Nearly ten kilometers behind Gaderia, what was once Aura's stronghold was now Qual's permanent research institute.
As for Aura's treasures, they had long since been secretly transferred to Gaderia by her.
"Qual~"
The wooden door was pushed open, and the scent of fresh ink on a new book wafted out to meet her.
About a dozen Demons sat together in a group inside the room. At the front was Qual holding a fountain pen. Beside him, a large sheet of paper was propped up on a wooden stand, densely covered with writing.
"Oh, it is the King. It has been a long time."
Qual stopped what he was doing and bowed his massive body slightly toward Nanoda. This was a treatment reserved solely for her.
"Glasses?"
At this moment, Qual was not only draped in a massive gray robe but also wore black-rimmed spectacles with black strings hooked over his ears.
Compared to his primitive and savage appearance when his seal was first undone, the current Qual actually exuded a hint of refinement.
Pushing up his oval lenses, Qual's mouth parted into a grin, his sharp fangs completely destroying the brief trace of elegance he had just shown.
"Heh heh, I noticed that human researchers seem to be quite fond of these things, so I made a pair to play around with myself. Is there a reason for your visit?"
Qual was well aware that Nanoda rarely restricted him, aside from forbidding him to harm people indiscriminately. Her coming here this time meant she definitely had some matter that required his assistance.
Nanoda had originally intended to bring up the matter of him escorting Aura, but her gaze was drawn to the contents of the paper.
"Huh? What you drew on this paperboard..."
The surrounding Demons sat obediently. Out of submission to their superiors, they did not dare to move rashly or interrupt.
Following Nanoda's gaze, Qual looked at his own masterpiece.
"This is a new type of magic tool I want to develop. It is still only in the conceptual stage right now. I was just explaining the principles to these soldiers... hmm, I suppose they should be considered my apprentices."
The Demon Race had almost no concept of masters and apprentices. Only a very small minority would exchange magic with one another. This was merely a title Qual had picked up from humans.
"What kind of magic tool is it?"
Nanoda had the nagging feeling that the thing Qual had drawn looked very much like something from her past life.
"It is a large-scale, lethal magic tool. After completing my long-range Killing Magic and auto-tracking Killing Magic, and having witnessed your Severance Magic that compresses mana, I had a new idea. I wanted to combine all the advantages of these magics to create a spell capable of wide-area, ultra-long-range, auto-tracking, and high-destructive power. However, this is currently unrealistic. Making it into a single-use magic tool, on the other hand, is entirely possible."
"Hm?"
The more Nanoda listened, the more familiar it sounded.
"My current idea is to store the compressed Killing Magic inside a container. To achieve a wide area of effect, an enormous amount of mana would be required. No matter how powerful a Demon is, their mana has an upper limit. However, if the magic is stored and accumulated day after day, it can be done.
"In terms of distance, the container's material only needs to meet the strength standard to withstand the wear and tear of movement. For tracking, I can simply apply that type of magic onto the container acting as the outer shell. And as for the shape of the container, I've already figured it out: a cylinder with a rounded tip."
At this point, Nanoda raised her question.
"What is your estimated range and lethal radius?"
"Oh? It seems you know a thing or two about this."
Qual adjusted his non-prescription glasses and continued.
"The estimated range is one thousand kilometers, and the blast radius is roughly over ten kilometers."
"Qual, have you been secretly studying science?"
"Science? What is that? This old man only knows magic."
Qual wore an innocent expression.
Nanoda felt a mix of headache and pleasant surprise. Hearing Qual's description, wasn't this exactly a missile in a magical world?!
Although it was still theoretical, to Nanoda, it sounded incredibly logical: hoarding mana and magic within a magic tool, then regulating the reaction through internal formulas to launch and detonate it.
If it could truly be built, it would absolutely be a weapon of mass destruction.
Qual was truly a Demon genius; to think he could even come up with this.
"Qual, what is your reason for building this magic tool?"
Hearing this question, Qual stroked his chin and spoke.
"Since the war, the human population far outnumbers that of the Demon Race. If we possess a magical weapon capable of wiping out humans on a massive scale, we will have an extra layer of insurance should we ever encounter another war."
She nodded. If they wanted to achieve world 'nuclear peace', this magic tool was indeed an absolute necessity.
Using it to deter the Empire that was coveting Gaderia seemed like a very good choice.
"Alright, I'm not opposed to this project. Just make sure to notify me immediately the moment it's completed."
"That goes without saying."
Hearing Nanoda's approval, Qual breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Nanoda, who was relatively friendly toward humans, would reprimand him for it.
"Qual, you are truly a genius when it comes to war and lethal magic."
Facing Nanoda's teasing, Qual merely grinned.
"These things are all this old man knows how to do in his life—but we have digressed too much. What is your actual business here this time?"
He thoughtfully and consciously steered the topic back on track.
"Have you ever seen the runes on this stone fragment?"
Because of this new research, Nanoda changed her mind and took out the stone fragment she had intercepted from Zaha.
"Do you know how long this old man has lived?"
Qual took the stone fragment in his hand to examine it, asking Nanoda at the same time.
"Over five hundred years?"
After a moment of silence.
"No, this old man is not like those still-youthful Seven Sages of Destruction. This old man has lived for nearly a millennium or more. There are not many left among the Demon Race who are around this old man's age."
Pausing for a moment, Qual continued.
"This should be some kind of lost text from the Mythical Era. If it were complete, this old man might have some clues. But with this incomplete rune as it is now, this old man cannot make out what it means."
Shaking his head, Qual placed the stone fragment back into Nanoda's hand.
"Is that so..."
In the end, she still couldn't completely figure out what this thing was.
"However, this old man can be certain that this thing has absolutely nothing to do with the Demon Race."
"Then let's leave it at that for now. I just came over this time to ask you about this. As for your magic tool project, I'm investing—ah, no, I should say I will fully support it. Lead them well and do a good job."
Having said her piece, Nanoda prepared to leave.
"King, please wait a moment. This old man still has something to say."
The wooden door, which was about to close, paused mid-air.
"The former Demon King would only use his overwhelming power to drive us. Although we cannot kill indiscriminately under your command, we are still considered free. This old man is much more willing to follow your power."
____
👻🔥Seek: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Reincarnated as Mahito, Watch Me Manipulate Everyone
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead of everyone else.
✅ Get cool exclusive stuff and updates!
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!
🚀140 MEMBERS = 5 extra chapters on all stories for supporters!
👻 P - Walnut-chan