Chapter 64: Bayen

“I believe this requires a thorough study of the market. The market is the sum of the supply side and the demand side. The market is efficient in the long term but inefficient in the short term. What we need to do is utilize the laws of the market and play our role well.”

“Only by finding your position, understanding what you need to provide, and what you need to acquire, can you successfully develop territory…”

“After discussing the Economic Man, we must discuss the city-state. What role does the city-state play here? The city-state has a strong ability to guide the market. It is the absolute leader. It must learn to utilize the market well, minimize direct intervention, and use the market for indirect intervention to achieve its desired goals…”

“Finally, I will teach you all how to farm, how to build hydraulic irrigation facilities, how to compost, and how to eliminate pests…”

The crowd was mesmerized. The speech ended, and there was silence for a long time.

After more than 10 minutes, one person suddenly started applauding enthusiastically, followed by thunderous applause!

The Grand Regent walked directly onto the stage, grasping Ace’s hand warmly. “I truly do not want to let you go to the Northern Marches to pursue your New Medicine. You should stay in the city-state. Ten years from now, my position will be yours!”

Ace looked at the excited Grand Regent and suddenly felt that he was actually quite selfish. Since arriving in this world, he had never truly cared about these living, breathing people. Even his medical practice was merely an excuse for convenience.

In that instant, an idea suddenly sparked in his mind. Perhaps he should genuinely do something for the mortals who were alive. He would sincerely practice medicine in every place he visited, alleviating people’s diseases.

And perhaps in the future, he would establish a competitive magical society within his sphere of influence, one with relatively unobstructed channels for advancement, allowing ordinary people to also benefit practically from the supernatural rather than being eternal supporting characters.

At this moment, Ace’s eyes grew resolute.

“Sister, sister! It’s such a pity you didn’t go to the square! Do you know who was speaking today?” Daina’s younger brother knocked loudly on Daina’s bedroom door, shouting.

Daina was still curled up, in the fetal position of disappointment. She hadn’t fully recovered from the emotional rollercoaster of the guilt from killing someone and the sudden relief of the crisis being resolved. She had mostly been sleeping in bed these past few days, only getting up for meditation.

“I don’t care. Stop disturbing my sleep!” she shrieked unhappily.

“It was Scholar Ace! Don’t you even care about Ace?” her brother shouted.

Bang! The door was suddenly flung open. Her brother, who was leaning against it, fell forward and ate the floor. Daina, in a very unladylike manner, plopped down heavily onto her brother, making him howl in pain.

“Tell me! What happened?”

“I thought you didn’t care! Ow, ow, ow! It hurts! I’ll tell you! The Grand Regent invited Scholar Ace to lecture on Intensive Farming at the square…”

“It’s Intensive Farming!” Daina stood up, her small, pale feet fiercely stomping on her brother’s back, making squeaking sounds.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Intensive Farming… Later, Scholar Ace started talking about Economics—Economic Man, the market, the supply side, and so on. The Grand Regent even said that his position could be given to Scholar Ace in 10 years.”

“I actually missed such an important speech!” As Ace’s number one fangirl and half-apprentice, Daina felt profound guilt. She decided to stop being listless. She cheered up, planned to eat a hearty meal, and visit Mr. Ace tomorrow.

Early the next morning, Daina, carrying baked goods made by her mother, arrived at Ace’s residence. She was surprised to find Ace stripped to the waist, practicing sword and shield techniques.

“I got used to it. When I travel outside, I occasionally encounter danger. It’s thanks to this military sword and shield technique that I manage to survive.”

Ace wiped the sweat from his body, put on his jacket, and said casually.

Daina’s face was slightly flushed. Mr. Ace looks so young, yet his body is so strong.

“This… these are baked goods my mother made. Please try them, Sir.”

“Wonderful!”

Daina was good in every way, except she was too shy. We are so familiar with each other, yet she still stutters often, Ace thought.

Just then, another knock sounded on the door.

Ace perceived the person outside: a white-bearded old man, dressed in a white robe with a red ribbon, wearing a scholar’s badge pinned to his chest. His appearance was familiar; Ace seemed to have seen him somewhere before.

