Recycling Innovation in Another World
Eric, with a clear experimental spirit, had already begun experiments beyond just bamboo filament with various other things.
Through this, he naturally began to learn the concepts of conductors and insulators.
“Indeed…”
Take the insulation wrapping wires. It’s rubber.
Glass containing the electrolyte for voltaic piles and lead-acid batteries—sulfuric acid—does not conduct electricity.
However, the human body can feel a tingling pain, and metals like copper conduct electricity very well.
By verifying each of these one by one, Eric quickly grasped the concepts of electricity.
Eric murmured his newly acquired knowledge and began another new task.
And Scarlet Knight, jotting down Eric’s close-to-monologue explanations, nodded with approval.
“It seems this could replace the arcane tools used for lanterns. However, it’s still dangerous as it is, so some measures are needed.”
Eric looked around, then, as if realizing something, picked up a round flask from the decorations in the workshop.
“Ah! Hmm…”
Using glass as a bulb might work.
Thinking that way, new problems immediately arose.
That was the feeling.
“What’s the matter?”
“Fire will go out quickly in a sealed container. Electricity is probably the same. I was wondering.”
Without being told anything specific, just a small hint was enough for him to explore the bulb on his own.
“Ah, I see…”
After pondering this and that, Eric confirmed that the bamboo filament had burned out.
It was clear that he had noticed the fundamental weakness of its low durability.
“If there’s another material that conducts electricity…”
Since bamboo filament has low durability, he would need to find something to replace it.
Thinking that way, Eric began recalling various substitutes.
I watched this and decided to temporarily shelve my knowledge of tungsten filament.
After all, since there was a yokai, I could roughly figure out the Empire’s trends.
So waiting for Eric’s knowledge and experience to build up wasn’t a problem.
‘It looks like the lead-acid battery is almost done. Then next is sodium hydroxide.’
Because Eric was doing electrical experiments with the lead-acid battery, I continued electrolysis with electricity from the generator.
After spending a long time like that, we could finally return to the workshop.
“Electricity is such a strange power… It burns in places without air…”
Eric had even measured the time it took for the bamboo filament to burn completely. During that process, when he sent current through it while inside glass, the filament burned more slowly.
Unlike normal fire, which extinguishes when it’s blocked from air, the bamboo filament’s lifespan actually lengthened when air was blocked.
In other words, he had noticed that electricity has a completely different nature from burning with fire.
How could he completely remove the air from inside the glass?
Eric had completely fallen into the endless mystery of knowledge.
After losing his entire family and Maria even getting her leg injured, he had lived making only farming tools.
While enjoying the craftsmanship he loved, he didn’t have to feel guilty about his conscience.
That joy was at a level that was hard to imagine.
“I think I get it now.”
“Yes?”
“The reason Master Lloyd talked about experience.”
Scarlet Knight covered her mouth and chuckled softly, laughing.
She must have recalled the scene of Eric puffing with excitement from the excitement.
‘That’s the right direction.’
If she had just thrown out the blueprints for the finished product from the beginning, Eric wouldn’t have reacted with that much excitement.
The knowledge he gained through trial and error himself, and the knowledge forcibly injected.
Which one would hit harder was something that would only make his mouth hurt to say.
“If we can stably create light, there will someday be a future where we don’t need candles.”
As Scarlet Knight said, in modern times candles are only used for decoration.
The difference in brightness alone makes all the difference.
“Human knowledge defies the laws of nature. It’s truly amazing, and at the same time terrifying.”
Her speech was surprisingly logical, like someone who loves reading but has a clear distinction between right and wrong and a rigid way of thinking.
“I heard a story from a minstrel.”
“A minstrel…”
Scarlet Knight showed an ambiguous expression.
Probably because minstrel stories often had provocative content, she wasn’t particularly looking forward to it.
“There was a man who committed a crime and was thrown in prison. His father, too, was imprisoned because he couldn’t manage his son.”
I started the story with a lightly flavored version of Icarus’s wings.
“That man, flapping his wings toward the sun, fell into the sea and lost his life.”
“A profound story.”
Defying the laws of nature.
In turn, he received nature’s punishment and fell into the sea.
I returned his words, warning that I was cautious about the ripple effects of my knowledge.
Scarlet Knight, who noticed this, nodded as if she understood.
“Are you planning to come to the workshop tomorrow as well?”
“If there’s nothing special, that’s the plan.”
Grandpa secretly has a mage’s workshop built to replace the spiritual veins.
If I, the lord, go look for that grandpa, it would attract attention and actually interfere with work.
For now, it’s better to act with Eric.
“If it doesn’t disturb your work, I may come to the workshop again tomorrow?”
“You’re always welcome.”
“That’s really fortunate.”
Scarlet Knight showed a bright smile before heading back to the Blaze residence.
I saw her off and then quietly followed Olivia, who had been trailing behind, back to the estate.
“You worked hard. Rest today.”
I gave Olivia, who looked tired, permission to rest.
But Olivia shook her head slightly.
“I’m the one who said I’d do it. Don’t worry about it.”
Olivia showed a somewhat empty smile before quietly leaving.
I watched Olivia’s back and let out a small sigh.
‘I need to prepare something somehow.’
She had evolved from a spare tire to a depressed spare tire.
If left like this, it looked like she might get sick of her body, not just her mind.
‘Princess Maker, huh…’
I chuckled and recalled Olivia’s specialty.
Count Baiden was a typical medieval European patriarchal noble.
Such a count had deprived Olivia of the opportunity for education.
Even the education she received was just the minimum knowledge needed to live as a noble lady.
That was the end of her learning—etiquette for nobles or basic knowledge of noble ladies.
Some might think it’s cruel.
