Volume 8 Chapter 185, Steady Advance ~ 38
It was not far from the inn where they had been staying for the past three days to the factory area. Satoru and the others, who had prepared for their departure, sent Isolde to pick up the bread and other items they had ordered, and immediately set out for the Black Bear Factory.
They parted ways with Eldy, Vance's wife. Eldy does not enter the workshop at all. She must be a good wife who understands the men's obsession.
Satoru was aware of his mixed feelings of excitement and anxiety. He was surprised and happy that the only airship in the world had been completed based on his idea, but he was also anxious about whether it had really been completed in such a short period of time.
An airship means that even a small mistake could cost a life. Satoru trusts the skill of Vance, who is said to be the best craftsman in Deligrande, but he cannot help but feel uneasy.
As usual, he thrust his great sword at the entrance to the workshop, and Satoru bent down and passed through the workshop door.
「Oohh!」
Satoru shouted with delight as he saw it from the mezzanine passageway.
A huge object made of steel, which appeared to be made of iron, stood densely inside the factory. The surface is the color of ordinary black iron, but it looks unusually shiny, probably because it has been coated with some kind of rust-preventing liquid.
Viewed from above, the bottom is slightly long and cross-shaped. The upper part seems to be flat.
「Wow. It sure is shiny.」
Satoru groaned as Vance led the way down the stairs. The upper third of the cylinder was cut off and a short main wing was attached. The tail wing is about half the length of the main wing, and there are legs attached to the middle of the main wing for support, with a small boat-like float underneath. The fuselage is a chunky seaplane, or perhaps an amphibian.
It is about 12 feet high (3m60cm), the fuselage is 16 feet wide and 22 feet long, and the main wings are about 24-25 feet long.
The short wings give the airship some discomfort, and it does not look very cool, but it is probably a product of the best of this world's technology.
「.....I don't know if you can really 【Items Grant】 this thing enough to make it fly. Therefore, many parts are not known without seeing it fly. Not to mention the fact that I built it from scratch.」
Satoru thinks that this may be so. Even though the magic power that is given to the aircraft gives it buoyancy and propulsion, it is often impossible to know how aerodynamic forces and other forces of resistance will actually work until you try flying it. Flying objects cannot fly straight if there is even the slightest misalignment of the axis line.
Vance began by making a model to solve this problem. He had an idea of the number of steel plates needed, so he instructed his craftsmen to make several thicknesses of steel plates, bolts, and nuts, and he concentrated on making the model himself.
Soon Vance noticed a few problems. He knew that there was no room for the misalignment of the axes and that balancing the weight would be difficult.
He worked tirelessly on these problems and brought them to fruition.
Approaching the fuselage, Vance opened the thick door with a clang and then opened another door inside. It seemed to have a hollow double structure. Satoru couldn't help but be amazed at Vance's thoughtfulness. He had already discussed the differences in atmospheric pressure and temperature, but he must have come up with the idea of a hollow structure after considering the balance with the weight.
「Wow...」
Satoru exclaimed as he entered. The room, which was large enough with a ceiling about 12 feet high, 18 feet wide, and 25 feet long, had a surprisingly calm atmosphere. There were several small light windows, and the front of the room, which was probably the control room, was partially empty and partitioned off with curtains. The walls were covered with wood, and the floor was covered with thick black fur ― more than enough room.
However, a square black iron box at each corner of the room was somewhat disconcerting. It could have served as a chair or a table, but it was probably placed there for a purpose.
Vance, who took the initiative in entering the room, explained the situation.
「We buried the amethyst, the core of the floating structure, here. This was the only place I could think of for balance. In the case of a ship, it would be the center of the keel.」
Vance begins to explain while holding the model in his hand. He tapped the center of the main wings and fuselage with his fingertips. Then he points a little forward of the wing tip.
「Five opals were placed. The silver threads are perfectly placed. Three in the front, two in the back. Basically, it's supposed to go forward. The back is for slowing down and turning.」
Got it, Satoru nodded his head. The opals for front and rear propulsion are placed on the main wings, and the remaining one is directly behind the vertical tail.
