Chapter 43: Plans for the Future
The door opened slowly.
Adam almost held his breath.
Then a head appeared in the crack.
White horns.
Glimmer eyes.
A smile that was far too mischievous.
Shiora.
The oni remained half-hidden behind the door, as if she found the situation much more amusing by not going all the way in.
Her narrowed eyes flickered from Adam to Elaria, then from the ring on the white elf’s finger to the slightly rumpled sheets.
Her smile widened.
"Oh... good morning. You’re awake. That’s good."
Adam remained silent.
Elaria, meanwhile, calmly adjusted the sheets around her.
"Good morning, Shiora."
Shiora placed a hand against her cheek, feigning innocence.
"Not too tired?"
Adam closed his eyes.
"Why is that always the first question?"
"Because the answer is always interesting."
Then, without waiting for a reply, she gave a small wave.
"We’re waiting for you to eat. Don’t be too long."
She started to close the door.
Then she added with a smile:
"And Elaria... nice ring."
The door closed softly.
A silence fell over the room.
Adam stared at the door for a few seconds.
Then he murmured:
"She already knew."
Elaria looked at her ring.
"Probably."
"How so?"
"Shiora always knows what might be valuable."
Adam looked at her.
"Even a relationship?"
Elaria smiled slightly.
"Especially a relationship."
Adam sighed.
"I think I’ll stop trying to understand how you work."
"A sensible decision."
A few minutes later, they got up.
They took a quick bath together, calmer than the previous night.
The hot water finally roused their still-tired bodies, while Adam briefly explained to Elaria the main functions of the Memory Crystal and the Projection Box.
Even in the bath, the white elf seemed to already be thinking about the structure of the plans.
"We’ll have to choose the right crystal. The stability of the image will surely depend on the purity of the medium."
Adam looked at her.
"You’re already working?"
"I’m thinking. It’s not the same."
"For you, it’s exactly the same."
She didn’t deny it.
After getting dressed, Adam retrieved the documents written the previous day about the Valoria Games.
He also took the plans for the Memory Crystal and the Projection Box, which he carefully kept in his inventory so as not to leave them unattended.
Then he and Elaria went downstairs to the dining room.
When they arrived, everyone was already there.
Elena was talking with Lyriana.
Isadora was reading a report.
Selene was already eating with an impressive appetite.
Vespera was floating a small cup in front of her without touching it.
Shiora, of course, was sitting with a far too satisfied smile.
As soon as Adam and Elaria entered, all eyes turned to them.
"Hello," Elena said with a bright smile.
"Hello," Adam replied cautiously.
Selene looked at Elaria, then at the ring on her finger.
"Officially welcome."
Elaria nodded calmly.
"Thank you." "
Shiora rested her chin on her hands.
"So, Elaria?"
Adam immediately raised a hand.
"No."
Shiora blinked.
"I haven’t asked anything yet."
"Exactly. I’d rather stop the question before it even arises."
Selene burst out laughing.
Isadora set down her cup with amusement.
"Let them eat. We already have a lot to discuss."
Adam sat down with relief.
The meal began quickly.
For the first few minutes, the atmosphere remained light.
Then Shiora noticed the documents Adam had brought.
Her eyes lit up.
"The rules?"
Adam took out the leather folder and placed it on the table.
"Reversi, chess, Go, simple card games, variations, approximate dimensions, number of pieces, and initial sketches."
Elaria added calmly,
"The drawings are usable. I can improve them for the prototypes."
Shiora took the sheets as if they were a treasure.
"Excellent."
Isadora quickly scanned them.
"We need to decide on the launch strategy."
Shiora nodded immediately.
"I propose three levels. A cheap, popular version for taverns and families. A sturdy version for guilds and schools. And a limited, expensive, and ornate noble version."
"Obviously," Adam murmured.
Shiora smiled.
"The wealthy like to pay more to feel unique. Might as well give them that pleasure."
Elaria took a sheet of paper.
"The popular prototypes can be ready quickly. For Reversi and Go, production is simple. Chess will require more work, especially distinguishing the pieces."
Vespera added:
"I can create a light enchantment to prevent the noble pieces from getting lost. A reminder to the board or the box."
Shiora placed a hand on her heart.
"Beautiful. The nobles will pay twice as much to avoid losing their pieces."
Selene took a piece of bread.
"Adventurers will prefer the sturdy sets." "If the pieces break at the first slam of a fist on the table, they won’t last long."
Adam stared at her.
"Why would anyone hit the board?"
Selene shrugged.
"Sore loser. Alcohol. Lost bet. Pride issue."
Adam remained silent.
"Very well. Reinforced version for the taverns."
Elena smiled.
"For the knights, I mainly want to test chess. If the game helps develop anticipation, it can be useful during downtime."
