Humans cannot use magic.
When a wizard waves a wand with a mysterious incantation, magic appears with a poof! Those who do not know much, like Pastel, might mistake wizards for something to be revered, but magic is not the wizard’s own power.
A wizard is more like a prayerful actor, wishing for an incantation. Magic is merely nature’s response to those prayers.
It is not much different from an artificial spirit, claiming to be a fairy, calling upon the gods, and making wishes. If the results are good, they take the credit for it.
However, unlike the embarrassing situation of wizards, priests had a different story.
The chosen priestly class, endowed by the gods with powers, truly wielded divine authority.
With a mere gesture, incurable diseases were healed, and downpours came to parched lands. Miracles became their everyday power, with clouds parting to reveal sunlight above them whenever they desired.
So excessive was this that they could easily mistake themselves for gods.
Worship and corruption.
After all the schemes and betrayals, those who completely seized the power of the naive deities were called demons.
When the theft of power became so extreme that it led to the literal death of gods and a vacuum of revelations, those responsible were known as the great demons.
The great demon himself claimed it was the gods who casually relinquished their power and sought to prove his innocence, but he eventually could not endure the century-long pursuit and assassination across the continent and fled to the Demon Realm.
However, shortly thereafter, the god believed to be dead returned perfectly intact, initiating a new age with a reorganization of doctrine, which rendered the great demon’s notoriety rather ambiguous. The god seemed to have forgotten the existence of the great demon, as there were no related revelations or annulments, so the great demon remained such.
The demon’s infamy was indeed sustained, partly due to minor crimes like holding a knife to the emperor’s neck and preparing a skywhale for escape to the Demon Realm.
Wondering when the emperor’s head would be cut off, the prince observed with anxious anticipation, knowing that once he became the new emperor, it would be over. However, the empire’s budget had taken a significant hit in pursuit of saving the skywhale.
Although the great demon had performed substantial feats by assisting Pastel Blossom in the eradication of the cult, resulting in an even more complicated reputation, the evaluation of the great demon in the Demon Realm differed sharply from this mainstream historical narrative.
Originally, the Demon Realm was a refuge for fugitives.
The great demon, having settled there during an era when power was everything, wielded immense power and established a stronghold after more than a century of struggle. He became a true force, breaching the authority of the Demon Lord with godlike powers.
The great demon was a living legend of immigrant origins from the empire, firmly established whether for good or ill. This glory and power seemed destined to continue.
Until a naive, good-hearted clan with pink hair began to wander into the Demon Realm.
Centuries had passed since the great demon settled.
The cannibalistic barbarism had not diminished at all. The notion that power was everything had not changed. There could not have been a situation that upset the former priest more.
When the empire began eyeing the Demon Realm and the Demon Lord announced a trade blockade to attempt to cut off all resources, the great demon was slowly won over by the pink-haired proposal to introduce new technologies and reform these evil customs, hoping to create a world where people could live more comfortably. After all, the great demon was originally from the empire and appreciated its culture.
In reality, there was no choice.
Magic stones only existed in the Demon Realm. Bringing in the rapidly developing magic stone engineering from the empire would be easier than swimming while holding the ground. Not investing would be foolish.
The great demon honed the skills of smuggling, aggressively bringing in imperial technologies. When one faction disregarded trade policies and acted freely, the trade blockade collapsed in an instant.
The pink-haired figure hovering over the novice smuggler gave a thumbs up.
Then she smuggled in the empire’s new weaponry—cold weapons (the steel from Bellamont is of high quality! A true new technology!)—sparking a civil war.
“Craft…!”
Instantly branded a traitor in the Demon Realm, the great demon had to bring the civil war to an end with his own hands.
Yet, ultimately, he became the critical cause of the devastating loss in the great war, forcing the great demon into a pursued existence even within the Demon Realm.
After that, the story is as long as it is short.
In front of the fleeing great demon appeared another naive, good-hearted pink-haired girl, apologizing for the betrayal of the clan leader.
She diligently aided him toward the empire, affirming that she would repay the clan leader’s betrayal. This helped partially restore the great demon’s delicate honor, fostering cooperation and eliminating pursuits and assassinations.
The great demon had no choice but to reflect again on the realization that lineage and individuality were different. It was the betrayal of the deceitful clan leader that was the issue; the term ‘Craft’ was not inherently bad.
When the great demon let his guard down, the pink-haired girl struck from behind and sealed him, earning recognition for her contributions, suggesting she was fit to become the new clan leader.
“Betrayal is about the follow-up processing being as important as the success.”
The pink-haired girl, having elegantly sealed the great demon—who had become a significant source of anxiety—was highly qualified to be the next clan leader.
