episode_0168

While Violet operated the magic factory, Daphne recalled a conversation she had immediately after returning from the dungeon.

A few days prior, on a night when everyone else was asleep, six team members gathered for a brief late-night meeting and discussed various topics.

The subject was their impressions of the recent battle and its outcome, and their future plans.

As they exchanged stories, the quiet blue-haired boy slowly opened his mouth.

“I was useless.”

At Lucian’s declaration, the boys and girls present looked at him with expressions of surprise. Lucian, seeing their four astonished gazes, gave a hollow laugh.

“Yeah, your faces say, ‘Why is this guy acting like this all of a sudden? Did he eat something bad?’ No need to be surprised. I’m just stating a fact. I couldn’t do anything in the Vittorio Dungeon. If Violet hadn’t been there… I would have died.”

While everyone hesitated, unsure what to say about the seemingly perfect boy’s gloomy confession, Irene stepped forward.

“There’s no need to blame yourself too much. You were the first among us to notice Vanguard’s attack and react to it. Thanks to you, we bought a little time.”

“Only bought time. And I was sprawled out all day. Damn it, those Vanguard guys were monsters, and the mages behind them were lunatics. That Vice Student Council President you talk about? I couldn’t even lay a finger on him. How strong must the Student Council President be?”

“Of course there’s a skill gap. So, are you just going to lie down? You can train harder in the future. If need be, I can introduce you to a professor we know…”

Lucian shook his head firmly.

“You don’t understand what I’m saying? Look at what Violet did. Your help was there, but ultimately, it was Violet who crushed those Magnavis guys.

To put it bluntly, I’m useless. And soon, we’ll all be useless.”

“Stop talking nonsense! We can be plenty helpful to Violet.”

“I’m talking about reality. Irene, you can confidently say you’re helpful. Your unique ability, experience, and family background are all things Violet needs.

What about Daphne over there? Both her medical knowledge and unique ability are helpful to Violet. The problem is me and the others.”

Lucian muttered with a gloomy face.

“For example, Granite, what about you? Right now, your strength is useful, but what if Violet one day starts using greatswords or other polearms?”

“And Levi? I admit, your shooting skills are excellent. Not to mention the firepower of your artifact weapon. But what if Violet gets cannons or other weapons? It’s the same for everyone else.

Didn’t you all feel it? Each of them might be weaker than us individually, but their numbers alone exceed a thousand. And they can learn anything. Any shortcomings can be filled with equipment or artifacts. Before long, we’ll just become freeloaders.”

Kalia, feeling annoyed, yelled.

“Hey, blue-hair! If you’re just going to spout depressing nonsense, shut up and leave! You said we can’t help Violet, right? Then we should find a way to help in other ways, instead of whining! Do you think whining will get us anywhere?”

“There’s no answer. I already told you earlier. A thousand, a thousand. And Violet is still slowly increasing her numbers. Her combat skills are also improving.”

“Have you thought about how much they’ll increase in the future? Five thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand. The reality is that even our meals and laundry are all handled by Violet right now. The things we can do will decrease. Damn it… I…”

“Lucian, calm down.”

Irene, who couldn’t bear to listen to his ramblings anymore, spoke up. Lucian looked around, then said in a small, embarrassed voice.

“…I’m sorry. I, I just wanted to do something properly…”

Lucian managed to apologize, but the late-night meeting, unable to overcome the suffocating atmosphere, ended.

As they dispersed one by one, Kalia, who remained in her seat sipping a drink, looked at Daphne and said.

“…I got angry, but what that guy said isn’t entirely wrong. For me, I’ve been helped by Violet more than I’ve helped her.”

“I even wonder if my current skills are useful to Violet. If their numbers increase even more in the future, all I’ll be able to do is cheer from the sidelines. Still, you have healing abilities…”

Watching Kalia turn away, Daphne felt a heavy stone weigh down in her heart, a stifling feeling.

‘I’m no different…’

She blamed herself. While hundreds of her friends risked their lives to protect them by charging into enemy fire, what had she done?

Suddenly, she remembered the time she had a tussle with Violet over the lightning spear.

‘I was just making a privileged remark, saying dangerous weapons shouldn’t be used. Yet, I’m just someone who provides support from behind.’

Daphne felt ashamed.

As she briefly replayed old memories, she was brought back to reality by Violet’s words from beside her.

“Daphne, are you low on mana? You can stop if you want!”

“No! I was just thinking about something. Should I continue?”

“Yes! There are a few more left. Thank you for your help!”

Looking at the brightly smiling Violet, Daphne made a decision.

‘Alright, first, I’ll do what I can. And I’ll keep training.’

**

While Violet’s factory operated smoothly with the help of the cooling system, the other Violets focused on training.

Inside an abandoned factory far from the barracks, the team members battled against countless Violets.

“Charge! Charge!”

“Aargh!”

Hundreds of Violets swarmed and fought with the team members.

There were various training methods. For example, there was relay sparring, where one Violet would be subdued after a 1-on-1 duel, and then the next Violet would immediately step in.

On the other hand, there was also a wave-style training where they faced dozens of Violets attacking from all directions.

