Chapter Summaries

Xu Yi declared that most mages misunderstood magic and argued for replacing outdated magical theories with a scientific approach focused on practical, civilian applications. He began outlining his vision for the magic industry by introducing the question of its goal.

• Xu Yi told the reporters that most mages on the continent did not understand magic and openly admitted he looked down on them.
• Xu Yi explained that he and archmages from the two great empires had agreed that traditional magical theories were obsolete and needed a new framework.
• Xu Yi described magic as a tool and urged mages to study spells precisely through what he called the scientific view of magic.
• Xu Yi condemned mages who used their power to bully or kill ordinary people and said he wanted to drive mages off the battlefield and into the magic industry.
• Xu Yi introduced his third topic by asking what the magic industry sector should aim to achieve.

Xu Yi told reporters that despite the Xinfei Merchant Guild’s immense profits, he wanted it to pursue higher aspirations by improving people’s lives and expanding humanity’s knowledge. He announced plans for a voyage around the world and began describing the sun as a vast celestial body.

• Xu Yi said the Xinfei Merchant Guild earned more than one hundred million gold coins in annual net profit and asked what he should pursue after making enough money.
• Xu Yi said Farmland Magic Machinery had given him the greatest satisfaction, but he believed humanity should seek more than food, drink, and warm clothing.
• Xu Yi explained that he wanted mages removed from the battlefield so they could contribute to human development, while the Xinfei Merchant Guild continued meeting people’s basic needs.
• A reporter from the Bunta Daily recalled Xu Yi’s claim that the world was a sphere, and Xu Yi confirmed that the Xinfei Merchant Guild planned to send an oceangoing fleet around the world to prove it.
• Xu Yi told the audience that the sun was an enormous glowing celestial body far larger than their planet, leaving them stunned.

Xu Yi explained his vision of the planet and the universe, then announced that the Xinfei Merchant Guild would release mana vessel technology so others could explore the New Continent. He revealed the guild’s ultimate goal was to break through the sky and enter the sea of stars, leaving the reporters stunned.

• Xu Yi described the planet, the sun, and the stars to the reporters and explained that he wanted people to understand the world beyond the Sains Continent.
• Xu Yi argued that people should look beyond fighting over limited gains on the Sains Continent and announced that the Xinfei Merchant Guild would make mana vessel technology available after its planned voyage around the world.
• The reporters erupted with questions about the technology, while Xu Yi reflected that they cared more about acquiring it than about his vision of a wider world.
• Xu Yi declared that the guild’s goal was to break through the sky and enter the boundless universe, leaving the reporters unsure how to react.

Lucian struggled to find a research job in Doral City and resolved not to settle for factory work unless he had no choice. After a news report revealed the Xinfei Merchant Guild’s breakthrough in mana signal transmission, he renewed his admiration for its Magic Research Institute and Dean Avita.

• Lucian rejected ordinary factory jobs and failed to secure a position at a major merchant guild’s research institute despite applying across Doral City.
• With only two gold coins and a dozen silver coins left, Lucian decided he would accept factory work if he could not find a suitable job within two days.
• Lucian reflected that he needed to earn money to support his parents and help his younger brother and sister attend school, so further study at Philip College was not an option.
• A short, middle-aged man collided with Lucian, blamed him for the accident, and walked away after Lucian apologized.
• At a noodle shop, Lucian heard that the Xinfei Merchant Guild Magic Research Institute had made a major breakthrough toward unlimited-distance mana signal transmission.
• Lucian watched Dean Avita discuss the breakthrough and dreamed of reaching her position someday.

Lucian watched news in a Doral City noodle shop, reflecting on how the Xinfei and New Moon Merchant Guilds had changed his life and dismissing the excitement over the Empire Royal Guard’s new airships. After admiring his favorite celebrity, Linoya, he spilled hot broth, and the chapter ended with him discovering he could not pay the costly bill.

