Chapter 10
I decided to start by thinking about the things I wanted.
For now, a refrigerator, a freezer, a microwave, a hair dryer, and an air conditioner would all be useful, as would something like a stove. But surely someone has already thought of a stove. I wonder why they couldn't make one work?
"Marcel-san, may I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Has anyone developed a Fire magic tool for cooking, or something like that? It seems like the kind of thing someone would think of..."
"Ah, they've been researching that for a long time, but no one has succeeded."
"Why not...?"
"I told you that magic tools work by fitting a magic stone into magic iron, didn't I? Neither works on its own. The problem is that Fire magic melts magic iron. Magic iron must be weak against magical fire. So even if you make a magic tool using Fire magic, it quickly breaks when you use it."
"I see."
Magic iron is weak against magical fire...? That would make things difficult. But perhaps I could make it work by putting something like an insulator between the magic iron and magic stone?
No, but a magic stone won't activate unless it touches magic iron... With what I know now, this is impossible. I'll think of a different magic tool.
I'll start with a refrigerator. This world doesn't seem to have Ice magic, so I'll think about whether I can somehow make one using Water magic.
"Marcel-san, can't water produced with Water magic be made cold enough to almost freeze?"
"Hmm... We can change the temperature of water produced with magic, but we can't create ice. That's what we know so far. There may be a way, though."
"What attribute do you have, Marcel-san?"
"I'm a Healing attribute, so I can't test it right now."
So Marcel-san had the Healing attribute. Come to think of it, there was no one else in this workshop, was there?
"What do you do when you want to make a magic tool of another attribute?"
"When I buy the materials from the royal palace, I have them fill the magic stone with mana in advance."
So that's how it worked... Even if I asked them to pre-load it with mana that would produce water below freezing, they definitely wouldn't understand. I can't test it right now, but I'll remember that the temperature of water produced by Water magic can be changed.
I remember seeing an experiment with water below freezing on some television show. I think they said it would freeze instantly if it received some kind of stimulus.
If I could create that water, I thought I might be able to produce it with Water magic and then use Wind magic to stimulate it and create tiny ice crystals... But I had no way to test it.
If I had the Water attribute, I could test it myself, so perhaps I should find out my own magic attribute first. I should go to the church before anything else.
"Marcel-san, I've thought of several things, but I think it would be more efficient to learn my own magic attribute and how to use magic first. Would it be all right if I came back after having my mana measured at the church?"
"Of course. I don't mind at all. But before that, may we discuss your payment?"
"Yes. I was hoping to ask you about that myself."
"I've been thinking about it since you came here last time. For now, I'll pay one gold coin for each idea I think is good. Then, if one of your ideas becomes a magic tool and is registered with the royal court, I'll pay you five platinum coins. How does that sound?"
Um, one gold coin and five platinum coins... How much were they worth? I only knew as far as copper coins.
"I don't really understand the value of the money here. Could you explain it to me?"
"Ah, that's right. I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you're a commoner, Leon."
Marcel-san carefully explained how money worked. To summarize it, this was what he told me.
Iron coin 10 yen
Small copper coin 100 yen
Copper coin 1,000 yen
Silver coin 10,000 yen
Gold coin 100,000 yen
Platinum coin 1,000,000 yen
According to Leon's memories, an iron coin was worth about ten yen, and each denomination was ten times the one before it. If I converted them into Japanese yen, I thought the values would be something like this. Of course, I had only matched them up roughly, so I didn't know whether they were actually correct.
Based on those values, one gold coin was worth one hundred thousand yen, and five platinum coins were worth five million yen.
One hundred thousand yen and five million yen. One hundred thousand yen and five million yen?!
What!? Is it really okay for me to receive that much?? Isn't that way too much?
"M-Marcel-san, aren't one gold coin and five platinum coins too much!?"
"No, if anything, that's a little low. Magic tools are bought by nobles, so they can be sold for a high price. On top of that, the usage fees are quite expensive. That's why magic tools are so profitable. Especially when you develop a new magic tool, money comes pouring in at an almost absurd rate."
So that's how it was. I figured they'd be expensive because the raw materials were valuable, but... amazing.
For now, I'll take whatever I can get.
"Thank you so much, Marcel-san. I'll do my best to think of new magic tools!"
"Hmph. If you can't think of anything, I won't pay you even a single iron coin, so don't worry about it."
Marcel-san was looking at me challengingly. I absolutely had to come up with a good magic tool!!
"I'll definitely think of something, so please have the money ready!"
