[V11C1] The Man Dragged Around by Clumsy Geniuses

The county of Ambard was one of Ridill’s leading producers of magical tools.

Generally, such tools took the form of gemstones enchanted with magical formulas that activate under specific conditions. However, Ambard also dealt in many magical tools beyond gemstone enchantments.

These included wheels for suppressing the shaking of carriages, devices that gave ships a weak self-propelling function, and even appliances for purifying water.

Such items cost more than regular magical tools, putting them out of reach for the general public. Still, Ambard had been receiving increased orders from both domestic and international nobles every passing year.

Currently, the young Count of Ambard, Bernie Jones, was paying a visit to one of the magical tool workshops within his territory.

Not long ago, the Kingdom of Ridill had signed a technological cooperation agreement with the Schwargard Empire, leading to increased interaction between craftsmen from both nations. As one facet of this collaboration, Imperial craftsmen were currently visiting Ambard.

Bernie knocked on the door of the workshop where one of these Imperial craftsmen was undergoing training.

“Coming in.”

The moment he stepped through the door, he noticed something at his feet.

A pedal-like object had been placed behind the door, and Bernie had accidentally stepped on it. At the same time, he heard the sound of a trumpet.

Bernie observed the pedal, realizing it was connected via tube to a wooden box in the corner of the room.

This box had three differently-sized trumpets on top, bells on the right side, drumsticks on the left, and seven tubes leading to pedals extending from the bottom. The pedal Bernie had stepped on was one of the seven.

As the bewildered Bernie stared at the trumpets, a young girl ran over with lively footsteps.

This was the magical tool artisan from the Empire, Karina Barr. She was a petite girl with her black hair tied into a large bun, as a cat-like aura. Karina shouted, “Toh!” as she raised a set of chisels in each hand.

“Holding the red furnace aloft, the pinnacle of craftsmanship! Illuminating the future of the Empire, the four stars of red!”

While delivering the lines in a dramatic tone, Karina stepped on the pedals in sequence. The wooden box began sounding the trumpets, ringing the bells, and performing a drum roll.

──Toom-toom, ding-ding, da-da-da-da-da…

Amidst these delightful sounds, Karina crossed the chisels in her hands and declared her name in a resounding voice.

“I am Barr of the Divine Eye, from the Imperial Magic Cross Flame Heaven Four Artisans!”

Even during the finale, her feet were busy stepping on various pedals.

Bernie adjusted his glasses and sighed before speaking in a low tone.

“…You know this is the fifth time I’ve heard that introduction, right?”

“Waha! Count-sama, you were counting? Great to hear! I wanted to make the fifth time a bit more memorable. That’s why I added music! Oh, and did you notice how my poses were slightly different each time? Which one do you think looks the coolest?”

“…Well, I must say both the pose and your introduction were ruined by the busyness of your feet.”

No matter how stylish she tried to be, the sight of her feet tapping the pedals was very distracting, making the whole thing seem awkward.

Karina finally paused her pedal dance and contorted her lips in thought.

“I made it pedal-operated since it was an impromptu idea, but I wonder if it can be done with a spring mechanism instead. Maybe it can do even more if I turn it into a magical tool… Oh, that sounds fun! Hey, Count-sama, can I try making that? A magical tool for playing music will be so cool!”

“Rejected. This workshop is for developing magical tools in the field of medical support.”

“But the patients will feel better if they hear cheerful music, you know!”

Bernie placed a hand on his forehead, enduring a headache.

Karina was a magical tool artisan who came from the Empire for technical training, as part of a bilateral technology cooperation agreement. But the most surprising part was that she possessed a letter written personally by the Emperor.

According to that letter, the young girl named Karina Barr was recognized by His Imperial Majesty as one of his technical advisors, despite her youth.

“More importantly, can you stop doing these performances every time we meet? I’m getting tired of it.”

Bernie was able to overlook her casual manner of speech, which showed no respect whatsoever toward the nobility——probably due to her unfamiliarity with Ridill’s language. However, he at least wanted a stop to the flashy introductions at every possible opportunity.

His request prompted Karina to pout while stepping on a pedal. As if expressing her discontent, one of the trumpets sounded with a disapproving “Boo-boo.”

“But… but His Imperial Majesty told me to.”

“The Black Lion Emperor?”

“Yeah. He said to avoid revealing my identity to most people, but that I should let those in charge of Ridill’s magical tool industry know the name of the Imperial Magic Cross Flame Heaven Four Artisans.”

Apparently, the Black Lion Emperor considered Count Ambard an important man in the magical tool industry, and wanted to form a connection with him.

When putting it that way, Bernie enjoyed the attention.

Tickled by the fact that the ruler of a neighboring nation held him in high regard, Bernie moved to the next subject in a gentler tone.

“So is your training going well? I remember hearing how the workshop manager praised your quick memorization and technical skills.”

