DKIE CH84: The True Representative

When Quill returned from the Dwarf Clan Chief’s place, he sensed that the atmosphere in the treehouse was a bit off. “What happened?”

Luka stretched lazily and said calmly, “Nothing much. Just that the human race needs a new representative.” He suddenly leaned in with a mischievous smile and teased, “Why don’t you do it?”

A representative? Quill’s first reaction was that the “Clan Guardian” token the Saint had unilaterally stuffed on him had been discovered. He sneered, “Don’t forget my identity.” He was a necromancer; he only represented the souls of the myriad races.

The voice call hadn’t ended yet. While Cullen, the human race’s terminal distributor, was on the line, Luka showed him the new terminal and discussed the launch date. “Around April tenth,” Cullen said. “There aren’t usually many products launched in mid-April.”

Luka readily agreed. Thinking of the pointless dispute from today, his smiling eyes gained a touch of gravity. “The rise in status of the academic faction is faster than I imagined.”

Cullen asked tentatively, “Are you thinking of suppressing it?”

Luka replied, “What are you talking about? They deserve it.” He even felt it wasn’t high enough. From a historical development perspective, after any country abolished its aristocracy, the nobles still retained their status and a large amount of wealth. In a magical era, a more peaceful transition was entirely possible.

“The term ‘New Scholar’ isn’t great.” One new, one old—it sounded like a life-or-death relationship. Luka slowly uttered three words: “Scientist.” He recited the definition, “A scientific worker who has made outstanding achievements in nature, life…”

The Elf King quite liked the term. Applying this definition, it indeed sounded more natural and comfortable than “New Scholar.”

Cullen mulled it over a couple of times and said, “It has a strangely lofty feel.”

Luka said, “If it’s convenient, you can discuss with the Boulder City Lord about starting a scientific journal as soon as possible to publish the most valuable papers.”

Cullen thought for a moment and understood why he hadn’t approached Lillian. Academia carries authority. To establish the journal, it was necessary to have the most authoritative figures as reviewers. If they could also invite a few legendary grand magi, he imagined that in the future, everyone would be proud to publish an article in this journal. “A good idea.”

Luka smiled and ended the call. “I’ll have to trouble you with that, then. Let’s meet again later.” Nobles were currently the upper class, lacking any top-down respect. If he wanted them to truly value the academic faction, the latter needed more halos.

Feeling a gaze on him, Luka turned his head and cast a curious look at Quill. In that short time, Quill had already scanned the community forum and knew what had happened. A faint displeasure was visible in his eyes. These people had actually pushed Luka  to the front as a shield. Luka  could repay malice with kindness and not hold a grudge, but he had no goodwill towards these academics.

“There are plenty of rational voices, they’re just being drowned out.” Knowing what Quill was thinking with just a glance, Luka  shrugged. “Besides, I still need to make a huge profit from the academic faction later.” You have to fatten the sheep before you fleece them. Whether nobles or New Scholars, he would attack them all indiscriminately.

The Elf King, who was usually uninterested in such worldly affairs, became somewhat intrigued. “What do you plan to do?”

Luka  said, “I will represent them.”

The Elf King: “…”

–

Luka didn’t elaborate on his plans; he still needed to create several detailed proposals. With a light snap of his fingers, Luka  said spiritedly, “Next up is the music exchange time.” This was exactly to the Elf King’s liking, who immediately lost interest in the previous matter and moved towards the royal hall.

Animal performances on stage, music flowing like a spring. Quill was initially just listening, but when the Elf King began to sing impromptu, he was nearly sent to his grave by the tone-deaf performance. He was already in the process of growing bone, and that one note almost caused a real hyperplasia on the wound. Using the excuse of getting pastries for Luka, Quill temporarily escaped the place of sin.

Luka  nonchalantly watched the familiar figure disappear through the archway, making sure Quill was far away. His gaze fell on the magnificent and elegant Liujiaoqin. He humbly asked the Elf King for guidance, “Master, I want to learn this.”

In April, after the snow melted, all things welcomed revival. Luka  returned to Klin Sentry Tower on this day. He had already sent out a notice beforehand, and soon after the first internet conference, representatives from all races gathered once again in the joint office building for a meeting.

