[This is outrageous. 2.5 billion pel a year! If we invested that money in regional development, our empire could establish specialized industrial complexes that would sustain us for 20, 30 years, or even longer.]

“Hmm~” Elias hummed as he replaced the newspaper in the special filter.

It was an issue from January, discussing the initial installation of the barriers.

The photo on the paper moved, and the recorded voice played out.

Another person began to sharply criticize the preceding representative.

[Henning Berend has been pushing for the establishment of a defense materials production complex for years. Where? Of course, in his own territory! I’d like to have a textile industry complex too. It’d generate more than these monster barriers!]

Elias snickered.

“He’s quite sarcastic.”

“Sounds like you,” Leo commented.

“I meant I like it. So, who’s next?” Elias shrugged and picked another newspaper to place in the filter.

[―Representative Werner Strauch, do you have any comments?]

[I am simply on the side of the citizens.]

“Wernher Strauch had a reason for missing the general meeting.”

“He abstained.”

“Same difference.”

Elias removed the newspaper from the filter and looked around.

“What about the mosquitoes?”

“We’ve finished classifying their traits. We’ve divided them up, and they’re ready to be sent to the research lab.”

Conducting the breeding experiments and writing the report ourselves would be too time-consuming, so we scheduled a reservation with a research company.

When I mentioned this, I saw Melvin’s face light up in less than 30 seconds.

As I wrote the request form to send to the company, I asked Leo, “How long will it take?”

“It takes at least three weeks for them to grow. Adding the time for the report, we’re looking at at least five weeks.”

That’s too long.

Including the barrier and internal cleaning costs in the budget and getting it approved would take at least two to three months.

Add another month for the research report.

In the meantime, if Pleroma uses the insects or stronger mosquitoes naturally appear over several generations, the damage could be significant.

Elias frowned, clearly dissatisfied with this timeline.

“What? People will die before then. We’ve already spent 100,000 pel on the contract, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm…”

Elias leaned back in his chair, groaning. After a moment, he brightened up and stood.

“Let’s double it.”

“…You’re going to invest 200,000 pel in a middle and high school level experiment?”

“They can accelerate the growth, but they’re not doing it. Give me the telegraph. I’ll negotiate.”

Leo handed Elias the telegraph. Elias glanced at it and wrote something on the telegraph request form, muttering.

“An extra 20,000 pel to finish the report in three days.”

“…”

You say double and then add just 20,000?

Leo looked at Elias in shock.

“Why? You have to start tough in negotiations. Always lowball initially, expecting to give more later. They set the non-magic period deliberately.”

“…What nonsense?! Not everyone in the world is like you, Lucas,” Leo turned to me, seeking help.

“It’s fine.”

“…”

I didn’t agree with Elias, but it’s true that growth acceleration magic is typically used in experiments.

Ultimately, the company meant that they wouldn’t use the growth acceleration magic for 100,000 pel. They were open to negotiation since they didn’t specify an extra cost.

Growth acceleration magic for experiments officially costs a few extra lines of currency, so adding 20,000 pel isn’t a bad deal. Elias’s phrasing was just off.

“…Sigh.”

Leo sighed as he took the telegraph request form from Elias and added a note emphasizing the urgency of the matter. The combined technology allowed for longer messages than regular telegraphs.

Leo left for the post office and returned shortly with a new telegraph. He shook the paper.

“40,000 pel.”

“Good, I was ready to spend double, so using less than half is a win.”

Elias grinned as he wrote and sent a telegraph to start the experiment immediately.

Three days later, the company delivered the report to the school’s post office right on time.

We immediately sent the report to the Imperial Security Bureau, but they returned it unopened.

Elias chuckled, tapping the yellow envelope the students had brought from the post office.

“I knew these bastards would do this.”

“Elias, please…” Leo sighed, glaring at Elias.

Just then, a student quickly flipped through the thick report and gasped.

“Didn’t we give them three days? They managed to breed three generations in such a short time?”

“14,000 pel well spent.”

“Yeah. I didn’t expect to spend 14,000 pel on a school experiment, but money is powerful.”

Elias added with a laugh.

The student continued to flip through the report, frowning.

“Did you read this? Half of the third generation shows five times the strength of the first.”

“That’s horrifying.”

“They can survive in sub-zero temperatures due to magic. That means these mosquitoes could be everywhere in two or three months.”

“Exactly.”

“That’s serious… Do we have photos of the experiment results?”

Other students gathered around the report.

A student turned to the last page, showing a photo.

The skin of the lab mice contaminated by the mosquitoes had turned entirely black.

Elias added a remark.

“And they just returned this without looking at it.”

“Exactly.”

Another student agreed.

In any case, the Security Bureau’s behavior was unsurprising.

It was the same in the novel.

For the parliament to review the supplementary budget, the Security Bureau, the relevant department, must first recognize the situation and plan the additional budget. However, in the novel, the Security Bureau blocked all contact from non-government officials, citing security reasons.

But it doesn’t matter.

All this activity is just to show we did everything we could.

I addressed the students as the mood grew heavy.

“We discussed this before. Now, we need to target the federal council members.”

“So we’re talking to parliament now?”

“Yes. But even if we do, this agenda won’t pass.”

The students looked at me, puzzled.

*

“Did you send the letters?”

“Yes.”

A few students waved the receipts they received from the post office.

We sent the same letter and report to the chairperson and about 60 members of the federal council.

