Chapter 58
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: The Mage of Summer Vacation (2)
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“So, Luna, what are you up to over break? Heading home?”
“Nah. Staying in the dorm.”
Go where? No way I’m leaving this comfy bed behind.
Claire’s eyes sparkled at my answer as she asked cautiously.
“Hey, Luna. If you’re free, wanna come visit my territory? It’s only about three days by carriage from here.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Like hell I will.
Three days means six round trip, or 144 hours. Spending all that time dozing in a bumpy carriage, camping out, or on some cheap, lumpy inn bed? Hard pass.
Just then, Princess Celestina cleared her throat softly and joined in.
“I’m planning to stay at the academy over break too, Luna.”
She shyly suggested we grab meals together sometimes.
I tilted my head and asked without thinking.
“Princess, aren’t you going back to the palace...”
Mid-sentence, it hit me.
The princess might actually prefer the academy over the palace, where political intrigue runs rampant.
“It’s... kind of tough to go back.”
She smiled awkwardly and brushed it off, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth for no reason.
Her life really wasn’t easy.
Considering what happened to the other royals in the original story, holing up at the academy was a smart move.
I rubbed the back of my neck and muttered.
“Well... I’ll drop by sometimes.”
“Really?!”
Her face lit up like the sun breaking through clouds.
“You can even stay the night when you visit!”
“We’re already in the same building, so...”
“But it gets lonely being alone~”
Her sparkling eyes were painfully bright.
I made a vague face and took a step back.
“Weeell... I’ll think about it.”
*
“Hngaaah?!”
As the sun just peeked over the horizon, I bolted upright in bed.
The WWE ingrained in my body over the past semester had forcibly woken me.
“The maids’ll barge in soon...”
Still half-asleep, I focused on the sounds outside the door.
“...?”
But Linea Hall was eerily quiet today.
No footsteps echoing in the halls, no doorknobs rattling.
I blinked blankly, then let out a soft “Ah.”
“Right... vacation starts today...”
Tension drained from my body like air from a balloon.
A lazy smile crept across my face unbidden.
“Hehe... uh-heh...”
I buried my face in the pillow and sighed contentedly.
Yes. Summer vacation was finally here.
No head maid, department head, or even the chairman could stop my lie-in.
I closed my eyes slowly, savoring this sweet, refreshing reality.
Today was the first day of break.
The perfect gift of rest after a semester of getting tossed around.
All that time stolen by WWE and pointless lectures—now mine to spend sleeping. This was paradise.
And right now, no original-story plot BS either.
Gray Witch was on hiatus for two months.
“Alright, to celebrate... 24 hours of straight sleep it is...”
Sun’s up now, so I’ll sleep till tomorrow’s sunrise.
“Haaah... feels so gooood...”
Basking in the blanket’s soft touch and my beloved pillow’s cozy embrace, I drifted back into deep slumber.
*
My resolve to sleep 24 hours straight crumbled after just four.
“Ughhh...”
Around noon, with the sun high in the sky.
A sticky heat enveloped me, forcing my eyes open.
Cold sweat trickled down my back, and my pajamas clung like soaked seaweed.
“What the heeell... why’s it so damn hot?!”
Discomfort levels were off the charts.
The room felt like a steam bath.
Every breath stabbed my lungs with hot vapor.
My Vacation Day 1 24-Hour Sleep Project was derailed by this freak weather before half a day passed.
I flung the window wide in frustration, only for blinding sunlight to pour in.
Then I spotted the ‘temperature control magic stone’ in the corner.
“Youuu—gonna do your job or what?”
Department Head Lilliana’s special high-end magic tool was supposed to keep the room comfy.
But even her custom invention couldn’t handle this insane heatwave.
-Beeeep...
A red warning light blinked on the magic stone’s surface.
It looked pitiful, like it was screaming for help.
I touched it absentmindedly—scalding hot—and yanked my finger back.
This thing was toast.
“Even Linea Hall’s helpless against this hellish heat.”
I sighed deeply and flopped back onto the bed.
The scorching sheets burned more than soothed.
Forcing my eyes shut didn’t help; sweat beaded on my forehead after a minute, popping them open again.
Damp air, soggy sheets. Hot and wet—the worst combo.
“Arghhh—so gross!”
I finally kicked off the clinging blanket and jumped up.
“Nope. Can’t live like this.”
I’d dry out like jerky at this rate.
No surrendering to the heat.
Time for civilization’s greatest invention.
Luckily, I had just the thing for this.
“Air con... Grandpa CarryX’s masterpiece is calling...”
Endless cool breezes.
Sucks up humidity too.
If I could just make that miracle magic tool, the AC...!
“Yeah. Time to become this world’s CarryX.”
I clenched my fists.
This was a fight for my sleep rights...!
*
Vacation Day 1.
AC Development Day 1.
I plopped at my desk and flipped open my notebook.
My quill danced across the page.
“First, the structure...”
Blending my past-life modern knowledge with genius-level magic, I brainstormed an AC design.
How to generate steady cool air?
Compress, condense, expand, evaporate refrigerant cycle.
Now translate that mechanical mess into magitech...
“How many cooling-attribute magic stones would this take?”
Schwick-schwick. I sketched a mana circuit using magic stones as power source.
“Won’t cool a whole room, though...”
I muttered as I drew and erased designs.
Crunching numbers in my head, I figured at least five pricey large magic stones for the cooling power I wanted.
And they’re consumables. Running 24/7? Swap every three days.
“Maintenance costs are insane...”
This summer would bankrupt decades of living expenses.
“The forest breeze kept it bearable there.”
Regretting staying at the academy?
I groaned and X’d out the design.
“Efficiency... need more efficiency...”
Hours of head-scratching later, sketching and scrapping, dusk fell.
A precious day gone.
“...Screw it.”
Brain’s fried.
Exhausted, I tossed the quill and face-planted into my pillow.
“Haaah... melting heeere...”
Sunset, and the room was still muggy.
Damn tropical night.
*
AC Development Day 2.
Tossed and turned all night, then—eureka.
“Right, compression and expansion principles.”
No need for expensive cooling stones.
Use mana as refrigerant.
I rushed back to the desk.
“Compress water-attribute mana with telekinesis magic, then rapidly expand it—it’ll steal surrounding heat...”
TL;DR: AC compressor principle.
Engineers—er, magitech geniuses—change the world.
I drew a magic circle on the wall.
Big circle, intricate runes overlaid.
“Alright... this’ll blast cool wind.”
Finished the outer edges meticulously, took a breath, placed hands over the core.
“Ignition.”
Mana injected—whirr. Low vibration hummed.
Blue glow, cool breeze brushed my cheek.
“Perfect, as expec—?”
Compressed mana via telekinesis destabilized beyond circuit limits.
The circle heated red-hot.
Bad vibes—I pulled hands away, too late.
Water mana refrigerant went berserk.
“W-Wait...!”
Boom—explosion right in front of me as I stumbled back.
“Cough, cough!”
Room filled with icy fog instantly.
Like opening a freezer door—chilling displeasure wrapped me.
“Wh-What was that noise?!”
“Are you okay?!”
Maids burst in, practically kicking the door down.
They spotted me standing dazed in white mist and shrieked.
I turned slowly to face them.
Frost coated my hair, lashes, pajamas.
Everything in the room frozen solid.
“Ah... failed.”
I breathed white vapor, murmuring drowsily.
Then Odette arrived, late to the party.
She glanced between the room and me, sighing heavily.
“Haa... Miss.”
“...”
“I get it’s hot, but freezing the room isn’t the answer.”
“...I didn’t wanna do this either.”