Volume 3 Chapter 4 Series and Parallel
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Sorry, I skipped one chapter. This should be chapter 4
”Big Sister Melon. Can you walk properly? You seem a bit unsteady.”
I’m completely out of shape.
I’ve lost a lot of muscle strength because I’ve been cooped up at home for so long.
The morning after Ms. Sharlin and the others arrived, I went to the research facility accompanied by I’mKarin.
Of course, it was to discuss what we could do at Kashiwagi Manor to restore the gate.
I also included Mr. Shu and the dwarf engineers in the meeting.
”So, leader. What exactly do we need?”
I asked, and Yoruku, the team leader, responded.
”The biggest issue is the energy unit needed to stabilize a naturally occurring gate. We need a portable device that can store energy converted from mana, but to create this, we need to get some of the mana-storing from the mage and perform a magic-like reorganization to cultivate a semi-organic substance…but I wonder if we can make one large enough to stabilize the gate…”
”Ah… that’s not going to be easy, is it? But… hey Mr. Shu, about this mana-derived energy… do you think we could substitute it with a generator?”
I asked while showing the materials on hand, just to confirm with Mr. Shu.
”Is this… the same as the magic energy that Ms. Melon demonstrated earlier? If so, then theoretically, it’s possible, and if we tweak it a little, we might be able to do the same thing with stored electricity from a battery?”
Mr. Shu responded, and the dwarf engineer, Mr. Saruza, interjected.
”But, wouldn’t that require a pretty huge battery? Even if we could make one, wouldn’t it be too heavy to carry?”
However, Mr. Shu confidently replied.
”Hehe. Saruza, you can connect small batteries in series or parallel!”
”I see! Then we can create a lot of small rechargeable batteries and connect them as needed to store energy in a transportable form!”
”That’s right, Ms. Melon. Also, if we attach solar panels, which you’re good at, to each battery, wouldn’t that make it possible to run the battery even in places where there’s no generator nearby?”
”Ah! Captain. There’s a chance we might be able to do something about it. Well then, Mr. Shu, let’s start calculating how many batteries we actually need.”
After a while, Mama Akari prepared some tea for our break, but we continued working without touching it.
And then, Karin said to a startled Mama Akari.
”Mom, Big Sister Melon… It’s okay now.”
And that night.
I learned that Big Sister Puruun was being held hostage in exchange for technological cooperation with a neighboring country.
Well, I thought that my sister wouldn’t be the type to be discouraged by something like that.
Two days later, Sir Tethyrkan arrived.
He came in response to Mr. Sistemador’s invitation, saying he would help investigate the regularities of gate spontaneous generation.
Sir Tethyrkan and Sir Aaron were discussing things.
”For the time being, I’ve gathered materials from the past 2 hundred years or so. I’m also very interested in how to identify the regularity from here, so I think I’ll go to the Royal Capital with Lord Yoruku once Melon and the others make some progress.”
”Hmm. That seems fine. Don’t worry about things while I’m away. So, how is Melon’s situation?”
Sir Aaron asked me.
”Yes, I’m currently calculating whether we can manage the energy storage and transportation for fixing the gates with batteries. As for the rest… it’s about how quickly we can head to secure the site when a gate occurs…”
”Ah. Certainly, up until now, it must have been a gamble. From my research, gates can last for several months at longest, and at shortest, they disappear in a few days or less than a day. If we don’t accurately grasp that information, we might have to run around the kingdom with batteries in hand.”
Sir Tethyrkan said, and he was exactly right.
”So… how about this… well, it will take some time to prepare.”
I said, and showed Sir Aaron and Sir Tethyrkan the rough draft I had handwritten.
”Oh. This is… the radio. Can you do that?”
Sir Aaron said.
”There are some maintenance and minor issues. However, in principle, it seems possible… But it also sounds like it would require a lot of effort and expense…”
”Hmm… However, if this is realized, it could contribute greatly to the national interest, not just limited to the gate. I don’t mind, I grant my permission. You should also return to the Royal Capital once with Tethyrkan. Perhaps you can try it out on the way? What do you think, Tethyrkan?”
”I think that’s a good idea…”
”It’s settled then. Charge the expenses to Asuka and Yuuta. Melon, start the preparations right away!”
* * *
One month later, I am heading to the Royal Capital together with Chief Yoruku, Ms. Sharlin, and Baron Tethyrkan.
