Chapter 115: Preparation Complete!

The modification of the carriage began with the incorporation of shock-absorbing magic circles.

The first attempt was simply integrating magic circles into the leaf springs.

However, this ended in failure as it inhibited the flexibility of the springs by absorbing the shock applied to them.

Initially, there were two main roles for leaf spring suspension. One was shock absorption, and the other was to mitigate the tilt caused by road irregularities.

By focusing on the former, the latter was neglected.

Therefore, Isamu decided to abandon directly incorporating magic circles into the leaf springs and instead incorporate them into the joints between the chassis and the body.

Previously, when strong impacts that the springs couldn’t absorb were applied, the bottom of the leaf springs would collide with the joints, resulting in significant jolts.

The aim was to prevent these jolts.

Instead, magic circles were incorporated into the wheels, wrapped with monster materials. The aim was to absorb the shock from the ground at the closest point to its source.

This combination indeed had a dramatic effect.

– Firstly, the monster materials absorbed a certain amount of shock and smoothed out minor bumps.

– The shocks that couldn’t be absorbed were dispersed and absorbed by the magic circles in the wheels.

– The tilt of the body was absorbed to a certain extent by the leaf springs as before.

– Any remaining jolts that couldn’t be absorbed by the wheels or leaf springs were absorbed by the magic circles integrated into the chassis.

The coordination of each component resulted in a balanced performance.

After repeated test runs, it was discovered that the magic stones in the wheels consumed a considerable amount of magic power.

Since they were constantly absorbing shocks, it was natural that their consumption was high.

Therefore, a threshold was set to prevent them from reacting to minor impacts. As the monster material tires and leaf springs could already mitigate a certain level of impact, there was no need for the magic circles to absorb all impacts.

Thanks to this adjustment, the energy consumption was reduced to a level where the magic stones could run without replacement for about a day.

Additionally, the consumption was significantly higher for the non-attribute magic stones, while those of light attribute had relatively low depletion, which was convenient for the viscount’s domain in terms of running costs.

On the day of the final check, the carriage had been running until sunset, and the glowing wheels, reacting to the shocks, were quite prominent.

“But this thing would definitely stand out if we drove at night…”

Eto muttered as he saw it.

While they hadn’t paid much attention before because they usually drove during daylight, the weak light was quite noticeable in the dark.

Isamu suggested covering it up somehow, but apart from Eto, the other Team Orihime members opposed the idea, saying.

“It’s cool, why hide it? Besides, we hardly ever drive at night, so it’s fine as it is.”

So, it was decided to keep it operational even when it glowed.

With this decision, the Klaufeldt family’s carriage came to be known as the “Glowing Carriage,” but that was a story for another time.

By the time the modification of the carriage’s undercarriage was completed, it was December, and the weather had become quite wintry.

In the cold northern regions, snow was expected to start falling soon, so it was customary to start moving around this time for the Grand Council.

Fortunately, since Klaufeldt territory rarely saw snow, it was deemed safe not to move yet.

“Ugh, even though it doesn’t snow, it’s still cold…”

On the carriage ride back from observing the knight’s training at the outdoor training ground, Isamu murmured.

“It’s getting quite cold indeed. Even though we’re shielded from the wind inside the carriage, it’s still chilly.”

Anne-Marie nodded in agreement while pulling a blanket over her knees. She looked cold.

“When we head to the Grand Council, we’ll be in the carriage all the time… Alright, let’s install some kind of heating device!”

Smiling, Isamu said while warming Anne-Marie’s hands with his own.

Thus, the plan to introduce a heating device to the carriage began.

When it comes to heating devices in vehicles, the first thing that comes to mind is probably air conditioning.

Since they had obtained the spinning wind sphere, they should be able to create something like a fan heater, but in this world of Ethersia, it seemed inefficient in the low airtightness of the box carriage.

Above all, Isamu didn’t like the oppressive heat that came with using those heaters. They might be fine for large rooms or buildings with central heating, but in a confined carriage, he was likely to feel nauseous. So, they decided to abandon the air conditioner type for now.

Next would be seat heaters, but they decided to go for something a little more playful.

“This will do, Isamu. You’ve created something incredible.”

“Haha, it doesn’t feel like we’re in a carriage at all… It’s so comfortable I want to stay here forever.”

“I don’t feel like moving anymore… Once you’re in here, you just don’t want to leave… I can see why Orihime-chan doesn’t come out.”

“Nyaafu.”

Eto, Willem, Anne-Marie, and Orihime, who were all under the kotatsu, were completely relaxed.

I considered the traditional low table type, but it seemed risky to sit on the floor inside the carriage, and taking shoes on and off would be cumbersome.

Since the seats were already in the box style, I decided to bring in a kotatsu, a type of low table with a heater underneath and room for legs to fit in. I had already made one for Orihime, so I knew what to expect.

While it took about half a day to set up, I also asked Annemarie to make a large-sized kotatsu futon, which was now completed, so I decided to try it out.

By the way, it’s a luxurious model with heat sources both on the underside of the tabletop and the floor, given the spaciousness and long legs of the space.