「I've never seen the actual thing. I tried to devise a way to make it work, even though I didn't know what it was.」
「No, I think this is fine.」
Smiling at Satoru's reply, Vance opened the curtains and entered the cockpit.
「I heard that the control to manipulate this thing is a magic stone, so the magic stone is at the front.」
There was a wooden chair in the space that served as the pilot's seat, and the magic stone was sitting outside the metal box in front of it. A shiny, dull thread was wrapped around the magic stone in layers, and this was the silver thread.
The front of the box was made of glass so that it could be seen clearly. The glass is larger than that of the cockpit of a normal airplane.
「The glass is triple-layered with thicker glass, just in case.」
Vance shows the glass by tapping on it. Even in this world, there are techniques to handle glass.
Satoru, Liz, and Solor are listening to Vance's explanation with serious expressions. Rico and Minerva are just looking around with a curious look on their faces.
They return to the room again. The window is much smaller than the one in the cockpit, so it is a little dark.
「The dig wood is turned to account for the coldness of the metal, and the floor is covered with bearskin to protect it from the cold. Twenty people can sleep in there,...... but you're a big guy. If everyone is the same size as you, it would be ten people.」
Vance's laughter was met with a wry smile from Satoru. He's getting used to being told that his size is out of the norm.
Fortunately, this space is tall enough. If they remodel the inside a little, for example, by arranging furniture, the number of people who can sleep in the room will probably increase a little more.
「There are four boxes, one in the front, one in the back, and two on each side, but they are for balancing. The inside is empty, so you can adjust it accordingly by inserting iron bars or water. Also, one of the empty boxes is loaded with screws and spare parts.」
Vance pulled out a drawing of an airship from a previous era and noticed the hollow structure, but he was still puzzling over how to balance the weight of the ship with its weight. After thinking about how to take the weight of the ship, including the axis line, he came up with the idea of a ship.
Satoru has yet to see the sea after coming to this world, but of course, the sea exists in this world, and many ships come and go. Most of them are made of wood, but Einzel, another dwarven nation in this world, is almost solely responsible for their shipbuilding. Einzel and Arsweta are far apart, but they are the only two nations of the same tribe, and Vance learned about ships from the craftsmen he visited when he was a child.
And ships, too, need to be balanced. If the cargo is unbalanced, the ship may capsize. He remembered the existence of ballast, which is a weight that is provided to avoid such a situation. He also remembered the dragon bone derivatively from there, and from there he was able to create it almost at once.
Satoru instantly read the intention and was amazed. If it is water, it can be prepared immediately with sorcery. Even if the balance was a little unbalanced, it could be distributed by filling the empty box with water. Perhaps the floats on the legs extending under the main wings were also designed for balance.
Vance takes one metal cylinder from the empty box and releases it to Suttle.
「And that's the water bottles; we were talking about 10, but I prepared 12. Once you filled them with water, put the lids on, and made sure they wouldn't spill.」
Satoru twisted the cap. It's like a thermos with a wide mouth. This is also good. The volume is a little more than 500 ml.
「It's perfect.」
Satoru nodded, satisfied with the workmanship. To be honest, even for this flying boat, he really didn't think it could be done in three days. If you look closely, you can see the dark circles on Vance's face. Perhaps he hadn't slept much in the past three days.
Satoru smiled a little as he thought about how a Black Bear had dark circles under his eyes.
「I've used ten years of my head in the last three days. I also thought about the rigidity, the thickness, and the fact that if I made it too heavy, it wouldn't be able to 【Levitate】 on the amethyst. I should never have taken a chance on a 3-day project」
Vance grumbled, but he felt satisfied with his exhaustion. He must be filled with a sense of accomplishment.
「When I hear that, I wonder if you're really okay.」
Knowing that feeling, Satoru chilled. Vance's expression changes.
「Shut up. I don't need your worry. Don't underestimate this Black bear.」
Not to underestimate him, but to honestly praise him. However, this stubborn craftsman dwarf would not just sit back and accept the compliment when Satoru told him so. There are indeed aspects that cannot be determined without actually flying, but Satoru is convinced that there will be almost no problems.
