The installation of MARS was completed without any issues, but there is still room for improvement. We plan to continue our research and make upgrades or replacements as needed. MARS was a project I proposed, and with the help of Mako, Flam, and Ludia, it has reached its initial completion. I’m glad we were able to finish it in time for the opening of the General Academy.
The main unit is divided into three parts. The core unit uses the magic stone of an A-C Rank Monster, Abyss Panther, which we hunted in the Gagun Great Forest during the labyrinth flood three months ago. After evolving into Element Humans, we were granted Fusion Magic, so I was in charge of processing it into a Tenma Stone. It ended up with a large number of elemental and innate magic spells imbued, and since it uses an A-C rank magic stone, its rarity and importance are comparable to, or even surpass, national treasures. I hadn’t really considered that aspect. The Tenma Stone is incorporated into the main unit, and connected to the control panel with its magic stone receptacle and a monitor that displays names and life bars. This is done via a code made of Imperial Crawler silk, braided and covered in bronze. The control panel is quite large, with a startup Tenma Stone next to the magic stone receptacle, and ten Tenma Stones incorporating barrier patterns arranged in two rows of five.
The monitor was made from cherry tree resin by Mako. Initially, there was no plan for a monitor. However, by mixing Lapis Lazurite and cherry tree resin dissolved in water infused with magic stones, Gold Dragoon blood, Royal Crawler silk, and Abyss Fall mane, we were able to achieve a viscous material. We discovered that when this material was processed and mixed, it could synchronize with the magic power of the infused magic stone. This allowed us to treat the MARS main unit as the parent unit, and the visors and overcoats as subordinate units. We processed this cherry resin into a 3×6 meter monitor, connected it to the main unit with wiring, and used a Tenma Stone for the monitor, successfully displaying the names and life bars of up to 30 people. The wiring also uses Imperial Crawler silk, which seems to ensure that information transmission is neither excessive nor delayed. Bronze is a magical metal, formerly called spirit bronze, and its magic power transmission rate is 8, the same as magic silver. Furthermore, it can be processed like ordinary copper and retains its flexibility even when processed into cables, making it an excellent metal for wiring. I was truly delighted when it was completed, to the point of jumping for joy.
The magic stone we decided to call the “core magic stone” is essential for MARS development and its importance far exceeds that of the A-C rank Tenma Stone used in the MARS main unit. It is currently being stored securely in the Crafting Hall, but if MARS were to leave our hands, we intend to transfer it to the Crafter’s Guild Headquarters. However, given the high applicability of the core magic stone, which has indeed enabled us to improve the communication device, perhaps transferring it to Amagi Castle rather than the Crafter’s Guild would be more appropriate.
“This concludes the installation and operational testing. We express our gratitude to the Crafter’s Master and Sub-Order’s Master.”
“No, it was a pleasure to witness something so impressive.”
“We apologize for our mistakes, but we are grateful for the valuable experience.”
I expressed my gratitude to Crafter’s Master Trust and Sub-Order’s Master Dart, and they both told me it was a valuable experience.
“We will be heading to Amagi Castle from here. We would appreciate your continued support when His Majesty and the others come for inspection soon.”
“Understood.”
After this, we have a meeting at Amagi Castle regarding the faculty and curriculum. It was originally scheduled for the morning, but with the completion of MARS, everyone, including His Majesty, insisted that we install it before the meeting, so it was postponed to the afternoon. Emperor Reinhardt and the kings of various countries have seen the unfinished MARS at our wedding reception, so their expectations are very high. Therefore, although not today, inspection tours will undoubtedly be scheduled in the near future.
Memoria General Academy, as its name suggests, is located in Memoria, the capital of the Marquisate of Amatista. Therefore, the lord, Rika, will have to guide them during the meeting and inspection, but she is pregnant and we cannot make her do such strenuous work. I thought it would be fine for just the MARS installation today, but I forgot that combat testing would be similar to actual monster hunting, and I deeply regret showing her such shocking scenes. Therefore, I will be attending future meetings and inspections in her stead as her husband. Rika’s due date is in April, but I don’t know if she can return to work immediately after giving birth. Moreover, Yuri will be entering the General Academy in April, so I will have to act as the deputy of Feel as well as Memoria, which is a difficult task. Mana, who will also be the deputy of Feel, is due in January, but we cannot overwork her either. Well, since she is carrying my child, I have no choice but to work hard, no matter how difficult it is.
