I am not normally the person to record my expenses in such a way. The only reason that I am writing this log is because Daniel has warned me about it. This is the best way to tell the head office about the mana stones that I owe them. It gives them a kind of proof that this debt exists.

  I will also be making use of this time to have a record of all the work that I need to do as well. Even though it has only been a few weeks, I am already swamped with a mountain of work.

  I have brought two things on credit from the black mountain. The first is a cannon of the seventh class. It is of the fire element and I managed to get it at quite a deal. I got it for five class seven mana stones. Granted, the damn thing is almost on the verge of breaking into pieces, but I will be able to fix it. It is a basic fire element cannon, with a pretty standard design.

  It is a bit ambitious since it is a class seven formation, but I should be able to fix it. That should be something that I should be able to manage. Even if I have never really manipulated class seven cannon formations, I have seen their design long enough, that I should be able to do it.

  The cost of the cannon was just a bit too tempting. I don't think you would get it at that price even if you were to go and buy directly from a cannonsmith down south.

  The hexmountain has very few cannonsmiths so the price of cannons is already very high. The main reason for so few cannonsmiths here is the legion. The thing is if you make weapons for the legion, you can only make weapons for the legion. That exclusivity and the prices that they offer divert the already few good cannonsmiths in the mountain to work with them.

  That is why the only cannons that we can play around with are the spoils of war from the guard corps or the legion when they go on their missions.

  Even this cannon of mine must have come from one of the pirates in the soldar plains. That is the only explanation you have for this cannon appearing this far north. The many powers down south certainly do not want to see us succeed, even if they are our allies. That is why even after we have warned them not to send their cannons down here personally, their cannons always seem to find their way down here. (That is why we have a general stationed there at all times. To put their more destructive impulses under control. I don't think it is too effective though.)

  So yeah, all of that in summary is that I have managed to get a cannon that I will need to sit and repair. That is task number one actually and by far the simplest task that I have.

  After that, I brought the materials needed for the coordination matrix. A coordination matrix is a formation of the seventh class, but the cost of these materials is leagues above the cannon. The reason for that is down south. Those damn warmongers would not like these formations to become common now, would they?

  A complete coordination matrix can go anywhere from ten class six mana stones to a hundred class six mana stones. (In terms of class seven stones that is a hundred class seven stones and a thousand class seven stones respectively.)

  Since I have bought only the raw materials for the coordination matrix, I managed to bring down the price to about five class six mana stones. Making the coordination matrix is going to be my next major task. It is a class seven formation, but I should manage to inscribe one of the class eight spells of the matrix by the time I leave for the mission.

  Well, the next task in this list of mine is the coordination matrix. A coordination matrix is a pretty ambitious thing for my ship. I am sure that most of the guard ships that are being run by the guard corps do not have a coordination matrix. They are rare, at least in this part of the world.

  Well, every guard corps ship has a dedicated cannon troop for themselves, so they don't need to work with things like the coordination matrix. My ship is barely big enough for ten people. I can't keep a cannon troop with me.

  The main problem with the coordination matrix is not even an issue for me right now. It might be a class seven formation, but I just need to inscribe one of the class eight formations to control three cannons. The problem that I am facing with this is the interference.

  Most formations tend to interfere with each other in a pretty explosive manner when they are placed in such a small place. This phenomenon is called interference. Magic, by its very nature, is supposed to be a very precise art.

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  We can make use of runes to move mana precisely enough to cast a spell. A spark spell with just that bit more mana will become a fireball. (And just as likely to set you on fire.) When you are controlling ambient mana, you cannot simply just make use of your will to create a spell as you can do with vital mana. With runes, we can send mana into the formation in a very precise manner. The only problem in this process is that one rune can control mana just as well as another rune.

  If you were to stuff a bunch of formations together in a small area like the ship like my master did. One rune can interfere with the performance of another rune and cause the entire thing to become very chaotic. A rune meant to transfer one unit of mana could transfer 0.1 units of mana or in even more extreme cases, ten units of mana. The former will cause the formation to fail and the latter can end in the entire thing exploding.