All that remained was to actually put magic power into it and conduct a test flight.
Once outside. Isolde had just bought some bread.
「Well, for now, let's test it. Let's take it outside.」
Airships in a factory have no meaning. There is work to put magic power into it, but Satoru doesn't want to be seen, and if he uses 【Items Grant】 it to the airship, it will surely cause magic tremors. It is not something that can be used in town.
「Hey, you guys!」
Vance, who understood Satoru's intention, but not all of it, called out to the dead craftsmen with a weary expression on their faces. They must have worked almost sleepless and uninterruptedly, just like Vance. Even so, Satoru frowned when he saw them whip their exhausted bodies to get up at the sound of their master's voice.
「No. Wait a minute.」
――Maybe I'm being reckless, but...
Satoru rolled up his arms and approached the airship. Vance looked at Satoru suspiciously. Satoru spits on both palms and squatted down, then carefully ran his fingers under the fuselage of the airship. There is an amethyst for 【Levitation】 right in the middle of the main wings, so this would be a good place to keep balance.
(Wait, wait, ...... My Lord, that's impossible, no matter how much you want to try.)
Leia's voice echoes in his head, but Satoru ignores it and concentrates on his breathing.
「......yo-heave-ho!!」
With a single loud shout, the airship was pulled out at once.
The mass of iron is slowly lifted up.
As expected, Satoru's face is bright red, but he can still afford it more than he thinks.
「What ......What the fuck!? It weighs 6,000 pounds (9,000 kg) and he's still ......」
Not only Vance but also the craftsmen who were in attendance were amazed at the tremendous shocking image. Satoru's slaves who were watching were somewhat dumbfounded.
On the contrary, Satoru, who had lifted it up to his chest with ease, instantly switched his position and stood up slowly, carrying it on his shoulder. He heard a creaking sound of metal.
「It is indeed heavy. Heeey, hurry up and open that door!」
At the sound of Satoru's somewhat delayed voice, a dwarven craftsman hurriedly opened the large door. Satoru slowly walks forward. The back of the blacksmith town is a bit of open land, which can be used to carry out large items, as in this case.
The dwarves were speechless at the sight of a human man lifting and carrying out a large object that they thought could only be carried outside with almost the entire workshop.
「That's as good as it gets when I'm holding it like this. There's no sign of any distortion anywhere.」
Certainly, he is exerting a lot of strength. But the way that human big man's mouth is still full of room for more.
「.........」
Even Vance could not help but be surprised.
He had a contest of strength with a man of such physical strength ― there was no way he could win.
Considering the magical tremor, it should be done as far away from the town as possible. Slowly and surely, Satoru walked out of the town. Fortunately, the back of the workshop was empty of pedestrians, and they did not see the unusual sight of a large human man lifting and carrying a huge mysterious metallic object.
(I-it's about time, isn't it?)
Satoru stopped, checked the terrain, and carefully lowered the airship to the ground.
「All right. ......Whew, it was indeed heavy」
Satoru, who was not bothered by the reactions of those around him, pampers his hands and rattles his neck.
───It's possible, isn't it?
To be honest, Satoru also thought it was impossible. He was surprised to learn from Vance's shout that this airship weighed more than 4 tons, but it was still just barely heavy enough to carry. To Satoru's senses, it was the equivalent of two 10kg bags of rice ― a little over 20kg, or maybe a little heavier.
Of course, he concentrated on it to a certain extent.
Vance came up to Satoru with a look of dismay on his face.
「Honestly, I don't know what to say......I always knew you were a strange guy, but now you've surprised me the most.」
「But you still don't even ask where I come from.」
「I don't care what your origin is. I like you personally. So what's the problem?」
Satoru laughed. The work of a security guard, which was his profession in his former world, varies from one job to another. Satoru has worked on many civil engineering and construction sites, and he has good friends among the workers and site supervisors. Among these workers, some had scars on their shins.
However, Satoru has been socializing with such men without any discrimination. The men were also open to Satoru. The past has nothing to do with it.
