New chapter of Control Engineer is out! (1/2 chapters)

 

 

Magical Iron (1): Disassembly

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

The next day arrived. Since it was Wednesday, I went to the university as usual. After the first class ended, I made my way to the cafeteria.

“Hey there, Leon.” (Bell)

“Good afternoon, Bell-san, Dia-san.” (Leon)

As I sat down at the table, the two of them took seats opposite me.

“Ah, meat dishes today, huh? We went for the vegetables.” (Bell)

It seemed we had lined up in different queues.

“Hm?” (Leon)

Bell-san’s head turned sharply.

“Dia, your collar! Leon is looking right at you.” (Bell)

“Ah, ah!” (Dia)

Flustered, Dia-san quickly buttoned the top of her shirt. Her face turned slightly red. Now that it was mentioned, her neckline had indeed been rather open.

“We had to run a lot in the first class, so I understand it’s hot. But that was a little improper. And you too, Leon!” (Bell)

“Eh?” (Leon)

“It’s not proper for a boy to stare at a girl’s chest.” (Bell)

“No, Leon is not at fault. As a boy, that’s… well, a natural reaction.” (Dia)

I was glad that Dia-san was understanding, but somehow the situation made it sound as if I had been staring directly at her chest. Although my eyes had indeed been in that general direction.

“Well, they say boys of 14 or 15 are practically monkeys.” (Bell)

Monkeys?

I had seen them in picture books before, but from Bell-san’s tone, it was clearly meant as an insult.

“Come on now, Leon wouldn’t do that sort of thing, would you?” (Bell)

“Um, what do you mean? There were no monkeys around Emilia.” (Leon)

“Hey, Bell, stop saying weird things!” (Dia)

“Hahaha.” (Bell)

“Anyway, what I was looking at was your shirt collar.” (Leon)

“My collar?” (Dia)

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about improving the magical iron.” (Leon)

“The iron?” (Dia)

“Yes. Dia-san’s shirts are always pressed perfectly.” (Leon)

“O-oh.” (Dia)

For some reason, her face turned even redder.

“Do you iron them yourself?” (Leon)

Dia-san hastily scooped her soup several times and swallowed before answering.

“D-don’t underestimate me. Of course I do that much.” (Dia)

Beside her, Bell-san smirked mischievously. Judging from Dia-san’s defensiveness, she probably hadn’t done it herself before moving into the dormitory. Still, she was far more self-sufficient than I was, relying on Leah-san’s help for my laundry.

“I see. May I ask, when you iron shirts, is there anything troublesome about it?” (Leon)

“Oh? So, you really weren’t staring at Dia’s big chest after all. How disappointing.” (Bell)

Dia-san shot Bell-san a fierce glare before turning back to me.

“Hmm, something troublesome. Let’s see. I’ve gotten used to it, but I’m not that skilled yet. When I make a mistake and wrinkles form, it’s hard to smooth them out again.” (Dia)

“When that happens, spraying a little water works well, you know.” (Bell)

“I already know that, Bell!” (Dia)

Oh?

It seemed Bell-san also ironed her own clothes. That was a bit surprising, though I kept my face neutral.

I see. So, wrinkles really are the problem.

“That was helpful. Thank you.” (Leon)

“Sure thing, whatever it is you’re up to, good luck.” (Bell)

 

—

 

After lunch, I went to the nearby campus store. Near the entrance were shelves of food, drinks, and stationery. The section I needed was further inside.

There it is, the magical tool section. Bell-san had told me earlier that it carried a fairly good range of magical everyday goods.

Hmm. The area is not large, but the selection is impressive. It even surpasses Rozel-jiisan’s shop, though his store keeps most stock in the back rather than on display.

Magic stones and magic crystals were stored in glass cases with iron frames. There were magical stoves, magical lamps, and there it was, the magical iron.

I had returned the one I borrowed from Leah-san that morning, but this model was smaller. Perhaps the amount of mana stored within its internal magic stone was less. It was a different product, but I decided to buy it anyway. The one I had borrowed was in daily use, so I could not disassemble or modify it.

Let’s see. One unit cost six Cecils, about 1000 yen, or 40 Darcs, about 10 yen. Fairly reasonable.

Money was not an issue, so I picked up the wooden box with both hands and brought it to the counter.

The clerk, a man around 40, looked at the two boxes.

