第１６５６堀：電気一つでもものすごく大変 (Part2)
"This is a former dungeon core, specialized for storing magical energy."
"A dungeon core!?"
The revelation shocked not only Her Majesty Eupia but also those of us who were unaware of the situation.
"Think of it as a raw material, I suppose. It lacks the functions to construct dungeons or generate supplies. It is purely a specialized magical energy tank. You simply slot it into the space where the magic stones would normally go."
It appeared to be designed with a handle, allowing it to fit perfectly into the housing. However, the width was only about half that of the original compartment.
"I’ve prepared two of the same unit. By swapping them out, we ensure the generator never has to stop."
"I see. And how long does one of these tanks last, and how much magical energy is required to fill it?"
"Each one lasts about five hours at full capacity. As for the total volume, it holds about 20,000 units."
"20,000... That is no small feat. But wait—I recall reading in the Weed archives that a goblin magic stone contains a minimum of 10 units of magical energy."
As Her Majesty noted, our records at Weed indeed state that a goblin magic stone holds approximately 10 units. The "approximately" accounts for individual variance. If one were to insert the 300 stones we discussed earlier, the total capacity should theoretically reach 3,000.
"That’s correct. A goblin magic stone holds about 10. But when you use them, you suffer from loss."
"Loss?"
"Exactly. You lose energy during the extraction process. That’s true for any device, but in the case of a generator, you’re trying to wring it out all at once, which makes the loss even greater. I’ve been trying to find a way around that, but we’re still a long way off."
"I see. And this magic tank is designed to minimize that loss to the absolute limit, is it not?"
"Precisely. Besides, the compartment for the magic stones was built specifically for this tank, not for stones. It’s only natural that putting something else in there would be inefficient."
"...In other words, the gap is the problem?"
"Oh, sharp as ever, Schans. You’ve got it. If you leave too much empty space, the magical energy simply dissipates into the air and goes to waste."
I understood. Indeed, other magical tools that utilize magic stones have compartments sized specifically to fit a goblin stone. I hadn't considered why they weren't made larger, but it was likely a matter of magical efficiency all along.
"Come to think of it, I have heard of such things. There was talk of creating large-scale magical tools capable of casting high-level spells, but it ended in failure due to unforeseen problems, did it not?"
"Yes, that did happen. It was said that as the size increased, the consumption of magical energy rose so sharply that it was more efficient to simply have mages cast the spells directly. So, the cause was loss all along?"
"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that was the only factor—there might have been other issues involved—so let’s not jump to conclusions. Regardless, this magic tank reduces that loss to the current minimum and allows for efficient transmission. But I’ll spare you the technical details..."
As Comet-sama spoke, she plugged a desk lamp into the generator's outlet and pressed the power button. The lamp immediately flared to life, casting a bright, steady light.
"And there you have it."
"Hmm. This is more than sufficient. The only remaining questions are how to imbue it with energy and who will be responsible for the supply..."
"Oh, the method is simple. This one here is empty. See how dim it is? If you touch it and pour in your magical energy..."
As Comet-sama channeled her energy, about one-fifth of the tank began to glow, just like the one she had shown us earlier. It was remarkably intuitive.
"As for the energy, the instructors who frequent this place should suffice. Even if each of them contributes 500 units, it won't drain them dry."
"Hmm. Indeed. Some of them could likely provide up to 3,000 without issue. Schans, what is your capacity?"
"Both Her Majesty and I possess at least 5,000. Though, it would be a bit much for us to handle the task personally."
"True. In that case, we shall rely on the teachers. My apologies; let us return to the tour of the schoolhouse."
Ah, that’s right—the purpose of this visit was to inspect the school. For some reason, I had been the one doing all the explaining, and I had completely forgotten.
Trying to bring electricity to a place that has none is a monumental task, even just to conceptualize. One can easily imagine that the people actually doing the work have it even harder. I am filled with nothing but respect for those who not only perform such work in the field but also support those who do.