「I like that way of thinking.」
When Satoru said that to Vance, Vance's austere face became even more austere.
「It doesn't make me happy to be liked by a man.」
「That ain't right, man.」
Satoru laughed out loud. Even though the world is different, this kind of crisp temperament is also compatible with Satoru. Vance, who had been reluctant, broke into a smile when he saw Satoru's smile. The two men are smiling at each other with indescribable expressions on their faces.
「......I guess that's what male friendship is all about.」
「They seem to be feeling cheerful, too.」
「It looks fun~」
「......I mean, I think he would stand out to do something like that.」
「Master must have some kind of idea. ...... He may not be thinking anything, thought」
Solor's tsukkomi made Rico and Liz simultaneously blow up. "Ahahaha," they shout and laugh at each other. Minerva is also smiling. Isolde looks somewhat troubled ― but her mouth is slightly open.
Satoru heard the laughter and looked back at his slaves with a smile on his face. Whatever the reason, it's good to be able to laugh.
「Well then. Shall we begin the ceremony?」
Satoru, keeping his arms rolled up, took out of his pocket a parchment of a chant for the airship that Solor and Leia had jointly written.
This chant is quite long. It is as long as or longer than the one on Rico's bracelet. Moreover, the art is divided into two stages, each of which is about the same length, so Satoru was concerned about it.
After confirming that there are only his own magical slaves, Vance, and three dwarves who may be his close associates around, the first step is to perform the art on the main body of the airship. Satoru calms down, concentrates, and reads the art slowly and clearly.
「『Grant Goods』」 [TLN: I don't know why the author uses this, 物品供与/Grant Goods, before the author for granting the airship he uses this kanji 物品付与/Grant Items/Items Grant]
A pale ball of light floats up from Satoru's palm and slowly envelops the airship like a protective film. Satoru's eyes could see his own magic power thinly covering the airship like a protective film. Slowly, he releases his concentration.
「...... All right, now the Gawa is ok!」
「Can you fly with this?」
「Nope, not yet. I'm going to have to do some magic on the magic stone now.」
「I don't know much about sorcery other than earth and fire,...... but I guess that's what it's all about.」
Vance groaned. Occasionally, chants of such difficult arts are found among the remains of the Ancient Magical Kingdoms. However, they are too difficult to be used as they are, and it is necessary to unravel the chants and extract only those arts that can be used.
Vance knows that this is no easy task, but the sheer stupidity of the large human man, who shows no signs of fatigue even after using such a difficult art, is still frightening.
The technique Satoru just performed was to increase the robustness of the body by applying levitation and propulsive force to the amethyst and opal. The next art is to control it by means of magic stones. It is easy to understand if you think of the first art as hardware-related and the second as software-related.
Leaving Vance's subordinates behind, Satoru, his five magical slaves (plus Leia in the shadows), and Vance entered the airship. The goal is the cockpit.
Satoru, who had been told that the software side of the art was more difficult, concentrated his nerves once again. Leia had said that depending on how much magic power was used up by the first art, it might be necessary to apply it on the next day, but if he trusted his own senses, there seemed to be no need to do so.
Satoru also thinks that he would like to try to exhaust his own magic power to the limit once. He wants to know how much he can do to exhaust his own magic power, and he thinks it is important to know the limit.
However, this idea will probably never come true. It would depend on how to release too much magic power, but it is something that could very well destroy this world. It is doubtful if he can recover from sleep like normal humans. And that explosion, which seems to have released a certain amount of magic power. He might lose consciousness just as he did then.
Even if I said I wanted to try it, Leia and Solor would probably object.
Once he had put that thought aside, Satoru turned to the second piece of parchment and peeled it with great concentration. Solor assured him that even if he bites it in the process, it will not cause an outburst because it is not offensive sorcery in the first place, but it is still a terrifying thing to do. Satoru carefully vocalizes each note precisely.
「『Grant Goods』」
At that moment, Satoru felt something leave his body. It was only a slight one, but this must be the sensation of magic power draining out. It was smaller than the one he felt when he touched the black crystal when he discovered Solor. So it is less than 50,000.
