NOVEL WEB Chapter 94.2
“That’s unbelievable!”
“I thought the same at first.”
The magical revolution rendered the winter hawks, longtime companions of the Northerners, obsolete almost overnight.
“They say it’s still expensive and rare, so it’s only being used for official purposes.”
“Ah… If it’s for official use, we can’t use it privately. If only I could use it to hear news from my family back home instantly…”
“That’s why they’re building something called post offices all over the North.”
“Post offices?”
“They’re like government facilities where you can send letters or packages anywhere in the North if you pay.”
“I can’t keep up with how fast the world is changing.”
“Neither can I.”
Economically, culturally, technologically, and institutionally, the North had achieved tremendous progress.
Every day, something new was invented. A new institution was established, and new laws and systems were introduced.
The Northerners barely had a moment to catch their breath.
Not only were they never bored, but life had become so dynamic and stimulating that each day felt exhilarating and enjoyable.
“There’s nowhere on the continent as advanced as our North!”
This excitement naturally evolved into a sense of belonging, identity, and pride in being a “Northerner.”
“Northerners? No! We are Renslessi! We are Renslessi!”
“They say the true mark of a Renslessi these days is hanging a family portrait next to the portrait of the Grand Duchess.”
“We’re not Imperial citizens, and we’re not just Northerners! We are simply Renslessi!”
Renslessi. Before anyone realized it, the Northerners began calling themselves by this name.
Through the window, the bitterly cold winds of this land blew fiercely.
Four years had passed since I fell into this world, and this winter felt worn in its familiarity.
Beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep-beep!
In my office at the industrial complex, the magical communication device on my desk lit up with an alarm.
This device was directly connected to the Palace of Glory.
“Haah…”
I let out a sigh and activated the device.
Fwoosh!
The face of Chief Administrator Haita appeared within the communication orb.
[“Lord Arad, could you visit the High Tower sometime soon?”]
“What’s the matter this time?”
I asked Haita tiredly.
[“You look exhausted, my lord.”]
My fatigue must have been apparent even through the communication device.
“The entire industrial complex is running 24-hour shifts in three shifts. Wouldn’t it be strange if the CEO wasn’t busy as well?”
Orders were flooding in from across the North.
The employees were busy, and so was I. Between the academy, research and development, and quality management, I barely had time to breathe.
Even Entir Bishop, lured by the scent of money, kept tearfully begging me to sell him Bluetooth devices and cameras.
But why? The Empire’s magic towers can produce them too, can’t they?
“So, what is it this time? I just visited the High Tower last week.”
[“It’s about the government administrative system you lectured on at the academy. We’ve been applying it to the High Tower.”]
“Yes… That’s right, Haita.”
[“Ahem! It’s not an official title yet. In any case, we’re encountering some trial and error since it’s our first attempt. The issues are too complex for back-and-forth communication through the orb.”]
“Understood. I’ll make time to visit next week.”
[“Hahaha! Thank you! Having this magical communication device is so convenient! No need for messengers or winter hawks! I hear the High Tower’s winter hawks have all grown plump lately.”]
“That’s why over-reliance on magical tools isn’t ideal. Sometimes traditional methods are still valuable.”
[“Indeed! Well then, I have a meeting to attend, so I’ll leave it at that.”]
Haita ended the call with a bright smile, satisfied with my commitment to visit next week.
“Ah… This is why I hesitated to install magical communication devices.”
I sighed deeply and slumped halfway into my chair.
The restraints that once held back the witches had been lifted.
The North, now fully capable of large-scale production, had also learned the harsh lesson of the last great plague, underscoring the importance of communication. The development and distribution of magical communication devices were inevitable.
But convenience aside, I remained conservative about spreading the devices.
Easier contact meant more frequent calls, and more calls meant a flood of minor issues.
For a fleeting moment, I closed my eyes and leaned into my chair, stealing a brief rest.
These days, unless I made use of such stolen moments, my body wouldn’t hold up under the workload.
Knock, knock, knock.
About ten minutes into my brief rest, a knock at the door roused me.
“Come in.”
It was Mary.
“Ah, is the investigation complete?”
“Yes.”
She had just returned from handling a recent incident.
“What about Manager Theo?”
“He’s still at the site, coordinating the situation.”
Mary handed me a stack of documents.
“Here’s the compiled report.”
“Tsk, tsk…”
Clicking my tongue, I quietly read through the report Mary handed over.
“What will you do next?”
She asked, watching me.
“What else? It was caused by our employees, so it’s my responsibility. I’ll apologize to those affected and compensate them.”
“And the employees responsible?”
“They’ll be dismissed. After that, the High Tower can handle any further punishment.”
Amid the chaos, an issue had arisen, forcing me to send Mary and Theo to address it—a fraud case involving some of our employees.
“To think I’m only learning about this now.”
“I apologize. I should have caught it sooner.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
“From tomorrow, I’ll focus more on employee education.”
“Employee education is important, but we need something even more vital.”
“What would that be?”
“We can’t rely on the Frost Knights forever.”
As organizations grow and societies advance, incidents and accidents naturally arise.
“We’ll need to establish internal departments for auditing, information, security, and public relations.”
It was an inevitable growing pain of expansion.
I had simply been too busy to prepare for it.
Fortunately, the scale of the incident was small, and we had discovered it relatively quickly.
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