Damian's lab.
Poyopoyo and Lily-san were threatening each other.
「This ma.s.s production model, don't think you can look down on me just because you received a slightly better name!」
「Oh my, Poyopoyo-san, that means you're recognizing that my name is more wonderful then? Yes, that's right. My goshujin-sama is wonderful, and then he gave me a lovely name like Lily. But, you're Poyopoyo……is that a name?」
Poyopoyo raised up a giant hammer with teary eyes. Lily-san readied a broom.
「You're making fun of chicken d.i.c.kwad! It's only me who can make fun of him!」
I sighed.
「Oi, don't rampage here. You're being a bother.」
Damian was alternately looking at the remodeled cart and the blueprint that I brought. He also agreed and glared at Lily-san.
「It's busy right now.」
The two of them dropped their shoulders in dejection from getting scolded, but they immediately straightened themselves into a dignified stance. I wished they would be like that all the time.
Damian looked at the remodeled cart while adding correction to the blueprint.
「The shape isn't bad, there're many aspects of it that are worth seeing but the application of knowledge regarding magic tool to it is the basic of the basic. I think it can still be improved.」
I didn't understand what he was writing on the blueprint.
It wasn't because of reason like his letters were messy or the like, but it was too advanced that I couldn't keep up.
While I was feeling perplexed, Poyopoyo peered onto the blueprint.
「I see, if it's done here──」
「After that this one is──」
The blueprint was revised.
「Do you think that you can somehow manage?」
Poyopoyo turned around in respond to my words while I was looking from behind.
「Rejoice chicken d.i.c.kwad! With this the armored vehicle might be able to move!」
「Really!?」
I didn't think that heavy armored vehicle would be able to move. If it could move it would definitely become reliable.
Damian put his hand on his chin and nodded several times while staring at the blueprint.
「This vehicle is really interesting. With this, horse will become unnecessary won't it?」
I shrugged.
「As expected that won't be possible I think. The prerequisite is to be able use magic, so the people who can use it will be absolutely few in number.」
The way I said it was bad but, its strong point what that even someone like Clarsan who could only barely use magic would be able to drive it. However, the number of people who could use magic in this world was few.
Damian looked at the revised car and grinned. Surely his interest was fanned up.
「I want to ask one thing though, what is its name?」
I tilted my head.
「Cart.」
「Just like that?」
「Yep.」
「H~mm」
Damian lost interest to the naming like that, but he was looking like he was having fun seeing the cart's structure and the like.
Lily-san was watching Damian who was like that with a look of ecstasy.
「Aa, my goshujin-sama is too lovely too today.」
With a look like she was going to drool, she was watching Damian who fundamentally wouldn't do anything except about thing that interested him.
Was it just as I thought? That it wasn't that these girls were broken, but it was that the thing called automaton was fundamentally strange?
Poyopoyo was looking vexed.
「M, my chicken d.i.c.kwad is also a hopeless human who doesn't lose against him just so you know!」
I couldn't just let that slide.
「Which aspect of me is a hopeless human huh? In the first place, just why are you two competing of which one is more hopeless?
The two of them looked at each other and then they twisted their body while blus.h.i.+ng.
「It's because it's more rewarding to devote ourselves to hopeless human. I'm waiting for chicken d.i.c.kwad to be even more hopeless and make me work like slave!」
「A dignified goshujin-sama will be lovely too but, a goshujin-sama who won't be able to live with me is arousing me. For us automaton, the most wonderful goshujin-sama is one that makes us take care of them.」
……I couldn't understand.
──Aria was rubbing her eyes sleepily.
The season was changing to autumn. Recently it was getting colder.
Today she didn't have any plan to go to private school or dojo.
She was sleeping leisurely from the morning, but she was awoken by the voice that came from the outside.
Lyle and others who went out to the garden were making strange pose since the morning.
「Now, today too we're starting from the usual stance!」
「Stance of Raging Sparrow!」
「Sparrow!」
They expressly brought out b.a.l.l.s and placed planks on them where they stood and made pose. The two of them were making pose firmly in the situation where it was difficult to balance their body.
