Chapter 52: A Top-Tier Human Investor!
A week later.
Lucius moved among the 12 students, who were working in their respective groups, solving various problems.
He watched one use a beast’s blood to determine the age of a fossil. Another used it to identify the type of beast that had been used to create the tool inside a fossil. Another used it in a more ingenious way to more powerfully reactivate a magical tool that needed repairing.
The one who was ingenious failed, but earned Lucius’s approval. Failing wasn’t bad; not trying was.
During this week, each group had its own specialization, but since Lucius needed them to learn how to use the blood, each group specialized in a different application for it.
Specializations involving the blood have many uses for all of them. Lucius focused on teaching them three different types of identification.
Age Identification.
Range Identification.
Tool Type and Mana Mark Identification.
Age Identification is used precisely not only to determine the age of a magical tool, but also to determine the type of prefabricated parts the tool will contain.
As Lucius reviewed this concept, he looked at one of the students specializing in this type of identification.
"Explain the reasons behind Age Identification," he said.
The young man immediately stood up and, looking straight ahead, replied, "Our core teaching is called Part-Task Replacement, and it involves the mass production of prefabricated parts by ourselves, with the goal of incorporating them into the magical tools we wish to restore or create."
"Age Identification plays a crucial role here. It will help us understand what types of prefabricated parts to use in a particular tool, depending on its age. Or, if it’s newly manufactured, it will help us determine which manufacturing model to use," he replied.
Lucius nodded. "Very well. How do you categorize the manufacturing models?"
"So far, Professor Jake and you, Professor Lucius, have taught us two different manufacturing models: Modern Manufacturing and Regular Manufacturing. These are each divided into two stages of 10 years each."
"A 10-year stage defined by Blood Identification does not mean the tool is ten years old, but rather ten stages of five years each. The second 10-year stage spans the same amount of time, for a total of 100 years of history in tool manufacturing and repair. Those are the divisions."
Lucius nodded, completely satisfied. "Keep up the good work, Konan," he said, then turned to another group. "Could any of you explain to me what ’Modern Manufacturing’ and ’Regular Manufacturing’ are?"
Then one of them, Zachary, stood up.
"These two manufacturing models represent the history of manufacturing over the last 100 years, divided into two 50-year periods. Modern Manufacturing refers to anything that uses the manufacturing or repair methods of the last 50 years. Regular Manufacturing is exactly the same, but from the other 50-year period that makes up the full 100 years—that is, from 50 years ago to 100 years ago," he replied.
Lucius looked at him. "And what exactly is the difference between the two?"
"The difference isn’t that great, but in Modern Manufacturing there’s been a lot of progress toward minimalism. Tools require fewer and fewer prefabricated parts to be completed, whereas in the regular block, tools had many prefabricated parts."
"Very well done. I know you’ll do well on the day of the Tournament. Go back to your seat," said Lucius, patting him on the back to encourage him.
With that, the first part was completely covered. Because they weren’t just testing their knowledge in theory—they were also putting it into practice.
But that wasn’t the only thing Lucius taught.
"And what about the Rank? Is anyone interested in talking about it?"
Another student quickly stood up to speak up.
"Once again, Modern Manufacturing and Regular Manufacturing are the most important factors. With Rank Identification, you’ll be able to determine the type of material to use when prefabricating the necessary tool parts, ensuring they’re compatible with the type of tool you’ll be crafting with them."
"You can’t use a material like reinforced plastic, for example, to craft a Rank C tool, because it would burn. Furthermore, in Regular Crafting, it’s even more absurd. Even a Rank E tool could burn if you add reinforced plastic to it. That’s why Rank Identification helps you choose the right materials."
And finally, someone stood up to round out the theory. Regarding Type Identification... This is what ties the other two together.
By identifying the Mana or Tool Mark Type, you’ll be able to determine the type of prefabricated parts you need and the materials to use to make them. You’ll also know which of the two categories it falls into and whether you need to make it more minimalist or more sophisticated.
Finally, there was an additional area of learning: using blood to strengthen the tools.
When was it best to do this, and when was it unnecessary?
Since blood serves as fuel for these tools, there are naturally ways to make low-rank tools more powerful simply by mixing Mana and Blood inside them.
However, the extensive and detailed work involved led even Clara, Joao, and the professor himself to think it was too difficult and unnecessary.
’Well, I like to win by a wide margin, so I’ll have to work on it when the time comes,’ Lucius thought.
He was completely satisfied with the answers they gave and with the experiments they were conducting that day.
And so, everything proceeded normally for weeks.
They were taught how to assemble and repair a wide variety of tools using parts they had manufactured themselves, as well as the fastest ways to manufacture those parts.
The foundation of this training was prefabrication—an unusual approach, but one that needed improvement in terms of speed.
After more than two months of preparation—during which they spent practically all their time repairing and creating new tools—the classes ended before the week of the tournament.
Lucius and his class had to go in that Saturday to brush up on everything they’d learned, but they weren’t the only ones. Many classes that were taking the upcoming tournament seriously were there early, such as Class A.
However, no one bothered anyone else, and the student Saturday went off without a hitch.
It was pouring rain that day, but Clara and Lucius didn’t part ways after school.
They took a taxi to one of the Iron Suburbs. Jake Lakeside and Joao Martinus were with them.
"Hey, kid, I hope you’re not lying to me and that this is for real," Jake said, staring intently at Lucius.
Lucius smiled. "Why would I lie to you, Professor Jake? You’ve invested a lot of money. I assure you that what I’m saying is true."
"I’ve invested money, but... it’s not enough to do what you’re saying, you know? Where could you possibly get enough money to set up a Workshop for the Creation, Repair, and Mounting of Magical Tools? Hell, if they were that cheap to set up, I’d have one myself! My family barely has one in each city, not counting the ones owned by companies!"
"Professor Jake, I’ve told you that patience is a virtue, haven’t I?"
"You’ve been telling me that every week for the past two months!"
"Then why are you getting so frustrated?"
"Because it’s a Workshop, Lucius Asturias! If we manage to get one, we’ll be so powerful that the Guilds will be afraid of us!"
Lucius sighed. ’I underestimated just how big and important Workshops are in a desolate area like this.’
Although it didn’t really matter.
It didn’t take them long to reach Old Kevin’s Inn. It had been completely transformed.
It was no longer an inn. From the outside, it looked like a modern building. It had been completely remodeled with what appeared to be expensive materials.
There was no sign saying "Inn" or "Workshop," but as soon as they arrived, it gave Jake a strange sense of familiarity.
The four of them got out of the taxi, and Lucius and Clara walked toward the door.
’It took three months to build...’ Lucius thought with a slight smile. That’s much less time than it took him the first time he did it.
This time, he received financial assistance from the Morwens on a few occasions. There was Jake Lakeside’s support, Clara’s investment—she spent nearly her entire fortune on it—and, finally, all the financial planning by Joao Martinus, who is, surprisingly, an extraordinary money manager.
Although the most important factor was still the massive sales of refurbished tools that Lucius had made over the past month.
He devoted the first two months exclusively to thoroughly teaching the students—and even the professor himself—various methods. And all of that had a single purpose: to mass-produce refurbished tools during the last month.
Tools that Lucius bought damaged or stole—along with old Garen—from factory scrap heaps, which were then repaired by the whole group and sold back to those same factories.
Not only did this serve as intensive training for the students, but all the money was used to fund the creation of the workshop!
In fact, Lucius didn’t just have a workshop—he had a "factory" for refurbished tools, and only three months had passed!
Now Lucius is known not only as a genius at creating tools, but also as a business genius.
A Top-Tier Human Investor!
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