"Another request to increase production? It seems like every time I make something new and have him take it, this happens."
"Well, he started crying about how the original quantity is too small to sell as a limited brand or something like that. Ah, but that guy's eccentricities don't really matter."
Helkov spoke of being asked again to increase alcohol production.
Apparently, it's selling that well, but he complained that he wants to sell it but can't because there's no product to sell.
It seems the liquor store owner is also troubled because the merchandise can't keep up with the unexpectedly rapid spread of the name.
"Even if you say that, there's a limit to how much we can make with just the equipment here."
"Furthermore, there are limits to bringing alcohol in from outside. Rumors are already circulating that Helkov may be a drunkard."
Ikuto said something outrageous.
Apparently, there are baggage inspections when entering and leaving the palace, and the alcohol I requested is checked as well.
Since we started selling it, the amount brought in has increased, but because of that, Helkov has been carrying it in and out frequently enough that rumors say he never lets the alcohol leave his side.
"Sorry, Helkov."
"Well, I don't care about the words of blockheads who can't even tell if I'm drunk or not. In the end, we're talking about not being able to increase the quantity, right?"
Helkov scratched near his ear with a hand covered in red hair.
"Counterfeits will appear soon enough, and if those sell in numbers, the real thing won't sell. If it tastes bad, customers will withdraw their hands, and we won't be able to sell anyway—he's noisy about it."
"Would it not be a loss to involve yourself in such matters? Lady Asha, should you not withdraw your hand? With your talents, you should be able to create things that sell even outside of alcohol."
Wearel spoke while twitching his ears, saying it was time to retreat.
(If the location is bad, I propose changing the location.)
Sephira stated something blunt.
But from Sephira's perspective, having no blood relations or standing, that would be the natural conclusion.
"Sephira says to change locations. But that's essentially telling me to stop being a prince."
I spoke aloud so those around could hear, answering for Sephira.
"I don't have the fortitude to become independent and leave my parents' home at eight years old. I don't have the capital for that either."
After all, I started making alcohol for that money.
"Is Sephira intelligent or what?"
"She probably has good memory, but it seems she doesn't understand humans."
Ikuto pointed out that her common sense was fundamentally different in the first place, to the troubled Wearel.
The retainers began explaining to Sephira, in the direction I pointed, about the imperial family and the nation.
(If the watchers are an obstacle, they should be eliminated.)
Yeah, that became even more dangerous.
"The subtleties of human relationships still seem difficult."
"If she has no parents or siblings, her foundation is fundamentally different from the start."
When Wearel gave up on explaining, Helkov looked down at me.
"Speaking of parents, aren't you her Highness?"
"She calls you master and listens to commands, or something."
Since Ikuto was wary of the unidentified Sephira, he had taught her to be obedient.
The three of them looked in different directions.
They can't tell where Sephira is anymore.
I only know because I have Sephira self-report her position.
"Should I have her indicate her position visibly to Sephira?"
(Requesting details.)
A mass of curiosity immediately latched on.
"Could she be a homunculus?"
"It's still too early for that, and we don't have enough equipment, Wearel."
"There are moving dolls made through alchemy, or something."
"Those are golems, Ikuto."
"Well, it'd be easier for us too if we knew her location. But how?"
Helkov asked in the simplest manner.
"If we're just making her visible, she doesn't necessarily need a body or physical form."
I placed a small beaker inside a large beaker.
"First of all, just because humans can see it means it exists, and just because they can't see it means it doesn't exist—it's not that simple. Vision is surprisingly arbitrary."
As I poured in water, the small beaker appeared larger than it did in the air.
This is an illusion caused by the difference in light reflection between air and water.
"If you touch it, you can tell the actual size. But what you see with your eyes is not the truth of the actual object."
"Hm, this is..."
Ikuto looked at the beaker as hard as he could, but the illusion that made it look larger didn't change.
I also conducted other experiments with optical illusions caused by light reflection.
What I want to say through this is—
"The phenomenon of 'seeing' essentially means seeing light. I think nighttime makes this easy to understand, but when light disappears, you suddenly can't see, right?"
"I see. You mean Sephira can manipulate light to make her form appear as something visible?"
Wearel truly had quick comprehension.
Sephira can use magic.
If I embed spell formulas, she can move as intended.
"Somehow, if this were magical illusion, I could dispel it, but I can't see this accurately at all."
Helkov was also trying to do something about the optical illusion together with Ikuto.
But that's a bodily function, so there's nothing to be done about it.
I wonder what kind of reaction they'd have if I showed them a blind spot experiment next?
The brain's workings that make you perceive something as visible when the visible point disappears—they definitely don't know about that.
"Hmm, something feels off. It's not there but visible, or it's there but invisible?"
I muttered and realized something.
Helkov attracts strange looks because he carries large amounts of alcohol while visible.
So wouldn't it work if we made it invisible?
"Alright, Sephira. I suddenly have something else I want to do, so I'll assemble the spell roughly, but optimize it yourself later."
Sephira could assert herself by using magic to create light breezes or start fires.
But it was unstable, and I had been stabilizing it by assembling the spells.
(What does the master desire?)
"My desire? Sephira, what's with you all of a sudden? No, come to think of it, you should be generating words based on our conversations, so am I really that hard to understand?"
"That is not the case. I surmise that Sephira herself is omitting words she judges to be highly rational and unnecessary?"
Helkov seemed convinced by Wearel's speculation.
"Even though she has read and memorized many books, the reason she doesn't use poetic expressions is likely due to such reasons."
When Ikuto said that, I tried to imagine it.
Sephira speaking poetically?
Yeah, I could only imagine something strange, so this is fine.
Or rather, it's questionable whether she's even a living creature, so as long as she's not too much trouble, she should do as she pleases.
There are very few things I can be careful about when she has no physical body.
I hope she learns expression by adjusting her appearance.
(...What should be done to fulfill the master's desire?)
Ah, she rephrased it.
"So you want to help me? Of course, there's something I want you to do, Sephira. To have you do that, I need to organize my thoughts a bit on my end. Ah, yes, here. The spell formula."
Humans can use all magic.
However, they don't have the power or range to say they've mastered it.
But they can manifest it as magic, and if they understand the composition, they can assemble what's called a magical formation or spell formula.
Other races can only use attributes suited to themselves, apparently.
Pure beastmen can't even draw magical formations, I heard from Helkov.
Probably because of their aptitude for body strengthening magic, they can't affect things outwardly.
Speaking of which, Sephira is close to humans in that she has no attribute restrictions on the magic she uses.
In that case, Sephira might have the talent to realize what I'm thinking.
"Whoa!? Bright!"
While I was contemplating such things, Sephira immediately shone using the formula I gave her.
She had made the mistake of dazzling our eyes.
Daily Update
Next Time: Magic and Science 3