Chapter 93
"I'm sorry! I got lost in thought."
"That's all right, but did you think of something?"
Stephan asked me that. Information about the newly registered magic items is already circulating, right? I'm pretty sure Rongo-sensei mentioned it in class.
"Yes. The newly registered magic items use a technique that makes magic manifest away from the magic stone, right? If we applied that to light orbs too, I thought we wouldn't need to install the magic item in the ceiling..."
"That's... magnificent! Absolutely magnificent!"
Oh... Rongo-sensei got so excited that he stood up with his fists clenched.
"Why didn't I realize that!? I had assumed that the magic stone itself was what lit up in a light orb. Leon, your ingenuity is magnificent!"
Ouch! Rongo-sensei, please don't grip my shoulder so tightly!
"I-I'm glad I could be of help."
"Let's try it right away! Does anyone here have the Healing affinity?"
"I have the Healing affinity."
"Leon, you have the Healing affinity!? Then let's test it right away."
Rongo-sensei said that, then took a light orb from among the magic items he had stuffed into his bag.
"Try infusing it with magic again."
"Certainly."
Hmm... I need to make the light orb float near the ceiling, right? The ceiling is about three meters up in this room, but since the magic item is currently on the desk, maybe I should picture it about two meters above the desk...
This means the magic I infuse depends on where the magic item is placed. The magic has to be infused separately for each room where it will be used.
"Rongo-sensei, I just realized: since what magic needs to be infused depends on where the magic item is placed, as well as the room's shape and size, it has to be infused separately for each room, doesn't it?"
"That is true... But that much effort shouldn't be a problem. There should be people with the Healing affinity in noble households, and even if there aren't, we can have one come to the house."
"That's true. In that case, I'll try it. Is it all right to assume that the magic item will be placed here when it's used?"
"For now, that'll do."
"Certainly."
I carefully imagined where I wanted the light orb to float... About thirty centimeters below the ceiling should do.
All right... 'Light.'
"I've done it."
"Then fit the magic stone back into it."
"Yes."
Oh! A light orb was properly created right by the ceiling.
"Amazing! Amazing!"
"For now, we've proven that it's possible to create light at a distance."
"Leon... You make amazing things seem so easy."
"Brother, that's Leon for you."
"But all I did was apply the technology used in a new magic item to a light orb... I think other people will figure it out soon too."
Stephan said that, but was this really such an amazing thing?
"Someone would have noticed eventually. However, few people would be able to break through the preconception that light orbs are things where the magic stone itself shines and notice this fact. Once you realize it, it's simple enough."
It was true that preconceptions could prevent you from noticing even simple things. Hmm... Was it really that hard?
Still, this wasn't the finished product. I wanted to add a switch.
"I see. Even this alone would make it more convenient, so I think it's good as it is. But if possible, would it be all right to make it a little more convenient?"
"Leon, you're going to make it even more convenient? Isn't it good enough already?"
Lucien said that with a slightly exasperated look. No, it would definitely be more convenient with a switch.
"It's only a little more."
"Leon, tell us about it right now."
Rongo-sensei was incredibly enthusiastic. He leaned forward so eagerly that his face came right up to mine. Uh... Sensei, you're way too close.
"A-all right. I'll explain it right away."
After that, I explained the switch function I'd thought of earlier.
"This will make it much more convenient..."
"Yes. We could embed this function in the wall, or if replacing the magic stone would be difficult, we could make it into an easily removable box-shaped unit and attach that to the wall instead of embedding it."
"Leon... This is magnificent! Couldn't it be applied to every magic item!? If we attached this function to water taps and flush toilets, they would become incredibly convenient! It could work for fans too. It could even be used with new magic items. It could be attached to every magic item!"
He was right. Flush toilets and running water would become much more convenient. It had been such a hassle to attach and remove the magic stones every time. Well, it was a pretty luxurious problem to have.
"You're right. It could be applied to everything."
"We have to try it right away! I'm going to ask my favorite blacksmith to make a sample. A light orb should be fine for now. I'll have him rush it and bring it tomorrow after school, so you must come to the club tomorrow after school."
"Y-yes..."
Rongo-sensei's enthusiasm was overwhelming...
"Once we have a working model, I'll take it to the royal palace and register the technology!"
"What's technology registration?"
Was that different from registering a magic item?
