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

 

 

Reflection and Rebellion

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

March.

The research plan had received departmental approval and was submitted to the Lachesis Foundation.

A letter confirming receipt had indeed arrived, but there was no particular response regarding the contents. There was no instruction in the letter, as there had been from the department, to provide further explanation, so it seemed that the matter of the plan was safely concluded. At this time, most students were taking final examinations.

Dia and Belle seemed to be having a difficult time, and I thought it must be nice to be me, but since I had suffered at the beginning of the semester, I hoped they would forgive me.

In the latter half of this month, the first semester, which began in October, would end, and there would be a short break until early April.

That does not mean it is a time to be idle. The planned content is rather extensive, and fortunately or unfortunately, it is attracting attention. There are also many tasks to undertake. These are the matters at hand.

Reflection.

It is necessary to reflect visible light. What is usually used for this is a mirror.

I looked at a hand mirror that had been sold by the purchasing department. Since I was not going to use it as it was, the frame and handle had already been removed. The mirror was plated with silver on one side of the glass. The reflective surface was the silver side, behind the glass. Furthermore, a dark brown paint had been applied to the reverse side.

The reflectivity was unsatisfactory. Greatly unsatisfactory.

Reflectivity is the ratio of the amount of light reflected to the amount of light incident. The reflectivity of an ordinary mirror is said to be about ninety percent.

When I was small, because Kaa-sama would not pay attention to me, I apparently sneaked into her room. She discovered me and intended to scold me, but she saw me amusingly playing with the three-sided mirror, fascinated by the many images of myself, and she laughed unconsciously.

In a combined mirror, multiple images of oneself line up. However, each one is slightly different. The image becomes darker with repeated reflection.

That is the superposition of reflectivity. If reflectivity is ninety percent, each successive image is roughly one-tenth or one-ninth darker than the previous. The number of reflections doubles in the round trip.

One of my tasks is to improve reflectivity.

When breaking down the large task of reducing the light focus diameter of engraving magic art, one of the sub-tasks involves the mirror. However, I do not possess the technology of mirrors. The documents in my internal system rarely cover magic I have not obtained, and I cannot consult them.

Moreover, Reo’s memory includes only a small amount regarding mirrors. The information he learned and the topics he found interesting are extensive, but outside that range, the data rapidly decreases. That is unavoidable, and relying too heavily on his knowledge is not advisable. At most, I understand only the basic principle of reflection.

Reflection is a phenomenon in which the electrons within an object into which light has entered temporarily gain energy and then lose that energy by emitting light. The portion of the emitted light released toward the incident side at the interface is called reflection. The portion toward the opposite side is called transmission or refraction.

Substances that are nearly transparent, such as glass or water, tend to allow transmission or refraction, while metals such as silver reflect light well. Naturally, the phenomena vary depending on the wavelength of light and the angle of incidence.

There are also subtle details regarding interfaces, such as between two substances with different dielectric constants, but that is the extent of my knowledge. I must continue to accumulate knowledge and understand the conventions of experts in this world.

 

—

 

Today, I completed tax filing for patent income at the Intellectual Property Guild.

Of course, the Cecelia Kingdom has a taxation agency. However, intellectual property rights can be applied for or filed anonymously. If one reports tax to the national agency, anonymity is lost. Therefore, the Intellectual Property Guild handles anonymous reporting on behalf of practitioners.

This is convenient for those who conduct intellectual property activities anonymously, but other income or losses cannot be combined, and deductions outside intellectual property activities cannot be applied. There is no problem for now, but I must consider this in the near future.

In the afternoon, I visited a flat glass and mirror factory through the connection of Tales-sensei.

First, the glass.

The raw materials are six types, including silica sand (silicon dioxide) and soda ash (sodium carbonate). These are melted in a furnace, mixed, and the molten liquid glass is poured onto a shallow tank of molten tin. Since the tin surface is naturally flat, the glass achieves uniform thickness and high planarity. It is then slowly annealed and cut to the required size.

The explanation was given by a senior who had graduated from our university’s Science and Technology Department ten years ago. Having connections through seniors is valuable.

Next, we moved to the mirror workshop. We observed the process there as well.

First, flat glass is polished. A mixture of abrasive particles and water is applied to the glass and brushed to improve flatness. Poor flatness distorts the reflected image. Magic is used even here.

Next, the polished glass is coated to create a mirror surface. This is not electroplating as I knew (glass is an insulator at room temperature), but a method called silvering. I observed that silver nitrate is diluted in water, ammonium nitride is added, and the solution is sprayed on the glass surface. A certain type of salt solution is also sprayed, and silver is reduced and deposited on the glass. The transparent glass suddenly became a mirror surface when washed with water. It was a striking sight.

The mirror surface is now complete, but mechanically and chemically it is fragile. A protective paint is applied to the reverse. Hand mirrors are then cut into round or oval shapes and fitted with frames and handles, completing the product.

The guide was again a senior from the Science and Technology Department. I asked several questions.

