From the prototype to mass-production equipment, and top brass summons!

 
 “… 57,58,59, stop.”
 
 Workshop Chief Godwin, who counted the seconds as he looked at his pocket watch, returned the lever at precisely a minute, cutting off the magi power supply.
 
 Then the main shaft stopped spinning, and the slime mucus drained away.
 The water channels opened, and the piping and slime mucucs tank were washed.
 
 Living slime and slime mucus is corrosive.
 
 Once you’re done using it, you clean it off immediately.
 That is the ironclad rule for dealing with this material.
 
 Finally, it isdisposed of, by heating and evaporating it, or resinizing and burning it.
 
 In the meantime till the cleanup finished, my teacher turned to face me.
 
 “Taking it out.”
 
 “Ok.”
 
 My curiousity itched as my teacher said that to me.
 
 The magic stone stabilisation equipment, completed by inheriting my ancestor’s research.
 
 I wonder, did I manage to do as well as I expected?
 
 While watching in front of me intently as my heart pounded, my teacher opened the lid, and put his hand inside.
 
 And then, when I saw the magic stone taken out ———
 
 “———!!”
 
 ——— I unconsciously did a fist pump on the spot.
 
 
 
 Blue light leaked out.
 
 I understood, seeing it with just a glance.
 This was…
 
 “This is 『good』.”
 
 Hearing my words, the corners of Workshop Chief Godwin’s mouth raised, and he passed the magic stone he took out to me.
 
 A calmly transmitted wavelength.
 The maldistribution was resolved, and the magic power was evenly spread within the entire stone.
 
 “It’s inferior to something made by a veteran craftsman’s hands, but it’s good enough to be shipped out.”
 
 “Yeah. It’s a good first product.”
 
 My teacher nodded with an unusually satisfied look.
 Once again, I gazed at the magic stone stabilisation equipment we made.
 
 “If it can produce something of this quality then that’s enough. Next is… the issue of expended magic stones and productivity, as well as consumables, huh.”
 
 In order to operate this equipment, it uses two medium-sized magic stones.
 
 Just how long will those magic stones 『hold out』?
 
 I don’t think it’s like this, but if two medium-sized magic stones are used to process just two magic stones, then there’s no point in using this equipment.
 
 As explained earlier, slime mucus is corrosive.
 Even if it is washed with flowing water afterwards, it is better to think of the tank, piping and container as consumables.
 
 Considering the cost of the mucus itself, operating it as single-use isn’t worth it.
 
 “I want to operate it continuously with the same arrangements as is, and if possible, I’d like it to be able to process about four magic stones at the same time.”
 
 Saying so, I turned around with a smile, and my teacher’s face cramped.
 
 “I’ve already begun checking the manufacturing time difference in terms of changing quality for the small-sized magic stones, but… Don’t tell me, you want to tell this old man to immediately start designing the mass-production equipment?”
 
 When Shishou-sama faced me with a worn-out face, I returned a smile.
 
 “As expected of Shishou-sama! You can see through anything your disciple is trying to say!!”
 
 “Ugghh…”
 
 Shishou-sama looked at me with his eyes wide in disbelief.^[1]
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 Two weeks after that.
 
 Our plans changed, and we decided to stay in Owleyes.
 
 Our original plans were to return as is to the royal capital, but Otou-sama and my… no, the entire Family’s movement changed.
 
 The trigger was a single magic communications.
 
 The sender was Sofia.
 
 『Transfer complete. Requesting to hold a Family meeting.』
 
 My, she’s working fast as always!
 
 The transfer work which was thought would take 1 month, Sofia completed in just under 2 weeks.
 
 I consulted Otou-sama immediately when I received the news, and it was decided to hold a Family meeting at the Owleyes mansion.
 
 Immediately, using the magic communication devices installed everywhere^[2], I called together my relatives and the knight order top brass, as well as the workshop managers.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 The day of the Family meeting.
 
 In the Owleyes mansion, a large number of tables and chairs were brought in, the venue setup in a square shape.
 
 The gathered Family top brass exceeded 15.
 Looking at it like this, there were quite a lot of people.
 
 Graham-nii-sama, Hubert-nii-sama. I know you’re busy, so sorry for calling you.”
 
 When I apologised, the faces of my two brothers which I hadn’t seen for two months split into broad grins.
 
 “Because I’ve been working non-stop as of late. It was some nice timing to take time off.”
 
 When my eldest brother said that, the younger brother also said
 
 “The academy’s conditions for taking days off also include Family summons, so I also don’t care about it,”
 
 the two of them being kind as usual.
 
 Behind them, two workshop managers were talking.
 
 
 
 “Gramps, don’tcha look tired?”
 
 When Workshop Head Duncan from the Royal Capital Workshop asked this, puzzled, Shishou-sama glared his way.
 
 “… shut up.”
 
 “No, seriously. You’ve got that look of death, oi.”
 
 “Shut up, you’re annoying. Doing two weeks of persistent work at this age’ll make you short of breath.”
 
 When Shishou-sama replied, Duncan tilted his head further.
 
 “『persistent』, you say… what’s the Owleyes Workshop Head trying so hard for? Compared to the Royal Capital WOrkshop, you’ve got a number of craftsmen gathered, so why not just sit back and take it easy?”
 
 “Huhh.”
 
 Together with a sigh, Workshop Head Godwin looked this way.
 
 Lured in, Duncan also looked this way.
 
 “——— oh, I see.”
 
 Immediately, the Royal Capital WOrkshop Head had an expression as if having guessed something.
 He patted my teacher’s shoulder pitifully.
 
 “Yeah, she looks like that, but when she gets excited, she gets a little rough with people, huh.”
 
 Hearing that, I reflexively protested.
 
 “Hey, you two! Are you really going to look at the person in question like she’s a ruthless tyrant right in front of them?”
 
 When I said that, the two workshop heads once again looked this way unblinkingly.
 
 And then———
 
 ““Huhhh……””
 
 ——— they breathed a grand sigh.
 
 
 
 Tring, tring ———
 
 The butler Brandon rang a handbell.
 
 Otou-sama looked around at everyone as he spoke.
 
 “We will begin the Family meeting. Everyone, take your seats.”
 
 And so, the first Family meeting in several years began.