“Craft…!”
Much later,
Before the great demon still imprisoned, Blossom Craft appeared.
This time, she was neither naive nor merely kind; she was subtly altered and no longer merely charitable. She appeared genuine.
The girl, still underage, asked for help to become the clan leader, vowing to reform the wicked clan.
As a former priest, the great demon could not refuse the righteous request of a young girl. Especially considering he had been doubly betrayed by that wicked clan and had vowed to someday dismantle it.
As he assisted earnestly and resolved various matters, there were issues where the pink-haired girl broke promises and locked him back in prison, but those were minor problems.
At this point, one might wonder if it was truly the great demon who was foolish for continually being deceived by the pink-haired girl.
Elly thought the same.
Had it not been for the pink-haired girl’s ulterior motives, the great demon’s proposed reform for the Demon Realm would have been realized, and his honor restored. The great demon believed that while he might have been clumsy, the direction itself was sound.
The great demon was a rare reformer in the old Demon Realm that only flaunted power; one could not help but admire him.
After all, those who tread paths no one has walked inevitably appear clumsy. The bad ones are the pink-haired characters.
“The coal supply chain is a weak link. Compared to magic stone mines, there are significantly fewer quality coal mines, which is why we are importing coal from Bellamont.”
Elly gave a policy briefing in front of the great demon.
Pictures of trains and skyscrapers covered the table. Although this was entirely different from the great demon’s magic stone engineering reforms, it was a new generation’s achievement in its own right.
A sense of pride lifted the corners of his mouth.
The demon narrowed his brow and rubbed his chin.
“For now, it is not a big issue. However, once national development intensifies and demand increases, imperial intervention will be inevitable.”
“Yes. So, we are conducting hybrid research with the magic stone engineering department.”
“Pure engineering is not severely restrained because the empire remains skeptical of its potential, but magic stone engineering is a different matter.”
“That’s right.”
Nothing is as threatening as the origin of magic stones obtaining the magic stone engineering.
“The control of research magic stones and talented individuals is severely strict, making the research itself challenging.”
Elly smiled as the reform-minded senior understood immediately.
The instruction pole pointed to one side of the report.
“Therefore, we are putting hopes on the trains confiscated by Pastel.”
This referred to the trains and crew encountered in the port city. The crew, likely cult members, had all perished in a massacre thought to be a suppression by the cult, but the train with abnormally high technology remained.
“Currently, such speeds are impossible with pure engineering. I can guarantee this on behalf of the kingdom’s honor. Although I was unable to see the guild report due to being expelled from the hotel, it must be hybrid.”
If not, it would mean that the cult had surpassed the technological prowess of the allied kingdom, which doesn’t add up at all. Unless it was a group that was purely investing in pure engineering, which it wasn’t.
“It is hybrid, for sure!”
A bright voice suddenly chimed in.
Turning around, Pastel Govenor’s head peeked from the doorway.
Her pink eyes quickly scanned the demon and Elly.
“They say it’s a 70-30 split in favor of magic stone engineering. The guild’s technicians said that with support from the royal family, they could further enhance the speed.”
“Oh, interesting. What specifically are we talking about?”
“I don’t think the demon needs to know the details!”
“What?”
While it was good news, Elly felt a slight chill. The gaze she received was rather intense.
But perhaps it was a misconception, as the pink-haired girl soon brightened up and stepped inside with light footsteps.
“I had no idea Elly had such plans! I’ll talk to the guild so they’ll share the train data with the royal family! We should work together!”
Pastel poked Elly in the side with her finger.
“The patent rights can be negotiated by the practical team!”
“Really? If you do, that’s great for me.”
The very mention of allowing negotiations implied that Pastel, originally a core member of the practical team, could interfere at her discretion.
A fierce negotiation over patent rights unfolded between Elly, the royal representative Princess Ellyshita, and the governor’s representative.
Having been expelled from the hotel and having worried that Pastel might be genuinely angry, Elly felt a sense of relief.
It seemed that the highly rational Pastel wouldn’t hold a grudge for temporarily acting in national interest, dispelling any lingering anxiety.
Still, she would need to be careful in the future.
Treading the line between a cold friend and national interests was rough on the heart.
“Yes, yes! Elly is an addict to work, so it seems like she needs to drag the demon around for unnecessary briefings! I’ll give her more work!”
Pastel pointed to herself confidently.
“A good boss keeps her subordinates from being unemployed!”
Wow.
A sound effect came from the girl’s mouth.
Elly cocked her head.
Is that really a good boss?
But feeling good about it, she smiled.
“Thank you.”
“Yes, yes!”
Pastel nodded vigorously.
“I’m super kind!”
Her pink pigtails bobbed.