「Now, that's good.」
Phew, Satoru wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a breath. The art was imbued―But here, Satoru now realizes that he has not been told how to fly the airship. At this point, Leia's voice echoed in his mind.
(My Lord, please tell Liz how to handle it. I've already taught her.)
When did you teach her―Satoru smiles bitterly at the thought.
Liz is not assigned to any specific role at the moment. Satoru was concerned about her inability to work, although he had told her to oversee the entire party as a military attaché. Leia probably noticed this as well and taught her how to fly through Solor.
「Liz.」
「Okay.」
Liz stepped forward with a nervous look on her face. Vance raised one eyebrow and looked at Liz with a scowl.
「......Can you move it with this half-elf girl?」
Satoru silently switched places with Liz. Vance's comment was not made out of a sense of discrimination, but there was probably an insult in that she was a young half-elf. Well, it is true that a girl like Liz is not expected to be able to control such a complicated item with such a complicated formula.
Liz glanced at Vance, then exhaled and put her hand on the magic stone.
「.....Here we go.」
As soon as Liz muttered that, *kyiii* the magic stone made a high-pitched squeak. The sound soon became muffled, and there is no sound―no, the airship made a creaking sound.
「Oohhh!」
「It's floating ......」
Vance shouted, and at the same time, Rico shouted in surprise. Liz looked relieved, too.
「It's not enough to just float. Liz, when you float a little more, move forward. Try a few more moves.」
「Aye.」
Simply floating is meaningless. So far, they've only tested the amethyst. From here they must test the propulsive movement of the opals.
At this point, there is no sign of imbalance. The amethyst seems to be correctly positioned.
Satoru looked back while putting his hand on the chair where Liz was sitting.
「Vance's old man. You're going to stay with me until the test flight is over.」
「Of course. What if the first airship built-in hundreds of years, and the person in charge of it was not on board?」
Vance responded with a snort. He must be aware of his responsibility to see to it that the difficult task, which would normally take more than a season to build, is completed in just three days of rush work.
But of course, there was also a glimpse of the joy of witnessing the lost technology of the airship. Satoru also snickered at Vance's sarcastic remark and gave a small nod to the only girl sitting in the chair.
「Moving forward.」
The airship began to move slowly after Liz's declaration. The movement was slow and sluggish, but Satoru did not mind. It is not his intention to engage in aerial combat using this airship. Mobility was out of the question from the start. The first thing he was concerned about was whether or not it would fly straight.
「...... As expected. There is no blur on the axis.」
The metal occasionally creaks and squeaks, but there are no problems. Liz seems to be controlling it with a certain amount of tension, but the airship is still flying straight.
「Hmph, who do you think made it?」
Satoru chuckled at the sound of Vance's triumphant voice. Vance is a craftsman who takes pride in his skills. Of course, it was his first time making one, so he must have been a little worried, but he believed that he had not made such a mistake because of his pride and skill.
「Liz, turn left. Slow down a little when you turn.」
「Okay」
Arsweta is in a mountainous area called the Dragon's Claw. They are at a good attitude, but they may hit a mountainside at any moment. Satoru sees a mountain that looks like a sharp point just ahead of them, and he indicates that they should turn.
Satoru knows that centrifugal force is applied when turning, but Liz does not seem to have that knowledge, so it is only natural that he tells her to slow down and turn.
Its huge body begins to turn to the left. The fuselage twists, but as expected, there is no sign of distortion. The rigidity is also quite good.
「Okay, go straight. Speed up as much as you can.」
Following Satoru's instruction, Liz stopped turning and turned her attention forward. Although the acceleration was very slow, the speed was certainly increasing. It is too slow speed for a flying object, but the lift is obtained by another force, so there is no problem even if it is not going fast.
「Hmmm~......... slower than Minerva's full speed, huh?」
"A-hem," said Minerva, turning her ample bosom. Vance, who does not know that Minerva is the mimic form of a flying dragon, is blinking his eyes, wondering what she is talking about. Satoru ignored him.
