WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: LilGuyBlastoise

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◈ I Made Magic Easier by Changing the Formula ◈

Chapter 7: The Genius’s Sewing Charms a Noble Lady

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‘First, I need to make the workbench circuit.’

I connected a depleted mana crystal to the workbench circuit.

A moment later, a faint light began to flow.

‘Let’s begin.’

[First-Tier Composite Formula: Tear Mending + Trace Erasure]

First, seamlessly repair the areas where the threads are misaligned.

Then use mana to target and erase the wine that had seeped into the fabric.

Tzzzt!

Fine threads of mana extended from my fingertips.

Transparent magical needles worked through every thread of the cloth.

“...!”

Cold sweat ran down my forehead.

If I raised the mana output even slightly, the silk itself would burn. Too low, and the stain would remain.

It was a precarious balancing act.

‘I need even finer control.’

The red stain on the dress vanished as if it had never been there.

But I wasn’t done yet.

[First-Tier Transformation Formula: Color Restoration]

I gave the old, dull silk a faint mana glow, restoring it to the sheen of freshly woven fabric.

‘This should be enough. Should I try one more thing, just as an experiment?’

[First-Tier Transformation Formula: Stain Repellent]

A spell that repelled dust and kept even spilled tea from soaking in.

I had used four formulas on this single dress alone.

Yet there was no trace of it.

‘Perfect.’

The finished dress shimmered softly beneath the moonlight.

“Whew...”

Dizziness washed over me as I caught my breath.

‘I’m completely out of mana.’

My mana core was exhausted after repairing just one outfit.

Most mages hated this depleted state.

It was unpleasant and left them helpless.

But I enjoyed this moment.

‘Now. This is when the core grows.’

Mana was like muscle.

You had to use it until it tore, then let it recover, over and over, for it to grow larger.

The more work I had, the faster I would grow stronger.

After a brief rest, I felt my mana gradually refilling and picked up the next outfit.

“This time, riding clothes. The leather is peeling everywhere.”

[First-Tier Composite Formula: Hardening + Elasticity]

I stitched the tears and applied a double-knot enchantment to the loose buttons.

They wouldn’t come off easily now.

One, two...

The perfectly restored clothes were soon hanging neatly from the rack.

* * *

The following morning.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Hans, are you awake?”

It was Nen, the maid.

I had stayed up all night, so I flinched in surprise.

‘She came early.’

I had not cleaned up the workbench yet.

I quickly swept the magical tools from the workbench into a drawer and dispelled the security spell I had placed on the door.

Then I opened it with a calm expression.

“Welcome, Nen. I was waiting for you.”

“I came to tell you which clothes need urgent repairs today. I’d like you to start with the dresses for the banquet.”

Nen was a maid with an innocent-looking face, but her eyes were remarkably sharp.

‘I noticed it yesterday, too. There are calluses on her hands, and her footsteps are steady.’

These were not ordinary calluses.

They were traces of harsh training.

‘No matter how I look at it, she isn’t an ordinary maid.’

I quietly tensed up.

‘These are the people who are truly exacting.’

Nen probably would not overlook even the smallest flaw in the clothes.

“Hans? Are you listening?”

Perhaps because I seemed lost in thought, Nen blushed slightly before speaking again.

“The most urgent clothes for today are...”

“I repaired them all.”

“Pardon? All of them?”

Nen looked around the room in surprise.

Then, the instant her gaze fell on the clothing rack, her eyes widened.

“Are these really the clothes from yesterday?”

She first inspected the silk dress that had been stained with wine.

Not only was there no trace of the stain, but it had an even more luxurious sheen than when it was first purchased.

The ragged riding jacket had regained its crisp shape, while its gold buttons gleamed like new.

“This is impossible. Did you stay up all night? Even then, how could you repair all this by yourself...?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I kept working and finished everything.”

I smiled as though it were nothing.

“Of course, I didn’t do a careless job. These are clothes Lady Ellen will wear, so I put a great deal of care into them.”

Nen inspected each garment, astonished.

“I can’t find a single flaw, no matter how hard I look. You’re incredible. Now I understand why you were so confident. Lady Ellen will be very pleased.”

A smile spread across Nen’s face, and I felt relieved.

“So I pass?”

“I don’t know that I have the standing to judge, but even if Pompar returned after running away, it would be difficult to do a better job than this.”

“That’s too much praise.”

“Don’t overwork yourself like this from now on. Sleep at night and work only during the day. Repairing one outfit a day would be more than enough.”

Nen began gathering the clothes.

“Excuse me, Nen. One moment.”

I stopped her.

“Yes? Why? Do you need something?”

I pointed to the maid uniform she wore.

A black dress with a white apron.

It looked tidy enough, but I could see that the cuffs were worn and fraying.

“The cuffs are badly worn. You’ve probably been too busy working to notice, but bring it to me whenever you like. I can fix it quickly.”

Nen waved her hands in alarm.

“Don’t concern yourself with clothes like mine. You are Lady Ellen’s personal mender. It would be beneath your station to repair a maid’s clothes.”

“This isn’t work. It’s a personal token of thanks.”

“A personal token of thanks? What do you mean?”

“You helped me yesterday. If you hadn’t spoken to Lady Ellen, I’d be in a very difficult situation right now.”

Other carriages had passed nearby while those thugs were attacking me.

But every one of them passed as though it were none of their concern.

The Valderk family carriage had not stopped by chance.

Nen had recognized me and told Ellen, so the carriage stopped.

In effect, Nen was the benefactor who had brought me here.

