Chapter 148: The Foundations of a New Network 5

Elaria thought for a moment.

"So, theoretically, we could siphon a minuscule amount of energy from a lifestream..."

Astraea immediately looked up.

"No."

Elaria paused.

Astraea clarified:

"Not siphon the lifestream itself."

She placed a finger on the page.

"That would be precisely the kind of mistake I want to avoid."

Adam nodded.

"We would only use the stream as a medium."

Astraea smiled slightly.

"That’s it."

Vespera understood.

"A disturbance weak enough to carry the information without removing a significant amount of energy."

"That’s the idea."

Astraea continued:

"Another possibility would be to install converters near certain branches."

"They would use their own source of neutral mana to create the signal."

"The World Tree would then serve only as a guide or natural support."

Adam nodded slowly.

"Much safer."

Astraea agreed.

Then her expression grew more serious.

"I still want months of testing before anyone tries anything on a major root."

Vespera asked:

"And on a small branch?"

Astraea looked at her.

Vespera fell silent.

Adam burst out laughing.

"I admire your perseverance."

Astraea continued:

"We can start with simulations."

"Then separate pieces of wood."

"Then possibly small, superficial branches that have already been studied."

"And only then..."

She looked at everyone.

"We’ll talk about using the World Tree’s global network." "

Adam nodded.

"That seems reasonable to me."

He looked around.

"Because building the internet while damaging the planet’s energy infrastructure would probably be the worst possible design mistake."

Astraea smiled.

"We agree."

Lyriana then picked up her book.

She didn’t need to be asked what it was about.

Adam already knew.

"Security."

"Exactly."

She placed the book on the table.

"You’re all talking about transmitting more information."

She looked at Shiora.

"Business information."

Then Isadora.

"Administrative."

Elena and Selene.

"Military."

Then Vespera and Elaria.

"Technical."

Her gaze returned to Adam.

"Which means someone will try to steal them."

Adam nodded.

"Absolutely."

Lyriana continued:

"The ancients already knew about eavesdropping."

She opened a page.

"A transmission can sometimes be detected without directly touching the network."

Elena frowned.

"How?"

"By observing the disturbances it creates around it."

Adam added:

"Like hearing someone talking behind a door without entering the room."

"Exactly."

Lyriana continued:

"Some methods even allow a transmission to be copied."

"So if it’s not protected..."

Shiora finished:

"Someone can read the information."

"Yes."

Lyriana turned to the next page.

"They used several forms of encryption."

Astraea asked:

"Encryption?"

Adam replied:

"Transforming a message so that it becomes incomprehensible without the correct method to reconstruct it."

He gave a simple example.

"Imagine I send: ’Meet me tomorrow at noon.’"

"But before sending it, I transform each word according to a secret rule."

"Anyone who intercepts the message sees something incomprehensible."

"Anyone who possesses the correct rule can recover the original text."

Lyriana nodded.

"The ancients did something similar with manaic signatures."

Vespera interjected:

"They modified the sequences according to a runic key."

"Yes."

Adam smiled.

"Perfect. A true form of magical cryptography."

Lyriana continued:

"And I want to go further." "

She pointed at Adam."

"You mentioned a public network."

"Yes."

"We’ll also need private networks."

Isadora was immediately interested.

"Reserved for certain users?"

"Exactly."

Lyriana listed them:

"One network for the duchy’s administration."

"Another for the military."

"Another for the family."

"Another for certain research."

"And they shouldn’t necessarily be accessible from the public network."

Adam smiled.

"Isolated networks."

"Or at least highly separated."

"Yes."

Lyriana continued:

"We also need to identify each terminal."

"Verify who has the right to send what."

"Keep track of certain connections."

"Detect abnormal access."

Adam looked at her.

"You’re already inventing a computer security system."

Lyriana shrugged slightly.

"You’ve just created a new form of espionage."

She smiled.

"I have to adapt."

Selene murmured,

"Poor future spies."

Adam replied,

"She’s probably already happy at the thought of hunting them down."

Lyriana didn’t deny it.

Elena then spoke.

"For the military..."

Selene immediately sat up.

Adam looked at them both.

"I can sense the debate coming."

Elena ignored the remark.

"Instant communication changes almost everything."

She placed her book on the table.

"These days, important battles are often fought with old information."

Isadora nodded.

Elena continued:

"A reconnaissance unit can spot an enemy movement."

"It has to send a messenger."

"The messenger has to reach an officer."

"The information then goes up to command."

"Then the order comes back down."

She paused.

"In the meantime, the situation may have already changed."

Adam nodded.

"With the network, reconnaissance transmits what it sees directly."

Elena nodded.

"Command can change the plan almost immediately."

Selene interjected:

"That’s not necessarily always better."

