Raising the Northern Grand Duchy as a Max-Level All-Master

The exterior of the magic engine factory was constructed of dark iron and copper, with intricate, glowing rune patterns etched across its surface.

Between the runes, dense networks of mana circuits were carved, their purpose to regulate the flow of magical energy.

The factory’s roof was equally striking. While disguised, it appeared as an ordinary industrial smokestack, but now, revealed, it showcased a towering spire piercing into the sky.

“Her Highness will attend the official inauguration, correct?”

“Well, yes. But she’ll come quietly and discreetly.”

“Security is paramount, after all. Her mere presence is already an honor.”

“By the way, Sir Arad,” Isabelle began, her voice taking on a teasing tone, “is there still a need for you to refer to her as Her Highness? After all, you two have finally crossed that line. Wouldn’t it be better to simply call her Arina now?”

“...?”

“This is the North, Renslet. Nobility here isn’t as rigid as in the Empire. You have every right to address her informally. Loosen up!”

“Are you comparing a mere nanny to someone like you, the Grand Sorcerer of the North?”

“A mere nanny who’s protected the High Tower for over 200 years? I’d say that makes you more than deserving of any honorific.”

“Hmph! Fine, then. But for your information, every Duke and Duchess of Renslet in history spoke informally to each other in private.”

“?!”

If anyone else had said this, I would’ve suspected some sort of loyalty test. But coming from Isabelle, the witch who had lived in Renslet since its founding, it was as good as gospel.

“Understood. When I visit with my gift later, I’ll try.”

With that, Isabelle and I stepped into the magic engine factory, followed closely by Renslet’s mages and the company’s executives.

As soon as we entered, a subtle vibration of mana coursed through the air, brushing against my skin.

The factory’s interior walls and ceiling mirrored the exterior, adorned with luminous rune symbols and mana circuits.

The key difference inside was the array of control panels installed at regular intervals. These panels allowed skilled mage-engineers to regulate the flow of mana and manage the production line.

Suspended from the ceiling were glowing crystals—refined magic stones—that served as both lighting and temperature control devices.

In one corner, a mana reservoir emitted a soft blue glow. It stored any excess mana and could transfer it to nearby factories when needed.

Surveying the factory’s equipment, I moved further inward, where towering machines awaited.

These machines were powered entirely by the magic engine, making their performance leagues beyond their steam-powered counterparts in terms of output, precision, compatibility, scalability, and functionality.

Following the machines to the heart of the factory, I finally arrived at its core: the magic engine itself.

“So this is the magic engine from the Golden Age…”

Some of the executives murmured in awe, particularly those seeing it for the first time. Unlike others who had visited the Arad shipyard, they had never encountered such a marvel. 𝑅ἁΝ𝘰ꞖЁs

“The Chairman himself will activate it,” one employee explained.

“Wait, it hasn’t been activated yet?”

“No, this is just preheating.”

“Just preheating, and it’s already like this?! Truly, Renslet Rune Renslet…”

I half-listened to the murmurs, my attention fixed on the magic engine before me.

Despite its grandiose name, the magic engine’s appearance was underwhelming. It was small and unassuming, resembling the core of a nuclear weapon, about the size of an adult male torso.

Its surface gleamed with a magical stone coating, and glowing mana circuits were etched like tattoos across its exterior.

Thunk.

Turning my back to the audience, I placed my hand on the magic engine.

Crackle.

Activating the circle in my heart, I unraveled the encrypted magic formula.

Vwoom... ba-dum.

The magic engine began to pulse like a living heart.

Whirrrrrr...

The factory roared to life, its machines coming alive with precision, producing everything from mithril to adamantium, orichalcum, and aether-infused magical alloys.

These magical alloys would be the foundation for producing mana potions, anti-gravity magic plates, spatial storage circuits, shield enchantments, and more.

Enchantments that once required immense time and cost could now be mass-produced efficiently and affordably.

The possibilities were staggering.

Although magical industries had existed during the Silver Age and even the ancient Golden Age, they had been held back by the greed of mages, the avarice of nobles, and the paranoia of rulers.

‘This time, things will be different.’

From Renslet, I would achieve true democratization of magical economics—something neither the ancient Golden Age nor the Silver Age had ever accomplished.

