kscans

Chapter 162 - Episode 3: Part One - Beginning to Build the Verification Model

"So this is the bean confection Lisabet was talking about. For something from the Kingdom, it's not bad."

Maytyl spoke after tasting the yokan.

"Thank you very much."

Natalie, who had come to deliver the yellow sugar for the culture medium, bowed so deeply her head nearly touched her knees. We were all having tea with the yokan Natalie had brought as a gift.

Still, she's got some discerning taste to appreciate yokan. Most people look down on anything made from beans.

"In the Empire, wheat is a luxury item," Maytyl explained. "It's common to eat bread baked with a mix of beans or buckwheat."

Her comment surprised everyone around her. It was difficult for those in the Kingdom to imagine an imperial princess eating coarse grains.

That reminds me, they served galettes when I visited Lisabet at the Imperial Residence. Lisabet seemed to like the yokan, too. Their food culture must be different from the wheat-centric Kingdom. Now I'm craving some soba. Maybe I should just import some from the Empire. No, that's a non-starter. It's pointless without soy sauce.

"Ricardo-kun and the others worked very hard to make this," Alfina explained to Maytyl, recounting the story of how the yokan was made.

"I heard a little about it from Lisabet, but I see you have this kind of knowledge as well, Ricardo."

"Princess Maytyl, Natalie is the one who struggled with the anko. If anything, I was the one whose approach was mistaken. Thanks to Alfina-sama, I was able to make up for it with the ice cream."

"But I... It was you who taught me the Sky-Rain-Umbrella method, Ricardo-kun," Natalie said, flustered.

I had spoken quickly. Natalie was the developer of the anko, and back then, I had clearly made a mistake as a merchant. It was Alfina who gave me the opportunity to realize it.

"Speaking of which, I heard you served that anko on top of a cold dessert at Lisabet's welcome party. That sounds very interesting. Say, Ricardo, aren't you going to let me try some?"

"...Princess Maytyl. That dessert is better when the weather is a bit warmer. Besides, it's very time consuming to make."

"Oh? The Kingdom feels quite warm to me. And wasn't it winter when Lisabet had it? Besides, you're the one who made him prepare something so time consuming, aren't you? Ah, or perhaps it's something that requires your permission."

Maytyl looked back and forth between Alfina and me, as if probing for something.

"N-No, that's not it, but..."

Alfina faltered, and Natalie looked at me with a troubled expression. The conversation about ice cream chilled the room.

"This tea is nice, too. It pairs well with the simple flavor. The food in the Kingdom can be so pretentious."

Maytyl nonchalantly brought the green tea to her lips. Though her manners were refined, she ate as if she truly enjoyed it. Hmm, maybe as a future export to the Empire... This is not the time for that.

I looked to the other members for help. Noel had secured a seat the furthest away. Fulsy was acting completely uninvolved. Mia let out a small sigh.

"So, with that in mind, I'd very much like to try an ice cream with the flavor of this tea."

As I was being bombarded with looks from everyone telling me to do something, Maytyl pressed her demand even further.

".........How about after the prototype we're starting on today is finished?"

"Hmph. Well, that will do."

From her seat further away, Noel nodded in agreement with Mia. I could guess what they were thinking just from their expressions.

I'm not being played. Not at all. If this is what it takes to get her motivated, it's a small price to pay. In fact, getting an Imperial Princess to work for a bit of ice cream could be considered a victory in negotiations.

"I suppose I'll have to work hard, then."

Maytyl ate the last slice and stood up. Noel hurriedly followed after her as she left the room. Fulsy also rose to his feet.

"Alfina-sama, you have to be at the cathedral now, don't you?" I asked the remaining Alfina. She had probably gone out of her way to stop by when she should have gone straight there.

".........Ah! ...Yes, that's right."

It's been a week since the last time. The interval for her "I'm okay" signal hasn't shortened.

"Please, be careful..."

"I know. But Ricardo-kun, you're the one in a difficult position. I'm sorry that I can't be more helpful when I'm the one who should be mediating."

"Just knowing that you're concerned for me is encouraging, Alfina-sama. I never know what kind of mess I'll make without realizing it. By the way, have you noticed anything?"

When it comes to interpersonal relationships, I always give myself a failing grade.

