Kays Translations

Chapter 14: Making My First Magic Tool

　The next day, while I spent the morning watering the medicinal herb garden and acting as my sister’s horse, a servant came back with the items I had ordered.

　An iron sheet and magic ink. Since all I was making was a simple container to keep medicinal herbs and other materials fresh, these materials alone were enough.

　After lunch, once I had got my sister down for her nap, I set to work at once. If I went at it with a lot of banging it would be noisy and a nuisance, and a servant might come and press me about what I was doing.

　So I cast a soundproofing spell on the room before starting work.

　For bending the iron sheet I use the ‘Craft’ skill. With this skill I can bend metal into whatever shape I like. It does consume magic power, though. Fine detail work is beyond it, but for roughing out a shape this skill alone is plenty.

　Without much trouble, an iron container thirty centimetres square was finished. About twenty centimetres tall. It was the sort of box expensive confectionery comes in, with a lid that pops open. This way the contents would be plain at a glance, and easy to take out.

“Right, good, good — so far so good. Now if I work a magic circle into the lid…”

　I drew the geometric pattern on the underside of the lid in magic ink. I’ve drawn it so many times in the game that my head has it off by heart. I could draw it with my eyes shut, if it came to that. I won’t, since a mistake would be a nuisance.

　Yes, that’s a passable job. I’d overestimated the dexterity of a seven-year-old. My hands don’t move the way I expect them to. This will need practice. Once I’ve finished making this magic tool, I’ll work it into my daily drills.

　Still, I think it will serve well enough as it is.

“All that’s left is to seal the preservation spell into it. Will it take, I wonder?”

　Several minutes of chanting the preservation spell. Just as I was beginning to think it wasn’t going to work, the preservation spell finally soaked into the magic circle. It had cost me a fair amount of magic power.

“If I just drop a magic stone in the box any old how, the magic should carry through the iron and manage well enough. As for how well it works — I’ll find that out by using it.”

　So I put the magic potion materials I had gathered yesterday into the freshly made preservation container. I mean to use these materials first, so even if the magic tool doesn’t work well, I’ll get by.

　Before I knew it, the light outside had turned to sunset. I hurried off to get back into my sister’s good books.

“Big brother, what have you been doing all this time by yourself!”

　At the dinner table I was being taken to task by my sister. Rosalia had apparently meant to spend the afternoon playing with me too. She’d been waiting in the salon the whole time for me to appear, and I never did. I feel rather bad about that.

　Although, strictly speaking, we hadn’t actually agreed to play in the afternoon.

“Sorry, sorry. I just got a bit too caught up in my studies.”

“Studying what?”

　The way she gave a small tilt of her head was so cute that it slipped out before I could stop myself.

“Studying magic tools.”

“Big brother makes magic tools?”

　A question of pure curiosity. The servants attending around us seemed to be listening rather closely. This was a moment where I needed to fudge things.

“I thought I’d make a new magic tool and get rich, but it didn’t work out.”

“Is it difficult?”

“Yes, it’s difficult.”

“Hmmm.”

　With that, my sister went back to her meal. Had she accepted it? At any rate she seemed to have lost interest. After that we carried on with nothing in particular of a conversation.

　Once the meal was over, it was time for a bath. This was supposed to be the hour when I could take my ease.

“Big brotherrr.”

　My sister came bursting in. Ordinarily, with Mother and Grandmother as the two great gatekeepers, my sister never gets into the bath while I’m in it. I’d let my guard down completely.

　But there was no throwing her out at this point, so there was nothing for it but to bathe together.

“Rosalia, don’t tell anyone.”

“All right.”

　Does she really understand, though? I’m most uneasy. Thank goodness I’m seven. Normally a servant comes in and washes me, but perhaps out of tact there was no sign of anyone coming. Nothing for it, so I lifted my sister out of the tub and washed her myself.

“Big brother, there’s a magic tool I want.”

“Oh? And what sort of magic tool is it?”

　Apparently the magic tool conversation wasn’t over after all. Rosalia was looking up at me with her eyes shining. Having said what I did about magic tools, I seem to have raised her hopes considerably.

“I want a magic tool that makes stars!”

“Making stars, hmm.”

　In other words, she wants a planetarium. Something like that I could probably knock together quickly enough. Pierce an iron sheet with countless small holes and secure a light source using the magic circle from a lamp magic tool, and I think it would be easy.

“Do you think you can make it?”

“Hmm. Shall I give it a try?”

“Really?! Thank you, big brother!”

　And with that she hugged me, still stark naked. Hmm. This could land me in trouble. Thank goodness nobody saw.

　Once out of the bath, I got straight down to making the planetarium magic tool. I pierced an iron sheet with countless holes and formed it into a sphere. Then, on the inside, I drew a magic circle that would give off light to serve as the light source.

　The magic stone that would be the energy source I simply dropped inside. When I rolled it, it gave a rattling sound.

　Ah — I’d forgotten the switch. I worked a magic circle into the outside that toggles on and off at a touch. When I tried touching it, a light came on at the centre of the sphere.

　Yes, that looks about right. Carrying the finished magic tool, I headed for my sister’s room.

“Rosalia, I’ve brought you a peace offering for yesterday and today.”

“A peace offering?”

　My cute little sister, tilting her head. Rosalia’s own attendant was waiting in the room. I could hardly have her sent out, so — apologies to her — she’d have to stay put and be a wallflower.

“That’s right. Here.”

　I held out the planetarium magic tool I had just made. Rosalia gazed at it with a puzzled expression.

“Would you put out the light?”

　She showed a flicker of hesitation at my order, but she put the light out. I worked the magic tool in Rosalia’s hands and brought a starry sky into being inside the room.

“Wow! Stars!”

“That’s right. Stars.”

　It was projected not only on the ceiling but on all four walls.

　Of course, I hadn’t reproduced the night sky of this world; I’d only pierced the holes at random. Even so, at a glance it looked like the starry sky of some world or other.

“Big brother, thank you!”

　Her face was too dark to make out, but her voice was bright with delight. Perhaps that eased her loneliness at Mother being away, a little.

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