Traveling through the sprawling city of Stormwind took hours, albeit enjoyable hours. There were faster methods of travel than walking, like horses and flying creatures like Gryphons, but with finances and time both not being an issue, Ainz and Buku could act like tourists and savor the city's charm and nuances. After spending decades in a bleak, polluted world, spending time outside with a crystalline clear-blue sky and inhaling air as crisp and invigorating as a mountain breeze was an adventure on its own.
Ainz had ordered shades to form a perimeter around them and ensure no spies got too close. Yet, no prying eyes dared to approach, leaving the pair free to immerse themselves in the city's vibrant offerings. Today they sampled street food, casual clothing, and a lot of books across the city, wandering all over. In fact, the shopkeeper almost choked on his tea when they purchased over one hundred books on various topics, spending about forty gold on the massive purchase before shrieking to his assistant that they're getting a bonus after recommending the duo to purchase much of the pile.
The money pouch was getting lighter by the hour, but there surely would be methods to replenish it, including using Yggdrasil coins if necessary. It was easy to justify the book purchase as a lot were useful manuals and more up-to-date sources of political climate and geography, plus any spy worth their salt would have used their own intelligence networks instead of purchasing public, easily manipulatable materials, making them just seem like extra-interested tourists. As it turned out, there were a lot of scholars investigating the world and most of them were found in Ironforge, the city they planned to visit next.
The locals had spoken of the tram that connected Stormwind to Ironforge, an engineering marvel crafted by the ingenious dwarves and brilliant gnomes . How they achieved such a technological marvel, none could tell, but there was a chance Ainz and Buku would find out more at the other end of the trip. Such transportation methods also spoke loudly about the mutual trust between humans, dwarves, and gnomes, as it could be used to bypass the city defenses should one side decide to attack the other, even if it majorly boosted commerce and travel of information for all parties involved.
As the sun began its descent, casting a golden glow over the city, slowly but surely Ainz and Buku made their way toward the dwarven district, where the tram entrance awaited. What separated this part of the city from the rest was the heavy air and the thick, billowing smoke coming out of chimneys, polluting the air. Rows upon rows of blacksmithing forges roared with fiery intensity, engineering workshops and repair shops littering this district as metal, coal, and wood shuffled throughout.
"Almost reminds me of our old home," Ainz remarked, his eyes scanning the dwarven district with a mix of nostalgia and awe as he compared it to old Earth.
"There has to be a better way for technological advancement than this," Buku muttered, wrinkling her nose at the acrid air. "Imagine if magical energies powered these machines instead of regular fuels. Spells could be used to cleanse the air."
"And there is!" interrupted a voice, shrill as a chiming bell through the cacophony of the place. A figure, barely a meter tall man, emerged from one of the engineering shops, his graying green hair a wild, mossy bush. His blue overalls were covered in purple smudges of who knew what, and the goggles on his eyes periodically emitted blue sparkles. This incredibly short stature made both of them immediately reconsider what this individual's race was - gnome.
The gnomes were the shortest race among the alliance members, with adults only reaching eighty centimeters to a meter height and children barely half of that. This small race compensated for their physical shortcomings with unrivaled intellect and ingenuity and thus were regarded as some of the best craftsmen across the land.
Before the stunned pair could respond, the gnome continued with exuberance, his voice rising with uncontainable enthusiasm. "Icuzz Pipegear, engineer extraordinaire at your service!" he proclaimed, eagerly reaching his small hand up to shake theirs.
"I am working on a device that will solve the pollution problem! Behold, the blueprint of Depollutifier 6000! I originally started to work on this device to clean up Gnomeregan. I'm sure you have heard of the tragedy that befell my beloved home." Icuzz announced, his eyes sparkling with pride. He unrolled a blueprint as tall as himself, its width almost comically excessive for him to hold it properly as he just barely managed to present it.
"It's all great but what does it have to do with us?" Ainz asked, raising an eyebrow with a mix of curiosity and amusement. The blueprint sprawled before them was a dizzying array of lines and symbols. It looked like complete gibberish. Ainz suspected he wouldn't understand a thing even with translation glasses on, given how much jargon he knew could be used among those in a specialized field from his previous job.