The crucial batteries for fixing the gate are still not in sufficient quantity, but the manufacturing process has already been reduced to a general alchemical procedure, so anyone with even a little magical power can operate the furnace.
As soon as the necessary number is gathered, we will arrange to transport them to the Royal Capital, but if it comes to that, Sir Aaron was eager to operate the furnace himself.
And, my assistant Karin will accompany us.
She’s pretending to be worried about my health, but it’s clear she just wants to go to the Royal Capital.
Still, since there are things about Mama Akari and Sir Aaron’s relationship that can’t be resolved immediately, I think it might be good for her to leave the manor for a while.
”Be careful, Karin.”
Mama Akari is crying all over her face.
”Oh come on, Mom. It’s okay because everyone is here. I’ll definitely help Big Sister Melon and bring Dad back, so until then please take care of Sir Aaron as his fake wife!”
Hahaha.
Mama Akari is always a fake wife or a fake partner… No, I’m the 4th wife too.
I need to be more careful.
Soon the carriage began to head towards the Royal Capital.
Sir Aaron, Mama Akari, and Mr. Shu, who were seeing us off, disappeared from sight… I was reminded of the time when we left Tokura Village for the Royal Capital.
Karin has been chatting with Ms. Sharlin for a while now, this past month.
Ms. Sharlin has been doing her best to teach Karin swordsmanship.
It seems there have been many sword masters who only had one arm in the past, and Karin was delighted to ask for lessons.
”Hey Big Sister Melon. What’s that huge box in the back?”
”Ah, that’s for when we head to the Royal Capital. Karin, please help out too.”
”Ah… okay.”
The carriage ran for a full day before arriving at a certain lonely station.
Even though it’s called a station, it’s just a shabby little hut and a well, but for travelers, it’s a valuable resting place.
Though it’s unattended, there are magic barriers set up that might not stop robbers, but at least we don’t have to worry about beasts attacking, so we can relax and rest here.
While watching the attendants prepare dinner and sleeping arrangements from the side, Sir Tethyrkan, Chief Yoruku the team leader, and I walked around the lonely station to observe it.
”Melon. It seems like it would be better to be up high, right?”
Sir Tethyrkan said, pointing to the roof of the station. There’s a chimney sticking out of the roof, and it has a pigeon-proof roof on top, so it looks like it wouldn’t catch much wind or rain from up there.
”That’s true. Then there… Ms. Sharlin, could you do it?”
”Leave it to me. Hey Karin, I’m going up to the roof first, so bring me one of those little brick-like things from the back of the carriage.”
”Ah, okay.”
Karin said so and brought what I had designed and crafted: a solar panel and battery combination wireless device. Ms. Sharlin mounted it on the station’s roof as we had previously discussed.
”Is that okay?”
Sir Tethyrkan was still looking at it with a doubtful look on his face, and when the pocket watch in his hand struck 9 o’clock at night, the radio I was holding beeped.
[Ah, this is Kashiwagi Manor. Come in]
Here it comes!
Remote Magic Communication!!
”This is Melon. Mr. Shu. I can hear you. Come in.”
The people around cheered.
It’s quite a distance from Kashiwagi Manor, but the integrated radio set installed on the roof of the station is connected to the main unit of Kashiwagi Manor using magical communication that utilizes the resonance of magic stones.
And, my handheld radio is connected using the logic of electromagnetic waves from the human world.
Yay!
A hybrid of human technology and magic… I felt a tingling sensation all over my back.
Next, we relay the integrated radios at each station… In reality, if there’s only one connection line, if something goes wrong somewhere, the relay will break there.
In the future, if we double the connection lines or arrange them in a mesh… the dream expands, but it will still require a lot of testing before it can be put into practical use.
That day, Sir Aaron granted permission, and Sir Tethyrkan rushed to gather the necessary materials.
I worked through the night to alchemize and created about 30 of these integrated radio sets.
And then, on the way to the Royal Capital, I installed them at each station.
The following night.
The time for scheduled contact was set for 9 o’clock, and this time I heard Sir Aaron’s voice.
And then, on the day after that.
This time, Karin was having a serious conversation with Mama Akari.
Ah, even though we are apart, we are still connected… and so we moved closer to the Royal Capital, step by step.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.