“It… It can work this way?”

A petite person, wearing an almost too long white lab coat, was standing in front of two piles of opened scrolls and a pack of various mechanical tools stacked on top of a large and sturdy desk. His eyes were fixated on the headache-inducing equations laid on the paper, written next to a small lamp producing a frail light barely illuminating the room.

His colleagues all already left the center, leaving only him behind the line. He wasn’t late in the schedule, nor did he wish to profit from extra hours he knew he’ll never get rewarded for. He was just this close to the answer of his question. He had no idea if the solution was the one he was looking for, if it was going to save his kingdom or even make the world enter a new era. All he did was searching and searching, day after day, with the pure intention of knowing what the end looked like.

A cute pair of canine-type of animal ears, a typical attribute of a resident of Biscotti, were standing straight on top of his head, slightly moving out of the stress and nervousness he accumulated after those long hours of non-stop working. He drew a cup of coffee behind the pile of papers, hidden to prevent himself from over-drinking caffeine, however right now he needed to clear his head. Because right now, he was confronted with a serious ordeal.

Despite his young age, Friture Elmar was and has always been a promising researcher, full of fervour and curiosity. What made him pull this amount of vitality was the subjects related to the world’s energies. Naturally existing, artificially extracted, mechanically applied, the wonders of all those forces cohabiting in the same universe truly was one of the biggest mystery he desired to plunge into during his whole life.

That was why, not long after he finally managed to be part of the National Research Center, he could quickly immerge himself in his favourite studies. Discovering the why, explaining the how, his job was like a dream coming true. That was why, until this day, he dedicated his effort in the studying of the divine energy of the world.

Heat and electricity were following their share of laws, but the magical essence of the divine energy was yet to be explored. They still didn’t know how to extract it. And when they miraculously managed to get their hand on a small portion, its application was military-oriented, focusing its practicability in formidable explosives. Friture knew there must be some other applications to this energy. It can’t only be a fuel for weapons that you threw at your enemy.

And now, all those hours he spent in this lab finally bore… Some fruits. His mathematical problems were close to being solved, and the theory was on the verge of seeing his first lights. Shocked by what he tumbled upon, his eyes were still fixing the results of his work, shaking due to confusion, maybe joy, but his mind definitely was in disarray.

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First things first, he needed to cool off. He drank another mouthful of coffee, but noticed his cup was already empty. Frustrated, he leaned on the desk, trying to calmly breathe in order to reorganize his bewildered brain. He thought he found the answer. But was this really the answer? Actually, what did he expect to find? His wild imagination only prepared him to some basics scenarios, like a huge boost for soldiers, a devastating weapon, maybe even a public method to utilize this energy, like generating heat for cooking or light for the lamps in the streets. He expected that this discovery would open the doors of an easier life for the citizens of the kingdom of Biscotti. But not that.

“Divine energy… can it really accomplish such a feat?”

It was absurd, to say the least. Something like this was going to be viewed evilly. If badly handed, it could become the source of many wars, the source of many greed, and the source of many losses. After all, in this age, there was no such divine barrier to protect them. There was nothing that would prevent them from trespassing when death knocked on the door. Nothing to save them when the sword would stab them.

Such was the world they lived in, such was the reality they were shouldering since birth.

But now, with such a thing in front of Friture, everything would… Could be thrown away. If the theory proved to be true, if he managed to spread this discovery worldwide, if the kingdoms agreed in applying this piece of wonder… Then… Maybe then there would be no more war? No more deaths, no more tragedies?

“If… If divine energy really can prevent death… Then can’t we all be saved like this?”

Sending assassins to defend your honour would be pointless. Poisoning your older brother to secure the throne would become unthinkable. Even the concept of dying on the battleground would be forgotten. If such a thing was possible, then Friture’s duty was to spread this discovery. But, at the same time, was this the right idea?

Let’s imagine that he did spread it… Who could tell that the kings would not keep it for themselves? Who could tell that kidnapping and suppressing this divine energy would not become the next gravest crime in the world?

So many possibilities, yet he had to have this pessimist side when evaluating other’s behaviour. He knew too well how others acted behind his back. Apparently, he was the gross one here. And now, because of this answer, everything was going to crumble on him.

… He had no choice. He still had a report to send to the Chief Researcher. Maybe this one would come up with a back-up plan. Maybe he would find a way to not make everything explode.

In the end, Friture only was good at working on energies. This new issue was definitely too much for him to bear. If someone else could shoulder it in his stead, that would be the best.

And yet… He still was convinced that sharing this news with everyone was the best option. He… He had to do it.