"Sponsors! You see, to build such a device, I need wise investors like you. We will install this device in every home and workshop, making the air pristine and clear. Imagine the profits!" The gnome's eyes gleamed with the fervor of a visionary, his words tumbling out in an irresistible sales pitch.
{ Fifty, fifty the guy is a wackjob or he's trying to scam us. } Buku took a cautious step back from the gnome, her instincts prickling with doubt as her fingers shifted for her blades.
{ I know. Best if we just walk away. But if he has the means to build something like that and only needs funds, we might miss out. } Ainz commented. "That is all very interesting…"
"Come inside my shop. Let's discuss the details! I wouldn't want to leave sponsors in the dark about nitty-gritty details," the gnome urged, beckoning them to follow.
{ God! I hate FOMO, but you have a point. I just hope we can see through his bullshit. If he's just fucking with us he will regret it. We want to prevent this world from going to shit and you said gnomes can build all kinds of sci-fi stuff. } Buku reluctantly agreed.
To at least get more details, they followed the man inside, bending greatly to enter the store. The cramped space was filled with all sorts of gadgets that constantly blinked and whirred, some giving off light or sparkles, some buzzing and shaking, some others doing who knew what.
Behind the counter stood a gnome woman with a few streaks of white through her bright pink hair ruffling through a book. Her eyes widened as she broke into a smile. "Clients!"
What followed was practically straight out of a horror movie. Heads started popping up from everywhere: from behind the devices, from the door leading further in, from the stairs leading to the second floor.
"Clients!" "Clients!" "Clients!" They shouted over one another, crawling out of their hiding spaces like a swarm of cockroaches as they approached the trio.
"Kids! Behave, let your father handle it!" The woman behind the counter shouted. "Sorry for these little ones, they're always eager to show off their inventions. Gotta start 'em young, you see."
Buku took a closer look at the swarm of gnomes, peering downwards. All of them had either green or pink hair and similar faces, whether boy or girl. It was hard to tell how old they were since she had no knowledge of gnome life spans or development phases, but they were decently cute, "Oh, so this is a family business?"
"It is. You have to keep it in the family. But don't let me distract you any longer. Icuzz, show them what they need." The woman behind the counter ordered the older gnome man as she put away the book, likely the woman's husband.
"Ahm, yes. So currently, I only have a plan but with a small investment, I could perfect a prototype." Icuzz continued.
Ainz, ever the skeptic, pressed on, "How do you know it would work?"
Icuzz gestured to a humming machine by the small window, "We have a simpler version right here. As you may have noticed, it freshens up the air. It siphons away the stale and replaces it with something akin to a mountain breeze. Twelve people living in a cramped space tend to make the air heavy."
Buku curiously sniffed the air. The gnome was right, the air felt surprisingly fresh for an indoor space filled with all sorts of metallic junk and who knew what types of machinery. She inhaled deeply, a contented sigh escaping her lips, "Sold!"
Ainz, however, was not so easily swayed, pressing onwards, "What about the energy requirements? What is running this device?"
"This model runs on good old oil," the gnome replied, giving the device an affectionate slap that made it hum louder in response, like a contented cat. "But if resources permit, I want to also try using arcane cores."
"I see. These arcane cores run on magical energy I suppose. Wouldn't magic poisoning be a problem?" He asked a follow-up question, interested in how the gnome would continue. Perhaps it would be viable to invest in this family business to jumpstart the sanitation revolution, for the air at least.
"Magical poisoning…" Icuzz echoed, snatching the nearest notebook from the counter, he furiously scribbled down notes while mumbling calculations, "Power squared… over area… and time… leylines…" as if deciphering a complex spell, almost none of which Ainz understood.
Buku, meanwhile, was approached by one of the gnome girls with a large glass filled with a bright red liquid, in her hands. "Would you like a refreshing drink, miss?" she inquired, her eyes shining with friendly curiosity.
"Sure, what is it?" Buku replied, accepting the glass and peering into its depths, noting the somewhat artificial-looking color.
"Strawberry juice with sugar." The girl replied with a cheerful nod.
