After the awkward greetings, Hudson entered the castle. His eyes were immediately drawn to the Crystal Magic Lamps that hung on the walls.
The bright light, equivalent to a two-hundred-watt incandescent bulb from his previous life, was much brighter than the candles in his own castle.
Who was spreading rumors that Charles was poor?
Just the few magic lamps in front of him would cost at least a few hundred gold coins. Most nobles would probably follow suit for the sake of face, if it was just this expense.
But the problem was the energy source for the magic lamps, they had to be powered by magic crystals, or demon cores. Hudson wasn't sure how much they would consume, but it would definitely not be cheap.
Not only the magic lamps, but even the dining table and plates were magic items. Once the food was put on them, they could automatically heat and cook it.
Even more amazing was that once the cooking was complete, the plates could even fly to the guests on their own.
Of course, this tested their reflexes. If they didn't catch it in time, there was a high probability of them having an accident.
Just a while ago, two poor sods were too entranced and ended up having close encounters between their heads and flying plates, covering themselves in food.
Undisturbed by the ruckus, everyone was immersed in the wonder of magic. This included Hudson, who hadn't expected magic technology to have advanced this far.
Perhaps feeling that the purpose had been achieved, Charles, the host, walked into the main hall and said, "Welcome everyone to Magic Castle, I hope you all will have a wonderful night.
All the magic items here were created by me. If you're interested, you can order them from the steward.
Don't worry, the prices won't be excessive. Those of you who are attending today's banquet are all old friends of mine, I will certainly give you a discount..."
A perfectly good banquet turned into a product presentation, leaving Hudson speechless. However, it was certain that Knight Charles was not a good salesman.
The nobles had strong purchasing power, but the nobles attending the banquet were a group of minor ones. Even if they had money, they would prefer to expand their weapons.
Indulging in pleasure was, unfortunately, not the treatment the lower nobles should enjoy. They were high above in front of the ordinary people, but in the grand scheme of the world, they were also struggling to survive in a small space.
With the wrong target customers, even a breakdown sale wouldn't achieve the desired results.
If his research was turned around into weapons of war, chances are that there would be a frenzy to acquire them.
Seeing the sudden cold response, Hudson took the opportunity to ask, "Uncle Charles, why don't you start by introducing the consumption of these items?
Demon cores and magic crystals are strategic materials with strict control by the kingdom. If the consumption is too high, we can't afford it."
Affording to purchase but unable to use, was the main reason why magic technology couldn't be widely adopted.
Even the war weapon, the Magic Crystal Cannon, was unable to be popularized due to cost issues.
In the past, there were indeed some promising magic technologies, but due to limitations in their applicability, most of them were short-lived.
If it came to technological content, who could compare with those madmen in the wizard's association? They even separated out a professional career - Alchemist, specially responsible for all sorts of research.
Charles's research results were not too shabby, but they were simply not enough when compared with the alchemists in the wizard's association.
If others didn't make these gadgets, it wasn't because they couldn't make them, but because it was ultimately unnecessary. All these tricks could be done by a high-level mage with a single spell.
Unless Charles could bring down the costs, otherwise, all these inventions would be of no use.
Of course, Charles being able to change his profession to an Alchemist without any magical talent was indeed a small miracle. If this was promoted, it would greatly contribute to the development of the continent's magic alchemy industry.
However, this had nothing to do with Hudson. If Charles's research could release magic, Hudson might be interested.
Everyone has a dream to become a mage, and Hudson was no exception. Even without considering other factors, just from a safety perspective, who would be willing to be a meat shield if they could be a Mage Master!
If you studied military history, the magician regiments were always protected. Even if they lost a battle, they were the first to "strategically relocate".
Sacrificing themselves was not a thing. There was no law that said a mage had to fight to the death. Priests were probably the only ones that could compare to them in that aspect.
"Don't worry, everyone. These things don't require much magic power, just a single lowest-grade Demon Core, or a high-grade crystal can keep a Magic Power Dining Table running for a month, a Magic Lamp lit for a year.
The cost of materials and installation is not high, with only fifteen hundred gold coins you could make four magic lamps and one magic power dining table.
Think about it, wouldn't it be worth it to amaze all your guests with this high-tech at your banquets?
Believe me, the current sale price is definitely the lowest in the entire continent, you won't find a better deal..."
Charles was enthusiastically promoting, but the scene was silent. Nobles cared about prestige, but they were not fools.
Spending a huge sum of fifteen hundred gold coins just to show off? How were they going to survive in the days that follow?
That was just a small part of it, the future maintenance and driving would also be a significant expense. Without around eight hundred gold coins annually, it won't be affordable.
The atmosphere was once again dead. This time Hudson dared not try to liven it up. The Koslow family was small and ordinary, if he dared to promise to order a set, Baron Redman would probably come over to clear house.
No one responded and Charles, whose face had originally been hopeful, gradually cooled down.
Good God, he really didn't overprice this. If it weren't for financial problems in his territory, he wouldn't be having this breakdown sale.
Unfortunately, he wasted his charms on a blind person. Not one of these nobles knew what was good for them.
Ultimately, reason prevailed, and after a begrudging sigh, Charles said, "Alright, the banquet is starting!"
Upon hearing that the banquet was starting, the tense atmosphere in the hall instantly became lively again, as if nothing had happened at all.
What a group of good actors, Hudson of course was no exception. He confidently joined a group of likeminded people and started talking about random topics.
Many of the nobles were there on a summons, and in no time they would all become comrades in arms. It would be good to exchange information and build mutual trust beforehand.
When one was away from home, if they didn't want to be bullied, sticking together was the best choice. If the nobles here united, they would have thousands of troops, even Earl Piers would have to take a second look.