Those who arrived all glanced, intentionally or not, at the Dwarf Clan Chief. It was a miracle that Iliad could get along so well with this race. The Dark Elf’s gaze unfortunately met his, and the Dwarf Clan Chief immediately became sensitive, blowing his beard and glaring at him. What are you looking at? Are you looking down on me? The Dark Elf cursed “crazy” under his breath.

Staff members were distributing proposals one by one, and everyone’s attention was diverted, gradually easing the atmosphere. “Patent rights?” The relatively small fairy representative pushed up his tiny round glasses, studying the many unfamiliar terms in the proposal.

As spring arrived, Luka  had shed his outer coat. His dark hair looked reddish under the sun. He spoke unhurriedly, “Technology changes lives. For example, the new terminal is about to be released. The new magic box that reduces magic stone consumption is worthy of a patent.” As Luka  spoke, his gaze swept over the Dwarf Clan Chief.

Though he was also being looked at, this glance made the Dwarf Clan Chief feel refreshed and delighted. That’s right, technical workers deserve respect!

The Dark Elf: “…”

“Also, the energy-saving magic lamp invented by the academic faction some time ago also meets the standard,” Luka  said. “On the tenth page of the report, I have specified the conditions for obtaining patent rights. Everyone can take a look.”

The orc representative skimmed through it. “What’s the use of this?” The other representatives weren’t very interested either. It sounded troublesome just from the description. Once something was invented, everyone could use it. Wasn’t that the unspoken rule since ancient times? Only the human representative was reading it carefully, deep in thought.

The centaur chief frowned. “And this has nothing to do with the internet.”

Luka  explained, “Patent searches must use the internet.”

It was normal that everyone was uninterested. The entire continent had too little protection for creators’ rights, and no one was willing to quietly focus on creation. Otherwise, airships wouldn’t have been around for millennia without even an elevator or a crane. The current situation was that workers generally used levitation spells to do their jobs, meaning people with average magic power weren’t even qualified to move bricks. In the end, magicians did manual labor, academics were unemployed, and the lower classes weren’t even qualified for menial work. The entire market was sinking under saturation.

Of course, it was useless to say this to the representatives of the various races. Even if they did nothing, society wouldn’t lack for workers. Compared to the meaning, they were accustomed to looking at the benefits first.

“Page two,” Luka  said. Everyone lazily flipped back. In just a second, their previously casual gazes suddenly tightened. What immediately came into view was a huge table. The fairy representative’s glasses almost fell off.

“Table of Patent Fee Standards.” The table was filled with dense numbers. Application fee, printing fee, examination fee, re-examination fee, priority claim fee… there were even annual fees and invalidation request fees! “…Does a patent application cost money?”

Luka : “Of course.” And that was just the fee for one applicant. Except for the extremely low-income individuals who could enjoy appropriate fee reductions after verification, once the future law was implemented, the steady stream of income would be an astronomical figure.

He stood up and walked to the window. He was clearly talking about something very important, yet he gazed far into the distance, seemingly looking at some location with a nonchalant air. “Within the joint scope, we must absolutely protect the inventor’s exclusive rights. If there are infringers, we will determine a reasonable amount of compensation and impose an additional property rights fine.”

“We—”
“Will represent them!”

Every word was firm and resounding, echoing through the conference hall.

The orc representative hurriedly said, “So besides the protection fee, we can also make money.” The representatives around the long table were all staring at him coldly.

Luka’s eyelid twitched. Crude.

At this moment, the Dwarf Clan Chief’s eyes were shining. He almost jumped up. “I agree! Who’s against it?” When it came to inventions, they were second to none. This was simply a regulation Luka  had created to please them!

The human representative thought for a moment and said, “I think it’s feasible, but since it’s a law, it will definitely need to be discussed in an internal clan meeting.” The beauty of it was that it not only protected the rights of the academic faction, but the nobles wouldn’t object either. With a little thought, one would realize that patents also held huge commercial value for family businesses.

