Chapter 149: The Foundations of a New Network 6

Shiora continued.

“We’ve already talked about the Stock Exchange.”

Adam nodded.

The idea had come up during their earlier economic discussions.

Shiora explained it to Astraea and those less familiar with the concept.

“A centralized market where you can trade shares of companies or certain contracts.”

Adam added:

“And where the price changes according to supply and demand.”

Shiora nodded.

“Today, a real, large-scale Stock Exchange would be extremely slow.”

“Information travels too slowly.”

“A price set in the capital might already be outdated by the time Valoria receives it.”

Adam smiled.

“But with the network…”

Shiora snapped her fingers lightly.

“The same information almost everywhere at the same time.”

She continued immediately:

“And that’s not all.”

Adam ran a hand over his face.

“Obviously.”

“Market research.”

Astraea asked,

“What does that mean?”

Shiora replied,

“Knowing what people are actually buying.”

She gave an example.

“Let’s say we’re selling a new game.”

Adam smiled.

“Go, for example.”

“Exactly.”

Shiora continued,

“Today, I know how many copies I ship to each city.”

“But getting accurate sales data takes time.”

“With a network, each store could share its figures.”

Adam added,

“And you could see almost immediately which regions like the game.”

“Exactly.”

“Which price point works best.”

“Which version sells.”

“Which cities hardly want it.” “

“When to send more stock.”

Shiora smiled wider and wider.

“And it’s not just about our products.”

“Food.”

“Clothing.”

“Weapons.”

“Books.”

“Materials.”

“Services.”

She opened her hands.

“We could understand the kingdom’s economy almost in real time.”

Adam chuckled.

“That’s the Shiora I know.”

She continued:

“Merchants could also receive orders before they even arrive in a city.”

“Caravans would change their cargo based on actual demand.”

“Less unnecessary goods.”

“Fewer empty trips.”

“Less waste.”

Isadora thought for a moment.

“It could also help during times of crisis.”

Shiora nodded.

“Immensely.”

“If a region runs out of food, we’d know immediately.”

“Stocks could be redirected before prices skyrocket.”

Adam smiled.

“Now you’re not just thinking about money.”

Shiora looked at him.

“An efficient economy makes more money.”

Adam burst out laughing.

“I should have known.”

When Shiora finally finished…

Adam looked at the eight women.

“You’ve all found a use that perfectly matches your field.”

Vespera:

“Magic.”

Elaria:

“Manufacturing.”

Astraea:

“World Tree.”

Lyriana:

“Security.”

Elena and Selene exchanged a glance.

“Military.”

Isadora:

“Administration.” “

Shiora smiled.

“Economics.”

Adam nodded.

“All of this is important.”

Then he raised a finger.

“But you’re forgetting something.”

Shiora frowned.

“What?”

Adam smiled.

“Ordinary people.”

Silence.

“You all think in terms of your responsibilities.”

He looked around.

“But the internet only really becomes important when it enters everyday life.”

Astraea seemed intrigued.

“For example?”

Adam thought for a moment.

“Entertainment.”

Selene raised an eyebrow.

“Entertainment?”

“Yes.”

He used Go as an example.

“Imagine being able to play Go against someone in another city.”

Elaria sat up straight.

“Without being physically present?”

“Exactly.”

“Every move is transmitted over the network.”

Lyriana understood.

“So the two boards remain synchronized.”

“Yes.”

Adam continued:

“The same goes for chess.”

“Reversi.”

“Or future games designed specifically for the network.”

Shiora raised a hand.

Adam pointed at it immediately.

“I know. Money.” Later.

She slowly lowered her hand.

Adam continued:

“Music.”

“Stories.”

“Recorded performances.”

Elena frowned.

“How do you transmit a performance?”

“Not immediately.”

Adam thought for a moment.

“But if one day our computers become capable of converting images and sound into data…”

He gestured toward the imaginary network around them.

“Then that data can travel too.”

Vespera murmured:

“Image transformed into a signal…”

Elaria added:

“Then reconstructed elsewhere.”

Adam smiled.

“There you have it.”

Astraea seemed genuinely impressed.

