Realm of Magic and Mechanization: A Baron’s Journey to Empire

In the garden, under the quietness, Anika's heart raced as her trembling left hand held the magic book. Today was the day she would test spell casting, her eyes focused on the important points. Magic came from active elemental energy, using mana as a channel. Mana, the refined form of internal energy, acted as a stabilizing force, allowing mages to tap into chaotic active elemental energy.

Her eyes closed, and her breath was gentle as she inhaled and exhaled. Her body relaxed while her mind wandered, feeling the mana. 'I can feel a significant amount of mana in me. That might be why I could cast a spell last time.'

Now, mana filled her mental space, equivalent to a junior mage as per Sir Erik's book.

To cast a spell, according to the book, there should be a ring in the mental space to harmonize and amplify the spell. One ring at the junior mage level, with each level adding another ring. At higher levels, the ring could materialize outside with white light glowing, assisting in fighting.

She carefully mobilized the mana into a ring shape, visualizing mana as a glowing thread, woven into a circular ring within her mind space. After countless failed attempts, she succeeded, and the ring quietly surrounded her mental space with mental power in the middle.

Her body trembled with excitement at the thought of becoming a mage. She had experienced the helplessness and anger of being weak, fighting magical beasts, and facing unpredictable weather with looming threats. Her dream was to fight and defend herself from possible dangers. While other magicians aspired to climb higher levels and dig deeper into magical knowledge, she simply aspired to live a happy life without worry.

Wiping sweat from her forehead with her left hand, she sat cross-legged. Forming the ring had depleted her mana. She breathed in and out as tiny strands of active elemental energy flowed into her mental space, refining as they passed through the ring and turning into gentle mana. As time passed, her mental space began to fill up.

After a while, she took the book, flipping through it until she found the foundation spells and chose the fireball. According to the instructions, she needed to construct the spell diagram in her mental space, channel mana into it, let it flow through the ring to amplify it, and then attune with the active elemental energy outside to materialize the spell. Bang. That was it.

But without magical knowledge regarding the spell, it was like a chicken cluelessly walking into fire since active elemental energy was inherently chaotic and sometimes backlash could be fatal.

She took a deep breath, mobilized her mana, and turned it into a pen to carefully write the diagram. As she almost completed it, her body trembled with excitement, and it crumbled. Immediately, she grabbed her head with both hands, her face twisted in agony.

"Ahahahah!!!"

After a while, sweating, her expression softened as the pain lessened. 'Calm down!' she thought. She began her second attempt, determined not to be discouraged. After countless failed attempts, she succeeded, with visible sweat and her mind clouded with fatigue, yearning for sleep.

She staggered to a corner with bare land and immediately channeled her mana into the diagram. It glowed red and transmitted the mana through the ring, rippling the surrounding active fire elemental energy.

Her breathing labored as she reached the final step. The spell materialized invisibly, commanding active fire elements to gather, forming a small sphere the size of half a tennis ball. She heard cracking sounds and felt heat blowing on her face. Realizing she couldn't delay, she commanded it. It flew about 10 meters and exploded with a deafening bang, leaving rubble and smoke.

Anika couldn't help but smile. Although the fireball was smaller than what the book described, she had finally become a mage, and casting spells was no longer a distant dream. 'If only I had a staff,' she thought with a smug look. 'This wall would be smashed by me.'

Approaching closer, she noticed a hole the size from her elbow to her fingers. She imagined the impact, seeing rubble around it and smelling the burn of vegetation. The wall remained stable.

Anika knew that to cast level one advanced spells, the assistance of the magic net was required, which Sir Erik called the regulator of ley lines in Atheron, or more, as even he didn't know. Then hurried footsteps reached her ears.

"Assassin! Hurry everyone. How dare he enter the castle!"

The knights, swords in hand, sprinted faster and arrived at the garden.

"Where is the assassin?" The head knight scanned the area, confused why they acted like children. "What good does it do to alarm everyone? But we can't make mistakes. This is my lord's castle, and it's our responsibility to defend and honor it as knights."

"Sir, the assassin..."

"What assassin? Almighty dues! Have you turned into dogs and cannot speak?"

"Sir, she is..."

The knight stared at Anika's back and immediately realized their mistake, causing a commotion for nothing. The head knight turned and widened his eyes.

"What happened? Where is the assassin?"

Anika panicked and scanned the surroundings. Later, she said, "Oh! You may have mistaken my spell. That was a fireball spell I just mastered and tried. Look there, have you noticed the rubble? That's what my spell damaged. You don't have to worry; there is no assassin."