  I think you still can place multiple class nine formations together (at least I have never noticed the interference myself.) but from class eight onwards when formations are placed together they tend to have side effects, most of which are pretty explosive.

  On top of that, my master has placed an incomplete class six formation in the middle of the entire thing. While the formation is still not functional, its runes are affecting the surrounding formations. That is why my master has not added a bunch of formations that would be useful to me but that are not vital to me.

  Those I will have to add on my own. Knowing my master, he must have assumed that this was the best way to test me. Honestly, I want to figure out this formation as quickly as possible. Even after I have spent so long studying formations under him, I am not able to understand any of the formations that he has designed.

  That is why I have to be so careful with my master's formations. Most of his runes must be meant to deal with this very interference. As for how I am supposed to add a formation to all of this. The only way will be quite difficult.

  I have to study all of the notes my master has left on the formations of this ship which is a task in itself. I will have to modify the coordination matrix, quite a bit to fit it in here. I will be able to inscribe one of the class eight spells of the coordination matrix for now.

  Even that class eight spell is going to be enough to make things easy for me, though the class seven one would have been better. It will allow me to coordinate the three cannons that I have on my ship, at least to a reasonable degree.

  So yeah, before I go to task number three. I will have to mention that the total number of mana stones that I owe the legion is going to be five class six mana stones and five class seven mana stones. I don't want any misunderstandings on this later. This is the precise amount that I need to repay. I won't be repaying anything beyond this.

  Now to return to task number three, it is naturally the process of figuring out the fusion spell. Well, technically speaking I have already understood the spell, but you have to be careful with anything that involves the mana core.

  I could cast it the minute that the second slab is formed. Anything goes wrong though and a crack might form on my mana core. A crack on the mana core can still be managed to a certain degree. The worst-case scenario is called mana reversal. When a mana core ruptures, they say that there is a possibility for all of your mana to flow to the mana core, draining all the vital mana in your body. It is supposed to destroy your body quite thoroughly and is the most painful way for a mage to die.

  After all, if I have managed to wait for so long for my opportunity, I won't destroy my chances due to impatience. That is why I have put this as my third task. It is the most important of all my tasks, but I can't rush it. It is not like cultivating is going to be enhancing my strength immediately.

  As for the final task, that would be to make the class six formation that my master has left for me. This is something that I will not be able to rush with anyway. I simply do not have any knowledge related to it.

  I will have to start by doing a detailed analysis of all the formations that my master has left behind in his notes. With that, I should be able to finally understand the notes that my master has left behind for me regarding the incomplete formation.

  This is the easiest time I am going to have to make a class seven formation. After all my master has left such detailed notes on it. Nobody else will be able to make sure notes on it.

  Still, I can't say how long it is going to take to make this class seven formation. Achieving minor completion for the class seven spell will be pretty easy.

  After all, I have been working quite a bit on making class eight formation. Ten class eight formations will be time-consuming to make. It is Inscribing the class seven formation that is going to be very hard.

  I have seen how class seven spells are inscribed quite a few times. It is such a precise and volatile process that you need to have extreme control over external mana to even try it. A class eight spell seems like a little finger painting compared to a class seven formation in terms of complexity. Just looking at the record that my master has recorded is making me feel a headache.

  That is why you are meant to enter into the stage beyond to make class seven formations. Something in that stage is supposed to make controlling external mana easier. What that is, I have no idea. Well, my master believes that I don't need that something to make a class seven formation.

  Well, I think that I have covered everything of importance in this log. Well, I am going to start my work in the coordination formation now. It is something that I will need if I am entering into a combat situation. Right now, the only thing preventing me from leaving for the Mayfire's castle is that my troop is not here. I don't know how long can daniel delay this anymore. I think I might have a week left at maximum. I do not have enough time to make a class eight formation, but I can get started at least.