Satoru has a feeling that Minerva's speed is about 50 to 60 km/h. Minerva's full speed is probably around 100 km/h, so it is clearly slow.
After repeated tests of turning right, descending, and ascending, Satoru realized that there was no problem. It might be a little different if he put a load on it, but that would be a matter of adjusting the ballast.
There's no problem. With that decision, Satoru sends instructions to return to Deligrande. They have to collect the luggage and drop Vance off.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Satoru's magic power and Vance's skill were there, there was still a sense of fear in the air. Perhaps the only one who did not have that feeling was Solor.
Vance approached Liz, who had controlled the airship at Satoru's command, tapped her on the shoulder, and bowed his bald head.
「I'm sorry for what I said earlier, little girl. Please forgive me.」
「No, I don't mind.」
Liz gave a small smile and brushed off Vance's rudeness. The girl is a half-elf who is not seen as having any particular power, so in a sense, it is inevitable that she will be underestimated. And she was dealing with the best craftsman in the country.
However, Liz was surprised to see such an old and well-positioned dwarf bowing to her with a humble bow. In the case of elves, there are not many beings who would honestly apologize in this way to someone younger than them.
「But still, where did you learn how to move such a thing?」
Liz laughed mischievously at the question.
「It's a secret. There are many secrets that girls have that uncle doesn't know, you know?」
「Gahahaha! You say that, little girl!」
Vance, smiling broadly, tapped Liz on the shoulder with a don. Liz almost took her hand off the magic stone she was controlling, and Liz returned the laugh with a flustered smile.
Whether it was this half-elf girl, the mysterious woman who had beaten him with alcohol, or the other women, their relationship was honestly not clear.
But Vance had noticed. The girl's left hand on the magic stone of the airship, and the left hand on the mug of the woman with whom he had a drinking contest, both had the same intricate crest engraved on them. Perhaps the other women also have similar crests.
It is the crest of a magical slave. It is a pattern that is rarely seen by the general public. The number of magical slaves is determined by the size of their Lord's soul. Usually, three or four are the most you can have, but that man probably has all five of them as his magical slaves.
The art of 【Grant Goods】 on airships is an art that could be used for the first time using the Tower of Magic during the time of the Ancient Magic Kingdoms. It is not a half-baked art that can be performed using only the soul of a person. The board of drawings that had been left behind also explained that the first and second arts each required a separate Tower of Magic.
Nevertheless, he used two arts in rapid succession without a break ― in other words, he has an immeasurable amount of soul. If that were the case, it would be understandable that he would have five magical slaves, but even so, this was a very different dimension.
But for Vance, these things were unimportant.
After completing the test flight, the airship returns to the waiting craftsmen of the Black Bear Workshop. The impact of the landing was not too great, and Liz's control was excellent.
「There is no problem. You are indeed the best blacksmith in the country.」
Vance smiles back at Satoru, who smiles cheerfully, showing his teeth.
「It seems you like it.」
「Yeah. There's no way I won't like it. Thank you for your help. I'm sorry for forcing you to do the rush job.」
「Meh, that's okay. It was a great inspiration to the guys in my workshop.」
The mechanism of the screws and bolts, and their efficiency ― the craftsmen's eyes lit up as they worked on these eye-opening techniques. Otherwise, they would not have survived the three days of sleepless nights.
Discussions also turned to the materials used for the LED lights and the Multipurpose knives. Refined steel at a level that could not be made in this world. However, the fact that it existed was proof that it was possible to create something of that level if only research was done.
「So you are going on a journey with this thing. That's nice!」
Vance looked up with satisfaction at the airship that he and the craftsmen in his workshop had created with their very best efforts. Shining in the sunlight, it is the only one of its kind in this world.
「So, what is this thing's name?」
Vance's question made Satoru stop moving. He had not thought about it at all.
「Well, I hadn't thought of it. ...... Let's see, it's Yamato.」
「Yamato?」
「Yes.」
It was just an idea. What Satoru had in his mind was that thing running through space.
However, the look is totally different. There is no wave cannon. But that battleship went through a tough journey in the story and returned to earth.
