Existing Magic Tools

For the next few days, I went out with Marie or into the forest with Nicola and Luke, so I couldn't visit the magic tool workshop. Today, four days later, I was heading there again.

It was a very warm day, with a pleasant breeze blowing.

The fine weather and the thought of finally learning about magic tools made my steps feel light, and I reached the magic tool workshop even sooner than before.

"Hello! I'm Leon."

I cheerfully opened the door, stepped inside, and called out a little louder toward the back.

The room just inside the entrance was a plain one, containing only a table, chairs, and a few decorations. Was it some kind of reception room...?

There was another door at the back of the room, and I guessed that the workshop lay beyond it.

As I waited, thinking about that, the back door opened and Marcel-san came in.

"It's been a while, Marcel-san! I'm sorry it took me so long to come back—I didn't have the time."

"Leon, is it? That's quite all right. You wanted to see some magic tools today, didn't you?"

"Yes! I can't come up with new magic tools without knowing what magic tools already exist."

"Then follow me."

With that, Marcel-san passed through the back door. I hurried after him.

Beyond the door was a hallway. There were two doors and a staircase along the left wall, and another door at the far end.

Marcel-san opened the door at the end of the hallway and entered the room beyond.

Was that the workshop...? Looking around the house curiously, fascinated by everything unfamiliar, I followed Marcel-san into the room.

There was a large table in the middle of the room, and a large shelf stood against the wall. There was also one chair and one long bench.

On the table were many stacks of paper, along with things that looked like iron and gemstones. These were probably magic iron and magic stones.

"Marcel-san, is this the workshop?"

"Yes. I thought it would be easier to explain here, since I have the actual items."

"Thank you! This is amazing!"

My excitement kept rising. I wanted to know what kinds of magic tools there were!

"Leon, sit on that bench."

"Yes. Thank you."

"As for the types of magic tools, this is the most famous one."

As he spoke, Marcel-san pointed at the ceiling.

Huh? What did he mean? I looked up at the ceiling and saw a light bulb.

"Light bu...!"

I almost shouted "light bulb," but stopped myself at the last second by clapping a hand over my mouth. That was close. Probably...

"What is it? What happened?"

"No, it's nothing. This is amazing! I was wondering why this room was so bright even though none of the windows were open!"

"Indeed. This is a light orb. It has the Healing attribute embedded in its magic stone. Once you fill the stone completely with mana, it will keep shining for thirty days. When you want to turn off the light, you just remove the magic stone."

Huh? The light orb uses the Healing attribute...? Come to think of it, this world doesn't have a Light attribute.

And if you turn it off by removing the magic stone, that means there isn't anything like a remotely operated switch...

As I thought, things aren't as convenient as machines in Japan.

But for me, this is unbelievably revolutionary in this world! Candlelight is dim, and it smells a little, too...

"It shines using mana of the Healing attribute?"

"Yes. There's a light spell in the Healing attribute too, isn't there?"

"I don't know much about magic. I'm about to go have my mana measured."

"Is that so? There are six attributes—Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Physical Enhancement, and Healing—but each contains various spells. How much a person can use depends on their amount of mana and their aptitude."

So that's how magic worked in this world... Well, I'd learn about magic properly after going to the church.

"I'll learn magic properly after I go to the church! By the way, you said you remove the magic stone to turn off the light, but isn't there anything like a switch?"

"A switch...? What's that?"

Could this world not have the concept of switches? Was that why the word wasn't translated into the language here?

But now that I thought about it, if there were no machines, there would be no need for switches. If magic tools didn't have them, then they probably didn't exist.

"Um... Isn't there something like a button, where pressing it would turn the light on and pressing it again would turn it off?"

"No, there isn't. But if you could build such a mechanism into a magic tool, you wouldn't have to remove the magic stone every time. It would certainly be convenient, but I have no idea how to do it."

"I see... If I came up with such a mechanism, would you buy it from me too?"

"Yes, I'd be happy to buy it, but can you really do something like that?"

"Leave it to me!"

I gave Marcel-san a big smile. I thought I might be able to manage it somehow by adapting the mechanisms of machines... Once I could use magic, I'd have him let me try.

For now, I should focus on the other magic tools.

"Could you show me some of the other magic tools?"

"There are other magic tools that aren't here, but the ones used in daily life are flush toilets, water faucets, and air blowers."

They have flush toilets!! I'd be willing to become a noble for that alone. And water faucets, too! An air blower must be something like an electric fan.

Amazing... They had so many things I'd thought didn't exist in this world!

I was absolutely going to attend the Royal Academy! I reaffirmed my resolve.

