Chapter 83: The Evils of Capitalism
It was obvious that Edward, who had neither done live streaming nor been an influencer in his previous life, and hadn't even dabbled in stand-up comedy, had no idea how to break the ice in situations like this.
The moment he spoke, the entire banquet's atmosphere grew tense and awkward.
In contrast, those who noticed the scene behind Edward began to chatter in surprise, clearly curious about where Baron Edward Durin was at that moment.
"Ahem… never mind, clearly I'm not cut out to be a live streamer. Anyway, let me introduce this to you all. This is our latest development at the Alchemy Tower—the remote transmission device. It's based on a fifth-level teleportation array and a Magic Video Recorder I developed, which can convert video signals into mana. Compared to costly teleportation spells, this technology has a big advantage: it doesn't require a grand mage's mana to function. Since only video and sound signals are being transmitted as mana, even mid-level or low-level mages can use it."
Yes, as Edward explained, this technology essentially works like a phone from his previous world.
Unlike a phone, however, this world's basic elements include mana, which is almost a cheat code.
Mana-based communication doesn't need wires, only two magic arrays as base stations to connect signals.
And, thanks to Edward's invention of the Magic Video Recorder, communication here skipped voice-only and went straight to video calls.
In a world with mana as an extraordinary resource, technological advancement would naturally be unusual.
Teleportation magic that allowed individual transport had already been in circulation among mages long before any of this.
So if this world jumped straight from the Internet age to virtual reality, Edward wouldn't be surprised.
In fact, fifth-level teleportation magic is a black box of technology that's not yet understood.
Edward's invention bypassed the need to decode this black box and implemented it directly into practice.
Hearing Edward's explanation, every noble in the hall looked astonished, especially those who previously looked down on the Alchemy Tower.
They stared in awe at what looked like the beginning of a new era, each lost in thoughts about the changes this technology could bring.
"Well then, I've already applied for a patent for this remote communication technology together with Ska through Master Hohenheim. For those unfamiliar with the concept of a patent, please attend the next open day at the Mage's Tower; by then, Master Hohenheim should personally announce it. Now, I need to get back to filming. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and I'll answer as best I can."
The hall erupted.
Edward had just said this in front of the Emperor, and although casual communication like this was normal among mages, this was the royal palace. If anyone else had said this, they'd likely have lost their head.
But contrary to the nobles' assumptions, the Emperor—whose curiosity had surged—stood up excitedly and asked, "What's the range of this technology?!"
"As you can see, Your Majesty, I'm currently speaking to you from the chaos land, thousands of miles away. Although I don't know exactly how the teleportation array connects two unrelated places, the fact remains that even with some black-box mechanics, I can still use this technology to communicate."
His words astonished everyone.
It dawned on them that this young grand mage was currently in the chaos land, thousands of miles away from the capital.
Setting aside how he managed to arrive there safely, this technology alone was beyond its time!
"Good, and how easy is it to use? What limitations are there?" asked the Emperor eagerly.
Edward thought for a moment before answering, "The limitations are the usual ones—ordinary people can't use mana. So mana power has to come from mages. But unlike teleportation spells that only grand mages can perform, this technology can function on a lower bitrate so that even a low-level mage can maintain the link."
Simply put, the transmission quality of mana signals depends on the mana source.
While a grand mage could provide a 4K-quality image, a low-level mage could only provide a 480p one.
But in a world without any form of remote communication, 480p was more than acceptable.
Hearing this, not only did the Emperor express excitement, but even General Wilhelm clenched his fists.
As a military commander, he knew that a cheap, convenient, and reliable long-range communication system would be revolutionary.
It would directly improve battlefield information flow, enhancing both the maneuverability and intelligence-gathering of the army.
Although low-level mages were few, they were far more available than the valuable grand mages.
A communication system usable by low-level mages would be epoch-making!
At present, however, this technology held little practical benefit for Edward himself.
Though it might seem like the world was entering a 4G era with this remote video technology, the many internal "black-box" mechanics made it suitable only for idle phone calls between nobles.
Commoners, who couldn't hire a low-level mage to answer their calls anytime, wouldn't yet benefit from it.
This, however, was precisely why Edward was willing to introduce it to these Empire nobles with such ease.
As long as wealthy people found it intriguing, they'd likely buy the rights to use the technology's patent, allowing Edward to collect royalties without lifting a finger.
If any noble became interested in magic and alchemy, the Alchemy Tower might even secure a handsome investment.
His previous idea of building the Alchemy Tower taller than the Mage's Tower could actually come true.
All it took was sacrificing a bit of integrity in exchange for a moving gold mine.
At that moment, Edward couldn't help but feel, "The evils of capitalism—simply impossible to resist!"
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