Lightbulb Dreams and the Bald Mage's Return
Two core technologies were essential for building a lightbulb.
An internal vacuum and a filament.
For immediate nighttime use, I had substituted the filament with iron wire and created a makeshift vacuum using magic to produce and fill it with a substitute gas.
But it was only a temporary workaround. I had to replace it every two hours, and that was more irritating than I cared to admit. If things were going to be this annoying, I might as well just buy one glowing stone and stick it on.
“Well, this should do it.”
I held up a cylinder made of steel with a piston sealed by a rubber packing. A one-way valve on one side allowed air to be sucked in, compressed, and then expelled.
It had taken nearly two weeks just to craft this. The work had been so precise that even Uncle Amore had grumbled quite a bit.
Swoosh—
I connected the vacuum pump inside the glass bulb, sucked out the air, and the process was complete.
Once the oxygen inside the bulb vanished, the filament inside no longer burned easily, and its lifespan shot up dramatically.
But the most critical part was still the material of the filament. Even if I etched a fine mana circuit onto iron wire to boost its heat resistance, I would eventually need a mana stone to keep it stable.
“I’m sorry, but for now, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
I had been lost in research to overcome the technological limits of this world when a pleasant visitor arrived.
“Miner! Come in.”
Miner entered the laboratory, hesitantly carrying a mining village management report.
“It’s amazing. Wow.”
His sparkling eyes scanned every corner of the lab. It must have been incredible. The environment of the mining village was completely different.
It was even more so compared to Iron Hall—the mining village was on the level of a provincial city or countryside hamlet.
And the Bladewyn estate was even grander than that. Moreover, my laboratory RMEL had been built with genuine care. Anyone who came here would be stunned.
“Huhuhu.”
“Ah, there’s something else I want to show you besides the report.”
“What is it?”
He pulled out a crumpled birch-bark paper and showed it to me. On it was a drawing of the ore.
“It looks strange, doesn’t it?”
“Exactly. The color is missing, but when you see it in person, it resembles land that looks like it was spilled from a volcano.”
“…A volcano?”
“Yes, but the stuff clinging to it seems to be iron. I discovered it while going deeper when they were relaying iron rails inside the mine. I couldn’t dig because I was afraid it might break.”
“Wait, wait… Is it an irregularly mixed black and reddish-brown?”
“Yes, and it doesn’t look that hard.”
At that moment, I felt like the gods were testing me.
“Where was it found?”
“It’s not an iron ore mine, but further up there’s another mine that mostly extracts magnetite and chalcopyrite.”
I already knew that mine. It was one of the Bladewyn family’s primary mines.
It was an adorable mine that sometimes even gave me rare uranium ore along with the copper I loved so much.
I had learned about this from Miner’s recorded parchment. Of course, Miner didn’t seem to know exactly what the ores were.
“Could this be a hydrothermal deposit?”
“What’s that?”
“It’s a place where hot water flows deep underground.”
Since it had only just been discovered, it meant there were likely still treasures slumbering inside.
It was like a natural treasure warehouse where magma turned into hot springs, rose to the surface, and spewed out the ores it carried.
‘Such a massive deposit… If a gold mine is discovered here…’
“Hoo, huhuhuhu…”
“Why… are you laughing like that?”
“Ah, more importantly, isn’t this place less developed than the iron ore mine?”
“Yes. But the people who managed this place originally had no enthusiasm for mining development. Even the iron ore mine is just starting.”
“Miner, this is the ore called Wolframite.”
“Wolframite?”
“Yeah. It’s a troublesome thing for me right now.”
It was necessary, but it also made my head ache terribly.
“Anyway, you worked hard. I have something for you. Wait here.”
I went happily to my room in the laboratory, brought out a few books, and handed them to Miner.
“This is a basic book to learn writing. I studied it a long time ago, so take your time reading it. And this is the classification system I wrote about minerals—please use it as reference.”
“…Th-thank you! Really, thank you!!”
Miner’s eyes were red at the rims. He accepted the two books and bowed his head several times, then tucked them deeply into his bosom.
“Learning to read and write is important. Especially for you, Miner, it’s something you must do to properly manage a mine.”
Since I had come to this world, I had asked Rachel to help me study writing every time I had free time.
Listening, reading, and speaking came naturally, but writing was quite difficult. So I studied.
I still had to study more, but for now, I could write at least simple letters.
If Miner kept practicing steadily, he would improve quickly.
The book on ores explained concepts like hardness and strength. The difference between what one intuitively knew and what could be concretely realized theoretically was very important.
Miner would probably understand and apply it well.
“And whenever you come here, I’ll teach you about the latest technology. Once they’re completed, there’s a high possibility they’ll be applied in the mining village, so learn well.”
“Yes!! I’ll remember it. Master!”
He was so moved that his spirit was burning bright.
“And when Wolframite comes next time, just a little of it. You can dig the rest when you feel you’ve mastered it properly.”
“Yes. But what are you planning to use it for?”
“It’s the final material to complete the lightbulb. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do it or not.”
“What? A lightbulb?”
“Ah, you haven’t seen it? Look up there.”
Miner looked up at the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling and nodded.
Click—
I closed the curtains to block the light coming from outside, then turned on the lightbulb.
The lightbulb brightened and illuminated the entire room.
“W-what is this? How does it… light?”
“Right now, once it’s on, the filament can’t be used again and needs to be replaced, but if we make tungsten from Wolframite, it can be used for an entire month.”
Miner’s mouth fell open. His jaw was about to drop. Wow.
“Master! I admire you so much!”
“Then keep digging the ore diligently.”
