Once I finished paying my respects to Ryze-san, I headed off to have tea with Orchid as planned. We met in the beautifully manicured Royal Castle Courtyard. With several maids and butlers standing by, it was a quintessential aristocratic tea party.
That said, they seemed to have kept the staff to a minimum out of consideration for me...
"I see... This is truly remarkable. Given my station, I have many opportunities to sample fine tea, but I have never encountered anything of this caliber."
"Nebula is quite talented. Beyond tea, she produces cacao, and lately, she’s even taken up pottery."
"How versatile... Still, to think she is the Spirit of the World Tree. Truly, Kaito, extraordinary events seem to gravitate toward you."
"A-Ahaha... Honestly, I often wonder why so many things keep happening myself..."
As always, Orchid was a picturesque, handsome man. Even the simple act of him sipping tea looked like an illustration from a fairy tale—he was the very image of a storybook prince. Well, he actually was a prince, so it made sense.
As we continued our idle chatter for a while, Orchid spoke up with an expression as if he had just recalled something.
"By the way, it is only a rumor, but... it seems the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company has embarked on a massive new project."
"Eh? A massive one? Are they making some kind of incredible magic tool?"
"I do not know the full details, but it is apparently based on otherworld technology... I believe the term was 'video'? A technique for recording scenery and the movements of people..."
"Ah, right. That technology definitely exists."
The 'video' Orchid mentioned was certainly something from my old world. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't seen any magic tools in this world that could record moving images.
"Regarding this video-recording technology, research has apparently been underway for some time. However, the magic formula was so complex and advanced that it was considered impossible to consolidate into a magic tool."
"I certainly don't remember seeing anything like that. In terms of magic, I've seen Kuro recreate the night sky from a thousand years ago, but..."
"If it is the Underworld King-sama, she might indeed be able to manifest such a thing. However, to the general public, it has always been treated as a fictional magic or an unknown technology from another world."
"Judging by the context, does this mean the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company has finally started producing these video-recording magic tools?"
It seemed that recording video was even more difficult than I had imagined. Having grown up surrounded by electronics, things like filming and recording felt relatively commonplace to me... but I suppose magic has its own quirks. There are areas where it easily surpasses machinery, and areas where machines still hold the edge.
"Yes. I hear that an incredibly breakthrough magic formula construction was discovered recently, giving them a clear path toward the creation of these tools."
"I see... That’s a significant development. If they pull it off, it might actually spark a technical revolution."
"Precisely. Various nobles and trading companies are scrambling to gather intel. Even a small share in such a project would yield massive profits, so many are desperate to establish a connection. However, the Seditch Magic Tool Trading Company is as ironclad as ever; even I could only pry away a tiny shred of information."
Orchid was currently studying a wide range of subjects to support the Crown Prince, Amalie-san, but he seemed to have a particular knack for magic tools. His knowledge and information network were quite impressive.
The fact that he had managed to get his hands on this scoop was proof of his skill. Even so, the fact that he could only get a small amount of information highlighted just how impenetrable the company's security truly was.
Still, what an odd coincidence. Just as I finished watching a movie at Shiro-san’s place, the development of video magic tools begins? It felt like some strange twist of fate... or perhaps...
Kuro had always been able to project past images onto the sky and perform similar magic. She was also close friends with Alice, who undoubtedly had knowledge of video.
For someone like Alice, who controlled so much information, video recording would be an incredibly useful asset. If she knew about it, the fact that she hadn't produced it until now felt... unnatural.
Then I remembered: certain technologies from my world were restricted by a contract between Shiro-san and Eden-san.
I didn't know how they did it, but since they were literally almighty Gods, it wouldn't be hard for them to impose a restriction—something like, "no one in this world can conceive of this specific magic formula."
More importantly, I recalled hearing that Shiro-san and Eden-san had recently relaxed the restrictions on otherworld goods.
I had assumed that was purely to allow Eden-san to bring over the items "My Children" wanted, like in Kaori-san’s case... but what if that relaxation also applied to technology?
If that were true, why would they relax video-related technology right now? Was it my imagination? No, I had a sinking feeling that Shiro-san had lifted the ban specifically so she could build a movie theater in the Sanctuary... and if that was the case, wasn't I technically the reason for this world-shaking breakthrough?
"...Kaito? Is something wrong?"
"Ah, no, it's nothing. Aha, ahahaha..."
...Yeah, let’s stop there. I felt it was better for my sanity if I didn't think about it any further. I’d just tell myself that a breakthrough discovery had been made through sheer luck. Yes, for the sake of my peace of mind...
Serious-senpai: "...So, that's what happened?"
Machina: "Exactly."