Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 75 I have a friend.
Morin was completely dumbfounded.

He never imagined that he would have to go to court with the Imperial Patent Office over patent damages.
"No, Lieutenant Colonel, you're not kidding, are you? I'm going to sue the Imperial Patent Office and the military?" Morin looked incredulous.

"Who told you to sue them yourself?"

Ludwig rolled his eyes at him and took another sip of wine.

"Of course you should hire a lawyer to sue! Do you think the Imperial Patent Office's compensation is so easy to get? They will definitely try their best to lower the initial offer to the lowest possible level! At this time, you need a professional lawyer to help you argue your case and fight for the greatest benefit."

"That is to say, you haven't been exposed to these things before. This is actually a very common practice in the Empire. Inventors will try their best to prove that their inventions are priceless, while the government will try its best to lower the price."

"The lawyers for both sides engaged in heated debates in a closed courtroom, and the judge ultimately determined the final amount of compensation based on the actual value and influence of the patent. This not only protected the interests of the inventors but also prevented the loss of state-owned assets, which is very fair."

After listening to Ludwig's explanation, Morin vaguely remembered that Erdezi from the world before his transmigration had indeed paid a confidentiality compensation for the Engelma telegraph machine and some kind of poison gas.

"Okay, I think I understand."

Morin nodded, feeling a bit confused.

"Don't worry, I know this stuff."

Ludwig patted him on the shoulder and said confidently:

"Once we get back to Dresden, I'll find you a great lawyer! I guarantee I'll squeeze a lot more money out of those tightwads!"

"Then... thank you very much, Lieutenant Colonel."

What else could Morin say? Although he didn't know why Ludwig was suddenly being so nice to him, he still raised his glass and toasted him.

Although Morin initially only allowed Ludwig to drink one cup, once he started drinking, the pace would often gradually get out of control.

Ludwig, unaware of what had happened, poured himself a second glass.

Just as Morin was about to say something after he realized what was happening, he heard Ludwig suddenly speak in a very serious tone.

“You’ve really changed a lot, Morin. I always thought that you came to military school and joined the army because General Mackensen forced you to.”

Morin: "Wait, how do you know so much?"

Hearing Morin's words, Ludwig shrugged as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"This is not exactly a secret in the Dresden aristocratic circles, and my father is also quite familiar with General Mackensen."

"."

Ignoring Morin's speechless expression, Ludwig continued:
"In any case, I now see in you what a real soldier should be like—brave, decisive, and very intelligent."

Ludwig's words stirred something within Morin.

From their conversation, Morin discovered that Ludwig, as a Teutonic knight from a prestigious family, possessed knowledge far beyond that of ordinary people.

Moreover, through this experience of working side by side, the two developed a trust that went beyond that of ordinary colleagues.

Asking him about the Dharma Master seems like a good option right now.

"Lieutenant Colonel, actually I have a question I'd like to ask you."

Maureen put down her glass and spoke casually.

"Oh? Tell me about it." Ludwig became interested.

Morin organized his thoughts and then began his probing with a classic 'starting gesture'.

"Well, I have a friend..."

"You playboy have friends?"

"."

Ludwig interrupted him abruptly, mocking him with a look of disbelief.

"Female friend?"

Well, my starting stance has been interrupted.

"Ahem," Morin choked for a moment, but could only grit his teeth and continue, "I do have a friend who's recently run into some trouble."

Ludwig stared at Morin with great interest, his gaze seemingly able to see right through him.

"Is your friend someone who looks exactly like you, also named Morin, and also a second lieutenant?"

"Alright, Lieutenant Colonel, I'm coming clean."

Morin raised his hands, making a gesture of surrender.

"That's right, that person is me. I suddenly realize that I seem to have become a spellcaster."

Morin readily admitted it, and Ludwig's smile froze.

"Wait, what did you say?!"

"I discovered that I had become a spellcaster, just after the battle ended a few days ago."

Ludwig: "No. Did I flatter you and make you arrogant, or has your alcohol tolerance decreased, and you're already drunk after just one drink and starting to talk nonsense?"

"Lieutenant Colonel, I'm serious."

"Alright, then show me what you've got."

Ludwig put his glass on the table and said with great interest:
"Show me your magic trick, let me see if you're just bragging."

Upon hearing Ludwig's words, Morin stopped hiding his intentions. He dragged a broken chair between the two of them and cast a [Repair] spell.

The crack in the back of the stool was repaired completely after a flash of magical light.

"God, Maureen, are you serious?"

Ludwig jumped to his feet, staring at Morin in astonishment. After a moment, he sat back down, poured himself another glass of wine, and downed it in one gulp, seemingly trying to calm his nerves.

Morin: "Lieutenant Colonel, I suspect you're just using this as an excuse to get a drink."

Ludwig raised his hand to stop Morin from speaking, and then continued, "Don't change the subject, let's get down to business. How did you suddenly become a mage?"

Morin had nothing to hide about this, so he simply recounted how he had seized the two mage apprentices during the battle, and the spell notes he later found on the corpse of the high mage Eldridge.

