"Devils are multiplying while we're dwindling. The Sacred City of Tachira has fallen, and we're scattered in all directions. We've scaled mountains and crossed rivers, fleeing as far as we can from the gates of hell. But where will we run next?" "What do you think?" Roland closed the Book of Illusion in the office and asked the scroll.
"If Knight remembers correctly, this is truly a remarkable coincidence," the scholar mused. "The treasure map's contents align with the ancient texts' notes, indirectly proving the Church once built cities to resist the Devil in the remote wilderness. The marked locations might indicate defensive towers, outposts, warehouses, or other structures." "So... it's not a genuine treasure map?" "Of course. The Church aren't bandits or pirates—they wouldn't need to hide wealth and leave a blueprint for posterity," Roland nodded. "That makes sense. So... this is actually a map?" "Most likely. Though unclear why the Church didn't document this period, I believe multiple ruins lie buried in the Eastern Forest." The scholar analyzed. "If the marked structure was merely above-ground, few would remain after centuries. But if it included underground storage like a basement, it could be another hidden site. We might find clues through it." "What clues?" "Why did the Church conceal the Devil's existence? Why did they resist it while keeping it secret?" Her voice grew somber. "And... why did they hunt witches as if they were devils?" Roland, unsure how to console them, fell silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Unfortunately, I don't know if his drawing is accurate. From what he said, the original map looks too neat to be hand-drawn." "Why don't we have Nightingale go to Knight's residence?" "That's not quite right," Roland vetoed. "A family that could pass down treasure maps for hundreds of years might have God's Punishment Stones and traps scattered throughout their storeroom. Let's save that for later," he gestured with his finger to the triangle's side length. "We can't reach this place now anyway. If we consider the foothills of North Slope as the mining area, the hexagram's location is at least fifty kilometers away—roughly the distance between Border Town and Long Song Fortress. Unless Lightning can reach it in a day, everyone else would need two to three days on foot. What if we run into the Devil along the way... I don't want any mishaps." "You could have Lightning scout this woodland from the air first. Who knows, he might find something," the scholar suggested.
"That's a practical plan," Roland stood up. "I'll inform her when she returns. I need to visit the North Slope Mine now. You should prepare the teaching materials first. If you require multiple copies, contact Soroya. We still have classes scheduled for tonight." Roland blended the foundational education he received in elementary school with the Fourth Prince's courtly training methods, imparting them to Shujuan. This included categorized memorization, phonetic reading and writing, and phrase recitation. With these skills, he believed Shujuan would become an excellent teacher.
"Yes, Your Highness," said the scholar with a bow.
The back courtyard of the North Slope Mines' kiln has more than doubled in size since its original construction, with two excavated holes left unfilled on the ground where the gunpowder for the twelve-pound cannon was cast. When Roland arrived, Anna was practicing her newfound ability, and two steel-like artifacts were placed on the table.
He casually picked up a steel pipe and examined it. The pipe was perfectly round, with a smooth surface free of pores. The central hole, identical to the outer wall, revealed a straight line of high-reflective light when aligned with sunlight. Roland checked the wall thickness at both ends with his fingernail and found it to be nearly identical.
Roland marveled, "How did you do this?" "Look," Anna said, holding a freshly sharpened steel rod horizontally. She threaded a thin black thread through the end until it fully penetrated the rod, then wound it around the center to complete the hole.
With his astonishing ability to cut objects with scorching Magic Power wires while maintaining precise control, Anna could single-handedly elevate the town's industrial output to new heights. Suppressing his excitement, he said, "Let's start with some basic tests." These tests would cover the range, intensity, and duration of the ability.
The Nightingale emerged from the mist, tasked with monitoring the fluctuations of Magic Power within Anna's body.
The results show that the range of the black flame is still within five meters except for the ability intensity and duration which are greatly improved, and the black flame can only be controlled accurately within three meters.
Meanwhile, it remains a summoning-type ability. God's Stone can neutralize the Black Flame effect, or it will vanish instantly when Anna commands the Black Flame to enter its range.
Roland mused. It seemed the only way forward was to evolve to harness Magic Power directly—otherwise, this hurdle would be unavoidable.
Yet Anna's new ability holds revolutionary significance: using black flame to create industrial mother machines and produce various machine tools, this breakthrough provides a shortcut for rapidly advancing mechanical processing capabilities.
Yet large-scale industrial production remains beyond the capacity of a single individual. Take the kiln Karl built on the northern slope: only one unit has been completed. Initial trials showed it could produce clay bricks, but cement firing consistently failed to meet temperature standards. This is why Border Town still relies on Anna to manufacture the cement needed—though fortunately, once she reached adulthood, she could now complete the calcination process without enduring the dusty indoor environment.
Roland wasn't without solutions to the furnace temperature challenge. For instance, he could integrate a steam engine for forced air circulation to boost temperature, while establishing a waste gas recirculation system to maximize heat recovery. Yet the steam engine's production also depended on Anna, who single-handedly handled everything from casting critical components to welding.
It's fair to say that Border Town's industrial achievements are all built upon Anna's capabilities. Without her, the so-called industrial progress would be nothing but a mirage.
During the Demon's Moon, Roland acted only as a stopgap measure. With the threat of the evil beast now gone and the Changge Fortress providing ample manpower and funding, he was naturally determined to change the situation.
"Start with the basics," he instructed Anna to cut a steel strip two fingers wide and about one millimeter thick. She then selected a standard centimeter-long iron ruler, taking a small section as the fixed length for the black lines. She arranged them repeatedly until ten lines roughly matched the standard centimeter length. Next, she guided the black lines along the steel strip, etching vertical marks. With precise control of the black lines, the spacing between each mark remained nearly identical.
Roland planned to begin with rulers, producing a batch of prototype measuring tools while standardizing the metric system. These standardized units would be codified into manuals and incorporated into the upcoming public education initiatives.