance dropped by half, as long as the cost could be reduced to under 1,000 Golden Lion Coins, it would still count as a success.
But that required massive experimentation, endless trial and error, and an overwhelming amount of data analysis.
Even if he had three heads and six arms, there was no way he could handle it alone. He would collapse from exhaustion in the laboratory before finishing.
Moreover, the departure date for White Harbor was fast approaching.
Logaris glanced at the pile of discarded design drafts stacked like a mountain in the corner and felt a throbbing pain in his head.
There was no one… wait, that was not right!
His gaze fell on the document at the corner of the desk—“Saint Arcadia Academy Graduate Placement List,” which Aaron had sent earlier.
Hundreds of names were densely packed across the page.
These were all top-tier talents he had just “lured” from the royal capital. While their practical experience was somewhat lacking due to limited academy funding, their theoretical foundations were solid. And more importantly…
They were young, resilient, and cheap.
Logaris’s eyes slowly lit up. The anxiety born from poverty vanished instantly, replaced by the benevolent gaze of a capitalist spotting a field of ripe leeks.
“As long as the mind does not slip, there are always more solutions than problems.”
He picked up his pen again, pulled out a fresh sheet of paper, and wrote a bold line across it:
“Draft Plan for the Establishment of the Northern Magitech Academy”
Since he did not have time to conduct trial and error himself, he would let these students do it.
He could break down a massive research project into hundreds of smaller ones—such as “Thermal Resistance Testing of Low-Purity Magitech Circuits” or “Improvement Schemes for Mana Engraving on Standard Steel,” and so on.
…
The next morning, for the servants of the Governor’s Residence, it was just another busy day. But for Aaron, who had slept less than four hours, it felt like the continuation of a nightmare.
With two massive dark circles under his eyes, he sat at his desk, staring at a mountain-like pile of student records.
“Name: Jack; Major: Magitech Materials Science; Specialty: Synthesizing fake gemstones from low-grade materials that look high-end…” Aaron rubbed his brow in pain. “What kind of nonsense talents are these? How did they even graduate?”
“As long as he can synthesize them, that is a skill. I have seen the gemstones he produces—they are practically indistinguishable in industrial use.”
A voice suddenly came from the doorway, startling Aaron so much that the feather pen in his hand snapped in two.
Logaris leaned against the doorframe, holding a cup of steaming strong coffee. He looked far more energetic than the previous day. In his other hand, he carried a thick scroll, which he casually tossed onto the chaotic pile of records before Aaron could even stand to greet him.
“Professor, this is…” Aaron hurriedly caught it.
“‘Measures for the Establishment of the Northern Magitech Academy and Talent Classification Management.’” Logaris blew on the foam atop his coffee. “Now that this batch of ‘leeks’ has been delivered, we cannot just leave them all in the factories, can we?”
Aaron opened the parchment scroll.
In the plan, Logaris required the several hundred graduates to be categorized according to their specialties and abilities.
At the top tier were the “Core Researchers,” responsible for tackling the high-difficulty topics that Logaris had broken down. They would receive generous benefits and have access to independent laboratories.
The middle tier consisted of “Technicians,” responsible for repetitive experimental verification and data recording.
As for the lowest tier—the “Experimental Consumables”—no, the “Junior Interns”—they were assigned to extremely tedious tasks such as material purification and equipment maintenance.
The more Aaron read, the brighter his eyes became. This was the creation of an unprecedented system.
A purely rational system, with clear division of labor, entirely devoted to advancing scientific research.
“As for funding…” Aaron hesitated. “Will Her Highness Sylvia approve this? The equipment procurement list alone amounts to an astronomical sum.”
“You do not need to worry about money.” Logaris waved his hand dismissively. “Sylvia understands the value of this far better than you do. As long as it can turn technology into combat power, she would sign off on it even if it meant selling the last gold brick in the Governor’s Residence.”
“Alright, stop looking so miserable.” Logaris patted Aaron on the shoulder. “The academy will be built at the abandoned armory in the northern part of the city. It is spacious, the walls are thick, and even if something explodes, we will not feel bad about it. No need for fancy renovations—spend the money on equipment. You will serve as the administrative dean, responsible for logistics and discipline.”
“Me? The dean?” Aaron pointed at himself, his voice cracking.
“In name only. You do not need to worry about technical matters. Just make sure these so-called geniuses do not starve to death or start fighting over which formula looks more elegant.”
Logaris finished the last sip of his coffee and set the cup down on the table.
“I will be heading out on a trip in the next couple of days. I will leave all technical matters to you. By the time I return, I expect this project to already be underway.”
Watching Logaris leave with such ease, Aaron could only let out a long sigh and resignedly pick up the heavy plan.
With a hands-off boss like this, when would this life ever get any easier?