――Alexis――
I was in the guild master's office, looking over some papers, when there was a knock at the door.
"Pardon me, sir," Noah called out from the doorway.
The one who came in was Noah, a servant of the Rosen family.
"Lord Alexis, I have arrived to deliver the Magic Tool and spec sheet which Lord Finn requested I bring to you."
"Oh! Noah. You brought the Magic Tool right away, huh," I said.
I took the Magic Tool and the spec sheet and looked them over.
"Hm? There are two Magic Tools and two spec sheets..." I muttered.
Looking at what was handed to me, it hit me right away.
"Ah! This is that fan-shaped Magic Tool Finn was holding yesterday!" I exclaimed.
I looked back and forth between the spec sheet and the fan.
Yesterday he said it was still a prototype, but it's already in shape?
"It's already finished too. He's as fast as ever," I remarked, and I couldn't help but smile.
"Yes, sir. My delivery is complete. With your permission, I shall take my leave."
"Ah, thank you. You've been a big help."
Noah bowed and left the guild master's office.
Now then, first up is the Magic Tool that blows cold air, the one I tried out in the carriage yesterday.
"It still doesn't have an official name, huh," I noted.
I'll have Finn decide on one next time he comes.
...I see. So it can be controlled remotely, and with this control panel for operating it, you can use it from anywhere in the room... That's super convenient!
You can adjust it with the knob part... got it.
The magic core can be a small one too, huh. This way we can keep production costs down, and there shouldn't be any problem even if we mass-produce it.
The cooling function is handled by a magic circle, huh. It's a bit more complicated than the Blower, but we should be able to keep the price down on this one too.
If we make fancy decorations for nobles and keep it simple for commoners, it'll be easy to set different prices.
"Let me try it out in this room for now," I decided.
I set it up by the wall just like the spec sheet said, and pressed the switch on the control panel.
"Oh...! It's cool," I murmured.
For a room the size of the master's office, the whole room gets cool in one or two minutes, huh. When we sell these, I should check on that too.
It's really comfortable, though. This summer's gonna be especially hot. I've gotta be grateful to Finn for making something this good at a time like this.
...Which means I need to prioritize getting the craftsmen to make these, and get them ready in time for summer sales.
Good thing we can get started before summer really kicks in.
If we start selling to high-ranking nobles, even if the numbers are small, we can just sell them in order. Once word spreads among the nobles, more people will want them.
Something this handy should first go to His Majesty. Which means... I'll need five units: His Majesty's office, the Queen's room, the Crown Prince's room, the Second Prince's room, and the Princess's room.
Besides the five units for the royal family, we need to secure a few for the guild too.
Now then, next is the fan-shaped Magic Tool I've been curious about.
This one's based on the Blower too, huh. I see. The magical circuit in the frame is really beautiful.
It's hard to tell in the daytime, but the magical circuit drawn on the frame glows faintly blue. At night, that beauty will stand out even more. It's not just practical—it has value as a decoration too. If more people use them at evening parties, they'll catch on among noble ladies.
Should I buy the fan bodies and have Lilien Trading Company's craftsmen make them, or work with small-goods craftsmen who make fans...?
Working with fan craftsmen seems like the way to go this time. I also need to hurry and get the Cooling Magic Tool ready.
I should prepare fan-shaped Magic Tools for His Majesty, the Queen, the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Princess too, and give them all together.
If the royal family uses them, there's no better reputation boost.
First, I've gotta give the craftsmen their instructions.
Getting the Cooling Magic Tool into mass production, talking with the fan craftsmen, and preparing the tribute to the Royal Castle.
There's a mountain of things to do, even so...
Just how much stuff does Finn plan to come up with?
He's had a talent for Magic Tools since he was little.
Even so, he's barely an adult and he's already making Magic Tools this groundbreaking.
As his uncle, and as a merchant, I've gotta keep supporting that talent of his.
Trivia:
- Alexis mentally lists five separate royal chambers needing the Cooling Magic Tool, revealing he already sees the royal family as individual customers with distinct needs rather than a single bulk order.
- The fan-shaped Magic Tool's magical circuit glows faintly blue in daylight but would shine more beautifully at night, hinting it was designed with evening parties and social display in mind, not just function.
- Alexis's internal shift from calling Finn talented since childhood to acknowledging him as barely an adult making groundbreaking work shows a quiet emotional arc from family pride to professional awe.
Notes:
• Alexis - Guild master of Lilien Trading Company and uncle to Finn. Reads through documents in the guild master's office while handling business matters. Shows deep pride in Finn's talent for crafting Magic Tools and thinks strategically about production, pricing tiers for nobles versus commoners, and distribution to the royal family.
• 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.
• 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.