Rian looked with satisfaction at the iron frame before him, which was slowly being assembled by the Undead and the Abyss Demons. They moved back and forth, transferring metal chunks from one place to another.
There, he saw Monica, no longer in her maid's outfit, but in the casual attire often worn by workers in the Victorian era. The same went for Felix, who was standing at a table, busy reading a blue engineering drawing.
Dad… Mom… I'll be back soon!
Rian looked at the palm of his hand, then clenched it tightly. Wait for me. Just a little longer.
He had made up his mind. He was going to bring his family to Avanheim. As for whether the Floor Guardians would oppose him or not, that was a matter for later, after he had seen his family.
"Emma, who do you think would be suitable for the mission to that world?" Rian asked Emma, who stood beside him.
Emma thought for a moment. "I think Velusia would be a good fit," she replied.
Velusia? Rian instantly remembered the cold, flat expression on the white-haired elf's face. If you're just looking at her power, she is indeed the most suitable. With her Ice Phantom Sub-Class, she can disguise herself in a human crowd. But I don't believe the ability from that Sub-Class can be used continuously. Besides, Velusia's personality is too quiet. I even doubt if she can communicate normally with other people.
"I don't think Velusia is very suitable." Rian shook his head firmly. "And besides, I can't leave the Fourth Floor without a Floor Guardian. So, I reject the proposal of sending a Floor Guardian to that world."
Emma looked a little sad to have her suggestion rejected.
Seeing this, Rian felt a little guilty. He tried to reassure Emma. "Don't blame yourself. You gave the best suggestion. Velusia is indeed a great option for a spying mission like this. So, you weren't wrong at all," Rian praised with a smile.
Seeing her master's smile, Emma's guilt eased slightly. "I suppose you're right, My Lord," she replied, then asked again with a hint of hesitation, "In that case, what about Jarvis and Octavia?"
"Jarvis and Octavia, huh?" Rian weighed the two's strengths. Since this mission is to obtain the coordinates for Gate magic, the person who has Gate magic is the most suitable. Actually, sending Velusia could still work, because this mission isn't to make first contact with Earth's governments, but to get the coordinates so Avanheim can land there and build up its strength.
As for first contact… I'll think about that later. For now, the focus is on gathering information, especially on whether there are other Avalon players besides myself. If I was transported to Mars, it's not impossible that there are other players on Earth or other planets.
For now, keep a low profile. So, sending Jarvis and Octavia is a good choice. Both of them have justice values above neutral, so they won't look down on humans as inferior beings. Jarvis is a White Dragon and a knight like Natasha, so he can protect Octavia. Octavia's appearance is no different from a human's, aside from the fact that her race is Homunculus.
"In that case, let's go with that suggestion," Rian decided. "By the way, what about concealing Avanheim? Have you done it?"
Emma didn't answer right away. She summoned a chair from her inventory and placed it neatly on the grass. "Lord Arthur, please have a seat. You must be tired, talking while standing, right?" she suggested with a smile, gesturing to the luxurious wooden chair.
"Ah, thank you," Rian said, feeling a little strange. Where did she get this chair?
Emma sat in her own chair, then answered her master's question. "You don't need to worry, My Lord. Ever since you ordered me and Belial to create a better defense system, I've been thinking about this. So, I had Merlin use his Miracle Magic to create a large-scale illusion spell that can cover all of Felius Castle." Emma looked calm, her tail swaying left and right, as if she wanted to be praised.
Thank God. I've been worried about this ever since I knew this was Mars. According to the science textbook I read in middle school, several countries have already sent their satellites into Mars's orbit. So, I'm very grateful that Emma has already designed a camouflage system. Besides, I don't want to go to war with Earth right now.
Rian knew that when two foreign civilizations meet, there are usually two possibilities. First, they will go to war to annihilate each other. This had happened on Earth during the age of imperialism. Second, they will exchange peaceful diplomatic relations. But Rian was more inclined to believe the situation would lead to the first option. Earth's politicians would not allow a threat in their own backyard.
