Mansion Tour Part 8

After heading down the stairs, the group came to the lowest floor. The space was considerably larger than the platforms above it. Yuri’s companions looked around the massive chamber in awe. On the left side of the stairs was a massive metal cylinder that looked like it took up almost a third of the wall with several pipes and hoses hooked up to it. They all looked at it with fascination.

“What is that,” asked Thelsia with a bit more energy than she had used before then.

“The water heater,” said Yuri matter-of-factly, “it’s an industrial model, which means it's bigger and more powerful than most other commercial units; they’re also considerably more expensive than most of the smaller models.”

“How does it work,” inquired Althana.

“The tank holds water and heats with something akin to a specialized internal furnace; think of it as a purely mechanical system that is akin to the bathhouse’s water heating system. Also, there is a system on the unit for regulating how hot the water comes out.” He walked over to the unit and looked at the display on the unit on its left side at the height of his chest for a moment, “And it looks like my settings are where they were last time I placed them; I hope that hasn’t caused any issues with the unit.”

“I don’t follow,” said Lithira with a bit of confusion, “and I don’t think the rest of us do either.”

“How to explain it,” said Yuri with a thoughtful pose for a moment, “water heaters are designed with the belief that you will be making use of the hot water they store on a regular basis that is usually a daily basis; they have a setting to that allows you to keep them running without really heating the water they circulate, and I’ve been here for months, that much time without making use of the system can cause potential damage to the units. Thankfully, this unit has a system that allows the user to check its integrity; give me a moment.” He operated the panel for a moment before something popped up on the screen, “Well, it looks like there’s nothing to worry about. Although I’m seeing some odd discrepancies, I’m guessing that’s just a byproduct of transitioning between realms. Now, if you will turn your attention to the other side of the room.”

They all turned to a series of vatts and covered pools, taking up most of the other side of the room; there were easily several dozen of both the pools and the vatts. “What is that,” inquired Inoshana.

“Since my place was so far out from the nearest settlement,” said Yuri, “and still is; I had that entire part of the basement get turned into a micro-water treatment site. Water is basically pumped through the pipes and goes through this whole setup to minimize the impurities and harmful elements in the water, and each of the sinks has a special water filter built into their individual water systems to further decrease the chances of getting hit with something that could potentially threaten an occupant’s health. The facility is also equipped with a number of air filters that catch potentially harmful components in the air as well. This place is designed to keep me and my guests safe.”

“Um,” said Althana, “that looks way more complicated than the water heater. Is it all really necessary.”

“Well,” said Yuri, “considering where I came from had no access to real magic, which meant no spells to purify drinks and the like, this is the best we could hope for. You could probably create a simplified version of the whole thing that does operate on the use of such spells. However, it’s always a good idea to have a backup plan.”

“Point taken,” said Althana, “Do you have a copy of the design plans for me to work off of?”

“I’ll see about getting you some copies from the archive when I can,” said Yuri. “Now then, let’s head on up, and I’ll explain the surrounding grounds within the fence.” He walked over to an area next to the stairs and did a little ritual on its neighboring wall; a moment later, a set of well-disguised elevator doors opened; Usagi took note of how Yuri had an overt elevator system and a hidden one, the hidden one and its logistics were of more interest to her, especially since this elevator was much bigger; it was big enough to hold the water heating unit that had just seen and then some.

“What is this,” inquired Alma as they all loaded into the elevator.

“A freight elevator,” said Yuri as he opened a panel near the right side of the door and pressed a button before closing it, “they’re rated for far greater loads than the commercial lift some of you were playing with. This will open out into the driveway, where the next portion of our tour will begin.” The doors closed with a dinging that sounded more like the whistle of a freight train, but not nearly as loud through the doors.