• Lucian watched a broadcast announcing that the Empire Royal Guard had acquired Small Mana Attack Boats from the Xinfei Merchant Guild, while he privately judged them outdated and saw their announcement as a way to maintain stability.
• Lucian ate his noodles while considering how the Xinfei Merchant Guild’s influence had discouraged wars across the continent.
• Lucian watched an entertainment report featuring Linoya and became so flustered when a man across from him noticed that he choked and spilled broth.
• The man handed Lucian a napkin and guessed that he was a college student, then returned to eating.
• Lucian called the owner to settle the bill, learned the plain noodles cost fifteen silver coins, and found that his expression changed as he reached into his pocket.

After a thief stole Lucian’s money, Rondo paid for his meal and offered him temporary work as a magic array technician. Rondo led Lucian to a dusty manor outside Doral City, where Lucian became suspicious before Rondo trapped and knocked him unconscious.

• Lucian discovered his money was gone and could not pay for his noodles until Rondo covered the bill.
• Lucian realized a thief had robbed him, and Rondo offered him three days of temporary work at one gold coin a day.
• Rondo explained that he needed technicians to draw wind-powered magic arrays for motors used in factory fans.
• Rondo took Lucian by bus to an isolated manor, where the dusty, abandoned-looking grounds made Lucian wary.
• Rondo claimed Lucian owed him fifteen silver coins and used mana interference while two men appeared and knocked Lucian unconscious.

Lucian awoke among young Mages kidnapped and locked in a cargo compartment protected by an Anti-Magic Domain Array. He managed to create a temporary light, and after another captive helped sustain it, he examined the sealed wall and furrowed his brow.

• Lucian realized he had been tricked by Uncle Rondo and kidnapped aboard a Large Cargo Magic Locomotive.
• He discovered that an Anti-Magic Domain Array was suppressing the captives’ magic.
• Lucian sensed the restricted flow of magic elements and drew an array that produced steady light in the compartment.
• The young Mages urged Lucian to break through the Anti-Magic Domain Array so they could escape.
• A boy who had mocked Lucian helped keep the light array active, revealing his own skill with mana and arrays.
• Lucian probed the sealed compartment wall with his mana and frowned at what he sensed.

Lucian and the other students were taken to a heavily guarded manor after their captors disabled their magic and bound them. As they were marched inside to face illegal labor, a clear voice suddenly called out, “Hey, game over!”

• Lucian discovered that the Magic Locomotive had been protected by Anti-Magic and reinforcement arrays, leaving him unable to find a way out.
• The locomotive stopped, and a student who had helped Lucian tried to escape but fell when the Anti-Magic Domain Array stopped him from flying.
• Two burly men beat the student, then forced the others out of the carriage and bound them with cuffs that disrupted their mana.
• The captors said the students would be put to illegal labor, and the group’s attempted resistance was crushed with punches and kicks.
• Lucian feared he would never see his family again as the group approached the manor, when a lively voice suddenly called, “Hey, game over!”

A strange girl freed Lucian and the other captives, then tried to summon reinforcements as three Mana War Chariots approached. When her Magic Communication Box failed to connect, Lucian recognized a possible clue and asked to inspect it.

• The girl used magic inside the Anti-Magic Domain Array to blast one burly man away and set him on fire.
• The girl removed her own handcuffs and freed Lucian and the other captives by disrupting the cuffs’ mana mechanisms.
• The girl produced a Magic Communication Box and said she could call for help, while the captives worried that the burly man would return with reinforcements.
• Three Mana War Chariots raced toward the group, and the girl tried to call for help, but the Magic Communication Box failed to connect.
• Lucian noticed the failed call and asked the girl to let him examine the Magic Communication Box.

A mysterious girl destroyed two Mana War Chariots and gathered armed students to confront the human traffickers while Lucian repaired a Magic Communication Box. The chapter ended with Lucian successfully connecting the signal as the enemy approached.

• The girl charged the Mana War Chariots and destroyed two with Infantry Mana Rockets, forcing the last one to flee.
• Lucian traced the communication failure to the Anti-Magic Domain Array and used the girl's resonance data to adjust the Magic Communication Box.
• The girl offered to alter the mana space around her so the students could use magic, and Tansen and a dozen others agreed to fight beside her.
• The girl distributed Military Magic Machinery and urged the students to charge, then told them to stay close and prepare to confront the traffickers.
• Lucian announced that the signal had connected.