"...No. I am a little worried, but you're acting as you always do, Ricardo-kun. It's just that Princess Maytyl..."

"Princess Maytyl?"

My "always" is a little unsettling, but is there a problem with Maytyl? It's obvious to me that there is, but what I see and what Alfina sees must be completely different. That's how advanced and specialized communication skills are. Or so I'd say.

"Ricardo. You should consider Her Highness's feelings a little more—"

"Clau. I am the one responsible here. Ricardo-kun, please just continue as you are for a little while longer."

Alfina smiled as she said this to me. Then she left the room, accompanied by a glaring Claudia. Putting too much of a burden on Alfina is a problem. The prophecies alone should be more than enough for her to deal with.

◇◇

"As planned, I want to build a prototype to verify if it's possible to separate magic by wavelength, or by color."

Fulsy, Noel, Mia, and our guest expert from abroad, Maytyl. I once again confirmed our objective. Everyone nodded. When it comes to magic, they're all obedient and cooperative. ...Well, that's better than the alternative, I suppose.

"The necessary components are a magic source, a prism to refract the magic, and a magic detecting sensor. We'll arrange them just like the rainbow of light we saw before."

I continued my explanation while drawing the diagram from the prism experiment on the slate.

"First, for the magic source, we can use a magic crystal, so that's fine. The problem is the prism equivalent."

I looked at Maytyl.

"What's the status of the Dragon Crystal?"

"It has been prepared," Fulsy answered for her. He took a round, transparent object wrapped in cloth from a wooden box. It was about the size of a softball. A Dragon Crystal. Apparently, it was literally the crystalline lens from a dragon's eye. I see, the eye of a magical beast that can see the color of magic veins. That makes sense.

"I'm not a specialist when it comes to processing, so I'll need your help. Noel, you're an alchemist, correct?"

"Y-Yes," Noel replied.

"I see. With the Kingdom's number one alchemist here, we should be fine. I'm counting on you."

"...Not the Kingdom's number one. Y-Yes, I'll do my best."

Noel stood ramrod straight, like a subordinate. I wish she'd show a little more of the dignity she has as a lab senior.

"Finally, we need a sensor to measure the magic."

"The magic-sensing paper should suffice," Fulsy said, taking out a sheet of black paper.

"The paper that detects magic from before. Let's see..."

"If you touch that carelessly..."

"What is this? It's amazing. It changed color even though I wasn't consciously doing anything."

Maytyl's eyes widened as she looked at the magic-sensing paper, now marked with her fingerprints. Do you have any idea how much that costs?

"All that's left is the stand to mount everything. Can I leave that to you too, Noel?"

"A-Alchemy has its limits, you know," Noel said, her wariness on full display.

Why is she warier of me than she was of Maytyl? Don't worry, it's simpler than the micropipette.

I drew a crude schematic on the slate. It was basically a platform with holes drilled in it at regular intervals. Then, round rods that fit into the holes, and parts that could be attached to the rods to adjust the angle and position with screws.

Precise adjustments of subtle distances and angles are crucial for this kind of experiment. I designed it by recalling the equipment we used for a quantum eraser experiment in a university class from my previous life.

"How interesting," Maytyl commented.

"It's a simple enough mechanism, right?"

"It is. But... you're so thorough about designing it to make trial and error easy."

"Well, repeating mistakes is what ordinary people do."

"Jokes aside. Are you only going to measure the magic crystal?" Maytyl brushed my words aside.

It's no joke. This way of thinking was beaten into me through repeated failure. I finished making more mistakes than you have years in your life long before you were even born.

Anyway, this was a matter where I needed to draw out Maytyl's knowledge. The first thing we needed to measure was something the Kingdom didn't have.

"No, I want to compare a normal magic crystal with the Empire's Crimson Magic Crystal. So, I'd like to know more about the Crimson Magic Crystal."

"In exchange for the method of making that magic catalyst, as promised. By the way, as a captive, there's a chance I won't make it back to my country alive no matter how many secrets I learn. So, you first."

"The Kingdom has no reason to go to war with the Empire again. ...I understand. The preparations should be ready downstairs."

To be honest, I was hesitant, but the secret to a high energy magic resource is undoubtedly a heavy one. Besides, considering the prophecy's crystal, I absolutely want to gain knowledge about high energy magic.