Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1468 Victoria's Kitchen

Shangluo finished eating this "surprisingly delicious soup".

He knew Victoria had many secrets, and he also knew Victoria knew a lot of things, but his expectations about her cooking skills were not among them.

[In fact, you can be bolder. Victoria can actually master a hundred arts, and she can reach the pinnacle of any skill. Because she only needs to open the CODEX GIGAS secret book and summon the corresponding demon. ]

"So it was actually the devil who did it?"

[This is the magic. Although it was made with the help of the demon god, it was definitely made by her own hands. Because the magic, like alchemy and astrology, believes that humans are great beings, and humans can know everything and use everything. When asking the demon god for assistance, the demon god is not acting on behalf of others, but rather stimulating a person's potential - that is, you can do it anyway, the demon god just gave you a little push.]

"I have a question. Can this mechanism of action lead to unknown skills?"

[Your question is very good. Actually, it can't be done. Victoria can do it because she knows everything. She has eaten the best cream of mushroom soup, and she also knows how to make it. In the past, her chef usually came out to introduce the product during meals, which is also part of the presentation of the dishes. So she knew these in theory, so she could let the demon help her put them into practice. ]

"So in theory, the demon god can only buff you, but can't directly help you complete the task?"

[Yes. However, this 'buff' can be very high, allowing you to reach the theoretical limit. In theory, this is the magic. Of course, there are things that humans cannot do. In this case, miracles are needed. Miracles are the scope of alchemy, and the magic does not study this - in theory. So if you want to learn to throw fireballs, you have to go to Alexandria to study the alchemy branch, not the magic branch. ]

"Even without the fireballs, it's still pretty powerful. So the magic is so convenient? Doesn't that mean anyone who learns the magic can become omnipotent?"

[Victoria is the only one who can do it all. Because she has the CODEX GIGAS, which has a list of all the known demons. She can just call out the names, but others don't have it. Besides, she doesn't need to use it casually. She can just use it occasionally for small things like this.]

"Yeah." Victoria nodded, "That's it. I can cook whatever you want to eat."

"How about Alexander's ice cream?"

"sure."

"Then I want to eat the pork elbow from Jinling Hotel."

"sure."

"What about the foundation-building pill?"

"Sorry, alchemy is beyond the scope of this course."

"It's not bad to have these. But Victoria, have you ever thought about using this ability in more places?"

Victoria shook her head. "No. You have to understand that the premise for me to be able to use it is that I don't have to use it. Many people may think that magic is a superpower, but for us, magic is dealing with the devil after all, and the devil is a bad thing. I know how to use it specifically."

"Well, I have a question. Is the Forest King considered a demon?"

"Not really. In fact, in the Romans' minds, magic and the like came from Persia and were created by others. The Forest King is a king and a local, so he is not a foreign demon. If I must say, the Forest King is a citizen among the gods, and the Romans respect and fear him. But things like demons are not native Romans. At most, they are free people from the outside world, and they are foreign creations waiting to be localized. We make a contract with the demons, just like using barbarians like the Varangian Guard. It is useful, but cannot be used often, and even more cannot be relied on, otherwise it will backfire."

"So that's it?"

"Yes. So you see, we have never worshipped the devil. We have only dealt with the devil. The way we deal with the devil is not through rituals or worship, but through equal exchange."

Equivalent exchange, this is extremely important.

Victoria added: "It's like paying the Varangian Guard. If you can't pay them, they will revolt. When you make a deal with a demon, you must not make demands that you can't pay for. If I ask the demon to cook for me, I only have to pay the catering service fee."

"I see."

Cooking is fine, because humans can cook. So when hiring a demon to cook, you can pay a reasonable fee. Because it has a price.

"Wait." Shangluo suddenly noticed something - equivalent exchange is not only about magic, but also about alchemy. Why does magic emphasize equivalent exchange?

And if the price can be paid, then can the magic power do things that humans cannot do.

Shangluo asked Victoria questions.

"." Victoria was silent for a while, "Shangluo, you have discovered the blind spot of the problem. In fact, the magic is not limited to things within human capabilities, but we only ask the demons to do things within the scope of human capabilities - at least within the current scope of human capabilities."

"Because the price can't be repaid?"

"Yes. If we ask the demon god to do something that human power cannot do, then the price we have to pay will certainly be unbearable. Then no matter how much we offer, it will all be up to the demon god's will, and we have no say in it. If the price is unbearable, then it will be a lot of fun. For me, I need to be especially cautious, because the price I cannot afford will be borne by the empire."

"Then why can alchemy be more casual. Ah!" Shangluo thought, "In alchemy, you pay the bill first and then the food is served, while in the magic, you eat first and then pay the bill, right?"

"That's right. Alchemy is also an equal exchange, but alchemy is to provide materials first and then deliver goods. The results of alchemy are also matched with the price paid, so nothing will go wrong - because 'you can't buy something you can't afford in one go'. But it's different with magic. You have to wait until the bill is sent to your home to know how much you spent. You can't see it when you pay the bill. Therefore, the authority of magic is restricted, and it is illegal to summon magic privately. But alchemy is more casual, because alchemy can occasionally create miracles through some wonderful combinations. Because the miracles of alchemy are indeed obtained by chance, there is no need to pay a price."

"."

"Why are you suddenly interested in this?"

