**Side Flam**
After discovering my pregnancy, Prim and I haven’t moved much from Alka, aside from occasional trips to Feel and Prada for a change of pace.
Alka has mountains, forests, and a lake, and the Crafting Hall also has a library.
Furthermore, the bathing area offers not only hot springs but also waterfall baths and bubble baths, allowing for a leisurely stay.
However, with nothing to do, we are undoubtedly bored.
As I am also a Crafter, I can pass the time by making things in the Crafting Hall. But Prim is only registered as a Hunter and is forbidden from hunting, so she can only do simple exercises, leaving her truly bored during her free time.
Therefore, I often spend time with Luminia’s daughter, Yuny-chan, to whom I’ve entrusted the role of sub-chief butler.
Today, Yuny-chan and I are going cruising on Alka’s lake. My mother-in-law, who just defeated a Cetus in the Elect Sea, also expressed her desire to join, so I, Yamato, Rika-sama, and my father-in-law will also be accompanying them.
“This isn’t Magic Silver, is it?”
“Ah, it’s made of Jade Silver. Please, don’t force magic into it.”
“I wouldn’t do that.”
Jade Silver can be used normally up to the Ancient Class, but it cannot withstand the magic of the Element Class. Therefore, Yamato and Mako have been careful when riding it recently.
My father-in-law and mother-in-law are of the Arc Class, which is above Element Class, so riding it normally is not an issue. However, if they were to channel magic into the hull, it would sink immediately.
I don’t think they would intentionally do such a thing, but we cannot deny the possibility of them doing it unconsciously.
Because of this, Yamato has been giving them rather strict warnings.
“Still, magic is convenient, isn’t it?”
“What’s suddenly got you thinking about that?”
“You can effortlessly transport a sofa carrying three pregnant women – Rika-san, Prim-san, and Flam-san. Extra care is needed when moving pregnant women, and those close to term would even be hospitalized to prepare for childbirth.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. My mother was like that too. We could do something similar with Fly Wind, but as you know, it can’t be used for extended periods, and it was mostly only useful for moving to the carriage.”
It seems the handling of pregnant women is largely the same on Earth.
If something were to happen to a pregnant woman, it would endanger not only the baby but also the woman herself. Even with the Helios Orb, it would still be dangerous.
“Ah, so Fly Wind is difficult to control with precision, and if you had Telekinetic Magic that you could use like your own hands, it would have been easier, right?”
“Unlike Fly Wind, there’s no time limit, right? I can’t help but wish we could have used it there too.”
“I thought the same thing.”
Fly Wind, you say.
It was Engraving Magic (Martial Art) that Yamato favored before Flying and Scaffolding were invented.
Thanks to that, not only Yamato but also Prim, who imbued it into wind-attribute magic stones, frequently engaged in aerial combat and achieved significant results. However, prolonged use is said to be life-threatening, requiring several hours of cooldown after each use. For this reason, it is rarely used now.
“Alright then, let’s depart.”
“Yes, please take care.”
“Osu.”
The Hydro-Engine developed by Yamato uses the Tenma Stone (Magic Stone) located in the cockpit.
The Tenma Stone is designed so that the magic power does not flow more than necessary, allowing anyone to use it. Therefore, no matter how much magic power is channeled by those in the Element Class or Arc Class, the excess magic power is released into the air.
However, channeling more magic power than necessary increases the likelihood of being detected by monsters while traveling and also shortens the lifespan of the Tenma Stone.
Therefore, Yamato also channels magic into the Tenma Stone with considerable care.
“Tenma Stone, was it? It’s quite convenient that you can control it just by channeling magic into it.”
“That’s how it’s designed to be. We even have a spare in case it breaks, and in the worst-case scenario, Flam’s contracted Flo will pull us, so we won’t get stranded.”
Before the development of the Hydro-Engine, it was common for aquatic familiars to tow ships. However, with the recent proliferation of Hydro-Engines, and their compatibility with external attachments, the use of aquatic familiars has decreased. Nevertheless, many people maintain their familiar contracts in case the Hydro-Engine fails, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the Flo I contracted with, a Ridoceros, was for that very purpose.
“Flo is that rhinoceros-like monster, isn’t it?”
“Ah, it’s a Ridoceros. Despite its rhinoceros-like appearance, it’s classified as an aquatic species.”
“So, it’s like a cross between a rhinoceros and a hippopotamus?”
“Their appearances are similar, but they seem to be able to breathe underwater, so it might be a bit different.”
When they mention rhinoceroses or hippopotamuses, I have no idea about the animals in Yamato’s world. However, it is said that many species on Earth and in Helios Orb have similar appearances, not just Ridoceros. So, those two animals must resemble Ridoceros quite a bit.
“That is indeed a bit different.”
“Why is that?”
“I haven’t investigated it thoroughly, but it seems to extract air from the surrounding water, much like an ozone ball.”
“So, it doesn’t store a large amount of air to dive, but directly extracts it. That’s interesting.”
“It is. That might be applicable to Engraving Magic (Martial Art) as well.”
While much about monster ecology remains unknown, Ridoceros are relatively well-understood monsters. As Yamato mentioned, Ridoceros breathe underwater using methods like that, so it’s not uncommon for them to remain submerged for several days. In fact, Undines like myself, and water dragon Dragonewts and Dragonians, can swim using similar methods.
“Speaking of which, Yamato, has the Airship concept been finalized?”