Luka  nodded. “Let me be frank. All applications must be approved by the joint conference. Anyone who tries to pull strings privately…” He didn’t finish the sentence, but the threat was already hidden in his smile.

The representatives nodded. They still had the big cake of the internet; who would fall out over patent rights? The orcs, who had been sneering at the academic faction, were now deep in thought. Should they also focus on cultivating their people in this area? Otherwise, according to the proposal, they would be paying patent fees for everything in the future.

The meeting ended quickly. Afterward, everyone was eager to contact their own clans. The air was filled with conversation and scheming, all meticulously calculating this considerable sum. Luka  glanced at them and quietly left the conference room.

Quill, who disliked the clamor of meetings even more, had been listening silently. He only spoke as they walked out together. “I like the sentence on the cover of the proposal.” The representatives had only focused on the profit chain; few had noticed that sentence.
—When the Stars of the Myriad Races Shine.

Luka  was taken aback, then chuckled. “That came from a book I used to love.” As they walked out, he softly recounted the book’s contents. All the stories revolved around those decisive moments.

Quill said warmly, “This is also a decisive moment.” If the law was passed smoothly, one could imagine how many inventors would spring up like mushrooms after rain. This was what could truly and subtly change the entire world.

The air outside was fresh. Klin Sentry Tower had put a lot of effort into its landscaping, and weeping willows lined the roadside. Along the way, Luka’s steps, intentionally or not, slowed down. Although his expression remained unchanged, their proximity allowed Quill to feel his slightly tense muscles. Before he could ask, Luka  stopped by a fountain. There were many children playing in the square. In their chasing and playing, a demon child with sharp eyes spotted him and bowed excitedly. “Good day, Your Highness.”

“Good day.” Luka  took out some candy and asked them to make some space for him. In the blink of an eye, a Liujiaoqin magically appeared in the square. The adult demons and children watched curiously, and gazes were also cast from the distant sentry tower. The children who had received candy voluntarily helped him move a chair.

For some reason, Quill’s body temperature became a little unbalanced. Luka  had said he couldn’t play the Liujiaoqin. To suddenly take it out now must have some other meaning. Luka  looked at Quill, and in the next moment, the strings of the Liujiaoqin were plucked. A child was about to shout excitedly, “His Highness is playing the qin!” but was quickly silenced by a parent’s hand over their mouth.

As a beginner, Luka’s technique was not proficient, but the melody was beautiful. Many in the live audience subconsciously half-closed their eyes. They realized it was a melody they had never heard before. It was as if they could see a cold mountain spring melting from a high place, and as the melody slightly quickened, even the dull moments seemed like seeds breaking through the soil.

The Liujiaoqin’s long-standing popularity was naturally due to its unique qualities. Its rhythm was gentle and noble, very suitable for expressing emotions. Quill, standing closest to Luka, suddenly realized that this seemed to be a specially chosen spot. From here, looking back, the wintersweet in the green belt was just in bloom. The hopeful melody filled the air, and the scattered petals blown into the air seemed to be blooming endlessly behind Luka .

For a moment, Quill was lost in a daze. As the piece was about to end, his thin lips moved with a slight delay. “What is this piece called?”

“I wrote it specially,” Luka’s face was slightly pressed against the edge of the qin wood. There was a hint of lingering nervousness, but also a certain frankness. “《Blooming》.”

He had always told Quill to wait for him. But during the wait, what he struggled with was always whether to be together immediately or to wait a little longer. There was never an option to separate. After talking with the dragons that night, Luka  gradually realized that those decisive moments often really were just a moment. Overthinking was useless.

A barrier of magic blocked their final conversation from the crowd. All around them, fervent applause erupted. As expected of His Highness, even his qin playing was so beautiful! Only Quill did not clap. The music seemed to still be flowing. A year ago, his malformed heart was now steaming with life, the warmth spreading throughout his entire body. Even the old people and children, who he had ignored like background images, now had vivid colors.

The wintersweet was at the end of its season, yet Luka  wrote “Blooming.” This flower, which would never wither in the music, was already the best answer—he would walk towards him.