Lucian confronted the mysterious girl after realizing she could have fixed the Magic Communication Box’s signal interference herself. The girl’s powerful reinforcements rescued the students and began attacking the traffickers’ Manor, while Lucian’s accusation left her to explain why she had relied on him.

• Lucian answered the Magic Communication Box and passed it to the girl, who assured Uncle Harris she was safe and asked him to protect the captured students and search the Manor.
• Two Mana Airships arrived, and Harris rushed to the girl before leading armed soldiers toward the Manor to confront the traffickers.
• The girl sent Lucian and the other students aboard a military Mana Airship while Harris’s forces handled the remaining captives and enemies.
• Lucian returned the Magic Communication Box, then asked the girl why she had toyed with them by making him solve the signal interference when she could have done it herself.

Lucian confronted the girl for delaying the distress signal, and she explained that she had trusted his abilities and could have protected everyone herself. She offered him a referral to the Xinfei Merchant Guild Magic Research Institute, which he initially refused as charity; she left him with the token anyway before teleporting away.

• Lucian angrily challenged the girl for not sending the distress signal sooner, and she said she had been capable of keeping everyone safe while giving him a chance to solve the mana signal problem.
• The girl praised Lucian's skill and offered him a referral to apply for a research assistant position at the Xinfei Merchant Guild Magic Research Institute.
• Lucian called the offer charity and declined it, prompting the girl to criticize his fragile self-esteem and say he was not yet suited to the institute.
• The girl spoke with Uncle Harris, learned the rescue operation was finished, and told the students their Mana Airship would take them to the nearest city.
• The girl gave Lucian a referral token for the institute's recruitment on the fifteenth of next month, then vanished using Spatial Teleportation magic.

After returning to Doral City, Lucian received travel money and planned to resume his studies after the kidnapping cost him time to find work. The incident drew scrutiny from the Candel Empire, and Young Duke Windsor decided to test the New Moon Merchant Guild’s Mana Monitoring System at the Governor’s Mansion’s expense.

• Lucian and the other kidnapped students returned to Doral City, where officials questioned them, issued replacement identity documents, and gave them money for their journeys home.
• Lucian accepted that his bag and its contents were lost and decided to return to the academy for his graduation exams before making further plans.
• Newspapers exposed the kidnapping organization, bringing public criticism and imperial pressure on Doral City’s authorities and the Southern Province’s Governor’s Mansion.
• Young Duke Windsor and his advisor discussed using the Mana Monitoring System to improve security while weighing privacy concerns and the cost of installation.
• Young Duke Windsor decided that the Governor’s Mansion would test the system first and told his advisor to contact the New Moon Merchant Guild.

The New Moon Merchant Guild and Xinfei Merchant Guild installed and demonstrated a Mana Monitoring System for young Duke Windsor in Doral City. When the system exposed a street stabbing and led to the attacker’s arrest, Count Apra stopped objecting to its cost and asked how soon the city could be equipped.

• The New Moon Merchant Guild accepted young Duke Windsor’s request and arranged for Xinfei Merchant Guild to develop the system’s mana illusion equipment.
• Xinfei Merchant Guild completed a customized set, and the New Moon Merchant Guild installed and calibrated it at Doral City’s west gate.
• Young Duke Windsor learned that extending recordings to a week would raise the system’s cost, while equipping the whole city could cost several hundred thousand gold coins.
• The monitoring system showed a young man stabbing someone and then casually leaving the scene.
• Count Apra ordered his guards and City Defense Army soldiers to arrest the attacker after young Duke Windsor demanded action.
• Count Apra set aside his price concerns and asked how long it would take to install the system throughout Doral City.

Lucian arrived in Xinfei City to apply for a position at the Xinfei Merchant Guild Magic Research Institute, carrying a token that promised him a special recommendation. At the registration desk, the staff member did not recognize the token and asked why Lucian was showing it to him.

• News of Doral City’s order for Mana Monitoring Systems sparked a public debate and prompted more than ten Candel Empire cities to place orders.
• The Xinfei Merchant Guild assigned a research team and a production line to support the Mana Monitoring System business, while focusing mainly on its annual recruitment fair.
• Lucian arrived in Xinfei City and traveled to the crowded recruitment venue outside the city.
• Lucian recalled that the mysterious girl’s token would let him skip to the second round, and he regretted having treated her badly after she saved him.
• Lucian submitted his application and presented the token, but the registration staff member asked what he meant by showing it.