"It's something similar to magic item registration. When you develop a useful mechanism or something similar and register the technology, it can be widely distributed, and the developer receives usage fees whenever someone else uses that mechanism."
So this was basically like a patent system too.
"Isn't this mechanism considered magic item registration?"
"No, since it can be applied broadly, it's technology registration. It will be registered under Leon's name. You're coming to the royal palace with me, too."
"What!? Me too?"
"You came up with it, so of course you are."
That was true... I hadn't been able to register things under my own name before because it would have been too suspicious. But now that I was enrolled at the Royal Academy and had the backing of a ducal family, I could register it. I wasn't revealing that I had all affinities, either. I had been told not to register any new magic items before, but technology registration should be fine... Probably.
Besides, if I registered it, that meant I would receive money regularly, right? That was kind of exciting!
"You're right. Will you be coming to the royal palace with me?"
"It's my student's invention. Of course I'm going with you."
"Thank you!"
Rongo-sensei was a bit eccentric, but he was a good person. Going alone would have been far too frightening.
"In any case, we need to make a sample first. I have to visit a blacksmith, so please excuse me. Everyone, I'll be leaving first."
Rongo-sensei said that, then left like a storm. It was over in an instant...
So what were we supposed to do now? The two upperclassmen were fidgeting uncertainly, looking lost after Sensei had left.
"Stephan-sama, it seems that Sensei has gone home. What shall we do now?"
"Hmm... It's a little early, but I suppose we should head home too."
"I agree. Miguel-sama, Loïc-sama, will you two be staying a while longer?"
"Y-yes. We'll stay a little longer and continue our research."
Come to think of it, what kind of research were the two of them conducting?
"What kind of research are you two working on?"
"We're researching whether we can somehow create a Purification magic item. Both of us have the Healing affinity."
Oh! I want to research that too! Ordinary magic items become more mana-efficient, allowing them to be used with far less mana than casting the magic directly. However, Purification's mana efficiency doesn't change. Purification already has terribly poor mana efficiency to begin with, so even if we made it into a magic item, it would still be unusable.
If I remember correctly, cleaning a toilet would require using a fully charged magic stone to recharge it several times. That would be far too inefficient to be practical.
If only we could improve its mana efficiency somehow...
"If I remember correctly, even making it into a magic item wouldn't improve its mana efficiency, so it wouldn't be a usable magic item, right?"
"Yes. It's already an inefficient spell, and if that doesn't change when it's made into a magic item, no one will use it. We're hoping that we can improve its efficiency somehow and make something practical."
"What kind of magic item are you considering?"
"For example, I think a portable toilet would be convenient. Wouldn't it be incredibly useful during a carriage journey? Ideally, it would purify everything after someone used it..."
"That's wonderful!"
Martine suddenly joined the conversation.
"Once that magic item was complete, carriage travel would become much more convenient. I'd like to help with the research too! I have the Healing affinity as well!"
Oh... Martine was getting carried away too...
The two upperclassmen completely froze. Researching with a princess? They looked utterly at a loss.
"Let's research together, Leon. You have the Healing affinity too, don't you?"
Oh... I've been dragged into this too... Martine was incredibly lively. There was no way I could refuse. Sorry, upperclassmen.
"Yes. I have the Healing affinity, so I'll help too."
"Miguel, Loïc, would it be all right if Martine and Leon joined the research as well?"
Stephan-sama checked with the two of them just in case, but there was no way anyone in this country could refuse that!
"Y-yes, of course."
"That would be very reassuring."
The two of them answered while turning pale. Let's do our best together, upperclassmen.
"Stephan-sama, if the four of them will be conducting that research, what should we do?"
"Lucien has the Fire affinity, right?"
"Yes."
"Since I have the Water affinity, it might be difficult for us to work on the same project..."
"In that case, shall we each come up with a new magic item?"
"Yes. Coming up with a new magic item sounds interesting."
So the two of them were going to think of new magic items. New magic items using Fire and Water magic... Maybe I should think of something too.
"Then we'll head home. Miguel, Loïc, I look forward to working with you from now on."
"Yes. We look forward to working with you as well."
"We look forward to working with you."
After exchanging those greetings, the four of us set off for home.
Phew... There'll be difficult things, but this looks like it's going to get fun. I'm starting to feel a little excited.