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Translator: Kazumi
Editor: Kabur & Silavin
There was a big difference between the Magic Tool Creation Department of Crown’s Crafting Division and the Magic Tool Creation Unit led by Anthony.
It was not simply a difference in the Magic Tools they made, but also a difference in the target market to which they sold their Magic Tools.
The Magic Tool making department of the craft division targeted aristocrats, merchants, and others who could afford to pay high prices.
On the other hand, Anthony’s Magic Tool making department distributed items that could be purchased by ordinary households.
This was made possible, of course, because of mass production and the low cost of the materials themselves.
However, mass production did not mean that the products were made by large machines in factories, etc., but by human hands, so there was a limit to the number of products that could be produced.
A simple example would be the lighting fixtures that Kousuke had devised and that were beginning to be widely used in each household.
By using slime as a raw material, the Magic Tool could be maintained at a low cost.
The lighting itself could also be provided at a low cost without using expensive materials, and the popularity of the product exploded as soon as it went on the market.
Unfortunately, not all households have installed them because production was not fast enough, but that was only a matter of time.
However, this did not mean that the expensive lighting fixtures of the past have disappeared.
The lighting fixtures that have been produced so far continue to be used in the homes of aristocrats and merchants because they are also highly artistic.
There was a division of duties between the two.
The Magic Tool Creation Department of Crown’s Crafting Division originally created expensive Magic Tools.
To begin with, the creation of magic tools was a job that required a certain amount of knowledge, high technical skills, and especially magical powers.
It should have been a natural progression that a person whose talent was recognized would become an apprentice, study for a long time, and finally be able to stand on their own.
Naturally, many of them gave up on their dreams in the process.
Therefore, there were few people who could make them, and they inevitably became expensive and were reserved for aristocrats and merchants.
Kousuke had succeeded in opening the door to the profession.
The first thing Kousuke wanted Andre and his team to do was to be able to make individual parts.
He put off making them understand the whole process until later.
In other words, he wanted them to be able to manufacture parts alone, whereas craftsmen had been responsible for research, development, and production all by themselves.
Of course, there was still a lot of work to be done, but there was no doubt that the burden had been greatly reduced.
As a result, although it had only been three years since we started training them, they had already become an integral part of the production process.
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There was an exchange of words between Anthony and Celio.
Mainly, Celio’s explanation was being listened to by Anthony.
Celio was explaining about lighting, which was something they had in common at the moment.
It started with how to make lighting, and now it extends to the theory behind it.
The lighting that Celio and his team created was based on the premise that magic could be used.
The magic that was put into the magic circle was also necessary for the user to understand the meaning of the magic.
Naturally, the magic circle and the theory used in Magic Tool are very advanced.
To put it bluntly, Anthony had no idea about the theory explained to him later, let alone how to make it.
The same was probably true for the two people who had come with him.
Anthony vaguely suspected that the reason Kousuke had allowed this discussion was to help him understand these things.
Unfortunately, he could not understand it right now, but he hoped he would be able to in time.
As for the theory, he did not comprehend it, but he intended to absorb what he could in a way that he did not comprehend before returning home.
Anthony, who was originally a slave and had never received such education, knew that this kind of time was very important for him.
He knew that he was in the position of being taught, so he did not care how the other person behaved.
However, there was no need for such a mindset at all, and Celio seemed to be saying only what was necessary.
He did not disrespect Anthony because he was a slave.
He took on a number of apprentices, so he knew to a certain extent what they understood and what they didn’t understand.
He tried to explain to them what they did not seem to understand without going into too much detail.
The change in the flow of things was triggered by a comment from Dulles.
“Now that you’ve explained most of what you’ve done, is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
That question in itself was not a problem.
It was Anthony’s question that was the problem.
“You’ve talked about the production process and theory, but what about productivity?”
“What? Productivity?”
Celio was also the head of a department.
It was not that he did not know what the word “productivity” meant.
In fact, Dulles had told him so much about it that it stuck to his brain.
But he never expected to hear the word “productivity” from a slave.
Anthony and his team had only been listening in silence, so Celio had misunderstood.
They did not expect to be entrusted with everything up to delivery.
“Yes. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like a lot of work, but I don’t think you’re making as much as you could?”
“Oh, yeah. That’s right. A full-fledged craftsman would probably take about a week to complete one. It depends on what they make.”
Basically, items made for aristocrats and merchants were custom-made, so they were rarely exactly the same.
“I see. Are they regarded more as works of art or artifacts than as practical items?”
“That’s one aspect of it.”
Celio barely answered, but with the introduction of the inexpensive lighting that Anthony and his team were making, that side of the market was in greater demand.
While it was true that the high skill required to create magic tools was a must, there was no doubt that the outer side of the product, so to speak, was being demanded for its value as a work of art.
Anthony’s next words changed the color of Celio’s eyes.
After listening to Celio’s words, Anthony, who had been thinking for a while, said
“Aside from its function as a Magic Tool, can’t you make the part that requires artistry separately?”
Anthony’s words caused the two people sitting beside Celio to become agitated.
One or the other got up from his seat and tried to argue.
But Celio stopped them.
Celio knew that Anthony was not trying to take away their work.
Besides, Dulles, who was listening, looked interested.
“What do you mean?”
Dulles asked Anthony.
“To put it plainly, I think it would be better to have someone who specializes in such things do the designing, although there may be a problem that the shape and materials cannot be changed due to the nature of the Magic Tool.”
“Hmmm. I wonder.”
Dulles turned to Celio.
Celio thought for a moment and shook his head.
“Honestly, I don’t know. It’s true that there are some things about the design that would be better left to others, but it’s also true that there are some things that can’t be changed. Plus, there’s the possibility that it could become an extra hassle.”
“I thought it might be a good idea to increase the value of the product in that way, since it’s a rare item to begin with.”
At Anthony’s words, Dulles and Celio looked at each other.
“…It’s worth considering, isn’t it?”
In the case of lighting, for example, we could go directly to the homes of the aristocrats and merchants who wholesale and come up with a design that fits the layout of their homes and their orders.
It would require a certain amount of Magic Tool knowledge, but having someone who specializes in design and thinking could increase the artistic value.
It did not take long for Anthony’s casual suggestion to change the image of Magic Tool creation, especially as it relates to daily life.
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