[22] Illuminating Lessons in Modern Magic

After that, I went to the garden shed to start the generator, then returned to the house to switch on the lights and make sure everything worked. As expected, the lights turned on without a hitch, and since they were all LED fixtures, the power consumption was negligible.

Next, I called Lisa and showed her how to use the kettle. It was simple—just fill the pot with water and flip the switch.

The real challenge was the microwave. Turning the dial adjusted the cooking time, and the display changed accordingly. Since Lisa couldn't read the numbers, I wrote a reference chart for her. She would have to learn the approximate cooking times through experience. If I could manage it, I was sure she'd figure it out too.

"Just remember, you can't use either appliance unless the generator outside is running," I advised her.

As I finished, the noon bell chimed. I regretted not having bought a wall clock or a mantle clock. Next time I went shopping, I would get a few different kinds of clocks for the house. There's no need for duplicates, since copying is easy. Still, it's important that the time here accurately reflects Earth's 24-hour day. So far, I hadn't noticed any significant time difference between here and Japan, but it might be wise to double-check.

Heading to the dining room, I found tea already prepared and everyone seated.

I pulled a paper bag containing a hamburger set from the item box and spread its contents out on the table.

First, I distributed the double burgers, fries, and Cokes to everyone.

"This bag holds the hamburgers. Each double burger has two patties, which are flattened ground meat." I opened the bag halfway to show everyone the contents.

"When you eat it, open the wrapper halfway and take a bite from there. It helps prevent spills."

"Next, these are the fries, made from potatoes that have been deep-fried. Just pick them up with your hand. If you like, you can add this red stuff. It's called ketchup. The corner of the ketchup container is perforated, so peel it back and dip some fries in." I demonstrated by opening the ketchup and lightly dipping a fry before taking a bite. The fries were delicious after such a long time.

"This cup made of paper contains a drink called Coke. The lid makes it hard to see the color, but it's a dark brown. You can drink it however you like, but you can sip it through that straw on the lid." I demonstrated by taking a sip of the Coke through the straw.

After a long time, the fizzy drink felt refreshing.

"Alright, everyone, let's dig in!"

"Lets!''

Everyone eagerly unwrapped their double burgers and took a big bite.

"Delicious!" "What a unique flavor!"

It seemed the taste was a hit. "If that's not enough, remember the burger is still here, even if there's only one patty in a double." I set a plain burger on the table for them.

After two bites of their double burgers, the children reached for their drinks. Suddenly, they all coughed as the carbonation hit their mouths.

"It might taste strange at first, but you'll get hooked," I said as I slurped a sip of cola through a straw.

Despite coughing, the kids exclaimed,

"Cough, cough. My mouth is sparkling! It's a weird taste, but delicious!"

"Whew, whew. Is it burning my throat? It's sweet but also a bit sharp, right?"

"Gah, gah. Phew!"

In unison, they all burped.

As I enjoyed the food and drink, I suddenly had an idea. I tucked one of the burgers away on the table and decided to copy it. It copied perfectly.

Returning both the original and the copy to the table, I told them, "Feel free to eat as much of this burger as you want."

Once I return to Japan tomorrow, I plan to hit the supermarket and copy all the good products. Ideally, it would be better to buy them first, but as long as I make them disappear for a moment before copying and returning them, it should be fine. If I draw too much attention, a security guard might approach, but if I'm empty-handed, there's no reason for them to suspect anything.

I just remembered I need to copy the off-road vehicle too. Since I'm just a paper driver, I can't drive in Japan because it's too scary, but I should be able to handle driving it out in these fields.

"It's delicious to eat fries while sipping on a cola!" I said, and everyone immediately reached for the fries.

"The red stuff is a bit tangy, and it goes well with the fries!"

"You don't even need the red stuff; they're tasty with just the salt!"

"The red stuff is called ketchup!"

It seemed like everyone was getting full from the cola, but they each still grabbed a regular hamburger.

"I have two left, but don't hold back; there are plenty more!" I could pull out the copied burgers I had in front of me, but I didn't want them to get cold. Since everyone said they were satisfied, I forced myself to eat the last two.

After the meal, it was time for our usual frisbee tournament. That day's show was "Anime Japanese Folktale: The Bamboo Shoot Harvesting Story."

The day after we all shared the hamburger set, while having breakfast, I informed the kids and Lisa that special workers would be coming to the estate today to do some work.

After a while, I transferred back to my apartment, waiting for the workers from the home center to arrive.

Ten minutes before our scheduled 10 o'clock meeting, I stepped out of my apartment and waited in the parking lot. Shortly after, a small truck bearing the home improvement store's logo arrived, loaded with supplies.

