Machinart Engineering Department building, top floor.
On this floor adjacent to the research labs, Io's room is located.
"Please come in."
Upon Io's invitation, Rozen and his group entered her room, getting a glimpse of its overall appearance.
It was a very standard workshop.
The workshop had a workbench.
On the workbench were neatly arranged numerous components.
Next to it was a bookshelf, with various materials placed in an orderly manner, along with automaton skeletons displayed like human body sculptures.
In the deeper part of the room, there was another room.
That was the rest area or living space, equipped with a sofa, a dish rack, a table-chair set, and even a wardrobe. It seemed Io directly lived here.
Guided by Io, Rozen and his group entered this room.
"You really trust me, huh?" Rozen sneered at Io. "Even though you know I'm a bit interested in your research, you boldly invited me into your workshop. Aren't you afraid I might tamper with things here?"
Rozen threatened Io, clearly still upset about Io's childish behavior earlier.
Io, seemingly oblivious, nonchalantly responded, "After all, you're someone recognized by Master Karyusai. I believe you won't do something like that."
Io appeared completely unconcerned, leaving one unsure whether to admire her openness or mock her for being carefree.
So...
"Come on, what will it take for you to give up?" Rozen straightforwardly said, "We have our own things to do, no time to play games with you. Please spare us and let us go."
Rozen's words indicated that he was truly fed up with the situation.
Io's eyes lit up, and she quickly spoke up.
"Then, you can sell 'Setsugetsuka' to..."
"I won't sell it to you!"
Rozen cut off Io's conditions before she could finish.
"Don't push your luck. I've already taken a step back willingly. If you push it further, even if you're a professor, I won't be polite."
Rozen threatened with an unfriendly tone, leaving Io looking stunned.
Then, Io suddenly realized something.
"So, you actually want my body, right?"
Io boldly said this without any shock.
"Body...!?"
Yaya immediately had an exaggerated reaction.
"Eh? Ehhhhhh...!?"
Irori also covered her mouth, looking astonished.
"Is... Is that true?"
Komurasaki also widened her eyes.
"Don't believe that! What kind of logic did you use to come to such a conclusion...!?"
Rozen really couldn't understand.
"Generally, when a man decides not to be polite with a woman, it means he wants her body, right?"
Io confidently stated, leaving Rozen completely deflated.
Unfortunately, some people took it seriously.
"If you want a body, take Yaya's! Take Yaya's!"
"Don't undress! Yaya!"
"Is... Is Yaya alone not enough...!? Then...! Then me too...!"
"Don't misunderstand while undressing like you're about to cry! Irori!"
"Hehe, it seems interesting, count me in too!"
"Not everything is an occasion to join the fun! Hurry up and put your clothes back on! Komurasaki!"
As Rozen desperately tried to stop Yaya, Irori, and Komurasaki, who were either excited, embarrassed, or jubilant, he felt his headache intensifying.
"Ah, enough!"
Rozen glared at Io, who was smirking nearby, and spoke up.
"Do you really want me to steal your research!?"
If Io continued to provoke him like this, Rozen couldn't guarantee he wouldn't resort to such actions.
Perhaps sensing this in Rozen's tone, Io's smile gradually faded from her face.
"Do you really want my research?" Io looked at Rozen and asked, "Why?"
This was Io's belated inquiry.
Rozen was initially taken aback but didn't hide anything.
"Because I'm very interested."
Rozen straightforwardly stated.
"You've been researching the magical conversion device—'Transference Conduit,' right?"
—'Transference Conduit.'
This is a conversion device inside automata.
When magic is injected into the automaton by a puppeteer, this device converts the magic through a circuit into sorcery.
This is what Io has been researching.
And...
"You're not researching a more efficient conduit for converting magic. Instead, you're studying a structure that can amplify the feedback of magic conversion to the limit while maintaining the activation of sorcery, right?"
Rozen pointed this out, earning Io's appreciative nod and causing confusion among Yaya, Irori, and Komurasaki.
"What does that mean, Rozen?"
Unable to contain her curiosity, Komurasaki was the first to ask this question.
Rozen didn't evade but patiently explained.
In simple terms, it's a structure that allows even a weak magus to use magic like a great magus.
Typically, to become an excellent magus, substantial aptitude and talent are required.
Even with the advent of machinart, making magic in this world is no longer as tedious and lengthy as it used to be. Still, to unleash powerful and effective magic, a puppeteer controlling the automaton needs extraordinary skill and ability.
For example, making magic easily usable for an automaton by converting magic into a form easy for the automaton to receive, injecting it into its body in a way it easily accepts—this is the most basic approach.
Otherwise, just injecting magic, even if a vast amount of magic can enhance the automaton's strength, making the automaton's magica more potent requires more than sheer quantity. It must be broken down into various elements, maintaining independent states and expanding each one.
To use a symphony analogy, it's like enhancing the volume of various instruments independently and playing them successfully, each person completing this task alone and playing a successful tune.
An excellent puppeteer can achieve such feats, not only converting magic into a form easily usable by automata but also performing various high-difficulty operations through magical circuits. For example, Rozen can use Yaya's 'Kongouriki' to manipulate any entity within his self-defined domain, isolating it from all magical activities, making it invincible—something ordinary puppeteers can't accomplish.
But what if such tasks could be delegated to a device or a structure?
Moreover, if this device or structure could amplify magic internally, creating an illusion of a substantial injection of magic into magical circuits, significantly increasing the conversion amount—making magic incredibly powerful?
Then, even the weakest puppeteer could use an automaton equipped with this device to perform extremely potent magic, rivaling powerful magus.
The headmaster's praise for Io's research, stating it could significantly advance the civilization of the machinart world, is based on this.
This is what Io is currently researching...
"—'Infinite Chain Reaction.'"
Io proudly declared.
"This is what I'm researching, you know?"
Io's words caused Yaya, Irori, and Komurasaki to inhale sharply.
These three girls already realized what this was about.
"Magic Amplification Art."
Rozen succinctly summarized.
"It's a machinized magic amplification art that allows the user to unleash immense magical power and control."
Rozen's interest in this research lies right here.