"I was just curious, so I looked through it a few times, and as I looked at it, I suddenly felt like I could do what was written in the notes."

Although this explanation sounds a bit far-fetched, it is currently the most reasonable one.

He can't exactly say that he got an "one-click upgrade" through the system, can he?

After listening, Ludwig looked at Morin with amazement.

"Your luck is unbelievable."

He shook his head, his tone filled with amazement and a hint of unspoken envy:

"As top spellcasters, the spell notes of highland mages are extremely precious treasures. I didn't expect you to have collected three of them, one of which is even the notes of a high-level mentor."

"What I didn't expect was that you actually figured it out on your own after only watching it a few times."

Ludwig's reaction was not the kind of fear that Morin had worried about; rather, it was more like the excitement of discovering a new continent.

At this point, the Teutonic Knight paused, then added:
"Remember to hand in the spellbook to the brigade headquarters tomorrow; it's an important trophy. But I reckon you should be able to keep an apprentice's copy too."

Morin didn't react much to the matter of handing over the spoils of war.

Anyway, I've already used up the 'experience' of these three trophies that the system defined as 'personal training manuals'.

The knowledge inside was forcibly imprinted into my brain by the system, so it didn't matter if I handed it in.
"I will hand over these three booklets, but Lieutenant Colonel, you still haven't told me whether my situation is serious or not?"

Maureen asked the question that concerned her most again.

"Is it important? What's so important?"

Ludwig gave him a speechless look.

"Do you think you're the first person to awaken their magical talent after reaching adulthood? It's just that you were always surrounded by women and didn't pay attention to these things before."

Seeing Morin's puzzled expression, he began to explain.

"Although the number and quality of mages in our Saxon Empire are far inferior to those of the Britannians and Gauls, people with magical talent will still naturally emerge on this land."

"Many of them discovered their spellcasting abilities after they reached adulthood, due to some chance encounter!"

"Although this situation is rare, it is not without precedent! The Empire's special agencies will register and guide these people, and those who perform exceptionally well may even be recruited to serve in the military or government departments."

Ludwig's words completely dispelled Morin's last concerns.

"but."

Ludwig changed the subject, and his gaze toward Morin became complicated again.

"I've never heard of someone like you who has never shown any magical talent, yet became a mage without any instruction simply by reading a few other people's study notes."

He stroked his chin, as if assessing a rare treasure.

"Morin, your talent in magic is probably much greater than you realize!"

Ludwig suddenly slapped his thigh, his expression becoming unusually excited.

"This proves that you and my sister Patrecia are a match made in heaven!"

Morin: "???"

He couldn't follow the lieutenant colonel's train of thought at all. What did his ability to use magic have to do with his sister?
Let me analyze it for you.

Ludwig started his long-winded speech, counting on his fingers.

"You're practically a combat hero now. Once the 16th Brigade is rotated back to the rear for rest and reorganization, the brigade staff will report the combat records at all levels, and your promotion will be a sure thing."

Morin: "Wait, how come you've only advanced one level?"

Ludwig raised an eyebrow: "Brother, you've only been in your unit for less than a month and you're already going to be promoted to lieutenant? If that happens, it'll break the army's record for the fastest promotion! Do you know how long a normal promotion takes?"

Morin: "I don't know"

"Oh, you probably don't know this since you just graduated from military academy. Normally, it takes at least 3 years to get promoted from lieutenant to captain. The requirements for years of service are even stricter. Captain is the end for 99% of Saxon officers, okay!"

"So I've really risked my life this time, and as you said, I only got promoted one rank and am still a lieutenant. You don't look that much older than me, a lieutenant colonel would have been a field officer long ago."

"How can armored knights and infantry be compared?"

"grass"

Seeing Morin's displeased expression, Ludwig added:
"Don't worry, the 16th Brigade suffered such heavy casualties this time, and so many senior officer positions are now vacant. When filling those positions, officers from the original unit will definitely be given priority. Even if they don't get promoted, they can still serve as acting commanders. It's just a matter of time."

"Besides, you've created something like the 'Energy-Condensing Armor-Piercing Bomb,' which could potentially change the battlefield landscape, and now you've become a spellcaster with unlimited potential! With these three identities combined, what are you still worried about?"

"And what about my sister, Patricia? A renowned magical genius in Dresden, possessing both beauty and intelligence, and the apple of our Seect family's eye! If the two of you could get together, that would be simply wonderful."

Ludwig became more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see the grand wedding of Morin and his sister.

"With our family backing you, and perhaps General Mackensen's support, coupled with your own talent and ability, you will become a rising star in the Saxon Empire's army!"

Morin was stunned. He felt like he wasn't chatting with an army lieutenant colonel, but rather listening to a top matchmaker making an introduction.

"Lieutenant Colonel, aren't we getting a bit off-topic?" he tried to steer the conversation back on track. "Whether we can even get back alive is still a question."

"Pah! Pah! Pah! What discouraging things you're saying!"

(End of this chapter)