Chapter 32: The Great Western Albion Continent is Peaceful Today As Well! (7)
by AfuhfuihgsMass-producing bombs.
Right now, that’s the only thought on my mind.
Before I explain my motivation, I need to give some context.
The symbol of the vast western frontier, even larger than the Empire’s mainland, is undoubtedly the long railroad.
When magic stones and gold started pouring out from the western edge of Albion, countless people set off on adventures in search of instant fortune.
However, unlike the well-established railroad infrastructure on the eastern coast of Albion, beyond the central region lies an endless wasteland—a death zone.
Cowards who haven’t left yet often say this:
At the far west, there are only a few adventurer groups and lone adventurers.
No facilities, no established infrastructure.
Betting one’s life on rumors of uncertain truth is nothing short of sheer foolishness.
They claim that those who still pursue the pioneering spirit are merely foolish dreamers.
How many people can actually survive in that wasteland with just a horse or two and a sleeping bag?
Even if someone manages to reach the land of gold,
most of them are just brutish fools who only know how to stab a beast’s neck with a sword.
Even if they find a profitable magic stone mine, they wouldn’t know how to properly excavate it.
It’s like a dog chasing after a chicken, only to end up staring at the roof in frustration.
Look at the lower nobles—so mad about money that they bought their titles.
If they don’t dare to establish a branch office at the western edge, doesn’t that prove the point?
A wise hawk hides its talons.
Now is not the right time to leave one’s old home.
In other words, the moment when one must bet their life on a dream is when “they” start to smell money.
When Edwin, the Grand Governor of Albion, opens the road to the western edge filled with gold.
That will mark the true beginning of the Gold Rush.
And frankly, they’re not entirely wrong.
Even in the “original story,” the great magic stone festival at the far west of the western frontier only sped up after the transcontinental railroad was built.
Considering that the original story’s setting mainly focused on the Empire’s mainland and barely mentioned the colonies,
it’s clear that the Gold Rush of the western frontier was a massive event.
Here’s the problem.
Even before the railroad was built, a small number of adventurers who blindly rushed in,
along with countless people who chased the dream of striking it rich at the western edge,
how many of them returned home with smiles on their faces?
And who truly benefited the most from the Gold Rush?
Was it really those who wielded a sword and hunted monsters?
The answer is “no.”
Those who made the most money from heading to the western frontier were not the ones risking their lives,
but rather the merchants who set up shop to cater to the dreamers.
They shaved off tiny fragments of the gold coins earned with blood and sweat,
gathered them bit by bit, and built grand mansions with the accumulated gold dust.
Why am I planning to make bombs now?
It’s simple.
Think about the railroad that so many dream of.
How much explosive material will it take to carve that long track connecting the eastern and western ends of the continent?
But what if—
If I could mass-produce stable, high-performance bombs that railroad companies would eagerly welcome with open arms?
Exactly.
Even if our family collapses when the “main story” unfolds in the future,
I could feed my father, my brother, and even my younger brother—who’s just a year younger than me—with the money from the company I built.
Of course, I must change the future so that Dad doesn’t die before then.
It would be best if we never collapsed at all, but being prepared never hurts, right?
Honestly, when I was first dragged to this villainous family, I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to breathe properly.
But as it turns out, I’m living really well.
Actually, it’s not just living well—it’s like I’m genuinely happy every day.
I almost wish that every day could continue like this forever.
And more than anything…
‘Running a secret bomb manufacturing company as a dark noble lady…’
It’s so villainous—it’s so cool…!!
“Um… Young Lady?”
“Oh, yes. What were we talking about…?”
The magical engineer at the railroad construction site took out a magical device.
A magical device is a product of magical engineering that allows ordinary people who cannot use magic, unlike naturally gifted nobles, to wield magical abilities.
It could be considered the evolutionary result of magical scrolls.
According to the magical engineer, these devices were actually inspired by the scrolls used by nobles.
By the way, the job of “magical engineer” itself was born after the invention of these magical devices.
Ordinary people who longed for magic but couldn’t handle mana gained a means to use it, leading to the creation of various magical devices.
After the Empire enacted the “Patent Law,” creating a single good magical device could secure a lifetime of wealth, further accelerating the magical device craze.
As a result, increasingly complex magical devices began to appear.
Nowadays, there are many devices that require specialized knowledge to operate, leading to the emergence of professions specifically skilled in handling them.
“Flask is truly an incredible person.”
“Seems like it.”
The one who first created magical devices was none other than Sara Flask.
Not only did she create a completely new field called “Magical Engineering,” but she also invented countless devices and other groundbreaking creations.
Even Kiriel, Dinavel, and Exia were dolls made by her—truly an impressive person.
In the original story, she was only briefly mentioned as “the first magical engineer” or simply “Flask,” so I never knew her name was Sara.
For a moment, I thought, “Could it be…?” but since Sara Flask had already passed away, it seemed unlikely that she was the same “Sara” I was looking for.
…Did I really get reincarnated?
It feels like I’m only hearing the important information after being reincarnated.
There’s no real merit to this reincarnation, is there…?
“This is the bomb used on-site for magical devices.”
The magical engineer carefully took out a bomb from his bag.
The stick-shaped bomb had a hole where a long wire could be inserted to connect it to the detonation device.
“Sometimes it misfires… but there’s really no other product as good as this.”
“I see.”
“Although, considering what happened last time, it’s hard to believe… but compared to the bombs we used before…!”
Mm-hmm.
I get it.
This world’s bomb industry is so pathetic that it’s losing to a young girl like me, huh?
“But even this masterpiece pales in comparison to the liquid bomb that you handed over last time, Young Lady! It’s nothing short of a revolutionary breakthrough…!!!”
According to the site specialist, it seems my bomb is indeed revolutionary.
The field testing was already completed during the previous blasting ceremony.
In other words, if I could just mass-produce and sell the bombs…!!
…But of course, it’s not that simple.
First of all, despite the performance, selling it in liquid form is impractical.
With the magical engineer’s help, I’m working on solving this issue.
He explained the real structure of the bombs used on-site and how they function and detonate in great detail.
However, the real problem was something else entirely.
‘How do I mass-produce them…?’
Yes, mass production.
Turning the bomb into a product isn’t too difficult.
But making enough on my own is absolutely impossible.
I mean, look at me—I’m just a cute little girl.
On top of that, I have my daily self-development through reading, magic practice, walking the dogs, and the precious pleasure of teatime.
Producing bombs on a scale large enough for business is practically unthinkable.
In other words, I would have to hire employees.
But who would submit a resume to a company run by a mere child?
And what about materials?
Even if I somehow managed to recruit staff, making bombs would require a significant amount of ingredients.
The gunpowder herbs I’ve been growing in a corner of the garden behind the mansion, collected from Abel
Forest, are far from sufficient.
A stable supply of raw materials—that, in fact, is the most urgent problem right now.
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