Kays Translations

Chapter 459: You’re Used to It by Now

Since the water had just boiled, I thought about making tea, but unfortunately there was nowhere in the workshop to drink it. That was not ideal. We needed a small rest area where everyone could refresh themselves whenever their thoughts became stuck. Naturally, I would keep tea there for anyone to enjoy.

While I was considering where to put it, Rosalia arrived at the workshop. Her morning lessons seemed to have just ended.

“Brother Julius, you were already here.”

“I wanted to see how the workshop was doing. I’m relieved that everything has been going well even without me.”

“That is not true at all. We have had many failures… Brother Julius, what is this?”

Rosalia immediately noticed the water boiler surrounded by the craftspeople. She stared at it intently. Had she also been involved in developing this magic tool?

“When did this happen…? Is it already finished?”

“Y-yes, it is more or less complete, I suppose. There is still room for improvement, though.”

Rosalia asked the craftspeople how to use it and switched it on. The water boiled again, the switch flipped and the melody played. Rosalia trembled slightly. This was bad. I should have worked on it while she was present, but I had not known when she would arrive…

“I wanted to watch you make it too, Brother Julius.”

“W-wait! In that case, I’ll draw up the blueprints right now, and we can make another one together. Everyone is all right with that, aren’t they?”

“I-I understand.”

“Of course!”

When Rosalia looked close to tears, everyone began to panic. I hurriedly started drawing the blueprints. In the meantime, I asked Nero to arrange the rest area.

And so the morning passed while I taught everyone how to build the water boiler.

“With this, even I can make tea.”

“Everyone is free to drink the tea here. There is dried fruit as well.”

“Kyuu!”

Nero had done an excellent job. The space was a little cramped, but being able to rest right beside the work area was a blessing. Mira also looked delighted to receive some dried fruit. The craftspeople began taking turns using the rest area.

“With the water boiler, we could drink hot tea in the garden too. The weather will only grow colder from now on, so it will be perfect for warming ourselves.”

“Whenever we carry hot water from the estate’s kitchen, it cools slightly on the way. This magic tool will be very useful.”

Nero seemed pleased with the magic tool too. Of course, it was possible to heat water with magic, but doing so required precise mana control and was therefore uncommon.

Naturally, Nero could do it, but it probably demanded intense concentration. Sometimes he furrowed his brow while heating water.

“We could also make a luxury model for nobles and wealthy households. If we decorated the exterior, it would look suitably elegant.”

One of the craftspeople hummed appreciatively while sipping tea and taking notes. After their experience making glass pens, I expected them to produce some stylish designs. It seemed I could leave the rest to them. It would be better not to interfere too much, or I might hinder their growth.

As we enjoyed tea together, lunchtime drew near. Brother Alex had sent a message earlier, so I needed to return to the estate for a while.

The inspection of the Heine Trading Company would take place after lunch. It seemed I had stayed at the workshop too long.

“Brother Julius, I’ll take this home. I’m sure Brother Alex will be surprised.”

“Yes, he probably will—ahaha…”

Rosalia apparently intended to bring the water boiler home and proudly show it to Brother Alex. I knew he would discover it eventually, but I had not expected it to happen so soon. If I made a new magic tool the day after returning, he might be exasperated. Well, perhaps he was used to it by now.

I returned to the estate and went to the dining hall. Brother Alex and the others were already there. Just as Brother Alex asked the servants to bring lunch, Rosalia set the water boiler down on the table with a thump.

“Rosalia, what exactly is that?”

“It is the magic tool I mentioned before. It boils water in an instant.”

“If I remember correctly, did that project not end in failure?”

Brother Alex and Sister-in-law Daniela exchanged glances. It seemed they knew about the attempt to create the water boiler and also knew that it had failed.

“Brother Julius completed it. This is the finished product!”

“…May I try it?”

“Of course!”

The melody announcing that the water had boiled rang through the dining hall. When the lid was opened, steam billowed out. The room fell silent, and the servants stared at the water boiler with wide eyes.

“As expected of Julius.”

“Indeed. I never imagined he would make a new magic tool on the very day after his return.”

“Brother Alex, that is not quite right. This magic tool was already almost complete. I only made a few adjustments.”

“Hmm… Julius, you may see it that way, but this was a tool we thought over again and again without ever managing to make it work.”

I nearly blurted out, “What?” but managed to stop myself. Apparently, not only Rosalia and the craftspeople but Brother Alex had also been involved in developing this magic tool. Sister-in-law Daniela probably had too; she was staring at the boiler as though she could not believe it.

In other words, I had effortlessly completed a magic tool that everyone else had given up on. No wonder they treated me as its inventor. Had I known this would happen, I would have limited myself to offering advice. How had it come to this…?

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