Lucian’s token from the mysterious girl secured him a special recommendation to the Xinfei Merchant Guild, but he chose to take the preliminary examination anyway and passed near the top. He entered the final examination still unsure of his chances, then saw an unexpected person among the applicants.

• Director Holly recognized Lucian’s token, confirmed the mysterious girl had recommended him, and arranged for him to receive a special recommendation.
• Lucian asked to take the preliminary examination despite being able to proceed directly to the final, and the staff member agreed.
• Lucian passed the preliminary examination near the top and Director Holly congratulated him, but refused to reveal the mysterious girl’s identity.
• Lucian learned that more than two hundred applicants were competing for three Mana Communications positions and entered the final examination.
• Lucian saw someone he had not expected among the other final examination applicants.

Lucian took Master Akali’s special assessment for research assistants and passed both the written and practical stages. He arrived at the Xinfei Merchant Guild Magic Research Institute for an interview and was astonished to see someone unexpected there.

• Master Akali announced that she was personally recruiting research assistants and gave the applicants a separate assessment.
• Akali called Lucian by name, wished him luck, and left him wondering how she knew him.
• Lucian found the written questions manageable thanks to his experience installing Magic Communication Networks, then passed the practical assessment with about twenty others.
• A Xinfei Merchant Guild staff member took the successful applicants by Large Passenger Magic Locomotive to the guild’s headquarters and Magic Research Institute.
• Lucian entered a conference room for Akali’s interviews and was astonished to see another unexpected person there.

Lucian met Freya again at Master Akali’s recruitment meeting, where the candidates learned that the research assistant job required long postings far from home. After Freya praised Lucian and Akali encouraged him to consider the position, Lucian left and suddenly realized who Freya might be.

• Akali told the successful candidates they would work abroad for six months to a year and offered them a monthly salary of thirty gold coins, plus meals and accommodation.
• Two candidates withdrew because of family responsibilities, while another reconsidered after hearing the compensation.
• Akali gave the candidates documents about the job and asked them to decide within a few days whether they could accept the assignment.
• Akali asked Lucian to stay, and he apologized to Freya and thanked her for recommending that he apply to the Xinfei Merchant Guild.
• Freya warned Lucian that Akali was strict, and Akali praised his skills before asking him to consider the job.
• As Lucian left, he suddenly stopped and realized that Freya was connected to someone he recognized.

Freya discussed whether she would accept her father’s wish for her to inherit the Xinfei Merchant Guild, while Akali urged her to consider the responsibilities carefully. After Akali left, Freya changed her Illusion Skin disguise and departed the conference room.

• Akali teased Freya about liking someone, then asked whether she had decided to take over the Xinfei Merchant Guild.
• Freya admitted she found guild work interesting but was unsure about choosing her future so early, and Akali explained that her decision affected the guild’s nearly million people.
• Freya promised to think carefully and either explain her refusal to her father or accept the role and shoulder its responsibilities.
• Akali reminded Freya that her father would not appoint one of her younger siblings as successor, then left to arrange matters for the Overseas Base.
• Freya inspected her Illusion Skin in a water mirror, transformed into a beautiful young woman, and decided to give Elder Lysania feedback about its limited facial expressions.

Freya reunited with her parents after Stille returned, and defended her decision to secretly infiltrate a dangerous situation last month. Xu Yi’s sudden seriousness left Freya wondering whether something major had happened.

• Freya left the Mana Communications Research Institute with Linoya, who told her that Stille had returned and summoned her.
• Freya drove to Xu Yi’s Manor and greeted Stille, then playfully tested her magic against Xu Yi’s Magic Shields.
• Freya apologized for using Stille’s absence to avoid punishment but insisted that her infiltration had been necessary and had helped protect the students.
• Xu Yi agreed with Freya’s reasoning but criticized how she spoke to Stille, while Stille warned that Freya’s risk-taking could have ended badly.
• Xu Yi’s expression turned serious, making Freya suspect that something major had happened.