Apprentices' Worries

"Well done, it seems you've really taught those workers how to use the lathe."

After carefully checking the dimensions of the parts given to the apprentices and confirming with the workers who was responsible for making them, Fran nodded with great satisfaction.

At this moment, the three apprentices stood in a line in front of Fran, their faces expressionless in the face of Fran's praise.

Apart from Kahn, the other two apprentices realized early on what Fran really wanted to do, and they were more mentally prepared.

But when they saw the intact parts being removed from under the lathe, they still felt it was too surreal.

"In a few days, I'll give you another lesson as a reward for how well you've done."

Despite hearing Fran's promise, the three apprentices were far from happy, as their minds were preoccupied with the phenomenon they had observed.

Those workers could manufacture weapons just like theirs without relying on any Mental Power manipulation, simply through machinery.

This made them, for the first time since joining the City of Apprentices and learning magic, begin to doubt magic itself: Is there really a future for us in learning magic?

Perhaps the apprentices of other School wouldn't have such internal strife, but all three apprentices were well aware that what they had learned from their School could actually be achieved without magic.

Just like the spell [Steam Jet], some apprentices, after studying it in detail, actually developed a version that didn't require any spells. However, because the huge Steam Engine made it inconvenient to carry, it never came in handy.

Now, the workers can make guns entirely on their own using a set of machines that don't require any magic, which makes the three apprentices extremely resentful.

Kahn even thought of the man he had seen who had learned magic but could only beg, which filled him with fear that he would suffer the same fate.

Fran was so busy lately that she didn't notice the changes in the three people's expressions at all.

She summoned the three of them merely to offer them a glimpse of the future and boost their enthusiasm.

After giving her a brief explanation, she wanted the three apprentices to get back to their jobs as soon as possible.

The leaders have already inspected the site; they should have gotten to work immediately, even though there's no issue of profit-making here.

However, what drives the development here is Fran's own needs. Her advancement and learning of spells require the entire Base Camp to contribute, so she naturally wants these apprentices to work as long as possible.

However, just as she waved for the three apprentices to leave, Kahn stood still, seemingly lost in thought. The other two apprentices noticed that he hadn't moved.

She inexplicably stayed behind, which made Fran look up in confusion.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Kahn snapped out of his daze and, facing Fran's probing gaze, realized the enormity of his mistake. Beads of sweat instantly appeared on his back.

But things had already progressed to this point, Kahn had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue.

He spoke loudly:

"Lai Rai, I... want to know why you want all those workers involved in mechanical production... it really doesn't seem to follow the usual logic of a mage."

Kahn lowered his head, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. He couldn't believe he had dared to question the actions of a Formal Mage.

Fran raised an eyebrow, somewhat puzzled by Kahn's words, unsure of what was troubling Kahn.

"What are you asking? It's not that I'm having the workers participate, but rather that after I build the machinery, I need workers to provide additional assistance to save resources..."

"As for whether mages can do this, you'd have to ask why the Alliance has so many School. Were all these schools of thought perfectly reasonable when they were first created?"

"No..." Kahn stammered, looking up to see Fran staring at him.

Having grown accustomed to the hierarchical environment of the City of Apprentices, Kahn hesitated to voice his opinions at this moment.

Fortunately, Fran was patient; she waited ten seconds and let Kahn organize his thoughts.

"What I'm trying to say is... if those workers can create the powerful weapons you once taught us, then is there any need for us mages to exist?"

Although Kahn had thought about it for a while, it was still clear that he was in a panic and making rash decisions. In the end, he even came up with the question of whether mages were necessary to exist.

Fran's lips twitched. If any of the other mages besides her heard this, no matter how good they were to their apprentices, they would probably want to slap Kahn's mouth to pieces.

"You're thinking in the wrong direction. It's not about whether we mages can or cannot... it's that we mages have the potential to enhance machinery, which is why mages have a place on the continent."

"Just as you said, with a little training, those workers can adapt to and utilize these machines to create powerful weapons."

"Even without my intervention to accelerate the development of the entire Base Camp, these workers could have built this place under proper guidance, it just took a long time."

"But what a monk can do is not to compete with ordinary people for jobs, but to make use of the workers' achievements to obtain better results."

Fran paused for a moment, then began to channel magic into her palm, and a complex spell model appeared in her hand.

"This is a spell related to Steam Engine, and it's one I created myself. I call it [Steam Concerto]."

"The effect of this spell is enhanced based on the Steam Engine I created."

"If I don't build any Steam Engine, then this spell will have no effect."

"This is just one example."

"Of course, I could spontaneously build a dozen or so Steam Engine and let them idle, but that would mean I would need to perform maintenance on them frequently."

"And after I had trained those workers, telling them all the details of the Steam Engine, when one of the Steam Engine broke down..."

"They can fix it for me directly, without me having to bother with researching it..."

Fran withdrew her hand and then continued:

"I think you've all been to that dark gray factory that's always emitting smoke; it's where they produce a fuel that's been degraded from coal."

"If you use this type of fuel to drive the [Steam Jet], the effect will be better, and it will also consume less Mental Power."

"Of course, this is only a very preliminary process. Once you understand it, you will soon be able to process this coal yourself without relying on other equipment."

"But what if the processing steps become extremely complicated? Can you still rely on yourself to extract and process them step by step?"

"Just like when you manufacture firearms, the iron has already been treated and refined. Even so, it should take you at least five hours to manufacture a qualified firearm."

"What I want to do is expand upon the foundation of firearms, and at that point, the things that the workers produce themselves will come in handy."

"I can set standards so that workers can produce the same parts, and then I can further process or assemble these workers' products, which can save a lot of time."

"What you need to understand is that it's not that those workers can replace the mages, but rather that the mages need those workers and machines to provide their labor and free up their spare time."

The three apprentices looked much better, especially Kahn, who was much more energetic and no longer looked pale.

At this moment, Ocien suddenly raised his arm and slowly asked:

"Lai Ray, will we be able to continue working for you after we are promoted to Formal Mage?"

Ocien was not blinded by joy; perhaps it was true, as Fran had said, that workers needed to serve mages.

However, Ocien also keenly noticed another point: although they knew these things, his mind was currently filled only with the scenes he had witnessed in the territory...

He couldn't think of anything else these workers could do besides these scenes, or what kind of machines they could make; he had absolutely no idea about any of these things.

At that moment, he keenly realized that the path they had embarked on was pioneered by Fran.

Although it is called the Forge School, its essence has long since leaned towards Fran's system.

The basic Weapon Forging techniques they learned from Harbos were completely useless in this regard; those who hadn't yet reached the First Order Mage could only stare blankly at this knowledge.

The three of them might become First Order Mage under Fran's tutelage, but what happens after that?

Harbos had told them more than once that he could only help them when they advanced from the second to the third tier, and that advancing to the second tier would depend on them themselves.

Ocien himself would spend a lot of time just looking at these huge machines, understanding their uses and various intricate mechanical structures, let alone using them.

He was horrified to discover that while he had the ability to learn, he had no ideas about how to make subsequent plans.

The promotion to Formal Mage will only enhance one's analytical and computational abilities, not one's inspiration and creativity.

In other words, if he didn't follow Fran, he might never be able to advance to the second tier in his entire life, something an apprentice about to advance would find unbearable.

No apprentice believes they will remain at the First Order forever, even though such mages make up the majority.

"Of course, I welcome any monk who is willing to work for me."

A smile appeared on Fran's lips. The one position she had no shortage of was related to mages. No matter the circumstances, she could not ignore the productivity brought by a mage.