The girl who introduced herself as Paula Frau Sharned was a lovely child with fluffy, bright golden ringlets.
Jin and Lordtoss introduced themselves in return, and then introduced Reiko and Hope as well.
"Oh, what a wonderful automaton!" Paula’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Reiko.
"Paula, Jin-dono is the magi craftsman who created that automaton. Lordtoss-dono has graduated from the undergraduate course at Avalon," the Viscountess explained in a gentle voice.
"Whoa! You both are so amazing!"
As Paula’s eyes sparkled even more, the Madam added, "That is why I am sure they can answer your questions."
"Yes!"
Jin didn't fully understand the context yet, but he gathered that Paula had been harboring a doubt and was waiting for someone capable of explaining it to her.
"Well now, Jin-dono, Lordtoss-dono... This child’s question is simply: 'Is science unnecessary for magic?'"
"Eh?" Jin instinctively tensed. He had a strong inkling of where that line of thought originated.
"By that, do you mean she has doubts regarding the ideology of the Magic Federation?" Lordtoss asked the question directly.
"Y-yes. That is correct," the Viscountess replied, looking slightly flustered.
"Yes, that's it! Can you tell me?" Paula confirmed with a straightforward gaze.
"U-um, do you two have any... well, connections with the Magic Federation?" the Viscountess asked worriedly.
Jin denied it firmly. "None at all."
"I see..." Seeing her obvious look of relief, Jin realized the Magic Federation had more influence over the populace than he had imagined.
Jin paused to consider the situation. Judging by the flow of the conversation, it feels like they want us to refute the Magic Federation's doctrines. However, I can't rule out the possibility that this is a mere pose—a trap to flush out those who oppose them. Well, if that's the case, so be it.
Reiko was here. If they tried to hand him over to the Magic Federation by force, Jin had his own ways of dealing with that. That said, the likelihood of such a scenario seemed extremely low. He decided to start with a safe answer and gauge their reactions.
"You're asking about magic and science, right?"
Paula nodded twice in quick succession.
"These two are different fields, yet they share common ground."
"Oh?" The Madam looked puzzled.
"I don't know if this will be easy to follow, but let's look at an example: a 'horse' and 'copper.' These are completely different things, but they share the common characteristic of being 'useful.'"
"Ah, I see your point," the Viscountess responded.
"Magic and science are the same. Both are useful to people. Similarly, both can cause harm depending on how they are used."
"Ah..."
"In short, I believe there isn't much point in viewing them as entirely separate entities."
"I understand!" Paula’s voice rang out energetically.
Jin continued, "Actually, science isn't some esoteric academic discipline... at least not at the beginner-level."
"Is that so?" the Viscountess asked. Jin suspected that perhaps it wasn't just Paula, but her mother as well who was wavering between the concepts of magic and science.
"Science was originally a field of study developed to explain the phenomena occurring around us."
"In what way?"
Recalling his own past, Jin decided to explain the introductory portion of a beginner-level science lecture. "For example, science provides the answer to the question: 'Why does fire burn?'"
"That sounds fascinating. Please, tell us more." The Viscountess had become completely intrigued.
"Certainly. First, it is important to understand what is required for fire to burn."
"What is required for it to burn... Isn't it fuel, like firewood or oil?"
Jin nodded once, then shook his head. "That is only one part of the equation. For fire to burn, you need heat and oxygen, as well as the fuel you just mentioned—the combustible material."
"Heat... I can understand that. But what is this 'oxygen'?"
It was the standard question Jin expected whenever he gave this explanation.
"Oxygen is an element found in the air. Since this isn't a formal lecture, I'll spare you the details, but you can think of it as a 'type of air.'"
"There are different types of air?"
"There are. This is a bit of a detour, but let's try a small experiment. Forgive me, but do you have any wood-paper?"
"Yes, we do. Bring about ten sheets of paper," the Viscountess ordered a servant. In the current era, people seemed to refer to wood-paper simply as "paper."
"Thank you." Jin took two of the sheets. "Joint. Joint. Joint."
Using magi-craft, he quickly fashioned a paper bag. "If you wouldn't mind, could you place this bag over your mouth and breathe into it for a moment?"
"Yes, certainly."
The Viscountess did as he requested, breathing into the bag. The paper expanded and contracted in time with her breaths. After about a minute, Jin stopped her.
"Your breathing has become a bit labored, hasn't it?"
The Madam nodded. "Yes, it has. Why is that? Air is just air..."
"That is exactly the kind of question science is meant to solve. In truth, humans also require oxygen to live. You felt breathless just now because the amount of oxygen in the air you were breathing decreased."
"My word!"
"It was a detour, but I hope this convinces you that there are indeed different types of air."
The Viscountess nodded repeatedly. She was now listening to Jin with rapt attention, completely sidelining her daughter.
"So, that is science. Next, I imagine you are wondering how this knowledge is actually useful..." Jin stole a glance at the Madam.
"Indeed. How is it useful?"
"Try thinking about it from the opposite perspective. What must you do to extinguish a fire?"
"Pour water on it... Ah! You just have to remove one of those three conditions you mentioned!"
"Correct. Pouring water on a fire is done to strip away the heat. In a fireplace, the fire dies once the combustible firewood is gone. And fire also goes out if you deprive it of oxygen. When you extinguish an incense burner by putting the lid on, you are stopping the supply of oxygen."
The Viscountess clapped her hands together in delight. "Oh! Oh, my! It feels as though the fog before my eyes has finally lifted!"
She suddenly realized herself and looked toward her daughter. "Um... did you understand that, Paula?"
"Yes, Mother." Paula also seemed impressed by the explanation, though perhaps not to the same degree as her mother. "When using fire-attribute magic, if I keep these principles in mind, I can cast spells more skillfully, can't I?"
She was clearly a bright girl.
"Exactly. That's why I don't think there's a need to separate magic and science. If anything, science is a tool for mastering magic more effectively."
"I understand perfectly now. Thank you, Jin-sama."
"Thank you, Jin-sama!"
Whether out of deep impression or newfound respect, even the Madam had switched from calling him "Jin-dono" to "Jin-sama."
Being addressed with such high honorifics by both mother and daughter left Jin feeling a bit embarrassed. Seeing him get flustered, Reiko wore a very happy, delighted smile.