"Thank you, Miss Anika. We thought an assassin had come to harm the castle. We are sorry for disturbing you. Are you a magician now, Miss?"

"Yes."

"That's a blessing for my lord. We won't waste your time. We'll go now."

The head knight's face flushed with relief. With a swift command, they walked away.

Anika shook her head and smiled, continuing her study of magic.

---

In the room, with occasional clanking sounds, the craftsmen carefully poured the fluid into the mold. After heating the sand into a fluid form using the new method, they hoped this time wouldn't result in fragments, which would be disastrous.

They were hired by Wood with the promise of a job that could push their skills to new heights, far better than being farmers for the rest of their lives.

Everyone watched as the glass cooled down, breathing heavily. The glass took shape with a ticking sound as it stabilized. The glass formed into a cup with cracks around it, but this was a big breakthrough compared to the fragments from last time. They almost thought their lord was hallucinating and that glass couldn't be artificially made, only found in nature.

Everyone sighed in relief, sweating and emotional, finally seeing what their lord called glass.

Arvind slapped Wood's shoulder with excitement. "Glass! It's not just my hypothesis anymore. Glass can be made in Atheron, which means Earth technology can be too. This! This! Who will be able to stop me now?"

With this glass, noble ladies would become their fans. He remembered a quote from his previous life: "There is no big money other than from girls, especially noble ladies." Their husbands, being traditional, hoarded gold coins. What a waste. Let us use this to elevate Atheron to new heights.

In a world where magic and technology harmonize, that would be fantastic. Turning to the excited craftsmen, he said:

"Everyone, first of all, I have to congratulate you all. We've made glass, which was once a myth believed to be only natural. We've achieved a legendary feat, breaking norms and showing the world how intelligent we humans are. With our will, we can make everything... now let's fix the crack issue."

Everyone's eyes glistened with tears and excitement. Some wiped their eyes in disbelief, unable to fathom how people like them could make something that was supposed to be the work of Mother Earth and the gods. After calming down, they nodded and, with newfound determination, resumed their work.

As they busied themselves with fixing the cracks, they became more adept with the tools, recollecting every step and listing everything, with Arvind teaching and guiding them. They tried various concentrations and temperatures to find glass that didn't crack.

Time flowed quickly as they worked for five days. Fixing the cracks proved more challenging than expected. Arvind's fiery eyes glanced at the red fluid cooling in the mold. After a while, he grabbed the cup and inspected it. The glass was perfect without cracks, even though it wasn't like the glass from his previous life. The corners were sharp, and some thicknesses were uneven, but it was a breakthrough. Maximizing profit meant selling better generations next time.

Seeing everyone glancing at the glass with eager eyes, waiting for his verdict, he softened his gaze and said, "Everyone, this is the glass we need. Cheer, cheer!"

The craftsmen's hands trembled with excitement. They hugged each other, some wiping tears of happiness. They had finally made it and didn't disappoint their lord.

Arvind smiled, happy to see them like this. He knew how much pressure they had endured. Some had collapsed and whispered to their fellows that this was beyond their ability, but with firm will, they made it. Arvind opened his shirt, letting the cold wind cool his chest, and said, "Since we have made glass, you need to become more skilled at producing this kind of glass. Also, try making bottles, containers, and mirrors."

He took the paper and showed them. The craftsmen approached, and one said, "No problem, my lord. Leave it all to us. With you leading the way, we will succeed... My lord, you are a genius! As far as I know, no one has been able to make glass like this."

Arvind waved his hand to interrupt him. He wasn't that profound; he simply utilized scientific knowledge. He said, "Okay, Field, I appoint you as the leader of the craftsmen's group. Keep the spirit, and the others shouldn't be disappointed. Your turn will come."

Seeing some of them disappointed while envious of Field's excitement, Arvind shook his head and sighed. Being a leader means inspiring and mobilizing the team. He nodded at Wood and then walked out.

The breeze blew past him, cooling and clearing his mind. As they walked on the road, he said to Wood, "Wood, what you need to do now is recruit workers and train them. We have to produce more glass products so that when Faelan comes, we can sell them. Oh yes, the glass-making will be registered at the Department of Commerce and Trade under the name 'Arvind Glassworks.' You understand my expectations, right?"

"Yes, my lord. I will keep that in mind, even in my sleep." Wood nodded and wrote down everything Arvind said.

Arvind nodded with a smile, thinking, "What an energetic noble I am." But his expectations were not just for show. He had great ambitions for the company to become influential globally, synonymous with advanced technologies, and for his name to resonate throughout Atheron. What achievements await!

