Bart just about passed out when Michael introduced him to the mansion clock. Just the complexity of the gear and pendulum system inside almost made his head spin. It was even more complicated than some magic theories!
At first, Bart didn’t understand what was so special about the machine. After all, it wasn’t as obviously useful as the faucet or the toilet.
But when Michael explained to him how the entire day was split into 24 hours, and how the clock ticked for a constant amount of time, the realization finally hit him in the face.
“This…this is magnificent!” Bart praised.
As a businessman, he knew how important timekeeping was in the industry.
For example, everyone in the business industry always had a problem with the shipment of goods between two different places.
A shipment was sent early during the day and would reach its destination before sundown. However, both parties don’t have a precise way to estimate when that shipment would return. After all, they had no frame of reference to how much time would pass before the carriage reached its destination.
Sure, there were sundials and hourglasses, but they were too inconsistent.
But with this clock, everyone could agree on when the shipment would arrive. They would know that the shipment from Kingsbridge to the next town over would need four ticks in the clock or four hours.
This would revolutionize commerce!
And that was just the application he could think of as a businessman. There were plenty more general uses for the public.
“Ahem…another great work, son. Your work is truly one of a kind,” Bart said calmly, trying not to sound too excited.
Bart had to reign in his enthusiasm for the clock. After all, it wasn’t his. No matter how much he wanted his own clock for his business, it wouldn’t be right to ask a favor from his five-year-old son.
Michael smiled. “Dad, do you want to have a clock?”
Bart’s body jumped up, his body shaking in excitement. But still, he didn’t let his emotions get the best of him.
“You created this, so it is rightfully yours. It wouldn’t be appropriate of me to take it for myself.”
The shining light in his eyes betrayed his words. He was practically salivating at the thought of having his own clock!
“It’s fine dad,” Michael waved off his father’s concern. “I can make one for you! The only problem is that I don’t have enough raw materials for now.”
Bart looked at Michael. “Are you sure?” he said, with anticipation leaking out in his tone.
Lylia snuggled up to her husband’s arms and teased him. “Fufufu…stop pretending, dear. I know you want one for yourself.”
Then, she turned to Michael. “Don’t worry about the materials, honey. I want you to create that clock and show us how you constructed this magnificent work of art!”
Lylia’s motivations for this were completely different from Bart’s. She wanted to see her son perform Earth magic to satisfy her desire of seeing first-hand how much of a genius her five-year-old son was at Earth magic.
Since it would take a couple of days to create the clock, Michael continued the tour and showed off his latest creation to his parents, the hot springs.
They walked out of the mansion and went over to the steaming stone building next to it.
The maids and butlers immediately assisted them in entering the hot springs, by fanning the flames to keep the temperature hot and showing them the proper attire inside.
The maids helped Lydia while the butlers assisted Bart.
“This is reminiscent of the hot baths overseas,” Bart said, letting the steam of the hot springs hit his face.
He had visited another country once, and their hot springs were one of the reasons why millions upon millions of foreigners visited their country every single year. He would have never thought that Michael could create something similar to their hot springs when there wasn’t a volcano anywhere near this place.
“This is…relaxing,” Bart said as he immersed himself in the bath.
It wasn’t just the hot springs that relieved him of the stress and fatigue on his body, it was also the fact that his son was a transcendent genius who would have no trouble flourishing in the world.
He no longer had any doubt whether Michael’s grandfather would leave him any inheritance. The old man would recognize the ingenuity in Michael’s inventions and immediately fund him to create more stuff in the future.
Bart relaxed knowing that his son was a genius.
Michael was able to create innovative solutions to problems that intellectuals couldn’t figure out for thousands of years. If there was a solution, then it would largely involve magic and spells.
But Michael was able to create running water with simple physics. This meant that everyone could use this invention, whether they were poor or rich.
“You’ll do well in the future, son.”
Michael relaxed next to his father in the hot springs. For some reason, Michael felt as if Bart was trying to tell him something, but decided that he was far too young to know about it.
“MICHAEL!!!!”
Just then, Lylia’s voice boomed through the thick stone walls of the divider between the two hot springs.
Both father and son flinched, knowing what would come next.
Lylia came running to the men’s section of the hot springs with a towel draped over her body.
“What’s wrong, mom?” Michael asked, trying to look as innocent as possible.
“What’s this I hear about you bathing with the maids?” she asked with a smile, yet her eyes were painted with bloodshed.
“Uhh….”
“This is unacceptable! How come you bathe with them and not with me? You come over to our side of the hot springs this instant!”
Just when he thought he was able to excuse himself from bathing in the women’s section…
He told the maids to not tell his mother about that, but it seemed that his mother was a better interrogator than she was a mage.
“And don’t think you can get away with letting me pinch your cheeks!” Lylia said, with her hands on her waist.
She was serious.
To get out of this situation, he knew that there was only one thing he could do.
He raised his hand and conjured a ball of water, a small rock, and a flickering flame, and rotated them around his hands using wind.
“Look, mom! I can cast all four elements!”