Chapter 390 Regarding Mana Crystals
The Capital—Bideford.
Aside from being in his office or secretly taking a stroll around the capital city, Riz also visited Bideford Research Centre occasionally.
Due to the frequency of his visits, people inside the building already got used to his presence and considered it normal.
Currently, the monarch found himself in one of the laboratories. His eyes wandered around, looking at the surroundings with fascination and pride.
The laboratory was a marvel of science, a state-of-the-art, with tall, sterile walls of pristine white and well-organized workstations adorned with intricate machinery, glassware, and countless scientific instruments.
A long, polished wooden table dominated the centre of the laboratory. In its midst lay mana crystals, a luminescent gem that pulsed with an ethereal light.
The crystal's radiant energy cast enchanting hues across the room, creating an otherworldly ambience.
He continued his exploration, moving toward a row of shelves filled with books, journals, and technical manuals.
His fingers brushed the spines and very pleased to see many of them well-worn.
It was a sign of frequent use.
Creak—
The door swung open causing the king to turn his head around. He saw several people in white lab coats entering the laboratory.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," Eleanor said as soon as her eyes met with the king.
A warm smile graced her face.
The rest of the team followed suit, offering their respects and acknowledging their king's presence.
"Greetings, Eleanor, Thomas, and the rest of you," the king warmly replied.
While he recognises Eleanor Hughes and her subordinate, Thomas, he doesn't know the rest of them.
There are many researchers employed and many more apply to work here.
But, not anybody can be accepted as the requirement was stringent.
"Are you curious about the progress on the project, Your Majesty?" Eleanor inquired.
She was responsible for overseeing the construction of the water supply system project in the capital.
Riz shook his head, his attention focused on the brilliant mana crystal that lay before him.
"No. The last time I checked on the project, everything was progressing smoothly. I'm more curious about these mana crystals," he said, pointing to the radiant gems. "Who is researching these crystals?"
Eleanor exchanged a glance with Thomas, then turned her attention back to the king.
"This particular research project is being led by Liora Wright, Your Majesty. She's one of the finest experts in the field of mineralogy."
"And where is this Liora at?"
"I-I'm here, Your Majesty." Riz heard a voice among the crowd of people behind Eleanor.
A bespectacled woman with a keen enthusiasm for her work, stepped forward, her eyes filled with passion.
"Your Majesty, it is an honour to meet you."
"Same as me," Riz nodded and gestured for her to continue.
Researcher Liora explained, "We are currently researching mana crystals to better understand their properties and potential applications. Our hope is to develop new technologies and innovations based on these new materials."
"Tell me what progress have you made so far?"
"We now know that mana crystals were formed because the density of mana in the cavern is so high. We believe the presence of mystical beasts directly influences the air, land, plants, and animals around them. This was also mentioned in ancient texts. Some of the mana seeps through the land and into the cavern. And over a long period, this concentrated mana hardens and crystallizes into the form we see today. To prove this assumption, we had to dispatch people into that forest for further investigation."
Riz listened intently to her explanation. It was similar to his initial guess. "Hmm...hold onto that idea and wait for my permission. We can't simply breach into the pheonix forest. There's so much uncertainty about that place."
Liora looks a bit disappointed but agree nonetheless. She did her studies and realize the prowess of the so called mythical beast depicted in the ancient texts.
"Anyway, can we use these crystals as a source of energy?" Riz asked the question he wanted to know the most.
"Technically, yes, but... there's a problem," Liora responded.
"What is it?" he asked.
"From our experiment, we find out that mana crystal, in general, constantly exudes mana into the air. Over time, the size of the mana crystal will become smaller and smaller before completely dissipating. The reason mana crystals in the cavern remain in the solid crystal state is because the mana was trapped. On one end, it received mana from the forest above the ground, but there was no opening at the other end. This one-way flow allows the crystals to maintain their form."
"Does that mean..."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Liora correctly guessed what was in his mind and confirmed. "Now, there's an opening, a sinkhole. The mana from the underground cavern is gushing out into the air but at a very slow rate. As of now, we don't have an established number on this mana dissipation rate since it comes in various forms and densities."
Riz's brow furrowed in thought. It troubled him that this valuable resource was being lost to the atmosphere.
"Is there nothing we can do?" he inquired, reluctant to accept such waste when it could be harnessed for the kingdom's benefit.
Liora replied, "The most popular suggestion from researchers in my department is to captured the mana into a container and condense it into a liquid form. This would slow down the dissipation to a negligible level. However, we couldn't yet find a container that can completely block the mana from seeping out."
"Tch!" Riz clicked his tongue.
This new information has become a bit of a problem. He wonders if he has to completely seal off the sinkhole but then, he disregards the idea.
"What about the effect it has on humans?" he inquired, concerned about the implications of constant mana exposure on the kingdom's people. Such a significant change in the environment would undoubtedly have consequences.
Liora hesitated for a moment before responding, "That... is not my expertise, Your Majesty. The experts in the biology department would be better equipped to provide insights about how prolonged mana exposure may affect humans."
"Yeah, you're right. That's a stupid question from me." Riz nodded.
He stood up, signalling his departure from the lab, "Alright, Liora," he said. "Continue your research on finding the best material for the container. We must not squander this valuable resource. As for Eleanor, please inform me when the project reaches completion."
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