Aria who was sneaking a look at them from the window was terribly…….
「As I thought, they look stupid like that.」
A stance of standing on one leg with both hands spread out like wings. The stance was full of opening.
Poyopoyo was smiling seeing the two of them seriously making the stance.
However, Lyle and Shannon were completely serious.
Sometimes they would quarrel with each other, but they also looked like close brother and sister like that.
Aria stretched her body. She had grown slightly taller than before.
Her body was growing even more flexible.
It was the result of coming to Arumsaas and joining a different dojo than Sophia. Her equipments were placed inside her room, but right now other than the spear she was usually using there were also various other things like short spear and knife and the like.
「Even so, it's good that recently it's getting easier to go through the day.」
Thinking back of how a little while ago she would wake up drenched in sweat, Aria was thankful that temperature had lowered and it became easier to go through the day.
「Perhaps I'll go out somewhere today.」
She finished changing clothes and went out of her room, then she ran into Miranda there.
The atmosphere was awkward. However, Miranda herself didn't look bothered at all.
「Good morning Aria. You really slept well. If it's breakfast then there are some on the table.」
Her att.i.tude was normal──the same like before.
The wickedness that she sometimes showed didn't show up at the surface right now.
「You're making me feel out of sort. Just which of your personality is the real one?」
Miranda chuckled.
The kind Miranda that she met when they were reunited at first.
Miranda who said that she wanted Lyle and disturbed their harmony.
To Aria she looked like a different person.
「It's not like there is any need for me to quarrel with everyone for the whole day after all. Because that's tiring. Besides Lyle also hate spiteful things.」
「……By that, you mean that if Lyle doesn't care about it you will do various things behind the scene? I myself also hate things like ugly exchange or squabble between woman.」
Aria was a type whose hand would move first before her mouth.
She had open-hearted personality and hated the conversation and squabble that were characteristic between women.
Miranda shrugged.
「Of course you are. Aria is candid like a man after all. But, as expected it's not admirable how you're leaving your underwear leaving around the changing room. Lyle was troubled by that.」
Aria's face went red.
「Tha, that wasn't me!」
Miranda smirked. Aria denied it, but she recalled several days where she might have done something like that.
(No, no way, so it got seen!)
「If you don't be a bit more modest, Lyle will be appalled by you. Setting that aside, Lyle will challenge the dungeon again in one more month. You should prepare properly.」
Aria's face was slightly red, even so she focused on the talk.
「Finally? Are we troubled for money or something?」
They hadn't work for several months.
Although they got a lot of money, this was Arumsaas. Whether it was private school or dojo, it took money to learn something. Aria thought that perhaps soon their financial state would be strained.
(It's because we used a lot of money.)
Aria thought that she had caused an inconvenience for everyone, but it wasn't like she could enter the dungeon alone. She was a member of a party, so she couldn't just act by herself.
However Miranda was exasperated.
「Could it be you don't know?」
「Eh?」
「Lyle, recently he was earning several hundred gold coins.」
Aria was shocked hearing that.
「Lies!」
Miranda talked about what Lyle was doing recently while looking a bit happy.
「It's true. He went to Professor Damian's place and remodeled the cart together with Clara. You know, that thing that can move by itself.」
「Ah, that thing. But, can you earn money with that?」
Recently Aria was also busy that she didn't really grasp what Lyle and others were doing.
Because of that she didn't know about Lyle earning a lot of money.
「I think he can make a living with that. Well, the person himself wants to conquer floor B30. It doesn't look like he want to make that as his main occupation. It's a bit of a waste but, it's fine because that's just like Lyle.」
It doesn't look like he is just playing around, even so with the situation being like this, just what he is coming to Arumsaas for?
That was the doubt that Aria harbored. But she could only laugh hearing Lyle's recent situation.
「Tha, that guy is also not doing bad huh.」
Miranda said that she was in the middle of cleaning, so she parted from Aria after that.
When she was leaving.