「Yamato. I like it. It's got a sense of solidity and sturdiness about it.」
「That's the image I have.」
Satoru heard the theme song playing in his head with a fanfare, but he did not hum along.
All that was left to do was to bring in the luggage, and the preparations for the journey would be complete. The craftsmen who had been watching the test flight helped them prepare for their departure in no time at all.
They loaded the iron bars and plates that might be of some use to Satoru, even though they would add to the weight.
As for the carriage, Satoru left it with them and asked them to dispose of it. As for the horses, he had initially planned to give them up, but Minerva was very reluctant to part with them, so he decided to 【Shrink】 them by Solor and keep them in an iron box for ballast. Minerva was especially pleased, but Liz looked very interested in the horse, perhaps because it was so unusual to see a horse that had grown to about a foot in size.
A little bit of feed for the horses was also loaded. The horses eat less because they have been 【Shrink】, but there is no way to control the grass in the air.
When Satoru told Vance that he was going to leave an LED light as a souvenir, Vance looked exceptionally happy. The multipurpose knife was going to be used for a while, so Satoru asked him to give it back.
「Are you going as is?」
「Yeah」
「I see. Well then, be well. If you ever stop by here again, give me a call.」
「Yeah. I'll definitely do that」
Satoru grips back the hand offered to him. He doesn't think he'll be back anytime soon, but he doesn't want to lose his gratitude to the man who responded to his request with all his heart and manly spirit. Vance, who squeezed Satoru's hand back with a little strength, gives a small, troubled smile.
「By the way. Can I ask your name for the last time?」
「...... Oh? Didn't I tell you? I'm sorry, I've been so rude.」
Satoru thought he had already told Vance his name, but come to think of it, he doesn't remember telling him his name.
「It's Satoru. I know it's a strange name for you guys.」
Vance kept smiling at the new name as if he didn't mind the rudeness. Satoru is relieved.
「Satoru. Thanks for teaching me that amazing technique. I'm not going to tell anyone that those bolts and screws and stuff came from you, because I know that's a bad name to mention anyway.」
「That would be great. I don't want to sell any names.」
「I knew you would. But you know what?」
Vance smirked, and with a clenched fist, he poked Satoru in the chest with a thud.
「I consider you a friend, Satoru. Don't forget that you have a Dwarf friend named Vance here in Arsweta.」
「......Yeah」
Without looking away, Satoru also returned it gravely.
Satoru is the client and Vance is the craftsman who responded. Objectively, that's all there is to the relationship.
But the client trusted the craftsman, taught him skills that were out of this world, and the craftsman responded to that trust by creating something that would have been impossible to create under normal circumstances.
What was born was a small friendship.
Vance thumped his chest and smiled with a toothy grin.
「Your name is engraved on this chest. You said you don't want to sell your name, but you don't mind if the man you think of as your friend engraves it on his chest, do you?￥
「That's a given.」
They come from different backgrounds, different environments, different ages, different positions, and even different races.
But this man called me his friend. This is the first friend I have ever had after being summoned to this world. Satoru's heart is filled with emotion.
A man of a different race smiling with no ill intentions at all. He returned his trust with his utmost trust ― a man who deserves to be called a friend, and Satoru while holding back the tears that welled up in his eyes, thrust out his fist. Vance, as if he knew exactly what he was doing, also clashed his own fist with Satoru.
「When we meet again, let's exchange a few drinks. I'd like to spend a night with you.」
「Unfortunately, I'm not that good a drinker. But if you, my friend, insist. I'll do it.」
「Then, farewell.」
「Ouh」
The parting was extremely easy.
A friendship bound by trust needs no further words.
Satoru looks forward.
With the irreplaceable existence of a friend firmly engraved in his heart.
To return to his beloved sister, his only living relative.
Author Note: This is the 8th volume curtain.
I look forward to your continued support of my work.
TLN: Whew, finally finished volume 8, Next is Volume 9, Demonic Dragon.
Also, I'm sorry if I mistranslate the title for volume 9, the title is 魔竜/Demonic Dragon or Demon Dragon. I read as I translate so I don't know if that's the correct title.
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