Lyriana added softly,
"And Go can be interesting for learning encirclement, patience, and territory control."
Adam nodded.
"That’s exactly the kind of use these games can have. Entertainment for some, mental training for others."
Isadora examined the documents.
"So we’ll start discreetly." No big announcement for now. First the prototypes. Then the tests in controlled circles. Then Shiora will prepare the release.
"With pleasure," the oni replied.
Adam took advantage of a moment of silence to inhale.
"There’s something else."
All the women turned their eyes toward him.
Elaria set down her cup, already perfectly focused.
Adam raised his hand.
Two luminous images appeared above the table.
The conversations stopped immediately.
Even Shiora stopped smiling for a second.
The first image depicted a cut crystal surrounded by delicate runes.
The second showed an elegant box with a central slot for the same crystal.
Vespera narrowed her eyes slightly.
Elaria immediately leaned forward.
Isadora submitted her report.
Lyriana didn’t move, but her gaze became sharper.
Adam spoke calmly:
"This morning, I opened the chests I got thanks to Elaria. The common chest gave me a regular Stamina Potion. The two rare chests gave me these blueprints."
He pointed to the first one.
"Memory Crystal. It can record moving images and sound."
Then the second one.
"Projection Box. It allows you to read the crystal and project the recording onto a surface, along with the sound."
A profound silence followed.
Then Shiora almost stood up from her chair.
"Wait. You mean we can capture a real scene and show it to other people later?"
"Yes."
Shiora’s eyes shone.
"Advertising. Demonstrations. Speeches. Shows. Product launches. Noble auctions. Public screenings of Valoria games..."
Adam sighed.
"I knew you’d start with money."
"Money is a very reliable form of reality."
Isadora, on the other hand, looked at the plans with a much more serious expression.
"Official messages could be sent without distortion. Visual evidence could accompany a report. Military instructions could be recorded and transmitted."
Lyriana added calmly,
"Espionage evidence, too. Confessions. Secret transactions. Meetings. Troop movements."
Selene folded her arms.
"And training. If I can review Adam’s mistakes after a session, I can correct them faster."
Adam turned slowly toward her.
"You want to use a magic camera to torture me more effectively?"
"Yes."
"At least it’s honest."
Elaria said nothing.
She stared at the plans as if she had just discovered an entire new branch of craftsmanship.
Her light blue eyes shone behind her glasses.
"Visual and audio storage... stable projection... controlled playback..."
Vespera finally spoke.
"The principle is extremely advanced. Not impossible, but very delicate. The most difficult part won’t just be recording. It will be ensuring that the recording hasn’t been altered."
Adam nodded.
"Exactly. My power has given me a warning. It recommends limiting distribution, entrusting production to reliable individuals, and implementing a method of authentication against tampering."
Isadora immediately agreed.
"It’s essential."
Adam placed his hands on the table.
"In my old world, we had similar technologies. Cameras to record images, projectors to show them, telephones to communicate over long distances, televisions to broadcast images and sound to many people, and computers to store, process, and transmit information."
The room fell silent.
Then Elaria murmured,
"Store, process, and transmit information..."
Vespera smiled faintly.
"That explains a lot about your way of thinking."
Adam continued,
"The problem is that this kind of technology quickly becomes dangerous. If we can record the truth, we can also try to fabricate a lie that resembles the truth."
Lyriana nodded slowly.
"False evidence can be more dangerous than a simple lie."
"Exactly."
Adam pointed to the Memory Crystal.
"We would need to add an authentication rune during the recording process." A magical signature impossible to alter without shattering the crystal or invalidating the recording.
Vespera crossed her arms.
"Possible. Difficult, but possible."
Elaria added:
"We would also have to prevent anyone from opening the object to copy the internal runes."
Adam nodded.
"That’s what I thought. Add protective components to both objects. If someone tries to force them open, dismantle them, or study the inside without authorization, the runes trigger a controlled destruction."
Shiora grimaced slightly.
"Destroying a cherished object pains me."
Isadora replied calmly:
"Less painful than letting the Empire reproduce it."
Shiora thought for a moment.
Then smiled.
"Argument accepted."
Adam continued:
"We can also create multiple levels. The initial prototypes remain within a very limited circle." Then, if the technology is stable, we’ll develop a simplified version for controlled use. No public release at first.
Isadora immediately took charge of the discussion.
"The first prototypes will remain between us. No craftsman outside our inner circle will see the complete plans."
Elaria nodded.
"I can divide the manufacturing process into several modules. Each person will work on a different part without understanding the whole."
Vespera added:
"I’ll handle the central runes, the authentication, and the self-destruct mechanism."
Lyriana spoke softly:
"And I’ll vet everyone involved. Background, contacts, debts, possible ties to the Empire."