“No, we’re discussing it with Flam and the others, but it’s not coming together easily.”
An Airship, a ship that flies in the sky. We are transported by Athena and Eos along with our Beast Carriages, and we also use Traveling frequently. However, it is by no means common. Therefore, my mother-in-law suggested developing an Airship, a flying ship, that could be used by ordinary people. She also called it a staple, though I don’t quite understand that part.
“This is the first I’ve heard of it, a flying ship. If it can really be made, it would greatly reduce the burden on Athena and Eos.”
“Ah. We wouldn’t need to land and rest midway, making it easier to advance to Abaricia.”
“Yes. And once we reach it, travel by Traveling will also become possible.”
As Yamato and Prim say. If Traveling becomes usable, we can send soldiers to the Gradia Continent more safely. Abaricia in the Gradia Continent is a Demon Race country, and a divine oracle has been issued, so the Divine Emperor must be defeated. Therefore, initially, we planned to have Athena or Eos transport us with their Beast Carriages, and if there was an island, we would use it as a base to Travel or use a Transfer Stone Tablet. If not, we would deploy the hull of the Tenju Manufacturing Beast Carriage and return to Alka, repeating this process to reach the Gradia Continent. However, if an Airship is completed, there will be no need to return midway, and most importantly, once we reach the Gradia Continent, movement by Traveling will become possible. Or rather, depending on the size of the Airship and the scale of the Mirror Room, there might be no need to use Traveling at all.
“However, the concepts are not really coming together.”
“It’s not just the concepts, but also the problem of how to make the ship float.”
The interior of the ship, when imbued with mirroring, can have its weight reduced, so it’s not an issue to carry tens or hundreds of people. However, we need to consider aerial combat and scouting, so we have to factor in additional requirements.
“Using wind-attribute magic for propulsion is certain, but how to make it float is the problem. Scaffolding is a magic that creates a magical footing, so it would consume a lot of magic power, and Flying requires wings.”
Mako, Ludia, and I have thought about it, but as Yamato mentioned, these are the problems, and discussions are not making much progress.
“I understand how you feel, but could you put that aside for now?”
“Huh? Ah, sorry.”
“It can’t be helped. Oh, Mother-in-law, you recently inspected Memoria MINERVA, didn’t you? How was it?”
Come to think of it, my mother-in-law went to inspect Memoria General Academy with Yamato the other day. Yamato also had preparations for the upcoming entrance ceremony, but since it’s highly likely to coincide with Rika-sama’s delivery, he will be in charge of the entrance greetings as a representative. He was agonizing over it, but it’s also part of Yamato’s job as the husband of Marquis Amatista and a Celestial Vizier of Fraydlancia, so I can only tell him to give up and do his best. As for myself, I also go to Prada about two days a week to study to become a proxy. It was four to six days a week before I discovered my pregnancy, so they are being considerate.
“Yes, it was interesting. There were problems, but Yamato resolved them properly.”
“Ah, that…”
Ah, that incident. The problem my mother-in-law is referring to is that a certain Hunter Raid was using MINERVA improperly. Furthermore, the brother of the person in charge of MINERVA’s management was apparently part of that raid.
“Ah, I remember; he picked a fight with Yamato despite being unable to defeat even a B-rank opponent.”
That raid seemed to be composed solely of B-rank Hunters, but they overestimated their abilities and had been failing recent requests. Therefore, they apparently tried to manipulate their older sister, who was the person in charge of management, and use MARS to level up. Their older sister accepted because she thought it would help her monster research, so it seems they used the Raid even on days when it wasn’t open to Hunters.
“Ah. Since there were rule violations, the Hunters are banned from entering any town with MINERVA except in emergencies, and they were expelled from Memoria. While the person in charge of management bears significant responsibility, the Scholars were the bigger problem, so I left the punishment to the Scholar’s Guild.”
Although I’ve already heard about it, it’s quite a severe punishment. Initially, they didn’t know who Yamato was and threatened him for going against the person in charge, so it’s a light punishment. However, word of this will spread, and they’ll likely be looked down upon in every town for a while. The person in charge of management, while negligent in her supervision, didn’t know that the Hunters were acting out of line, so she was only dismissed from her position.
“They apparently didn’t know that MARS is considered the property of the Marquis Amatista family, and the Scholar’s Guild is only contracted for its management and operation.”
“They should have explained properly, but I guess they weren’t listening. Well, that’s why we didn’t hand it over to the Scholar’s Guild, so it was effective.”
“You did think that through, huh?”
“Of course.”
It was decided that MARS would be installed at MINERVA, and its management would be entrusted to the Scholar’s Guild. If it were made a facility of the Scholar’s Guild, even a Lord might be unable to interfere easily, and if Scholars were involved as in this case, any issues might be covered up. In fact, the Hunter who had misunderstood was using his authority as the person in charge of management to his advantage, and the Scholars were keeping quiet to avoid getting involved. Therefore, MINERVA was made a state-run facility, and its management, including MARS, was contracted to the Scholar’s Guild. As it is a national facility, Scholars cannot act arbitrarily, and intervention becomes easier. If problems arise, it is possible for the matter to be reported directly to the Lord, bypassing the Scholar Master, which might be an issue. However, in such cases, the Scholar Master would also face punishment, and since the appointment includes such possibilities, it is manageable even if there are complaints later. I didn’t expect anyone to be punished so quickly, but I always thought it would happen eventually, so I hope this serves as a warning.