–

When you can’t handle romance, you have to quickly grab onto your career. With intertwined interests and the original proposal as a foundation, the single representatives from each race quickly passed the law on patent rights. The news immediately sparked widespread discussion. There was no flame war on the internet. The previously opposed nobles and academics were surprisingly unified this time and seemed quite supportive.

On the other side, the academic journal, with the participation of the Boulder City Lord and other legendary magicians, officially announced its annual submission and review dates. The super-strong review panel automatically established its authority from the moment of its birth. These two major events completely shifted the focus of the conflict.

In a new atmosphere of harmony, in early May, a sudden change occurred. The Holy Court was suddenly infiltrated by unidentified individuals. Rumors in the market said it was the Saint’s doing, intended to test the strength of the Tree of Life. Almost on the same day, the Holy Court also launched a counterattack. A group of high-ranking clergy members suddenly appeared on the border of the demon realm. According to them, they were only searching for missing human tourists and had received the Demon King’s permission.

Luka  ordered all safe zones to temporarily stop receiving tourists. “Damn it, the bullet hit me again.” He gazed at the dark mass in the distance. “This is more like a warning from the Holy Court, trying to force me out of the demon realm.”

Not long ago, the Demon King had sent a messenger with a contract. The content was concise: as long as the dragons did not go to war, the Demon King would only deploy a very limited force to fight in the human realm. Even if Luka  died in the war, he would continue to vigorously develop the fiefdom and not purge anyone with interests related to Luka .

Luka  continued to curse, “My father.”

Quill: “We’ll have to go to the Holy Court sooner or later.” There was still a big gift package to be opened there, but they couldn’t go too early. It would be safer to go during the chaos of war.

Luka’s thoughts were the same. His fingers on the railing tightened slightly. “We’re finally about to witness history.” It was obvious the war was about to begin. Both sides were using the last of their time to rally support. According to the strategy previously deployed with the Elf King and the Saint, he just needed to wait for the notice and enter the human domain at the right opportunity.

“Every major war has its trigger event. What will it be this time?” Luka  squinted and looked up at the sky. He had barely held his profound pose for a second when an aurora flashed across the twilight sky. At almost the same time, countless fine points of magic light scattered in the air. The whole scene was extremely spectacular. The magic elements in the air increased dramatically, and faint roars and screams could be heard from the distance.

A figure hurried upstairs. The captain of the guards: “Your Highness, bad news! There’s great news.”

Luka : “…” The nine-year compulsory education was imperative in Klin Sentry Tower.

“It’s a rare magic ore! A giant special magic ore mine has been discovered around Klin Sentry Tower.” Magic ore was the most strategically significant resource on the entire continent, its status billions of times higher than gold in modern society. Since ancient times, magic ore has never depreciated. When the Saint and the Elf King were dividing the rights to the terminal, magic ore was used as a bargaining chip.

Luka’s expression changed. It didn’t appear earlier, it didn’t appear later, but at this very moment. “It’s the people from the Holy Court.”

The guard captain quickly explained. Those clergy members had been pretending to move around the area all day, saying they would dig three feet into the ground to find the missing tourists, but ended up accidentally discovering the magic ore.

Luka  immediately asked, “Where are these clergy members now?”

The guard captain said in a deep voice, “Knowing they couldn’t take the magic ore, they wanted to destroy it directly. One was killed on the spot by a patrol, and the rest were cleaned up by the nearby dragons.”

The deaths of the clergy members couldn’t be hidden for long. Luka  didn’t need to think to know what would happen next. “Well, well.”

Klin Sentry Tower had fired the first shot of the great war.

Luka’s Diary Excerpt:

Your Highness Iliad, do you remember me? I’m the second aunt of your princely uncle’s neighbor.

Your Excellency Luka, I am the father of a classmate of the student representative from the First Magic Academy!

And me, do you remember me? I’m the owner of the shop where you once bought refined blood. Our relationship is much closer than theirs!

Luka : …What’s happening? Why are there so many miscellaneous people popping up?

Saint [Eye of Truth] [Sees through]: They know you’re about to enter the history books, so they’ve come to leech off your page to get a few lines of record.

Support me on Ko-fi