As expected, we received telegraphs from a few members that evening.

They expressed concern about the issue but cited fact-checking and budget constraints, making it difficult to address the problem immediately.

However, they did mention that if they discussed the emergency budget with the Security Bureau, it might be put on the federal council’s agenda within six months.

“Six months…? By then, everyone in Mepfen will be dead. Isn’t this just saying they won’t do it?”

“…Lucas, you were right. It’s not even the general assembly, but the federal council meeting.”

It’s not surprising.

This situation is just like when Elias sent letters to the parliament in the novel.

Back then, they also sent a perfunctory reply with no intention of taking action.

Elias had pushed with threat after threat to move the date up by a month, but it ultimately fell through.

‘And so he resorted to threatening the media as a last resort.’

Obviously, we can’t wait half a year.

For personal reasons and for safety reasons.

In three weeks to a month, a generation of mosquitoes will have already cycled. Their attack power in that area will increase, and waiting six months is not an option.

***

‘Time to check my status window after a long while.’

The next day, while attending classes, I organized the things needed for the future in my notebook.

It seems like a good time to level up my charisma trait. I might need it soon.

The last time I checked my status was the day before midterms, so it’s been a little over two weeks.

Lucas Rene Askanian

Title: Sir Nikolaus

Health: +1.1 (+0.2) [+4.1]

Mental Power: -2.6 (+0.6)

Magic Power: ?

Skill: +2.45 (+0.3) [+5.45]

Impression: -9.9 (+0.1) [+2.0]

Luck: +0.05 (+0.95)

Traits: Dawn 777, Divine Power, Charisma (Lv.1)

The title has changed.

And the scores have gone up decently over two weeks.

But…

‘What is this?’

My Impression score increased by 0.1.

When it was negative, the rate of increase was usually larger, so this small rise might not seem much, but for the Impression category, it’s significant.

What’s this [+2.0] next to Impression?

Does it mean my Impression score can become positive?

‘Well…’

It’s not impossible, but it’s quite surprising.

I pressed down the smile that had unintentionally crept up.

It’s too early to be excited. There are suspicions, but without clear explanations, it’s hard to be sure.

For now, let’s think about how to level up.

Charisma Lv.1

—‘I want to be friends!’ Increase favorability with a certain target by 2 points

—‘Your words must be right.’ Persuasion increased by 20%

—2.0 points to the next level

Points Available: 4.0 points

Next Point Acquisition: Luck +0.95 points

‘Wait a minute.’

Points available?

There wasn’t such an item before.

I read the phrase below again and then looked at the earlier part.

Now I see my Luck has increased to a positive value.

‘+0.05 points.’

Did I gain points to use for traits as my Luck moved out of the negative? I finally found the use of that mysterious item.

I turned off the window for a moment and looked at the guy next to me.

It was the same guy who punched me in the face. He was diligently filling his notebook and, sensing my gaze, turned to me with a confused expression.

“…Why?”

I gestured for him to continue writing.

Philip Göring

[Favorability -5*]

This guy has barely a -5 favorability? Even with my trait applied, it should be -8.

Why do I feel a strong sense of displeasure?

Anyway, that star next to the -5 probably means my trait has affected it.

I should compare before and after.

I reopened the trait window.

Charisma Lv.1

—‘I want to be friends!’ Increase favorability with a certain target by 2 points

—‘Your words must be right.’ Persuasion increased by 20%

—2.0 points to the next level

* Points Available: 4.0 points

* Next Point Acquisition: Luck +0.95 points

‘How do I use these points?’

Do I just think about it?

As I pondered, the window suddenly changed with a flash of light.

Charisma Lv.2

—‘I want to be friends!’ Increase favorability with a certain target by 3 points

—‘Your words must be right.’ Persuasion increased by 30%

—3.0 points to the next level

* Points Available: 2.0 points

* Next Point Acquisition: Luck +0.95 points

Philip Göring

[Favorability -4*]

‘…!’

It really increased.

Of course, the description said it would, but seeing the change directly is surprising.

Anyway, as I kept looking at him with a disdainful gaze, Philip glanced between his notebook and me, visibly uncomfortable.

“Why, why…?”

“Never mind. Just do your thing.”

“The class is over.”

“Then rest your arm, idiot.”

“Lucas.”

I almost flinched in surprise.

The voice wasn’t Philip’s.

Leo stood in front of my desk, looking down at me with a blank expression.

Fortunately, he wasn’t showing any signs of familiarity, but Leo almost never called out to me in front of other students.

Other students who were in the same club stopped in surprise but quickly resumed their activities as if nothing had happened.

“The professor asked me to deliver a message. Someone is waiting for you at the front gate.”

“For me?”

Someone looking for me?

Who?

No one outside the school should be looking for me.

“Who?”

“Sorry, I don’t have that information.”

Leo was diligently fulfilling his role as class president.

If it were just the two of us, he would have simply said ‘I don’t know.’

I nodded, feeling a bit odd about Leo’s class president persona, and stood up.

“Thanks. I’ll go now. Tell the professor.”

“Sure.”

Someone is looking for me?

An uneasy feeling enveloped me.

I walked slowly, trying to buy some time to think.

After a while, I reached the front gate.

An old man in a familiar uniform with a distinctive emblem stood there, holding a black box with a handle.

I recognized him well.

He smiled as he saw me and greeted me.

“How have you been, Young Master?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep