I Was Just Having Fun With The Time Limit - Chapter 61

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Narmore spoke.
“First, we need to create and operate a small-scale Teisabel Teleportation Gate as a pilot project.”
Once Isabel threw out the concept, Narmore crystallized everything and mapped out a roadmap in his mind.
“We don’t know what schemes some faction might pull. For instance, they could deliberately damage items or swap out letters. So we need to operate with minimal volume to ensure thorough management. Ideally, I’d like to install it directly in the slums for immediate use, but that doesn’t seem like a good idea.”
“Why do you think that?”
“They’re in an environment where they’re too easily tempted by bread right in front of them. They’ll be easily bought off.”
Narmore harbored no resentment toward them. He simply recognized that their unfortunate circumstances made them susceptible to wavering.
“If you entrust this to me, Princess, I’ll execute it flawlessly.”
Whoever dominates the distribution network will dominate the continent, and the Teisabel Teleportation Gate will be its cornerstone.
But then Isabel asked.
“…Doesn’t it bother you?”
“Pardon?”
“You always found moving around bothersome, didn’t you? Wasn’t Narmore Brother the type who was already lazy but wanted to be even more passionately lazy?”
“Making money doesn’t bother me.”
In a novel, he would have said, “I’ll become rich and be a passionate idler,” but Narmore had changed now.
“I’ll make you the wealthiest person in the world.”
His goal was not to become the wealthiest person in the world himself.
It was to make Isabel the wealthiest person in the world.
Narmore’s character setting had changed.
* * *
Isabel had dinner with Karin for the first time in a while.
After Karin took a spoonful of mushroom soup and set her spoon down.
Isabel found herself reading Karin’s expression.
“What is it? Don’t you have an appetite?”
“Princess. I’m aware that your understanding of the media is mysteriously profound. So I’ll ask: the mages are framing the Sword Art Empire as ‘attempting to monopolize everything.’ Some are already growing fearful. Why would the Magic Federation frame the Sword Art Empire this way?”
Isabel set down her spoon as well.
Dinner with the final mastermind Karin was indeed never comfortable.
“Because fear and hatred are the easiest ways to shake the masses…?”
Isabel was slightly startled by her own answer.
This method—the very method of dividing the Empire’s citizens through fear and hatred, plunging them into chaos—was also a tactic the final mastermind Karin had been fond of using against the male lead Arun.
Isabel couldn’t discern Karin’s true intentions and felt uneasy without reason.
Karin continued.
“We merely devised one teleportation gate system, yet it’s causing such an uproar. The path you’re about to walk, Princess, will be very narrow and difficult.”
“…Is that so?”
“Everyone might end up pointing fingers at you and hating you.”
Karin did not wish for that.
Her desire was for the path Isabel walked to always be beautiful.
“People choose their beliefs according to their interests, or they select what they want to believe. Regardless of your intentions, there may come a day when you’re deeply wounded. No, such days will definitely come. Many of them.”
“….”
Isabel was certain.
‘As expected, Karin never lets things slide easily!’
If I showed easy acceptance here with responses like “Yes, I’m scared,” it would be revealing my weaknesses.
Karin possessed the ability to exploit even the smallest vulnerabilities and shake me with them.
She wasn’t the final mastermind for nothing.
「The final mastermind takes great interest in the ‘Mark of Narbidal.’ Therefore, she will create weaknesses by any means necessary to shake Isabel.」
This premise held considerable plausibility.
‘She’s definitely testing whether I’m truly unaffected. In moments like these, I need to demonstrate resolve and decisiveness.’
So I smiled gently and spoke calmly.
“You said the path I’m walking will be narrow and treacherous, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“But that path isn’t a long one.”
I extended my right wrist.
The Mark of Narbidal.
Sand continued to fall.
I had turned seven years old, and seven years’ worth of sand had accumulated at the bottom.
I was still young, but I had already lived one-third of my life.
“So I’m fine. Even if the path is narrow and treacherous, I’ve decided to walk it. Because it will end soon.”
“…Again.”
Karin bit her lip slightly.