"Good morning. Please stay in the truck," I said, stopping one of the workers as he attempted to get out.

"Actually, I preferred to have the work done somewhere else, just ahead."

They probably understood my Japanese, but the meaning likely didn't come across clearly. I was prepared for that.

Until now, I had held hands with the people I was transferring, but I didn't want to hold hands with this older worker. Luckily, both workers remained in the cab. It seemed I could manage the transfer with the truck attached.

I quickly transferred the two workers and the truck full of supplies to the estate, then followed suit.

"What I really need you to work on is right here," I explained as they seemed bewildered by the sudden change in surroundings. It was best to press on.

"First, let me show you where I'd like the air conditioner installed. Please come this way. No need to take off your shoes; you can keep them on in here."

I led them through the entrance and into the living room.

"This is the living room, so please use the larger air conditioner," I said.

The two workers exchanged wary glances but seemed to reconcile the situation in their minds.

"Got it. Where's the power supply? Oh, is this it?" one of them asked.

"I couldn't run the wires through the wall, so it's set up like this," I explained.

"I wouldn't recommend it, but it can't be helped. The cable thickness itself is fine," he noted.

While the workers set down their tools, I started the generator. The air conditioner was still on the back of a pickup truck. I could have copied it if I wanted, but I knew there was no way I could install it myself, so I decided against it.

As the drill whirred, making a loud, grating sound while it pierced through the wall, the children jumped in surprise and rushed over to watch the work.

"Since it's a 200V air conditioner, I think it's better to have a ground connection. What do you think?" one of the workers asked.

"Can you set it up right away?" I replied.

"We can do it quickly! We just need to drive a ground rod into the earth and attach the ground wire. If the ground is too hard for the rod, we'll have to dig, but it should work fine near where we place the outdoor unit."

"Then go ahead, please."

That's how I requested the grounding. The workers brought out a metal rod just under a meter long and a hammer from their small truck. They drove the rod into the ground next to the outdoor unit, attached the cable, covered it with a cap, and pulled the cable into the living room through a hole made for the air conditioner, connecting it to the grounding terminal that was protruding from the air conditioner.

"Here is the ground. Where's the next installation site?"

"This time it's the dining room. Follow me..."

"...and then to my room on the second floor, over here..."

As the two workers worked efficiently, with the children watching, they finished the air conditioner installation in about an hour and a half. After each unit was installed, they tested it, and the air conditioner blew out a refreshing cool breeze followed by a warm one without a hitch.

"All done. For this work, we used one grounding rod for 2,000 yen and three reinforcing plates for 3,000 yen, plus consumption tax, making a total of 5,500 yen, please."

I paid the exact amount and received the receipt.

"Well then, I'll send you off, so please head back to your vehicle."

"Um, where exactly is this place?"

"Just think of it as a dream world. If you need any more work done, please reach out next time."

"Thank you for your assistance as well."

As the two workers settled into the seats of their pickup truck, I arranged for them to transfer in front of the apartment. I hopped in with them, and as I waved goodbye, the workers nodded slightly from inside the vehicle before promptly reversing down the road they had come from.

After seeing the vehicle off, I transferred immediately to the estate to explain the air conditioner to everyone.

"I'm still new to this area, so I'm not quite sure—do we have summer or spring here?"

I decided to start by confirming the seasons. There was something that looked like a fireplace in the corner of the living room, so I had a feeling winter did exist.

"Summer gets hot, and winter gets cold."

"I love spring the most."

"Me too—spring! Summer is too hot, and winter is even worse because it's freezing."

"I prefer autumn; there are so many delicious things to eat."

It's nice to know there are four distinct seasons.

"So, what season are we in now?"

"It's June, so summer will be starting soon."

I realized I had no idea about the calendar in this world.

"I'd like to check—how many months are there in a year?"

"There are twelve months, and each month has thirty days. Plus, at the end of December, there are five to six days off for the New Year."

Oh, it's just like Earth. It's convenient not to have to memorize any complicated names like 'Nishimukusamurai.'

"I understand most of it now. So today, someone came in and installed this machine on the wall. It's called an Air Conditioner."

"Air Conditioner?"

"Yes, an Air Conditioner. When you set this machine for summer, cold air blows out from here. It's closed now, but when it starts up, it will automatically open. In winter, when you switch it to the winter setting, warm air comes out. Just remember, you need to keep the windows and doors closed when it's running, or the air will escape uselessly. I've also installed Air Conditioners in the kitchen and my room, so it should be a bit more comfortable year-round."

I took out the remote for the Air Conditioner. "This is the control device. You probably won't be able to read the display, and before we can operate the Air Conditioner, I need to start another machine in the storage shed outside. So for now, I'll handle it."