“Aargh! Subdued!”

“Those who lost, go to the back for treatment. Next team in!”

Countless Violets poured into the building. The team members fought by holding back their strength, or by using weakened weapons or non-lethal magic against them.

This was killing two birds with one stone: the team members could improve their skills, and the Violets could gain experience fighting a small number of powerful enemies.

“It’s best to make it like real combat.”

I remember the day training first began. At that time, I told my friends they could kill me if it meant more realistic training.

Then we could have more practical training!

Unfortunately, my friends’ faces contorted as if they’d opened a food waste bin on a hot summer day when they heard us. Dangerous training with a high possibility of death was eventually called off.

“Fourth Platoon! Third Platoon! Flank! Magic incoming!”

Inside the factory area, the team members fought in their own ways. Lucian, who continuously unleashed homing blades and small magic bullets, was impressive.

He darted around walls and stairs.

He was so elusive it was a bit annoying, even if it was just training.

“Damn it! Why is he like this today?”

“Stop!”

After we tossed him up in celebration for his contribution to the memory chip production last time, he had been acting like a fish in water [meaning he was thriving and performing exceptionally well] in every training session since. Praise makes a whale dance [meaning even small praise can have a big effect], but this was a bit excessive.

“Why is there so much to do? Training! Clone production, memory chip manufacturing!”

“I want to play!”

In this way, the Violets spent their days repeating training, magic storage, and clone stockpiling.

Of course, we didn’t forget about developing new weapons. The workshops secretly built in Academy City and on an uninhabited island were bustling with activity day and night.

“Ugh, rockets are still difficult.”

The engineer Violets were steadily building rockets.

The V-1 rockets developed in the early stages were gradually being improved. The misfire rate decreased, production speed became faster, and the range slowly increased.

The V-2 rockets developed later became larger. It was still in the early stages of production, so we didn’t have a clear idea of how to operate them yet. There were only a few opinions suggesting that it would be best to mount them on a vehicle.

“This is the limit of what we can build with our skills. It would be great if we could get missiles made by a proper corporation…”

“Nothing we can do. For now, if we can buy field artillery, let’s mainly use that.”

While rockets were being made in the workshop, other research and development was also underway.

“Madam, can you do this?”

I called Enis, who was assisting Yurik. When Enis arrived at the workshop, I showed her a sketch of a short staff attached to the underside of a rifle and a crossbow.

“See? Make me a short staff that can attach to the rail under the gun and crossbow! I have some unused staffs here.”

“So, you want me to make a short magic staff?”

“Yes!”

Watching the slave deep in thought, I remembered when I first came up with this idea.

Actually, at first, I had tried to attach a gun to a staff and shoot it.

“They sell things with knives on guns, and guns on knives, right? So what if we combined a staff and a gun?”

“That sounds great. We’re so creative!”

I actually looked up what hunters used, and equipment stores occasionally sold staffs designed to attach guns or knives to their ends. There were surprisingly many people who thought like me.

The look was cool, so I had been looking for good items until recently, but after obtaining the Arcane Memory Chip production technology, I changed my mind.

“Weak magic is abundant, right? We can use it as a substitute for a grenade launcher!”

“We can shoot guns and magic! It’ll be awesome, won’t it?”

If a staff were attached under a gun or crossbow, the response speed would be fast. It would also be good for catching enemies off guard.

Unusually, magic staffs or equipment attached under guns were hard to find. That’s because people who can use magic usually hold a staff or glove in one hand and a gun or knife in the other.

“So, you can make it, right?”

“I can do it. I just need to cut it short and polish it. However, the magic amplification function of the staff will be greatly reduced.”

“That’s fine!”

She began the work. We watched her with satisfaction.

“Excellent!”

Yurik told me that thanks to her, he could quickly understand incomprehensible data. This accelerated the interpretation of the stolen research.

Indeed, true to her former graduate student self, she knew how to manage graduate students well.

We checked the situation on site. Violet’s work ran as smoothly as a well-oiled machine.

Almost nothing was lacking now. All that was needed were cars and technicians.

“Let’s buy electric cars too. We can avoid combustion suppression magic.”

“That thing, if it gets hit by electric magic, it’ll discharge instantly. Oh, is it the same for regular cars?”

In this case, we could ask Kalia’s Brotherhood members for help. There are quite a few men among them who work in car repair shops, used car dealerships, or related auto repair industries.

We worked until evening, planning our next steps, when urgent news came from one of the guard Violets. Judging by the direction and location, it was the hospital where Kalia’s uncle was. Could it be…

“Everyone! Urgent news! Kalia’s uncle woke up!”

“Wow! That’s great news. Let’s tell Kalia quickly. But why is it urgent news?”

Guard Violet 256 replied by sharing her vision.

In the late evening, after sunset, a suspicious group was seen loitering and approaching the hospital. Judging by their demeanor, they were undoubtedly one of the nearby gangs that had been clashing with the Brotherhood.

“Emergency! Enemy!”

It was a good thing we always had Violets stationed nearby. We immediately deployed to the scene.

“Company, sortie!”