Machines

The day after Donald condensed the Five Elements Divine Element, it happened to be a mid-November holiday. As at the beginning of the month, he took the Academy's freight carriage to Dorn City early in the morning. Uncle Mira, the honest and easygoing driver, was at the reins, and Donald, as usual, insisted on giving him a few Copper Coins. Uncle Mira liked this sensible young man very much, and chatted with him about the Academy along the way.

"Donald, did you know? It's been three years since a single graduate was chosen by the Imperial Magic Headquarters. Things really get worse every year. It wasn't like this when I was young. Back then... Tesri Magic Academy was a name that carried weight. Even a carriage driver like me could hold his head high outside."

"They say the dean doesn't care about Academy affairs at all anymore. Ever since his young wife passed away, it's like he became a different person... Ah, I still remember their wedding over ten years ago. Would you believe it? On that day, the dean looked like a middle-aged man. You have to know, he was already over a hundred then."

"Oh, Mr. Victor. They say Mr. Victor is a weirdo, but I don't agree. He never loses his temper with anyone, though... he isn't very clean. Oh, right, I heard he and the dean don't get along, but who can say for sure what goes on between such important people?"

Listening to gossip all the way, Donald did not reach the Knight Academy until nearly noon. As usual, he first found Richard, then went with him to visit Mr. Merkel. The brothers met an acquaintance at Merkel's home.

"Donald, you finally came. You should know, I'm not the only one waiting for you this time. Kelly, come out! Donald is here!"

Before long, Kelly came downstairs as well. Apparently embarrassed by what her uncle had said, she did not know what to say to Donald.

"Didn't you keep asking me about Donald these past few days? Why are you silent now that you've met him? Did you think Donald was mute?" Ever since Donald had spoken on the island, the word mute had become a joke.

"Uncle!" The girl's face flushed crimson, and she wished she could find somewhere to hide.

"All right, all right, come in. You'll be seeing each other often from now on. You don't know yet, do you? Kelly will be studying at the Knight Academy too."

"Congratulations, Kelly." Donald answered with a smile.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Richard's reaction was more direct than his brother's.

After a hurried lunch, Merkel immediately took Donald and Kelly to the weapons Workshop. Richard had extra training during the holiday, so he did not go with them.

At the weapons Workshop, the numerous parts Donald had asked Merkel to make, large and small, were scattered across a sizable area. Fortunately, the Workshop was large enough that production was not affected.

Holding the blueprints, Donald had the workers sort and arrange the parts as required. He then asked for the necessary tools and began assembling them by himself in an orderly fashion.

Merkel and Kelly watched from the side, though their mindsets were slightly different. Merkel had already prepared himself and calmly waited for the young man before him to surprise him once more.

Before today, Kelly might have merely been drawn to Donald's quiet temperament, so unlike the people of Lant Island. But now, she saw a completely different Donald, no longer the carefree young man who had sat idly on Lant Island. He was serious and focused, occasionally pausing in thought before cleverly combining differently shaped parts in his hands. At that moment, the hazy feelings in the girl's heart seemed to take on a concrete form.

Near evening, the entire machine was finally assembled. Only then did Donald suddenly remember something important.

"Mr. Merkel? Do you have a horse here? Preferably an enduring Pony." Donald had actually wanted to ask whether they had a donkey, but he was not sure whether donkeys existed in this world.

"An enduring Pony?" Merkel thought for a moment, then gave several instructions to the worker foreman beside him. Sure enough, the man soon led back a Pony.

Donald had never seen such a short horse. It was only slightly larger than a goat, but its legs were exceptionally sturdy.

"This is a Pony produced in the northern Chaotic Land. Don't be fooled by its size. It's incredibly strong. Loads ordinary horses can't carry are easy for it."

Donald did not know what kind of place the Chaotic Land was, but this was not the time to worry about that. He led the Pony to the wooden frame at one end of the machine, tied one end of a rope around its chest, then had someone lead it in circles. The wooden post at the center of the machine began to turn, pulling ropes that raised eight forging hammers one after another, before they crashed down in sequence. The Pony continued circling, and the hammers continued their cycle.

Donald then gripped a red-hot iron block with tongs and walked to the forge. He placed it in turn beneath the hammers about to fall. Before long, the iron block had been hammered into an iron sheet of even thickness.

That was right. This was the simplest Animal-powered Forge. Thanks to Merkel's efforts, the experienced blacksmiths of Dorn City had actually handcrafted a full set of gears.

At this point, every worker had stopped what they were doing. They stared at the strange machine with mouths hanging open, and not one of them spoke. Work that had once required a blacksmith to labor for half a day was completed by this monster in mere moments. These workers, who dealt with lumps of iron all day, understood the machine's value better than anyone.

Merkel had thought he was prepared for a surprise, but when the answer was revealed, he was still stunned. This was far more than a doubling of efficiency. This single machine could almost replace half a Workshop.

"Donald, you've frightened me..."

"Your Pony is much stronger than I estimated." Donald scratched his head awkwardly. "A few key parts are still a little rough and may need regular replacement. If possible, it would be best to replace them with Dwarf Fine Steel."

Kelly watched Donald from afar, her feelings complicated. Back on Lant Island, she had guessed that the difference in their families' wealth was why Donald had deliberately kept his distance from her. She had also worried that her parents might dislike his speech impediment. But she did not care about any of that, nor was she in a hurry. She believed that as long as she persisted, none of it would be a problem. Then Donald began speaking and became a professor's assistant at the Magic Academy, and she became afraid instead—afraid that she would not be worthy of him. She had pestered her parents and written to her uncle, finally winning the chance to study at the Knight Academy. She had chased after Donald from Lant Island to Dorn City. She wanted to become a Female Knight instead of merely the youngest daughter of a tavern owner, because she feared that one day she would only be able to watch his back from afar. But now, he had created such a miraculous machine and remained so calm. Was it because, in his eyes, this was only a trivial matter? Was the treasured sword that had earned her grandfather's endless praise the same? She did not dare think any further.

Because the forge's efficiency had far exceeded expectations, Merkel insisted on giving Donald thirty percent of the profits, and Donald accepted. He had previously insisted on only twenty percent because the disparity in their status was too great, and he did not dare hope for a fair partnership. If the other party agreed readily at the moment but later grew resentful, the weaker party would be the one to suffer in the end. Even though Merkel was indeed honest and dependable, he still had a large family behind him. With so many people and so many opinions, it was impossible to predict.

After confirming the profit-sharing arrangement, Donald asked Mr. Merkel to use his expected earnings to purchase some Magic Metal for him. Merkel readily agreed, though he repeatedly reminded Donald to be careful. The next day, after receiving the Magic Gold, Donald bid farewell to Richard and Kelly and returned to the Magic Academy.