Chapter 309

Chapter 308

“You’re still quite lacking. The knowledge and skills that you have are very common. To be honest, I still don’t know whether you will be able to enter Bettelstrock with your skills.”

Well, it was not really that hard to enter Bettelstrock. After all, what was the use of a backdoor if Davey would not use it for his sibling? However, was he someone who would give a talent like that away? The answer to that was no.

“So, all you need to do is take your time and learn slowly.”

“Are you going to...teach me?”

“That’s right. This brother of yours can do a bit of alchemy and engineering, you know?”

Aeonitia looked like she did not believe Davey at all. However, soon remembering the difference in position between Davey and herself, she immediately looked down. She quietly muttered, “I don’t believe you. If you hate me, then please just let me out of the palace. You can demote me to a commoner if you want.”

“Is that so?” Davey said, standing up and stretching his hand toward the girl. “It seems like you need to see it for yourself to believe me. Watch, then decide.”

Aeonitia could not understand what Davey intended to do. She just looked up at her brother with a doubtful expression. However, she soon shrieked at Davey who was grabbing her hand, dragging her up, and hugging her.

“Kyack!”

“Be careful. I hope you don’t get any motion sickness. If you’re not used to this, you’ll probably get an upset stomach.”

Shwaaaaaaa!

Before Davey was done speaking, all around them were dozens of magic circles that flashed and appeared in layers. In a mere blink of the eye, the space around them had completely changed.

“Urk...”

“Welcome to the Heins Territory.”

Aeonitia looked around in surprise. It did not take long for her uneasiness to rise, and she started to curl up into a ball and shrink herself. That was probably because Davey had brought her to a dark underground area that only had the soft light of mana stones.

“This...”

“You won’t be disappointed,” answered Davey confidently.

Well, he was sure about it, but he could still be making a mistake. He did notice that his sister was looking more wary than relaxed.

Creeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaak!!!

When she heard the sound of something turning from deep within the dark underground corridor, Aeonitia flinched and immediately stepped back. However, Davey did not stop walking forward.

Soon, they arrived in front of a huge door. Davey then touched the operating device and the huge door began to open.

The pale and uneasy Aeonitia, who had been looking around cautiously, completely forgot all of her worries. She stared in awe and shock at the scene in front of her. And just like any child her age, she exclaimed, “Wow!”

Aeonitia’s reaction was unsurprising. After all, the underground laboratory in the Heins Territory had been created solely to satisfy Davey’s own greed. The Decepticon Fleet as well as the Avengers Squadron had all been made in this laboratory.

Of course, the dwarves continued to do research here. They also invented new things while learning alchemy and engineering skills that were unknown to this continent from Davey. In other words, this underground laboratory was almost like a secret research institute, the kind that would never be seen in other nations or territories.

Engineers of three different races were working in the laboratory and creating new things. And on one side of the laboratory were huge golems, the Decepticon Fleet, standing proudly.

“A... Amazing!” Aeonitia cried out with twinkling eyes.

The cry caught the attention of the dwarves and elves who were working around the lab. They all turned to take a look.

“Oh. Isn’t that the Wise Teacher?” said one of the dwarves who walked over to Davey. He greeted, “Welcome, welcome. I heard that you have been very busy these past few days.”

“Yes. I didn’t even have the time to rest my feet. Anyway, how’s the progress on the technology that I have introduced to you?”

“Well, nothing out of the ordinary. If I were to be honest, we have already made a few proper improvements on the technology since Annabelle’s creation.”

Aeonitia looked at the dwarf warily. It was the same look that she had given Davey earlier on.

“Hmm? Who’s this human girl?”

“My younger sister.”

The dwarf looked at Davey in confusion. “A younger sister? But doesn’t the Wise Teacher already have those two beautiful sisters? You have another one?”

“This rascal doesn’t really leave the palace much.”

“Hmm... Well, it doesn’t really matter to me. Is there something that you need?”

“Aeonitia.”

Hearing Davey’s sudden call, Aeonitia almost fell back in shock.

“Can you show them that thing on your wrist?”

“...”

“It’s alright,” said Davey reassuringly.

Aeonitia slowly stuck out her arm, showing off the rugged and crude mechanical device resting on her wrist.

“Hoo... This...”

The dwarven engineer’s eyes flashed when he realized the novelty of the idea. He did not focus on the technology that had been used.

“Hey! Come and look at this!”

As Aeonitia fiddled with the watch that was fastened to her wrist absent-mindedly, Davey continued, “Other than that, advising you on your technological skills as well as the expenses that you will incur for your project’s materials will be covered by this brother of yours.”

