Experimental Model

In the blink of an eye, August arrived, bringing the height of summer.

The weather grew hotter by the day. As soon as the sun came up, the Magic Fan workshop turned into a steamer, leaving all thirty students hard at work drenched in sweat before long.

Even with a Magic Fan running in every corner of the workshop, no one felt cool.

"Vice Chairman, could you ask the chairman to install a Large Frost Array in here?" Olin wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and complained to Heinz beside him.

He came from a noble family and had grown up comfortably. He had never endured hardship like this.

"Olin, you really are a noble's son. Do you have any idea how much a single Large Frost Array costs?" Before Heinz could answer, another student snorted. "We only earn a few gold coins a month each. Even if you put all thirty of our wages together, it would barely cover one month's operating costs. Do you think the chairman would install one for us?"

"I know, but it doesn't hurt to ask." Olin did not mind his classmate's mocking tone. Ever since Xu Yi had given him a special reward for improving the Magic Array, he had been in a good mood, and little things no longer bothered him.

"Ahem... Don't worry, everyone. I'll bring this up with the chairman and do my best to convince him to install a Large Frost Array. Once he sees how hard you're working, I'm sure he'll find a way to help." Seeing everyone soaked with sweat, Heinz hurried to reassure them.

With Magic Fans selling so well, the factory now earned more than a hundred gold coins in net profit almost every day. Looked at that way, installing a Large Frost Array in the workshop was not out of the question.

After all, these students were central to Magic Fan production. The heat was already seriously affecting their efficiency, and as the factory's manager, Heinz had to take that into account.

The students showed little excitement at his answer. Even Olin just chuckled and shook his head, plainly unconvinced.

His classmate had been right. A Large Frost Array cost a fortune, and no merchant would readily spend that much on the workers.

At least, they had never heard of a merchant association putting anything so extravagant in its workshop.

Still, when Xu Yi appeared in the factory, the students felt a glimmer of hope.

His answer promptly dashed it.

The students looked at one another, sighed in unison, and went back to work in silence.

"Chairman, I always thought you were different from other merchants. I guess you're not," Olin said, unable to hide his disappointment.

Xu Yi laughed and waved a hand. "Don't give up on me yet. I said a Large Frost Array would be wasteful. I didn't say I wouldn't solve the problem."

The students all turned to him again, curious. If he isn't installing a Large Frost Array, how is he going to deal with this heat?

Xu Yi pointed to the rectangular iron box he had brought. With Heinz's help, he mounted it on a workshop wall, then slipped a Magic Crystal into a recess underneath it.

The students' eyes lit up.

Had Xu Yi invented another new magic machine?

"Chairman, what is that?" Olin asked.

"Be patient. You'll see." Once everything was ready, Xu Yi pressed a spot beneath the strange iron box that served as its switch.

Ding—

A soft chime sounded. A faint milky-white glow appeared inside the box, followed by a pale blue-green light. Then a low hum came from within.

Several oddly shaped openings lined the bottom of the box, with a thin strip of cloth hanging from one of them. At first, no one understood what it was for. A moment later, the strip began to sway. Air was blowing out of the opening.

The students' hopes sank again.

"Chairman, isn't this just a Magic Fan in a different shape? What good will that do?"

"Right. We already have several Magic Fans running, and they're hardly cooling us down."

"Exactly. Please just install a Large Frost Array, or we're going to roast in here."

Xu Yi only smiled and offered no explanation.

A short while later, Heinz and the students noticed something strange.

"Huh? Wait, why does this air feel so cool?"

"It is strange. It's boiling in here, so how is the air coming out of that thing cold?"

"It really is cool! Oh, that feels so much better!"

"Haha, this is wonderful! It's almost as good as a Large Frost Array!"

After enjoying the cool air from the strange iron box for a while, the students could no longer contain their curiosity and crowded Xu Yi with questions.

"Chairman, what exactly is it?"

"Right, how does it blow such cool air?"

"If every Magic Fan worked like this, nobody would need a Large Frost Array."

"Well, this thing..." Xu Yi drew out the words until he had everyone's attention, then grinned. "I'm not telling you yet."

"You can't be serious, Chairman. Are you teasing us?"

"Come on, why keep us in suspense? At least tell us what it's called."

"It's not that I don't want to tell you. It isn't finished yet. This is only the first experimental model I've made. I've brought it here for you to use partly to improve your working conditions, and partly because I have a task for you. Keep an eye on how it runs and record any problem or change, no matter how small. I need data from actual use so I can make targeted improvements. Understood?"

"Got it! We'll make sure the job gets done!"

"Don't worry, Chairman. After cooling me down this much, I'll treat it like a treasure!"

"No, no. I don't want you treating it like a treasure. Put it through its paces. Try anything you can think of. I need to see how it responds under unusual conditions so I can test all its functions. Let's make it three days for now. After that, I'll collect and organize the data you've recorded. If everything goes well, it'll go into mass production. Then I can install a few more here, and you won't have to worry about the heat."

"That would be great!"

"Chairman, you're a good man!"

"No, a good boss!"

As the students cheered, Xu Yi smiled, then turned to Heinz and spoke quietly. "Heinz, I need to take a trip for the next few days. Sorry to leave things here in your hands."

"A trip? Where to?" Heinz asked in surprise.

Xu Yi looked toward the distant west. "I'm going to the Dwarf Tribe Master Ranu came from. He says I can get there in a day if I travel quickly, so I expect to be back in three days. But if anything delays me, you'll have to handle everything here. I also need you to visit Camilla's Magic Tower and let Great Mage Camilla know. Ask her for two more days off on my behalf."

"Why go to the Dwarf Tribe all of a sudden?" Heinz asked.

"Remember what I told you before? I've never been satisfied with the smiths in Bunta City. Master Ranu is the only one whose work meets my standards, but he can't meet my needs alone. I thought it over, talked with him, and decided to visit his tribe. If I can recruit some Dwarf Craftsmen there, it'll help my plans enormously."

"Dwarf Craftsmen are usually more skilled than human craftsmen, but do you really need to be so demanding? The casings on these Magic Fans were all made by human craftsmen in the city. They look fine to me."

"Heinz, I'm not being too demanding. Your standards are too low. Haven't you noticed that, while the casings look good, there are always tiny differences in the details? That means every Magic Fan we produce looks a little different. Don't underestimate those differences. They may not matter now, but when I move this factory to assembly-line production, they'll be fatal."

"Assembly-line production?" Heinz had grown used to the unfamiliar terms Xu Yi tossed out, but this one still gave him pause. "What's that?"

"I'll explain when the time comes. For now, remember this: every part of production must follow strict specifications and uniform standards. There can be no cutting corners."

Seeing how serious Xu Yi was, Heinz nodded.

"All right, I'm off. With luck, I'll bring back a group of Dwarf Craftsmen."