Volume 4 Chapter 2 Inventions Are A Series Of Accidents And Failures
Randy left his office, excited to create warm innerwear, but he quickly hit a wall.
"I think it was something about using sweat... Moisture Absorption Heat Generation or something like that."
He had a rough idea of how it worked, but he needed to find the right materials first. He didn't really understand how it could generate heat from sweat or moisture. For Randy, who only knew about evaporation, the whole Moisture Absorption Heat Generation thing was honestly confusing.
Still, he thought there might be beasts in the cold Beast Forest that had similar effects. Just then, he caught a glimpse of a fireplace through an open door.
"A fireplace... I remember something about using far-infrared rays or something..."
He vaguely remembered seeing an ad that said fibers absorb and radiate far-infrared rays from the body, making you warmer. And he knew that burning wood in a fireplace also produced far-infrared rays.
He knew that, but...
"Yeah, but I can't understand it."
Randy sighed, realizing that far-infrared rays were invisible to the naked eye.
"Moisture Absorption Heat Generation or far-infrared rays. Either way, I just need to find out if there are any beasts like that."
As he watched the flickering flames with a sigh, he thought, "If only Cory were here," remembering his knowledgeable friend, and then he recalled others who knew just as much about beasts.
"The Guild... I've never been to our branch."
Once he decided, he moved quickly. Randy grabbed his coat and rushed to the Guild in the town below.
* * *
"A warm beast? I wish I could find one of those."
Ian said with a wry smile, just back from a hunt. He was carrying a catch with his friends, and Randy sighed, "Yeah, right." Even though Ian was tougher against the cold than Liz or Rita because he worked in the Dukedom, winter was still cold.
"Speaking of which, a Black Serpent?"
Ian and the cleric Shaun were carrying an A-rank beast, the Black Serpent. It wouldn't be too hard for them to defeat it, but finding a Black Serpent at this time of year was tough.
"Cory told me that they burrow underground during this season."
Randy nodded, "That makes sense... it is a snake, after all." Technically, they didn't hibernate, but they were rarely active outside, so calling it hibernation wasn't wrong.
He had forgotten that beasts were living creatures too. Even if it was a sort of hibernation, they had their own behaviors that matched.
"They tend to hide in caves when they can."
Ian said, tapping the head of the Black Serpent, explaining that it could sense heat, so it had no problem in the dark.
"This is also something Cory taught me."
"Hmm, Pit Organ?"
Randy muttered, and Ian raised an eyebrow, asking, "What's a pit...?" but Randy didn't hear him. Just from their conversation, he had gathered several hints.
A Black Serpent that can sense heat.
And the fact that underground and caves are warmer than the surface.
(If I can use the Pit Organ and geothermal heat... I might not even need magic ore.)
If he played his cards right, he could find beasts with high body temperatures. He also remembered that the ground was warm. Not only did he get hints for the innerwear, but he also had an idea for a new heating system.
"By the way, do you know how that heat-sensing thing works?"
Ian shared what he knew, and with Cory's knowledge in mind, Randy smiled.
"Sir Randolph... you look like you're up to something."
Emma, a magician from the Iron Lion, whispered to him.
"Lord Shadler misjudged his opponent."
Shaun sighed next to Ian, and Sarah, the scout, nodded, "Yeah." As an A-rank adventurer, they were aware of the trouble Victor was in, thanks to the Guild's information network.
"Well, since the government is involved, we'll handle this quietly."
Randy, who had a bad look on his face, made Ian raise his eyebrows in surprise. Ian didn't think Randy would know about it since it was just information the Guild had picked up this morning.
'If they're making money from foreign currency, they should give some back to the country.'
The government had secretly decided on this policy based on the information the Guild got this morning.
Victor has developed quickly, but right now, the Dukedom Government isn't benefiting much. After all, they're only teaming up with the kingdom's big nobles. The Dukedom Government probably wants to find a way to get in good with the growing Victor.