"Because I'm about to take over the Roman Empire, right? I also need to understand the rules there."

"Alas." Victoria waved her hand. "You set the rules anyway. It doesn't matter. If you like, you can recruit 10 demons to help you sweep the floor every day."

At the other end of the table, Phaethon suddenly raised his head: "Why do I feel like someone has mentioned me?"

"Ah? Ah! Sorry, sorry!" Victoria just realized, "I forgot about you. You were mopping the floor at Shangluo's house."

"So, Victoria," Shangluo asked, "you mean, I can summon the demon god at will? Without paying any price? Why?"

"Because the demons can't beat you, it's that simple. The Romans were restrained by the demons to some extent because they died too easily. You are different. You can forcibly detain the demons at home. You can even forcibly give them a body, imprison them in a physical cage, and then command them at will." "Is there such a method?"

"I can only say that if they can win, the Empire will definitely do so. Isn't it unwinnable? There is no way. And you seem to be able to do it. There are many other things like this. The Roman Empire has plans but is unable to execute them."

"Like the Forest King?"

"Yes, for example, the Forest King. If there is a way, we would like to solve the problem with the Forest King once and for all. So I am a little envious of you for being able to use Karin to solve the problem once and for all. After all, we have no way to face the challenge openly."

Shangluo's solution is to beat down all the challengers himself. Since no one can beat him, he can easily solve the problem. The purpose of establishing the arena is not to help Shangluo go from "cannot win" to "win", but to go from "win" to "easily win".

In fact, let alone Shangluo, even Karin, the champion warrior, is enough to deal with most situations in a one-on-one fight.

"By the way, I do have one thing that's still unsolved - those two Karins, are you going to explain?"

Shang Luo shook his head: "I have consulted their opinions. The result is that they themselves do not want the secret to be revealed now. Even now, they temporarily hope that the two of them will appear with one identity."

"Why? If only one of them can appear in the sunlight, wouldn't it be quite inconvenient for the other one?"

"Because of their mother. Karin's mother doesn't know the truth yet."

"Her mother couldn't have not known that? Those two Karins are so different."

"is it?"

"Of course." Victoria nodded. "How could a mother not notice that her child had been swapped? If it was just a newborn, it would be normal, as the mother and child wouldn't be that familiar with each other at that time. But Karin is so old, how could she not notice that she was swapped every week? It's not like a breastfeeding panda can swap cubs. When you went there, didn't her mother have any reaction at all?"

"Ah, so her mother actually knew about it, but just didn't say it?"

"I'm sure that's the case. Maybe no one told Karin's mother the details, but she could definitely tell that someone had been replaced. She just didn't want to expose her daughter. This behavior is irrational. She probably doesn't care about right or wrong at all. She only cares about whether her daughter can live a happier life."

"."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Unfortunately, I didn't have much communication with this lady. She was very busy, and I barely met her. But I have infinite respect for this kind of love. If this is a choice between mother and daughter, then I will never reveal it. I will still follow the previous plan and try to prevent the two Karins from revealing each other's identities. My visit is ready."

"tell me the story?"

"I mentioned it before - the mask is of utmost importance. Big Karin, the sword-wielding one, decided to wear a mask and guard the temple. For a long time to come, I'm afraid she will wear a mask when I see her. In contrast, Little Karin will become a priestess of the King of Rome and take care of the temple of Lake Nemi in my absence. The rest will be left to time."

The issue of Lake Nemi has been preliminarily resolved, and Shangluo can put another check mark on its schedule.

"You seem to be winning all the time." After dinner, Phaethon was flipping through Shangluo's action log. "No wonder your senior brother likes you. And some of your 'uncle' likes you too. Although your schedule is tight, you handle everything well without any major problems. Everything you handle is completed with guaranteed quality and quantity, and without paying too much price."

"That's right." Shangluo took a sip of tea, "I will continue to do this in the future."

"By the way, is there anything else you haven't done?"

"Huh? What's going on?" Victoria asked.

"His father wants to meet you."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Shang Luo sat up suddenly, "I'm not ready to say it yet, why are you saying it now?"

"Nonsense. If I don't say it, I'm afraid you will never say it until the end of time - let me say it again. Victoria, Shangluo's father wants to have a family meeting with you in Alexandria. Your father seems to know his father."

"Ah, it seems that I did." Victoria thought for a moment, "I have actually heard about your father, but I don't know much about him and I have never met him, but..."

Now it’s not about work, it’s about something else.

"If Shangluo thinks I should go, then of course I will go to meet him."

"No no no it's too early now."

"." Victoria stood up slowly, walked to Shangluo, took a deep breath, and then pressed his shoulder, "Then I'll put it another way - come with me."

"No! I won't go!"

"What's your logic? From a rational point of view, there is no reason for you not to see your father, right?"

"No! I'm not going! I'm not ready! I don't want to see him right now!"

"Huh???" Victoria glanced at Phaethon beside her, "Do you know anything about the relationship between them?"

Phaethon spread his hands helplessly: "I don't know."

"It looks good." Victoria nodded. "You have helped me so much. Now it's time for me to help you."

"Hey, what are you doing? Wow! You are so strong! Phaethon, take out my sandbag! She has hugged me and I can't get my hands free! Victoria, what are you doing!"

"Let me go! Let me see your father! Just take a look, it's okay! I won't let go until you agree!"

(End of this chapter)