A Contract to Learn the Technology

"Thirty thousand Gold Coin? That's fake, isn't it?"

Asher, the mage from the Mana Communication System project whom Fran had met at the fundraising banquet, was now standing in front of his mentor.

"Mentor, this is what the mage told me, so should we take a look at our current funds...?"

Asher explained that although his mentor hadn't shown him their current financial situation, some details suggested that their financial situation was far from optimistic.

They used to buy all sorts of basic materials and magic dust only when needed, and they've been short of various Gem for a long time. Even the material tests they used to do regularly have stopped now.

Asher's mentor, Forrest, pursed his lips and gritted his teeth.

"Then we'll have to go... but her request is a bit strange."

"What is something more tangible?"

Even with Forrest's vast experience, he had no idea what Fran was planning.

But that's 30,000 gold coins! 30,000 gold coins! 30,000 gold coins...

According to the Alliance's investigation, it is quite normal for a Third Order Mage has been promoted for many years to have tens of thousands of Gold Coin.

However, according to Forrest's understanding, this is completely impossible. If every Third Order Mage had tens of thousands of Gold Coin, the Alliance's Gold Coin reserves would definitely double.

Do all Third Order Mage just hoard Gold Coin and do nothing but buy materials for experiments or hire help?

In fact, according to Forrest's understanding, most Third Order Mage are still in the red. Many of them have spent a lot of money on experiments that have been completely useless and a waste of money.

Just like him now, he only has a few hundred Gold Coin on hand, while some First Order Mage might be richer than him.

As for why he is in his current situation, it's entirely because he had no choice but to take over this project.

The Mana Communication System project was initially viewed favorably within the Construct School, with approximately twenty Third Order Mage having participated in it.

After all, this project sounds incredibly impressive—turning knowledge carriers into magic elements. If it really succeeds, everyone could earn tens of thousands of Gold Coin, which would be considered a small amount.

However, because this project, which spanned fifty years, encountered insurmountable difficulties, in the end, everyone else left, leaving him alone.

He still held onto hope, because as long as he handed over Iris's order, he could recoup 10,000 Gold Coin coins, enough for him to hold on for a while longer.

He was already planning to ask Iris for more money, intending to use the excuse that "without them, the Northern Lands Society probably won't be able to use the Mana Communication System anymore"...

If Forrest could actually get his hands on those 30,000 Gold Coin, it would be a godsend, so he still wanted to try and get them.

"Grey Gold Lane... that's the territory of the Alchemy School. The mages there must be members of the Alchemy School."

The term "people within the Alchemy School" refers to mages who are closely associated with the Alchemy School as a whole, such as acquaintances who hold positions as mages.

Or perhaps he himself works within the Alchemy School, holding a managerial position in the Number Nine Floating City.

The prestige of the administrators of the Floating City is naturally incomparable to that of the administrators on the Alliance's territory.

The houses on Grey Gold Lane are only open to these people.

It was the reputation of Grey Gold Lane that convinced Forrest that the other party could really come up with 30,000 Gold Coin.

After all, those who do alchemy must be making a fortune just by selling various alchemical materials.

Forrest, along with his disciple Asher, headed towards the Grey Gold Lane.

"Hello, please come in."

Fran welcomed the two in with a smile, taking in their attire.

Forrest was carrying a small blue box, the purpose of which was unknown.

Upon seeing Fran, Asher immediately confirmed with Forrest that this was the mage who had spoken to him that day.

Forrest nodded and went inside the house.

Fran didn't do any decorations or changes to the house; it's exactly as it was when Iris assigned it to her as her dormitory.

She hadn't made any preparations for this meeting.

These factors combined create a very awkward situation: there are only two chairs in the room, and no other place to sit.

So Fran could only let Forrest and herself sit, while Asher could only stand beside them.

Forrest didn't care about that; he just wanted to confirm whether the other party was willing to invest in him to continue completing the Mana Communication System.

"I heard from Asher that you were willing to invest 30,000 Gold Coin in the Mana Communication System project, and that you also mentioned needing some concrete things done, is that right?"

Fran nodded, then manipulated her pre-prepared Telekinetic Hand to pull a small cabinet to the side, and a golden light emerged.

Those were about thirty neatly stacked the Alliance standard gold bars, worth over twelve thousand Gold Coin.

Fran didn't stop; she opened two more cabinets, each containing thirty gold bars.

