Arx Raytheft, age 13.


　He was about to enter the Academy of Magic and there was a big event for him at the beginning of this year.
　It was, of course, the official announcement of the magic meter made by Arx.
　With this, the existence of the magic meter was officially announced by the Mage Guild, and the magic meter, which was only used in the military and medical fields, would be able to benefit the ministries, the Academy of Magic, and the mage nobles.


　In order to make the existence of the magic meter widely known to people inside and outside the country, it was decided to hold a large-scale announcement party at the royal castle.


　The guests were not only the nobles of the kingdom, but also the lords of Darnenez from the Northern Alliance, the king of Sapphireburg, a particularly close friend of mine from the Bai Liang Bang, and the ten sovereigns subordinate to the Kingdom of Rynor.


　The event was held in the Great Hall of the Royal Castle, which was comparable in scale to the discussion ceremony.
　It was decorated with lavish decorations.
　There were many dishes on the table.
　The courtyard of the castle was even opened to the public to accommodate the many guests.


　In one corner of the hall, there is a huge magic meter that was given to the royal family before.
　As the event was called an "announcement party," it was more like a banquet hall that served as a social gathering place than a place to present the results of the event. I suppose that people everywhere like to celebrate. The magnificence and pomp of events is one of the opportunities to show the wealth of a country to the world. Especially when it comes to the presentation of goods that will contribute to the future of the wizarding world, it cannot be left as a waste of tax money.


　Of course, there would be no announcement of the maker of the item, so I was invited to the party as a chaperone for my uncle Crabbe.
　I've heard that the announcement of the creator will be a much bigger event, with a parade and the creation of an anniversary, so I'm dreading it.


　The party has been going on for a while.
　Crave, who co-developed and funded the magic meter, was in charge of explaining it to the guests.
　It's hard to shake the feeling that the wild-looking muscle demon is giving an intellectual explanation, but whatever.


　In the center of the hall, there is a sample of a magic meter.
　Naturally, the guests are all crowded around it, holding the samples in their hands and scrutinizing them.
　As if they were looking at a bottle of wine in their hands, they were holding it up to see through it, or staring at it until they could see through it, each trying to determine the mechanism of the magic meter in various ways.


It's amazing.

"Can you make something like this?

The kingdom's technological prowess is nothing short of amazing.


　All that came out of their mouths were words of praise for the magic meter.
　They are all praising the magic meter, calling it a revolutionary invention and groaning at the fact that the kingdom's magic technology will be further developed.
　Is it admiration, ridicule, or fear that I hear?
　I don't know what's going on in their hearts, but I'm sure they're shocked.
　While some of them are praising and sycophantic, they are making their attendant mages inquisitive about how it works.


　The structure of the ...... magic meter is simple. It is not difficult to imitate the appearance if you have skills in glass technology, crafting, and workmanship. However, it is a different story when it comes to preparing the same contents. The key is whether or not you have the knowledge to create it, because it requires [alchemy power] to create the sensing liquid [alchemy silver].


　In another country, there is a book that Crabbe had, and you have to decipher it.


　You must patiently practice what you have deciphered for hours and hours.


　Continue to excessively apply the [Refined Magic Power] produced there to the [Magical Silver] and transform its properties.


　These coincidences are necessary.
　Moreover, the 【Magic Silver】 used as the sensing liquid is all colored red with cinnabar, so it is impossible to tell what kind of material it is made of just by looking at the magic power meter.
　Besides, even if they could reproduce the【Renma Gin】, it would take an enormous amount of time to reproduce the operational know-how. As well as the sharing of usage methods, in order to operate a measuring instrument, the accuracy must be kept constant and uniform.


　Just as a clock is useless if it is not set to time.
　A measuring instrument is also useless if it does not set a firm standard and make it widely known.


　Nowadays, we all use them as a matter of course, but I have built up the know-how for their operation before sending them out to the world.
　It is not something that can be done overnight, as it requires the construction of all kinds of procedures and knowledge in its production.


