She Is Not a Witch

Crancia, Province of Wiz.

This place originally belonged to the Principality of Black Rock, but it was merged into Crancia more than ten years ago.

The black peaks are stretched and tall, all of which are bare dark rocks without vegetation. The surface of the mountain is rugged and rough, and under the blowing of the cold wind, it looks hard and cold.

In terms of geography, this is an obvious ice-eroded landform. The upper layer of the mountain is covered with thin snow, and there is only a little green cover at the foot of the mountain. The only place where there is some life.

Beside a forest, there are scattered wooden houses. If you don't observe carefully, you may not be able to find them among the continuous black mountain peaks. Compared with the mountain peaks and white snow under the sky, these wooden houses are just too small.

On the path covered with moss and green grass, a figure in a sturdy black windbreaker walked towards the wooden house. He wore a badge of gears and books on his chest, and there were three stars in it, indicating that he was a high-level alchemist, and Also specialized in mechanical construction.

There are more than 30 families in this village at the foot of the mountain. Occasionally, villagers can be seen walking by, talking about recent events.

"Master Jack, Master Jack." An old voice came from behind, and then the alchemist in the black trench coat stopped.

He lifted his hood, revealing his ash-blonde hair and weather-stained cheeks.

"I'm here, Mr. Village Chief."

After Jack stopped, an old man in a sheepskin padded jacket came over, with a round cap on his head and a wine bottle in his hand.

"I'm delaying Mr. Jack. I have a bottle of goat's milk here, and I'll give it to you. Drink some to warm your body at night." As he spoke, he handed out the bottle in his hand.

Looking at the enthusiastic village chief, Jack paused for a moment, and refused politely, accepting the bottle of wine.

Seeing that the alchemist accepted it, the village chief smiled, and then asked.

"I don't know how your lord's investigation is going these days. I heard that some people will come to continue the measurement recently."

"That's right." Jack nodded. The current situation is basically not a secret. Even the village head of this mountain village has got some news.

"There is a useful mineral deposit found at the foot of the mountain on the east side. The industrial department will send people over soon to draw up a plan and prepare for mining." As he spoke, he opened the small wooden house where he lived and invited the village chief to come in. The two sat He continued talking by the fire.

"That is to say, will we build workshops and mining sites in the future?" The village chief became happy after hearing this, and his wrinkled face became much rosier.

"That's right, the mines here are really useful." Jack nodded again.

Afterwards, the village head asked and confirmed a lot of questions, and then walked out contentedly, with a smile on his face.

After watching the other party leave, Jack closed the door, continued to take out the thick notebook in his arms, and began to record today's exploration results and thoughts.

The topographic map of the mountain was roughly drawn on the white paper, and a small piece below was painted with the shadow of a line, and then an arrow was marked next to it, saying 'nickel' and 'cobalt'.

After Kelancia merged the original Seven Snow Kingdoms, the resources became abundant. After more than ten years of continuous development, common metals such as copper and iron are no longer in short supply, but some rarer metals, such as 'nickel' And 'cobalt' or something, still some gaps.

The nickel ore and associated cobalt ore discovered here are urgently needed in the country, so after he reported it, he immediately received a response from the higher authority.

Looking back on the years of trekking and hardship in the cold wind and mountains, now that it finally pays off, Jack feels faintly satisfied and relieved.

"Huh..." He leaned back in the chair, looked at the ceiling above his head, then closed his eyes, quietly feeling the warm fire from the fireplace beside him.

Before I knew it, I was in my 40s.

Although this is not a very old age among extraordinary people, it is already slowly aging for ordinary people.

Jack opened his eyes again and looked at his palms. Because he had been outside all year round, the skin on his hands was very rough, and there were still traces of chilblain. It was a little thick, and it was itchy under the heat of the fire.

He sat up again, took out the thick notebook, and flipped to the first page.

This page is a bit dirty and wrinkled, and the handwriting on it is a bit moldy, as if it has been touched and missed frequently.

‘Congratulations to Senior Jack for graduating! '

The bold characters are full of joy and blessings, and below are the signatures of each classmate, many of whom are juniors of the academy, and the date at that time is written on the lower right corner of the page.

"The Third Era 1687 November Winter Festival Gala"

When he was studying in Emenas, he was not the kind of student with outstanding talents, he was even a very clumsy student, unable to break through for a long time, stuck in the third grade.

He came from an ordinary background. If he didn't work hard, he might not have any opportunities after leaving school, so he worked hard to learn and study.

But nothing came of it.

There is no shortage of geniuses and hard-working classmates in Emenas, and he is just one of them.

Then an accident befalls his world.

He was part of the reason the school had been in some particularly strange atmosphere and circumstances that year.

That night, he met a mysterious witch.

The other party taught him a special secret technique, and then asked him to do some things.

Then this weird secret technique spread rapidly in the academy, causing drastic changes and sensational accidents.

Although the situation calmed down in the end, he was also hostile and cursed by many classmates, and even feared that he would be expelled from school or severely punished.

Fortunately, the new head of the school calmed him down, and the head of the temple school also helped him mediate the problems in the school afterwards, and then he slowly regained his stability.