「That's how it is so you should prepare properly. After that……I hope that this time there won't be anything exasperating again from you, Aria.」
Aria stared at the back of Miranda who was provoking her and she made a complicated expression.
「……As I thought, Miranda got a bad personality.」
She muttered that and headed to the living room.
「That's right. I've got to double check with Lyle.」
And then, she thought to ask regarding their plan in one more month──.
──Miranda watched Aria's back.
(It's good that she's thinking to properly check the plan.)
Miranda was curious of what Aria would do after being told that they would head to the dungeon in one more month. She was relieved and returned to her housework.
Sophia was out of the house right now. She would talk with her when she returned.
(I guess I'll pa.s.s her if she check with Lyle about the detail at night at the latest.)
Until now everything would be arranged by Lyle or Novem. The two of them would just go along with their decision. Because of that they would neglect checking the plan by their own initiative.
(It's good that there's a bit of result from provoking them to take action.)
Miranda was relieved that the two of them were roused because of her action──.
Inside the storehouse.
I was nervous from the morning. Poyopoyo was also looking serious today.
「Chicken d.i.c.kwad, here.」
She handed me a cylinder object that needed to be carried with two arms.
It was the remaining component. This thing that had two spherical gla.s.ses the size of a palm embedded on it was the head part that we would attach after this.
Clarsan took off her gla.s.ses and wiped her tear with her sleeve.
「So we finally come this far.」
We had gone through days of repeating trial and error of remodeling the cart until now, but all of those were for the sake of this day today.
Shannon who joined at the middle tilted her head in front of the armored vehicle.
「Hey, by the way where are you going to attach it?」
It was an armored vehicle without anything peculiar in appearance, but actually the interior was greatly different.
The machines inside that couldn't be used were taken out and magic tools were installed inside.
The interior was also cleaned so that it could be loaded with baggage.
I carefully held the head part and turned my gaze to the armored vehicle.
The reason we were going to install a head because of the advice from Damian that it would be convenient when we were operating it with magic.
The vehicle's frame was only giving an unrefined atmosphere. The head part that looked somewhat stupid would soften it with its charm.
Certainly the remodeled cart was also good but, when it was attached with a head like this, it made us felt excessively attached to it.
「……Will it be at the middle as expected?」
Clarsan out a hold on that.
「Isn't that too simple? Actually, won't it be better at the center of the ceiling?」
Poyopoyo refused.
「If we put it there, it will be a hindrance when we're placing baggage on there.」
Shannon pointed to inside the vehicle.
「It'll be pitiful if the face is outside. Let's place it inside.」
When we started to argue, the ancestors inside the Jewel were also similarly in argument.
『It's the head so the position is obviously at the center!』
『I told you already that it'll be a nuisance there!』
『Everyone calm down. Isn't it fine even if we place it inside?』
『It's related to the precision of the handling so it's important!』
『However, it'll be lonely with just a head. As I thought arms will also be necessary won't it?』
『At first I thought it's just a mere box, but now that I look at it, it has a magnificently rugged and manly appearance.』
We and also the ancestors inside the Jewel were making a ruckus.
Amidst that, the only one who was calm was Arisan.
It seemed that she came to the storehouse because she had a business with me.
「No, if you just need to put it on then anywhere is fine.」
I understood that she wasn't interested with this, but as expected her statement that anywhere was fine was unforgivable.
The ancestors inside the Jewel were also enraged.
『The idiot should just shut up!』
『This is important. Why don't you understand that!?』
『Good grief, I wonder why she won't understand.』
『Something like this is really important. Someone who isn't even interested in that speaking out of turn like that……』
『She isn't involved in this until now so she has no attachment at all.』
『To not understand what is good from this thing, what a hopeless girl.』
The inside of the Jewel was noisy.
Naturally even Poyopoyo couldn't stay quiet.
「You there, that was rude in front of this crystallization of love between me and chicken d.i.c.kwad.」
Clarsan calmly a.s.serted herself.
「I'm also involved in its creation.」
Shannon was also the same.
「I was also helping out!」
Arisan scratched her head.
Somehow, recently her gesture was becoming like a man…….
