Installing Magic Tools

A few days after making the fire magic tools, I went to Marcel-san's house and found that the heater, cooking stove, and water heater had been completed.

"It's already finished!"

"Ah, they're already registered, too. I nearly got in trouble because people suspected I was really developing them, but they were registered as soon as orders came down from above. Leon, are you connected to the upper echelons of the royal palace?"

Marcel-san fixed me with a suspicious stare.

I didn't know anyone at the royal palace, and the only nobles I knew were the members of the Townsend ducal family.

Oh, come to think of it, Richard-sama works at the royal palace, doesn't he?

...Well, I wasn't sure what was going on, but if they were registered, that was all that mattered.

"I'm not really sure, but perhaps it was the Townsend ducal family? Either way, if they were registered, that's all that matters."

"Wait! Leon, you're connected not only to Frederick-sama but also to the members of the Townsend ducal family!?"

"Huh...? Didn't I tell you, Marcel-san? I was invited to their mansion the other day."

"You were invited to their mansion!? That's..."

After that, Marcel-san muttered under his breath things like, "Given how abnormal Leon is, I suppose it's no wonder they'd be interested in him," and, "I wonder whether Leon is a useful asset to the Townsend ducal family." Eventually, though, he seemed satisfied with his conclusions.

"Very well. It's best not to think too deeply about Leon. Anyway, since the registration went through, I deposited fourteen platinum coins and five gold coins into your account after deducting the purchase price of the heater."

I wasn't entirely satisfied, but saying I wasn't abnormal here wouldn't have been very convincing, so I decided to let it go.

"Thank you. I'll check it later."

"Yes, do that. So, how are you going to take the heater home? Would you like to borrow my handcart?"

"I'd really appreciate that! I'll bring it back tomorrow."

I borrowed the handcart from Marcel-san and took the heater home.

"I'm home! Dad, could you give me a hand?"

"Welcome home, Leon. What is it?"

"This is heavy, so could you help me carry it inside?"

"Sure, but... what is this?"

"It's a magic tool. We can use it at home!"

Dad was utterly astonished when he heard it was a magic tool. Magic tools were something nobles used, after all.

I wanted to have many more magic tools in our house, but we couldn't install the cooking stove without remodeling the kitchen. Apparently, no one did the construction work necessary to install magic tools in commoners' houses.

Flush toilets and running water were impossible, too. They were only possible in the central district because there was something like a sewer system there. Baths were the same, and we didn't even have anywhere to install a bathtub.

Magic tools had been installed in Marcel-san's workshop, but apparently the country had made a special exception and had a sewer line installed there. I supposed it was in place of a noble title. I was jealous.

I thought I could make a purification magic tool by imbuing a magic stone with Purification, but when I asked Marcel-san, it seemed that wouldn't work. Purification consumed a great deal of magic power, and apparently the same was true when it was made into a magic tool. Even a fully charged magic stone would need to be recharged about twice to clean up after one use of the toilet. That wouldn't be practical.

So, as things stood, it was almost impossible to use magic tools in our house. A heater, however, could be placed anywhere and didn't require any remodeling, so we could use one at home!

I really wanted to turn our house into a convenient home with every magic tool imaginable, but that was impossible, so I'd given up on it. I'd have to wait until I became a civil servant for a comfortable life. Though, if I had the choice, I'd rather become a noble... It sounded even more convenient.

Just as I reached that conclusion, Dad came back to his senses.

"M-Magic tools are something nobles use, right? Why do you have one, Leon?"

Dad asked me that in a hushed voice. It really was better if no one found out we had a magic tool. Someone might steal it. If we used it, we'd use it in the living room or the bedroom.

"I'm on good terms with Marcel-san, so I was able to get it from him."

When I said that, Dad seemed satisfied. Since I'd started getting to know nobles, he seemed to be gradually getting used to these things. Both Dad and Mom had also started trying not to think too deeply about me.

"Then let's get it inside."

"Yeah!"

Dad and I decided to carry it into the bedroom for now. Mom was surprised by the magic tool, too, but she seemed convinced when Dad told her, "Leon brought it home." I wasn't sure whether I should be happy that explanation was enough to satisfy her. Well, whatever...

Marie didn't seem to understand magic tools very well, but she was happy that it would make things warm.

That night, in the bedroom, I taught Mom and Dad how to use the magic tool and explained the image they needed to form when imbuing it with magic.

"When charging it with magic power, imagine creating a small Fireball about thirty centimeters above the magic stone."

Since they both had the fire attribute, I thought they'd be able to do it right away, but their magic power was too low, and they couldn't manage it.

"Leon, Mom and Dad don't have much magic power, so we can't create a Fireball in the first place, can we?"

I see... That might make it difficult.

But perhaps they could learn if they practiced visualizing the concept of oxygen and trained their powers of imagination. I'd managed to greatly reduce the amount of magic power I consumed using that image, after all.

I explained oxygen to Mom and Dad and had them practice strengthening their powers of imagination as much as possible.

"Did you understand it, even if only vaguely?"

"I understood a little, but will this really change anything?"

"I can't believe this will let us use Fireball."

"Let's just try it! It's dangerous in here, so let's go to the courtyard."

The three of us went out to the courtyard. Marie must have been tired, because she apparently fell asleep while we were talking.

"Now, try creating a Fireball using the image from earlier. Imagine a small one a short distance from your palm."

They were both nervous, but they tried to create Fireballs. Both of them managed to create a small Fireball.

Amazing! It worked perfectly!!

As I expected, the power of imagination was incredibly important... Using this method might greatly increase the power of magic in this world. But it could also make our enemies stronger, so I'd have to be careful...

"Leon, you're amazing!! I can't believe I can really do it now!"

"Thank you, Leon. It'll be useful in daily life and for self-defense, too."

"I'm glad you can use it now! That means you should be able to imbue the magic tool with magic, too, so let's go back and try it!"

We returned to the bedroom and had Mom and Dad imbue the magic tool with magic. Both of them managed to do it without any problems.

"Now we can sleep warmly whenever we want!"

"That makes me so happy. Winter was so cold that I would wake up even in the middle of the night."

"Looks like we won't have to catch colds anymore, either."

I was glad Mom and Dad were happy.

"But we'd better not let anyone else know about this. Neither about the magic tool nor about how we used magic just now."

Mom said that with a slightly stern expression.

"Especially the method of using magic seems like it could have a major impact. Leon, you mustn't casually teach it to other people."

I knew it. If I ever spread this method, it would have to be after I was able to reveal that I could use every attribute.

"Yeah, I understand. Will you two keep it a secret, too?"

"Of course. We'd never say anything that could put you in danger."

"That's right."

"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad."

I'm sure Mom and Dad had realized that I was completely different from the old Leon. Even so, they said nothing and continued to love me just as they always had. That made me incredibly happy. I had to be careful not to put my family in danger, too.

We ended the conversation there, turned on the heater, and went to sleep. The room and our bedding were warm and cozy, and I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

As expected, heaters really are the best...