Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?

Chapter 499: About Calculations

I abandoned the mountain of documents and headed to the workshop, and there Laeva was making bowling-related items.

Eh? Is something the matter?

Yup, I was thinking of making something that would make it more convenient to make calculations.

Calculations?

Laevas hands stopped as she asked in curiosity.

Yup, we have a lot of money coming in and out, and those amounts are huge. Moreover, calculations are troublesome because taxes complicate it.

Certainly, such calculations would be an enormous undertaking.

Until now, I had been doing mental math when I did the calculations, but the people of this world were bad at mental math.

Well, I suppose thatd be normal. I had been learning it since I was a child in my previous life thanks to the soroban[1]. Even when I calculate these days, I still imagine flicking the beads on the soroban(Japanese abacus) in my head.

As could probably already tell, what I wanted to make was an soroban. I had thought about making a calculator-type magic device, but an soroban was more than enough. If they get used to the soroban, it might be possible for everyone to learn mental math.

As I processing the wood to be used as the material, Laeva began observing with great curiosity.

Is that a tool for calculations?

Thats right. Its called a soroban.

A soroban? Why is it a soroban?

now that you mention it, I didnt think that much about it. Sorry Laeva, I dont know the origin of its name.

I chose a hardwood to be manufactured into the beads, but making them all into the same size was a difficult process when done manually, so I will just transmute it all in one go using alchemy.

Transmute!

?? They have holes.

Come on, just watch.

I transmuted poles that would go through the wooden frame and beads.

Thats is satisfactory.

Laeva nodded in satisfaction and returned to working on the bowling pins.

When I returned to the study carrying the sorobans, Gina and Charlotte looked a bit reproachful.

No, I wasnt just skipping out on work. Try using these.

? What is this?

Its a device you use when youre calculating. Its called a soroban.

A soroban?

how is it used?

Well, watch.

Explaining it just as I had with Laeva, I taught them how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide, and I could tell from their wide-eyed expressions that they were surprised.

What a useful device!

This is magnificent. This is a first seeing such a device, even for me.

this is convenient. Though we will need to practice a bit. Takumi-sama, may I please borrow one?

Yeah, of course.

Gina was excited, while Charlotte was surprised in a modest manner befitting of a Nobles daughter, and Ana mentioned practicing on the soroban immediately, so I handed one to each.

It was when everyone began practicing that I realized. Huh, this doesnt this mean that I have to settle all the documents by myself?

Crap. Ill have to deal with so many documents, so Im glad I made the soroban.

***

Footnotes:

1. The soroban is the Japanese version of an abacus. As there are several types of abacus, Ill stick with the Japanese name.