“Shall we go to Float then?”
“Yes. By the way, Yamato, aren’t you going to make a beast carriage for the Fleidranthia Heavenly Noble House?”
“Do you think we should have one?”
“Of course. Adding the family crest will also indicate your status. You perform duties similar to the deputies of the Esmeralda Baronetcy and the Marquisate of Amatista, but it is necessary precisely because you are a deputy.”
I cannot argue with that. We are currently using a beast carriage belonging to the Marquis Amatista family for our travel today,. This carriage clearly displays the coat of arms of the Marquis Amatista family, a design reminiscent of stylized cherry blossoms and amaryllis, indicating its ownership. As a result, we had almost free passage through the entrance gates. The family crest of the Fleidranthia Heavenly Noble House consists of wings spread within the petals of a celestial tree, with a sword and saber crossed diagonally. The Lapislazurite Heavenly Noble House has a similar representation of a celestial tree petal, but with branches of the celestial tree extending horizontally and a sword placed vertically, crossed in a cruciform shape. The Esmeralda Heavenly Noble Family also uses celestial tree petals and branches, but below the branches is a stylized representation of the celestial globe Yuri is currently having made.
The aforementioned beast carriage of the Marquis Amatista family is made entirely of cherry tree wood with a 10x Mirroring enchantment. The interior is similar to the first beast carriage we created. While there are differences in wood and Mirroring magnification, noble and royal family beast carriages are generally like this, and the beast carriage of Duke Hydransia, managed by Apricot, was no exception.
“After the meeting, I’ll buy some cherry wood and ask for a request in Feel.”
“That’s fine, but what about the design?”
“A slightly smaller multi-functional beast carriage. We don’t need to transport soldiers, so just providing rooms for the driver, servants, and guards to sleep in should be sufficient.”
The beast carriage of the Marquis Amatista family is a standard box shape, but the Esmeralda Baronetcy’s beast carriage that Yuri commissioned in Feel is a multi-functional beast carriage. While the exterior is different and it’s significantly smaller, it has a viewing deck and a usable rear deck, making it suitable for a noble’s carriage. Since it’s for noble transportation, there’s no need to consider troop transport.
“Indeed, once you’ve used a multi-functional beast carriage, ordinary ones feel insufficient, especially the presence of the deck.”
“That’s why you said the Marquis Amatista family is also commissioning a new one, right?”
“Is that so?”
That’s the first I’m hearing of it.
“Yes. After seeing the Esmeralda Baronetcy’s beast carriage, I thought it was perfect. It should be completed in about four to five days.”
Ah, that was around the time MARS development was reaching its climax, and I was mostly confined to Alka. Flam was in charge of the overcoat, Mako handled the visor, and Ludia was responsible for the barrier, but Mako and Ludia, like me, were rarely able to leave Alka. However, Flam’s overcoat uses materials like Royal Silk Cloth steeped in the liquid used for the core magic stone, temporarily called Lapis, and Abyss Panther materials. Other than that, it didn’t require much adjustment, so I recall Flam visiting Feel, Memoria, and Prada frequently. So, that’s when Rika directly told me about the Marquis Amatista family’s beast carriage.
“Yuri also decided on the design in consultation with Mana, so the Lapislazurite Heavenly Noble House’s beast carriage is probably similar.”
Not only for the Esmeralda Baronetcy but also for the Lapislazurite Heavenly Noble House, the beast carriages have already been commissioned. Well, Mana did say she had a lot of free time due to her pregnancy, so she had plenty of time to think about it, but I wish she had at least consulted me.
“Mana knew that Yamato was busy, so she was being considerate. It seems she also wanted to surprise you.”
“The exterior and interior were all designed by Mana. Oh, Yamato, could you ask for Traveling first?”
“I’d like to see that too. Alright, understood.”