Rian tilted his head slightly, looking at Emma with a smile and a little laugh as he watched her dragon tail sway back and forth. "As expected of our Secretary-General. You're the best." For some reason, he no longer felt nervous when facing Emma, even though it had only been three weeks. Humans really are adaptable creatures, huh…
Unconsciously, he still considered himself human, at least in soul and personality. He hadn't lost his emotions due to the suppression of a passive skill like the protagonists in those novels. Fortunately, the Fallen Angel race didn't have such a passive skill. Rian felt lucky to have chosen this race. If he had chosen the Undead or Vampire race, he might be regretting it now.
"Thank you, Lord Arthur…" Emma replied shyly. Her obsessive expression instantly vanished. Her face flushed slightly, and her tail stopped moving.
So she can make that kind of expression too, Rian smiled, amused, seeing Emma's behavior.
He looked at the grassy field around him. He was currently sitting with Emma right under a large tree. Occasionally, a cool breeze blew past them. In the distance, he saw a range of beautiful green mountains, their peaks covered in white snow. That was the Eden Mountain Range on the Second Floor, Eminalia. Below it stretched a dense forest that went on for hundreds of miles.
Sometimes I feel it's magical to see this view. Outside the castle, as far as the eye can see is just a dead, red land, while here it's the opposite. It's like the concept of heaven and hell. The difference is, the gatekeeper of heaven here isn't an angel, but an evil entity.
"I'm going to check on their work," Rian said as he stood up from his seat and walked slowly toward Monica and Felix. "How is it? Have you solved the engine for this vehicle?" he asked gently, his gaze on the blueprint on Felix's table.
I don't understand this at all, Rian thought. He felt dizzy just looking at the rows of numbers and letters on the blueprint.
"My Lord, this is thanks to your genius idea!" Felix immediately praised. "Truly as expected of a Supreme Being. Only you could have thought of the concept of magical energy generated from this magic fusion process!"
Rian felt embarrassed. I just told you about the concept of atoms! Don't praise me so excessively! he screamed in his head. Initially, he had only told them the basic concept of atoms and the theory of nuclear fusion that he had learned in high school and from science fiction. In his mind, a spaceship must use nuclear energy.
"Thanks to your genius idea, My Lord, I can now confirm the existence of the mana particle hypothesis that mages and alchemists throughout the World of Monia have been searching for." Felix took the blueprint and carefully handed it to his master.
Rian opened the blueprint. It was filled with various mathematical, physical, and magical formulas. For some reason, when he read it carefully, he understood what was explained there, especially in the magic and rune sections.
Hmm, is this an effect of the Abyss Magic King Job? he thought doubtfully. "Hmm, I understand your engine blueprint, Felix," he said, with the look of a professor teaching a student.
"My apologies, My Lord. The engine blueprint was made by Monica. I was only in charge of developing the magic and science theories," Felix said carefully, as if afraid his words would anger his master.
"Good work, Monica. I commend you for this beautiful-looking engine blueprint," Rian said, looking at Monica who was standing not far from Felix.
"Thank you, Lord Arthur. It is still not much. There are still many errors that need to be improved," Monica replied, bowing her head slightly.
"The working principle of this engine is to convert the abundant mana particles in the universe into the magical energy the ship needs to move, right?" Rian asked.
"In simple terms, yes, that's right," Monica explained. "The runes Felix created serve to absorb the usually invisible and intangible mana particles, turning them into matter that can be seen, observed, and has mass."
Although Rian didn't understand particle physics very well, the basic physics lessons he had learned in school said that particles have mass, even subatomic particles. The existence of mana particles in the game's lore is now confirmed. But why was its existence never discovered back when it was still a game?
Just thinking about it was giving him a headache.
"At the current pace, how long until this ship is finished?"
"Ship?" Felix and Monica reacted to the new word.
"Yes. From now on, this thing will be called a 'spaceship,' not just a 'vehicle'," Rian explained.
"Although I don't really understand the meaning, if it's a name from Lord Arthur, I accept it," Felix said softly.
"Me too," Monica said, nodding in agreement. "Two months and three weeks, the ship will be finished," she answered with certainty.
"In that case, I'll be leaving. Do your best for Avanheim," Rian ordered firmly.
"Understood, Lord Arthur," they replied in unison.
Rian turned and walked back toward Emma.