CH 304

Chapter 304 – Spread the Wings of Your Imagination on Magic

“Hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm…”

With the help of Isla and Iphrita, I had a sort of list of the various types of magic. In addition to the four major attributes of fire, water, wind, and earth, the book also lists and describes the effects of each of these derived magic types: light and heat, ice and snow, cold air, lightning, poisonous smoke, rock and stone, and metal magic, as well as magic bullet magic that uses non-attributed magic power, telekinetic magic that handles levitation and fall control, and many other magic types that do not belong to the four attribute magic types.

It is, so to speak, my own personal grimoire.

“This is light and heat magic, right?”

“No, it’s a magic bullet. It generates heat as a result, but it is not converted into light and heat magic power and released.”

“But――”

Iphrita and Isla are having a heated discussion about the classification and systematization of magic, but I am not joining them. I am just looking at the list of magic and continuing to spread my wings of imagination about what it can be used for and what it can do.

For example, the magic called “flame heat” or “light heat” is very interesting. They convert magic energy, which exists in the atmosphere but is invisible and inexhaustible, into heat energy with high efficiency. Oh no, there is much room for debate as to whether it is highly efficient or not, but it is very interesting that powerful thermal energy can be extracted without the use of fuels such as firewood, coal, gas, or liquefied fuels.

If the magic power in the atmosphere is truly inexhaustible and will never be depleted, it would be possible to realize the dream of a perpetual engine. If the magic power in the atmosphere is not sufficient for output, there are also vein holes where magic power can spring inexhaustibly from the ground. If we can secure a vein hole and use the inexhaustible magic power that gushes out with high efficiency, we will be able to make progress in many ways.

Although the rear base also utilizes the magic power gushing out of the vein hole, the scale of utilization is limited to the extent that a small portion of the vast amount of geothermal heat and geysers gushing out is used for bathing and cooking, to use an analogy. If a magic engine equivalent to an advanced geothermal power plant could be developed and made available, it would surely be a major force for the development of the Merinard Kingdom.

“However, it would be unrealistic to focus solely on the military aspect.”

We should also consider the convenience of labor and daily life. For example, it would be good to have the technology to reduce the cost of operating magic tools. Mana drain, which belongs to telekinesis magic that takes magic power from the target and makes it its own, could be used as a mana trap, a solar panel-like collector of magic power if done well.

It seems to be quite advanced magic, but I have a feeling that it might incorporate a control technique that eats up magic power, like the recoil control technique incorporated into wind magic. I asked the two about mana drain, and it seems that the obstacle that greatly increases the difficulty of the magic is to break through the magic resistance of others, take their magic power, and adjust the wavelength of the magic power to use it as one’s own.

If you just want to collect magic power drifting in the air, you don’t need a technique to break through other people’s magical resistance, and if you just want to collect magic power drifting in the air, you don’t need to adjust the wavelength either.

No, is it necessary to homogenize the quality of magic power? It seems that most magic tools work fine no matter what kind of magic stone or magic crystal stone made from it is plugged in, so is there any need to be that concerned about it?

But, well, it would be better to do it if you can. The problem with the unstable quality of the magic iron and steel we are making at the rear base is probably that the quality of the magic power leaking out of the vein holes is not homogeneous.

But there is no need to incorporate a homogenization circuit in each and every collector at the stage of collecting magic power, is there? Collect magic power on a large scale with a large number of magic collectors and concentrate it in one place. It would be more efficient to install a large-scale adjusting device to homogenize the quality of the magic power at the collection point and distribute it to the places where it should be used. It would also be better to have a capacitor to store the homogenized magic power. In any case, I think it would be better to start by making something small-scale and experimenting with it.

“That’s a face that’s thinking of something interesting.”

“Are you alright? It looks like you’re smiling a little.”

“Don’t worry, it’s going to be something interesting.”

“Yes, it will be. It will be interesting.”