“Waha! Really? I’m blushing. Yes, it’s going well! Very well! Ridill’s magical tool technology is just so advanced. The quality of the smaller tools is great, but nothing can surpass Ambard when it comes to the medium to large-sized magical tools!”

Bernie tried to maintain the dignified look of a noble, but the excessive praise caused his mouth to twitch on a few occasions.

Approaching Bernie like a cat begging for food, Karina closed the distance and looked up at Bernie with upturned eyes.

“Hey, Count-sama. I want to see the schematics for the Black Chalice~!”

“Rejected. Even with our technology cooperation agreement, there are things I am not allowed to disclose. The Black Chalice contains technology that cannot be revealed, even domestically.”

Bernie’s firm rejection caused Karina to slump her shoulders.

“Aw… I really wanted to see it though… I can tell the Black Chalice is really something just from its peripheral technology. The person who came up with it must be an incredible genius. Even I probably wouldn’t be able to understand everything. Only someone who mastered several fields of science can make anything like that.”

Bernie wanted to brag about his involvement, but he decided to swallow those words.

The announcement of the Black Chalice by the Silent Witch had a significant impact on the field of medical support tools in Ridill.

Ridill’s laws prohibited the use of medical magic, due to the high risk of causing mana poisoning in patients. Thus, emphasis was placed on the development of medical tools with minimal mana impact.

Bernie had heard about this issue causing a dispute between the Mage Association, the Medical Society, and the Noble Council. However, thanks to the efforts of a competent mediator, they settled on providing government subsidies for the development of medical tools, while deferring the topic of the medical magic ban.

“Hey, hey, Count-sama. What do you have there?”

Changing interests as quickly as a cat, Karina gave a curious look at the documents in Bernie’s hands.

They described a proposal for a project completely unrelated to the medical tools of this workshop. Namely, a small magical tool designed by Lana Colette, the President of the Flux Company in Sazandol.

Bernie had been interested in Karina’s opinion given her expertise in Imperial magical tools, so he intended to show her.

“It’s a design proposal for a magical tool from an affiliated company. Are you interested? …Hey! At least wait for permission before looking!”

Before Bernie realized it, Karina had circled around and started scanning the design proposal over his shoulder, by using the musical box as a foothold.

The girl’s eyes lit up like a cat staring down a special treat.

“Waha! This thing is amazing! It’s so cute! The design is simply genius!”

Karina was getting excited over an accessory designed by Lana Colette. It was common to enchant brooches, necklaces, and other accessories with a defensive barrier, but Lana’s proposal stood out for its elaborate design.

Bernie, however, looked down at the design proposal with a frown.

“Yet another design with poor mana infusion rate…” Bernie muttered. “How are we supposed to inscribe a decent magical formula into those intricate carvings? Does she even know how much those curves are costing us…?”

“You don’t get it at all!” Karina retorted. “Inscribing long magical formulas into such delicate designs is how an artisan proves their skill. Waha! This just lit a fire in my soul! All of them are super intricate. Whoever designed this has a perfect understanding of cuteness!”

Bernie did not want to be seen as someone incapable of recognizing a good design, so he gave a nod.

“Well, I suppose that is true. All of her accessory and robe designs are highly praised in most social circles…”

“Hey, Count-sama. I want to meet the person who made this!”

Interrupted by Karina, Bernie frowned slightly as the person responsible was not from Ambard.

“This was designed by the President of Flux Company, who lives in Sazandol… a port town in western Ridill.”

“Huh? Why?”

Karina’s doubts were reasonable.

With its several workshops, the county of Ambard was naturally home to many skilled craftsmen. It would be more efficient to handle all aspects of design and production within Ambard’s borders, instead of ordering the designs from an outside company.

“Well, we have a bit of a history together.”

Lana’s father was a wealthy merchant whose achievements were recognized with a peerage. It would not hurt to have connections to a man like him.

Additionally, Lana herself was gradually expanding her social network, as well as establishing a customer base for her design-focused magical tools.

Bernie expected her to eventually become a new force in the magical tool industry.

“Hey, Count-sama. I want to go to Sazandol! I want to meet the person who designed this! We have that technology cooperation thing, right? Can we make it work somehow?”

Bernie crossed his arms and thought about it.

The Flux Company was not one of the designated workshops. However, Lana would probably allow a temporary stay if she had Bernie’s recommendation.

He also had the feeling that Karina and Lana would get along well.

“Well, I suppose there’s no helping it. Since I am so thoughtful, I will write you a letter of introduction.”

Karina cheered with a delighted “Waha!” and stepped on the pedal at her feet. The cheerful sounds of the trumpet and bells rang in sync with her.

“Thanks! You’re so awesome! And smart!”

“Smart? There’s no need for you to tell me the obvious.”

After all, he was often relied upon by Monica Everett the Silent Witch, one of the Seven Sages.

Or at least, that’s what Bernie told himself internally.

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