After leaving school, many workshops and factions did not accept me because of the big event during school, and then I lived a decadent life.

Alchemy requires a lot of materials, as well as crafts and the cooperation of instruments, etc. It will be very difficult for ordinary people to support it alone.

Until one day, he received an invitation letter from a large chamber of commerce in Verga, whose name was Carites.

At first he didn't know the background of this chamber of commerce, because the salary promised in the letter was not low, so he got on the boat to Hoplander dubiously.

After arriving there, he received a good reception, and was then assigned to a key workshop in the chamber of commerce to participate in the development of new warships.

That period of time can be said to be the time when he grew the fastest. He greedily absorbed the fresh knowledge and skills conveyed in the manuscripts, and then immediately put them into practice, continuously learning and adjusting.

When the war broke out and the battleship was completed, he was already a qualified high-level alchemist.

After the war, the development and design of the battleship came to an end, and he was sent to Clancia to support the construction, and then gradually settled here.

Later, when the empire marched west, he moved and hid in the mountains with his colleagues in the organization, designed and developed new war machines, and was then responsible for the construction and supervision of the arsenal.

By the time all this was over, he was already 35 years old, and he had also become a high-ranking member of the Mechanical Alchemist Guild under the Industrial Department.

Afterwards, for the industrial development of Crancia, they searched for many necessary mineral deposits, and then they did this for more than ten years.

'Time is merciless. '

Jack lifted the lid of the wine bottle, and slowly poured a small sip into his mouth, mixed with the fragrance of goat milk and wine, a cold liquid flowed down his throat, and then became hot again.

Facing the light of the fire, Jack slowly flipped through the notes, many of which were left with oil stains and mud, and memories full of nostalgia from the past were awakened one by one.

After leaving Emenas, he experienced the loss after graduation, the ecstasy of being accepted, the joy of focusing on absorption, the sudden realization after the war, and the loneliness of traveling and trekking.

Looking back on the past time in Emenas, I am full of emotion about my youthfulness and immaturity at that time.

Because I was too young and had too many expectations for quick success, I almost embarked on the wrong path.

But now...

He took the wine bottle and walked slowly to the window. The fire in the house shone on the glass, vaguely reflecting the bearded face.

If only judging from the face reflected in the glass, Jack is estimated to be in his thirties. This is also the effect brought by the Transcendent Sequence, which can delay aging.

I have walked out of the original fork.

Although he has gone through hardships, Jack also feels a kind of fullness and satisfaction.

Three days later, the capital of Wiz Province, the City of Swords.

Although it is winter, the place is still lively. Carriages and pedestrians can be seen everywhere on the street, and there are lively figures everywhere. There is also a long siren sound from the mountains not far away, which is the sound of the train coming to the station.

"Master Jena, there is a high-level alchemist who wants to see you. He also showed his professional certificate and documents from the Ministry of Industry."

In the tall office, a woman in a black and white professional dress is working. She wears glasses, has a white pleated scarf on her chest, and a rare saber hangs on the wall beside her.

"Oh, did he say his name?" Jena quickly ticked and commented on the document, and then asked the secretary in front of her.

"His name is Jack. According to the certificate, he is a senior mechanical alchemist and has received the Silver Star Medal."

"Jack?"

Jena recalled the name, as if remembering something.

"In terms of appearance, do you have short gray-blonde hair and a long black windbreaker?"

"Yes, do you know him?"

"Well, I probably know." Jena finished writing the last comment, then closed the document in her hand, and put down her pen.

This intellectual beauty raised her head, revealing her green eyes under her black hair. She stood up and put on the coat beside her.

"Take me to meet him, this is my senior."

Jena looked at the saber on the wall, paused for a moment, then took it off and hung it around her waist, which added a heroic air.

Although it was strange that Master Jena was wearing a sword today, the secretary was still quickly leading the way, and the clerks who walked by from time to time in the corridor nodded and said hello when they saw Jena.

As the founder and leader of the 'Sword Forging Sect', Jena has a lot of influence in this mountainous province.

Back then, the 'Halberd Sect' fought with the 'Bow Hunter Sect', and then the 'Halberd Sect' joined the Frost Alliance and dragged Black Rock into the war, bringing many disasters to the people of this land.

Later, the coalition forces of Crancia and Gufia Grassland liberated the Black Rock area, while the Swordsmith Sect led the local residents to gradually rebuild their homes, and formulated new laws and systems, gradually gaining the recognition and support of the residents.

Since then, Black Rock has been merged into Crancia, and Jena has continued to perform her past duties as the supreme officer of Wiz Province.

Walking through the long corridor, the two came to the hall, and Jena saw the alchemist sitting in the corner at a glance.

"Senior Jack." She walked over and greeted first.

After hearing the voice, Jack stood up and waved his hands. The two stood talking about the past for a while before going into a side room to sit down and talk in detail.

After the secretary brought hot tea, he closed the door, and the room became quiet.

This is a room dedicated to receiving guests, with good lighting, and the tall glass windows can see the courtyard outside, the street in the distance, and the majestic mountains under the sky.