So, the target became Shadler, who has a history with Victor. By turning a blind eye to Shadler unfairly raising the price of magic ore for Victor──maybe even with the government's support──the government is waiting for Alan to come crying to them.
Basically, it's a setup to create a favor. But they're not saying it out loud. That's why Ian didn't think Randy would know about it.
"We don't need to say anything. The government is definitely involved in this crazy plan. Plus, Old Man has been quiet."
Just like Randy said, Alan knows this too, so he won't recklessly go after Shadler. If a fight breaks out, it would actually be welcome news for the government.
If there's a skirmish between Shadler's territory and Victor's, the government would have a good reason to step in.
The magic ore mines and mining rights, along with deals with big countries, would be the best outcome for the government.
"But... the Knights of Victor can win even against the Dukedom Knights."
Emma looked puzzled, and Randy chuckled a bit.
"Sure, they can win, but..."
"'They can only win'."
Randy's words made the 4 of them exchange confused looks.
"War and battles are different."
What Randy meant was that no matter how strong they are, they are still just a 'maximum momentary fighting force.' If they want to go to war, they need the stamina to keep it going.
People.
Resources.
Food.
Victor lacks everything. No matter how strong they are, they still get hungry and need to sleep. The ability to keep fighting ultimately depends on the strength of the territory. That's why Victor is considered a weak noble.
"If they do anything, it would be a straight shot to take out the leader... but causing a ruckus here wouldn't have a good reason, and to the locals, they'd just be invaders."
After saying that, Randy grabbed his coat and dashed off to the Beast Forest like the wind, just like when he arrived.
"He said Victor's territory is 'lacking,' right?"
Ian's words made the other 3 nod.
"...But I heard that if they had a good reason, they could crush this country in a day."
"No way. There are plenty of people with [titles] in the Dukedom Knights."
"No matter how strong Sir Randolph is..."
"But... what if there's someone stronger than Sir Randolph?"
Emma's words made the other 3 gulp, and they continued, "──Then, probably, the Dukedom Knights wouldn't stand a chance..." with their faces twitching.
* * *
When Randy reached the Beast Forest, he was looking for traces of the Black Serpent, just like Ian told him to.
Unlike regular snakes, the Black Serpent digs its own holes, but there are often small animal and beast bones around it. If you pay attention to the disturbed soil and slight bumps, you can surprisingly find traces.
"Is this... it?"
In front of Randy was soil that was a different color from the surrounding ground. It was big enough for an adult to fit in. Even if he stepped on it, the hard ground might not be noticeable unless you looked closely.
The 4 from [Iron Lion] said they had removed the soil blocking the hole with earth magic, but unfortunately, Randy couldn't use earth magic.
It's okay to hit it, but if he messes up and crush the Black Serpent's head──specifically, the Pit Organ inside──it would be a big problem.
"Guess I have no choice. Let's dig."
Randy mumbled to himself and switched his usual heavy tool for a bigger shovel. The ground where the Black Serpent was hiding was hard, just like the surrounding area, but it wouldn't be much different for Randy.
As soon as Randy started digging quickly, he saw a hollow space under the dirt... and then, right from below, the Black Serpent jumped out.
The Black Serpent tried to bite Randy as he jumped back, but its fangs missed.
Facing the furious Black Serpent, Randy tossed aside his shovel and got ready.
The Black Serpent raised its head and charged at Randy.
Randy dodged to the side and grabbed the serpent's neck, squeezing it tightly.
The Black Serpent wrapped its long body around Randy in response.
They were both trying to squeeze each other, but of course, Randy was stronger.
After the Black Serpent finally went limp, Randy relaxed his grip. Even though it was a snake without a clear neck, for now, the part that Randy had squeezed could be considered its neck.
(Now, let's get to the Pit Organ──)
Instead of breaking it apart, he carefully separated the Pit Organ, nerves, and the eyes along with the Optic Nerve using a small knife. He felt that breaking it might make the pieces separate, and he simply didn't know what would happen to the Pit Organ.
