2066 Void Magic (Part 2)
"For those of you who still don't know, after Belius' fall, Archmage Verhen shared with the Kingdom his knowledge about the true nature of the elements of magic.
"Something that even the First Magus Lochra Silverwing had failed to grasp before entrusting her legacy to us." The Queen stepped forward, generating from her left hand one sphere of air, one of fire, and another of light.
At a flick of her wrist, half of each sphere turned respectively into earth, water, and darkness. Then, the two halves started spinning, turning into each other in an endless cycle.
"Now we know that there is no such thing as opposing elements. They actually complement their twin and it's impossible to truly master one without a deep knowledge of the other." Sylpha was in charge of the demonstration because her understanding of the process was shallow.
Even to show such a parlor trick she needed Domination, something that her spouse lacked. To please the crowd and keep the nobles from turning to Thrud's side after her latest triumph, they needed to show immediate results.
Something that would prove to those still sitting on the fences that siding with the Royal family was still their most profitable option.
At the end of the day, most people had little care for who sat on the throne. The only thing that mattered to them was what they could gain from a ruler rather than another.
"Also, Archmage Verhen has passed unto our Royal Forgemasters the blueprints for the power core of the DoLorean." The King said while the Queen devoted her full focus to casting a tier one fire spell that turned into water in mid-air, creating a rainbow that encompassed the Banquet Hall.
"Thanks to him, not only will we be able to dramatically improve our quality of life, public transportation, and our trading routes." A hologram of trains the size of a Divine Beast appeared in the air, moving goods, people, and soldiers from one city to another at blinding speed.
"We will also strengthen our military force and quicken our plans to colonize Jiera." The ground below the trains disappeared, showcasing how they could move over the sea as well.
The nobles gasped as the promo showed mages crossing the ocean that separated the two continents while also carrying everything they needed to build a Continental Gate and a safe haven.
At the same time, colossi made of metal that resembled a hybrid between a jet and a tank escorted the train, shooting down land and sea monsters alike.
The movie continued by showing how once the Continental Gate had been built, the trains would have allowed to deploy troops to occupy magical mines, rebuild cities, and chart unknown territories at the same time.
"Last, but not least, Archmage Verhen offered us the greatest gift of all: the opportunity for a better future for our children." King Meron clapped his hands and one of Lith's communicator amulets appeared in front of each noble.
They had been shaped like smartphones but named Tablets to avoid questions he had no intention to answer.
Despite their small size, the Tablets could project from their green gemstone a hologram of adjustable size that allowed his owner to read books, news, and even conjure GPS maps to reach any destination recorded in the database.
"Thanks to the Tablets, all kinds of knowledge will be available to the four corners of our Kingdom with no burden for our treasuries. No longer will we lose powerful mages simply because they can't afford expensive books.
"Our academies will not be forced anymore to print hundreds of tomes again every time there is a new breakthrough or a corrigendum. News will travel fast, without the risk of vicious rumors destroying the reputation of honest people with false allegations.
"Once the Tablets become widespread, they will make us save a lot of money that will be relocated either to the development of our country or to lower taxes. They will allow us to eradicate ignorance and superstition while also helping us to keep track of our subjects."
A holographic map revealed how the Tablets constantly pinged their position and revealed whatever their user requested access to.
King Meron took a long pause, allowing the satisfied murmurs to spread throughout the Banquet Hall. They had planned the showcase to give every faction something they wanted.
The ancient noble households would benefit the most from the trains and the tax reductions. The modern magical household saw the free access to books as a priceless opportunity to ensure that with time more and more new magical bloodlines would emerge, turning the old coots into a minority.
Both of them would benefit from the new weapons and the colonization of Jiera. A new continent also meant to expand the playfield and reduce the opportunity for attrition between the two factions.
There would be no red tape on Jiera, making it a first come first served basis.
The same reasonings that made the nobles of the Griffon Kingdom grin made the Empress grit her teeth in frustration. She had yet to complete the power cores of the Empire's version of the six great academies and now she had discovered how far she lagged behind.
'Idiot Verhen!' Milea thought. 'Had he come to me, I- Dammit, I couldn't offer him anything more than the Royals!'
For the first time in her life, she cursed the lack of the nobility system in the Empire. Whatever she gave to him it would be taken away the moment Lith died whereas in the Kingdom his family and descendants would inherit everything.
The Empire was still in the process of getting accustomed to living with the other races so even a better quality of life was off the table.
To make matters worse, like most mages, Lith had no interest in politics so making him her right-hand man would have been more a punishment than a prize.
"This truly is amazing." Fyrwal's speaking was the second unprecedented breach of etiquette of the day yet nobody cared.
She was using true magic to cast small elemental arrays that could switch elements at will or even mix them, generating new and unexpected effects.
"Once mastered, this new branch of magic will not just double the power of a spell, but maybe triple it if not even more."
"You are correct, Lady Nyxdra." Since her rudeness played in his hand, Meron could only suck it up and grin. "Alas, all of these amazing developments will have to wait until the end of the war.
"We cannot afford for Thrud's spies to get their hands on such knowledge and use it against us. For this reason, only my beloved Queen, Archmage Verhen, and I are in possession of the blueprints.
Groans and moans filled the air while smiles turned into frowns.
"You have my word that as soon as the Mad Queen is vanquished, the principles behind Void Magic will become available to the public. As for trains and Tablets, however, they will be shared solely with Royal Forgemasters.
"There would be no point in forbidding nobles to have their own army if they can simply craft enchanted weapons of mass destruction. Also, sharing the source code of the Tablets would expose them to tampering that would poison the minds of commoners."
