Chapter 619 – Released With A Warning.

‘Should I do it? One good push and he will go out the window.’

Roland looked down at his fist and then at the babbling man in front of him. Behind the man, a large transparent panel that looked like glass filled the wall. In truth the material could become clear while remaining solid. Halbrecht stood directly against it, and Roland wondered if shoving him through and running was an option.

It had been more than a week since the Duke ordered him to lend his expertise to this man. Even after building the prototype, the man would not stop talking about his own greatness and the promise of new inventions. Now the man wanted Roland to reconfigure the entire mage tower to improve its efficiency.

If this carried on, Roland could be trapped here for months or longer. For a moment, he imagined pushing the man out and smashing through the glass wall. The Duke was present, but the man himself would not concern himself with a tier three class holder; at most, the other high-level knights and perhaps the Grand Knight Commander would interfere.

Still, the plan could not be carried out as too much was at stake. He might manage to escape, but he would be hunted for damaging part of the mage tower and for hijacking a teleport gate to flee. If he no longer had a home to return to in Albrook, leaving the island might have been tempting. But he had put down roots here, and starting over somewhere else would not be easy.

‘I’m not sure Elodia would like to live in one of the other countries after all that has happened…’

When he first arrived in Albrook, he was not sure he would stay there for long. If the dungeon did not allow him to reach tier three quickly, he might have reconsidered and gone elsewhere. Now, however, there were too many people who relied on him, so for the time being he needed to restrain himself from doing anything too reckless.

“Haha, excellent work as always, my genius friend!”

The man who looked like a mad scientist held a schematic up to the glass, letting the light shine through it.

“Now then…”

As he examined a design involving golems and several of the appliances Roland used in Albrook, the man turned around and took out something that looked like a badge.

“Hm? An access key?”

“I do not even need to explain it? Very good! Truly extraordinary!”

Roland saw that what he was given resembled the badge attached to his armor. It was an identification sigil that could open restricted areas and operate sealed mechanisms throughout the tower. The badge was circular, made from enchanted metal, with faint inscriptions glowing along its edge.

“The one you are wearing is the temporary researcher key. This one, however, is the permanent version.”

“Permanent? Do you mean…”

Roland went pale beneath his helmet as he heard this. He knew the tower was divided into sections, and his current badge only granted access to specific rooms. If this man was giving him one that could open more chambers, it might mean he intended for him to stay here permanently.

“Indeed, my genius friend. You can use it to return here so we can continue our research together. “

“Return?”

That word caught his attention.

“So you mean… I can leave now?”

“Of course you can leave! This is not a prison!”

The old man cackled again, and before Roland could ask any more questions, he continued speaking.

“Of course, before we start this project I’ll have to convince those stingy nobles to fund it! Once that is done and the tunnels are explored thoroughly, we can plan the cabling and tower placement. I’ll be sure to build a prototype based on the schematics you designed, but first I’ll need to study them carefully.”

“I see… So… I’ll stay in touch.”

Roland did not bother arguing with the man, who was already mumbling to himself. Instead, he took the key from the desk. After more than a week of feeling like a glorified assistant trapped inside a cage of glowing panels, there was finally light at the end of the tunnel. A quick scan told him the key was genuine, and he began to quietly leave Halbrecht’s office before the old man could finish his rambling.

‘Almost there.’

Just as he reached the sliding door, the old man turned sharply toward him.

“Wait!”

“Uh… is something wrong? I’ll stay in touch with your people through my people…”

Roland said, trying to edge closer to the exit.

“You need to take these research papers. Did you think I would let you leave empty-handed?”

Halbrecht hurried over and handed him a thick book filled with strange theories. Roland flipped through the pages and realized that no ordinary person would be able to make sense of what this eccentric scientist had written.

“Oh, I just can’t wait. Once the network is created, we’ll be able to exchange knowledge with each other and other brilliant minds. The age of knowledge is upon us!”

In truth, what Roland had given the man resembled a primitive version of the modern internet and radio technology. The current method of communication consumed vast amounts of mana, and magical letters carried certain risks. If they succeeded in creating a true network that used cables and radio towers, information, drawings, and schematics could be shared instantly. Printers did not yet exist in this world, but once data transfer was established, even that could become a reality.

While the research exchange appeared one-sided at first glance, he still gained certain advantages from it. To ensure that he would not be betrayed, he embedded a hidden access point for himself within every piece of technology he shared. If those creations were ever turned against him, he would be able to disable or alter their behavior immediately.

In a way, building a connected network through his inventions also gave him the ability to monitor the cities where they were installed. Halbrecht was intelligent but too eager to experiment without proper testing. By setting up the networks with the runic routers and switches he provided, Halbrecht was unknowingly doing Roland a favor.

“This seems to contain the secrets of that barrier.”

“Yes, those are my grandfather’s old research notes. I’ve analyzed them many times already, but I’m sure they can help you with your research, my friend. Just be sure to inform me when you make any more breakthroughs.”

“Sure… I’ll be going now. Don’t worry, I know the way out.”

Roland took the notes and placed them into one of his spatial runes. He had already studied the layout of this place and knew the way out. Halbrecht laughed at his words and nodded.

“Farewell, my friend. Let us meet again to discuss magic and science.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

His steps were quick, and soon he arrived before the platform that had brought him in. Behind him, an awkward scene was unfolding as all the research assistants stood up to applaud while he waited for the elevator doors to close. He had spent over a week with them, and for some reason, they regarded him as a kind of teacher.

‘They are probably just happy that I made their work easier for them…’

With the implementation of the runic systems, their tasks would become much simpler. Creating schematics on the screens through a basic scanning process was far easier than performing an entire magical ritual.

“Authorization: Elite researcher clearance.”

Once the elevator doors closed and the glass panels turned into white stone, the tower spirit spoke to him. It was similar to Sebastian but had fewer features. Roland had shared some information about tower spirit techniques, yet Halbrecht still did not know the full extent of Sebastian’s abilities. If he did, Roland was certain that Halbrecht would have wanted to see them in action. It was a secret advantage Roland had planned to use if he was forced to stay longer, but fortunately, that would no longer be necessary.