“This thing feels like some devil’s magic tool… If it were the type Isamu mentioned, where you sit on the floor, I’d surely be stuck lying down.” 

Eto said, even as he gradually reclined on the seat.

“Ugh… I kinda need to use the bathroom, but I don’t wanna get up… Can someone go in my place?”

 Willem realized that having someone else go wouldn’t solve anything.

“This is going too far, Isamu-san. Have you secretly cursed us with immobilization?”

Anne-Marie says something quite terrifying. Moreover, she doubted whether such a curse was even possible with magic tools.

“Spi…”

Orihime, lying on the seat with the kotatsu futon over her, was completely immersed in her dreams. And she was lying on her back.

“Ohh, I’m glad you like it… But it’s time to come out now, okay? This is just a test.”

“””Eeeehh…”””

Even for a Japanese person born with a kotatsu, it would take a considerable amount of mental strength to get out. So it was impossible for a kotatsu novice to get out.

No matter how much he was asked, Isamu swore in his heart that he wouldn’t make a kotatsu for home use.

The story of the carriage that spoiled people quickly spread among those involved, and kotatsu were installed in all carriages heading to the capital.

For carriages like those of the knight’s order that didn’t have seat-type accommodations, they were installed in the form of floor heating.

The fact that being able to travel in this carriage became a privilege for members of the Grand Council’s entourage added fuel to the competition among the knights’ regulars.

And five days before the scheduled departure for the capital, the selection of the members going to the capital and the six members participating in the royal tournament finally ended.

Today was the day of the announcement, and all the knights were lined up in the training ground attached to the mansion.

By the way, it was Lord Selfers who said that after about a month of intense training, not only did their proficiency with the new equipment increase significantly, but their raw combat power had also risen considerably.

“Now, let’s first announce the members for the Royal Council Tournament!”

Selfers’ voice echoed in the training ground.

Normally, this would be the duty of Diluc, the commander of the knights. However, this time, due to his being selected as a participant himself, Selfers took the stage.

“The team leader is… Felix, it’s you.”

“Haha! I humbly accept!”

Felix stepped forward and saluted.

“Additionally, although Diluc ranked first in performance, he declined and opted to be a substitute member.”

With this addition from Selfers, murmurs spread among the group.

For the Royal Council Tournament, up to two substitute members can be registered for cases like injuries. Diluc apparently chose to be one.

“What, I have other duties like leading the subjugation exercises. I can’t afford to focus solely on the Royal Council Tournament. Normally, that would have been fine, but this time, we must win without fail… Felix, I’m counting on you.”

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

Having explained the reason, Diluc patted Felix on the shoulder.

“Now, let me announce the remaining members.”

Having announced his own status, Diluc took over from Selfers to continue the announcements.

“Mizeroi.”

“Here.”

“Liddell.”

“Present.”

“Marcella.”

“Alright!”

“Tiramisu.”

“Huh!?”

Tiramisu’s name being called caused another stir among the group. She herself seemed a bit surprised.

She was, for better or worse, of average ability, so it was to be expected. However, upon hearing that being selected for the Royal Council Tournament meant being able to wear the “Nyafu Marked Armor,” she worked desperately for it. She sought advice from Mizeroi, who was also eager to acquire the Nyafu Mark, and diligently practiced on her own in the backyard of Isamu’s laboratory after the knights’ training sessions. Thanks to her efforts, she successfully secured a spot as a member.

“Next, Ulysses.”

“Here, here.”

Once again, the announcement of the next name caused a commotion among the group. Until recently, Ulysses was one of the knights whose name and face didn’t match, but as Isamu taught them old magic for the exercises, they had more opportunities to meet, and he had become one of the familiar knights.

Ulysses was what they called a half-elf, born between a human father and an elf mother. Elves in this world tend to have longer lifespans and more magic power than humans. Although it’s not common due to their low fertility, you could occasionally see them in big cities.

Ulysses inherited his mother’s blood, it seemed, and was born with a considerable amount of magic power. In addition to that, he was skilled with a bow, which was why he joined the knights. At the time of his entry, he had almost as much magic power as Nicolette, who was known as the Witch of the Woods, so he must have surpassed her by now.

However, after joining the knights, Ulysses struggled to grow. Although he had a lot of magic power, he couldn’t seem to use magic well. He compensated by honing his archery skills, but since there were many others better than him with a bow, he gradually faded into the background.

Thanks to the old magic taught by Isamu, his magic talent suddenly blossomed. For Ulysses, who couldn’t grasp magic because it seemed to be activated by arranging incomprehensible words, being able to understand its meaning was like a fish taking to water. His ability to imagine events to be realized was also quite remarkable. With that, he quickly mastered old magic, utilized his inherent magic power, and became a member of the Magic Knights.

Ulysses, the knight who symbolized the new generation of knights with Isamu’s inclusion, calmly accepted the congratulations from his comrades.

“Well, I have to do my part when it’s time.”

He said with a calm demeanor, but he looked very pleased.

“As for the other substitute member, we’ll leave it blank until the day before the registration for the Royal Audience Tournament, as we don’t know what might happen.”

After that, the accompanying members were also announced, and preparations were finally made to head to the royal capital.

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