“Welcome, Lloyd-kun. This is the home of the Magic Tool Club.”
Following Connie’s lead, I arrived at a storage shed located quite a distance from the main school buildings.
“It is a total ruin, to say the least. It is perfectly understandable why no other members would join her,” Jiriel remarked.
“It looks roomier on the inside than it does from out here, though. Let’s head in for now. Excuse us!”
When I opened the door and stepped inside, I found the room packed with piles of objects that were colorful, bizarre, and altogether peculiar.
“Whoa, look at all these magic tools.”
“Most of them were left behind by previous members. It seems they ended up here because there was simply nowhere else to put them.”
I see. They must have established the clubroom in this remote spot specifically to secure enough storage space. As I scanned the room, I spotted several items that stood out from the rest.
“These ones, and this, and that... You made these, didn't you, Connie?”
“! How could you tell?”
How could I not? The quality of the magic tools Connie crafted was on a completely different level from the others. The density of the spell formulas, the refined beauty, the cleverness of the structure... it was obvious at a single glance.
“Hmm, I cannot perceive the difference myself... but if Master Lloyd says so, then it must be true.”
“Yeah, take a look at this one. It’s so small, yet it gives off such a brilliant, shimmering light.”
I picked up a box-shaped magic tool lying nearby and pressed the switch. Vivid colors burst out from within, accompanied by a melody. It felt like an incredibly advanced version of a music box—and the sound quality was leagues better.
She also seemed to have created dolls that danced on their own and objects resembling automated cars. I wondered what that massive device with the spiraling glass tubes was used for... Everything here was fascinating.
“However, the magic tools Connie has created are all rather strange. If I recall correctly, magic tools were originally intended for those who cannot use magic to oppose mages.”
Just as Jiriel noted, most magic tools were designed as substitutes for magic or as weapons of war. However, I couldn't feel even a hint of lethality from any of Connie’s creations. While the spell formulas themselves were magnificent, they were all essentially children's toys.
“The magic tools I make are unusual, aren't they? Usually, people only use them as weapons, but I’m not very fond of those kinds of things.”
Come to think of it, Connie rarely made weapon-like tools, which was why she was treated as an eccentric at the academy. It seemed the instructors didn't have a very high opinion of her either, but—
“I understand, Connie. I feel the same way.”
I was also drawn into this world because I was captivated by the pure joy of magic and the beauty of spell formulas. I don’t particularly care about destructive power. That’s why I don't like the current environment where magic is evaluated solely by its offensive output. To me, a spell whose purpose is entirely unknown is just as valuable as any other.
“You understand, Lloyd-kun... That makes me happy, somehow.”
Connie looked down as she spoke, looking genuinely delighted.
“‘You don’t seek power in magic,’ is it? Well, with Master Lloyd’s mana, even the lowest-tier magic possesses more than enough power...”
Jiriel was right. If anything, high-level magic had too much power, making it difficult to use. If I were to fire one off carelessly, I’d end up reshaping the local geography. That’s why I always restrict my output considerably whenever I use attack magic.
“Right, Connie. If you’d like, shall I charge some mana into your tools?”
Since magic tools run on spell formulas, they won’t function without mana. Because of that, magic tool users usually have to rely on acquaintances to help them gather mana. I offered to take on that role, but—
“No, I appreciate the offer, but it’s not necessary.”
I was turned down. Connie gestured toward a large, pulley-like magic tool nearby.
“That is a Rotary Magic Accumulator. It converts rotational energy into mana. With that, I can provide more than enough power for my projects.”
“Heh, that’s clever.”
When I gave the wheel a light spin, I could feel the mana being generated in perfect sync with the pulley's motion. I see, I see. Spell formulas were enchanted onto the pulley and its contact surface separately; each rotation completed the formula and generated mana.
“Can I try it out?”
“Of course.”
With Connie’s permission, I stepped inside the wheel. If I ran inside this, the wheel would spin.
“It looks exactly like an exercise wheel for a hamster...”
“It’s a nice bit of wit, isn't it? Besides, the structure is perfectly logical.”
Despite its size, the design had zero waste. This should be able to produce a massive amount of mana. Now then, let's see just how far I can push it.
“Hup...!”
As I started running with a short shout, a heavy resistance pressed against my legs. It wasn't an issue, though. Once I got the wheel spinning, I could see the Magic Storage Gauge on the side climbing steadily. Oh, so the faster I spin it, the faster the mana accumulates. Alright, let’s get a little serious.
With that decided, I activated multiple layers of Physical Strengthening. Power surged through my limbs, my muscles expanded, and my physique grew a size larger. I stepped forward, surrendering to the overflowing vitality.
Voom! The speed at which the gauge rose spiked instantly.
“100... 200... Th-the mana is accumulating at an incredible rate!”
“So this is Master Lloyd’s Physical Strengthening... Athletic ability that puts any brawler to shame, combined with such magnificent physical beauty.”
The two of them were surprised, but this form was actually a bit clunky to move in. Sylpha always warned me that muscles trained without a proper plan lacked flexibility and made the body prone to injury.
“That’s enough, Lloyd-kun! Any more and it’ll blow!”
“Oops.”
It seemed the magic tool had reached its limit. Looking closely, I could see sparks flying. I hurriedly jumped out of the wheel.
Phew. It was scorching hot. I almost broke the thing. Connie and I both breathed a sigh of relief.
“Sorry, sorry. I overdid it.”
“...No, it was my fault for not being careful enough. You’re much more athletic than I thought, Lloyd-kun.”
Well, it was mostly thanks to magic—and the fact that I’d been trained by Sylpha. Regardless, I looked forward to spending time making magic tools with Connie.
“Master Lloyd, don’t you think it is strange?”
Jiriel spoke up on our way home after the club activities.
“The magic tools Connie created seem to have an unnaturally high mana storage capacity for their simple functions. A mere child’s toy has no need for that much mana.”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
I’d seen most of the formulas she used, and every single one of them had an odd amount of mana storage and a surprisingly high consumption rate. With Connie’s skill, she should have been able to reduce those requirements. In fact, it almost seemed as if she was intentionally making them consume more.
“Especially since she possesses no mana of her own, one would think she would want to reduce consumption as much as possible. This is the exact opposite.”
“Maybe it’s just a coincidence? Or some kind of experiment.”
Spell formulas are complex things; you never know what might happen. Even I’ve had many instances where I tried to dampen a spell’s power only for it to flare up or misfire.
“I suppose... you are right. There would be no logical reason to increase it on purpose. It looked like quite a chore just to operate that Rotary Magic Accumulator, after all.”
“I stored a good amount in there, so it should last her for a while.”
That accumulator seemed to have quite a large storage capacity itself.
“Master Lloyd! I’ve finished the Student Council work, sir!”
As we were talking, Grimo returned along with the Wooden Effigy.
“Welcome back, Grimo.”
Judging by the look on his face, he’d handled things well. I’d have to get the full story on what kind of fun he had later.