Chapter 45 – Surprise Party (Aria’s POV)
Things have been progressing well for the self defense device. The first thing that came to mind was pepper spray, but that would only be effective at close range. And if we’re up against mages, who like to keep their distance, it’d be totally useless.
The second was guns, but that would be way too deadly, not to mention useless against anyone wearing half-decent armor.
So to overcome these shortcomings, I needed something capable of immobilizing the enemy without being too lethal. That’s when I thought about a Taser. Wouldn’t that look super cool? Imagine instantly zapping my opponent and watching them crumble on their knees. Yes, I’ve got to make it! So after going through a series of books and records about different lightning-type spells and studying them in detail, I needed to select a spell that I’ll be using for the taser. Unlike the ones in my previous life, where they shot out tiny electrodes that delivered the shock, I don’t need to do that. In this world, I can use mana to guide the lightning in a straight line, making it even more effective.
About lightning mages, the best way to research them was to see them in action. Apparently, they tend to have a hard time controlling their strength and often roast their enemies alive, consuming all the mana in the process. Making lightning affinity not only rare but also one of the most difficult to master.
We have one such knight with lightning affinity in our ranks, although he only uses it when he is required to directly kill some monster. But Letty did a splendid job by procuring five mages with lightning affinity. I’m really impressed by how she managed to find five of them in a matter of days. She said that she used her connections that she made while attending business dealings with Mom to procure them. She’s the best assistant one can ask for… Much better than that old thief of a professor anyway.
Not to mention, she’s hot… Wait, no, it has nothing to do with that, she’s just really good at her work.
On the day when we heard about Beatrice’s shop, and how she stole my ideas. Both Letty and I got a new quest, hers was to assist me, while mine is to,
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Quests –
1) Develop magical gadgets
Bring out your creativity, gather the required materials, and work with the available resources. Create as many gadgets as you can. The bonus reward would depend upon their effectiveness and contribution towards the society.
Clear Criteria:
Make/help in developing at least one magical gadget.
Rewards:
(10 + Bonus) EXP for every gadget.
Failure Penalty:
- 5 EXP
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It's fairly straightforward. And the reward is pretty generous too. Well, bring it on.
Yeah, one more thing, that brat Wies has been helping out with odd jobs around the lab. I don’t know when he started, but I see him almost everyday serving someone tea or running around the town to get deliveries. In return, Letty is helping him study and reading books for him. Even though he’s helping, seeing him act all chummy with my girlfriend is kinda irritating. Well, at least he calls her big sis, so it’s fine.
Enough about that, let’s focus on today’s schedule, that is to work on ideas which we discussed earlier. We decided to collaborate with some underappreciated, lesser-known researchers to improve upon their ideas by hopefully fixing the flaws of their products because we quickly realized that it would take a very long time for us to come up with new ideas for products.
Many of these studies were classified as "failures" because they lacked the resources or technical know-how to be useful in everyday life.
For example, there was research on a device that used a spell engraved on a mana-stone to reproduce the effects of soundproofing, which was usually done by a wind mage.
But because they were unable to cut down on their mana use, their implementation proved to be extremely unsustainable. As a result, the product is useless due to the sheer amount of mana-stones required to power it.
We can use such products, work on their flaws, and make them a huge hit. We used our connections to shortlist potential products and promised their inventors a cut of the profit. Most of them were happy with the terms we provided, and we were to begin working with them today.
***
After a few months of hard work, we are finally preparing successful prototypes for all the products we want to sell at our soon-to-open shop. Our main focus was to make our gadgets effective yet feasible so that even common people could afford them. The list goes like this:
1) WhisperShield: Upon activation, it creates a barrier that blocks any sound from escaping the radius. Depending on the size of the radius, the mana requirement could be minimized, thus making it affordable.
Price - 10 silver coins
2) Mana Watches: Extremely precise watches that don’t use gears or springs. Making use of the lowest-quality mana stone, these wrist watches can keep running for a long time while also being moderately cheap to refill.
Price - 25 silver coins
3) Mana Compasses: Instead of a normal compass that points to the north, these can be set to always point towards a specific mana signal, usually that of a special lodestone, which will be available in all our stores.
Price - 10 silver coins
And so on. These are the gadgets that we developed by collaborating with various researchers.
Then there are some high-priced products such as,
1) Water Pumps: These used wind magic to produce compressed air to pump out water from wells and rivers. This is a bit expensive due to requiring a lot of mana stones, but I can assure you that it’s a worthwhile investment for any small or big community.
Price - 15 gold coins
2) Air Conditioner: Yup, I finally made it. It pumps out warm air and uses a bit of ice magic to cool a closed room. But it’s only going to be useful in select regions and in select seasons. It’s a novelty product.
Price - 25 gold coins
3) Refrigerator: Using the same principle, I also made a refrigerator. Until now, ice chambers created by specialized ice mages were being used for this purpose, but now we have a better alternative. For now, it’s a novelty product too.
Price - 25 gold coins
Letty then came up with the idea of partnering with all the small manufacturers to sell their products in our store as well. She handled the whole process and brought in a bunch of popular gadgets to fill up our store. Beatrice also sells a lot of products from other researchers, but her target market is only the rich and noble class. While I want to create a shop where even the commoners can enjoy the wonders of our gadgets.
While developing these products, I also leveled up my skill ‘Eyes of Gregor’ to level 4. And oh my God, the effects are so huge! I can literally see the mana flowing through the mana circles. This made the process of optimizing the magic circles so much easier. This skill is literally Godsent.
