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Chapter 87: The Wind Tribe (3)
The Eastern Yellow Tower.
The atmosphere in the regular meeting held there was starkly different from usual.
It felt heavier, more rigid—charged with tension.
“Let’s begin the briefing.”
With the mage’s words, a massive photograph appeared in front of the conference room.
The image depicted a person riding a uniquely designed bike, soaring over the tops of buildings.
“This is the product the White Tower purchased and modified. Its official name is Zephyr-001. It’s designed as a flying vehicle and serves as the core component of their newly revamped delivery business.”
The mages widened their eyes at the shocking revelation.
“A flying vehicle…? Is that even possible?”
“That’s absurd. Airships are notoriously inefficient.”
“Haven’t we already conducted extensive research on this?”
“Quiet.”
The noise in the room was silenced by Tony Havertz, head of the Magical Engineering Department.
He spoke without taking his eyes off the vivid photograph.
“What are the device’s specifications?”
“The maximum altitude is 15 meters, and it can operate for up to six hours. Based on this, the Intelligence Department has determined that the White Tower does not currently possess the magic Ouroboros.”
A collective sigh of relief spread across the room, and Tony’s expression also softened.
“That’s fortunate. How does it compare to the airships we’ve developed in the past?”
“While it’s certainly better in terms of specs, it falls far short of being revolutionary.”
That was enough.
A shared thought flickered in everyone’s minds.
If there had been even the slightest trace of Ouroboros magic in the White Tower’s new Zephyr-001, they would have had to prepare for full-scale war.
“If the opportunity arises, acquire one for investigation. There might be hidden magic within.”
“Understood.”
“What about the White Tower’s new delivery business that uses this vehicle?”
“At present, it’s nearly perfect and has no real competition.”
Tony raised an eyebrow in rare surprise at the Intelligence Department mage’s praise.
“That impressive?”
“Yes. The vehicle is easy enough for an ordinary person to learn to ride with minimal practice, and with its overwhelming speed of up to 100 km/h, their express delivery service is receiving rave reviews.”
“Express delivery service? What does that entail?”
“As the name suggests, it’s a service for Ultra-fast deliveries. Within the service area, people can quickly send or receive goods, and they can even order food to be delivered to their location.”
The mages, imagining this scenario, nodded one by one.
The idea of ordering food without leaving home was highly appealing.
“How are orders placed?”
“Customers either contact the order center via a communicator or visit the center directly to make a reservation.”
“Hmm.”
Tony nodded as he listened.
“The business model seems quite solid. As long as there are no major incidents, they can continue to expand.”
“I agree. In fact, surveys of citizens who have used the service show very high satisfaction. It’s likely the service will expand nationwide.”
“Humans always seek a more convenient life.”
That was both the driving force and the foundation of civilization’s progress.
Recognizing the potential of this business, Tony quickly realized what actions they needed to take.
“As this Wind Tribe business grows, so will the usage and sales of communicators.”
“That’s highly probable. People will likely grow tired of visiting the order center in person.”
“Then create an affordable communicator model that even ordinary office workers can purchase. It only needs basic communication functions, and its service area can be limited to the user’s city of residence.”
“Ah, so it’s a product specifically targeting Wind Tribe users. Understood.”
As a subordinate mage marveled at the idea, the head of the Government Affairs Department, who had been silently listening, spoke up.
“Head of Magical Engineering, could we not find a way to utilize those vehicles ourselves?”
“Utilize them? How?”
“Well, once the railway is complete and large-scale trade begins, we still won’t be able to transport goods deep into each city. Building the necessary infrastructure for that would cost astronomical amounts.”
“Go on.”
“In short, when the time comes, why not make the White Tower a subcontractor for us?”
That was effectively suggesting they absorb the White Tower’s business.
“Hmm. While the White Tower certainly has data and expertise in urban deliveries, what incentive would they have to handle menial tasks for us when they hold such a powerful new weapon in express delivery?”
“Precisely why now is the perfect time to bring them under control.”
A sly smile appeared on the Intelligence Department head’s lips.
“The original prototype of their vehicle came from our Yellow Tower, did it not? They took our bike without permission and modified it. Unless they obtain our consent, we should render their vehicles unusable.”
“Hmm.”
It was a baseless argument unworthy of a response.
But after some thought, Tony nodded.
“It’s not entirely wrong.”
There are moments in life when the content of a statement and its truthfulness become irrelevant—moments when the speaker wields overwhelming power.
“It’s been a while since I last contacted the Imperial Family.”
A single communication would bring pressure on the White Tower at an imperial level.
Excuses to cause trouble were endless.
Safety inspections, license registrations, potential privacy invasions…
In the end, it would just be a matter of interpretation.
* * *
“The Imperial Family?”
Oscar repeated with a sour expression. It was no wonder—his flourishing business was suddenly being put on hold.
Pedro X pressed his temples as he explained.
“Yes. They claim they’re visiting Sirin to personally inspect the performance of these novel vehicles, but their tone was… rather negative.”
“...So they’re not pleased.”
Pedro nodded weakly.
“It seemed abrupt, so I looked into it personally. Turns out the official in question received scholarships from the Yellow Tower during his academy days. It’s likely their influence is involved.”
“Hah.”
Oscar let out a bitter laugh.
So this is how you want to play?
He didn’t particularly enjoy muddy fights.
Winning or losing, they always left a bad taste in his mouth.
But if they’re going to muddy the waters first, he has no choice.
The water had already turned so murky that it was impossible to see even a step ahead.
To restore clarity, there was no choice but to catch the catfish stirring up trouble underwater.
“I’ll handle this part, so you just stay put, senior.”
“What? How are you going to solve this… No, never mind.”
Pedro, who was about to ask something, shook his head.
If that guy said so, he would find a way to deliver results, no matter what.
Just as Oscar had figured out how to use him, Pedro, too, had come to understand how to use Oscar.
“You’ll take care of it well, I trust you.”
“Yes.”
Oscar replied confidently, then immediately headed to the special operations office and picked up the communicator placed there.
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* * *
Vroom.
A black sedan slid across an unpaved road, its license plate gleaming silver.
This indicated that a member of the royal administration was inside.
In fact, a man reclining comfortably in the back seat opened his mouth to speak.
“Hmph. This place, Sirin, was once called a major city, and yet the state of its surrounding roads is atrocious.”
The reply came from the secretary seated in the front passenger seat.
“It’s likely because of the severe damage caused by the war. They’ve poured their efforts into restoring the magic tower and the city itself rather than fixing the roads.”
The luxurious car jolted on the uneven surface, prompting the man to shake his head.
“Luang, on the other hand, has smooth, paved roads even two hours out from its outskirts…”
“Haha, there’s a reason it’s called the heart of the East. It’s equipped with infrastructure rivaling that of a capital city.”
“I had high expectations since Sirin is a subsidiary territory of one of the four major magic towers, such as the Yellow Tower, but as expected, nothing beats the Yellow Tower.”
“Y-yes, indeed.”
The secretary responded with an awkward smile, all the while thinking:
‘This guy, it’s not like he’s openly flaunting that he’s getting pocket money from the Yellow Tower or anything. Always ‘Yellow Tower, Yellow Tower.’ I’m sick of it.’
The inspector he served from the Royal Technology Verification Bureau was a textbook Yellow Tower loyalist.
If someone told him to eliminate either the royal family or the Yellow Tower, he would likely choose to keep the latter.
It wasn’t surprising, considering he had received unwavering support from the Yellow Tower since his youth, paving his way to success.
“Inspector, I’ve summarized the safety evaluation criteria for today’s subject, Zephyr-001, in this document.”
“Hm.”
Glancing over the document briefly, the inspector tossed it onto the seat beside him and said,
“How can you assess safety with these rigid and formulaic criteria? Leave it to me, and don’t worry about it.”
“…Yes, sir.”
As they approached the vicinity of Sirin, the road quality improved noticeably.
The sedan swiftly arrived at the White Tower and came to a stop at its entrance.
“Ahem.”
When the secretary opened the car door, the inspector finally stepped out with his hands clasped behind his back.
Waiting for him was a youthful-looking man.
“Thank you for making the long journey. I’m Oscar Crucian, and I’ll be your guide today.”
“Hm. Oscar Crucian, I’ve heard the name a few times.”
Wasn’t this the mage making waves recently?
Nodding a couple of times, the inspector spoke.
“I’m Hugo Morales, an inspector from the Royal Verification Bureau. No need for small talk; let’s get straight to seeing the device.”
“Understood. Allow me to lead you to the location.”
Oscar guided them to the White Tower’s outdoor training ground and spoke along the way.
“We were conducting a performance check in anticipation of a visit from a royal official.”
“A performance check of your own? What a pointless waste of effort.”
Hugo frowned.
“Any internal experiments you conduct hold no credibility or validity. I only document what I see, feel, and judge with my own eyes to report to the higher-ups.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“Yes. So don’t bother trying to pull the wool over my eyes and just show me the device.”
When they arrived at the outdoor training ground, just as Oscar had said, a bike was flying through the air.
After performing flashy spins and abrupt brakes, the bike, which had undergone rigorous testing, gently landed on the training ground.
“Hm. This is impressive. Based on my personal evaluation, the safety merits a perfect score.”
The man dismounted the bike and spoke, helmet still on.
Hugo snorted.
“And what do you know to talk about perfect scores? I’ll be the judge. Step aside to the back.”
“….”
Without a word, the man retreated under Hugo’s stern gaze.
Hugo then meticulously inspected Zephyr-001, tapping and probing it here and there, and eventually frowned.
“Hm. It looks flimsy, even at a glance.”
“That’s not true. It’s actually equipped with various protective spells…”
“Enough. I make the judgments here. Don’t try to impose your personal opinions on me.”
Cutting him off sharply, Hugo continued with a series of stability tests, only to shake his head again.
“It’s not bad, but unfortunately, it doesn’t meet the standard. It’s disqualified.”
“Disqualified? What does that mean?”
“You’ll need to make improvements and pass the technical verification next time. Let me offer you some advice.”
With those words, Hugo pulled out a business card from his pocket.
Oscar, looking at it, asked,
“What’s this?”
“It’s the card of a mage I know from the Yellow Tower. I suggest you request technical collaboration with them. They’re highly skilled, and with their help, you’re sure to pass the next evaluation.”
“No, thank you. We can handle it with our own technology.”
“Hmph. You’re young and clearly don’t understand the subtleties of what I’m saying…”
As Hugo let his irritation show, ready to say more—
“So this is the reason I was called here.”
A voice interrupted, belonging to a man who had approached them unnoticed.
Hugo flinched, startled by the sudden presence.
“H-how dare a mere rider butt into this conversation uninvited!”
“……”
As the man slowly removed his helmet, his neatly trimmed hair came into view.
At the same time, Hugo Morales’ eyes widened in shock as he recognized the face.
“So, do I now have the right to join this conversation?”
The icy gaze of Chief Walker bore into Hugo like he was looking at an insect.
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