Reborn With A Technology System In A Fantasy World
Chapter 137: Adrian’s Ambitions

Chapter 137: Adrian’s Ambitions

Adrian stepped into the forge after Eli’s warm greeting, the heavy door creaking shut behind him. The familiar wave of heat hit him instantly as he took in the scene before him.

Eli had clearly been deep in his work. A large slab of metal rested on the anvil, its surface glowing a fierce, molten orange that pulsed with heat.

The piece was roughly shaped, perhaps the beginnings of a broadsword or a plow blade.

Adrian inhaled deeply, savoring the nostalgia, but he quickly refocused to Eli who was talking.

"I didn’t actually come to work today. I’m ready to meet your friends, Jeffery and Charles."

Eli paused mid-motion, turning fully to face Adrian. His brow furrowed, and his sharp eyes narrowed as he studied the latter’s face, searching for some hint of what lay beneath the words.

Adrian held his usual unwavering expression, giving nothing away. After a long moment, Eli’s shoulders relaxed, and he nodded.

"Alright, lad. Let me finish up here."

"Okay," Adrian replied, stepping forward to assist. He moved with ease, helping Eli tidy the workspace.

Together, they cooled the glowing meta, arranged the tools back into their proper places, and banked the fire to a low simmer.

**ď

A few minutes later, the forge was in order, and they set out for Jeffery and Charles’ house. The walk was brief, the path winding through familiar streets until they reached a sturdy wooden door.

Eli raised a fist and knocked firmly. The door swung open moments later, revealing Jeffery.

He was a tall man, lean but wiry, with a frame that suggested agility rather than bulk.

His brown hair was slightly tousled, as if he’d run his hands through it one too many times, and his eyes glinted with a keen sharpness.

He greeted Eli with a firm handshake and a warm smile spread across his face. "Eli, good to see you."

Then his gaze shifted to Adrian, and recognition sparked in his expression.

"Adrian?" he called out, his tone friendly but laced with a faint curiosity, as if he were still piecing together the younger man’s presence.

Adrian nodded back, his own recognition immediate.

They’d met before, though it had been a fleeting encounter. It was a surface-level conversation at the market where Jeffery had probed about Adrian’s inventions.

Adrian had sidestepped them then, revealing little, and Jeffery hadn’t pressed. Now, standing before him, Adrian could sense that he was a 4-Star Mage.

’He must have broken through recently,’ Adrian guessed, filing the observation away.

Jeffery didn’t linger at the door. "Come in, both of you," he said, stepping aside with an inviting gesture.

They crossed the threshold into a cozy living room, where a worn but comfortable couch sat. Eli and Jeffery moved to sit, but Adrian’s attention was drawn elsewhere.

Behind the couch, Charles was hunched over a table, utterly absorbed in his work.

Parchments littered the surface, some crumpled into tight balls, evidence of countless failed attempts.

Adrian approached quietly, peering over Charles’ shoulder at the sketch taking shape under his quill.

It was a rough plan, little more than a tangle of lines and shapes, but Adrian recognized the intent: a mechanical lift system, likely designed for vertical transportation in a building or tower.

The concept was crude, with pulleys and ropes dominating the design in a way that screamed inefficiency.

’The Duke might have commissioned it,’ Adrian mused. He had heard that they’ve been attempts to modernize infrastructure recently, but it was clear Charles hadn’t cracked it yet.

Internally, Adrian noted, ’He’s still getting it wrong.’

The passion on Charles’ face was undeniable, though.

His brow creased with focus and his lips moving silently as he wrestled with the problem. He hadn’t even noticed their arrival, so lost was he in his craft.

Deciding to nudge him forward, Adrian spoke up. "It’s a lift system, isn’t it? For moving things vertically."

Charles’ head snapped up, his eyes wide with surprise. "How did you—?" He glanced back at his sketch, a chaotic mess of ink. "It’s barely anything yet. How’d you know?"

Adrian offered a faint smile. "You’re tangled up in the pulleys. Shift your focus... think about counterweights. Balance is what will make it work."

Charles blinked, the words sinking in. For a moment, he just stared, processing. Then realization hit, and he smacked his forehead with an open palm.

"Counterweights! Gods, yes—of course! That offsets the load and smooths the whole thing out!"

He snatched his quill and dove back into the sketch, muttering to himself as he scribbled furiously.

"Why didn’t I see that? Balance, balance. Changes the whole damn approach..."

Adrian watched silently, stepping back as Charles lost himself in the new direction.

Only after several minutes of frantic drawing did Charles pause, setting the quill down with a shaky exhale.

He turned fully to face Adrian, who had been standing quietly behind him the whole time. Up close, the resemblance to Jeffery made Adrian conclude that they were identical twins.

But where Jeffery’s demeanor was measured, Charles radiated a restless energy.

His gaze locked onto Adrian, and his face lit up with sudden recognition.

"Oh! You! Adrian! You’re actually here, standing in my living room!"

He scrambled to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair in his excitement.

"How did you spot that so fast? And your inventions! They’re so clever, so simple but brilliant! How do you do it? Where do the ideas even come from?"