Ace opened the door. The white-bearded old man walked straight in, holding a scroll and immediately asking: “Scholar Ace, I don’t quite understand this section on trigonometric functions. Could you please explain it to me?”

“Shouldn’t you introduce yourself before asking for instruction?” Daina said, displeased.

“Haha, Scholar Ace’s Elementary Mathematics is truly profound. I was too absorbed. My apologies. I am Bayen, a man who loves mathematics.” The white-bearded old man was unconcerned by Daina’s attitude and apologized.

“Scholar Bayen, please come in.”

Ace gestured for the two to enter the house. After listening to Bayen’s question for a moment, Ace felt that answering it himself would be a waste of time, so he said, “Scholar Bayen, Daina has been studying mathematics with me for a long time and has great talent. How about letting her discuss it with you?”

Bayen’s face froze. He looked at the young Daina with skeptical eyes.

Daina immediately felt a challenge. She stepped forward and began explaining trigonometric functions to Bayen. In a short while, the two became completely engrossed in their discussion.

Ace asked the servant to prepare lunch, then turned and went to the basement. The basement was densely covered with rune arrays, holding a man who could transform into a black-scaled Monster captive.

It was evening when Ace finally emerged, leaving Bayen and Daina to eat dinner together.

“Miss Daina, your understanding of Elementary Mathematics is too profound. I will come here tomorrow morning to consult you again. Is that alright?” Bayen asked sincerely.

Daina initially intended to refuse, but then she realized: this would give her an excuse to come to Ace’s place every day. She turned to look at Ace.

Ace, seeing Daina’s expression, smiled faintly and said, “No problem. I welcome everyone who loves mathematics here.”

In the following days, Daina gave Bayen exercises every morning, then watched Ace practice sword and shield techniques like a devoted fangirl, and analyzed the problems for Bayen in the afternoon.

Ace, meanwhile, used the time when they were studying Elementary Mathematics to continue his research in the basement on the half-man, half-monster captive. After numerous experiments, Ace compared the captive’s state before and after transformation and drew some conclusions.

This was a man who worshiped a Demon, or more accurately, a Demon Worshiper. In his human state, he could be manipulated by illusions, charmed, and affected emotionally. Ordinary knives and swords could easily sever his limbs.

He was sent here by a wicked Demon-worshiping organization to plot a massive conspiracy, performing a sacrificial ritual to summon the projection of a certain Demon.

It seemed that some mysterious power was restraining the Demon Worshiper from revealing the specifics of the organization.

Many points were confusing. Demons are generally incredibly chaotic. People who worship them should also fall into a passively irrational state. How could they plan such a detailed conspiracy?

Ace filed this question in his mind.

When the Demon Worshiper used a certain strange language, he could achieve an anomalous state. An aura of coldness, malice, and chaos would descend, altering the surrounding Mana environment and causing the Demon Worshiper to transform into the black-scaled Monster.

Ace called this transformation Pseudo-Demonification. In this form, illusions could not affect him. However, after several experiments, Ace found that ordinary physical damage spells and mental shock spells were still effective, and Fire Element spells were extremely effective.

Ace occasionally experimented with Mechanized Mind and found that in this state, the Pseudo-Demon could actually be affected and even controlled by illusions.

Ace speculated that the natural chaos inherent in the Demon was being suppressed. You cannot expect to influence a chaotic creature with an illusion, because its actions are entirely random.

One second it might attack the enemy, and the next second it might attack itself. Higher-level Demons might possess a certain degree of rationality, making their behavior predictable for a short period, a point pending verification based on the Dream Theater observation.

Ace gradually learned the Demon language through the Soul Spell Comprehend Languages. This was a chaotic, malicious language carrying an innate supernatural power. Ace recorded this language in his Grimoire, enhancing his knowledge reserve.

“Snap!”

Fuwa, the Spirit of the Book, who hadn’t awakened for a long time, suddenly reverted from his single-hair form to his original state.

“This is knowledge! The taste of extremely potent knowledge!”