Let's Start a Fire!

"What I want you to make is a tool for starting a fire."

"A fire-starting tool? A new flint?"

"Yeah. Something like that."

As I spoke, I drew the design on the ground with a branch.

The device I want is a pressure-ignition device.

It was a tool that had come to the continent after the fall of Ludeck. The other day, while traveling to pay the Second Knight Order a courtesy visit, I got chilled by the rain and thought it would be convenient if I could start a fire easily.

"If you prepare a tube like this and a rod that fits snugly inside it, then attach something flammable to the end of the rod and thrust it into the tube all at once, it catches fire."

"......Why does sealing the inside make it catch fire?"

"Apparently, when the air inside gets compressed rapidly, it becomes extremely hot."

"Why does air heat up when compressed......? Come to think of it, when we bottle things, the seal becomes tighter as the air escapes, doesn't it? Air...... What in the world is air......?"

Drew's thoughts seemed to be flying off in a truly outrageous direction, but for now, I wanted to ask whether he could make one.

"Can you make one?"

The answer to my question was simple.

"I can. I've made something similar before, so I can make a prototype right away."

"You have?"

"Yeah, we have to try it first! Everyone, what are you all dawdling for!? We're going back to the room right now!" As soon as he said that, Drew dashed off.

Seeing Drew's behavior, I worried that his subordinates, Judiano and Hornet, might be exasperated, so I glanced over at them. But both were staring at Drew's back with looks that seemed to say, "Drew-san is so cool." I guess the personnel department really is doing its job after all.

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"Ah, found it. This one."

In Drew's palm lay an object that fulfilled almost all my requirements.

"Huh? What did you make this for?"

"What did I make it for?" Drew tilted his head in puzzlement. Wait, you're the one who made it, aren't you?

"No particular reason. I just wanted to try making something that fit perfectly, I suppose."

Seriously?

"Drew, could you shave down the tip of the rod that goes into the tube and make a little hollow in it?"

"Sure. Actually, I'll do it myself, so hand it over."

He snatched the thing from me and quickly made the hollow exactly as I wanted.

"Um, something flammable......"

"On it." Hornet brought some over right away.

"Thanks. Also, I'm about to make an ember, so I'd like to prepare something that can actually catch fire. Let's go outside for now."

"What!? But I wanna see it right here!"

No, if a fire started in here, the whole room might burn down, right?

After reluctantly dragging Drew outside, and with him urging me on, I began preparing the pressure-ignition device.

"It's easy to use. Attach a flammable material to the rod you push into the tube, then thrust the rod in all at once."

As I demonstrated, it produced an ember successfully on the first try. I quickly dropped the ember onto some wood shavings and blew on it, and it caught fire with ease.

"That's more or less how you use it...... What's wrong?"

Everyone was so quiet that I turned around, only to find them staring at me with an astonishing variety of expressions.

The ones watching with intense interest were the group of technicians: Drew, Judiano, and Hornet.

Dick and Lufa were looking at it with puzzled expressions.

They were all giggling and chattering excitedly, as though they'd just seen something fascinating.

The serious ones were Wickhart, Frein, and Ryuzel, along with the military contingent of Glantz-sama and Rapiria-sama.

They seemed to be considering how it could be used on the battlefield, and were staring intently at the pressure-ignition device.

Finally, Rays-sama, Nerphia, and Sazaby were clutching their heads—or, more precisely, pressing their hands to their foreheads in similar poses.

"Roa...... You really are something...... You haven't told anyone about this technology yet, have you?"

Rays-sama said it with a slightly angry look on his face.

"Ah, yes. I only thought of it during our last mission."

Nerphia spoke next.

"Roa-sama...... This appears to be another incredible piece of technology...... Where did you get it?"

"Um, where was it again? I definitely read about it in some book, but......"

I couldn't think of a single excuse. For now, I'd bluff by saying I'd read it in a book.

"A book......?" Nerphia didn't seem entirely convinced.

"Roa-dono, just how many books do you read?" Sazaby asked.

"I haven't been able to read much lately, but as far as combat-related material goes, I think I've read everything available in the castle."

That was almost entirely true. Whenever I found an opening, I devoured books, and I even read those available for loan after everyone else had gone to sleep. That habit never left me until I died, so I went on reading for another forty years.

"All of them? Seriously?" Among those who had sensed the extraordinary atmosphere around Rays-sama and the others and turned their attention to the exchange, Hornet said it in apparent disbelief.

The only one completely unconcerned was Drew, who kept enjoying himself and said, "This could make money too."

"In any case, we'll look into producing this in parallel as well. However, this one could have a greater impact on society. We'll proceed in the utmost secrecy, so keep that in mind."

For the time being, Rays-sama brought the gathering to a close with those words.