First of all, it might be a good idea to aim for an all-magic system, not an all-electric system, in the royal castle. Of course, there is no way to produce something that is reliably safe and secure from the start, so the troubles that do occur would be a good case study.

For now, we should develop mana traps that collect magic from the atmosphere, mana transformers that homogenize magic, and mana batteries that can store a lot of magic. It would also be good to have various magic tools to support them. Lighting, air conditioning, cooking equipment, workbenches, and defensive weapons and traps are also possible. If there is plenty of magic power available, we can project magic itself instead of firing metal bullets.

“Fufufufufu… This is going to make my arms ring.”

There are already magic tools for lights, but you have to refill them with magic power every single time; that’s what I’m talking about. If the magic power is automatically supplied, the maids who maintain the castle will have less work to do. Life would be more comfortable if we could use magic tools like air conditioners for heating and cooling, and cooking would be easier if we had magic stoves with infinitely adjustable heat. It would also be a good idea to be able to use a machine tool or an automatically spinning whetstone to maintain metal tools and weapons.

My golem workbench is too dangerous to be used by the general public. It is good that it is equipped with a magic engine using magic sparkling stone, but Isla and others say that a magic engine using magic sparkling stone is a dangerous thing that can blow up the whole surrounding area if it is handled improperly.

On the other hand, various machine tools using mana traps have no fear of explosion. Probably not. In fact, they are safe. Or rather, depending on the output of the mana trap, it may be possible to accumulate a large scale of magic power without securing a vein hole. However, there is a possibility that the thinning of the magic in the atmosphere will have some effect on the human body or have some major impact on the surrounding natural environment. It is necessary to keep a careful eye on the process and its effects. In fact, we don’t even know if the magic in the atmosphere is really inexhaustible.

“By the way, what about spirit magic and miracles?”

“There is no specific type of spirit magic. Of course, the things you can do are limited depending on the attributes of the spirit you are borrowing power from, but in the end, it is magic where the magician transmits an image to the spirit, and the spirit uses that image to cause the phenomenon.”

“There are various types of magic, ranging from the kind that sends attribute magic power flying like an arrow to extremely powerful magic on the level of natural disasters. It all depends on the image of the magician, the rank of the spirit he or she is using, and the amount of magic power the magician gives to the spirit. Since most spirit magicians are sensualists, it is difficult to systematize spirit magic.”

“I see… What about miracles?”

“Miracles have been systematized to a certain extent, but they are also very close to spirit magic, aren’t they?”

“Hmm. As far as I am concerned, that is the same quality as spirit magic. The only difference is the quality of the spirit that is used. It is closer to the root.”

“Root?”

Hearing the unfamiliar or rather unfamiliar word, I involuntarily tilt my head back.

“The root of magic, the root of magic power, well, something like that. It’s bigger than a spirit, which is a mass of magic power. In other words, it is the source and ruler of magical power, the mother of spirits, or――”

“Or you could call it a god. There is no one anywhere who has seen it. But we feel its presence on a regular basis. Especially, we, mages, feel its presence strongly when we are in contact with the technique.”

“…Yeah! I don’t understand!”

“Of course, you don’t.”

“Kosuke can’t use magic and can’t feel magic. It can’t be helped.”

For some reason, the two of them look at me very kindly. Don’t look at me like you’re looking at that stupid child. It almost damages my heart.

“In any case, it’s impossible to make miracles into magic tools. It’s the same as spirit magic.”

“I see. If so, ordinary magic is still the best. It’s versatile, it can be used at any time and any place, and it can be modified in any way according to your own creativity.”

“As expected of Kosuke. You know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t mind spirit magic either.”

“I’d like to try my hand at spirit magic one of these days. I’ll start by making mana traps. Both of you lend me a hand.”

“Mana traps?”

The two mages tilted their heads. I haven’t explained anything out loud yet, come to think of it. I’ll start by telling them what I have in mind.