「No, if you're just going to put it on then anywhere is fine. If it's alright as long as it doesn't get in the way then it's alright even if you put it here.」
Arisan took the head part from me and then placed it at the front right side of the armored vehicle.
The person herself wasn't interested at all and only wanted to finish her business quickly but…….
「……Great」
Rather than placing it at the center, this was somehow better.
Clarsan was also in admiration.
「This is……perhaps sometimes even the opinion of unrelated person cannot be underestimated. It feels like this is better than placing it at the middle.」
It was placed at the front part, so it was properly visible when it was looked from the front.
In addition it wasn't right at the middle, so our eyes were automatically attracted to it.
It also felt like the balance was a bit bad, but how should I say it, it made it better instead!
The ancestors were also flipping their att.i.tude quickly and praised Arisan.
These guys were really just doing as they pleased.
『This is quite good. Yeah, sometimes even an idiot can be useful.』
『Arichan, I've believed that you're a capable child.』
『Not the idle but the right side. That's certainly good.』
『If you call that spot the safe choice then it's really the safe choice.』
『The functionality won't be harmed in that spot, this is actually a really good positioning.』
『It feels like she placed it there because that's where she can reach but……the positioning is certainly good.』
I turned toward Arisan and grasped both her hands.
「Thank you Arisan. Because of you this "Porter" is now finished.」
Arisan was bewildered by the reaction of her surrounding while making an uncomprehending face at my thanks.
「Eh? Tha, that's alright? Or rather, Porter?」
Yes, until now I was calling it cart, but I noticed.
This thing wasn't a cart anymore wasn't it? That crossed my mind.
Perhaps it wasn't wrong that it was a cart in the broad sense, but it was already a different thing when compared to the same cart.
However, it was also lonely to call it armored vehicle.
It would feel like calling a dog, dog.
That was why I named it.
I took out a book regarding giving a name from inside the luggage.
It was a book I received from Clarsan.
「Actually I thought of the name from reading this.」
Clarsan was taken aback and turned around. Shannon was averting her gaze.
Poyopoyo dropped the tool that she brought in order to fix the head in place.
Her face looked like she would burst into tear anytime.
「……Chicken d.i.c.kwad, what is the meaning of that?」
I tilted my head.
「No, everyone said that name is important so I thought about it seriously.」
Poyopoyo swung her twintail until it was disheveled and she yelled.
「Porter! That's an adorable name! And yet, why am I still Poyopoyo!? Please think about my name too seriously!」
Poyopoyo hugged the armored vehicle that received a proper name ahead of her and cried.
「Porter, I'm glad that you receive a splendid name. My name is Poyopoyo you know? Poyopoyo. I'm envious to you who is given name by chicken d.i.c.kwad who thought about it seriously that he even used a book as reference.」
Everyone was sending glances at me.
This atmosphere that seemed to say 「Give her a proper name already」 was unpleasant.
I averted my gaze.
「……I, I'll think of the name after this.」
Clarsan was exasperated.
「When you told me that you want a book before, I thought that it would be for Poyopoyo-san.」
The atmosphere of the surrounding was criticizing me. Shannon took advantage of it and made a snide remark at me.
「You're really the worst. If it's me I'll be able to think a better name.」
However Poyopoyo's face turned serious here.
「No, rather than receiving a name from you I'll rather be called Poyopoyo.」
「Why!?」
Shannon was angry and took the stance of Raging Sparrow, but Arisan placed her hand on her forehead for some reason.
「No, I don't care anymore. More importantly, we're going to the dungeon in one more month right? How far we'll go?」
I folded my arms.
「One month from now it will be the serious attempt to aim until floor B30. I'm thinking that in two weeks we will try challenging the dungeon once in order to check everyone's teamwork and some minor detail.」
Arisan nodded.
「Two weeks from now you say? I get it. I'll prepare myself but……what're we going to do for the serious attempt? We're going to challenge the dungeon with just us?」
I thought for a bit.
「That'll depend on Porter's test run. As expected I think we will need more helping hand but, I haven't decided how big of the scale we will need.」
