Kays Translations

Chapter 319: Whenever I Look Away

Rosalia was in the workshop. She appeared to have finished her lessons before I did and was making a magic-stone hand warmer, though her movements were slightly unsteady. Her tutor must have worked her hard.

“Rosalia, you are working hard.”

“Brother.”

“Working hard is important, but do not overdo it. You need to look after yourself if you want to make good products.”

“Yes, you are right!”

“Kyuu!”

Rosalia leapt into my arms, with Mira right beside her. Was this how they cared for their well-being? If so, I had no choice but to accept it.

After I held them both for a while, Rosalia looked up at me.

“Are you making something new?”

“Yes. During today’s lesson, my tutor tested the pencil with an attached eraser and suggested several improvements. I am going to make products that address them.”

“May I watch?”

“Of course.”

Rosalia released me at once, but Mira continued clinging to me. Had I made them feel lonely? In that case, I would let them stay there a little longer.

I took a metal plate from the materials box. I would begin with that.

“What are you making?”

“I will roll this into a cylinder that fits around a pencil. It will make a short pencil long enough to hold comfortably.”

As I demonstrated with my hands, Nero, who had been silent until then, murmured in admiration, “I see.”

However, an attached eraser would prevent the pencil from fitting inside, so a separate eraser would be necessary. I decided to make the pencil extender first.

Using Craft, I shaped the plate as though it had been extruded through a press. I cut grooves into the upper section and attached a piece that would grip the pencil.

“All right, it is finished. Craft made that easy.”

“It is amazing.”

“Amazing.”

“You finished it in no time.”

“Kyuu.”

I turned around, smiling at how easily the work had gone, only to be met by their chorus of praise. It was a little embarrassing. Rather than dwell on it, I decided to have Nero test the extender immediately.

“Nero, you have a short pencil, do you not? May I borrow it?”

“Yes, here it is.”

I tried to insert the pencil Nero handed me, but, as expected, the eraser on its end prevented it from fitting.

“Nero, I am going to cut off the eraser. Then I insert the pencil like this and twist this section to tighten it… There. It is secure.”

I wrote with it first, and it worked perfectly well. Nero tested it next and seemed satisfied.

“Now we can use a pencil right down to the stub.”

“We will need pencils without attached erasers too. They will be easier to make. Oh, and I will make a pencil extender for Lelie as well.”

“Thank you very much!”

She had been staring at it longingly. An extender matching her beloved brother’s would surely delight her.

Since it was my second attempt, I quickly made another one. I also produced an extra extender for Rosalia.

“Thank you, Brother. Do you think Brother Alex would like one too?”

“That is a good point. Let us make one for Brother Alex together.”

“Yes!”

I guided Rosalia through the process. As expected of another Craft user, she succeeded after only a little instruction. Her skill was improving remarkably quickly. I could not afford to become complacent.

Next came the eraser. I would probably need the alchemy room to make it. I told Rosalia that I had something else to do and headed there.

This was the real challenge. I had to create something entirely new. I knew roughly what I wanted, but the only way to discover whether it would work was to try.

In the game, erasers had been grouped with pencils under “writing implements” rather than listed separately under “daily necessities.” I therefore had no idea what the skill would produce if I selected that category, so I had never attempted it.

In the compounding room, I immediately began mixing different substances into natural rubber: olive oil, sesame oil, clay, sand, and more. The most promising combination appeared to be slime oil and sand.

Once I had chosen the materials, only the proportions remained. I adjusted the ratios and examined each result.

“I did it. The eraser is complete. It was easier than I expected—though still a little tricky.”

“Congratulations. Creating something entirely new from raw materials is quite a challenge.”

“It is. Making magic tools is difficult too, but their materials are more or less predetermined, so the process is less mentally taxing.”

I immediately asked Nero to test the eraser. It removed the writing far better than the previous version. The slime oil seemed to provide just the right amount of tackiness. Materials unique to this world were proving more useful than I had expected.

Eager to show Rosalia and Lelie, I returned to the workshop, but Rosalia was nowhere to be found. Had she gone to the salon?

When I entered the salon, I found Rosalia with Brother Alex and Sister-in-law Daniela. The two adults appeared to be taking a break from work, so I greeted them.

“Good work today, Brother Alex, Sister-in-law Daniela.”

“You too, Julius. Rosalia tells me you are developing another product. You seem to create something new every time I look away.”

“It may add to your workload, but I think this product is necessary.”

Was he going to scold me? As I wondered, a hand settled on my head. I looked up to find Brother Alex smiling.

“Do not worry about it. You may make whatever you like, Julius. I do not possess your talent for development, but I can help bring the things you create to the wider world.”

Sister-in-law Daniela smiled beside him. I had not realised they felt that way. I had thought I was merely piling more work onto them.

“However, Julius, becoming too prominent could attract dangerous attention.”

“Yes. At this rate, your fame may grow beyond what is safe.”

Sister-in-law Daniela looked troubled, and I shared her concern. I hoped they could find a way to keep my name out of the public eye.

Previous chapter | TOC | Next chapter