"Why's this workshop so cold?!" Tiana shouted as she barged in.
"Welcome back," I said calmly.
Looks like Tiana got home from school, making me wonder if it was already that time.
"That ain't a 'welcome back'! It's way too cold, innit!" she huffed.
"Really? I thought I set it to a comfortable temperature..," I replied.
"If this is comfortable, then your senses are proper broken, big brother Finn!"
Looking at Tiana hugging her arms like she's freezing, I realized maybe the first prototype needed more adjusting. No, it's working fine as a Magic tool, so the problem is simply the temperature setting. Still, there should be people who find this temperature comfortable; Dad and my oldest brother work as knights, so they should run hot anyway. Then the problem isn't the cooling power, but the range of temperatures.
"So, did you need something?" I asked.
"It's almost dinner time. If you don't eat properly, you'll make Mom worry!" she chided. "Plus, I was dead curious about what kind of Magic tool you're making, so I came to check it out."
"I know. I'm at a good stopping point, so I'll head to the dining hall," I told her. "By the way, the Magic tool I'm making now is a revolutionary thing that lets you stay comfortable on hot days without leaving your room."
"That's just being a proper shut-in, innit," she scoffed.
"You don't have to go all the way to a summer resort, you know?" I pointed out.
"Normally you go somewhere dead cool, though!"
"But you don't have to travel, right?" I argued.
"That ain't the point!"
The Workshop is too small to make accurate adjustments, whereas the dining hall is about the right size and close to the environment where it'll actually be used.
"I'll take the prototype to the dining hall," I decided out loud.
"What? That freezing thing?!" Tiana gasped.
"The size is different here compared to the dining hall," I explained. "If I want to check the cooling effect, it's better to test it in a bigger space. Plus, I can get everyone's opinions on how much adjustment is needed, so it's perfect timing."
"…You're gonna test it during dinner?"
"Wouldn't it be better to eat somewhere a little cooler than in the heat?" I reasoned.
"…"
"…Should I bring a blanket then…" she mumbled.
I picked up the first prototype and headed to the dining hall with Tiana. When we got to the dining hall, I set up the Magic tool right away.
However, the cooling effect should change depending on where you put it. Near the entrance where people come and go, the cold air escapes easily, so the back of the room where the air spreads steadily is better. If I put it against the far wall, the cold air should flow through the whole room smoothly.
"You've been making that this whole time?" Mom asked, having come to the dining hall earlier, as she looked at the Magic tool placed in the corner.
"Yeah, since we're here, let's eat in a cool room," I said, turning on the Magic tool.
When I sent magic power through it, the cooling Magic circle started to glow faintly. Then the air-blowing Magic circle responded too, and a quiet sound came from inside the Magic tool.
"…It's cool. Good call bringing it to the dining hall," I noted. "The cold air really spreads differently in a bigger space."
"Oh my…! It really is cool," Mom gasped gently.
Judging by Mom's reaction, the temperature setting isn't bad.
"Lately, just the Blower hasn't been enough for me. Even in a summer dress, hot days are just unbearable…" Mom admitted. "If I had this in my private room, I could be so comfortable."
True, it's not just people who are active outside who feel the heat. Maybe Mom and Tiana, who spend time in the mansion, need this too.
"It's still a prototype, so I need to adjust it more," I reassured her, "but once it's done, I'll install one in your room too, Mom."
"Oh my! Thank you. I'm looking forward to it," Mom smiled.
Depending on the room size, I could make the body a bit smaller. If I'm putting it in Mom's private room, this size is a little too rough-looking. If it's Uncle Alex, he could handle the decorations and exterior adjustments, so I'll just leave that part to him.
""It's cool!!"" Bruno and Emile called out in unison as they entered.
"Welcome back, Bruno, Emile," Mom greeted them first.
"Welcome back, Dad, big brother," I followed up.
"Welcome back, Father, big brother Emile," Tiana welcomed them with a smile.
"I'm home, Irene, Finn, Tiana," Dad announced.
"I'm home, Mother. It's been a while, Finn. Glad to see Tiana's doing well too," Emile added.
Dad and big brother Emile are part of the knight order. Dad comes back to the mansion when he's done with work, but Emile usually lives in the knight dorm at the royal castle, so he only comes back to the mansion a few times a month. Today he apparently came back with Dad.
"Still, why is only this dining hall so cool?" Dad asked. "It was so hot today that we cut training short."
"Finn made a new Magic tool and brought it to the dining hall," Mom explained.
"Ho. You're cooling the dining hall with a Magic tool," Dad observed as his eyes stopped on the device. "This is the new Magic tool you made."
"Yeah, it's still a prototype though," I replied. "For the dining hall, it seems fine for now. But when I tested it in the Workshop, Tiana said it was too cold, so I need to adjust it a bit more."
"When big brother Finn said he was bringing it to the dining hall, I was dead serious about bringing a blanket, you know," Tiana interjected.
"The cold air was pooling in the Workshop," I explained.
"I asked Finn to get one for my private room," Mom chimed in.
Dad's eyes lit up at Mom's words. "Ooh! That's great!" Dad exclaimed. "If I had one in my office, I'd get so much more work done! Finn, I'd appreciate it if you made one for me too!"
"Eh! Then I want one for the knight dorm too!" Emile chimed in eagerly. "It's been so hot I can't sleep well!"
I figured there'd be demand for this. Before it's even finished, I've already got orders for three units.
"I'd also like one that ain't as cold, though," Tiana added softly.
Make that four units now.
Trivia:
- Finn's habit of muttering design notes to himself in the middle of conversations hints he thinks about engineering problems constantly, even during family moments.
- The detail that Dad and the oldest brother run hot because of knight training quietly sets up why Finn assumes they would find the cold Workshop comfortable, revealing how he models users for his inventions.
- The four orders for the cooling device, from Mother, Dad, Emile, and Tiana, quietly show how one household invention is about to spread beyond the family and hint at a future business.
Notes:
• Tiana - Younger sister who returns from the academy. Complains about the cold Workshop and worries about their mother. Curious about her brother's inventions.
• 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.
• Bruno - Father and knight. Comes home from work and notices the cool dining hall. Wants a Magic tool for his office and asks Finn to make one.
• Emile - Oldest son and knight who lives at the royal castle dorm. Visits the mansion a few times a month. Wants a Magic tool for the knight dorm.
• Irene - Mother of the family. Spends time in the mansion. Interested in a cooling Magic tool for her private room and asks Finn to install one.