Chapter 111 The Shrewd Cave King
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I am Torygg, King of the Valend Cave Kingdom and the greatest dwarf craftsman.
A lot has happened recently, and my daughter Laura, whom I hold dearly, has become obsessed with that young fellow, Sanai, who came from who knows where. She recently promised him old blueprints and technical support, and, naturally, that boy jumped at the offer. So, I gave him an impossible task, thinking it would be a good test.
If he fails—and when he fails—I won’t be responsible. The Innovation Faction dwarves will have no choice but to heed the opinions of the Conservative Faction in the end. And, of course, I can always blame the failure on him, so there won’t be any unnecessary consequences at home.
If that boy fails here in Valend, my daughter Laura will likely be disappointed in him… I thought that was the best-case scenario.
＊＊＊
(Well, I suppose I should go check on that young man and see how he’s doing…)
During a break in my work, I headed over to where Ayumu and his group were working. As I peeked inside, I saw them gathered around a desk, deep in discussion.
”This is the miniature model of the rotating-wing aircraft we’re making,” Ayumu was saying. “After looking it over, the parts seem accurate, so please use this as the basis to draw up the full design.”
As I listened, I realized the young man was explaining his design to the dwarves in the Innovation Faction, showing them the handmade model and illustrations.
＊＊＊
”What is this?! There’s a small propeller mounted at the rear of the aircraft?!” one dwarf exclaimed.
”What a strange design for an aircraft…” another murmured.
”Will something this odd really fly?” asked a third dwarf, skeptical of the design.
Naturally, there were voices of doubt from the dwarves in the Innovation Faction, but a few sharp ones soon realized what Ayumu was up to.
”Hmm… Come to think of it, when we tested the prototype, we couldn’t control the flight. It went out of control and exploded… Is this to address that issue?”
”Ah, yes! I remember that now. That’s what happened.”
It didn’t take much thought to realize where Ayumu was going with his design. I couldn’t help but feel a bit of respect for him. Even though this was his first attempt at such a project, he seemed to have figured out a solution to the issue that plagued previous prototypes.
Ayumu, with a smug grin, confirmed their suspicions. “What you experienced was the counter-torque produced when the main rotor generates lift, the reaction force according to Newton’s Third Law of Motion.”
”Reaction force… What’s that?” one of the dwarves asked. “We’ve never heard of that… Yugan’s people talk in strange ways.”
Ayumu, eager to explain, started breaking down the concept using simple examples, drawing on his knowledge from his original world. “When you push a cart and hit a wall, the wall pushes back on you, right? Even with wooden wheels, the cart moves because of that resistance. That’s the action and reaction at work. It’s the principle that for every force applied, there’s an equal and opposite reaction.”
Despite his efforts to explain, the dwarves looked confused. They had never heard of such principles before. They were more familiar with practical experience than theoretical physics.
One of the dwarves, scratching his head, remarked, “So… the ground pushes back when you place something on it? Is this just some nonsense from Yugan?”
Ayumu felt a flush of embarrassment at being misunderstood. His heart sank, but he quickly recovered. “Anyway, let’s move on! The next step is to build the tail rotor that will counter the torque! Time is limited, so let’s get to work!”
At his urging, the dwarves in the Innovation Faction returned to their tasks, albeit with confused looks on their faces.
＊＊＊
(Well, well… Those fools. The Innovation Faction dwarves won’t be able to make something that actually flies with just a few tweaks. It’s clear that the young man, too, is just an ordinary fool like the rest.)
I thought to myself that Ayumu would definitely fail. But little did I know, a week later, my expectations would be shattered.
＊＊＊
”Wh-what?!”
The dwarves exclaimed in surprise as the engine roared to life. The machine lifted off the ground with a loud noise and intense wind.
To my astonishment, the flying machine began hovering and moving forward.
The engine, resembling a star-shaped engine, had twelve cylinders. I could also make out a compressor and carburetor, hinting at the impressive complexity of the machine.
While it resembled a helicopter in many ways, the fixed-pitch rotor made it less maneuverable than a true helicopter. The design was far from perfect, but the fact that it was flying at all was an extraordinary achievement.
Even more impressive was the dwarves’ ingenuity. They had taken Ayumu’s simple drawings and explanations and, without much help, improved the design to the point where it could fly. They had modified the tail rotor into a ducted fan system, which was similar to the fenestron used in modern helicopters. This innovation made the machine more compact and safer, especially for operating in narrow spaces like the caves.
Despite the advantages of the fenestron, there were drawbacks—mainly the increased weight and higher maintenance costs. But even with those issues, the potential of this flying machine was clear to everyone.
For a machine to be developed so quickly, with minimal outside help, was a testament to the dwarves’ talent. I couldn’t help but feel both awed and worried. The flying machine was a potential game-changer, but with the dwarves’ capabilities, it wouldn’t be long before they could create even more advanced machines, and I wasn’t sure whether that would be a good thing for Yugan.
The fuel system, however, remained a mystery. I tried to get a glimpse of it, but I wasn’t allowed to inspect it.
Soon after, the sight of the flying machine hovering and moving through the air spread like wildfire across the Valend Cave Kingdom. Everyone was in awe of the achievement, and there was no shortage of praise for the Innovation Faction’s work. But for me, the king’s thoughts were far more complicated.
I never thought I’d live to see the day when a human could actually make a flying machine. But there it was, made in just a short time by that crafty young man.
(I’ll have to honor my word with that boy from Yugan now… Even though there was no written contract, I’m bound by honor to keep my promise. But… I didn’t expect him to succeed so quickly.)
Despite my doubts about Ayumu, the results spoke for themselves. Valend, Yugan—both would benefit from this. And perhaps… so would Ayumu.
With that in mind, I signed the paperwork for the old blueprints and technical support, sealing the deal.
Notes:
• Valend Cave Kingdom – Dwarven realm mentioned in the map.
• Torygg – King of the Valend Kingdom, known as the Cave King.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply