Magi Craft Meister 357

12-07 New device

Jin explained the new Automata and Golem control theories.

“Hmm, I understand the theory, but does it go so smoothly in practice?”

Reinhart had his doubts.

“Jin, I can sympathize with your reasoning. If there’s anything I can do to help, I sure will!”

Said Saki, showing her support.

One could say this was another difference between Reinhart, who puts things into practice, and Saki, who thinks purely and solely in theories.

In short, Reinhart knows how hard it is to put theory into practice.

“Jin, I can understand your theory. But, first of all, how do you reproduce the ‘sense of touch’? I think you should start from there.”

Reinhart had held him in doubt, but Jin had an explanation.

A small device called ‘Strain gauge’. It can detect as far as one-millionth of a strain. The fundamentals behind it are omitted in the explanation, but it is a device essential to machine control.

Jin was trying to reproduce this device with materials found in this world.

If he managed to reproduce it, it could be attached to several places of the body, and the amount of pressure to the body could be known by detecting those strains. And that’s what basically the ‘sense of touch’ is.

Jin added one more thing at the end of his explanation of these operating principles:

“It would be wonderful if there some sort of material whose magical properties changed drastically as it bends or deforms.”

“Hmm, its magical properties, huh…?”

Actually, Jin has some knowledge of one such material. Wing membranes of a Sea Dragon. It’s what was used as a material for Reiko’s skin.

However, since it is not as prevalent, it seems it can only be used to improve Reiko.

“… There is one.”

Having said that, Saki produced a crystal out of the shelf.

The translucent crystal was cross-sectioned, and it had a red interior with an emerald green surface. It looked like a watermelon.

“Ah, a watermelon tourmaline, right…?”

Jin muttered that spontaneously. A long time ago, a certain girl he cared about was wearing small pendants that looked like that crystal.

“Watermelon?”

“Tourmaline?”

Saki and Reinhart reacted to different words. Incidentally, the one to react to ‘Tourmaline’ was Reinhart.

“Oh, a Watermelon is large fruit with a hard, green skin, and a red interior. A tourmaline… is a kind of stone.”

“Hmm, this ‘watermelon’ you speak of sounds like a s.h.i.+ka. Which reminds me that it is Skiika seedling planting season.”

According to Saki, s.h.i.+ka are planted every year in her garden, and by summertime, they are ripe for harvesting and eating.

br>Jin wanted to obtain one of those seeds or seedlings since he thought it would be nice to have either one of them. Naturally, it has already been decided that these wishes will be transmitted to Reiko, who, by contacting Laojun, will be given new instructions by the fifth-row Quinta, who in turn have been dispatched anew to the Shouro Empire.

Now, let’s return to our story.

“This stone is called Elbite. By applying force to it, it generates a very small amount of magical power. Could this be of any use?”

As Saki explained, Jin nodded.

“Oh, well then, let’s try slicing off a thin sheet of this crystal, and attach a mithril thread to it!”

Soon after obtaining Saki’s permission, Jin sliced the ‘Elbite’ with Engineering Magic.

“Hmm! It sure is nice to have a Magi Engineer around! I can hardly use any magic myself, so I’m glad!”

Saki went on rambling about things such as ’a.n.a.lysis’ and ‘being able to feel magical power’.

“Okay, Saki, please hold this mithril thread. I’m going to try applying force to this slice of Elbite over here.”

“All right, Jin.”

A fragment of Elbite tied to a one-meter mithril thread. Jin placed his hand of the slice and pressed with his fingers.

“How about it?”

“Well, there’s some magical power springing forth over here.”

“That is great! Our first trial is a success!”

At that point, Reinhart, who had been silently looking from the sides, seemed to not be able to stand it any longer.

“Hmph! Jin, Saki! L-Let me help too! How should I put it? It’s unthinkable to try nothing more than just pressing it with your fingers! This is the birth of a new technology we’re talking about!”

Reinhart still appears to be a Magi Engineer, after all.

And then, the three of them repeatedly experimented with the Elbite, changing its thickness and size, in order to decide on its optimal shape.

Because of that, in that same evening, a ‘tactile sensor’ prototype was completed.

“Let’s build an automata using this. I will give this first prototype automata to Saki.”

Jin and Reinhart agreed. Saki could not argue with them.

“Huh, well, if you two say so. Besides, there are many tests I want to run.”

Noticing that it was getting dark outside, they decided to wrap things up for the day.

“Reiko, how much maple syrup was produced?”

“Father, this is all there is.”

In the pot that Jin had created were about seven servings. He wondered if it was approximately one liter.

“All right, let’s split it between two bottles.”