Chapter 405 (1/2)

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.”