My composure made Karin sad.
That it was fine even if it was difficult. That it would be fine because it was short.
Karin felt her heart tearing at that indifferent response.
She was somewhat angry.
Rumble— The dishes on the table vibrated lightly.
I swallowed hard.
‘Angry, she’s angry. Is she upset because she couldn’t find a weakness?’
In truth, I also thought Karin didn’t seem quite like the final mastermind, but I couldn’t precisely deduce why Karin was angry now.
There was no reason for Karin to be angry right now.
‘Whatever. Why does the reason matter?’
In any case, what mattered was that the final mastermind was angry.
The final mastermind Karin spoke.
“How can you think that way?”
“A few days ago, I met soldiers in the Erbe Mountains.”
I told her about meeting Captain Lucain and the soldiers of the Erbe Mountains.
“They thanked me. I felt like what I did was nothing special, but they said I gave them hope. What I gave them was truly small attention, but they told me that small attention changes the world. So I was happy.”
“….”
“For someone, my attention became hope. That made me very happy.”
Someone’s attention became hope for someone else.
My past self had experienced that painfully as well. Now I could share that experience with others.
“I think that’s truly a beautiful thing.”
I couldn’t afford to show weakness in front of Karin.
Isabel gazed at Karin with an unwavering, resolute demeanor and smiled softly.
Karin continued to stare at Isabel with her lips pressed firmly together, but soon seemed to reach a decision and opened her mouth.
“There are some urgent matters I need to ask you about.”
Her expression was intensely serious and cold—like that of a final mastermind orchestrating everything.
Because of this, Isabel listened to Karin’s words with some tension.
“They concern the operating principles of the Teisabel Teleportation Gate.”
Karin began probing into the operating principles of the Teisabel Teleportation Gate in detail.
Originally, this was considered taboo among scholars, as it was regarded as an attempt to secretly extract the other party’s technical knowledge.
‘But I need to understand this.’
In Villorian, there was no one who knew more about the Mirotell Magic Federation and the Magic Tower than I did.
For Isabel’s sake, for her techniques to truly shine, I believed I had to step forward directly as someone from the Mirotell Magic Federation.
To do that, I needed to understand Tesleron and Isabel’s techniques with absolute certainty.
“Please explain the inverter technology more precisely.”
Karin and Isabel had already discussed and exchanged information about “inverter” technology multiple times.
I had grasped the general content, but I needed more specific and accurate theoretical foundations—only then could I attend the academic conference and prove that Isabel’s theory was correct.
Isabel opened her mouth.
“Well… that is, ultimately, the inverter’s purpose is to alter the pressure and frequency of mana.”
“Wouldn’t it be necessary to first define the speed of the mana-conducting motor that guides the mana?”
Isabel was slightly startled.
It was such fundamental content that she had overlooked it, yet it was actually something that shouldn’t have been omitted.
‘Right. That’s correct. I need to focus.’
“Let’s define the rotational speed of the mana-conducting motor as N, the number of poles as P, the frequency as F, and the slip as s.”
Isabel began writing notes.
To Karin’s eyes, those hands appeared very small and delicate. However, the content was anything but delicate.
Isabel continued speaking.
“Since the number of poles in the induction motor is fixed, by varying the frequency, we can obtain any arbitrary rotational speed.”
“Any arbitrary rotational speed…”
Karin’s eyes widened as she absorbed everything Isabel said and wrote into her mind.
Throughout the entire exchange, she continued to feel it: this was something no seven-year-old child could possibly conceive of.
Karin barely suppressed her astonishment and asked again.
“If you express speed control using the inverter as a mathematical formula, how would it appear?”
Isabel picked up her pen and began writing formulas on the paper.
The conversation continued for a long time.
The theories applied to the Teisabel Teleportation Gate either didn’t exist previously, or if they did, the forces holding power had thoroughly ignored them.
“I’ve heard enough. You’ve organized this quite systematically.”
“Did I… do well?”
Isabel carefully gauged Karin’s reaction.
But then Karin began to speak words that Isabel had never anticipated.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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