If you use the nitrogen fixation method, you can literally create ammonia out of thin air.
That was what Aurelia had learned from Teo.
[If you refine ammonia here and there, it turns into something called ammonium nitrate…]
But there was no way Teo’s grand plan ended with mere fertilizer production.
Mass-producing ammonia was only the beginning of a nationwide snowball effect.
[How do you make that, my lord?]
[By reacting nitric acid with ammonium.]
[And how do you make that?]
[Nitric acid requires platinum, and ammonium needs water… No, never mind. That’s Wiz and Sylvie’s job, so you don’t need to know.]
However, Teo deliberately left out the detailed explanation.
Aurelia’s role was solely to use ammonium nitrate as fertilizer.
There was no need for her to know the specifics of its production.
So she just accepted it with an ‘Oh, I see’ and moved on…
—KWA-AAAAAANG!!!!
[W-What was that!!? Did Wiz mess up again…?]
[No, you idiot.]
[…Sylvie? Why are you even here?]
[I just made what he mentioned. Something similar to the ammonium nitrate you use all the time.]
The nitrogen fixation method wasn’t just for making fertilizer.
Ammonia had endless applications.
If used correctly, it could even be turned into bombs.
‘I was really curious about the manufacturing process, but…’
[How do you even make it? I mean, what exactly has to happen for fertilizer to explode?]
[I’ll skip the detailed explanation. It’s dangerous if an amateur tries it.]
[…Excuse me?]
[Don’t worry about it. The fertilizer you use has been treated so it won’t explode, so you’re safe.]
‘So he won’t tell me, huh? Because it’s Lord Teo’s order.’
Since it wasn’t her field, she never got to see it through to the end.
Even so, one thing was certain—
——The invention of bombs had greatly contributed to Millenia’s development.
[Why is there so much iron ore…?]
[My underlings went and mined it.]
[…Huh? Wait, Wiz. Not long ago, you were whining about how there wasn’t enough no matter how much you dug. What happened?]
[Heh. Just blasted it all away with bombs—BOOM!]
The amount of mined minerals had skyrocketed.
Where miners once had to spend an entire day just chipping away at rock, now a single bomb could do the job in one blast.
Millenia, which had been plagued by iron shortages, was now producing iron as if that had never been a problem.
[Was there always a tunnel here? Did our lord use his Breath again?]
[Oh, that? My underlings blasted it open with bombs. We’re making a path for ‘that’ later.]
[Huh… That’s impressive.]
And that wasn’t all. Bombs were being used in all kinds of construction and civil engineering projects.
Under the skilled hands of the dwarves, their application became incredibly widespread.
What was once just barren land, with only Teo laying the groundwork, was now transforming into the Millenia Federation, ready to rise.
Aurelia smiled in satisfaction.
‘But the most important thing is…’
“——Fufu. Why do you all look so stunned?”
Her gaze fell upon the knights of Arkenia.
Each and every one of them stood frozen, utterly speechless.
Among them, Knight Commander Seras gritted his teeth.
His head was still spinning from the deafening explosion.
‘Damn it. Because I enhanced my hearing, my ears…!!’
“Alchemy? Dynamite? Can you explain what those are?”
Even as his head reeled, he forced himself to ask.
Damn it, Aurelia—what the hell was that explosion?
He was so tense that, without realizing it, his hand had instinctively gone to his sword hilt.
“That was also made using the nitrogen fixation method.”
“…What? Isn’t that the technology for making fertilizer?”
“There are many applications.”
“……”
But only for a moment.
His hand, which had been gripping the hilt, fell limply to the ground.
Because he had finally grasped the meaning behind Aurelia’s words.
If this “nitrogen fixation method” was a technology that could create fertilizer out of thin air… then that so-called “dynamite” must have been made in the same way.
If what she said was true, this was a technology that had reached the realm of the gods.
He had already been convinced of its legitimacy when he saw the massive stockpile of food it had produced.
But now? They were saying this same method could create something equivalent to a Sixth-Tier Explosion Magic:Dynamite?
‘If that thing were to be used in war…’
How could Seras, the Knight Commander, not understand the sheer power of what he had just witnessed?
If something like that were to be mass-produced, the balance of the entire continent would be overturned.
This wouldn’t be the same kind of war as before, no longer a battle of swords and magic.
Instead, it would be a war where bombs, each carrying the destructive power of thousands, even tens of thousands of high-ranking mages, rained down upon the battlefield.
How could anyone keep their fighting spirit in the face of that?
‘If they loaded those things onto the ballistae and launched them, we wouldn’t even get a chance to charge. Our knights wouldn’t even get close.’
‘No… if flying monsters dropped them from the sky, not just the battlefield, but even the capital could be reduced to a sea of flames in a single day.’
‘Could the knight order, the mage battalion, stop that? No way. Even the most powerful archmage has a casting range of about 500 yards. We can’t stop it.’
‘That…that thing is…..’
—Gulp.
‘——The ruler of the battlefield.’
The knights of the Arkenian Kingdom, famed for their bravery, at that moment, completely lost their will to fight.
* * *
The knights followed Aurelia without hesitation after that.
If there was an opportunity, they would attack; they scouted various terrains to use during an ambush.
These thoughts no longer crossed their minds.
“Where are we heading now?”
“We are going to the capital of Millenia, Ermion.”
“Ha… What’s there? A machine that makes gold out of thin air?”
