Chapter 79 The Intriguing Gate
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The covered wagon he rode in ground to a halt before a colossal entrance carved directly into the mountain. At last, he had arrived at the gates of the Valend Cave Kingdom.
On the way, bandits had ambushed them more than once, yet he remained completely unscathed. The reason was simple: Knight Yoluminette had unleashed both swordsmanship and magic in a torrent of overwhelming strikes, dispatching their attackers alone and without hesitation. Mr. Yoluminette… truly incredible. Knights really are something else.
As he recalled that journey, a group of dwarves approached. They were armed to the teeth—battle axes, double-bladed axes, and even large mechanical crossbows strapped to their backs. Yet despite their fearsome appearance, each one carried a bottle of liquor.
”Friend of Yugan! Welcome to the Valend Cave Kingdom!” one of the gatekeepers bellowed.
The dwarf, with a glorious beard, radiated cheerfulness, no doubt thanks to his alcohol.
”Much obliged, dwarves. Good day to you. Here is my travel pass,” Ayumu said, handing it over.
The gatekeeper scanned the document.
”Oh-ho! So you’re the skills-training apprentice we heard about! You’re cleared to enter!”
With a quick hand signal, he relayed instructions to another dwarf stationed in what appeared to be the control chamber above. Moments later, machinery stirred. The gargantuan steel gate groaned, shaking the air with a deafening grrroooonnn as it lifted just wide enough for the wagon to pass.
As the wagon rolled forward, Ayumu craned his neck to look up. The gate wasn’t merely enormous—it was astonishingly thick, at least six meters by eye. Such steel plating was not only massive but a marvel to hoist. From a mechanical standpoint, the feat was astounding.
How in the world does it function? he wondered. Yet, being a matter of national defense, it was unlikely the dwarves would share their secrets. A bitter disappointment.
Suppressing his grumbling, he hurriedly retrieved his bound notebook for academic notes. Settling again on the driver’s seat, he began recording both what lay before his eyes and the conclusions forming in his mind.
The gate’s structure seemed deceptively simple: a generator-like engine, a pump driven by it, a series of gears large and small, multiple pipelines, pistons, pulleys, even a chain reminiscent of those on bicycles.
But what commanded attention most was a pair of immense cylindrical tanks—one roughly sixty meters tall, the other forty—filled with some eerie, black liquid.
From observation, he deduced the dwarves had devised a pressure-jack system, whereby the pump, fueled by the generator, forced pressure into the larger cylinder. This pressure, in turn, shifted the internal force of the smaller cylinder, transferring energy to pistons and gears above. These in turn engaged chains and pulleys, opening and closing the gate.
Indeed, even from afar he could hear the rush of liquid coursing through the pipes. The network of pipelines linking the cylinders seemed designed to balance the colossal pressures required.
The craftsmanship was staggering. Beyond mechanical engineering, it demanded materials science to withstand such high pressures, as well as airtight sealing methods far beyond the ordinary. Clearly, the Valend Cave Kingdom possessed an advanced civilization.
And yet, such machinery would be a nightmare to maintain. How in the world do they keep it running? he thought with a frown.
He noted too that multiple pipes branched from the cylinders. This was likely to prevent catastrophic ruptures when internal pressure spiked. By dispersing the load across several conduits, the risk of a single pipeline bursting was greatly reduced.
In simpler terms: by dividing pressure among multiple pipes, the dwarves had solved the problem of structural failure. A brilliant workaround born of ingenuity rather than unlimited technology.
If his speculation was correct, then it was not raw resources but inventive design that had triumphed here. For that, he felt compelled to offer them the highest praise.
Closing his research notebook with satisfaction, he scanned the surroundings once more, eager to record anything else of value.
Notes:
• Valend Cave Kingdom – Dwarven realm mentioned in the map.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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