Fran's offer to invest 30,000 Gold Coin was no joke; she had long ago withdrawn 100,000 Gold Coin from the Spirit Realm and exchanged them for gold bricks.

These gold bars were designed for easy carrying; otherwise, 30,000 Gold Coin would have filled her entire room.

"It's done, thank you for your trust..."

Forrest's voice trembled slightly; it was the first time he had ever seen such a large sum of money, casually placed in a cabinet that was within easy reach.

After he became involved in the Mana Communication System project, the mages stopped investing money in it.

The maximum amount of money that can be disposed of in the account at one time is about five thousand Gold Coin.

However, he was not blinded by joy. On the contrary, he became even more wary of what Fran wanted.

There is no doubt that Fran found Asher at a fundraising dinner.

Originally, he wanted Asher to try his luck and see if he could swindle a few hundred Gold Coin; he had no expectation of getting a large investment.

However, given Asher's completely untrained rhetoric, it was impossible for him to secure any investment.

Fran stumbled upon Asher's project on a whim; otherwise, if she had thoroughly researched the project, even if she wanted to invest, she would have done so through other channels instead of informing Asher.

So, since Fran doesn't want profits, and her project doesn't generate any profits, what exactly does Fran want?

"Now can we talk about what specific things you need?"

Forrest asked.

Fran smiled and then said:

"My requirements are actually very simple; I'm more interested in the Mana Communication System itself."

What does this mean?

Forrest's forehead was full of question marks; he didn't quite understand Fran's words.

Fran explained with a smile:

"It's very simple. In other words, I've become interested in how the Mana Communication System currently operates, how it's set up, and the material requirements."

Fran's words were quite clear. She looked at Forrest with a smile, putting Forrest in a difficult position.

He recalled the Alchemy School symbols he saw on every house as he walked down Grey Gold Lane.

The person before me was undoubtedly a mage from the Alchemy School.

His project comes from the Construct School, and according to the intellectual property protection regulations and various unspoken rules among School, his primary task now should be to refuse it.

But when he got to the point of speaking, he hesitated, because what Fran wanted was really not complicated; she just wanted the current results of the project.

It wasn't about demanding profits, leaving backdoors, or taking control—these were demands he found unacceptable.

Just then, Fran offered a reminder.

"The unique creations of a mage are not bound by School."

Forrest now controls the project. Although he didn't do most of the work himself, the fact is that if it's successful, he'll be the sole beneficiary, as the other mages have long since given up in despair.

He understood what Fran meant: she was reminding him that even if he were to impart knowledge of the Mana Communication System, the Construct School would have no legitimate reason to punish him.

In the end, he decided to compromise.

There was no other way; if he could really accept these 30,000 Gold Coin, he would still have a chance to continue his research and reap huge profits.

The deal with Iris will only allow him to prolong his life for a short while.

But there are limits to compromise, he asked.

"This request is putting me in a bit of a bind... The Mana Communication System utilizes many of the achievements of the Construct School."

Fran raised her head and asked.

"Was it used in any key areas? I need the principles behind the generation and control of magic essence in the Mana Communication System, as well as the production process of the related materials..."

Fran knew that if she pressed Forrest, the matter would easily fall through.

However, if Fran can't learn some key parts and can't create her own Mana Communication System, she might as well start following the path of her previous life.

At the current rate of development, she would need to work in the Antir Region for five or six years before she could possibly create a digital computer.

This is still in the initial production stage; large-scale application and the laying of connecting lines will take much longer.

If she could obtain relevant information about the Mana Communication System, she might be able to digitize it using methods from the Magic World.

"This..."

Forrest thought for a moment, and finally gave an affirmative answer.

"That's not a problem. The spells of the Construct School mainly exist during the construction of the Mana Communication System."

He looked up, his face full of tension. Fran spoke softly.

"Okay, just tell me the underlying principles... Now we can sign the contract."

Fran took out a All-Spirit Contract from a cabinet containing gold bricks; she had prepared for this long ago.

She asked:

"Oh, right, I forgot to ask, what's your name?"

They got to the point too quickly, without even exchanging names.

"Forrest Sharp."

Then, he looked at Fran, his meaning quite clear.

"Lai."

Forrest's expression froze instantly, his eyes widening, because he had heard of this name before.

He still remembered that it was the paper "Mathematical Analysis of Fireball" that inspired him to optimize the Mana Communication System.

Judging from the fact that he's currently staying on Ashgold Path, it seems he's met the person he's looking for.