Elena turned her head.

"Why?"

"Because command can also start monitoring every detail from too far away."

Adam raised his eyebrows slightly.

Good point.

Selene continued:

"A commander in the field sees what’s really happening in front of her."

"A person a hundred kilometers away can receive a lot of information..."

"But they don’t necessarily have a feel for the situation."

Elena thought for a moment.

"So, maintaining local autonomy."

"Exactly."

Selene put down her book.

"The network must transmit information and objectives quickly."

"Not turn every soldier into a puppet of headquarters."

Adam smiled.

"Command distributed."

They both looked at him.

"Another concept?" Elena asked.

"Yes."

He explained:

"The center sets the overall objectives."

"But local units retain enough autonomy to decide how to achieve them based on the actual situation."

Selene nodded immediately.

"That’s right."

Elena thought for a moment.

"And if all the units can communicate with each other..."

She gave an example.

"A company could directly warn the one on its flank that an enemy is approaching."

Selene added:

"Archers could receive a target almost immediately."

Elena:

"Reserves would know where the losses are greatest."

Selene:

"Medics would know where to move before anyone even came to get them."

Adam raised his hands.

"Very well. You see why I knew this was going to turn into a military debate."

Selene smiled.

Elena continued despite himself:

"And what about the monsters..."

"Stop."

Adam pointed at both of them.

"We’ll make a note of all this and come back to it later. Otherwise, you’ll be going over Aurelis’s entire military doctrine again before noon."

Selene folded her arms.

"That would be useful."

"Later."

Isadora then spoke.

Unlike Elena and Selene...

She seemed much less interested in the battlefield.

"I want to start more simply."

Adam turned his head.

"How so?"

Isadora placed her book on the table.

"Villages."

Silence.

"Today, if an isolated village is attacked by a group of monsters..."

She looked at Elena.

"How long does it take to warn Valoria?"

Elena thought for a moment.

"It depends on the distance."

"A few hours with a good messenger."

"Sometimes longer."

Isadora nodded.

"What if a bridge collapses?"

"What if a river overflows?"

"What if a major fire breaks out?"

"What if a strange disease appears?"

"What if a trade route becomes impassable?"

Adam understood immediately.

"Alert network."

"Exactly."

Isadora continued:

"I don’t want to wait until your full internet is complete."

Adam raised an eyebrow.

"You want to deploy a primitive version already."

"As soon as Vespera and Elaria can produce something reliable."

She explained her idea.

A few main stations.

Valoria.

The major cities of the duchy.

The outposts.

Then gradually...

The villages.

Not necessarily with complex terminals.

A simple device could suffice.

Select a type of emergency.

Attack.

Monsters.

Fire.

Natural disaster.

Medical need.

Other.

Then immediately send the signal to the regional center.

Adam nodded slowly.

"We can probably build that well before the rest."

Isadora continued:

"And it would give us a real network to run tests on."

Elaria agreed.

"Small amounts of data."

Vespera added:

"Simple messages."

Adam smiled.

"Exactly what the old technology can already do perfectly well."

Isadora nodded.

"Then, if it works..."

"We improve it."

"Yes."

She looked at Elena.

"Local forces could be dispatched more quickly."

Then Selene.

"Available adventurers could be notified."

Then Shiora.

"Dangerous routes immediately reported to merchants."

Shiora nodded enthusiastically.

Isadora concluded:

"Even before the internet, this technology can already save lives and greatly increase the efficiency of the region."

Adam smiled.

"First concrete project."

He raised a finger.

"Valoria’s emergency network."

Isadora nodded.

"Exactly."

There was only one person left.

And she knew it.

Shiora sat perfectly straight.

Her eyes seemed to literally shine.

Adam looked at her.

"Good."

She smiled.

"Finally."

"You can talk about money."

Shiora immediately put down her cup.

"Very well."

Adam barely had time to settle in.

"First: prices."

Obviously.

"Today, a merchant can buy a product in one city without knowing that it already costs much less elsewhere."

She gave an example.

"Wheat."

"Imagine a bad harvest suddenly increases its price in one region."

"Neighboring villages might have a surplus."

"But nobody knows about it quickly enough."

Adam nodded.

Shiora continued:

"With a network..."

"Prices can be transmitted daily."

Then she smiled.

"Or even several times a day."

Adam interjected:

"Real-time market."

"Exactly."

She seemed to love the term.

"Merchants would know immediately where demand is increasing."

"Where stocks are decreasing."

"Where prices are starting to rise."

"And where a commodity is becoming less desirable."

Elaria frowned slightly.

"It could also cause much faster fluctuations."

Shiora turned to her immediately.

"Yes."

And she seemed delighted.

Adam sighed.

"Of course you’re excited."