I was holed up in the Workshop again early this morning when Noah came to get me, saying it was time for breakfast.
"Lord Finn, you have forgotten breakfast once again, have you not?"
That was the first thing out of his mouth - a scolding.
"...I'm coming now."
I was in the middle of drawing up the specs for the folding fan Magic Tool, but I had no choice but to stop and head to the Dining Hall.
If I improve the prototype I made for myself, making ones for Mother and Tiana won't be hard.
But if I'm going to show it to Uncle Alex, I want to get it a bit more polished first.
When I got to the Dining Hall, everyone had already finished breakfast and was enjoying their after-meal tea.
"Morning," I said as I entered.
"Oh, Finn. You didn't forget breakfast today either," Mother noted with a smile.
"Yeah. Noah came to get me," I replied.
"Big Bro Finn actually has zero life skills without Noah."
I couldn't help but smile wryly at Tiana's words.
"Hahaha! You should come train with the Knight Order sometime!" Father laughed heartily.
"If you move your body, you'll naturally get an appetite. You'll sleep better too. I worry a little about how thin you are, Finn." No, you're just over-trained, Father.
"That's right. I think you should go outside a bit more," Mother added.
"I went to the Lilien Trading Company yesterday," I pointed out.
"Guess that counts as going out, still..." Tiana muttered, exasperated.
"Oh, I'm going to turn that fan you gave me yesterday into a Magic Tool. I'm planning to have it done by the end of today."
"Swear?! Big Bro Finn, you work bare fast, it's proper helpful!"
"That's right. It would be nice if you could use it in everyday life too."
Mother was smiling, but it was obvious her eyes weren't smiling.
"Are you going right back to the Workshop after breakfast?" Mother asked.
"Yeah. I'm still in the middle of the specs I'm giving to Uncle Alex," I answered.
"I see. Don't push yourself too hard."
"...I'll do my best."
After finishing breakfast, I went back to the Workshop.
I need to write carefully so Noah doesn't say "I can't read this" again.
Maybe it's because I have memories from my past life, but the writing in this world is still hard to write.
It's not that I can't read it. But it just doesn't feel right in my hand...
So a long time ago, I thought, "Nobody's going to see this but me, so Japanese is fine," and tried writing the specs in Japanese.
The Magic Tool itself turned out fine, but the moment I showed it to Grandpa and Uncle Alex,
"Is this... ancient script?" they asked. They tilted their heads with serious faces.
In the end, I had to explain everything from scratch...
...In a way, that might be one of my dark history moments too.
-Alright. The specs are done, so now all that's left is to make the folding fan Magic Tool, but... I need the ones for Uncle Alex too.
I want to hand them over with the specs, so I'll just make three for now.
"Oh, Noah, are you there?"
When I opened the Workshop door and called out, there was an answer right away.
"Yes, sir. How may I be of service?"
"You're going to deliver the Magic Tool and specs I gave you yesterday to Uncle Alex this afternoon, right? What time are you planning to go?" I asked.
"Let me see, sir. I intend to depart at roughly two o'clock."
"Then please deliver the folding fan Magic Tool and specs I'm about to make, too," I requested.
"Very good, sir."
After hearing Noah's reply, I went back to the Workshop and started working on the folding fan Magic Tool.
Let me make Uncle's first, because the fan can be black. For Uncle Alex, he'll probably use it regularly at the trading company too, and black won't clash with any outfit.
Even if he just uses it casually, it'll be decent advertising.
Once I picked the fan, things went fast.
I'd already made one before, so the work was familiar.
I drew the Magical circuit on the frame with a Magical circuit pen, then attached the Magic core and the knob to the handle part.
I added the Cooling Function with a Magic circle, and after adjusting the output, it was done.
Once Uncle's was finished, I went straight to work on Mother's and Tiana's.
Once I got into the flow, it was just the same work over and over.
Mother's was a calm light purple fan, and Tiana's was a pale light blue fan.
I drew the Magical circuit on the frame, attached the Magic core and knob, and added the Cooling Function with a Magic circle.
After adjusting the output, both were done without a problem.
Women's fans have slightly thinner frames than men's.
I had to be a bit careful when drawing the Magical circuit, but they turned out fine.
Just as I looked at the Magic clock, Noah called out to me.
"Lord Finn. Lunch is served."
"Ah, I'm coming."
Trivia:
- Finn's habit of writing in Japanese from his past life caused a major misunderstanding when Grandpa and Uncle Alex mistook it for ancient script, forcing a full re-explanation.
- The three fans being made in black, light purple, and light blue correspond directly to Uncle Alex, Mother, and Tiana respectively, subtly encoding family ties through color.
- Finn intends the black fan to double as casual advertising for his Magic Tool craftsmanship whenever Uncle Alex uses it at the trading company.
Notes:
• Noah - Finn's personal attendant. Has been by Finn's side since childhood. Knows Finn well.
• 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.
• Tiana - Younger sister who returns from the academy. Complains about the cold Workshop and worries about their mother. Curious about her brother's inventions.
• Alex - Owner of Lilien Trading Company. Called Uncle Alex by Finn. Experienced merchant with an eye for sellable goods and a close, familiar relationship with Finn's family. Practical about product development and eager to commercialize new magical tools.