“Someone could attend a performance without being there in person.”

“Exactly.”

He continued:

“Learning.”

Isadora became immediately interested.

“How?”

“Imagine an extremely skilled professor in the capital.”

“Today, only his students can directly benefit from his classes.”

“With the network…”

Elaria understood.

“He could teach remotely.”

“Yes.”

Adam gave another example.

“An entire library could gradually be copied as data.”

“Someone in Valoria could consult a book kept in Aurelia.”

Astraea looked at Adam.

“Without moving the original book.”

“Exactly.”

Shiora murmured:

“Paid access to libraries…”

Adam looked at her.

“Shiora.”

“Sorry.”

She didn’t seem sorry at all.

Adam continued:

“Scientific research.”

This time, Vespera and Elaria focused immediately.

“Today, let’s imagine Vespera discovers a new rune.” “

He pointed to Elaria.

“Elaria could be on the other side of the kingdom.”

“With a network, Vespera can send her the schematic immediately.”

Elaria continued:

“I could build a prototype.”

“Then transmit the results.”

Vespera understood.

“Several laboratories could work on the same problem simultaneously.”

“Exactly.”

Adam smiled.

“And each discovery can be shared much more quickly.”

He looked at Astraea.

“An elven researcher could collaborate with a human mage thousands of kilometers away.”

“Without traveling for weeks.”

Astraea nodded slowly.

“That would greatly accelerate the dissemination of knowledge.”

“There you have it.”

Adam raised another finger.

“Culture.”

Lyriana asked:

“Culture?”

“Each region has its own stories.”

“Its music.” “

“His recipes.”

“His traditions.”

“His art.”

“His language, sometimes.”

He smiled.

“The internet allows us to share all of this.”

Astraea thought for a moment.

“So someone in Valoria could discover a Sylvaris song.”

“Yes.”

“Or learn our cuisine.”

Adam smiled.

“And you could learn why some people from my old world put very strange things on pizzas.”

Silence.

Lyriana asked:

“A pizza?”

Adam paused.

“We’ll see about that later.”

Shiora was already noticing something.

Adam ignored her.

“And finally…”

He looked around the group.

“Remote work.”

Isadora frowned slightly.

“That’s harder for me to grasp.”

Adam explained:

“Not all work requires physical presence.”

“Take Shiora, for example.”

Shiora sat up straight immediately.

“She can analyze prices, prepare contracts, send instructions, or negotiate things without leaving Valoria.”

“If the documents can be transmitted over the network…”

He gently snapped his fingers.

“She could work with a company located on the other side of the kingdom.”

Shiora smiled.

“Several companies.”

Adam sighed.

“Obviously.”

He continued:

“An accountant.”

“A writer.”

“A translator.”

“A researcher.”

“Some administrators.”

“Teachers.”

“Even some people who design objects could transmit the plans without traveling.”

Elaria thought for a moment.

“So I could draw up a circuit here…”

“And send it directly to a workshop in Aurelia.”

“Exactly.”

She seemed to like the idea immensely.

Adam finally looked at the group.

“That’s why I say this technology is much more important than simply sending messages.”

He gestured symbolically toward the books arranged by the House.

“The ancients discovered how to transmit information.”

Then he placed a hand against his temple.

“Now we have to decide what we want to do with this information.”

A silence followed.

Not a silence of incomprehension.

This time…

Each of them was truly thinking.

Adam smiled slightly.

“And we won’t build everything tomorrow.”

Vespera opened her mouth.

Adam pointed at her immediately.

“No.”

She closed her mouth.

Elaria looked away.

Adam pointed at her in turn.

“Neither will you.”

Selene burst out laughing.

“He’s starting to know you.”

Adam sighed.

“Unfortunately.”

Then he picked up his cup again.

The runic calculator project was already ambitious.

The network was even more so.

But now…

For the first time…

It wasn’t just an idea from his old world anymore.

They possessed the knowledge.

The materials to study.

The runes.

The transmission methods.

The first concrete projects.

And above all…

Eight people looking at the exact same technology…

But each envisioning a different future.

Adam took a sip.

A smile slowly appeared.

“This is going to get interesting.”