Kays Translations

Chapter 53: Hair Troubles

After our bath, it was time for dinner. Instead of sitting opposite one another at the enormous formal dining table, we ate side by side in the smaller breakfast room.

A meal for only two felt lonely in the large dining room, and Rosalia appeared pleased by the change.

Her hair was still damp from the bath. The servants had used towels and wind magic, but even that hadn’t dried it completely. Wet hair might also stain the expensive upholstery in the formal room, which was another reason I had chosen this one.

“Drying long hair must be difficult.”

“It’s, but I don’t want to cut it short.”

Women in this world commonly wore their hair long, treating it as a symbol of femininity. Even most female knights kept long hair; only a few cut it short.

“In that case, it can’t be helped. It would be useful if there were magic that could dry it more quickly.”

“The servants use wind magic, but it takes a long time. Maintaining a gentle breeze is difficult, so sometimes it suddenly goes whoosh—then whoosh again.”

The fact that she imitated the blasts twice suggested that the experience was far from pleasant. It probably sent loose objects flying around the room as well.

Producing a weak, perfectly steady stream of magic required advanced control. Even House Heine didn’t employ many servants capable of it.

I could probably manage, but if I demonstrated that skill, I might be expected to dry Rosalia’s, Mother’s, and Grandmother’s hair every evening. I didn’t want all my free time to disappear.

“You should practise it during your magic lessons, Rosalia. Then you’ll understand how difficult delicate control can be.”

“Can you do it, Big brother?”

She looked at me with bright, expectant eyes.

I didn’t want to disappoint her, but neither did I want to say, Of course. That answer would condemn me to becoming the family hair dryer. My parents already thought I indulged Rosalia too much.

“I’m not sure. Perhaps I could manage after enough practice.”

“Then you must practise very hard!”

“That might be excessive. Wouldn’t it be better to create a magic tool that dries hair?”

“A magic tool for drying hair? Please make it immediately!”

Rosalia forgot her table manners and began pleading excitedly. I warned her, but she was too enthusiastic to listen.

She clearly wanted the device very badly, so I decided to design a hot-and-cold air blower. The shower system already used circles that generated wind and heat, which made the idea feasible.

A hand-held device was still impossible, however. The necessary magic circles were too large. Revealing a method for miniaturising them might revolutionise magic-tool technology, and I didn’t want to cause that kind of upheaval.

After dinner, I began sketching the blueprint. My first idea used a square main body that generated and heated air, with a tube directing the airflow towards the user.

A flexible metal bellows would have allowed the tube to move freely, but the required manufacturing technology didn’t yet exist. I could make one with my Craft skill, but other artisans wouldn’t be able to reproduce it.

Hammering an iron plate into a flexible bellows by hand was beyond me. A hose made from tough monster hide might work, but it would probably smell dreadful.

After further thought, I chose a design resembling a bladeless standing fan. The casing would be cylindrical. Wind-producing and heating circles at the bottom would drive warm air upwards, and a round opening near the top would direct it sideways.

Knobs could regulate both airflow and temperature. With the heat disabled, it could serve as a fan in summer.

Better yet, I could add a cooling circle. Then the same device would dry hair, heat a room, or cool it—three uses in one magic tool. The possibilities were exciting.

“Did you think of something good, Big brother?”

“I believe I can make an excellent device. The structure will be complicated, though, and it may consume magic stones rather quickly.”

“Please tell me what it’ll do.”

Rosalia pressed against my back. I stroked her head and explained the design.

She bounced with delight until her attendant reprimanded her. Rosalia ignored the warning entirely. Would the servant report this behaviour to Mother? I hoped not.

The next day, I began developing the new magic tool. I couldn’t devote all my time to it, however.

I wanted to tour the territory with Gyre and Christopher, improve the elementary stamina-recovery potion, and rebuild my somewhat neglected friendships with Fabienne and Edward.

Friends would be important when I eventually attended the academy. I had to avoid becoming the student who knew no one at all.

I also needed to supervise the improvements at the knight order’s training grounds. The knights were handling most of the construction, but I still needed to inspect the work each day.

I was going to be busy.

Even so, being busy was far better than having nothing to do.

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