After saying that, I suddenly realized something. Come to think of it, how was I supposed to receive the money...? Carrying around that much cash would scare me so badly I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. I wondered if this world had some kind of banking system.
"Marcel-san, how am I supposed to receive the money? It would be terrifying to carry around gold coins or platinum coins."
"Oh, you don't have an account, Leon? Then you'll have to open one."
"An account...?"
"Yes. Commoners probably don't know much about it, but this country has a system where you can deposit money and withdraw it whenever you like."
To summarize what Marcel-san explained, there was a state-run bank. Any citizen of the country could open an account and deposit money, but commoners rarely had enough savings to make it worthwhile, so only wealthy merchants used it. Apparently, all nobles and servants working in noble households had accounts.
The bank's main branch was beside the royal castle in the central district of the royal capital, and it had branches in the capital cities of noble domains. You could open an account, make deposits, and withdraw money at any branch.
"So I need to open an account, then."
"That's right. If you have an account, I can transfer money directly from my account to yours, which is much safer."
An account sounded convenient, so I definitely needed to open one. But that meant I would have to go to the central district at least once... I wondered if a child could open an account.
"Can I open an account if I go there myself?"
"You should be able to, but a commoner child who isn't a noble would look suspicious. You don't look particularly wealthy, either. Still, it should be fine if you go with me."
"Really? You'll come with me?"
"Yes. I need to have the magic tools at my house recharged anyway, so I'll take you while I'm there."
He said it was only because he had something else to do, but he was definitely coming along out of kindness. Marcel-san was such a kind person...
I didn't say that, though, because he would definitely deny it. I simply tried my best to suppress the grin spreading across my face.
"When should we go to the central district?"
"Whenever you have time is fine with me."
Hmm... My free time consisted of only about four hours between lunch service and evening service. Mom had said that the central district was about two hours away by shared carriage, so there was no way I could go there and back during my break.
That meant I had to ask Mom whether I could take a day off from helping with lunch service.
"Would it be all right if I ask my mother which day I can be away from home, then decide on a date afterward?"
"That's fine with me."
"Thank you! Then I'll come back another time. If I can, I'll go to the church before my next visit, too."
"Yes, whenever you like."
"All right! I'll head home for today, then."
"Be careful."
"Thank you for explaining so many things to me!"
I said goodbye to Marcel-san, left the workshop, and hurried home. I wanted to decide when to go to the church and when I could go to the central district before evening service began.
"I'm home, Mom and Dad!"
"You're back early, Leon."
Mom poked her head out from the kitchen. I went over to the counter, sat down in a chair, and spoke to her.
"Mom, there's somewhere I want to go sometime. Would it be all right if I took a break from helping with lunch?"
"Somewhere you want to go? You can take a break from helping, but where are you going? Are you going alone?"
Well, of course she would ask. What should I say? If I told her the truth, I felt certain she would say no.
Mom had looked frightening when we talked about nobles the other day, too.
"Um... I'm going to the central district. An old man I became friends with today said he had some business there and was planning to go sometime soon. He offered to take me with him, but... is that okay?"
Mom wore a troubled expression for a while, but then she said, "Well, Leon is eight now," and gave me permission.
People became adults in this country at fifteen, but once children turned eight, they were considered old enough to live on their own. It was probably related to learning magic at the age of eight.
"Thanks, Mom!"
"Have fun. But let's go to the church before you go to the central district. It will be more convenient if you can use even a little magic."
"The church!! Yay! When are we going?"
I could finally use magic! I was so happy that my excitement kept building.
"Let's see... Why don't we take tomorrow evening off and all go tomorrow afternoon?"
"Yeah! Then can I go to the central district the day after tomorrow?"
"Sure."
"Oh, we're going to the church tomorrow?"
Dad joined the conversation after apparently reaching a stopping point in his preparations.
"Yes. We were just talking about taking tomorrow evening off and all going to the church in the afternoon."
"That sounds fun. I'm glad, Leon."
"Yeah!"
Dad smiled broadly and gently patted me on the head. While he did so, Mom told him that I would also be going to the central district.
"Leon, there will be lots of nobles in the central district, so make sure you don't attract their attention. Don't do anything conspicuous. Can you promise me that?"
Dad looked me in the eyes with a serious expression as he said that.
"Yeah. I promise."
When I answered with an equally serious expression, Dad returned to his usual gentle smile.
"Have fun."
"Yeah!"
Looking forward to tomorrow and the day after, I began preparing for evening service with a spring in my step.