Fundamentally, in this magical world, magic may seem intricate, but there are three essential requirements to becoming a competent mage.
Firstly, of course, there are the spells. This is the simplest aspect—provided you become a disciple of a mage, you will inevitably learn at least a few, even if just the most basic of low-level incantations.
For Duwei, however, the other two conditions are key: innate magical talent and sensitivity to magic.
Magic is essentially mental power. Both Duwei and Solskjaer belong to a specific category: they possess a natural aptitude for magic, with a mental strength far superior to that of ordinary people.
However, they both lack the sensitivity to magic—a major flaw that has previously prevented them from becoming true mages.
Now, however, this flaw has, in theory, been overcome by Solskjaer. Through his mastery of alchemy, he has learned to create artificial magical elements of all kinds, and by increasing the concentration of magical energy in the surrounding environment, even those with weak sensitivity can use magic—though only at its most basic level. Nevertheless, from a theoretical standpoint, this challenge has been conquered.
So now, Solskjaer's research is focused on another front!
Magical power! That is, mental energy!
Duwei and Solskjaer both belong to the group that possesses magical power but lacks sensitivity to it.
Naturally, there is a large group of people who are the opposite: those with keen sensitivity to magic but without the innate magical talent!
Now that magical elements can be artificially created... what if there was a way to enhance magical power artificially?
What consequences might that have?
Every time Duwei and Solskjaer considered this, their excitement was almost overwhelming!
If both the issues of sensitivity and magical power could be resolved, it would mark the end of an era dominated by powerful mages!
If you have magical power but lack sensitivity, we could provide you with enough magical elements! You would be able to use low-level magic—at least become a low-level mage!
If you have sensitivity but no magical power, we could enhance your magical energy! You would also be able to wield low-level magic! At the very least, you could become a low-level mage!
Even… if someone is an ordinary person, with neither magical power nor sensitivity, it wouldn't matter! We could compensate for both shortcomings with artificial means!
Should Solskjaer's research succeed, Duwei believed it would be a revolutionary breakthrough!
Anyone could become a mage!
It was this monumental goal that motivated Duwei to spare no expense in supporting Solskjaer's experiments, despite the financial strain. He had already poured thousands of gold coins into the project, and, given the right conditions, he had no qualms about investing tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands more!
If an artificial method of enhancing magical power could indeed be developed…
Duwei occasionally found himself daydreaming:
Gather three to five thousand soldiers! Give each one a vial of magical power-enhancing elixir, along with enough magical elements… then, these three to five thousand soldiers would all be mages!
Even if they were only the most basic mages… this would be a force capable of altering the course of history on the continent!
A magical army of three to five thousand mages!
Moreover, if production levels could keep up… forget three to five thousand—an army of thirty to fifty thousand mages would theoretically be possible!
Just the thought of it sent waves of excitement through Duwei!
However, despite Solskjaer's relentless work, to the point of exhaustion, barely sleeping five hours a night, progress had been almost nonexistent.
Duwei had considered stimulants, after all, magic was essentially mental power. He wondered if a stimulant, like those from his past life, could excite the mind and, in turn, boost mental power.
Solskjaer had thoughtfully considered this possibility, only to immediately reject it.
"There are plenty of things that can excite the mind. For example, I know of a substance from the frozen forests of the north called 'Frost Berries.' Consuming it causes extreme mental stimulation, and if taken in excess, it can even induce hallucinations—making one feel almost divine. I've heard many nobles enjoy using them in… private gatherings, as a mood enhancer."
Duwei's eyes lit up... Was this the equivalent of a party drug? It seemed no matter how the world changed, the lives of the wealthy remained decadent and absurd.
"However, these mind-stimulating substances are limited in their effects. They can increase mental excitement, but they don't actually enhance the total amount of mental energy a person possesses. The amount of mental energy required to cast magic far exceeds what an average person can muster. These stimulants are far from adequate. I've calculated that, to make a stimulant potent enough for a person to wield magic… it would require…"
"Unless…" Solskjaer chuckled bitterly. "Unless you consume a hundred barrels of Frost Berries. But as it turns out, no one can survive that. Even a single plateful of Frost Berries can be fatal if consumed in excess, causing the heart to stop. Only a dragon could survive the effects of a hundred barrels... but if we found a dragon, its magical abilities would already be so powerful, it wouldn't need any artificial methods to become a mage!"
Duwei pondered this, then clapped Solskjaer on the back, whose eyes were bloodshot from sleeplessness. "The future is bright! The road ahead is long and hard! I believe in you—keep pushing forward!"
With that, Duwei cheerfully clapped his hands and left Solskjaer to deal with the problem.
Duwei wasn't in a hurry. Not at all.
Although he had been practicing "Stellar Magic" for some time, he still hadn't overcome the first hurdle, unable to sense any celestial power. However, the meditation and incantations Semele had taught him were significantly enhancing his own mental power each night.
At present, there seemed to be no urgent need for him to master any grand magical feats.
He was a nobleman, well-fed and well-clothed, with a retinue of servants at his disposal. Through his monopoly on the Roland Plains' betting industry, Duwei had plenty of gold in hand.