Buku took a cautious sip, bracing for an odd flavor. At worst, she would take a sip of something foul-tasting, albeit probably well-intentioned, so there was no need to worry too much. As weird as the gnome family looked, they didn't seem to be malicious. But as the juice touched her tongue, its sweetness bloomed like a sun-warmed strawberry plucked fresh from the vine, enticing her for more.
"Not bad," Buku admitted, savoring the drink's refreshing taste as she continued drinking.
"But it can be so much better. Behold, the Carbonator 3000!" The girl exclaimed with a similar flair to her father and pointed a weapon at the glass.
"W-wait!" Buku's eyes widened as a blue beam shot from the device, hitting the glass. The once-still reddish liquid began to fizz with bubbles, in all the familiar manner of the soft drinks Buku used to indulge in back on earth.
"Did you just carbonize the drink with a goddamn gun?" Buku raised her voice, a mix of disbelief and astonishment coloring her words as she lifted the solution for closer inspection.
"Yes ma'am! The best party gun you'll ever find, and it comes with these easy-to-change liquid carbon cartridges!" The girl declared, snapping to a proud salute, and then presented the device to Buku.
"Why… a gun?" She asked, staring down at the girl who was all smiles, clearly proud of her invention. Her thoughts raced: 'These people are lunatics - genius lunatics at that. I dread the day they figure out how to make nukes. They'll do something stupid like power vacuum cleaners with them and then sell to everyone.' Buku shuddered at the thought, imagining a world even worse than her previous. Nuclear bombs had already done enough.
"Because it's fun! One aim and BAM! The drink tastes better." The girl replied, completely ignoring Buku's incredulous stare as she confessed to using wartime weaponry for ludicrously silly recreational purposes.
"My husband and I plan to travel… I won't have much time to party. But best of luck selling… your wonderful invention." Buku offered a weak smile in return.
Seizing the opportunity, Buku moved closer to Ainz, who silently stood and waited for the gnome to finish his calculations.
{ Hundred gold says this race will destroy the world by accident one day. } Buku proposed with a wry, morbid bet.
{ I wouldn't be too surprised. But if they can fix the problems humans have on Earth then they should be receptive to being guided and controlled, therefore preventing the problem in the first place. } Ainz replied as he curiously watched Icuzz scribble notes on page after page.
{ Gathering them all will be a pain. } Buku remarked.
{ As I understand, there aren't that many left anymore. Most died a few years ago when their capital was invaded by some sort of subterranean species, meaning the few remaining are in tight-knit communities. } Ainz knew that the ingenious race had suffered heavy losses during the Third War and now the majority lived in Ironforge and Stormwind, scattered around in small groups.
There were sparse details on what had exactly happened to the gnome capital city Gnomeregan given that most had perished trying to escape it, but the palace was now too toxic to be inhabited by most species; the air itself rotting the skin and eroding the mind, with the remaining population of the city that somehow survived the destruction having turned into creatures called 'leper gnomes' that had lost any form of their previous intelligence and sanity.
{ What sort of death world have we ended up in? Then there's probably something nasty lurking in the ocean as well. } Buku remarked.
{ As far as I know, there was no mention of anything intelligent living in the ocean. There are various sea monsters though. }
"Arcane cores are safe to use, but I have another brilliant idea: a magical residue collector!" Icuzz announced just as their conversation finished.
"Let's keep things to one project at a time. How much would it cost to build a prototype air-cleaning device and how much money would it require?" Ainz inquired. For now, it was easy to play the role of an investor, but once a foothold was established, gnomes would likely require oversight considering their ambitions for more technology.
"About five gold should be more than enough, and if I can acquire all the materials, less than a month." The gnome fixed his goggles with a classic salesman smile.
"In that case, I will sponsor this invention, but I will ask for a written contract and exclusive rights on the device." Ainz offered, crafting a rather unscrupulous deal. He may have been a simple salaryman, but even a man like him knew a thing or two about bargains and how to twist them in his favor. With billions of gold in his inventory, using a few of them wasn't a big deal, especially since he and Buku had agreed they could spend it.
