“And what about those cars you’ve been introducing around the cities? The ‘fuel-driven’ vehicles? They’re unlike anything anyone’s ever seen before. How did you come up with that idea?”
I chuckled, leaning forward and resting my elbows on the table, a small smirk playing on my lips. “The cars? Ah, they’re another example of mixing the arcane with the mechanical. In this world, you have all these intricate magical artifacts—enchanted swords, teleportation circles—but the way people move around? It’s still mostly horse-drawn carriages or riding beasts. I thought, why not take it a step further?”
Sesillian’s expression turned thoughtful as he considered my words.
“I took inspiration from the mana engines you use in airships, but refined them. The idea was to build a compact mana core—basically a magical engine—small enough to fit into a vehicle. The core harnesses raw mana from the environment and converts it into kinetic energy. You infuse it with mana crystals attuned to a specific flow, and they power the vehicle like a modern combustion engine.”
I paused, letting them digest the concept before I continued. Sesillian’s expression shifted as he started to piece together what I was saying. “But the real innovation came with the control system,” I added, tapping the side of my temple with a knowing smile. “I enchanted the steering mechanism and pedals with rune-based commands, which sync up with the mana core. That means the driver’s actions translate directly into the mana flow, controlling acceleration, braking, and direction with precision.”
Sesillian tilted his head, his brow furrowed slightly. “But isn’t it dangerous to harness such raw mana for everyday travel? Wouldn’t it be unstable?”
“You’d be right, under normal circumstances. But I incorporated stabilizing runes, drawing on ancient protection spells used in the old war golems. They keep the mana flow balanced, preventing fluctuations. So, while a car’s engine might seem like it’s ready to burst with power, it remains stable and under control.”
Sesillian gave a low, appreciative whistle, drumming his fingers on the table. “You’ve essentially made magic accessible for everyday life. No more relying on mounts or carriages. You’ve industrialized travel itself.”
“Well, the Leonamon is pushing to make travel a lot more efficient—like creating a vehicle that runs on rails, kind of like a minecart, but way faster and more comfortable. And they’re even working on a vehicle that could fly through the sky.”
“A vehicle that flies through the sky?” Sesillian’s brow furrowed, eyes narrowing as he tried to wrap his head around the idea. “How could you even come up with something like that?”
I held back a smirk, knowing the source of my so-called genius. These ideas weren’t anything new to me; they were things that had been a reality on Earth for ages. Airplanes and trains were concepts perfected long before I was born. All I was doing was copying those ideas and adapting them to fit this world, tweaking them to make use of the untapped potential of magic. Mana was the key—a limitless energy source that followed the law of conservation of energy. I was using it to create devices, to build vehicles that could make travel a breeze. The people here saw mana as little more than a way to boost their power, but I knew better. Mana was a tool, a force of nature that could do so much more if only they had the vision to see it.
“If you dig deeper into what mana can do, you’ll be able to grasp concepts that seemed impossible before,” I said.
“I’ve never thought about mana that way before, but it’s incredible, isn’t it?” Sesillian murmured, his eyes lighting up with a spark of newfound wonder.
As I explained, I felt Charlotte’s gaze boring into me, her eyes darting back and forth like she was holding back something. She looked nervous—too nervous to be subtle about whatever was on her mind.
“Do you want to ask something, Miss Sierra?” I finally turned to her, arching a brow.
“E-Eh? N-Nothing. I’m fine, Sir Faust,” she stammered, her voice barely steady, her cheeks flushing a deep crimson as she fidgeted in her seat.
I drained the last drop of wine from my glass, feeling the burn as it slid down my throat, and got up to pour myself another when…
“Why don’t you just ask him what you’ve been dying to say, Charlotte dear?” Sesillian’s voice cut through the tension with a sharp edge, his lips curling into a sly smile. “I’m sure that, with how incredible Sir Faust is, he can handle any question you throw at him.”
“I-It’s fine, really,” Charlotte insisted, her voice wavering like she was trying to hold back a storm inside.
“It’s okay,” Sesillian replied, offering her a reassuring smile that barely masked his curiosity. “I’m sure it’s fine for you to be asked by her, right, Sir Faust?”
“It’s fine, Sir Quinn. In fact, I’d actually prefer having someone to discuss these ideas with,” I said, my tone casual but pointed, letting him know I wasn’t bothered by the interruption.
“Well then, I’ll go grab you some wine, Sir Faust. Seems like the waiters are too busy fawning over those high-and-mighty nobles.” He flashed me a grin, taking my empty champagne glass.
“Thank you for your kind offer,” I replied with a nod, watching as he walked off toward the wine table, weaving between clusters of aristocrats.
The second he was out of earshot, I turned back to Charlotte. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights, her hands clutching her dress like it might protect her.
“Aren’t you going to drink your wine too, Miss Sierra?” I asked, letting my gaze linger on her for a moment longer than necessary.
“P-Please, don’t call me that. You’re terrifying me,” she stammered, voice barely more than a whisper, her eyes darting to where Sesillian stood, too afraid to meet my gaze directly.
“Why?”
“Because… you being here, seeing me together with Professor… I’m sure you’re planning my punishment, aren’t you?” Her voice shook, each word slipping out like she was afraid they’d be the last thing she’d say without consequence.
Charlotte and I still had a contract to maintain—a contract with clear terms. I had two more sessions left with her, which meant until those sessions were over, she wasn’t allowed to be with any other men. Her being here with Sesillian was a direct violation of that agreement.
“It’s definitely a punishment-worthy situation,” I said. “Especially since you didn’t bother to tell me anything about this.”
“Y-You’re not going to punish me right here, are you? Please, anything but that…” she pleaded, her voice breaking, eyes wide with desperation as she glanced toward Sesillian again, who was still chatting with another guest, oblivious to what was happening between us.
She knew well what she was risking by defying me like this. The thought of being disciplined right here, while her crush stood just a few feet away, was enough to send a visible shiver through her.
“Why? We’ve had sex with Sesillian nearby before, haven’t we?” I reminded her, letting my words hang in the air, watching the color drain from her face