He was talking a mile a minute, his hands gesturing wildly, but Adrian raised a hand to pause him.

"I’d be happy to talk shop another time, Charles, but that’s not why I’m here today."

At that, a burst of laughter erupted from the couch. Eli and Jeffery were doubled over, grinning like fools.

"Charles, you just made a right ass of yourself in front of your hero!" Jeffery teased, wiping a mock tear from his eye.

Charles’ head whipped around, finally registering their presence.

His face scrunched up and he flipped them both a middle finger. "Fuck you two," he shot back.

Then he turned back to Adrian, his expression softening into something earnest and curious.

"Alright, fair enough. So what brings you here, then?"

Adrian gestured toward the couch and chairs.

"Perhaps we should sit. This might take a while." His tone held a quiet weight that brooked no argument.

"Oh! Right. Yeah, my back’s killing me from hunching over that damn table anyway."

He shuffled around the couch and dropped onto the cushion beside Jeffery. Eli settled onto the remaining space on the couch, while Adrian took the sole wooden chair facing them, positioning himself slightly apart.

A heavy silence descended. Three pairs of eyes were locked onto Adrian, all demanding answers. Even Eli had an expression of deep puzzlement.

Adrian met their gazes calmly, letting the anticipation build for a moment before speaking.

"Have you heard of the Corrupted Lands?" Correct content is on NovelFire.

Eli frowned, his brow furrowing deeply. He glanced first at Jeffery, then at Charles, searching their faces. He slowly shook his head. "Corrupted Lands? Can’t say that rings any bells."

In contrast, both twins reacted immediately.

Charles snorted proudly.

"Heard of it? Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t we know about the most inhospitable, mana-starved death trap in Zarion? Place is legendary for all the wrong reasons."

Jeffery nodded in approval.

"We’re Academy graduates, so we have enough knowledge about there. A region utterly devoid of mana, but teeming with magical beasts. A place with unstable terrains and harsh conditions."

Adrian listened, then gave a small nod of confirmation.

"Your summary is accurate."

He paused, letting the grim picture solidify in the room, especially for Eli who was hearing it for the first time.

"So what’s the matter with the Corrupted Lands, anyway?" Charles pressed.

Adrian’s calm gaze swept over them.

"Believe it or not," he stated, "I own the Corrupted Lands. Every inch of space and land past the Bridge and beyond is under my control and ownership."

The silence that followed wasn’t merely quiet; it was profound, stunned.

Eli’s jaw slackened. Jeffery’s sharp eyes widened and Charles’s mouth opened, undoubtedly ready to unleash a torrent of questions.

Adrian raised a single hand and Charles froze mid-inhale, his questions dying unspoken.

Adrian continued. "Many, perhaps all of you, would argue that place is a worthless wasteland. A cursed expanse with no conceivable value."

He paused, his gaze locking onto each of them in turn. "I do not believe that. In fact, I have made it my singular goal to reform the Corrupted Lands. To transform it into something entirely different."

He leaned forward slightly in the chair, the sole point of stillness and certainty in the room.

"I plan to turn it into a fortress. A home. A sovereignty unlike any other on. I intend to build within that desolation a place that will stand as a beacon. A place that will rival," his voice dropped, emphasizing the scale of his ambition, "even surpass the Capital City by a great deal."

The stunned silence returned, thicker this time. Eli looked utterly bewildered, glancing between Adrian and the twins as if seeking confirmation he’d heard correctly.

Charles was vibrating with a mixture of disbelief and a dawning, terrifying fascination.

Jeffery’s expression had shifted from shock to deep, pragmatic skepticism. He exchanged a long, weighted look with Eli, then with Charles, seeing the same incredulity reflected back.

It was Jeffery who finally broke the heavy quiet, his voice carefully neutral but laced with profound doubt.

"Adrian," he began, choosing his words carefully, "that is... a monumentally ambitious goal. Audacious, even. But I must be blunt... I’m not sure it’s feasible. You are not the first figure to look upon the Corrupted Lands and dream of taming them. History is littered with their failures.

The fundamental nature of the place defies conventional means. Even with your... undeniable genius and inventions, it would be impossible to transform a place of such magnitude and uncertainty." NovelFire

Eli nodded slowly. Charles, still buzzing with questions, couldn’t help but mirror the skeptical expression.

Adrian, however, showed no flicker of discouragement. His calm resolve seemed to deepen in the face of their doubt. He met Jeffery’s gaze squarely.

"I wouldn’t be standing here, presenting this to you, if I believed it was impossible. I wouldn’t have claimed that land if I didn’t see the path forward. I am more than capable of initiating this transformation, and I have considered every variable, every challenge you can imagine, and many you likely haven’t."

His voice was firm, devoid of boastfulness, simply stating a fact as he saw it.

"The foundation is laid. The vision is clear. What I require now are minds capable of translating that vision into reality."

He shifted his focus, encompassing both twins. "Which is why I came here. To ask the two of you."

He paused, letting the invitation hang.

"You are among the most promising minds in the Dukedom and this project demands that kind of talent. So, I’m inviting you. As fellow engineers. Would you be willing to join me in this great ambition?"