"Because this thing's practically worthless to me, you see~" Kiana teased, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she watched Pardofelis, clearly enjoying ruffling her feathers.
Pardofelis's gaze towards Kiana grew even more horrified. "N-no... truly, the young mistress is on another level! I... I could never..."
She didn't ask where Kiana had gotten this Herrscher Core.
But at this point, it didn't matter.
In her mind, anything belonging to Kiana had been firmly categorized as a hot potato. No matter how much she coveted it, she absolutely could not touch it. What if? What if it just blew up on the spot? Wouldn't that be an instant 'GG'?
That just wouldn't do!
Kiana gave a slight shake of her head.
The truth was, this Herrscher Gem of hers really was, just as she'd said, not worth much. In her previous life, she might have spun tales, but in this life, there was simply no need for lies.
This gem... well, she'd basically made it herself.
After spending some time getting familiar with her powers, replicating the authority and condensing it into an external crystal hadn't been much harder than creating a pseudo-core.
The only real difference was...
Since her goal in creating these gems was to help Vill-V mass-produce Divine Keys...
Well, if anyone tried to mimic this era's methods—finding a suitable Herrscher candidate and implanting the gem directly—chances were slim it would actually turn them into a true Herrscher.
To put it more plainly, these gems were like the ones used to make Divine Keys in the Previous Era: completely inert, devoid of any activity.
It was precisely because each gem in the current era retained some degree of activity that they could be used to create a Herrscher anew.
After that little interlude, Kiana headed to the Spiral Workshop.
For someone like Mobius, who aimed to create Herrschers directly, an active core was essential. But for Vill-V, if the goal was just crafting equipment and weapons, an inert object was far preferable.
Strictly speaking, Kiana wasn't really short on the Core Pardofelis had stolen.
Once she got the hang of it, she'd made quite a few. She'd idly whip one up now and then in her free time.
Her usual pace was about one every three to five days.
If she pushed it, she could manage one in a day or two, or even several in a single day if she really put her mind to it.
But these things were indeed hot potatoes.
Having too many was pointless.
In the hands of people like Vill-V or Mobius, they might be useful. But in the hands of anyone else, no matter how renowned the scientist or brilliant the researcher, it never seemed quite appropriate.
After all, when it came to academia... those who got it, got it.
A certain amount of... inflation was inevitable.
Mutual back-scratching and puffing up each other's reputations were all too common.
Right now, Dr. Mei had less accumulated prestige, making her the one with the shallowest foundation among the three.
Meanwhile, the Previous Era's Dr. Einstein seemed, at a glance, like a Tesla with blue highlights—a combination of the current era's Tesla and Einstein in one, with Tesla's looks but Einstein's personality.
Kiana had faith in her abilities, though.
According to the settings from the game in her previous life, if it hadn't been for the Ninth Eruption originating in the Mu Continent, and the fact that the Herrscher of Rock's self-destruction created a pseudo-blackhole that swallowed the continent whole, the original storyline probably wouldn't have become so desperate later on.
Technologies like the combat androids from the game were actually Dr. Einstein's creations from the Previous Era.
While the original intent was to reduce casualties by replacing soldiers, they ultimately couldn't substitute for high-level fighters like the MANTIS. In the short term, they were a bit like that proverbial tasteless meal you hate to waste—not exactly cost-effective.
But even so!
That didn't mean the technology had no future.
At the very least, Kiana had asked Mobius about it. She'd been somewhat surprised by the concept but had acknowledged its potential. Vill-V had also shown some interest, though she admitted that if not for the Divine Key project, she probably wouldn't bother exploring it.
The best approach, really, was to give Dr. Einstein some early inspiration, nudging her to work in that direction. Then, when Kiana tweaked the worldlines, allowing future knowledge to feedback into the past, Einstein could master the combat android technology much faster.
That was the outcome Kiana hoped to see.
Thinking it over, while Mobius was part of MOTH, her position was almost like she was being sidelined.
The true hub of scientific research had always been the heart of the Mu Continent, the Abyss City. Not anywhere else.
Even every scientific forum and related salon was held there.
As one of the top scientists on the Mu Continent, Dr. Einstein's prestige, in some respects, even surpassed that of Mobius and the others. It was only after the sky screen appeared, revealing that Mobius and her circle were part of the young mistress's... entourage, that their popularity received an unearned boost.
To be blunt...
Dr. Einstein's influence and ability to rally support among scientists were on a level Mobius and the others couldn't match. It was a simple, harsh reality.
Vill-V? Who was she?
Mei? Still just a student...
Even now, many believed that they'd only gained so many resources by clinging to the young mistress and, well, selling out.
Many were deeply resentful of the way various nations and organizations gave Mobius and the others everything they asked for.
Kiana was somewhat aware of this.
Dr. Mei and the others knew it too.
But it wasn't a big deal.
Even Kiana herself, for all the people who seemed to adore her, had no shortage of critics whispering behind her back.
It was enough to be aware of it.
She simply didn't care enough to bother.
If she were truly petty and decided to root them all out, the whole world would be plunged into chaos.
Better not to go there~
"I'm more accustomed to crafting the gems for the twelve Herrscher authorities I've mastered... well, besides Origin and Finality, that is."
At that moment, inside the Spiral Workshop, Kiana was taking out her stockpile while explaining to the Expert Vill-V.
The Expert Vill-V didn't seem to be listening, her eyes completely captivated by the glittering gems.
Their beauty was one thing.
But more importantly! These were the physical manifestations of Herrscher authority.
It was like the imperial seal in a monarchy—was it just an object? No, it was the symbol of everything.
"Oh, right."
"This is the Core of the Herrscher of Ice you wanted."
"I only made this one, so take good care of it."
"Mm, thank you for your hard work." Expert Vill-V was the picture of composure, offering a slight smile.
But her gaze never once strayed from the gems.
Especially as she looked at this ice-blue gem, it was as if she was holding the future itself in her hands.
Did anyone think only Mobius knew how to secure funding?
She could play that game too.
In fact, she was even better at stirring things up than Mobius.
If Mobius could dangle the near-immortality of MANTIS soldiers to paint grand visions for people, then couldn't she do the same?
--+--
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