Surviving in Easy Mode in Another World — The Transport Book
In this world, the energies that could move objects existed: wind, water, torque, and mana.
The moment Eric realized this fact, he absorbed knowledge of electricity with astonishing speed.
The most astonishing thing I witnessed when he visited my workshop was the moment he wrapped copper wire around iron nails and created an electromagnet powered by the electricity of a lead-acid battery.
“It is truly a wondrous phenomenon. Only when electricity flows does it attract iron like a magnet…”
Eric had apparently discovered it while experimenting with copper wire inside a hydroelectric generator.
Yet I could not help but be astonished by his ability to learn knowledge on his own without being told.
Thanks to such Master Smith abilities, fabricating the first bamboo filament light bulb was truly easy.
“Mercury is a metal that does not leave the forge, but I never imagined it would be used in this way.”
Eric said this and joked that he would have to relinquish the title of Master Smith.
“This is the lantern magic tool of Crescent.”
Light leaked from the bulb connected to the lead-acid battery.
It emitted far more light than a modern LED bulb, yet it was brighter than the candles of this world and illuminated the entire workshop.
Eric and Lady Scarlet were entranced, staring at the bulb like they had lost their minds.
“From now on, we should be able to work even at night.”
Eric declared that he had become a complete workaholic.
“This is the happiest time…”
Unhappily, from now on we would need massive labor.
Enjoy this moment, Eric.
“I also have to hurry…”
Chemistry was nothing but the continuous addition and subtraction of substances.
By applying heat to oxidize and extract specific substances, or by mixing chemicals to create objects of entirely different properties, one could achieve anything.
For example, sodium explodes on contact with water, and chlorine is a dangerously toxic gas.
But combine the two and you get table salt—sodium chloride—which makes the table rich.
Chemistry was a kind of magic that created completely different results through addition and subtraction.
Even tungsten filament, which would replace bamboo filament, was impossible to manufacture without chemical intervention.
“Ugh.”
I set the bulb Eric made down and gave a small stretch.
Today alone, the output quota was more than enough.
“As the number of bulbs increases, so will the light. I will begin working on the bulbs from now on.”
However, without automated facilities here, I had to produce the bulbs entirely by hand.
At the moment, only Eric could perform this work, so manufacturing even one bulb consumed considerable time.
“I should start seriously utilizing Eric’s apprentices from today?”
Even in peaceful Crescent, many technicians were needed.
For example, making copper wire and winding coils was labor that I could not continue relying on the great brother Eric forever.
“I’ll leave it to Eric and check the work of my grandfather next.”
I made that decision and left Eric’s workshop to visit my grandfather.
“You have arrived.”
My grandfather had prepared the foundation for the castle of Crescendo Viscounty and built a workshop in a corner of the underground.
“You have helped me in many ways.”
“I too have received many opportunities to learn. Do not worry.”
Thanks to my grandfather, who handled earth-element magic, the labor required from the workers was reduced enormously.
Earth-element magic was indeed a versatile being.
“I will build a dam… I suppose.”
With my grandfather’s assistance, I could create a reasonable dam without damaging the natural landscape.
“Is there something you wish to say?”
“Nothing.”
There was no need to bring it up yet.
“Is this a magician’s workshop?”
I surveyed the underground bunker-like space my grandfather had made.
“It is not grand. Pay attention to ventilation so one can breathe, make it flood-proof even if it rains, and prepare a light source and it is a workshop.”
It was practically the same as an underground bunker or secret base.
“If I install machinery here, it would be perfect.”
Once I had installed the machinery my friend Mars showed me when he was still alive, the secret base full of a man’s romance would be complete.
“With this much, it seems I can avoid the eyes and ears of others.”
My grandfather used the mana of jewels as the light source and took out the Yamudochi I had entrusted to him.
[Oh, ohhh…! You finally came?!]
A joyful voice that welcomed a childhood friend.
“Sit.”
“Yes.”
Yamudochi sat between my grandfather and me.
The Vessel of Soul containing Yamudochi had become a flesh prison nearly immune to fire.
In the real world, it was said that confining a person in a white room would drive him mad in days.
Even that white room was periodically sprayed with food, allowing one to roughly measure the passage of time.