Anyway, he carefully sorted the materials and started crafting. He made glasses from the eyes and skull, then connected the Pit Organ and nerves to the glass part...
"Done! Infrared Sensing Glasses!"
The glasses had some weird sensor-looking thing on top. They looked kind of silly, but right now, practicality was what mattered.
(So, let's try them out...)
Randy put on the glasses, but unfortunately, he couldn't see anything.
(Well, there's no presence around anyway.)
He didn't sense any nearby creatures, and the weak sunlight might be blocking the infrared signals.
(I remember there was a cave nearby.)
Randy recalled and headed towards the cave. It was a place he had used a few times during winter trips, usually home to Grim Bears. It was a great spot because it provided shelter from the cold and food.
Excited, Randy reached the cave and sensed 2 presences inside.
"Alright! Infrared glasses on!"
Since he was alone, he had to hype himself up. With that somewhat pointless effort, he entered the cave...
"I can't see anything!"
In a bit of frustration, he punched 2 Grim Bears away. The warm air inside the cave started to smell like blood.
"Damn it... I don't need this 'prototype isn't working' nonsense right now."
With a sigh, Randy used Life Magic to create a small flame──something he could manage──and lit a nearby branch. The cave brightened, revealing what looked like a bed made of dried grass.
(I remember there used to be grass like this.)
He recalled how the Grim Bears had made their beds each time he visited. Back then, he had brought a sleeping bag, so he never used the beds, but now he didn't have one.
It was better than sitting on the rocks, so Randy sat down on the dried grass bed.
"Is there any way to make this work..."
Muttering to himself, Randy fiddled with the infrared glasses, taking them apart and putting them back together repeatedly.
After several tries, there was still no change in the light from the flame... but he noticed his backside was slightly warm. Realizing this, Randy jumped off the dried grass bed and closely examined the grass underneath.
(Are they all the same plant?)
The shape of the leaves and the distinctive stems, about the thickness of his pinky, were all the same. He held one of the stems tightly for a moment...
(It's a bit warm...)
After confirming that, Randy peeled the stem. The inside wasn't bright red or anything. He peeled the entire stem and gently squeezed it...
(Oh, it's warmer than before.)
Randy checked the plants that were gathered and quickly separated them into skin and soft tissue. He carefully dried the soft tissue over the campfire. If Ellie were here, she could magically dry them quickly, but for now, he had to rely on the fire.
That said, the plants were already dry. It wouldn't take long to dry them out.
"Is it ready yet..."
After filling his stomach with Grim Bear meat for lunch, Randy picked up the stems he had been drying over the fire, but unfortunately, they weren't warm like before.
(Why?)
Randy tilted his head in confusion, but when the fire crackled, he slumped down, thinking, "Heat... Am I an idiot?" If it reacted to body heat, it should react to the fire's heat too.
Was there some kind of chemical reaction happening, or was it the magic energy? Either way, since it was giving off heat, it must be using some kind of energy.
But it wasn't all bad. He confirmed that its Heat Generation Function had limits. This meant he had to keep the durability of his clothes and the Heat Generation Function as equal as possible.
(This is a necessary failure... Some craftsmen avoid reaching the heat limit by using the heat generated by the fiber itself.)
Randy reminded himself and broke down another piece of dry grass he had been sitting on, turning it directly into fiber. Once he had made a decent amount of soft and flexible fiber, he thought, "Can this work?" and tried to combine it with his inner layer.
After a little while...
"I feel warm. Is it warm? Oh, it's warm!"
Randy, who was getting a bit loud, echoed in the cave, "But there's also the possibility of a placebo effect."
(For now, I should get other people's opinions too.)
As the light outside began to fade, Randy collected all the dry grass around him and left the cave.
Maybe it was a lucky accident... He couldn't make glasses that detect infrared, but this discovery would become a strong point against Count Shadler and the Dukedom Government.
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