CH 242.2

「That reminds me, you are the one who came up with the idea aren’t you Tauro-san? My apologies」

I swung my hands sideways to him who shrunk while apologizing.

「Not everyone likes it in the first place, so please don’t mind it. Besides, it probably isn’t a good idea to compare yourself with the vice-guild master and guild master」

Their ability to adapt is just too high.

『Couldn’t they be a little more conservative?』

It was to such an extent that I thought so.

After we finished our conversation, I left the counter. My next stop was the Knight’s hangar.

The remodeling of the Old Lady had been in progress for the past few days. I was called by the herbivore mechanic to tell me that the work had been completed.

(It took longer than usual this time)

I left the merchant guild’s building, and thought as I walked along the main street stretching east from the central square.

The Knight hangar is located near the eastern gate of the royal capital. It’s a considerable distance, but it’s not too far to walk.

(Just enough for a pleasant stroll)

Squinting at the sunlight, I continued on my way while enjoying the morning blue sky.

(Hm?)

As I entered the brick factory-like building, I was greeted by an unusual sight.

The Old Lady was lying on her back on a carriage used to transport Knights.

(Was the remodeling work not finished yet?)

Did he encounter a last minute problem or something? But still, I don’t know what’s up with the carriage.

(Did something go wrong so bad and it had to be transported to the blacksmith guild?)

I thought as I put one hand on the wheel of the carriage, which was taller than me. But I’m soon interrupted by a vibration and a loud noise that shakes the floor.

The doorway for the Knight was more than twenty meters high. And that doors began to slowly open on both sides.

「Tauro-san, I didn’t know you were here. I’m going to connect the golem horses now and since it’s dangerous, please stand back」

Herbivore mechanic appeared with his back to the light. Four golem horses lined up behind the slender young man.

He was going to have them pull the wagon.

(I suppose you have to do this much to transport a Knight)

Four golem horses, each bigger than a two-ton truck. It was the same lineup used on regular golem carriage.

「I forgot to tell you. I’m thinking of checking the result at the training ground today instead of the hangar」

The training ground for Knights is a small, rocky basin in the mountains north of the royal capital.

We’re going to start up the Old Lady on the site instead of riding it from here.

(That is very cautious for him)

So far, like when we were testing the optical correction magic circle, we only did it a bit in the hangar and then off to the field right away. We never went to the training ground to test it.

(As I thought, is it because he made some major changes?)

Herbivore mechanic guides the golem horses with a hand gesture while holding a wand in one of his hands. I thought as I looked at that figure.

The preparations were done quickly, and Herbivore mechanic climbed up on the wagon’s platform.

「Come and get in too, Tauro-san」

I do as I’m told and sit down next to the slender young man.

The golem horse started to move slowly and went out of the hangar. It went straight through the eastern gate and started heading north.

(My field of view is so low it feels weird)

Inside the city is one thing, but I never ride in a carriage outside the city. My means of transportation outside is always the Old lady.

It is closer to the ground and slower compared to the Old lady.

「We won’t get there until late afternoon, so let’s have lunch as we go」

Herbivore mechanic said and handed me a box of cookies and a water bottle. He began to eat them skillfully with one hand while his other hand held the reins.

(He sure loves sweets, doesn’t he?)

A man who eats snacks for lunch. For him, it’s probably just a normal lunch.

(I think it’s okay to be a little more particular about food)

I thought to myself as I chewed on a cookie with nuts kneaded into it.

A little after the sun had passed the midpoint of the sky, we arrived at a rocky basin. The colored rocks which were put in some places, are targets for magic attacks.

(It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this scenery. Not since the first time I rode the Old Lady)

After getting into the Old Lady and gently standing her up, I look around and think.

I used to practice here right after I was hired as a pilot for the merchant guild Knight.

『Well then, feel free to move around and test how it feels』

Herbivorous mechanic who takes a position on a hill on the windward side and gives instructions with a loudspeaker from the top of a platform. I make the Old Lady turn and nod.

I continued basic operations for a while, but I didn’t feel any difference from before.

『Now please try moving a little more vigorously, Tauro-san』

Herbivore mechanic said while writing on the checklist.

(Since we came all the way to the training grounds, I guess we have to put on the same load as a real battle)

Fortunately, we were the only ones here.

I activated F-rank magic, then E-rank magic, one after another. In order to consume magic power, I tried everything from running, jumping, and hovering.

The surrounding area shook unsteadily, and the sound we made endlessly echoed through the mountains.

(What’s with this thing? The flow of magic power is good even after doing those stunts)

The more I moved Old lady, the more I understood the difference.

If I had to compare it to something, it’s like a drip bag of coffee. You put one bag on top of the cup and pour hot water into it.

Until now, it was like pouring a little bit of magic into the bag and then adding more when the water level dropped. But now, it was as if I could just pour the hot water directly into the cup.

The magic was activated. And I could strongly feel the magic power quickly spreading to the Knight’s body.

(The output is definitely increased too)

The Knight’s body is light. When I tried shadow boxing with it, the sound of the wind cutting through the air was different than before.