“Success! It’s a success!”

Cheers erupted from all corners of the factory as the magic engine roared to life and the facility operated without a hitch.

“Aren’t you thrilled?” someone asked me.

“I’ve already seen it several times at the shipyard,” I replied.

“Ah, I see!”

“Hahaha...”

Awkward laughter rippled through the factory as those new to the magic engine exchanged words with those who had already witnessed its power.@@novelbin@@

“Let’s begin the test production.”

“Yes, sir!”

Amidst the excitement, I gestured to the staff waiting in the factory.

At my signal, 70 factory workers moved swiftly to their designated stations.

Rumble, rumble.

The factory shook slightly as the machinery hummed with energy, ready to begin producing the magical alloys that would reshape Renslet’s future.

In front of the magically powered machinery ran conveyor belts, with workers stationed at intervals along the lines. These laborers, specially trained for the task, handled processes the machines couldn’t perform—loading materials, moving products, and packaging them.

Meanwhile, mage-engineers, graduates of the academy, operated from key positions like the control room, circuit chamber, and inspection lab. They were responsible for everything from designing and engraving mana circuits to managing the factory’s entire production system.

“Let’s start with mithril production.”

“Yes, sir!”

Workers began loading precisely measured amounts of pre-prepared mana stones, ores, and Northern iron into the machinery.

Crackle! Boom! Whoosh!

Nine production lines simultaneously began processing the raw materials, each isolating the components necessary for the mithril alloy.

The refined materials from these lines merged onto a central conveyor and underwent fusion. Shortly afterward, the factory’s main fusion machine produced the finished product—mithril, known as the "titanium of this world."

“Success! Production is proceeding smoothly!”

“Mithril alloy: 1 kilogram produced successfully!”

Excitement buzzed through the factory, as workers and engineers alike celebrated the first successful batch.

Though this wasn’t my first time seeing a mithril production line—having already witnessed it in operation at the Arad Shipyard—the positive energy of the moment was as invigorating as ever.

“Since this is a trial run, limit production to 1 kilogram for now. After mithril, move on to orichalcum, then adamantium.”

“Understood, Chairman!”

“What about aether?” Isabelle asked.

“That will come last,” I replied, absently touching the iridescent mana stone in my pocket.

“Place the finished metals in front of Fusion Machine #1.”

“But the output is still too low. This won’t even be enough to make a single dagger,” one of the factory managers remarked, voicing his concern.

He must’ve assumed I planned to forge a weapon for Her Highness using the trial-produced alloys.

“No need to worry. For now, a small amount will suffice.”

“??”

“I’ve decided not to make a weapon.”

With that, I walked to the massive, state-of-the-art Fusion Machine #1—the largest and most expensive piece of equipment in the factory.

Clink, clink.

Piles of freshly produced mithril, orichalcum, and other alloys sat beside the machine. Though substantial in weight—measured in kilograms—the volumes were deceptively small.

Once melted, fused, and processed, their weight and volume would compress significantly.

“Chairman Arad is going to craft something himself!”

The factory workers murmured with excitement at my approach.

‘Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I publicly created anything.’

My recent activities had been largely behind-the-scenes—writing comics, drafting novels, or, in the case of my territory, secretly building colossal war machines. None of these projects were common knowledge.

The last time I’d publicly created something was when I forged Cry of the Snowfield. (Even Balzac’s sword was a hidden project, known to almost no one.)

“Chairman, do you need any tools? We can prepare them immediately,” an executive offered.

“No need,” I replied, shaking my head.

This time, no tools were necessary.

‘First, the aether.’

I retrieved a natural aether mana stone from my pocket.

“Oh my! Is that…?!”

“A natural aether mana stone?!”

Several mages in the room gasped in astonishment, immediately recognizing the rare treasure in my hand.

“So it’s true—there were rumors about a natural aether stone being discovered in the Kadia Mana Mine.”

“Rumors, yes, but no one’s seen the real thing… And now the Chairman has it?!”

This was the birthday gift I had received from Mary—or rather, Arina.

With it, I planned to craft an artifact for both of us.

Vwooom!