　...... Personally, I believe that the most important thing in this matter is not the magic meter itself, but the know-how of the operation of this instrument.
　Even if other countries were able to reproduce the magic meter on their own, it would take at least a year to build up the awareness of the expansion rate of the witch's silver against the magic power and the fact that this is a delicate instrument that cannot be used without adjustment.


　The amount of paperwork it took to build these things is no mean feat.
　Using my memory and the magic of copying documents, it still took me nearly five years.
　I am aware that I skipped a lot of steps, and I am sure that I contributed to the paradigm shift in magic technology.
　It's not easy to copy such a thing, and I don't want anyone to easily copy my hard work.


　When we were coordinating this announcement, we discussed again our concerns about imitation by other countries.


"...... I see. You are right, it will not be easy to imitate.


　At the gathering of King Shinru, Crown Prince Ceylan, and the national mages.
　Ceylan spilled his words as if he had understood.
　The other national mages seemed to be of the same opinion, and without making any particular comment, they looked down at their magic meters or flipped through their documents.
　Arx, on the other hand, is making a presentation with a document in his hand as before.


　After a moment of silence, the guild leader Godwald opened his mouth.


"...... Arx. Did you foresee this all along?

"I think it's more correct to say that we were working on the best way to operate it, rather than anticipating it. The fact that the method of operation has become so widespread is only a result of our efforts. In the process of making it, my uncle advised me many times, and the biggest reason is that the mages were eager to introduce the magic meter.


　Yes, the reason why we were able to go this far was because those in power and experts were very cooperative.
　There are many people in the world who will reject the introduction of new technology. If the mages of the kingdom were all those who valued only their own senses and their intuition, called craftsmanship, it would not have spread so quickly.
　The top runners in the field were not interested in new technology.
　Because they had so much power, they were able to push the envelope.
　If it were not for that, there would have been many obstacles in the way of the announcement of the magic meter.


　The guild leader continued to ask.


"Once again, there is no fear of the technology being copied?

"Yes. If other countries make this. Starting from making the witch's silver, designing a special glass container, establishing the concept of vacuum, equalizing the expansion ratio of the witch's silver. In addition to that, it is necessary to establish and disseminate the operational standards that form the basis of the magic meter's values. This is a huge amount of information.


　Then, I showed him the document. As for the operation method, there are two piles of documents as thick as the man's country's Kojien. They are so heavy that if they were placed on the table, they would make a thumping sound.




I'm not sure if other countries can easily compile this amount of information. The kingdom is currently one step ahead of the surrounding countries in magic technology, so is it really possible to win this competition or not?

"I don't think so. It's just a matter of coming up with a numerical value, a method of operation, and getting the word out, but how long will it take to implement it? It will take more effort and time than it would take to create the actual thing.

"Considering the progress of magic technology in other countries, it won't take more than ten years. And if we advance ten years, the kingdom will have technology that is ten years more advanced.


　Roheim Wrangler, followed by Merkleya String, spoke up.
　The main magic of the kingdom has already been analyzed to determine how much magic power is needed and how much magic power should be consumed for each word.


　On the other hand, other countries do not have magic meters, so they still have to rely on their senses.
　While filling this hole, the kingdom will use the magic meter to further develop its magic technology.


　Suddenly, Muller Quint opens his mouth.


"...... We just had to accept this. Enthusiastic about the performance of the magic meter, he reads the material sent to him monthly and applies it to his own research. On second thought, it could have taken us much longer to get here.

"Indeed, even with the Mage Guild and the royal family's support, the penetration was fast.


　A man followed Gastarkus' statement.
　A man with a big belly, dressed in a luxurious traditional aristocratic costume.
　He is about thirty years old. His face is always smiling, indicating that he is a good-natured person.
　The king of the Kingdom of Zerips, a tributary kingdom of the Kingdom of Rynor, is the [Gale Mage] Al-Rizelli Vardan.


I like making things. I also like to make things, but after I make something, I just throw it away. I like to make things too, but after I make something, I just throw it away. I'm well aware of that.

　Having said this, King Al turned to me.

When it comes to manufacturing, you're a good opponent of mine.