“Hehe, of course not. It’s just an honor to present you to our lord.”
“…..”
‘I never thought I’d feel so little joy about meeting a dragon.’
Seras couldn’t hide her complicated feelings.
A dragon. The monster that always appeared as an evil villain in the heroic tales she heard when she was young.
Its majesty felt even heavier now.
Especially since arriving at the capital, Ermion.
“Elves, dragons, ogres, lamias…”
“It’s like a scene from a myth.”
“Even in myths, these guys would never set up a street market together.”
The bustling streets were filled with various races rushing about.
Rather than fighting, they peacefully traded goods with each other.
The orc carefully read the Korean characters written here and there, then purchased the items.
Even this alone was enough to shock her, but then—
“Isn’t the facility here better than most fiefs?”
“Look at that statue. If it were sold to a noble who collects art, it would fetch several thousand gold.”
“To think this is Millias… I can’t believe it.”
The advanced facilities of Millenia.
Not forced labor where slaves are sold and used, but masterpieces created by dwarves who gave their full devotion to Teo.
It was on par with any capital of another nation.
Not just Arcennia, but even the Kaiser Empire couldn’t compare.
It was like a merchant visiting a capital for the first time after spending their life in a small village.
They were overwhelmed by the cultural difference.
‘What kind of dragon, Teo, the one who created this paradise, is he…? I wonder.’
Then suddenly, Seras’s thoughts turned to Teo.
She thought of the last dragon who created this earthly paradise.
Her lips moved slightly.
“Aurelia, your lord, Teonar…”
“Call him the Great Teonar, or else you’ll regret it.”
“…Who is the Great Teonar?”
It was a natural question, as she would soon meet him.
So what kind of dragon is he?
A sincere smile bloomed on Aurelia’s lips.
It wasn’t a forced smile to reassure the humans; it was a natural one.
The inside of the carriage seemed to glow with warmth.
“Someone who holds a nobler rank than anyone, yet is merciful enough to embrace and care for beings as insignificant as us.”
“Aurelia, you consider yourself insignificant…?”
“To him, we all are. Me, and even you, humans. To him, we’re like ants comparing their size.”
“Is it really that extreme? Even someone like you, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries?”
“That’s the greatness of our lord. He treats even such insignificant beings like us with respect.”
Her voice sweetly melted into the air.
There was an almost seductive tone to it, making the men in the carriage blush.
Even Seras was no exception.
I see. That’s a relief.
‘At least Teonar doesn’t seem to have any intention of being hostile to humans. I can think of it this way.’
Of course, the reason their faces turned red was simply because the tension had eased, and blood was returning to their faces.
Humans were the race that completely wiped out dragons.
She had been worried about what would happen if the dragon became hostile toward humans.
But just the fact that those worries had eased a little made her feel much more at ease.
‘Right. Even with such national power, he invited us to the capital, and that’s proof. It’ll be fine. As long as we don’t be rude, it’ll be fine…’
It was more of an escape from reality than actual relief, but still.
The carriage rolled and rolled, and eventually arrived at a grand palace.
Teo’s office, the Dragon Palace, had been reached.
“From now on, I’ll assign a different attendant to you. Please follow her instructions. Milanoi!”
“Today, the one who will guide the noble guests of Arcennia is the Chamberlain, Milanoi! I am at your service!”
“Mm. I look forward to working with you.”
‘Aurelia and now the chamberlain too? Does this dragon truly have goodwill toward us? Why?’
She and the knights walked carefully through the luxurious Dragon Palace,
with the unease of wondering why they were being treated so warmly.
“May I ask who will be representing the nobles of Arcennia?”
“…Out of everyone here, it’s probably me. I can’t represent all the nobles, though.”
“It’s fine. As long as you are in a position to report directly to His Majesty King Leopoldus of Arcennia, it doesn’t matter who it is.”
“In that case, I’m the right person. I’m the commander of the Royal Knights, Seras de Valois.”
“Yes! Then, Sir Seras, please accept this textbook!”
“……?”
At that moment, a book was handed to her.
Curious, she took it.
It wasn’t runic, but rather a type of regular writing.
It was a Korean textbook.
“This… do I need to use Millenia’s language in the audience chamber?”
“That’s right. Fortunately, Korean is really an easy script, so you’ll master it in just thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes?”
“Even Lord Char, who was an orc at the time, learned it in just three hours, so it’s definitely possible. Once you’ve memorized it, we’ll give you a skill book.”
“Hmm. Let me give it a try.”
And after a while.
“The language of the land is different from the continent, so we cannot communicate…”
“Excellent! You’ve mastered the final consonants in just 28 minutes! You surpassed Milanoi’s record by 2 minutes!”
“…….”
‘Only a 2-minute difference from an imp? Is this a compliment?’
After mastering Korean and now Millenia’s language, Seras and the knights were soon guided into the audience chamber.
Leaving only their swords with the attendants, they moved forward immediately.
‘If they’re friendly to us, the first thing I should do when I see him is…’
– Creak
The door to the audience chamber opened…
‘First, I should flatter him!’
“I greet the great Teonar-nim!!”
She immediately knelt on one knee and bowed.
“Ahem. Seras de Valois. Lift your head…”
“No, I greet the great Haver-nim!!!”
“……Kraang?”
‘What is she even saying?’
But now, it seemed her flattery was a little off track.