Chapter 396.3
Magi Craft Meister 396 Part 3
It was too early for them to be asked about that, so Jin urged them to look at his work instead for the time being.
“Ah, right… and what could that be?”
The empress had turned her attention to three small boxes on the table. They were silver-colored and they had a finely crafted surface, so at first glance they looked like jewelry boxes.
“Please take one in your hand.”
Following Edgar’s encouragement, the Minister of Magic Technology, Degauss, took one of the small boxes and opened its lid.
“What is the name of the flower that blooms in the spring?
Though nobody tells me
I like those flowers of the field that bloom gently…“
A fine singing voice comes out of the box. It was the song Reiko had once sung for them, but that voice was Elsa’s.
After closing the lid, the song stopped.
“…What is this?”
Degauss couldn’t hide his curiosity as he asked Edgar.
“Sure. This is a ‘music box’. Once you open its lid, it starts to play a song that has been prepared beforehand.”
“I see… Since music starts playing as soon as you open its lid, it could be used to protect the box’s contents from burglary.”
The empress seemed to have understood the purpose behind which Elsa had created the music boxes.
“That is correct. It’s not only for listening to a song, but to prevent theft.”
“Can one change the song these boxes come with?”
The Magi Engineer Maestro, Gebalt, seemed interested in how the boxes were made.
“Yes, through a process called ‘recording’. This is how you do it…”
Edgar starts explaining how to use the boxes. Both the empress and Degauss were impressed at how natural were Edgar’s movements and actions.
The Magi Engineer Maestro, Gebalt, also earnestly listened to Edgar’s explanation. Even though Edgar was an automata, it doesn’t mean one should make light of him or treat him like someone of lower status than them.
“… Now that you have finished recording, from now on, whenever you open the lid, you will be able to listen to the song you have recorded.”
“Impressive! This ‘recording’ process, it’s amazing! It could be used for so many things!”
After listening to Edgar’s exposition, Gebalt turned to the empress and explained the music box’s usefulness.
“Your Majesty, say you were to record what you had said at a meeting, then you wouldn’t have to repeat yourself. It could even be more useful than writing a letter.”
Gebalt then went on to say that it would be more useful than letters since they could be used to convey messages to even those who could not read.
“I see. Well, Jin, looks like you have done a great job with your apprentice.”
“Thank you very much.”
Jin thanked the empress, who then started to talk in a very calm voice, almost like a whisper.
“Ah, yeah, this morning we received some magical tools from some organization called “Nostalgia” in commemoration of our opening ceremony. They said it’s something you can use for speaking to other countries.”
“Oohh… Is that so? That sounds amazing.”
That was one part of Jin’s plan. He had sent Mana Phones to the Shouro Empire, just like he had once sent some to the other kingdoms.
“And there was a letter too, it said: ‘I’m bringing along two people from the Shouro Empire under my care who had been involved in some complications with the Unifiers’.”
“Ah, yes.”
And then the core of the plan. It would have been disrespectful to keep talking to the empress while standing up, so he prepared a chair for her.
“Thank you. So, Jin, tell me… do you know this so-called ‘Deus Ex Machina’?
“Yes, though he’s just an acquaintance.”
After nodding, the empress moved to her main question.
“‘Nostalgia’ handed these two persons to Deus Ex Machina. Then, Deus Ex Machina escorted them to you, Jin… Am I correct here?”
“Yes.”
“And these people, Elsa Randall and Mine, are with you now?”
“Yes.”
“Where are they?”
“They’re staying in my hotel room.”
“Reinhardt, could you bring them here?”
“At once, Your Majesty.”
Reinhardt left the hall, leaving Jin and the empress and her troupe behind.
“… According to the letter, the maid called Mine is Elsa Randall’s biological mother. Ikasanart… was it? At that place, Unifier kidnapped the two of them in order to try to capture Reinhardt. Then Nostalgia stepped in to protect them and took them in their care.”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard.”
The empress looked at Jin with great curiosity as he answered her question.
“And since Elsa had developed some interest in Magi Craft, Deus Ex Machina taught her a bit about it. And to see that her abilities have come this far!”
The empress looked at Edgar and the music boxes as she said that.
“Then you took her as your apprentice and brought her all the way to Koju, is that right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
The empress seemed to be catching on the situation pretty quickly, just as Jin and Laojun had anticipated.
“The letter also said that Elsa’s father, George Randall, was forcing her into an unwanted marriage. Is that so?”
“Ah, yes, so I’ve heard.”
Jin answered a few more of the empress’ questions. So far, everything was going according to Laojun’s expectations.
Shortly after that, Reinhardt had returned with Elsa and Mine.
“Your Majesty, I have brought them to you.”