An enormous shipment of magic ore had arrived at the mansion, and in only half the time Prince Reichardt had given Haruya.
“Reichardt, accommodating?” Sir Osvalt emerged from the mansion, grumbling. “Give me a break. Do you realize how hard I had to work to win him over?”
I’d heard how much effort Sir Osvalt had put in on Haruya’s behalf. It was easy enough to argue that putting him to work for the country’s benefit made more sense than punishing him for his crimes, but convincing Prince Reichardt to bend the rules was a different story. After estimating the benefits that Haruya’s skills and the magic tool I was hoping to create would bring, Sir Osvalt had presented his case.
“Of course, none of this would have been possible without your assistance, Prince Osvalt. Goodness, even I recognize that.”
“But you still asked for double the time you thought you’d need?”
“Precisely. Exploiting situations is what we merchants do best.”
At the core, Haruya didn’t seem to have changed at all. Taking advantage of Prince Reichardt? Talk about audacious…
With an attendant like him, Sir Osvalt would have his hands full.
“We can finally begin making the magic tool!” Grace exclaimed. “Time to put everything Lady Philia taught me to good use!”
“Yes, we’d better get started right away. I’m counting on you, Grace.”
“Feel free to do so!”
Grace puffed out her chest, burning with determination. In just two weeks, she’d mastered the basics of creating magic tools.
Lena and my other attendants had also offered to help, so we could probably complete the device even sooner than I had planned.
Just as I was about to get things ready, Sir Osvalt asked, “Philia, didn’t you say that you were worried, since there aren’t any records of magic tool construction?”
He was right. The magical device was going to be enormous. There were no historical precedents for what we were doing. At least, there were no surviving records. But that meant we had no way of anticipating what could go wrong. Once the tool was complete, we couldn’t just switch it on. First, we’d have to conduct some experiments to ensure it was safe.
It wasn’t as though I’d been twiddling my thumbs for the past two weeks, though. I’d been taking the necessary steps.
“Uhm, Lady Philia. I found another stone tablet that could contain new clues. Uhh, I’ve transcribed the archaic inscriptions onto paper for you. Indeed.”
“Thank you for going to the effort for me, Rick.”
Over the past two weeks, I’d tasked Rick with transcribing ancient inscriptions from ruins across the country. I was hoping that the ancients might have left behind accounts of using large-scale magic devices.
This was the fourth transcription he’d brought me. Up until now, his work hadn’t turned up the answers I’d been hoping for. Would the fourth time be a charm?
“Uhh, I’m sure records of magic tools being utilized exist, but I haven’t, uhm, managed to decipher the finer details of this inscription yet. My apologies.”
“Oh, you have nothing to apologize for. This is it, Rick!”
“I’m sorry?”
“This passage describes using a magic device even bigger than the one we’re planning to build. I’d better start decoding it.”
I started to decipher the inscription. Yes. This was definitely information we could use. One needed to exercise extreme caution when attempting something for the first time, and the inscription confirmed that.
“It sounds like when you use a large-scale magic tool, intense heat can build up inside, leading to a risk of malfunction. Thanks to you, Rick, we should be able to avoid that hazard.”
This information was priceless. If heat caused our device to malfunction in the Volcanic Miasma Zone, where explosions were already frequent, it would be extremely difficult to go in and fix it. There was no telling what kind of accidents might occur. That was an eventuality we needed to avoid at all costs.
“I, uhh, accepted a bribe from Haruya and acted dishonestly. A favor like this couldn’t possibly compensate for my wrongdoings. Indeed.”
Rick fully comprehended the severity of his crimes. The way he saw it, all he’d done was copy down some archaic writings from stone tablets, which wasn’t nearly enough to earn him a pardon.
“If you want to thank somebody, thank Sir Osvalt,” I said. “I haven’t done much to help you.”
Rick cast a glance at Sir Osvalt before turning back to me. “I already thanked His Highness last time we spoke. But, well, he just told me to thank you instead. Indeed.”
“He did?”
“You asked him to make the most of the situation and allow me to atone for my crimes through my knowledge and research. Um, at least, that’s what he told me. Indeed.”
It made my heart ache to know that Parnacorta had stopped excavating the ruins to purchase me. That wasn’t the only reason I’d advocated for Rick, however. If we needed insight into improving the safety of the magic tool, Rick was the best man for the job.
“Whatever the case, we now have everything we need to build this magic tool, don’t we? Something tells me this could change the course of history.”
“Grace,” I said, “that sounds like hyperbole to me.”
“No, the Saint of Bolmern is absolutely right. The finished device will be literally worth its weight in gold. In fact, that’s an understatement. Its value is beyond measure.”
“All you ever talk about is money, Haruya.”
“I’m afraid that’s just how I am, Sir Osvalt. You’re going to have to live with it.”
Haruya flashed Sir Osvalt a satisfied grin. Sir Osvalt stared back, grimacing.
Haruya and Rick had both made their fair share of mistakes, but in the end, their support had made my great ambitions attainable.
All that remained was to build the magic tool.