The Problematic Child of the Magic Tower
Chapter 30: The Grand Scheme (3)
Schwein licked his parched lips and tried to manage his expression.
Dynamic Mana Calculation.
The concept itself wasn’t unfamiliar or overly complex.
After all, he had long concluded that the only solution to this formula was through dynamic mana.
‘But it took me two years just to reach that conclusion.’
Typically, one would try every possible scenario with a single mana value, and only after failing, begin to adjust the mana value for further trials.
Which meant...
This young magician had simulated all possible scenarios instantaneously.
And without even writing anything down—solely in his head.
‘Even I haven’t gone beyond experimenting with two adjustments yet.’
Yet Oscar had written down four values.
In other words, he was saying the solution required three mana adjustments.
‘Of course, whether these mana values are valid will need further experimentation...’
But the results of the test were indisputable.
“Impressive. You figured out the concept of dynamic mana calculation.”
“I’m glad. I look forward to working with you.”
As he observed Oscar bowing humbly, Schwein added:
“However, you won’t just be a simple researcher. You’ll be listed as a co-author for the paper I’ll be presenting at the White Night Festival.”
“What? Why?”
“Because the final problem in this test is related to the magic I’m currently researching.”
At this, Oscar’s expression turned puzzled.
It made sense, given how simple that magic appeared to him.
‘He’s going to present that at the White Night Festival? Why?’
As Oscar cast a questioning glance, Schwein chuckled softly.
“There’s an old saying: An old book can become a new friend. Do you know what it means?”
“...It means that even an old book, when revisited, can yield new insights or discoveries when reinterpreted with modern perspectives, doesn’t it?”
“Exactly. And the magic created by Oscar Sage, the 17th Master of the Magic Tower, is one of those.”
It had been remarkable back then, but now, it was deemed irreplaceable—at least by someone in the White Tower.
“Specifically, Lady Sasha thought so. That’s why she immediately launched the delivery business.”
“...Excuse me?”
Hearing such an unfamiliar piece of history, Oscar blinked in surprise.
“So you’re saying our youngest... no, our Tower Master, decided to start a delivery business because of this magic?”
“That’s correct.”
“...What exactly did she see in it?”
Oscar couldn’t understand it.
How did this magic inspire a delivery business, of all things—a business that hemorrhaged money?
Watching Oscar’s frustrated expression with amusement, Schwein spoke.
“As you know, humanity has only recently gained control over 38% of the world’s landmass and 62% of its sea routes.”
But even with all of history scoured, there remains a realm that has not even been 1% conquered.
Schwein smiled and pointed upwards with his index finger.
“The skies. What the Tower Master is aiming for is the skies.”
The skies.
Oscar knew exactly what that meant.
“So, she wants to build an airship.”
“Exactly. And this magic will serve as the heart, the engine, of that endeavor.”
Oscar’s eyes dimmed as he was left speechless.
‘Airship development? I’ve tried that before too.’
The skies—a vast domain humanity had long yearned to conquer.
Naturally, all sorts of magic towers and even imperial families had attempted it.
But he could confidently say that none had succeeded.
“...As far as I know, airship operations were abandoned due to their inefficiency.”
“Indeed, your knowledge is sharp. That inefficiency is precisely why the skies remain an unexplored domain.”
Airships had been created several times throughout history.
The problem was that keeping them afloat required astronomical amounts of mana.
“Twenty-three years ago, the Empire successfully developed a massive airship that floated above the clouds for three minutes.”
Oscar nodded, unimpressed.
He wasn’t surprised—after all, he had been the supervisor of that very project, Azure Sky.
“The amount of mana the Empire used for those three minutes of flight was...”
“Enough to keep the entire capital lit for a month.”
“Hm? Was that information ever made public?”
“...I just guessed it would be something like that.”
“Haha, as expected of a genius!”
As Schwein confirmed, the Empire abandoned the airship project simply because it was economically unviable.
