Ch.271Sacrificial Lamb

After finishing our tour of the exhibition area, exploring the other three areas, and having dinner in the Grand Hall, everyone’s minds were still filled with thoughts about the Bio Converter.

The black mana that covered all of Grantis except for the Far Eastern coast.

The Great Sage Deidric Asmard and the ancient natives who struggled to survive against it.

And the pioneers who, despite the harsh condition of only being able to live for five days, steadfastly gathered mana cores to continue the western expansion.

The ultimate solution to all that suffering and hardship had been sleeping right here, in the exhibition area of Technopolis.

Even I, who had been in Grantis for less than half a year, couldn’t hide my excitement, so the shock and emotion the others felt must have been incomparable.

“Alright. Let me summarize the situation.”

“That’s Will’s habit of speaking.”

“Hehe.”

Jessica stuck out her tongue slightly and gave a cute smile at Setty’s observation. In front of her were papers scattered with complex calculations.

It was evidence of the three hours she and Mina had spent racking their brains after dinner.

“First, to get to the conclusion, that thing in the Category X exhibition hall…”

“The new black maro attachment No. 13, Bio Mana Converter.”

“Yes. After analyzing the magical formulas and structure used in that device, we found that the possibility of it working as intended by its creator is extremely high.”

“The sample in the exhibition hall was also very well preserved, so with minimal maintenance, it could be attached to a black maro and used right away.”

Someone gulped audibly.

Instead of barrier towers that require rare mana cores, a miraculous purification device that can be installed anywhere and sucks out the black mana from anyone’s body regardless of race.

The revelation that this was actually feasible was a discovery as significant as the Great Sage’s memoirs.

Of course, there was one problem that needed to be solved to make it a reality.

“The problem is that it requires sacrificing a person… How exactly does it work?”

“The theory itself is simple. Since black maros can’t absorb black mana from races other than dwarves, it first absorbs it into the person connected to the converter and then transfers it to the black maro.”

“Then the person connected to the converter—”

“Dies instantly from fatal internal injuries as massive amounts of black mana pass through their body. Even in the unlikely event they don’t die instantly, they wouldn’t survive more than five minutes with all their internal mana corrupted.”

“So the person connected to the machine is basically a disposable filter. In exchange, about 20-30 people would have their black mana completely purified.”

“Oh…”

It was a far more horrific machine than I had thought.

Well… there might be cases where one person’s noble sacrifice saves dozens of others.

But I’d bet my entire fortune that forced sacrifices would occur far more frequently.

“It can’t be helped. It would be better to permanently seal Category X items so they never become known to the outside world.”

“I agree. While things like the Soul Changer or Bio Converter could become good tools if their drawbacks were improved, it would take a long time before Technopolis returns to normal and someone discovers improvements.”

“Um… about that…”

“Hmm?”

I thought we were reaching a consensus to simply give up on the idea, but Jessica and Mina’s reactions were concerning.

Was it difficult for mages and technicians to let go of their attachment to such discoveries?

If so, they could just say so honestly, but the way they were hesitating and looking uneasy seemed almost like…

“…Don’t tell me you’ve already found it? A way to solve the Bio Converter’s problem?”

“Ahaha… well, you see~”

“Found a solution… well. It would definitely improve the situation from what it is now.”

“What is it? This isn’t like you two. Just tell us clearly.”

“Is it something too difficult for us to understand?”

Jessica shook her head at Setty’s question, took a deep breath, and spoke with a determined expression.

“Alright, I’ll explain. But promise me one thing. What I’m about to tell you is merely the result of theoretical verification, so please don’t get angry even if what you hear is uncomfortable.”

“Get angry? Ah, I see. Given the nature of the original, I suppose the solution might be somewhat unethical?”

“That could be the case. But that’s no reason for Jessica or Mina to be blamed.”

“Right. There’s nothing wrong with discovering something. If the method isn’t right, we simply don’t use it.”

“When you put it that way, it does ease my mind a bit…”

Reassured by everyone’s responses, Jessica and Mina began their explanation calmly.