“Can you really...do that?”

“I have a lot of money.”

Aeonitia frowned at Davey’s relaxed tone.

—You’re so annoying.

Completely ignoring Perserque’s comment, Davey said to Aeonitia, “I won’t meddle with whatever you do. Even if you deceive the humans in that laboratory or you make things that will kill me, I will continue to give you my support.”

“Why?” Aeonitia asked, completely unable to understand why Davey was doing something like this.

“Even if you worked hard for all of your life, there’s no way that I would die.”

Even an 8th to 9th Circle mage using all of their limbs to cast magic would not be able to kill Davey, what more someone who would only use a single machine. It was no different from dreaming big.

“In fact, I don’t think you will be able to come up with an idea that would pose a problem to the entire continent.”

Unlike her brothers, Carlus and Benedict, who did not care about such things and would just charge recklessly into something, Aeonitia was a very realistic girl.

“Well then, shall we move on to the distribution of profits? As you can see, all of the profits on the items that you will create with the dwarves’ help will be split 7 to 3. But since you still have a lot to learn, we have to take into consideration the cost of education and the materials that you will use. Because of that, our side will be the one taking the 7.”

“That...”

“You still have a lot of things going on in your head, no?”

Aeonitia took out a very small notebook, which possibly contained all of the ideas that she had come up with and written down.

“Other than that, there are also the rights to your items, the costs of generating revenue for your creations, maintaining your dignity, and many more...” Davey continued to explain the important points of the contract.

Aeonitia, who seemed to have been pondering over the things that Davey had initially mentioned, looked slightly lost. It seemed like these things were still quite difficult for a child to fully understand.

However, Davey was taking advantage of that very fact.

—She’s still a child, but you’re already sucking up everything from her. You’re very vicious.

‘A talent is a talent. If we let her go, then we are the ones who will regret it.’

“Aeonitia,” Davey called out to his younger sister after refuting Perserque’s scathing remarks.

The girl, who was fiddling with her contract, had a dazed and blank look on her face. “Yes... Yes?”

Suddenly placed in a very difficult situation, she simply looked up at Davey with a blank expression. She was unable to make a proper judgment after being shown the amazing laboratory and being told the contents of the contract... Her brain felt like it would explode from information overload.

“Right. This is the last part. Hang in there.”

After the girl nodded blankly, Davey continued, “It’s about the contract period. This brother of yours promises that you will be able to learn more and better alchemy and engineering skills than what you will be able to learn in Bettelstrock. That’s what you want, right?”

“As long as I can learn a lot, then...”

Running away from Davey was very important to Aeonitia, but her interest in alchemy and engineering could not be replaced.

“Right. However, I will be troubled if the technological skills that I will teach you get leaked. So, this is the final point of the contract. This is a lifetime contract. Do you understand?” Davey said, smiling gently.

However, Aeonitia just held the pen in her hand and spun it endlessly with a blank expression.

Everything was almost over.

“I will pay you and make sure to protect you for the rest of your life. You can also do and research whatever it is that you want. I won’t even force you to perform better. Just study as much as your heart pleases.”

If Aeonitia did not produce good results, then they would not be able to gain money. However, that was something that a rookie like her did not know of yet.

Aeonitia, who seemed to have fallen for Davey’s promises, slowly reached out for the lifetime contract that was presented in front of her. She was just about to sign the paper when...

“Davey. Rinne evaluates you lowly.”

“Shut up, you punk.”

Thwack!!!

When she heard Davey smack Rinne in the forehead, Aeonitia looked up at Rinne with sparkling eyes.

‘Ah, come to think of it, there is no big difference in height between Aeonitia and Rinne.’

Perhaps Aeonitia found it interesting to see a girl that looked to be her age. She murmured, “That child is...?”

“Her name is Rinne. She’s a golem.”

Aeonitia’s eyes grew wide.

‘This is the perfect time!’

“How is it? It’s amazing, right? All you have to do is sign that paper.”

Aeonitia, without even realizing it, signed her name on the contract. She was too fascinated by the fact that Rinne, a golem, was acting like a living and breathing creature.

Once the contract was signed, Davey patted Aeonitia on her head. He then turned to Rinne and asked, “Rinne, what’s the problem?”

“A report from Baris. A number of important criminals have been reportedly missing from each nation all over the continent. Their number has exceeded 200. All of the kidnappings are similar to the attack used in the Haoji Mines.”

At this point in time, Davey still had no way of knowing what the vampires were up to. He grumbled, “Those bastards are running something.”