“Are you purchasing both of these?” (Clerk)

“Yes.” (Leon)

Why would he ask that? If I only intended to buy one, I wouldn’t have carried two to the counter.

“If these are for class use, you can get a 20 percent discount with the proper authorization form.” (Clerk)

“No, these are for personal use.” (Leon)

I see. So, the university store offers academic discounts. Though for me, one is for disassembly and the other as a backup for modification.

“Understood. That will be 12 Cecils and 80 Darcs.” (Clerk)

“Thank you.” (Leon)

After paying, I left the store and stored one box away using magic art.

 

—

 

The second class of the day, an introductory magical tool crafting lecture, ended. The third class was the corresponding practicum, but since I had been excused until March, I headed instead to Workshop Room 61.

This room was used for assembling or disassembling the outer structures of magical tools, excluding magic stones. During times when practical classes were not held, students from the Science and Engineering Department were permitted to use it freely. The space contained woodworking and metalworking tools, as well as various processing magical tools. Using those required prior certification through a training course held in January.

Several unfamiliar students, likely upperclassmen, were present. I greeted them politely and secured a workbench.

Taking out the magical iron I had purchased earlier, I began by reading the simple instruction manual included in the box.

[This product uses two Type-2 mana-charging magic stones simultaneously. When fully charged, continuous operation on high heat lasts about one hour.]

I see.

[The time required for full charging varies by region. Please refer to the table provided.]

So, it depends on whether the location is over or near a dragon vein, essentially the flow of the earth’s mana.

[These magic stones are consumable and last approximately one year. To replace, open the small latch at the rear of the iron.]

Following the instructions, I opened a small hinged panel on the back and saw two blue magic stones. These were the Type-2 mana-charging stones. I pinched one between my fingers and wiggled it loose, then did the same with the other. Deeper inside, I could see a red and a white stone, though my fingers could not reach them.

Hmm. I would need to remove the screws here to detach the handle and casing. Then, I could access the remaining stones. Where is the screwdriver?

Looking around, I spotted the tool shelf and its hanging sign. As I approached to search, the nearby door opened, and Richard-sensei entered.

“Good afternoon.” (Leon)

“Hello, Leon. Doing some crafting today?” (Richard)

“Yes. I’m planning to disassemble a magical tool.” (Leon)

I found a screwdriver that fit and picked it up.

“Oh? What are you taking apart?” (Richard)

He seemed rather interested.

“The magical iron. I’m working on it over there.” (Leon)

I returned to the workbench, and Sensei followed me.

“Ah, about that matter from before, my apologies. It seems the Dean is reluctant to approve it.” (Richard)

Ah, the matter regarding the magical bag. The application had been passed to the department head, but the Dean himself is withholding authorization for some reason.

“That’s all right. There is no urgent need.” (Leon)

In truth, my storage magic art, though incomplete, was functioning adequately. I fitted the screwdriver into the slot and loosened the screws.

“I appreciate your patience.” (Richard)

“Hmm? Ah, wait.” (Leon)

Even after removing two screws, the handle would not come off.

“These models usually have small internal latches. Try the right side from your position.” (Richard)

“Yes.” (Leon)

I felt along the right side until I found a slightly flexible section. Pressing there, the handle and casing came apart easily.

“Thank you.” (Leon)

Hmm, the inside is surprisingly hollow.

“Oh, interesting. I’ve never actually looked inside one of these before. It’s the typical three-stone configuration, isn’t it?” (Richard)

“Yes. One for control, one for heating, and one for mana storage.” (Leon)

“Exactly.” (Richard)

“By the way, Sensei, don’t you have practicum supervision today?” (Leon)

“No, Tutor Thales is in charge today.” (Professor Richard)

That made sense. They had said that practicum supervision rotated among instructors. Zila-sensei had his own workshop, so he likely could not attend every session.

“Well then, I should get back to the preparation room soon. If you run into any trouble–… ah, Midgan.” (Richard)

A short-haired, somewhat stocky student approached.

“Yes, Richard-sensei?” (Midgan)

As I looked more closely, I noticed his arms were nearly twice the thickness of mine.

“This is Leon, a first-year student.” (Richard)

“I see.” (Midgan)

The senior looked me over without reservation. Two others working farther away also turned their eyes toward us.

“As he’s still new to this workspace, please help him if he has any questions.” (Richard)

“Understood.” (Midgan)

“I’m Leon. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Senpai.” (Leon)

 

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