Chapter 112 – Waves

    "Huh... this is like a new language? Is this the third, then? Our own, the runes of magic, and now... Morse code? Wait, no, fourth, because you did introduce your old life''s language to the spies..." Sasha asked, smiling, holding one of my papers with the codes neatly laid out, explaining all of them.

    "You can look at it like that! Although I modified it a little, I transformed our letters and added a few new codes to the list to complete our ABC."

    "Then why not rename it to Leon code?"

    "I wouldn''t feel right; it''s still... a borrowed invention." I answered, putting down my quill and finishing the drawing of a buzzer, an easily buildable device that I will need for my Morse code machine.

    "Nobody knows that! Are you being humble, My Sovereign?" She giggled, teasing me, and plopped her bottom into my lap.

    "Maybe! But it is also because I would feel really weird calling it Leon code. Nah, I am used to it being Morse code, so it will stay just like that. For my own convenience!"

    "Ahaha, okay~ I won''t tease you about it! But I also won''t read your newest book. Brr... that is not for me."

    "It''s dry, I know. But Merlin loves it, and he wants to read even more. He says it gave him the perspective he needed."

    "I know, he has been going on about it, wanting to introduce it into the school''s curriculum. Don''t worry!" She continued with a laugh when seeing I was about to stand up and go call him over, "I told him that would be a foolish move! I made him believe that this was top-secret information, so it was not for everyone."

    "Good thinking. Poor kids would hate studying if he dropped this on them. Let''s keep school fun as is and let those who show a talent for learning deal with it later in their life."

    "This is already looking complicated enough," Sasha hummed, watching the blueprints for the Morse code machine, "electric currents and the rest... hauh... This is more complicated than magic formations!"

    "Is it? I think it''s the other way around. Some formations that Merlin sends me for review are beyond me. I have to sit there and decode them for hours before they make sense, and I can do it just because they remind me of how programming works..."CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m

    "Merlin is a different kind of guy, okay?"

    "I can agree on that! Did you visit the building site yesterday? I was looking for you, but none of you were here."

    "Yes, I took Luna and Yuri out to check where the factory is being built. The people are working really fast; they are already flattening the ground while another group is constructing the road to connect it to the main highway."

    "I will have to start working on the machinery that will be installed within the factory. It shouldn''t be too hard to produce, as they gained enough experience by now to follow my plans and create what I needed."

    "Will you return to planning out your robot?" She asked with a smile, kissing my face.

    "It''s a mech, and I intend to work on it in my free time because I need to continue refining it. Now, I have gyroscopes that I can properly scale up and down, depending on what I need. I will start implementing them into the blueprint, maybe build some smaller models, and see how they perform. Then, there is the dynamo. With electricity so close at hand, I can start thinking about making a magical generator that could power its movement."

    "Um... Should I just start playing?" Mikan asked, unsure of what she was expected to do.

    Just that morning, Merlin arrived unannounced, bringing along a strange, big box with a complex, magical formation within it. The runes were all made out of wooden blocks, like a child''s puzzle, but the only difference was that they were assembled into a formation instead of an image. At first, she thought it was about her request to find a solution to control Elyzien within herself, but that notion was quickly shot down after Merlin began explaining his reason for the visit.

    "I have been studying sounds, waves, and all these things—too many to explain briefly, Miss Mikan! The summary is that I came up with something that could record sounds—waves in the air! You''ll see after we test it out!"

    "Slow down, I... I barely caught half of it!"

    "I want to test it out on something different than just my voice! So, I thought about surprising our Sovereign. I heard him mention that he misses listening to music while working, so I want to record a song and present my findings to him through it! It would be a proper gift and showcase of what I have made!"

    "So... Should I just start playing? That''s it?"

    "Yes, yes! Please!"

    Fixing her position and placing her fingers above the piano keys, Mikan began playing a calm, happy melody after a brief, final pause. It evoked the feeling of the coming summer, painting the image of a lush field in those minds who heard it. What she missed by closing her eyes and focusing on the melody was that the formation under Merlin''s fingers had come to life, glowing in a bluish, silvery color.

    Although relatively small, barely 20 centimeters in diameter, it contained two CCs. One was standing, facing north, while the second was placed towards the south. If Sasha had been present, she would have been able to tell that the northern one was from the beast''s core, filled with magic, while the southern one was uncharged and empty. While Mikan was playing her song, Merlin did everything to make as little noise as possible, breathing ever so slowly, focusing on operating spells, and watching it rotating ever so slowly.

    "Um, should I play more?" Mikan asked after finishing four songs in a row.

    "It should be enough; thank you very much, Miss Mikan!" Merlin answered her happily, plucking out the previously ''empty'' CC, which was faintly colored now and slightly covered in a tinge of blue.

    "Was it... successful? I don''t really understand it, but... you tried to record the music?"

    "Yes, yes! And it worked! When I was testing it previously, I was recording my voice, but that alone was not enough to prove it functions as intended!"

    "Can we listen to it?" She asked, getting herself excited, her curiosity getting the better of her.

    "Of course, I just need to change two runes..." He answered hurriedly, picking out two from the blocks and interchanging their places. "Ooo, I am excited!" He giggled, activating it once again. Only a second later, Mikan was listening with amazement as the songs she had just played began echoing within the temple''s walls once again. It wasn''t as crisp as when she was doing it live, but it was still a wonderful experience, something she didn''t know would be even possible.

    "Magic is magic, after all... I can''t believe it!"

    "It works perfectly, ahahaha! The formation captures sound; you see, Miss Mikan, I learned that sound is made of waves! I have been experimenting with this and came up with a formation that detects and captures those waves! It records them in the second CC, which can then be replayed! Also, if you are bored of the songs on it, you can always record new ones over it! It will function until the CC itself breaks down, which will be a long time because this places a very minuscule strain on it, ahaha! Oooo, I hope Leon will like it!"

    "I am sure he will!" She answered, just as happy, clapping, bouncing a little up and down, letting her breasts sway. "Can I be there when he first listens to it?"

    "I insist!" Merlin nodded, grinning from ear to ear, "Even better, let''s go! I can''t wait for him to see it!"