He could still recall the Emperor’s regretful expression as he ordered the project’s termination.
‘If only airships could have been completed and operated at a reasonable cost, they would have given us a tremendous advantage in the war against the Demons.’
But the project failed, leaving Oscar with deep regret as its supervisor.
‘Back then, I created this magic.’
A magic capable of generating near-infinite wind with a single mana injection—a magic that defied the law of mana conservation.
The name he gave it symbolized eternal circulation and infinity: Ouroboros.
‘But the output of that magic was far too insufficient to power an airship.’
He, more than anyone else, understood this after countless sleepless nights of research.
Seeing the skepticism on Oscar’s face, Schwein smiled.
“You seem ready to dismiss it as impossible.”
“To be honest... I don’t think this magic’s wind output is sufficient to lift a massive airship.”
“Haha, you’re right. That’s the lesson humanity learned through bitter failure 23 years ago. But isn’t the situation different now?”
“...Different, you say?”
Tap, tap.
Schwein tapped the magic lamp on the desk.
Watching it intently, Oscar muttered almost unconsciously.
“...Magical engineering.”
“Exactly. Just as Oscar Sage created unique magic during that project, the White Tower gained insights into magical engineering from it. That’s why we’ve seen such remarkable advancements after the war.”
Amplifying Ouroboros’ insufficient output with magical engineering to lift an airship?
Theoretically, it didn’t seem impossible.
In fact, it was almost too plausible.
‘Magical engineering even includes the concept of batteries.’
If they could create a battery charged by Ouroboros’ wind, and if that battery could continuously amplify mana, Ouroboros could become the ultimate engine providing infinite power for airships.
Oscar’s expression changed as he asked,
"Does the Yellow Tower know about this research by any chance?"
"Not a chance. Most importantly, they gave up on the concept of airships entirely after their failure 23 years ago. Instead, they've started focusing on developing more 'realistic' means of transportation."
"Realistic transportation?"
"They call it a train. I've heard they've already succeeded in experimental runs. It seems their plan is to unify the continent with this unstoppable iron horse."
Oscar wasn't entirely sure what kind of transportation a "train" was, but he knew one thing: the Yellow Tower's master was not one to cling to failing ventures.
Whatever this "train" was, it was likely a new paradigm-shifting form of transportation for humanity.
‘But it won’t be as revolutionary as an airship.’
That’s when Oscar realized what kind of vision Sasha had been painting all along.
"Ah, so that's why you've started that delivery business, even with such enormous losses—it's all to monopolize the market."
"Exactly. Current logistics rely solely on carriages and ships. While the introduction of trains will bring change, airship-based delivery will instantly render all of it obsolete."
An airship that could traverse vast distances at incredible speeds, ignoring geographical barriers, would indeed connect the entire continent.
Such a breakthrough would naturally bring with it tremendous power.
"To achieve that, we must first complete the restoration of this magic. Let’s work together, aiming to unveil this project at the White Night Festival."
"...If you're going to aim that high, why not go a step further?"
"What do you mean?"
"People prefer tangible results over abstract concepts."
In other words, showcasing the magic of Ouroboros alone wouldn’t be enough.
A prototype airship utilizing that magic would have a far greater impact.
"Unveil a prototype airship at the White Night Festival. Let’s make that our goal."
The research to restore Ouroboros with Elder Schwein progressed rapidly.
In fact, it had to.
The mana values Oscar had provided on paper were, without a doubt, correct.
"Why... how is this even working?"
Elder Schwein stared in disbelief at the perfectly functional magic.
A spell that seemed to depict a serpent—or perhaps a dragon—biting its own tail.
The shimmering mana particles radiating from Ouroboros sparkled brilliantly, like starlight.
Schwein couldn’t take his eyes off the magic circle, which felt more like a masterpiece of art.
Joy, exhilaration, a touch of despair, and overwhelming satisfaction.
