Chapter 514: The Hair Dryer

The next morning, I returned to the mansion, escorted by Baron Amber and his family. From here on, it was time to write my report—and also, to make sure Rosalia stayed in a good mood.

Once back in my room, I took up my fountain pen and began drafting the report in smooth strokes.

I had to make the material easy to understand and visually clear, so as not to take up any more of Father’s precious time than necessary. Even if it meant using more pages, I’d make full use of the margins, and properly format it with headings and paragraphs.

“Julius-sama, perhaps you should take a short break soon?”

“Already that late? Oh, you’re right. In that case, let’s stop for a bit—and visit the workshop while we’re at it.”

Taking Nero with me, I headed toward the workshop. Rosalia should be in the middle of creating her new magic tool—one she’d proudly named the “Hair Dryer.” I’d once mentioned how convenient it would be to have a magic device designed solely for drying hair.

Of course, I’d already explained to her the principle behind the magic I use to dry my own hair. Using that, it should be perfectly possible to make a hair dryer.

Inside the workshop, Rosalia, Mira, and Lillie were hard at work, wrestling with sheets of paper. Good girl, Rosalia—seems she’s learned to start with blueprints before jumping into action.

As soon as I entered the room, Mira was the first to notice me.

“Kyuu!”

“How about taking a break?”

“Ah, Oniisan! Yes, let’s do that.”

In the workshop’s little break area, Nero was already setting out tea, with Lillie helping her. As always, they were fast—and clearly enjoying themselves. It really was best when everyone worked together.

“Here you go, Mira. Your favorite dried fruit.”

“Kyuu!”

Mira promptly bit down—fingers and all. I decided to take it as a sign of affection, even though my fingers were now sticky. Rosalia downed half her cup of tea in one go—she must have been so focused that she’d forgotten to drink.

“So, how’s the new magic tool coming along?”

“I’m thinking of making it in this shape,” she said, showing me her design.

It looked like a compact version of a hot-and-cold air blower. The output wouldn’t need to be too high—seems feasible enough.

“I think it looks fine. You even included a water magic circle in the design. That might make hair feel smoother.”

“Yes! I took inspiration from the spell you taught me, Brother, and added a water array to it. I only hope it works well…”

“It will. I’m sure of it.”

With that, we were well on the way to creating a magic device specialized for drying hair—and this time, made by Rosalia herself, not me. Perfect.

The materials, however… iron, huh? Wouldn’t that get too hot?

“Rosalia, perhaps it’d be better to use fireproof wood instead. If you make it from iron, it could heat up too much and burn your hand. I’ve made that mistake before.”

“Fireproof wood, you say? That’s a rather rare material, isn’t it?”

“Is it? Well, since this will probably be marketed toward nobles, a higher price shouldn’t be an issue.”

Fireproof wood was resistant to burning and didn’t conduct heat easily. Using it should eliminate the overheating problem. The air blower I’d made earlier used ordinary wood—common stuff found in any market—but since this device’s magic array was closer to the casing, it could become dangerously hot.

“What do you think of the shape?”

“Hmm…”

The blueprint showed something shaped like a megaphone. It looked designed to dry a wide area at once, but that might weaken the air flow. Maybe a more familiar “L-shaped” dryer would be better.

“You’d get a narrower range, but the airflow would be stronger and dry faster. What about this shape? It’d also make it smaller and easier to hold.”

I grabbed a sheet of paper and quickly sketched it out. For people in this world, it must have been a completely foreign design—they all stared like I’d just drawn something bizarre. Well, fair enough.

“Julius-sama, that’s quite an unusual shape.”

“It might be, but I think it’s easier to use. If we’re making something new, we should aim for usability, not just performance.”

Rosalia nodded earnestly, seeming to understand. Good. The message had gotten through. This was where my role ended—Rosalia could handle the rest. With her skill, she’d likely finish it before I left.

After that, we dropped the topic of crafting and simply enjoyed our tea in peace.

When tea time was over and I returned to my room, I finished the remaining sections of my report. It took longer than expected, but I managed to complete it in a single day. Seems my own capabilities have improved too.

“Finally done. Nero, could you read it and tell me what you think?”

“May I really read it?”

“Of course. It’s all things you already know anyway.”

I handed the report to Nero, though I hesitated a little. Was this technically classified? Probably not… right?

Nero read swiftly. By now, he’d become quite adept at reading and writing, thanks to our shared study sessions. His comprehension was excellent—he really was exceptional. If people found out how capable he was, I bet many would try to recruit him.

“Julius-sama, it’s extremely easy to read! Even I could understand everything at once.”

“Really? Then it should be safe to show Father.”

“When he reads this report, he’ll be amazed!”

“Well, I’d rather he didn’t have to be amazed, honestly…”

Nero’s eyes sparkled as he said it, and that sparkle somehow made me anxious. I had a bad feeling Father might end up holding his head in his hands again. Maybe I shouldn’t show him after all? Perhaps I should let Lionel handle the report writing instead.

Still, since I’d gone through the trouble of making it myself, I decided to submit it properly. I couldn’t rely on Lionel forever. It was about time I learned to handle reports on my own.

With Nero’s stamp of approval, I took the finished report in hand and headed for Father’s office.