I wonder what other magic tools there are...?

"I have all three of those at home. Would you like to see them?"

"You do!? Yes, please!"

"Then this is the air blower."

Marcel-san pointed to a square tube sitting on the table.

Huh? This...? I'd imagined an electric fan, so it wasn't what I expected.

"This one?"

"Yes. It starts working when you fit this magic stone into the recess on top."

As he spoke, Marcel-san fitted the magic stone into place, and a fairly strong breeze brushed my cheek.

Amazing! Air really is coming out!

I wonder if you can adjust its power.

"Can you make the air blow more strongly?"

"That is determined by the mana infused into the magic stone. So you can change it when the mana runs out and you recharge it, or by replacing the mana already in it."

So it's determined by the strength of the mana infused into the magic stone—or perhaps by the image you have in mind... It was a little inconvenient that you couldn't change it easily midway through, but I supposed that couldn't be helped.

"Next are the water faucet and the flush toilet. The water faucet is this way."

Marcel-san led me up the stairs to a kitchen.

"This is the water faucet. Fit a magic stone into the top, and water will come out."

The water faucet was a thin tube, shorter than the length of my palm. One end was sealed, and that was where the magic stone was fitted.

Apparently, once the magic stone was fitted there, water came out of the other end of the tube.

"Can I try using it?"

"Of course. You can drink the water, so would you like to try some?"

"Really!? Then I'll try it."

I took a cup from Marcel-san and filled it with water. After I fitted the magic stone and waited a few seconds, water began to flow. It worked much like a water faucet in Japan.

"Then, Itadakimasu!"

I cautiously put the water to my lips and drank a mouthful.

Gulp... It's delicious! It tasted much like the natural spring water I'd drunk in Japan. So magical water is delicious...

"It's really delicious!"

"Of course it is. Magical water is delicious and safe, so nobles use it for both drinking and cooking."

I envied nobles even more...

"Then lastly, the flush toilet."

The toilet was behind one of the doors in the first-floor hallway.

The first thing that surprised me when I opened the toilet door was that it was a Western-style toilet, not a Japanese-style one.

And, like in Japanese toilets, there was a place to wash your hands, with a slot for a magic stone in the middle.

Apparently, you inserted the magic stone for about ten seconds, then removed it once the toilet flushed.

It was a little less convenient than toilets in Japan, but that didn't bother me.

After all, the toilet at my house was a pit toilet. It smelled awful, and I hated it because it was scary how easy it was to fall in.

Marcel-san and I returned to the workshop, sat down, and took a breather.

"So, what did you think of the magic tools?"

"I thought they were incredibly convenient and wonderful!"

"I'm glad to hear it."

Marcel-san's face softened a little, as though he was happy to have his magic tools praised. He really did love magic tools.

Magic tools really were amazing. They were all things I'd given up on because I thought this world didn't have them. But as I looked at them, several questions came to mind.

First, I wondered which was more efficient: magic tools or magic itself. For example, would it use more mana to send air with an air blower, or to have someone who could use Wind magic send it?

I also wondered whether the fact that you could only infuse a magic stone with magic corresponding to your own attributes meant that you could only make magic tools corresponding to those attributes.

I asked Marcel-san these questions.

"As for efficiency, magic tools are overwhelmingly better. Their greatest advantage is that they can be used for a long time with very little mana. And, basically, it's true that you can only make magic tools of your own attributes. However, if someone with another attribute infuses the magic stone for you, you can make magic tools of other attributes too. That was done quite often at the workshop, in fact."

"I see. Then what do you do if the mana in a magic stone runs out?"

"You have someone with that attribute refill it with mana. Magic tools are generally used by nobles, and nobles have servants in their homes, so someone is bound to have the necessary attribute. Even if they don't have anyone with that attribute, a magic tool workshop will refill the mana for a fee."

I see... That's a slightly troublesome feature. Well, I suppose it can't be helped.

Now that I understood what magic tools were like, I could start thinking of machines that could be turned into magic tools!

"Marcel-san, are there any magic tools besides the four you explained?"

"There are plenty of failed prototypes, but these are the only ones used in daily life."

What!? Only these four!? Isn't that a little few...?

"There really aren't very many, are there...?"

"Magic tools only began being made a few decades ago. Many of the ones attempted during that time haven't succeeded."

I see... I can already think of several just from the things coming to mind right now...! This could make me some money!!

"Marcel-san, I've already thought of a few things. If I organize them in my head a little, could I run the ideas by you?"

"You've already thought of some!? Well, I suppose I can at least hear them."

"Please wait a moment."

With that, I began picturing machines that could be turned into magic tools in my head.