But in this world, it was normal.
Even my gentle little brother Lucas, until recently, was a naive kid who knew almost nothing about lordly duties.
Even Lucas, as the second son, lived in such a world, so there was no need to raise Olivia’s educational spirit, who was set to marry a foreigner.
‘This is good.’
Study hard.
After saying that and throwing various things at her, Olivia would get absorbed and stop following me annoyingly.
With the thought that she was doing something, her gloomy mood would be somewhat relieved.
‘Where should I start…’
Since we’re at it, something with an appropriate difficulty level that wouldn’t make her lose interest and quit would be best.
It was an evening where my worries deepened.
***
After finishing dinner and lightly washing up, I called for Olivia.
“Olivia.”
“Yes, Master.”
I stared at Olivia with a wilted sunflower-like atmosphere, then opened my mouth.
“After finishing your bath simply, come to my study.”
“…Yes?”
“Do you understand?”
“Y-Yes!”
Olivia nodded vigorously with a noticeably brighter expression.
Of course, something to do would make her happy.
I sent Olivia off and headed to the study.
‘Let me see…’
What basic knowledge does the Olivia Mold Maker need?
While worrying, I worked hard with my pen.
‘It seems Olivia had good handiwork too…’
The embroidery on the handkerchief Olivia gave me was done by her herself.
So it would be fine to teach her knowledge related to clothing.
‘Clothing knowledge is still a bit lacking.’
Even though spinning and weaving machines using electricity are difficult, using hydropower would suffice to some extent.
Since Count Baiden didn’t seem to plan to bring Olivia back, teaching her clothing knowledge to make use of it wouldn’t be bad.
That would also be somewhat compatible with maid duties, so it should be fine.
‘Hydropower isn’t a bad idea, but I’ll have to do some construction…’
It’s still too early to use electricity as a new energy source.
I had to rely on hydropower for now, but currently the situation was difficult for installing additional waterwheels.
The timing might be right since Grandpa, a specialist in elemental magic, has come to Crescent.
‘Yeah, to adjust crop yields, land development is essential.’
Lordly duties are close to octopus work.
A chuckle escaped me at the thought that had come to me on its own.
While organizing knowledge for Olivia, the sound of Olivia’s footsteps came from beyond the study.
Knock knock.
“Lord. May I come in?”
“Come in.”
Squeak.
Olivia, who had just bathed in warm water, felt a hot heat coming from her body.
The face flushed from the bath water was slightly flushed, carrying a strange charm like a woman of marriageable age.
“Sit down.”
“Y-Yes…”
Olivia hurriedly sat on the sofa with a restless feeling.
I looked around the dimly lit room a bit, then slid a piece of paper toward Olivia.
“Eh…?”
Olivia took the paper I offered and blinked.
“This is… what is it?”
“I thought your maid duties, which are unfamiliar to your body, must be frustrating. So I prepared tasks you’re familiar with.”
Olivia only blinked repeatedly.
“You’ve always had good handiwork. The handkerchief I received is like a work of art, and it’s hard to use it as a consumable.”
“Lloyd…”
Olivia forgot she was a maid and called me by name as before, with affection.
“Ah, I’m sorry…”
Olivia, who belatedly noticed, spoke words of apology.
“Everyone has things they’re good at and bad at. I don’t have much talent for embroidery, for example. This is something I’m leaving to your handiwork.”
Olivia looked at me with moist eyes.
“Ah, I’m sorry…”
Like morning dew that suddenly burst, tears flowed steadily from Olivia’s eyes.
Olivia kept saying she was sorry and wiped her tears with the handkerchief from her pocket.
“Ah, this won’t do… hic…”
She must have been very anxious in a place where she didn’t have any ointment.
Ongoing tears flowed from Olivia’s eyes.
The handkerchief she had wasn’t enough.
I took out the handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to Olivia.
Olivia hesitated for a moment before taking the handkerchief I offered.
Then she buried her face in the handkerchief and kept her head bowed for a long time.
“I’m sorry for showing such an unseemly side, Master…”
Olivia lifted her head again and smiled brightly.
But there were traces of tears in her eyes, and her face was slightly flushed with embarrassment, making her face strangely interesting in many ways.
Crying and then laughing—what a mess.
“Then rest comfortably.”
“Y-Yes…”
Olivia nodded slightly and got up from her seat.
Then, bowing her head, she left with a somewhat languid step as if joy and lingering were left behind.
‘It’s related to electricity, though…’
Be satisfied with that, Olivia Mold Maker.
……
……
……
Olivia was sweating profusely trying to calm her face that was about to burst.
After dinner and bath, normal people would head to bed.
Even candlelight brightness was enough to know it was late, so bedtime came early.
In such times, calling her to the study, where access by other servants was restricted, would inevitably evoke a scene from a street story.
So I was internally expecting something, but it turned out to be completely different.
‘Uuu…!’
Embarrassed, her face was about to burst.
But at the same time, the feeling for Lloyd who had properly looked after her swelled up.
“Lloyd…”
Olivia buried her nose in the handkerchief that strongly smelled of Lloyd’s body scent.
Swish, haa…
Just that alone made her brain feel like it was melting.
Olivia looked at the table where Lloyd’s data was placed and hardened her resolve.
‘I’ll do my best, Lloyd…’
Because Lloyd’s morning was very early, if she wanted to do maid work, she had to go to bed right away.
But Olivia couldn’t calm down easily, so she didn’t fall asleep until much later than usual.
While Olivia couldn’t fall asleep, she recalled Lloyd’s kindness and buried her face in the handkerchief, faintly smiling at the corners of her mouth.
If Lloyd had seen that, he would have been shocked and called her a pervert.