"The last time I saw the senior was five years ago." Jie Na looked at the man with a thick beard and felt the hard work of the other party's daily trek.

"Well, I came back to attend the conference of the Ministry of Industry that time, and I didn't want to meet many alumni from the past."

In fact, the two didn't know each other during school, and it was only after graduation that they gradually became aware of each other's existence. Because of the need for exploration, Jack asked a lot of things about Jena, a local, and later became acquainted.

"Is there something wrong when I come back this time? I always feel that Senior Jack will not come to me for nothing." Jena said jokingly, and now she is no longer the young and shy girl she used to be on campus. up.

"Hey, there is indeed something." Jack stopped the school girl's teasing intentions, and then got down to business.

…

"Hey, that is to say, have you found a very rich and necessary mineral?" After listening to Jena, she roughly understood the reason.

"Yes, it is estimated that a lot of workers will be needed to build railway tracks, stations, metallurgical plants, and the like."

To mine such a large-scale mineral deposit, the dozens of local households must be insufficient, and the manpower and material resources required for this must naturally be coordinated and arranged by the local government agencies.

"It's very exciting news." Jena slowly cleared her mind and said happily.

"Although Witz is developing well now, it is still far behind the industrially developed Ned Province."

Ned Province is not only the birthplace of Crancia, but also a key province densely covered with heavy industry. It is just to the south of Viz Province, and the two provinces are bordered by rivers and mountains.

"Nowadays in Wiz Province, many young people will go to Ned Province to work, and if Wiz Province has its own industry, there is no need to travel so far." Jena said thoughtfully.

"Senior Jack has helped me a lot now." She looked at the senior gratefully. As a local, she naturally hoped that her hometown could develop.

"These are not what I expected before." Jack shook his head, expressing his indifference.

"But you really did something amazing." Jena looked at the senior thoughtfully.

"Can I ask you one more thing?"

"Tell me."

"Considering the construction of the mining area and the alchemy industry in the future, I would like to ask the seniors to serve as advisors to lead the future plans."

"Senior, don't be in a hurry to refuse. I also studied in Emenas. At that time, I entered Qiaodun College. Most of my studies were related to law codes and military affairs. As for machinery, alchemy, and crafts, I was very good at that time. The grades are not good, and there are not many high-level alchemists in Viz Province, even fewer who specialize in machinery."

She paused, recalling the senior's past, and continued.

"Besides, you also participated in the research and development of warships back then, and you have a good understanding of the craftsmanship of steam turbines. These are necessary for future construction. If you don't come to do this, we will probably have to spend a lot of time. Apply for personnel assistance from the Clancia headquarters, so you will miss a lot."

Looking at this school girl who has become eloquent, Jack can only nod helplessly.

"Okay, I see."

"However, your current appearance is very different from the past. I once heard from alumni that you were a very shy girl at school."

"This matter, maybe it's a little mature." Jena smiled slightly.

"It's just that compared to what Lorraine said, I still have a long way to go to catch up."

"Lorraine..." Jack didn't know that Black Rose from Walled City College, but he was very impressed with another girl from the same period.

That is to defeat everyone by incredible means in the competition, including the head of the Temple Academy, Luo Xier, who led the High Tower Academy himself.

That snow-white silver hair and slender voice were once the moonlight in the dreams of many students.

Speaking of which, it is really puzzling that this student who shined on campus turned out to be silent after graduation.

Afterwards, the two talked a lot, and it wasn't until it was getting late that Jack stood up.

"I will go to Ned Province for a period of time to investigate, and then I will come back to lead the construction of the mining area and the alchemy factory. During this period, the Ministry of Industry will send people over one after another, so I will trouble Jena to arrange it first."

"It should be." Jena nodded.

"Then, I'll take my leave first." After that, Jack put on his hat, walked out of the room, waved his hand, and left here.

—

A week later, Jack came to the largest metallurgical industrial zone in Ned Province. After getting the authorization, he began to enter the closed park to visit.

Although it is still a few kilometers away from the real factory building, the tip of the nose can already smell the peculiar smell, with a hint of choking in the burnt sulfur, and the heavy roar of the machinery can be clearly heard in the wilderness. ,

The gray concrete covering the ground ~www.readwn.com~ and the steel-framed buildings together constitute the main color in the field of vision.

Countless white steam gushes out from the tall cooling tower, forming a lingering 'white cloud' in the industrial park. The rough gray pipes are straight as pillars and spread horizontally in the cold fine snow.

The steel buildings stand in a cold and aesthetically pleasing posture. The gray sky and the world with thin human voices have stripped off the dirty and dark appearance of heavy industry in the past, presenting a majestic and peaceful production force. .

Standing under the sky where the fine snow was falling, Jack remained silent for a long time, as if waking up from a distant memory with an eager mood.

It was the giant dragon roaring in the snow-capped mountains, and the tall war machine slowly stood up in the cold wind, making people clearly feel the heart beating slowly, so enthusiastic and impatient.

Yes, so shocking and intense.

The notice that strangers should not enter, the backbone of supporting civilization, the accusation of destroying the environment, the material basis of quality of life, the spear and shield blend in steam, and human beings have become the heirs of industry.