Hahaha!

It might be arrogant to use his own name, but so what? Many nobles used their names shamelessly, fearing others wouldn't know their glory. But he wasn't one of them. Even a bird can dream of building a nest, so why shouldn't he dream of founding an influential company?

---

During this period, Ravengarde didn't stagnate. The road to the river village advanced quickly and was almost completed, with the road to the two baronies not far behind. The high bush site now had log poles and piles of wood, with workers laboring like bees. Although only 40% complete, it began shaping into administrative, academy, and research buildings.

Shankar's loan incentives started impacting more people across every corner of Ravengarde. Younger farmers, hunters, and many others began to question their current status as they saw their friends' success and happiness. Who would want to remain stagnant when they had the opportunity to rise? Even pigs could fly under a strong wind.

A serf came back from the field, exhausted and sweaty. He put down his hoe and, seeing his wife cooking, smiled. He looked around and said, "Where is that troublemaker? Has he eaten anything? Do you know I couldn't even lift my head today? 'Your son became a toy merchant,' they said to me, and I just laughed. Mother Earth, what a shame. Come out here and let me show you how you turned into a chicken head. Hmm..."

"You too, why so much scolding as if the whole world has crumbled? Is face worth more than your son? He is your son, and seeing others' success is why he wants to be. It's not wrong. After all, it's my lord who gave the incentive to become a merchant. What if our son is blessed by Mother Earth and succeeds?" his wife said while cooking.

An hour later, as they gathered and began eating, the serf father noticed his son missing and looked at his elder son. Shortly after, his younger son came in with his eyes downcast.

"Eat or even becoming a merchant is a dream. Listen, you see we have always been farmers from your grand uncle's generation. What you have to do is reclaim land, marry a wife, have a baby, and that's it. Leave the dream of becoming a merchant. See us, we are ordinary, and what if you fail? How will we help you with our fragile hands?"

"No, I will succeed. How do you know I'll fail without trying? I know you, Mom, and my brother and sister have difficulties. That's why I want to be a merchant, to get money and help you all."

The younger serf stared firmly at his father. The others also looked at their father, winking at him.

Their father looked at everyone and then at his younger son. His heart softened, trying to comfort himself. Since it was my lord's incentive, he wouldn't let them suffer.

"What can I say? Okay, you win..."

As his son heard, he trembled with excitement, left the food immediately, and walked outside, shouting loudly as he released his pent-up grievance, tears flowing like rain.

---

In the dense canopy of trees, with the rustle of leaves, a dozen alpha wolves gathered. The leader, a level 2 alpha wolf, stood in the middle, glancing ahead. With his paw, he pointed toward their prey and then toward Ravengarde. The other alphas nodded, their eyes glinting red.

"How dare the stupid red bird disturb our hunt, and that long snake. Anyone who challenges me will face my cunning," the leader alpha thought.

There was no other way than to eliminate the threat-level magical beasts. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to feed their cubs, and they would starve. But with his leadership, they would become high-level magical beasts. With yearning eyes, he looked ahead, knowing from his memory that there were magical creatures as intelligent and strong as the two-legged monsters called high-level magical beasts.

With his paw, they lunged ahead. Birds flew away, and roars and agony filled the forest as the wolves hunted the magical beasts. Elemental energy became turbulent as the pack launched air, fire, and ice energy, fighting the magical beasts.

As the elemental turbulence spread, it alarmed the magical beasts, causing panic and unsettling them. With wolves chasing behind, some fled into Ravengarde, while others went deeper into the Warcraft forest. Giant boars with their families crashed through trees in panic, elemental foxes, big birds, and many magical beasts migrated to Ravengarde.

Meanwhile, venomous basilisks hissed angrily at the alpha wolf group. "How dare these four-legged ants, who rely on their packs, confront nobles like us." They sprayed venom, which the alpha wolves dodged, their eyes widening as the venom corroded the trees instantly.

With a command, the alpha wolves lunged forward. The basilisks were not to be underestimated. As the fight continued, trees fell, venom sizzled, ice formed, and some wolves were injured. Despite their numbers, the basilisks gained the upper hand. The leader basilisk mocked the alpha wolf with a hiss.

The alpha wolf snarled, his eyes red and fur raised. He glanced at his injured teammates and then at the basilisks without losing momentum. After a while, the wolves regrouped, realizing the situation had worsened. The basilisk leader eyed his group and fled.

Seeing them flee, the other alpha wolves wanted to chase but were stopped by the alpha wolf. His red eyes glared in the direction of the basilisk's escape before turning back with his pack.

To be continued...