"I'm afraid so, sir.

"I'm afraid so. I would like to have a development discussion with you once.


　King Al is laughing lightly as he says this.
　Although he has the title of king, he has a very friendly disposition.
　My impression is that he is cheerful and refreshing. Although he is a king, he seems to be very easy to get along with, and although he is a giant, he has the nickname "Gale".


　As such, there are some people who were not present at the last gathering.


"I have a question for you, Rabbit.


　A girl in a wheelchair suddenly opened her mouth.
　The mage, who stands out from the crowd, has long, lightly pigmented blue hair and eyes of the same color, and is dressed in a prison uniform that I have seen in the sealing tower.
　He is in a wheelchair, not because he has a bad leg, but because of the restraints.
　Like a mummy wrapped in bandages, he was strapped down with a belt.


　The youngest national mage. Alicia Roterbelle, the mage who goes by the name of "Drought.
　It seems that she is recognized as a dangerous person, and she is always being restrained like this.
　It's strange, though, that the national mages and King Shinru are not particularly wary of her.
　Anyway...


"Rabbit ......, isn't it?

Why didn't the rabbit just take everything for himself?

What does that mean?

It means that you could have recreated the standards all by yourself. If you were serious, you could have created new magic and standards to replace the existing ones and spread them throughout the country, instead of matching the numbers to existing magic. And then you could have become the ruler of magic in the kingdom.　No, it's not impossible to do that now. In fact, if you've been able to penetrate so far, taking over would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?


　She might be right.
　There are already basic spells in the kingdom, and this manual was constructed based on the data that revealed the amount of magic power required for those spells.
　If I had created a new spell and only used that spell as the basis for the numerical data, I would be in the same situation as she described.


　But...


I've never thought about it that way.

"No?　Isn't it normal to think about it? Isn't it impossible for your mind to think about it?

I don't see the point in doing that. If a spell is difficult to use, it will be weeded out, and even if a spell is spread, mages will always create new ones. In addition, there will be a tendency to keep the magic that has been used in the local area.

We had the royal patronage this time. We had the royal patronage this time. Couldn't we use that to innovate?

Assuming we do that. The magic left behind by our predecessors is so sophisticated that changing it would create a huge backlash. And when it comes to making a magic meter, there will be a competition for accuracy. The longer you monopolize and delay the competition, the slower your progress will be.

"Hmm. So you know how this will be handled in the future, don't you, Rabbit?

............


　This girl seems to have a mysterious move, but she has a wide perspective, or she sees things differently than others. It's true that she's looking into the future because she's comparing it to the way the man thinks about the world, but how dare she try to scoop up that part of him.


　When I was careful not to make any inadvertent comments, Alicia gave me a charming smile that did not match her age.


"Oh, bunny. You don't have to be so frightened, do you?

No, the National Mage has earned himself a reputation as someone to be feared.

Hmm, so let me ask you, what's the next thing you're going to do with this operation?

"I think it's about unifying the numerical standards for future measuring instruments.

What exactly?



For example, let's say... For example, if you made a measuring device to measure the amount of curse, you could combine the magic power needed to use the magic with the amount of curse that comes out from using the magic.


　Roheim nodded his head as if he understood what I was talking about.


"Hmm, I see. That's true.


　On the other hand, a few of the mages didn't seem to understand much about it. On behalf of them, Muller Quint asks.


"Mr. Roheim. What is the significance of this?

"Lord Quint. It's nothing. It's because it's easier to understand and to share.

Sharing?

Yes. Currently, we use the unit of mana, but if we don't use the same unit of 10 for the amount of curse generated when using a spell that consumes 10 mana, we'll have to calculate the amount of curse each time we use it, which will take a lot of time.

In that case, there will be people who cannot remember the corresponding numbers. We will also need a quick reference chart when communicating.


　It's true that if the numbers are all different, it will be difficult to communicate.
　It is obvious that this will be similar to the Celsius, Fahrenheit, metric, and yard-pound systems. The yard-pound system, in particular, has slightly different numerical values in different countries.
　First of all, we have to think about the mechanism of the discharge of the curse, but unification is a must.