First, it was impossible to modify the Bio Converter itself to avoid sacrificing people.

Rather than attempting that, it would be better to invent an entirely new type of black mana purification device, a feat that even the great Deidric Asmard couldn’t easily accomplish.

The next solution they came up with was to reduce the burden on the sacrifice, even if it meant sacrificing some efficiency.

For instance, if the original method killed someone because they couldn’t withstand 500% black mana (50% from 10 people), reducing the amount of mana transferred to one-tenth would bring the burden down to 50%.

If 11 people took turns sharing the burden, they thought the Bio Converter could be used without causing deaths, but…

To cut to the conclusion, that method couldn’t be used.

It was difficult to stop the black maro at the right moment once it started absorbing black mana, but more importantly, “a burden that won’t kill” doesn’t mean “harmless to the body.”

“In the end, it’s just the difference between dying instantly or slowly deteriorating in health until death.”

“That’s terrible… so then?”

“After considering various methods, Mina came up with the idea that if we can’t modify the machine, we could take measures on the sacrifice’s side.”

The death of the sacrifice connected to the converter occurs for two reasons.

One is the burden caused by the injection and discharge of massive amounts of mana beyond the body’s capacity.

The other is, naturally, because the large amount of mana injected is “black” mana.

In other words, someone who can accommodate large amounts of mana and isn’t adversely affected by black mana could survive being connected to the Bio Converter.

And there’s exactly one person in our party who meets those conditions.

“W-wait a minute! Jessica, Mina! Are you serious?!”

Phillis jumped up, turning pale as she shouted.

No wonder. Putting everything together, they were essentially saying “we could use Iris as a component of the Bio Converter.”

So that’s why Jessica said “don’t get angry after hearing this” at the beginning.

“Calm down, Phillis. Jessica said it from the start, didn’t she? This is just a theoretical verification result.”

“B-but…”

“They didn’t bring this conclusion to upset you. Scholars can’t ignore theories they can prove, you know.”

“…”

Phillis’s expression showed that while she understood intellectually, she couldn’t accept it emotionally.

Meanwhile, Iris, the subject of the discussion, showed no sign of agitation as she approached Phillis and stroked her head.

Phillis’s expression, which had seemed about to explode, gradually softened, and Jessica and Mina watching them let out small sighs of relief.

It was a scene that reminded us once again that these two were sisters, despite their different skin colors.

“Anyway, I understand Jessica’s explanation. The option of using Iris as a component isn’t even worth considering, but we might be able to use the converter’s function with something other than a person. Let’s be satisfied with having discovered that possibility in this investigation.”

“Yes. I don’t want to step any further into such dangerous research either.”

“That’s right. If we continue, I feel like we might cross some point of no return. I’m sorry to the people who worked hard on this research, but as Will said, it’s better to seal away the Category X materials completely.”

“And we should discuss future policies for Technopolis with the expedition team. If other dwarves find out, rumors will eventually spread to the pioneers.”

I don’t know how it was in the past, but today’s humans are descendants of outsiders.

There would be no shortage of people whose eyes would light up at the mention of long-hidden dwarf secret technology.

We need to decide in advance whether to keep Technopolis’s existence a secret, or to disclose its existence but operate it in a closed manner like Grandorn Zwei.

“And depending on the result, we might not be allowed to enter beyond the Grand Hall again.”

“Come on, surely they’d make an exception for us? We already have unlimited access rights.”

“The right to decide Technopolis’s future belongs to those who have preserved its mission and existence without forgetting it. That means the dwarves of Grandorn Zwei.”

“I agree. Besides, if it becomes known that only we are exceptions, we’d receive even more persistent attention than now. Mainly from scholars and newspaper reporters.”

“Hmm… I’d rather avoid that.”

After wrapping up our discussion, we moved to the residential area and decided to stay on a different floor from the dwarf expedition team.

Fortunately, the beds in the residential area were sized to comfortably accommodate non-dwarves as well, and were sturdy enough that an adult man could jump on them without issue.

What we did on those beds needs no explanation.