“That was Lady Ellen’s decision. I merely happened to see you and told her.”

“You could have passed by without a thought, couldn’t you? But you said something. I’m very grateful for that. So please, let me repair your clothes. All right?”

“...”

Perhaps my sincerity reached her.

Nen hesitated for a moment, then looked down at her cuffs.

They must have bothered her as well.

As Ellen’s personal maid, she had to look even more presentable than the other maids.

“All right. I’ll bring it later. It isn’t urgent, so take your time.”

“If you give it to me anytime today, I can return it tomorrow morning.”

I smiled confidently.

In truth, it would take only a moment.

It would be nice to fix it in front of Nen right away, but then I would have to show Nen my magic.

‘Even if they’re only insignificant First-Tier household spells, they carry my soul. I can’t reveal them carelessly.’

Household magic was what mages despised most and considered the most trivial.

But to me, it was more precious than anything.

“Then I’ll bring it around this afternoon. Are you really sure?”

The wariness in Nen’s eyes faded, replaced by warmth.

“Don’t feel burdened. Bring it anytime.”

I answered with a smile.

‘There’s no harm in making Lady Ellen’s personal maid an ally.’

Life here would be that much easier.

Of course, that was not my only reason.

I truly was grateful for what Nen had done yesterday.

And repairing clothes would naturally raise my proficiency with magic as well, so it was three birds with one stone.

* * *

Two in the afternoon.

Ellen’s dressing room.

When she saw the clothes hanging on the rack, she could not close her mouth.

“No way! This is really the dress I spilled wine on?”

She held the silk dress against herself and spun before the mirror.

“Not only is the stain gone, the color is more vivid. The fabric is much softer too... Hans, what on earth did you do?”

“Since it is your dress, my lady, I put care into every stitch. I hope you like it.”

Ellen burst into giggles.

“Of course I like it. How could I not? You put care into every stitch? It certainly seems that way.”

She looked as though she were floating on air.

“This is perfect. I have a tea party today. I was wondering what to wear, but I’ll have to wear this.”

Ellen chose the sky-blue silk dress I had restored.

“Have a wonderful time, my lady.”

I saw her off with confidence.

* * *

Salon de Rose, an upscale social club in the city of Rowen.

Young noble ladies had gathered in small groups, drinking black tea and chatting.

The topics were, naturally, war and fashion.

“Oh my, Ellen! Did you have that dress made recently?”

Sophia, the daughter of a rival family, asked with wide eyes.

She was well known for finding fault with Ellen’s fashion.

Today, she looked especially desperate to find something to criticize.

Meanwhile, the other young ladies gathered around Ellen.

“The color is so unique, Lady Ellen.”

“It looks like a design that was popular last season, but why does the fabric shine so beautifully?”

“It’s lovely. Is it the newest fabric imported from the south?”

Ellen set down her teacup with a smile.

“It was just something I had at home. My personal mender fixed it up for me.”

“A personal mender? Surely not Pompar? I heard that tailor ran off overnight.”

“Pompar ruined my clothes and fled without taking responsibility.”

“Then you must have hired another skilled mender.”

“That’s right. An exceptionally skilled mender.”

That was when Sophia, pretending it was an accident, tilted the glass of grape juice she was holding out of jealousy.

“Oh!”

Slosh.

Dark purple juice poured over Ellen’s sky-blue dress.

“I’m so sorry. It’s silk too. It’s completely ruined!”

Despite her words, Sophia did not look sorry at all.

Instead, a strange smile played on her lips.

But then...

The grape juice did not soak into the dress at all.

Like droplets on a lotus leaf, it gathered into round beads, slid down the skirt, and fell to the floor.

The dress was not even wet. It remained perfectly dry, without a single stain.

“Wow...!”

Everyone stared at the dress in disbelief.

‘W-What is this? A waterproofing spell? But if a spell were on it, I should be able to feel mana ripples. This looks too natural!’

Sophia’s eyes grew so wide they looked ready to pop out.

“Lady Ellen, where did you have this done?”

“Which atelier made it?”

Questions poured in.

The protective magic cast by mages usually gave off a gaudy light or a humming sound.

But this was different.

Rather than magic, it seemed as though the fabric itself had become perfect.

“I told you. It’s the work of my personal mender.”

Ellen could barely contain her delight.

She knew Sophia had deliberately spilled the juice out of jealousy.

Now Sophia was the one left deflated.

* * *

Toward evening.

As soon as Ellen returned to the estate and saw me, she ran over and gripped my shoulders tightly.

“Hans! What exactly are you?”

“Did something happen, my lady?”

“There was chaos at the tea party today! I really showed Sophia up!”

Excitedly, she recounted what had happened as though telling a heroic tale.

I only listened with a faint smile.

‘Of course. I used four formulas in total.’

In particular, the experimental spell seemed to have worked properly.

“That’s good to hear. Protecting your dignity is my duty, my lady.”

“Yes! You’re such a lucky charm. Nen was right. If I’d let you get away, I would have regretted it bitterly.”

Ellen took a heavy pouch from her pocket and placed it in my hand.

Clink.

When I opened it, ten silver coins gleamed inside.

“Here, take it. This is for making my day.”

My monthly pay was five silver, yet she had given me twice that, ten silver, simply because she was in a good mood.

As expected, the spending of a great noble house was beyond imagination.

“Thank you, my lady. I’ll put it to good use.”

“If there’s anything you need from now on, tell me. Materials, tools, whatever it is, I’ll support you.”

Humming to herself, Ellen headed into the main residence.

I pocketed the heavy pouch and returned to the annex.

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