We had spoken this much by the time we left Memoria. First, we need to transfer to Float. I open the Stat Ring, operate the operator, select Float from the Traveling category, and flow in the magic power to activate it. This alone deploys a transfer array to Float, which is incredibly convenient. Traveling isn’t instantaneous teleportation; it’s magic that connects different locations like wormholes. The transfer array acts as an entrance and exit, making it safe even for pregnant women.
“Myun, please.”
“Understood.”
I signal to Myun, the butler of the Marquis Amatista family and Rika’s other mother, who serves as our driver, and we pass through the transfer array. The destination is a dedicated gate point for Traveling, located a short distance from the main gate of Float. As the number of Traveling users has increased, places like Float, the national capital, as well as towns where Memoria and Ancient Hunters are based, have equipped gate points to support the movement of Ancient Classes. This is greatly appreciated by us. Having gate points makes travel easier, especially in emergencies.
“Good work.”
“Thank you. Your license has been confirmed. Please proceed.”
After having our licenses checked by the gatekeeper, we entered Float.
“So, Mana designed them and they became the beast carriages for the Lapislazurite Heavenly Noble House and the Esmeralda Baronetcy?”
“Yes. Since Yuri became the lord, the Esmeralda Baronetcy’s carriage was prioritized, but the Lapislazurite Heavenly Noble House’s carriage is also expected to be completed in a few days.”
Mana placed the order for the two beast carriages about a week ago. It was around the time we visited the Flug and then became engrossed in MARS development. So, as Mako and Rika said, it seems she was being considerate of me and at the same time wanted to surprise me with the completed carriages. Now that I’ve found out, whether it will be a surprise is debatable.
“Well, that’s true. But Mana wasn’t trying to hide it, so it’s not a problem, is it?”
“Oh, I see. I was surprised because I didn’t know about it either, but I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of beast carriage it is.”
Ludia, who was in charge of MARS’s barrier, was also as busy as I was. However, I am curious about what kind of beast carriage it will be, and since it’s a slightly smaller multi-functional beast carriage with reduced troop transport capacity, I’m looking forward to seeing it.
“The Wing Crest’s multi-functional beast carriage is too expensive, so even nobles find it difficult to afford the production costs. Besides, nobles don’t transport troops.”
“Indeed. That’s why the Mirroring magnification can be reduced, and the interior can be modified later. I believe smaller multi-functional beast carriages will become the standard for nobles in the future.”
“With a viewing deck and a deck, we are liberated from the feeling of confinement, and since Mirroring utilizes the space below the deck, even with a 10x magnification, it can be used more extensively than existing beast carriages.”
The average existing box-shaped beast carriage is about 5 meters deep, 3 meters wide, and slightly less than 2 meters high. The Wing Crest’s multi-functional beast carriage, however, is 15 meters deep, 3 meters wide, and about 5 meters high including the viewing deck. The width is limited by law, so it cannot be increased further, but there are no restrictions on depth and height. This is why the multi-functional beast carriage is so large; it also serves as troop transport, accommodating a large number of soldiers. However, as Mako said, nobles rarely transport large numbers of soldiers. Therefore, if that space is reduced, enough space can be secured, and the Mirroring magnification can also be lowered. Mirroring expands space not just horizontally but also vertically. Even if the original height is 30 centimeters, a 10x magnification will make it 3 meters. Thus, even a beast carriage with a depth of about 7 meters, when magnified 10 times, would have an area of 210 square meters, allowing for a noble’s bedroom, a reception room, a servant’s room, and quarters for guards. A bath would likely be impossible, though.
“At that point, the beast carriage would be more comfortable than an inn, so I imagine fewer nobles would stay at inns.”
“That is a problem, but nobles have their regular inns, and they have existing relationships. Furthermore, from an economic perspective, towns wouldn’t be able to function if people didn’t stay at inns.”
“As Mako says, economics are important for nobles, so they wouldn’t stay in their beast carriages unless they absolutely had to camp out.”
I’m stumped on the economic issue, but it’s true that people earn income from it, and that eventually contributes to tax revenue, so it’s important to spend money wisely. We use Traveling for transportation, and I’ve accumulated a considerable amount of money, so this is a hard truth for me, but I need to consider these things more carefully in the future. I will be the deputy of Feel and Memoria, and I plan to receive a fiefdom in a few years, so it will be difficult, but I will study diligently.