That's right. That means you've seen something that's hard to understand. Hmmm, I wonder where you've seen that before.


　...... Alicia has a perceptive way of looking at things.
　If you respond to her, you may end up in a quagmire. The right thing to do would be to keep silent and not say anything.
　Perhaps sensing my caution, Alicia was watching the situation with amusement.
　To be honest, she's not my type. If I'm not careful, I'm afraid I'll be taken in.


　Then, a woman in a hood turned her gaze to her.


"Is that curse measuring device already there?

No, I'm just using it as a metaphor, I haven't started work on it yet.

"...... I see.


　There was a hint of regret in his voice.
　The woman wore a black hood with cat-ear-like protrusions.
　Her name is Shreya Limarion. She's a national mage chosen by the friendly nation of Sapphireburg. Her nickname is "The Huntress. She is said to be a master at hunting demons, and was nominated to be a national mage after destroying the Susonokami that had previously occurred in Sapphireburg.


　She was probably interested in Sapphireburg because it was regularly hit by demons. If we can measure the amount of [curse] that causes demons to appear, we may be able to prevent sudden damage.


"Your Majesty.


　The guild leader calls out to King Shinru.


"Very well. Other countries will be forced to follow the operational standards of the kingdom established by Arx, as long as they build their operational methods ahead of time and protect their documents. We will have to rely more and more on the kingdom's umbrella when it comes to magic technology.

"If we assume that this old bone, the magic meter, will eventually spread, we should spread its operation before other countries build it.

"Lorheim.

As Gastarkus said, it would be of great benefit to set a new standard before other countries do. Politically, I think it makes sense to go a little bit out on a limb here and make it public.

Hmmm... ......


　Both Gastarkus and Roheim are positive. The guild leader is originally on the side of the instigator, so this means that the top three seats have given their approval.


"So, Your Majesty.

"Yes, it passes.


　In response to the Guild Chief's question, King Shinru made the final decision.
　At the same time, the document was sent to the national mages, and each of them affixed their seal.
　Although they were already moving toward the announcement, and the approval was probably just a formality, the magic meter would now be officially announced.
　After all the documents had been stamped, Shinru suddenly turned to look at me.


"Arx.

Ha!

We just had to accept this. We just had to accept it because you built the standards for us. Well, that's easy. But you set it up that way all along. It would not be surprising if the construction of the operational method was more of an exploration.

...... Indeed, I suppose so.

That's exactly what Alicia said earlier, but where the hell did you get that from?

Your Majesty. It's the same as all the balances. I just built it to fit that knowledge.

Don't be ridiculous. This is a completely different method. You know all about it, don't you?

It's .......


　When we were at a loss for an answer, Shinru put a smile on his face.


I'm sure you're not the only one. I think you should open your head.


　Shinru said, and started laughing wildly.
　I can't laugh at all, because I feel like I'm about to have my head cracked open.




"You can continue to do whatever you want with your research. Don't pry too much into it, either.


　When Shinru said this, the people who had gathered gave their approval.
　I was grateful to hear Shinru say that, because it was difficult for me to answer questions about this.


　Anyway, that's what was discussed at the Mage's Guild the other day.


　Of course, the national mages were also present at this party.

　Crabbe was explaining the magic meter on his behalf.

　Godwald, the guild leader, is following King Shinru with his bodyguard, Roheim, the third in command, is standing by the side of Crown Prince Ceylan, and Gastarkus, the great hero, is occupying a part of the hall with his family.

　Frederick, who looks like he's crunching walnuts, is guarding the royal castle with some of his bodyguards and the national mage, Kasim Laury.

　Muller and Merkleya are on their way to greet the nobles and lords.

　King Al and Shreya of Sapphireburg are also present, with only Alicia absent.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.


　...... As I finished eating my plate of food, I noticed a man.
　The man seemed to be aware of my presence and approached me without trying to hide his displeasure.
　Just by looking at him, I felt anger like a burnt fire rising up in me.