Fusion Machine #1 hummed at maximum output, its mana circuits glowing brilliantly.

Without hesitation, I tossed the natural aether stone into the machine.

Fwoosh!

Auroras, like shimmering vapor, rose from the machine and blanketed the area in a mist-like glow.

“Wow…”

“Incredible…”

Gasps of awe and disbelief filled the room as the mystical light enveloped the factory.

While everyone around me gazed at the rainbow-hued aurora with awe-struck expressions, I was an exception.

My face was a mask of intense focus, my eyes locked onto the aether mana stone inside the fusion machine.

Ahhhhhhhh—

As the aether stone broke down on a nano level, it emitted a sound akin to a celestial hymn, or perhaps it was just an auditory hallucination brought on by the material’s legendary nature.

While faintly enjoying the surreal "music," my hands deftly operated the controls of the fusion machine.

The first task was to stabilize the multidimensional properties of the aether.

Once that was underway, I carefully added mithril, orichalcum, and adamantium to the fusion chamber, all precisely measured.

Bzzzzztttt!

A miniature sun was born inside the chamber.

The energy radiating from the fusion was so immense that no known metal could contain it. Consequently, all subsequent synthesis and crafting had to be performed using telekinesis and gravity manipulation.

The telekinesis and gravity-enchanting circuits carved into the fusion machine glowed brilliantly, pushing their capabilities to the limit.

The factory fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, watching my work unfold.

Roughly an hour passed.

My forehead was drenched with sweat.

Blood had dripped from my nose and dried, and my eyes, red and strained, were nearing the point of weeping tears of blood.

But my efforts bore fruit.

The diverse properties of the aether were finally transformed into a rainbow-hued quantum cloud, which then merged with the metals inside the chamber.

Flash!

A radiant light erupted as the materials compressed into a single, finger-length ingot of metal shimmering with an aurora-like brilliance.

‘Success!’

My heart swelled with triumph. My luck stat, it seemed, was not just for influencing fate but was equally adept at enhancing my craftsmanship.

‘It’s here: Chaos Metal.’

The name of this newly forged material was Chaos Metal, a mythical-grade resource that would still be revered 100 years later during the Arcane-Punk era.

It wasn’t just the rare materials that made it legendary; the skill required to fuse and craft it was almost insurmountable. Even a max-level All-Master like myself would rarely succeed on the first attempt.

But this time, I had everything working in my favor: natural aether, a high luck stat, and the unique boon granted to a first-time creator.

‘There’s no way I could replicate this result on a second attempt.’

Smiling in satisfaction, I moved on to the next phase.

My workstation remained inside the fusion machine, as it was the only place capable of handling Chaos Metal.

The machine was powered entirely by magic and had been greedily consuming vast amounts of mana from the factory’s magic engine.

At some point, every ounce of mana being produced by the engine was being funneled into Fusion Machine #1.

Such an astronomical supply of energy was necessary to process Chaos Metal.

Hooo...

I exhaled deeply and focused, my hands moving with precision.

The second circle in my heart burned hotter than ever, and my eyes glowed with concentrated mana.

“Is it even possible to sculpt something precisely with telekinesis?”

“It’s not just the precision. Look at how he’s handling the multidimensional properties. This is mastery on a near-divine level.”

“If we tried something like that…?”

“There’d be an explosion, no doubt. Just imagining it gives me chills.”

“Unbelievable… Now he’s even engraving enchantments onto it!”

“...Is Chairman Jin even human?”

Behind me, hushed voices praised my work in awe. To me, though, they sounded like faint whispers in a dream. My focus was absolute.

Zap! Zap! Zap!

Like a master sculptor shaping marble in a 3D CAD program, I carefully molded the Chaos Metal.

Bit by bit, it took on the form I envisioned.

Finally, after painstaking effort, the result emerged: two exquisitely crafted rings.

Each was perfectly sized—one for Arina’s ring finger, and the other for mine.

The rings were simple yet radiated a profound beauty, their surfaces shimmering with an ethereal rainbow glow that seemed alive.

They were more than just jewelry. These were artifacts imbued with unparalleled power and meaning, born of Chaos Metal, aether, and my unwavering resolve.

In this moment, they weren’t just objects.

They were symbols.