In a secluded laboratory at the Imperial Arcane Technology Institute in the suburbs of Dresden, Patricia von Seeckt frowned, staring intently at a pile of complex and delicate Magic Guided components. She wore a pristine white lab coat, her golden hair meticulously pinned back, revealing a clean forehead and refined profile. At this moment, her face, usually marked by aristocratic pride, was etched with frustration.
"No… still no! The Magic Crystal oscillator frequency cannot stabilize! The energy circuit loss is too high!" She tossed a delicate Magic Guided probe onto the lab bench in annoyance, where it landed with a sharp clatter.
Ever since the last banquet and the subsequent 'favor' requested by Morin—the development of a portable Magic Guided Communication Device—she had thrown herself into the project. It wasn't that she had nothing else to do; rather, as Patricia had explained to Morin, her position within the Arcane Research Institute was somewhat awkward. While she was indeed a genius, her unfortunate lack of Spellcaster talent meant she was intentionally or unintentionally excluded from many top-tier projects. Thus, Patricia was quite content to spend her time 'working for' Morin.
She wasn't even sure why she was helping Morin. But ever since Morin visited the Arcane Research Institute and discussed his ideas with her, Patricia felt as if she had been charmed, instinctively wanting to help Morin realize his 'vision' of disrupting the existing order. Thanks to her brilliant mind, and the fact that this technology was an extension of her previous solo research, the initial theoretical modeling and basic design went very smoothly.
However, the project had now reached the most critical phase—physical prototype validation—and was stalled by a technical bottleneck. How to miniaturize the prototype Magic Guided Communication Device to a degree suitable for a single soldier to carry, while maintaining communication range and stability, was an unprecedented challenge. She had spent days and nights immersed in the lab, racking her brain trying various solutions, but the results were all unsatisfactory.
"That idiot… gave me such a huge challenge, then left me to deal with it alone!" Patricia complained softly, Morin's somewhat vague face appearing in her mind. Of course, this was purely an expression of her frustration; she knew Morin, like her brother Ludwig, was risking his life for the Empire on the front line.
Just then, the bell at the lab door rang. Patricia walked to the door, opened the observation window above, and saw her assistant standing outside. "Miss Seeckt, a call just came in from… um, Falkenstein Manor. They said they received a private letter addressed to you." The assistant, who was slightly older than Patricia, spoke hesitantly through the closed door. "They asked if you would like them to send the letter over. The call is still on hold."
"Falkenstein Manor? A letter?" Patricia paused, then realized. Falkenstein Manor was the residence of Morin and the 'Radiant Crystal Queen,' Madam Cecilia! Had Morin written to her? A strange mix of emotions surged in her heart, making her pulse quicken slightly.
After a moment, she managed to keep her voice level, instructing her assistant: "Tell them I will personally go to retrieve the letter later."
"Yes, Miss Seeckt."
The observation window closed, and the lab returned to silence. However, Patricia found she could no longer concentrate on the complex components and blueprints before her. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts.
"That idiot actually remembered to write to me?"
"I thought he'd forgotten all about it."
"What did he write? Did he write to rush the progress? Or… ask how I am doing?"
"No, no! Why should I care what he asks? He better not write any boring pleasantries and waste my time!" Patricia paced irritably around the laboratory, feeling like two small, warring Patricias were hovering above her head. One told her it was just a simple letter, nothing important. The other kept urging her to go see, go see quickly.
Ultimately, Patricia couldn't resist her own curiosity. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still two hours before closing time, but her heart had already flown to the manor in the suburbs.
Patricia then walked out of the laboratory, surprising her assistant. "Miss Seeckt, are you going somewhere?"
Patricia cleared her throat: "Ahem. I have an urgent family matter. Research work is suspended this afternoon. We'll resume tomorrow morning."
"Ah? Yes, Miss!" The assistant was clearly shocked by the sudden decision.
Patricia ignored her assistant's surprise. She took off her lab coat, changed into her usual well-tailored noble attire, and walked out of the laboratory without looking back.
"I'm just passing by! Yes, just passing by to pick something up! I'm absolutely not going specifically for that letter!" She mentally reinforced this to herself, as if to convince her own racing thoughts.
Half an hour later, a Radiant Crystal small car slowly pulled up to the imposing gate of Falkenstein Manor. After instructing her driver to wait outside, Patricia exited the car. A carriage belonging to the manor was already waiting to receive her at the gate.
Soon, Patricia was brought to the entrance of the main building. She stepped out, took a deep breath, straightened her dress, and walked with an elegant, proud gait toward the heavy oak door. Head Maid Luna was already waiting at the entrance. She escorted Patricia through the wide, bright corridor to the main hall.
There, she met Cecilia von Falkenstein, the lady of the manor, and Helga Schmeisser, the other young woman with a good figure she had met at the banquet, who was sitting on the sofa.
"Miss Seeckt, welcome." Cecilia stood up from the sofa with a smile, extending her hand.
"Good day, Madam Falkenstein." Patricia returned the greeting politely, lightly shaking her hand. She had to admit that Cecilia's beauty was stunning, her demeanor cool and noble, yet her smile carried a warm affinity that made her difficult to dislike.
"This is Miss Helga Schmeisser, our company's most important weapons designer." Cecilia then introduced Helga. "I believe you two met at the banquet."
Helga offered Patricia a shy smile and nodded in greeting. Patricia could sense that although the golden-haired young lady was slightly friendlier than the last time they met, she still exuded a proud aura of not being easily approached.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Cecilia retrieved the letter addressed to Patricia from the table and handed it over.
"Miss Seeckt, this is the letter Friedrich sent from the front line. Your name is written on the recipient line."
Patricia took the letter, thanked her, and feigned nonchalance. However, her slightly flushed earlobes and the way she unconsciously tightened her grip on the envelope betrayed her inner turmoil.
The genius young woman had intended to tear open the letter immediately, but she noticed Helga opposite her watching with curiosity, and Madam Cecilia, while less obvious, also seemed highly interested in the letter. She took a deep breath, slit the envelope open with a letter opener, and pulled out the letter.
"Dearest Miss Seeckt, meeting you through the words…" The opening of the letter was extremely brief, even perfunctory. The fellow rushed into the main content after barely a few words of greeting.
"Hmph, truly a man without sentiment!" Patricia inwardly scoffed, curling her lip. But as she continued to read the main body, particularly the part about the Gallic Enchantment Technology, the look of subtle disdain on her face vanished, replaced by an increasingly serious expression of astonishment and focus.
Enchantment Technology… reducing weight and increasing power… This firsthand technical intelligence from the enemy instantly captured Patricia's full attention. As a genius in the field of Magic Guided Technology, she immediately realized the immense value contained in this information.
The Saxon Empire's technical route in Magic Guided Technology differed significantly from the Gallic Republic's. Consequently, their research in Enchantment Technology had been relatively conservative and behind.
Now, it was revealed that the Gauls had already mass-applied it to combat equipment. This was both a massive threat and a rare opportunity! If she could decipher the underlying technical principles, it would be a revolutionary boost to the Empire's Enchantment Technology research.
Her eyes grew sharp. Her mind began to race, analyzing the various possibilities Morin described in the letter.
The latter half of the letter contained Morin's inquiry about the two projects she cared about most: the development progress of the Magic Guided Communication Device and the miniaturization of Magic Guided Weapons. When she read the final lines, written in a tone of near-pleading, Patricia's heart was profoundly touched.
"A portable wireless communication device is absolutely vital for our future warfare! So vital that it can determine the outcome of an entire campaign! I implore you, please place this project at the highest priority…"
This passage made her truly feel the urgency and brutality of the front line. That seemingly carefree fellow, how anxious and helpless must he have been when writing these words? Did his experience on the battlefield make him realize this so painfully?
Patricia silently finished the letter, carefully folded the paper, and placed it back into the envelope. Her expression was now serious, her sapphire-blue eyes gleaming with determination. The technical bottleneck that had been frustrating her—the problem that had been plaguing her for days—suddenly seemed less insurmountable. Patricia felt a strong urge: she wanted to return to the laboratory immediately, combine Morin's ideas with her own concepts, and conquer this challenge.
She looked up, meeting the inquiring gazes of Cecilia and Helga.
"So, Friedrich also gave you a difficult problem?" Cecilia smiled, breaking the silence.
"Also?"
"Yes~" Cecilia said with a smile.
Patricia soon learned that Morin had indeed written to Cecilia and Helga as well, and had proposed his 'demands' in those letters. The three women couldn't resist opening their respective letters and realized that Morin's opening salutations to all of them were remarkably similar.
Almost amused by Morin's cheekiness, Patricia eventually shook her head and returned to Cecilia's original question.
"Yes, Madam Cecilia. Morin did give me a tough challenge… but it is a very interesting one."
"Interesting?" Cecilia looked at the light flickering in Patricia's eyes and asked with curiosity: "Do you mind sharing it with us? Perhaps we can offer some assistance."
Patricia hesitated. Under normal circumstances, she shouldn't reveal her research projects to outsiders due to confidentiality. But for some reason, facing Cecilia's sincere and frank gaze, her vigilance melted away.
Perhaps it was the shared experience of being 'entrusted' by that foolish man that created a subtle connection between them. Besides, the project she was currently working on was, in a sense, less an Arcane Research Institute project and more her own 'private work.'
"There's no reason not to share it." Patricia's tone still carried a hint of her usual pride. "Friedrich described some of the Gallic Enchantment Technology in the letter and urgently requested me to accelerate the research progress of the portable Magic Guided Communication Device."
"Portable Magic Guided Communication Device?" Helga interjected curiously: "Is that a miniaturized version of the radio stations the army currently uses, the kind that needs a whole Military Truck to haul?"
"It can be understood that way, Miss Schmeisser." Patricia nodded, explaining in an expert tone: "But achieving true 'portability' is incredibly difficult. The core issue lies in miniaturizing the energy core and micro-miniaturizing the Magic Power conduits. Current technology struggles to maintain sufficient power and stability while reducing the size."
She spoke, subconsciously delving into technical details, her voice becoming eager "I am currently tackling the problem of designing a new type of micro Magic Crystal oscillator that can remain stable under high-frequency operation. If that problem can be solved, the communication range and anti-interference capability will achieve a qualitative leap."
(End of this Chapter)
The novel has already been fully translated up to the last updated chapter. You can access it on my Patreon at patreon.com/caleredhair