第１６５６堀：電気一つでもものすごく大変 (Part1)
Chapter 1656: Even a Single Light is a Monumental Task
Side: Prol
I had accompanied Yuki-sama to the international exchange school in Zurable as his guard, but I could state with certainty that it was far from well-equipped.
Well, perhaps it is unfair to compare it to Weed, but that is the reality.
Calling it a school is a stretch; it is clearly a repurposed mansion.
The reception room we were shown into earlier felt more like a space for nobility than a place of learning.
And above all else...
"Unfortunately, we do not have electricity yet. We are in a state where we can only study during the day."
"It is true that relying on light magic indefinitely is not sustainable."
As Emperor Uupia and Shou-sama noted, Zurable lacks electricity. There are no electric lights, nor any tools powered by electricity.
Even water must be drawn from a well; the simplest necessities are a struggle.
I fear that students arriving at this international exchange school will be overwhelmed by the environmental disparity before they even begin their studies.
"Well, that is to be expected. Still, it would be better to teach them about electricity and water systems so they won't be at a loss when they study abroad in Weed."
Yuki-sama, seemingly reading my thoughts, immediately addressed the issue with the two of them.
"Hmm. We were so accustomed to it that we hadn't even noticed."
"Now that you mention it, there were reports of students being confused by the basic living conditions. However, we lack the electrical equipment..."
"I will provide those things. It is impossible to wire the entire school, but it won't take long to install wiring and plumbing in the principal's office and other designated areas."
"Oh? Are you certain?"
"Would that not be a great deal of trouble?"
Indeed, as they said, Yuki-sama spoke of providing these things easily, but enabling electricity is not as simple as pressing a button.
He claimed the wiring and plumbing wouldn't take much time, but I find that hard to believe...
"If you decide on the locations, it will take roughly two or three hours."
"Is that all it takes?"
"At that rate, couldn't we bring electricity to the entire school in a few days?"
I almost found myself agreeing with Shou-sama’s sentiment, but I have never heard of such a thing.
On what grounds does he believe this is possible?
"Ah, whether we can bring electricity to the entire school building is a matter of 'maybe, maybe not.' It’s more like we’re testing to see if it’s possible."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, the basic principle is to place a generator and supply power from there. For water, we would build a reservoir on the roof, but the question is how to supply the generator and the reservoir."
"Hmm? Come to think of it, what is the power source?"
"Both are fundamentally powered by magic."
"But everyone possesses magic, do they not?"
"That magic must be charged—or rather, 'mana-infused.' And the reservoir needs to be replenished with water. The problem is that the infusion device is temperamental. It requires a certain level of mana control and a significant amount of magic power. And as for the reservoir, it literally needs water, but the question is whether we can produce water of proper quality."
"I see..."
That answer satisfied not only the two of them but us as well.
"Let's see, the water issue is easy to explain. The water produced by magic varies in quality depending on the individual. It requires someone who has been vetted, but then the question becomes whether one person can produce enough water to supply the entire school."
"Hmm. Honestly, that is difficult."
"It is a matter of trust, after all."
Water may seem simple, but it is something people consume.
Having an indefinite number of people replenishing it is frightening for various reasons.
For the sake of safety, it is best to have reliable individuals handle the water supply, but...
"Now, regarding electricity—if it were just for lighting, we could have just inserted magic stones, but the benefits of being able to run a generator go without saying, right?"
"Indeed. It means other electrical appliances could be used as well."
"Exactly. I considered a generator powered by magic stones, but Zargis's experiments revealed an unexpected problem."
Come to think of it, we have never had to charge a generator ourselves.
How is the electricity used in Weed supplied?
As I wondered this, Yuki-sama turned his gaze toward Comet-sama.
"This is a vacant room. I’d like Comet to explain the development process, but is it alright if we use this room?"
"Yes, go ahead."
With that, Yuki-sama and the rest of us entered the vacant room.
Perhaps the renovations haven't reached this area yet; it still looked like a simple guest room for nobility.
Comet-sama placed a machine I had never seen before onto the table.
"Alright, I will take over the explanation from here. It isn't a difficult concept, though. This is a generator that converts magic into electricity. Originally, it was designed to use gasoline or liquid fuel, but we’ve adapted it to use magic instead. Well, the development was quite a struggle. The problem with this is the fuel efficiency. In other words, it consumes a massive amount of magic. It can be substituted with magic stones, but that’s all there is to it."
"Hmm. Structurally, it seems simple enough for anyone to handle."
"But you mentioned the fuel efficiency is poor—just how poor?"
"Let’s see. For example, take this—a goblin's magic stone."
Comet-sama held up a very small magic stone, no larger than the tip of a pinky finger, the kind that fetches the lowest price at the Adventurer's Guild.
"With this, it vanishes in a mere two seconds."
"Two seconds... that is hardly practical..."
"Couldn't you just insert a large quantity of them?"
"Yes, as Shou says, inserting a large quantity is one solution, but even then, this capacity would only hold about 300 at most. That’s 600 seconds—about 10 minutes. You would need to replenish it every time. That’s tedious, isn't it?"
Replenishing it every ten minutes? That is indeed tedious.
Setting aside the act of inserting them, one would have to hunt 300 goblins every ten minutes.
"That is not realistic. What about larger magic stones?"
"They last a bit longer. However, the larger the stone, the rarer it is, and it feels wasteful to consume them for electricity. Oh, by the way, an orc's magic stone, about the size of a thumb, lasts for about 30 seconds. But production can't keep up."
"…Indeed, the effect is longer, but that is still not practical."
As Emperor Uupia said, it lacks practicality.
I find it hard to believe he would present such a flawed product...
"Of course, that isn't all. We have prepared a proper, efficient battery—or rather, fuel. It’s this."
Saying this, she pulled out not a small magic stone, but a rectangular, red, glass-like object, seemingly custom-made to fit the generator's intake.