In this world, there were largely two ways to make a hydrogen bomb.
Either you do everything yourself, or get it done with a bunch of people’s help like a macroscience.
At first I worked alone because I thought a one-man job would be better than to teach soone else about physics. Above all, it felt doable since there was the convenience of magic.
Of course, the biggest reason was sothing else altogether. It was my conscience.
When I thought about the impact of nuclear weapons on humanity, I didn’t want the people here to know about what they were.
But this, too, beca a thing of the past.
“I see. So in this way, you can increase the force of the bomb with Air Magic.”
“Yes, technically.”
I had completely forgotten that the ti period of this world was around the early-to-mid-20th century on Earth. Even if it weren’t for , these mages would’ve started making sothing like nukes within a few years anyway.
If that was the case, there was no other way. The one with experience would have to take the lead.
“Then I wonder if it’d also be possible to use Air Magic to do the opposite and reduce the force.”
“Yes, it’s actually a parater of sorts.”
I was in the middle of answering all of Count Saliere’s questions, from the dangers of nuclear weapons to how to develop them, the manual for safe usage, etc. I diligently explained every know-how I’d learned from Earth according to the frawork of magic.
There was an inexplicable feeling as I taught soone who was old enough to be my father. A sense of disconnect perhaps?
Knock knock.
“Father, I brought tea and dessert.... My goodness, what’s all this?”
Lotte’s mouth dropped open wide as she ca in. That was when the Count and I ca to our senses and looked around.
The office of soone who was supposed to be a noble was a ss. The desk and chair were covered in scrap papers full of scribbled formulas, and the walls looked atrocious because of all the maps pinned on them. The number of circles drawn on them especially were enough to trigger trypophobia.
“I don’t believe this.”
Lotte sighed and set down the tray on a side table, then began picking up the papers that had fallen to the floor one by one.
“So what were you two doing?”
“What does it look like? I was listening to your friend’s lecture on how to use pitchblende.”
“Father was, from you...?”
“Of course. You made a good friend, Lotte. She’s excellent at explaining. It feels like I’m attending the Academy all over again.”
Lotte’s face turned shocked, like she couldn’t believe it.
But it soon beca composed again.
“At this point, that isn’t surprising.”
Lotte placed the rest of the papers neatly on the desk and simultaneously handed a letter.
“What’s this?”
“It’s from Freyr.”
“Freyr?”
“She was asking for you at the doors, said you guys needed to go sowhere.”
I guess it was ti.
My eyes t with Count Saliere’s, silently asking in apology if we could pause here. With a fairly disappointed expression, he nodded.
“Then I’ll go and take a walk with my friend.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
After bidding them goodbye in a way befitting of Imperial etiquette, I took my leave. It was hard to keep a straight face as I left the office until I went outside because the corners of my mouth kept twitching upward.
Now, it was ti for my reward.
**When I made my way towards the drawbridge, the energetic kid ca over waving her hand.
Freyr appeared in her large hat like usual in order to hide that she was beastkin. Discrimination and prejudice still persisted against them so she had to keep herself hidden like this to study at Tilette.
“Hey! Long ti no see!”
It had indeed been a long ti since I heard that signature phrase. Responding back with a ‘long ti no see, kid’ to tease her would be the norm when we were at the Academy.
But today, I didn’t care to see Freyr riled up. After sharing a short hug, I pulled out an envelope from inside my robe.
After opening it and reading the docunt inside, Freyr expressed her genuine awe.
“You did it! What a relief!”
The brat hugged again and due to the height difference, I could see down her whole back. She was carrying a backpack bigger than her torso and wobbling from it. Was she trying to climb Everest or sothing?
“What’s with this bag?”
“Ah! This? The basent storage survived! They’re things that were in there!”
“Is it food or sothing?”
“Yeah, no!”
“Just say one or the other....”
“It’s mostly mana grass! That thing we make, you know, the famous brand!”
Freyr pulled out a box from the bag and handed it to . It was a brand na I’d never seen before.
“Goldenstein?”
“I even went downstream last ti to sell these! The humans there are a little too cheap, though. They whine about getting a discount on sothing this good!”
“Can I try it?”
“Of course! It’s permission from Freyr the genius alchemist so be grateful!”
I took out a cigarette and put it in my mouth. Oho, it really must be an expensive product. It would’ve been stored in quite the damp conditions with the monsoon but the quality was still good. Its texture in the mouth was a pass, at least.
When I lit it, it slled like rosemary. It was almost like the scent of the bath salts when I bathed with Lotte.
That wasn’t the only surprising thing.
“What the.”
The speed at which mana began to build was sothing else. Normal mana grass needed to burn for at least thirty seconds to a minute to get mana, but I could feel the elents accumulating pretty much as soon as the stick was lit.
“How about it, great, huh? This is why it’s pricey!”
“Yeah, makes sense.”