Letty’s contribution in the past few months was just as much as mine or Carolina’s. She handled all the behind-the-scenes arrangements, administrative tasks, and financial planning. But she never accepts my praise, saying ‘anyone could have done it’. In reality, I’ve worked with assistants at the academy, but she's way more dedicated and efficient than them.
I just wish that she would stop selling herself short.
Since everything is almost ready, my part is mostly done. So I can focus on working on the Taser again and leave the finalization and manufacturing task to Carolina and Sophia. But that would come later, as tomorrow is a special day, it’s my seventeenth birthday! Looking at Letty’s odd behavior, she’s probably planning a surprise for me. Hehe, I’ll play along.
***
The next day,
As I stepped into the sitting room, I was greeted by a loud and cheerful "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" from Mom, Dad, Letty, Carolina, and Sophia. Startled, I let out a small yelp. "Eep! What the f-! Swear to God, you scared me!" I exclaimed.
“I thought the party would be later tonight. Why are we starting now? It’s barely past four”. I asked, genuinely surprised that the celebration was kicking off so early.
“Well, your father has some urgent work tonight. So we had to prepone the party. I’ll let you off today for your slip of mouth, but don’t repeat that, alright?”, Mom said.
Did I even swear? I couldn’t recall, well, whatever. “Oh, that’s why. Thanks so much for the surprise party, I’m loving it”, I said.
Even though I knew they were going to throw a party, I am very excited about it. Two couches were set opposite to each other, with a small table in the middle. Mom and Dad made their way towards the left couch, while Carolina and Sophia took the one on the right. Letty came up to me and made me sit between my parents. “No problem, come sit here”, she said.
After that, Letty disappeared behind me and brought in a tray containing a beautiful cake, followed by other maids who brought in some snacks. It was a simple chocolate cake decorated with some colorful sprinkles. One glance at it, and I knew that it was Letty who baked it.
I blew out the sparkler, and everyone erupted into a chorus of 'Happy Birthday'. Mom handed me a present, which I eagerly unwrapped, revealing a pair of exquisite, high-heeled shoes. The shoes were a gorgeous deep blue, with intricate embroidery and beading that sparkled from the sunlight entering through the window.
“Did you like my gift, dear? These are custom made shoes made by the finest craftsman in the whole barony”, she said.
I was struck by their beauty and quality. I ran my fingers through the smooth leather and the delicate stitching.
“Mom, these are so beautiful. Thank you so much. I love them”, I said.
“Yeah, they’re so gorgeous!”. Letty, Carolina, and Sophia spoke in chorus.
“Come on, try them on”, Sophia said.
I hurriedly took off my shoes and put them on, and I was amazed by how they fit like a glove, perfectly molding onto my feet. I stood up and took a few steps, feeling like I was walking on air. The shoes were not only beautiful but also practical for any occasion.
“Wow, how are they so comfortable despite the heels? They somehow feel more comfortable than my everyday shoes”
“Of course I wouldn’t want my daughter to be uncomfortable with my own gift, would I?”, she said. Grinning at Dad.
“Aww, thanks so much, Mom. I love them”, I quickly gave her a hug before settling down again.
“Ahem, dear, I don’t see any gift in your hands. Could it be that you forgot your daughter’s birthday?”. Mom coyly asked Dad.
“Of course not. I just wanted you to have your moment. My baby, a very happy birthday to you! I have a special gift for you”, he said, as he held out a small ornate box from his coat.
“Is that another piece of jewelry, Dad? Not that I mind, the more the merrier”, I said.
“Haha, nice guess, but no, dear. As I said, it’s something special”
I opened the box to find a beautiful wooden whistle inside. Confused, I looked at Dad.
“Maids, draw the curtains, please”. After they did so, he looked at me and said, “Blow it, and you’ll find out”, while grinning at Mom. And… Did Mom just pout? Hehe, that was so cute.
I blew it and waited… Soon, I heard something flap behind me. I turned around to find a tiny little bird, flapping its little wings and making its way towards me.
“Is that glowing?”. Carolina said.
I looked at it again, and it actually was glowing. “Wow, the bird is so tiny, and it’s glowing!”, Letty said. And the room soon filled with a chorus of “Aww” and “Cute”. The bird came up to me and hovered in front of me.
It was the cutest thing I had ever seen! It was so tiny, with the tiniest little wings that flapped so quickly I could barely see them, and it glowed like a little beacon. It landed on the table, carefully avoiding the cake and snacks present over them. It was intelligent enough to understand that I was his new master.
“Wow Dad. The bird is so cute. I love its glow! What is it called?”
“It’s a ‘Luminous Hummingbird’. These are exotic birds, only found in the farthest kingdom of Newland. They are small, friendly creatures, seen as a symbol of beauty, grace, and good luck. It cost me a small fortune to procure it. Well, you can look up more information about them later. I hope you liked my present”
“Like it? I absolutely love it. Thank you so much, Dad. I promise to take good care of it. I love you!” I hugged him tightly.
“Hahaha, anything for my baby girl. Now, I’ll have it delivered to your room. And try not to keep it locked in the cage. Think of some cool name in the meanwhile”, he said, as the maid took it away.
I was not enthusiastic about letting it go, but we had a little party to celebrate.
For the rest of the evening, we fooled around, had some snacks, and laughed the evening away. I even caught Letty sneakily snagging a bigger piece of cake when she thought that no one was looking, how adorable! Hehe, it’s okay to have more sweets, Letty. No one will call you fat.
We ended the party with a group couple dance, twirling and spinning as we swapped our partners after every song.
Overall, it was a wonderful party. I had a ton of fun, and I want to remember this day forever. I guess having more people made the party even livelier.