Undercurrents swirled within Castel, with all manner of speculation and rumors running rampant, yet Theus made no further moves.
He neither acknowledged any of the claims nor offered any further official explanation. Instead, he turned his attention to the next round of educational outreach.
Many people had already completed all the previously compiled advanced-class materials. Beyond that, only certain specialized subjects still needed textbooks written—for instance, calculus.
This time, however, Theus released textbooks across most fields. Some of the content had been compiled from his memories of his previous life, but even more had been provided by Moth Chasing Flame.
What Theus provided Moth Chasing Flame was not merely shelter, but an unceasing supply of resources. He had also designated dedicated testing grounds for them within Castel.
In addition, some of the most cutting-edge research—namely, explorations into fundamental science—had been placed in Gem Bay, southeast of Castel.
Development in Gem Bay progressed slowly. After all, it was rather far from the mainland and lacked a population base, but it was perfectly suited for building testing grounds.
Unlike improving weapons, exploring fundamental science could very easily trigger Cognitive Interference. At least weapon makers knew what they were doing, whereas researching fundamental science meant advancing through the darkness.
After all, seeing a bamboo pole fall did not lead solely to thoughts of gravity. Verifying every possible association would be both dangerous and low-yield. That was how science in this world had been locked down.
But Castel was different. It had both a sufficiently educated population and an atmosphere conducive to research and development. Theus also offered vigorous support, continuously investing without regard for returns. It could be said that this was the only place in the world where all the conditions for research and development had come together.
In Gem Bay, Moth