"Hah~ hah~, why did we, hah~, even run this much?"
"You pulled me all the way over here, don't ask me."
Noah looked at Corvin.
"Why aren't you at least a bit tired?"
"This is nothing compared to what your father put me through."
"It's probably because you are a training freak maybe? My dad trains me as well but I am still tired."
"Maybe it's because you are such a disappointment that your father would rather train some random villager properly than his own son?"
"I am an artist okay? I am not supposed to run this much!"
"You know there are war heroes from the past who used the same magic magic as you, right? This empire was built by those people. You really need to train more, and also start learning some music as well."
"Well, I am not a superhuman that can do everything, am I?"
"You are a superhuman, you can use magic, no? Don't be lazy and make your father proud. That's your job and not mine you know? You should be able to, since you can use that magic because you have talent in all art. At least you are supposed to."
"Geh, too much responsibility."
"You are completely hopeless..."
"Don't give up on me so easily!"
*****
"Cough, So Corvin, let's get to the topic."
"Yeah, the engine, right? I don't think we can do much at this point."
"Well, you are right. Currently we have nothing to win over the Flarums to our side. So, while I search for other allies, you should come up with a good idea that will help us. Then using my dad's connections, we will properly be partners with them."
"You are really bad at coming with plans aren't you?"
"Well, we will need a really good bait for them to be willing to share it with us but..."
"...But I will probably come up with that bait in the close future?"
"Exactly!"
"That's not even a plan! This is just going with the flow!"
"No no no, I trust you bro.", said Noah and gave a handsome smile.
"That business smile doesn't work on me."
"Tch."
"Sigh, Okay, I get it. I will come up with a good idea, if I can. You should work on seducing her while I do research, I guess."
"Huh? Why?"
"Because if disaster doesn't strike the Flarums then that's our only other option. You getting married with her. Well, political marriages aren't anything new for nobles."
"Ge-getting married...", muttered Noah and fell into his fantasies in his mind. His face slightly turned red.
"Noah?"
"Hu-huh? What?"
"I know she is pretty and all that, but were you that easy of a guy? Did you already fall in love?", asked Corvin teasingly.
"Shu-shut up, she is just interesting, okay? I am not in love.... yet."
"Yet?"
"Huh? Ack- No-"
"Well, it's better if you like her. I don't want to be lying to possibly our biggest ally in the future."
"Can we stop talking about her? Let's think of a name for our company."
"Okay, okay. Name, name, name~..."
"Ah! What about CCN Group?"
"What?"
"Corvin Clair Noah Group."
"You suck at names."
"Huh? Let's hear your idea then?"
Corvin thought for a while.
"Hmm.... Ah! Novaeta. Isn't it cool?"
"? How?"
"I don't know... Just kind of like a big company name, isn't it."
"Sigh~, What did I expect? Anyways, so? What will be our first product?"
"Nothing for now."
"Eh?"
"Dude, I can't come up with a money making idea suddenly! Who do you think I am?"
"A weird guy who would rather work for a stranger than help his father during his mom's pregnancy..?"
"Ugh... I can't answer that."
"You say you want to change the world yet all you do is pushups and making fun of me. Who is the disappointment here I wonder?"
"I am going to my dorm, dude. See you later."
"Escaping the hard truth? Okay, coward. Don't forget to think of something before bed."
"Okay, I will. Go make some magic stickmen, useless artist!", said Corvin and left without waiting for Noah to answer him.
He racked his brain to come up with an idea while walking back to his dorm.
"Hmm... What can we do?.. Something that will be cheaper than it's magic alternative? Something that will be needed a lot? Huaam~ I will think later. Just sleep Corvy."
At the end, he couldn't think of anything.
*****
"I want to talk with my father about this first. So no, thank you but I won't listen to whatever you have to say. Goodbye then."
And with just that, Clair left the duo on their own.
"Well, that's about what we expected anyways. You thought of an offer?"
"Nah, I was too sleepy."
"What about new weapons? Those sell well. Or clothes?"
"Weapons need good craftsmanship, but cloth... that might work you know! Do you know how to make one?"
"Uuh, no."
"Does anywhere in the margravate have cloth production?"
"Uuh, no. Cotton doesn't grow in the margravate."
"Then we can't do clothes as well."
"Huh? Why?"
"We would need to buy materials to make it, and places that produce the materials already make clothes. We need something that is made a lot in the margravate and go from there."
"Hmm... Ships!"
"Hah?"
"Well, you know Ilkos might not be the biggest trade port, but it is the place where most ships are made."
"Yeah, battleships. Not really something ordinary people buy, is it?"
"Ugh..."
"There are iron mines near Demice and steel is made in the city right?"
"Yeah... Oh yeah!"
"Then, why don't we make the parts for those machines and sell them to the Flarum with a contract? We can make some money to start other business with that."
"Great idea! I will contact my father then."
"We will share the company though, okay?"
"? What are you talking about? It is our money, who are you?"
"Wha-? I came up with the idea!"
"Huh? I don't remember anything like that. Weird."
"You-"
"Okay, I am joking. This company is our's together. Fifty fifty, okay? Well, I think you are going to be the one whose ideas bring money anyways, so it is an investment I guess."
"I think inspiration is coming to me already by the way."
"What is it?"
"I don't know, it didn't come yet. I will need to do research for once."
"Oh, okay. I hope it is something useful."
"I will make it useful."
"We will see..."
"Why are you looking like that? You don't look like someone serious about something at all, so don't try looking like that."
"Huh? I practiced a lot though!"
"Practice on your art instead!"
"You are so boring dude."
"You literally- no I am not going to say it."
"Well, let's slowly go to the class, the break is ending."
*****
A biological magic user was currently in a village far away from Corvin.
They were in an empty building filled with people lying on the ground.
Cough~ Cough~
"This is pretty bad. The whole village is sick, people have started to die. I can't treat them fast enough. Hopefully no one carried the plague to the city, or it will go out of hand really quickly..."
A disaster that marked the beginning of great changes was slowly starting to gain traction.