“It is only natural.”
“First of all, Hierophant is the only one among us who can pilot a ship. Secondly, he contributed to the battle earlier and to the Bubble Beads we were just using.”
“Furthermore, the only reason I was able to lock onto the mental-type monster’s location so quickly was because Hierophant was hit. That was also a contribution.”
“So, I don’t see any problem with giving this boat to Hierophant.”
Lan Qingyou shrugged.
Her face remained as calm as ever, and her tone was steady, as if she were stating something perfectly ordinary.
“This... I...”
Hierophant stammered, at a loss for words.
“True. It seems the boat will only be used to its full potential in Hierophant’s hands.”
“None of us know how to sail except for him.”
“Makes sense.”
“I agree with the proposal.”
Everyone had initially thought Lan Qingyou was being a bit heartless, but now it seemed she was just too clever for her own good.
Good lord.
She really knew how to play the 'push and pull' tactic.
With this move, no matter what her goal might be in the future, Hierophant would surely choose to help her with just a single word.
After all, this was a World Item—and exactly the kind Hierophant had been pining for.
If Lan Qingyou knew what these people were thinking, she would probably have half a mind to strangle them.
She really didn’t have any intentions of playing psychological games.
She was simply measuring things based on necessity and the value of labor.
What a joke.
These people didn’t understand the true weight of an alchemist at all; she didn’t need such petty tricks.
“Well then, since you’ve put it that way, this old man will not be so impolite as to refuse.”
Hierophant remained sitting cross-legged on the gunwale, but his spirit looked much better than it had moments ago.
He even lowered his head and stroked the gunwale beneath him with visible joy.
“Alright, alright, let’s hurry up and split the rest of the stuff. I can’t wait any longer,” the High Priestess shouted once Hierophant’s situation was settled.
“Right, right.”
“Let’s split it!”
The others were also galvanized and began to set about distributing the pile of magic tools.
It followed the same familiar process.
Lan Qingyou would call out the items; those who wanted one would raise their hand, and if no one wanted it, it would be set aside to be distributed later.
In the end, everyone got what they wanted.
Adding in the dozens of magic tools from before, everyone now possessed over a hundred and fifty items.
Of course, Lan Qingyou wasn’t completely cold; she still distributed items that were useful to Hierophant and the Magician to them.
“Alright, that’s the magic tools finished. Now, let’s talk about the Magician’s issue.”
After the tools were distributed, Lan Qingyou turned her gaze toward the Magician, who was sitting off to the side looking bored.
“Huh? I’m involved in this too?”
The Magician was bewildered.
He didn’t mind missing out on the gear, since he really hadn't contributed much.
But for them to come looking for him after they’d finished distributing everything seemed a bit much.
“Look at this first.”
As she spoke, Lan Qingyou pulled a steel plate about the thickness of a knuckle out from her cards and tossed it over.
The plate wasn’t large, roughly a square meter in size.
“This is...?”
The Magician touched the steel plate, which was still covered in damp moss, and looked up at Lan Qingyou in confusion.
“The steel plating that covered the surfaces of those shipwrecks.”
Steel plating from the shipwrecks? Come to think of it, he had mentioned that himself.
“So those shipwrecks weren’t solid steel, but steel-clad?”
When the Magician had mentioned the ships before, he had assumed they were all-steel structures. He hadn't expected them to just have a layer of cladding on the surface.
“Yes, but that’s not the important part,” Lan Qingyou nodded.
“Then what is?”
“The composition of these steel plates.”
Lan Qingyou reached out and tapped the slimy plate. It emitted a clear, crisp ringing sound.
Composition?
The Magician frowned again in thought.
What did this witch mean? She was suddenly saying something so baffling.
And she was saying it specifically to him.
It was just a steel plate. No matter how special it was, she wouldn't bring it up after distributing so many magic tools, would she?
Unless the value of this steel plate surpassed those hundreds of magic tools.
But could such a thing really—
Wait!
Steel plate? Composition?
“Could it be...!”
The Magician thought of a possibility and suddenly looked up at Lan Qingyou again.
“It’s exactly what you’re thinking. These steel plates are all mixed with trace amounts of Mithril.”
Lan Qingyou grinned.
Never mind the Magician; even the others nearby almost instantly understood what she meant.
“You mean the Magician’s teleportation circles finally have a substrate to be inscribed on?” The Sun asked, tilting her head.
“And the quantity?”
Having a base for his teleportation circles was naturally a good thing, but the Magician didn’t let the massive surprise go to his head.
He restrained his urge to jump up and pace around, asking Lan Qingyou very cautiously.
“I don’t know exactly, but I stripped about fifty-three ships,” Lan Qingyou replied after a moment of thought.
“It’s not a huge amount, but it should be enough for the current stage.”
The Magician did the math. It seemed like a lot, but in reality, if he wanted to spread his teleportation network across the entire Kalim continent, this wouldn’t be nearly enough.
However, as he had said himself, it was at least enough to produce a batch of teleportation magic circles for the Supreme Council to use.
“True. And I need to keep a batch for making alchemy circles as well.”
Lan Qingyou nodded in agreement.
Though the amount was small, as long as the teleportation circles were placed at key nodes, they would still have a significant impact on the Kalim continent.
After all, teleportation circles were transport.
And places with convenient transport would naturally attract more people, leading to the formation of cities.
With cities came order, and with order, many people would naturally settle down. After all, those with restless ambitions were always a minority compared to the vast population base.
For the Supreme Council, this was arguably the thing they wanted most.
However, as an alchemist, the Supreme Council’s concerns were not her own.
Only after her own problems were solved would the rest be theirs.
Of course, that didn't mean Lan Qingyou was going to hog it all for herself.
She used the same distribution method as before.
Lan Qingyou divided the steel plates into six portions. Except for Hierophant and the Magician, everyone received a share.
No one had any objections to this.
Even the Magician, who had received nothing in the latter half of the distribution, felt the same way.
After all, his goal had changed now.
Regardless, these composite steel plates would eventually be purchased by Chu Yuan and fall back into his hands.
The items themselves weren't the point; the point was making them. Being able to sit back and earn money from these teleportation circles later—that was the real prize.
Rate on N.U.
