?Returning from Naharog, Riz holed up in his office at the mansion for the entirety of the next few days. There are no impending matters that require his attention at his government office.
Occasionally, scholars were spotted by the maids entering and leaving his office. The only common thing these scholars have is their field of expertise, history. His behaviour raised some concerns from others including the servants. He, as usual, dismissed them.
The appearance of mana crystal bewildered him and threw him off balance. King Naharog stressed out to him that the crystals have no significant usage aside as a part of glittering ornaments for religious purposes.
Riz, however, is not convinced by that. Coming from Earth, mana crystals have always been propagated in fictional stories as a useful source of energy with various applications.
To say it is only for a decoration purposes raises his suspicion to a new height.
With that in mind, he needs to learn about this unique thing which does not exist on Earth. And the best way to obtain this crucial information is through the recorded history.
Previous empires thousands of years ago have some sort of written records regarding mana. The fact is not confirmed by historians but that is about to change.
Riz is going to splurge a huge amount of money for an expedition to find the ancient ruins and possibly mana crystals deposits. The chances are no longer low.
It is impossible for mana crystal to come from only one source. After all, the world was engulfed in dense mana at one point in time and mythical beasts still exist to this day.
Based on his vast weeb knowledge of mana, there must be mana crystal mines located somewhere. He suspects these mines to be in the area where mana in the air is so dense. The problem is, humans, don't have the ability to sense mana. So, Riz was left with no choice but to find it using clues from historical texts. It's an arduous effort which he didn't mind at all.
He wants to get a hold of these mines. If they were discovered by other forces, his kingdom which was built on the foundation of modern knowledge would be jeopardized. The most worrying fact is Turtevekesia has a monopoly on the blood of Syldris. It means those people may know the existence of the mine but couldn't find it.
Maybe they're waiting for someone to find it for them before snatching it. Many crazy ideas and wild theories emerge in his head.
Normally, kings wouldn't care to finance an expedition to unveil the secret of the past. It consumes tons of gold and takes a very long time with a low success rate. Plus, they might be at risk of getting scammed. With all the reasons openly presented in front of them, the kings deem this business unprofitable especially when they have no pressing motivation to do so.
"I need to move the agents to the west to infiltrate that hermit-like territory and gain more information. Relying solely on the historians and expedition teams won't be enough." Riz said resolutely.
His eyes were staring at the maps. Besides them, his desk was scattered with historical notes he asked from the historians. His poured all attention to analyze these texts.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Riz clicked his tongue. He had told Edward to not let anyone interfere with him. "Who is it?"
"I am sorry to disturb you, your majesty. Arnold has come unexpectedly to see you."
"Arnold?" Riz creases his eyebrows. "I don't remember having a meeting with him. Is there something he would like to convey? Sigh...Whatever, send him in."
The door was open from the other side, revealing the figure of an old man he was familiar with.
Riz dropped everything he was doing.
No matter how irritated he is, he couldn't bring himself to show disrespect to Arnold. The former carpenter has contributed so much towards development in Ryntum.
"I'm sorry for my sudden visitation, your majesty." Arnold starts the conversation by apologizing.
"It's okay, Arnold. What brings you here?"
"I came to report to your majesty about the traction engine. We are producing too little in quantity and the cost is too high. Not many food companies are willing to spend so many gold coins despite its novel invention. At this rate, your vision of mechanizing agriculture may be pushed back by several years."
"Hmm... What are your suggestions then?"
"Why not sell the blueprint to people who are interested in making the traction engine." Arnold threw his idea at the king.
Riz pondered for a moment. He is not fond of letting people benefit from him. Technically, a traction engine is his idea in this world. He knows the potential of a traction engine and the profits that would come along with it.
Hence, he tries to find a solution to tackle production problems while gaining profits.
"I guess the only way is through patent and licensing."
"Patent? Licensing? What's that?" Another new term he never heard of coming out of the king's mouth.
Riz explains, "A patent is a right granted by the government to the owner of an invention to monopolize his or her invention for a limited period of time. In exchange for that exclusive right, the technical information must be disclosed to the public. To generate money, owning a patent alone isn't complete. The owner needs to market the invention or license it to someone else. Licensing works well for the inventor with no money to commercialize his or her own product. They keep the intellectual property ownership while gaining revenue from the licensee. Licensee pays the licence to gain the right to commercially exploit your patented invention. They'll pay you through royalties or whatever methods agreed upon."
"You said a patent's rights are only limited for a certain period of time. How long exactly is this protection last and what happened after that?"
"It lasts for 20 years from the filing date. After 20 years, the public can learn it for free."
"Instead of 20 years, why not make it forever?"
"Let me answer your question with my question. First, your invention might be novel but can you guarantee it would be valuable? People won't license valueless inventions because they bring no profit to the licensee. Second, are you sure your invention stays relevant for more than 20 years?"
Arnold shook his head. If he was asked the same question a decade ago, his answer would be different. Now, with free public education available, commoners have the knowledge to make their own inventions.
Riz smirked, "Looks like you caught the meaning of my questions. Patents expire so people in the future can benefit from the knowledge of your invention and improve it. The trick is to balance between the inventor's profit and technological improvement."
"I understand, your majesty. I gained a lot from you today. When do you plan to enact this law and where should inventors make an application for a patent?"
Riz giggled, "Be patient, Arnold. I just came up with this idea. Give me time to draft The Patents Act and Licensing Regulation 301 and discuss it with my ministers first. If you had an invention, save them securely. By the way, how much does one traction engine cost?"
"About 80,000 Ryn."
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