“Yes!”
*
“Where are you going? Is there something I couldn’t do for you? Why?”
Andersen suddenly said he was leaving.
“I’ve worked so hard for the magic advisor—running back and forth like my feet were on fire.”
“…I just said I was going to the principality for a short time.”
“Does that mean ‘just for a short time’? What if I don’t come back?”
“I will come back. Why would I leave?”
“Because I teased you about going bald…”
A vein bulged on Andersen’s temple.
“Look, look! You’re angry because of that!”
“No. And stop talking about baldness. I said it wasn’t that.”
“Will you come back if you don’t?”
“I will.”
“When?”
“…Within ten days.”
“That’s too long.”
“…A week.”
“Deal.”
Andersen, who had packed his bags, left Bladewyn. His luggage was nothing more than a full load of Robon-001s that I had made, though.
‘Is he taking them to give to people he knows in the principality?’
I doubted he was trying to make a quick profit. I had given him a lot of money.
“Haham… Today I’ll just rest a little.”
With Andersen gone, I really needed a break after a long time. Lately, I had been too busy with work and research, and my body had accumulated too much fatigue.
Especially after making the lightbulb, my research had gone late into the night, making it even worse.
“Master, a guest has arrived.”
“…Don’t lie, Rachel. Is this a joke?”
I had just barely lain down wanting to rest for the first time in ages, and someone had come again?
“Lady Sienna of Vulkan has come to visit.”
“Ah, when one is sent, another arrives.”
I couldn’t ignore her. I forced myself to get up again. Since it was from Vulkan, I should welcome her warmly.
When I went outside, Sienna was approaching with a slightly awkward expression, having loaded her luggage onto a small carriage.
“Yo, here. I brought it.”
Sienna took out an engine the size of her torso and handed it to me.
“Aaaah, it’s heavy!”
Contrary to appearance, she lifted the huge, heavy engine effortlessly with a snap of her wrist.
Looking closely, I saw sharply defined muscles on her forearms peeking out from her sleeves.
‘…What. That’s scary.’
Thud.
She carefully placed the engine down, shook her hands, and offered them to me.
“Well, now give me the design.”
“Here.”
“Oh, this is the design for Robon-002, right? Robon-003.”
“That’s right. It’s a compound crossbow and a pump-action crossbow.”
Since there weren’t proper facilities and equipment set up in Bladewyn yet, mass production wasn’t possible.
That was why I had made an agreement with Vulkan to mass-produce them and exchange research results through technology and knowledge sharing. Thanks to Duke Alvin’s visit last time, it had advanced even faster.
“This one is for knights, and the pump-action is for soldiers. Of course, depending on the situation, the knights could also use this.”
“Wow…”
Sienna kept making excited noises while checking the design.
“How… how did you even think of that?”
“It’s not that big a deal. The magitech of today relies too much on the mystery of magic. If we set that aside a bit, it can develop further.”
Her expression became somewhat serious.
“Cr, hmm! I know that too. Don’t think I’m full of myself. I’ve been studying magitech longer than you have.”
“Then make it yourself.”
When I tried to snatch the design back, she startled and quickly tucked it into her bosom.
“N-no one said they didn’t like it! There! But why do you need this? It’s defective, right?”
She had a pretty good way of changing the subject. She must have done this many times.
Anyway, what she had brought was a defective engine for the Black Terrahole. The circuit boards and various components had been made incorrectly, so it didn’t work properly.
“I wanted to see it properly. I couldn’t remove the engine from the Black Terrahole R1.”
“You could just come to Vulkan and do it easily. Why bother buying it and going through all this trouble?”
“It’s more convenient here than there.”
Honestly, Duke Alvin seemed to have some attachment to Vulkan, but it wasn’t the same as full support from the family.
This level of cooperation with Vulkan was appropriate.
“Ugh, you’re amazing. I’m tired. I’ll go in and rest for a bit, so later come show me your lab too.”
“Okay.”
* * *
It was early morning.
After returning from the Lahen family in the northern principality, where I had gone to discuss the strange atmosphere in the east, only a few days had passed.
I had gone to clarify the situation, but after talking with Sabina Lahen, my mind had become even more confused.
- Ted, there is an ominous shadow hanging over the entire continent. The principality is protected by the great barrier of the Valces Mountain Range, but the influence is unavoidable.
- Then what should we do?
- There is still time. But if we don’t prepare, it could become dangerous. Feel the flow of this wind. When winds gather in one place, they create currents as they collide and rise into the sky. That will push the clouds away and bring in light.
I respected Sabina Lahen’s abilities, but her incomprehensible words were impossible to understand.
The only thing certain was that we couldn’t just stay relaxed.
Creak—
I opened the curtains and looked out the window. I saw the third son, along with the knights, training diligently in the training ground.
“So energetic.”
Smiling with a satisfied expression, Ted put on his surcoat and went outside.
Every time we walked down the corridor, the servants and vassals bowed and greeted him.
He only accepted them silently with his eyes.
When we arrived at the carriage house, his hardened face muscles immediately relaxed.
Lately, his joy was to ride the Black Terrahole in the morning, circling the territory and observing the territory citizens preparing for the day.
Enjoying the thrill of rough driving while racing over the well-maintained roads was an added bonus.
It was a rare pleasure in a mundane life. Nothing else was better for clearing his complicated mind.
But.
“…Where did it go?”
The Black Terrahole R1 that should have been in the carriage house was gone.
It felt like I had been struck by lightning.
“Leffri! Call Robon! Quickly!”
Ted’s voice had a slight edge of agitation.