And yet, there was no sense that the frame was losing strength. I have a high rate of synchronization, and if the load is too great, I will also feel pain in my torso.

『It’s amazing! This feels completely different from before, as expected of you』

The Old lady’s external voice must have reached him regardless how far high up he was.

But for some reason, Herbivore mechanic had a complicated expression on his face.

(It wasn’t as good as he expected huh)

I’m certainly not at my best, either. There is a sense of restraint, like I’m still trying to get used to this feeling.

(Then, let’s try the upper limit, shall we)

D-rank magic, this is the maximum magic power that I can currently pour into the Knight.

And that’s only if I poured it slowly.

(With the way it feels right now, I think I could put it in all at once and it wouldn’t overflow)

Feeling confident, I cast D-rank cure injury magic.

I was about to do a big jump with hover. But just as I was thinking this, I felt a thump in my head.

(Eh? This feeling is…)

I felt frustrated, as if I had struck something.

I’ve experienced this feeling before. It was when I cast healing magic but it was not enough to heal.

When I used my senses to search through the Old lady, I found that the magic that I had released had not been retained.

(….Let’s try it one more time)

Hoping that it was just my imagination, I cast the same magic. But I get the same feeling of being struck.

What’s different from the previous time is that there is still magic power in the Knight’s body.

(….)

I unconsciously fell into silence. I knitted my eyebrows and thought.

『The cure injury magic worked, but D-rank was not enough to cure it』

This is the answer that I came up with. From what I’ve experienced so far, there’s no doubt about it.

The reason why the magical power is stored for the second time was probably because it can’t be healed any further thus it was not consumed.

(The magic I’m borrowing must be limited to works with living things)

I have experimented with its inability to repair tools. Not a single piece of broken plate would stick together again after I cast a magic on it.

And yet, it works on the Old Lady. And what this result shows is perhaps….

(It’s alive?)

I felt a shiver down my spine.

I quietly searched every inch of the Knight’s body with my senses. I did this while holding my breath, because an unfathomable fear was rising in me.

(….There’s no particular change)

One D-rank injury healing magic. I don’t know how effective it will be for a Knight.

But my magic power was consumed, and it was definitely activated.

『Is there something wrong?』

The Old Lady suddenly stopped moving, the chest armor raised upward, and I peeked anxiously out of the cockpit.

He must have thought something was wrong after seeing that. Herbivore mechanic swung the reins of the golem carriage and came towards me.

(It might be better to ask him to take a look at it. Although there’s no way I can explain it to him)

I haven’t revealed to the Herbivore mechanic that I can use magic.

Usually, a pilot is 『a person who has as much magic power as an intermediate magician』 and 『a person who has an aptitude to manipulate magic power』. They are not simply magicians who can use magic.

『A person is considered a high ranking magician if they can use a D-rank magic』

This is the common sense of this world. If it was found out that someone can use magic without any prior knowledge, it would be a source of trouble.

「….I see, so you feel that something is strange. Do you have a headache or feel sick, Tauro-san?」

The Herbivore mechanic looked into my face with a worried expression.

He jumped from the carriage’s driver’s seat to the cockpit of the Old lady, who was sitting on one knee.

「No, it’s not like that, how should I put this…」

The herbivore mechanic listens to my vague explanation, crosses his arms and tilts his head with a sullen expression.

「Then, let’s do a full check on the Old lady for now. Can you lay her down on the wagon?」

After he told me that, I sent the herbivore mechanic back to the driver’s seat and closed the chest part. When I fearfully poured the magic power, the feeling was the same as usual.

『It looks fine』

External sound system is also working fine. I slowly stood up and laid down the Old lady on its back on the cart.

I get out of the cockpit and go over to the herbivore mechanic who is staring this way from the driver’s seat.

(This is something that should be left to the experts)

What I felt in my heart was trust in a professional.

I have learned about the structure and mechanism of the Knight at the pilot school. But it’s only for a few months, and it’s only a lecture in a class, not a practical training.

「I’m glad I did a preparation to stay overnight, just in case」

The Herbivore mechanic continued and quickly mounted the belly of the Old Lady with a wand in hand.

He told me that he told the merchant guild that he will return tomorrow, considering the possibility of trouble.

「Since Tauro-san is also here to help, it should be done by tomorrow morning」

He says some terrifying things like it was nothing.

「Why don’t we go back to the hangar and check it out there?」

The Herbivore mechanic looks back at me with a dumbfounded expression.

「It’s important to be able to confirm things right away. If we look it up later and there’s something we don’t understand, it would be too late by then」

So it seems.

The Herbivore mechanic turned his head back to me and reached out with one hand, instructing me to bring him the tools.

I headed for the driver’s seat and sighed as I rummaged under the seat.

(Come to think of it, this guy is the kind of person who doesn’t mind staying up all night)

I guess we will have to work together until morning.

By the way, what the herbivore mechanic means by preparation for the overnight stay is communication, food and drink. The dinner, of course, would be water and sweets.

Of course, I don’t expect I’ll be able to get any sleep tonight.

This is how I spent the cold night at the end of the winter with the herbivore mechanic.