It slled good, tasted good. If I smoked a few more of these, it felt like I’d no longer be satisfied with other brands.
After Freyr and I stood there smoking together for about five minutes, we began walking towards Pitchblende Mountain as if we made an agreent.
Well, we did, actually.
“Wow, I haven’t been to see the Mystical One in a while! You said you t her, too, right?”
“Right.”
Freyr had asked to go up the mountain together once village repairs were done. It was to express their gratitude to that ‘Mystical’ One for protecting them from the flood.
But wait. Didn’t the way to Jǫrmungandr only open in the middle of the night?
While I was thinking that, Freyr pulled out a scroll from her knapsack.
“Here, you put your hand on it, too!”
“What is it?”
“Anti-radiation scroll, was it? The Mystical One said to use this every ti we go see her!”
Oh, right. I was okay but Freyr could be directly exposed to radiation.
“Can you sell one of these later?”
“All of a sudden?”
“For later use.”
I should send a few of them to Count Saliere.
At the end of a near two-hour hike, we reached the peak where Jǫrmungandr was. Since both Freyr and I were of a race capable of martial arts, it wasn’t difficult to climb this rocky mountain.
Then standing at the peak, Freyr bellowed at the unique rock formation.
“I’M HERE, O MYSTICAL ONE!”
When she did that, sothing extraordinary occurred. Which was that the entrance to Falling Dragon Peak–which didn’t budge at any other ti of the day according to Verl–revealed itself.
What the. How did she do it?
“What’s with your face? Stop dawdling and let’s go in, quick!”
I followed Freyr into the cave. Despite having been here once before, it wasn’t familiar.
[You’ve co.]
It was the sa as last ti; a chilling voice could be heard from behind .
“Shh. Don’t panic, just keep looking forward.”
It was a phenonon I’d experienced before. The first sound of Jǫrmungandr’s voice always ca from the back and her presence appeared in the front. There was no way of knowing whether it was her actually teleporting or a resonance effect of the cave.
The Jǫrmungandr I knew was before my eyes.
The Radiant Dragon in a priest’s robe whose steel horns had been torn off pitifully.
“Mystical One!”
“Yes, Freyr. It’s been nearly a year, hasn’t it. Are your friends under this one’s care doing well?”
“Yes, thanks to you. We were able to survive the storm with no one getting hurt with the help of this friend here.”
Smirk. The corners of Jǫrmungandr’s lips lifted slowly.
“It seems you’ve endured the storm well.”
It was unclear who that was directed at.
Freyr told her everything that had happened–about the embanknt we built together, convincing the Youko and helping them flee quickly to the east, etc. I inwardly felt relieved at all the flattering complints she said about .
It was good that I hadn’t teased her earlier.
“Yes, you did well so far, but you’re almost out of food. I’d like to know how you intend to get through this.”
Jǫrmungandr narrowed her eyes and tossed a look my way. Her gold eyes shouldn’t have focus but they were shining brighter than ever before. As if filled with anticipation.
Yet it wasn’t who responded to her.
“My friend already found the solution to that!”
Freyr handed the contract I gave her right to Jǫrmungandr. Receiving the paper, Jǫrmungandr brushed her hand over the paper and humd.
It was an official docunt but it didn’t have any braille on it. Then that was....
“Impressive, that you chose taking a loan over plundering.”
The Radiant Dragon’s lips lifted even further.
“Nor is it an unfair contract. Is this Count Saliere a trustworthy person?”
I answered this ti.
“Yes, I guarantee it.”
“Interesting.”
Jǫrmungandr stood up from her seat and approached . Freyr was just tilting her head curiously since she didn’t know the relation between and the dragon.
In the next mont, sothing could be heard telepathically.
[You left the Demon King to show this?]
I didn’t respond, not even internally.
[Well, alright then, since our main enemy are the Elentals. I was originally thinking of annihilating those humans who’ve been tornting the beastkin for generations, however.... showing sothing like this makes lose interest.]
Jǫrmungandr narrowed her eyes, an overwhelming force radiating from those vertical pupils.
[Yes, it is better to remain silent at tis.]
Fiddling with her severed horn, Jǫrmungandr ca even closer.
“What is it, Mystical One?”
“This one here is your friend?”
“Yes!”
The kid responded confidently. At her cute voice, Jǫrmungandr’s mouth stretched into a curve; it was a motherly smile.
“Fine. I will reward you what I promised as per our deal.”
[I’ve already placed around 40 kg of uranium by the entrance. Take it with you when you leave with Freyr. I will give you the rest if you co back in the winter.]
“Thank you.”
[Ah, that’s right. I’m thinking of giving you one more thing out of the goodness of this one’s heart.]
What was this all of a sudden? I didn’t rember hearing anything about bonus rewards from the transmigrator.
As I thought that, Jǫrmungandr stuck out her tongue at .
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