He felt a storm of emotions all at once as he looked at the mage before him and thought:
‘This really is like a lottery. And not just a winning ticket—this is hitting the jackpot over and over again.’
With momentum on their side, the two began refining the imperfections in the formula.
"Hmm. It seems the newly added Weyler Equation is causing a drop in magic output, doesn’t it?"
"You're right. But if we remove that part, the stability would be significantly compromised. Considering the magic's purpose is to operate an airship, prioritizing safety over output seems wiser."
"Fair point. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to redesign the entire structure in parallel rather than serial format, even if it makes the formula more complex?"
"Oh? That does sound better. Especially since we’ll eventually integrate it with magi-tech. There’s no need to cling to the old serial structure anymore."
It was clear Schwein had spent a long time pondering both Ouroboros and airships.
His keen eye caught details Oscar, still unfamiliar with magi-tech, would have missed.
Thanks to this synergy, the magic was completed in just one week.
"Over the past few days, I’ve found myself wondering..."
As he gazed at the glowing magic circle, Schwein spoke with a pensive tone.
"If I hadn’t met you, would I ever have completed this research on my own?"
"You would have."
It wasn’t mere flattery.
Elder Schwein was a genius in theoretical magic, after all.
But without Oscar, how long it might have taken would have been anyone's guess.
"Thank you for saying that. And... I’m sorry."
Schwein hesitated to meet Oscar’s eyes as he continued.
"If the Yellow Tower finds out about this research, they’ll do whatever it takes to stop us. I dragged you into this dangerous endeavor out of my own greed, and for that, I owe you an apology."
"Oh, come on, it’s no big deal."
Oscar waved his hand dismissively, but Schwein's expression turned serious.
"You’re underestimating the situation. They won’t hesitate to get blood on their hands for their gain."
"I know. But seriously, I’m fine."
Oscar shrugged, crossing his arms.
"If they do find out, they’ll launch every kind of interference possible. Publicly, they'll file dozens of lawsuits under flimsy pretenses. Behind the scenes, they won’t hesitate to send assassins after the two of us."
"And you’re still saying you’re fine with that?"
Schwein stared at him, searching for the meaning behind his words.
Oscar met his gaze without flinching.
"Yes. If we let fear of the Yellow Tower or concern for our lives dictate our actions, we’ll find endless reasons not to act. And in the end, we’ll accomplish nothing. That’s what scares me more: doing nothing and leaving the White Tower forever trapped in its current state, a hollow shell of itself."
Life is a constant struggle and competition.
Those who flee from the harshness of reality will find no paradise awaiting them.
The more you bow your head, the more the other side offers not a helping hand but a cruel kick.
"We were too weak to keep the Blue Tower from taking over the potion market. Too weak to stop the Red Tower from monopolizing military contracts. And now we’re so weak that we can’t even conduct research without worrying about the Yellow Tower."
Oscar looked up at the magic, sparkling like a cluster of stars.
"I believe this research will give us the strength to stand against them."
Schwein silently stared at him, his eyes filled with pride and gratitude.
A faint smile tugged at the elder's lips as he spoke.
"This is frustrating. All the cool lines are yours."
"You're plenty cool without needing to say anything like that, Elder."
"Ha! Why didn’t I notice how amusing you were before?"
Schwein walked to his desk, opened a secure drawer, and pulled out a stack of papers.
"Still, I do have my pride. I can’t let you hog all the glory alone."
"...What’s all that?"
The dozens of documents were filled with formulas unfamiliar to Oscar.
Noting his puzzled expression, Schwein chuckled.
"Finally, a bit of humanity in you. These are documents on creating a magi-tech battery. Honestly, when you suggested unveiling an airship at the White Night Festival, I thought it was impossible. But since Ouroboros came together faster than expected, it’s worth a serious attempt."
Tapping the stack of papers, Schwein added,
"I’ll do whatever it takes to complete the battery that will interact with Ouroboros. So don’t worry about that."

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