What did he have to worry about?
Oh… perhaps there was a small matter.
Behind the castle, there had once been a large farm producing enough grain, vegetables, and fruit to supply the castle's needs and to sell for profit.
Duwei had requisitioned an abandoned warehouse beside this farm, and now, he visited this place every day.
The substance Solskjaer had created, known as "fire yao," was currently undergoing intense experimentation.
Duwei had spent money to buy various materials and had even hired craftsmen—carpenters, sculptors, blacksmiths, and a tailor—along with several servants from the castle, forming Duwei's fireworks development team.
After obtaining fire yao, Duwei's first thought was that this could definitely be used to create fireworks for profit! The world didn't need fire yao for weapons; any low-level mage could cast fireballs with power comparable to a single-man rocket launcher.
Even non-mages—warriors with internal energy—could project wind blades and similar techniques…
Under these circumstances, Duwei believed that his best bet was to produce some crude cannons, but that would hardly be of any use.
On the other hand, making fireworks seemed much more practical!Grateful for the experiences of his past life, Duwei recalled his childhood in a rural village. In those days, he had witnessed the humble workshops that produced fireworks and firecrackers. He had even managed, using a few rolls of newspaper and a small amount of fire yao, to fashion a crude firecracker himself! Though rough, it was undoubtedly loud enough to make an impact!
In front of the craftsmen, Duwei demonstrated his skill, immediately astonishing them with his ingenuity! Once they confirmed that he was not performing magic, Duwei explained the role of the yellow powder and then presented his own set of requirements.
Duwei wasn't particularly interested in making earth-shaking firecrackers; his true desire was to create beautiful fireworks.
After all, what are fireworks but bursts of vibrant, colorful flames once ignited?
With fire yao at hand, there were no real technical challenges. If such things could be made in the rural workshops of his past life, Duwei had no doubt he could replicate them here.
Though he didn't fully understand the intricacies of firework colors, Duwei knew from the field of alchemy in this world that certain substances, when burned, emitted different hues of flame. With the right mixture of fire yao, this would be easily achievable.
The craftsmen, not foolish by any means, quickly grasped the principles behind the process. Before long, they had created a far more exquisite product than Duwei's crude firecracker. Once lit, it made a spectacular sound and spectacle!
Soon, fireworks were being produced. Duwei's crowning achievement was a wooden sculpture of a goddess crafted by a sculptor he had hired. The goddess, holding a water vessel, would, upon ignition, release four distinct colors of flames from the mouth of the vessel.
In this era, such an item was nothing short of a miracle! The crowd, mesmerized by the spectacle, could hardly believe their eyes! Even the craftsmen and the sculptor themselves knelt in reverence before the dazzling scene, chanting praises to the great Goddess of Light, convinced this was a divine miracle!
Duwei promptly slapped his forehead and named this creation "The Forgiveness of the Dawn Goddess."
After borrowing the name of the Golden Saint of Aquarius from Saint Seiya, Duwei still wasn't satisfied!
After all, the "Forgiveness of the Dawn Goddess" was rather small in size, and the fireworks it produced were only as tall as a person.
If he was going to do this, he was going to make it grand!
Duwei envisioned creating something like the grand fireworks displays that marked National Day in his previous life—one where the shell was shot into the sky, bursting in a glorious explosion that spread fireworks in every direction! That kind of scene was truly exhilarating!
In comparison, this "Dawn Goddess" was nothing more than a child's toy.
But this was the real challenge!
Duwei spent hours trying to explain to the craftsmen how to launch fireworks into the sky. After much thought, he realized that, in creating the fireworks, they had already crossed into the domain of "artillery"! It was no longer a simple firework but a "cannon" that was being discussed!
He couldn't explain the principles of fire yao's explosive power, its projection mechanism, or the recoil. In the end, one brave craftsman tried, but after overloading the fire yao, a small-scale explosion occurred, injuring two people (though the injuries were not severe, and they recovered after a couple of days of rest).
Nevertheless, everyone agreed that this was a divine punishment and warning!
Thus, despite Duwei's efforts to act like a noble, no one dared venture any further into such dangerous territory.
Duwei couldn't help but mutter, "Religious devotion is a deadly thing…"
Since launching the fireworks from the ground had proven ineffective, Duwei was forced to once again stir his mind.
After a night of intense contemplation, Duwei devised an even more audacious solution:
If shooting fireworks from the ground wouldn't work… then why not throw them down from the sky?
But… how to reach the sky? Should he hire a mage to fly up and do it?
Such a method lacked any real ingenuity!
Duwei scorned the very thought.
Furthermore, any mage's fire magic would be far more spectacular than this humble firework display. If they could summon a mage for the task, there would be no need for fireworks—just a single fire spell would be far more dazzling!
But, without a mage… how could he reach the sky?
Duwei suddenly realized how absurd the thought was. Surely, he couldn't expect to invent a flying machine from scratch?
D*mn, this was getting out of hand.
Building a plane was beyond Duwei's skills… So, was there another way?
Duwei's eyes suddenly sparkled!