"...It's hot."
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and the paper in my hand rustled. I let out a sigh-who knows how many times now-and stared at the blueprints spread across my desk.
"At this rate, I won't come up with any good ideas..."
Things that were totally normal in my past life just don't exist in this world, so then, I'll just make them. That's what I told myself, and that's why I'm aiming to become a magical tool maker-but...
"Last year, a fan was enough to keep things comfy. But this year, I feel like that alone won't get me through the summer..."
By the way, the reason this world has such a groundbreaking magical tool as the fan is all thanks to my grandpa. He came up with it 15 years ago, and it spread like wildfire. Now it's so common that not just nobles, but regular folks have them too.
"Is this summer just extra hot... or is it... global warming?!"
No, come on. This isn't Japan... and definitely not Earth. No way, right?
Come to think of it, after Grandpa made the fan, he kept improving it-adding wind speed controls, making it quieter, stuff like that. But a magical tool that blows cold air still doesn't exist.
...Weird, right?
If you can create wind, you'd think you could lower the temperature too. Seriously, if I had an air conditioner here-the kind I relied on so much in my past life-I could get through this summer in comfort.
...If I had one? No, I don't.
"Guess I'll make one..."
If I use the fan's magical circuit as a base, blowing cold air itself isn't that hard. The problem is temperature control. Just blowing cold air would be doable with current tech, but that would make the room way too cold.
"To stay comfortable, you need to keep it at a steady temperature..," I said as I stared at the blueprints. But "This control magic circle is tricky..."
There is no point sitting here worrying forever, so I decided to just try building it first. For a room this size, one small magic core should be enough. Well, if it's not, I can just adjust it. A small core doesn't use much energy, making it perfect for a prototype, and now, the main body is the issue.
"Making a box out of iron plates that are easy to work with is probably the simplest way..."
Air conditioners in my past life were mounted on walls, but this is a marquis's estate in the royal capital, so I can't just drill holes in the walls. If I asked Dad, he might give permission, but since this is a prototype, I should think about what happens if it fails, so a floor-standing unit it is then.
But the problem is what to do with the heat generated during cooling. Air conditioners in my past life had a device to release heat outside.
"I'll need a magic circle that acts like an outdoor unit too..."
Well, I'll think about that later-right now, it's about working the main body.
I wrapped the iron plate in magical energy. As the hard metal slowly softened, I carefully shaped it. If I bent it with brute force, it would warp, so keeping the magic steady, I changed the shape little by little. Bending it slowly, I formed it into a box, and next, I made the fan blades to change the airflow direction.
"Three front louvers should be enough..."
I attached the three slender blades to the main body and ran magic through the joints to fuse the metal together, then I made fine adjustments so the blades would move smoothly. The remaining steps are installing the magical circuit and the control magic circle, which is the heart of the whole thing.
"Alright... this is where it gets real."
The moment I thought that, there came a knock at the door, and I looked up at the sound.
"Young Master Finn, it's time for lunch," a servant's voice came from the other side of the workshop door.
"Already that time, huh..," I muttered as I glanced at the magic clock, realizing that somehow, it was already past noon. Losing track of time when I get absorbed in something-that hasn't changed since forever.
"Got it. I'm coming," I replied.
I cleaned up the blueprints and stood up. A new magical tool project was starting today, and for now, I just hoped this hot summer would get a little more comfortable. That's how lightly I thought I was starting this.
Trivia:
- The protagonist's casual mention of "global warming" reveals he retains clear memories and modern knowledge from his past life on Earth, which will likely inform his inventions throughout the series.
- The fan was introduced only 15 years ago by the grandfather, meaning the protagonist grew up in a world where this technology was still relatively new, shaping his perspective on what is possible.
- The detail about not being able to drill holes in the marquis estate walls hints at the rigid social constraints nobles face, contrasting with the protagonist's inventive freedom.
Notes:
• Finn - Third son of a marquis family and a magical tool maker. Graduated from an academy and became a full magical tool maker after apprenticing. Currently staying at the family estate during summer. Working on a prototype magical tool that can cool the air, using a fan blower's magical circuit as a base. Has a tendency to forget meals when absorbed in work, though this has improved. Finds the dining room and hallways uncomfortably hot. Wears his shirt with two buttons undone at home. Knows Noah well since childhood. Third son of a marquis family living in the royal capital. Aspiring magical tool maker who retains memories of a past life. Currently working on creating a cooling magical device to deal with an unusually hot summer. Gets absorbed in work and loses track of time.