"Ah, Ahwin treated me in time, so I'm perfectly fine now. Thank you for your concern," Penelope replied.
"Ahwin, I see... That's truly a relief."
Professor Olan gave Ahwin a meaningful glance and a subtle smile, which only made Ahwin's frown deepen.
"The reason I came to see you today, Lady Penelope, is to show you the prototype of the hairdryer we’ve been working on."
"Really? The prototype is ready already?"
"Yes, although this is still an intermediate stage with only the core functions included. I’d appreciate it if you could test it and provide your input."
"Oh, I’d be happy to help with that," Penelope said enthusiastically.
At her response, Olan opened the box placed beside the sofa. When he pulled out a device resembling a modern hairdryer, Penelope couldn’t hide her amazement.
‘Wow, how did he manage to develop it this much from the crude sketch I gave him?’
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this creation something out of nothing. Surely, Ahwin must have refined the blueprint meticulously, and Olan further advanced it.
"The driving force for the motor inside the device is a low-grade magic stone. From my tests, this model can run for a month on just one ounce of low-grade magic stone. With further improvements, the usage period can likely be extended."
"Wow... The energy efficiency is incredible. This is amazing!"
"You flatter me. I merely followed the designs provided by Lady Penelope and Ahwin."
Despite his modesty, Olan couldn’t hide his proud smile. Lifting the hairdryer, he continued, "I’ve already inserted a low-grade magic stone inside the device. Let me demonstrate how it works."
Olan pressed the button on the handle. With a click, the motor roared to life, producing a noisy hum.
‘So even magic engineering can’t solve the noise problem. I guess a hairdryer and noise really do go hand in hand,’ Penelope thought wryly.
Olan directed the hairdryer at his own head, waving it around. The gusts of wind were powerful enough to make his white hair flutter wildly.
Penelope gaped in awe. It was working just like a real hairdryer!
When Olan pressed the button again, the motor came to a halt.
"What’s the maximum temperature of the air that comes out of the vent?" Penelope asked urgently.
"From my tests, it seems to reach up to 100 degrees Celsius."
Nodding, Penelope commented, "You’ll need to specify that prolonged use of the device could damage hair or cause burns to the skin. May I try it myself?"
"Of course."
Olan, his expression filled with anticipation, handed the hairdryer to Penelope.
‘Huh...?’
Penelope hesitated as she took it. The hairdryer was much heavier than she’d expected.
‘This might be difficult for someone with less strength to use with one hand for a long time.’
She pressed the button on the handle, and hot air poured out of the nozzle.
The powerful gust made Penelope’s hair flutter.
"Ah!" she exclaimed in surprise. Her hair had been sucked into the air intake of the hairdryer.
Startled, she quickly turned off the power. Olan hurried over to her.
"Are you alright?"
"Did your hair get caught in the device?" Ahwin, uncharacteristically flustered, asked.
Penelope calmly tried to pull her hair out of the dryer. However, the strands seemed to have tangled inside, making it hard to remove them.
Her face turned red with embarrassment.
"It looks like it’s completely twisted inside. What should I do?"
"Stay still for a moment. We can take the device apart. Olan, fetch a screwdriver," Ahwin instructed.
"R-right away! Please hold on!" Olan replied, rushing to comply.
Professor Olan hurriedly rummaged through the equipment box and pulled out a screwdriver. Ahwin took it from him and quickly began disassembling the hairdryer.
After much effort, the two finally succeeded in freeing Penelope’s hair from the device.
Penelope let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness. I almost had to cut my hair."
Ahwin glared at Olan irritably and demanded, "Did you bring this shoddy contraption here to boast about it?"
"I-I swear it didn’t have any issues when I tested it!" Olan stammered, looking flustered.
Of course, Olan’s short hair meant it wouldn’t have gotten caught in the air intake during his testing.
Penelope stepped in to smooth things over.
"It’s probably because I didn’t put enough thought into the design. Since most users will likely have long hair, you should consider adding a fine mesh grid over the air intake to prevent foreign objects from getting sucked in."
Olan immediately pulled out a notebook and jotted down Penelope’s suggestion.
"Is there anything else that seems inconvenient or needs improvement?" he asked.
"Well, for one thing, the device is quite heavy. It would be great if it were light enough for women to use with one hand while drying their hair. Is there a material that’s both lightweight and doesn’t conduct heat well?"
Olan’s eyes widened at the question—it was clear he hadn’t considered this. The device’s weight seemed to have been designed with an adult male user in mind.
Ahwin interjected, "There’s a material used in magic lamps and communication devices. It’s usually processed to make it transparent, but you could use it in its raw form."
"Are you referring to Rendelin?"
"Exactly."
Olan’s eyes gleamed with sudden inspiration.
"That’s brilliant! Rendelin is definitely lightweight."
Penelope breathed a silent sigh of relief. It seemed this world had a material equivalent to plastic after all.
"Oh, and it would be nice if there were a hook on the body of the device so it could be hung on a wall," Penelope added.
"That’s an easy fix. Anything else?"
"Hmm... This might be something to develop over time, but it would be great if the air temperature could be adjusted. That way, users could dry their hair with natural, cool air instead of heat."
Olan’s previously bright eyes now sparkled with admiration.
"Is there a particular reason for that suggestion?"
"Well, hair is sensitive to high temperatures. Prolonged exposure to hot air can damage it. Having an option for cooler air would appeal to users who want to avoid that."
"An excellent idea! I’m so glad I brought the prototype to you first, Lady Penelope," Olan said with a proud smile, his expression that of a teacher admiring an outstanding student.
Then he asked, "Have you ever considered studying at the academy? If you’re interested, I’d be happy to write a recommendation for you myself."
"Ah..."
Penelope hesitated, looking slightly troubled. She glanced at Ahwin, who was already glaring at Olan. It seemed Olan hadn’t informed him of this beforehand.
Penelope offered a polite yet firm response, "Right now, managing the territory is more than enough for me. But thank you so much for the offer."
"Of course, it might be difficult at the moment. However, once your retainers are capable of managing the territory on their own, attending the academy to study alchemy or magic engineering wouldn’t be a bad idea. Most nobles build connections and gain valuable knowledge there."
"That’s good to know. Thank you for the advice; I’ll think about it," Penelope replied with a nod.
This chapter is updated by freēwēbnovel.com.
Olan looked pleased with her response.
"I’ll make the necessary adjustments based on your feedback and aim to bring the finalized product within a week."
"That soon? Is that really possible?"
"Since the blueprint and prototype are already complete, it won’t take long to incorporate your suggestions," Olan said confidently.
"Then I’ll look forward to it," Penelope replied with a bright smile.
Ahwin stared at her, seemingly lost in thought, while Olan gave him a sidelong glance, his expression subtly amused.
"Until next time, then," Olan said as he took his leave.