“Why is silver used to make the mirror surface?” (Leon)

“Hm. Leon-kun, you said you are researching light magic art.” (Senior)

“Yes.” (Leon)

“Then, you should understand. Silver has high reflectivity over a wide range of wavelengths. That is, the wavelength coverage of light in real and virtual images is very close. Therefore, it appears almost the same color as when viewed directly.” (Senior)

“I see.” (Leon)

“For example, a hand mirror with low reflectivity in red would make your face appear paler. If you applied makeup based on that, it would be excessively red.” (Senior)

“Very clear, thank you.” (Leon)

“In that sense, silver is excellent. We owe thanks to the ancient Elves who left us this method.” (Senior)

“Hahaha… hm?” (Leon)

“What is it?” (Senior)

“The way you put it caught my attention a little.” (Leon)

“Sharp. Well, if we only speak of reflectivity, silver is versatile, though it is not always the first choice. In some wavelength bands, there are better materials.” (Senior)

“That is interesting.” (Leon)

“But I cannot go further even as a junior. Any other questions?” (Senior)

“Yes. The mirror surface is behind the glass. It is inevitably affected by the glass color, especially with double reflection. How is that handled?” (Leon)

“You are serious about reflectivity. Glass transparency is important, and there are improved types. Moreover, there is another issue: glass itself reflects light.” (Senior)

Oh! This might help reduce the light flux focus diameter.

“Does this mean using the reverse side of the mirror surface?” (Leon)

“Yes, there are special mirrors like that. Roughly, it is the state before protective paint is applied. The smoothness is not as good as the glass, so silvering is difficult. It does not last long, so minimum protection is needed.” (Senior)

“I see. That is very helpful.” (Leon)

“Yes. Our factory also makes optical products, not just mirrors. It is early, but consider employment there after graduation.” (Senior)

“Yes. I will keep that in mind. Thank you very much.” (Leon)

 

—

 

When the final examinations had ended, it seemed to have triggered a certain buoyant atmosphere within the academy.

After the third period, I went to the designated classroom as instructed by the notice posted on the bulletin board in the hallway. There, first-year students of the Science and Technology Department had already gathered. By the appointed time, nearly everyone had assembled.

Reelin-sensei entered the room but walked past the teacher’s desk and sat down on a chair in the corner. While I found this curious, Odette-san stepped forward to stand behind the lectern.

“Thank you for gathering here at this time. I hope to finish as quickly as possible, so I ask for your cooperation. Now then, let us begin the meeting.” (Odette)

She said this while surveying the room with a sharp gaze. It appeared that, as the organizer, she would be taking charge.

“The agenda concerns the Salomea University Festival, scheduled for the second week of May.” (Odette)

Ah, the university festival.

It is an annual event in which local residents and members of the general public were invited to attend. It is said that over the course of two days, approximately 5000 visitors would come.

Considering the rate of advancement to higher education, universities must appear to be mysterious and intimidating places to those unconnected to them. It seems that the university administration regarded the festival as a means to dispel such unease.

Students, for their part, see it as both an opportunity to present their research and as a welcome outlet for their pent-up energy. Naturally, the level of enthusiasm varied from one department to another.

“Your research presentations are, of course, your own responsibility. I imagine few first-year students will be presenting this year, but those matters will be handled by each research laboratory, so this meeting will not concern them. Instead, as a department, we are considering preparing some kind of exhibit.” (Odette)

“What do you mean by ‘some kind of exhibit’?” (??)

“When speaking, please raise your hand.” (Odette)

Judging from the atmosphere, most people seemed reluctant to participate, finding the whole matter troublesome. I shared the sentiment.

“The Salomea University Festival, abbreviated as the University Festival, from the South Campus Executive Committee has made the following remark regarding our Science and Technology Department. They said that ‘calling it austere and solid is merely an excuse. In truth, it lacks appeal.’” (Odette)

Hmm.

That matched what Bell had said. The Faculty of Way of Magic in general had that reputation. The Art Skill Department still held regular performances of magic arts, including flamboyant demonstrations of fire magic, which made them popular and drew large crowds.

In contrast, our own department might excel in technical fields, but our presentations appealed only to a very limited audience.

That much, I could admit.

“Yes.” (Reiley)

“Reiley-san, please go ahead.” (Odette)

“What Odette-san said is true. However, it was the fault of our predecessors, and I do not think it fair that we first-years should bear the consequences.” (Reiley)

Hmm.

“Ah, Reiley.” (Reelin)

“Yes, Sensei, what is it?” (Reiley)

“What you said is reasonable. Yet next year’s first-years will likely say the same thing.” (Reelin)

Phew. That was a well-placed bit of irony. It would now be difficult for anyone to openly complain about why we have to shoulder this burden.

“Odette, perhaps you should mention that other matter as well. There is no need to keep it to yourself.” (Reelin)

Hmm? What is that about? Is there something else that had been said?

“Understood, Sensei. The Art Skill Department told us that… we are gloomy.” (Odette)

Gloomy, they said! Something stirred deep within my chest.

Odette-san, whose pride must have been wounded, trembled as she clenched her fists.

“That is why I believe we must begin here and now. Therefore, I have a proposal. I would like us to open a mock shop. By showing initiative, we can gradually earn recognition from others. What do you think?” (Odette)

“If you have any opinions, please raise your hand. Yes, Leon?” (Odette)

I had already raised my hand.

“I agree with Odette-san!” (Leon)

Her eyes widened.

“However, I believe that merely opening a mock shop is not enough. We must ensure that no one dares to call our Science and Technology Department a gloomy one. That, I believe, should be our true goal.” (Leon)

 

—

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)