"Deal. You provide the money and I'll do the inventing. Best partnership there is." Icuzz extended his hand upwards for a handshake which Ainz accepted, shaking on it as Buku accepted another glass of fruit-flavored drinks from another child.
The crafty gnome quickly wrote a contract, which Ainz carefully read with the help of translation glasses. He didn't find any loopholes or hidden clauses, but he noted that the gnome had added a small salary fee of five silver per week, understandable given the need to feed his large family. Once both parties signed, Ainz covertly pulled out a handful of coins from his inventory and placed ten on the table, sliding it over.
"These are real gold, and you should have no trouble exchanging them for local currency. In the spirit of fairness, I added a few more in case you get an unfavorable rate and to cover wages for a while," Ainz explained.
Icuzz picked one up, fishing a small device from the front pocket of his overalls to scan the coin before replying a few moments later. "Yup, pure gold. Pleasure doing business, partner!"
"We'll be back in a month to check on your progress. I think we should go, otherwise we might miss the last tram to Ironforge," Buku urged. While it was true that they had little time left, she also wanted to escape the shop before other even more strange devices were pushed into her face.
To her relief, Ainz agreed, and they were on their way mere moments later, a few gold coins lighter. And now they knew Yggdrasil gold coins were confirmed to be able to be exchanged as pure gold, and they had no effective shortage of the stuff.
"Let's see if this investment pays off. He did seem eager to build the thing and likely knows how to do it." Ainz expressed his hopes for the gnome's success.
"Hopefully. If that part of the city is like this already, it's only a matter of time before we'll need protective suits and breathing masks again." Buku nodded in agreement, sighing.
"Are you sure taking money from those people was a good idea? I have a bad feeling about them," Fenke asked her husband when the human couple left the shop.
"Stop worrying, we finally have funds for the device. You know I want to show the little ones our home one day." Icuzz retorted as he safely put the coin away in the portable safe that was no larger than a regular wallet but could hold around a hundred kilos of gold within thanks to spatial magics.
This brilliant carrying device was invented by his cousin and he had the privilege to be one of the first testers. As far as gnome technology went, the vast majority of inventions didn't have widespread use since most were concerned with inventing things a lot more than finding proper avenues to spread their inventions through the world, but family had to be fed and bills had to be paid.
Fenke groaned and pulled a small cubelike device with a lightbulb on the top from under the counter and pushed it towards her husband. The bulb was rapidly flickering with a red light. "Illusion detector is off the charts. If the money wasn't fake then they most certainly were."
"Hmm… are you sure it's not just malfunctioning? I haven't seen it flicker like this." Icuzz remarked as he tapped the bulb their kids were watching, spectating their interaction silently and running their own devices while analyzing the air and the magical residue left behind.
"Pops I think I know why that tall man was worried about magic poisoning. Look, he radiates seventy times more energy than pure unprotected arcane core! That's more than I picked up in the arcanum conference during the demonstration." Their oldest son, Monbink, declared while swinging around a stick with a dial on the other end, a personal invention of his.
While most magic was easily detectable, the subtle traces of residue were a lot more hidden, only noticeable by special arcane triggers that picked up only the faintest of traces. Considering the dangers any new type of energy posed, each gnome inventor was tough in thoroughly testing everything before any sort of mass production was done.
"Will you all give it a rest? We have funds to live off for two months thanks to our investors." Icuzz shut down the concerns. "At worst, I'll just lose the rights to Depollutifier 6000."
Unscrupulous investors weren't a rarity, and that's why he had put the clause in the contract that Ainz would own rights to just one invention and, should their partnership fall apart, he could walk away without any problems whatsoever, and should the human try to strongarm him into a more unfavorable deal, the engineering guild would come to his help.
His current concern was thus to procure all the necessary materials to create the device, and that was all he would fixate on for now. A deal had to be upheld by both ends after all.
Edited by NabeisWaifu and aidan_lo.
Proofreading by aidan_lo, IAMTHEPLOKOKIOPO, Malguis, miraculous-trash, fvvck, Ainz-sama
Link my discord server (https://discord.gg/WmGKVU3XG2)