But Yamudochi in the dark box had experienced none of that.
It was actually even more painful than expansion.
Yet he maintained a calm demeanor.
Having faced so many mad Apostle cultists, his mental fortitude was considerable.
“I want to know about the Empire. Start from roughly five hundred years ago, before the Fiona Kingdom gained independence.”
[No, what, haa…]
Too broad a topic?
“The Empire trains magician groups like yours?”
It felt like the Empire had various magician groups, similar to how the elemental magic system was divided, with even rigid moralists among them.
“Are there multiple magician groups in the Empire?”
“It is said that the Empire has several magician groups. The imperial family also has one, but they are the rigid type.”
“I believe you are not lying.”
Power came from strength.
From the imperial perspective, they could not tolerate magician groups that relied on uncontrollable ‘Apostle’ power.
The magician groups that existed were likely secret organizations.
“What is the purpose of the group you belong to?”
The words came to mind: the land where everything began—Yorn.
An unfamiliar proper noun.
“What is the purpose?”
“I have no intention of telling you.”
Yamudochi apparently did not realize that I could read his innermost thoughts perfectly.
So I could only act as though I knew nothing.
“Arrogant bastard.”
I sealed him back in the box and carefully told my grandfather what I had heard.
“The land where everything began. It is said that the goal is to find a place called Yorn.”
It was surprisingly ordinary.
Yamudochi had used magic modeled on the universe, so I had expected a goal related to that.
“It seems to be a sect that pursues the truth.”
“The pursuit of truth?”
“Every thing has a cause and effect. Do you remember that magic is based on that?”
“Yes, of course.”
“If gods, Apostles, humans, and animals exist as results in this world, then there must be a cause that created the present.”
The land where everything began.
Perhaps by going there, one could glimpse that truth.
It seemed like a certain way of thinking.
“Surprisingly ordinary.”
“Is that so?”
“Anyone who has stepped into magic pursues the end of truth.”
In the real world, even if one person devoted their entire life to a single field of study, it was hard to say they had mastered it because the knowledge was immense.
For that reason, most people selected and learned only the knowledge necessary for their lives.
To a modern person, a story about the end of truth was absurdly grand.
It would have felt more realistic to conquer the world.
“Perhaps the ultimate purpose is world conquest.”
What if the land where everything began contained concepts of creation and destruction?
Would the magicians discover it, declare ‘Since we have seen the end of truth, we disband!’ and disband the organization?
It was an impossible story for humans driven by desire.
I opened the box containing the bastard again.
“Then what about the others besides the organization you belong to?”
It was a story I had heard from the materials left by the ancestor of Spencer.
Five hundred years had passed since then.
Perhaps they had split into various sects according to their pursuit direction.
“In the end, it seems you have to keep an eye on the imperial family.”
The Empire was also a place where people lived.
“Ah, this is the time for infiltration.”
It was already September.
Harvest time would soon begin, and I had to prepare for the winter that would come not long after.
The period with the most deaths was winter, so I could not leave the territory for a while.
Instead, I would calmly develop the territory and wait.
When spring came, it would be necessary to stealthily infiltrate the Empire and directly observe its trends.
“I cannot fully trust Yamudochi, of course.”
It was the law of knowing the enemy by knowing oneself.
“Tell me in detail about your organization.”
Crack!
Sparks flew from my right hand.
Periodic punishment was my friend.
“Oh, it is lightning magic? The property of spreading in all directions makes control difficult, yet it is amazing.”
Yamudochi was more mentally strong than I had expected.
He had been boiled in water, fried with lightning, and left in the dark for days.
Yet the information that came from his mouth was quite limited.
It seemed he had faintly realized that spilling all information would lead to his death.
— Hahaha, idiot. You will die soon.
Yamudochi had faith.
In this situation, it seemed he still had escape routes.
Crack!
Thinking about it, preparing a Vessel of Soul that was unable to move was unnatural from the start.
If the homunculus were to break, he would have to escape in that Vessel of Soul.
Then who would carry that Vessel of Soul?
There had to be a transport book for it.
“Annoying bastard.”
It seemed I would have to accompany Yamudochi for a while.
That was the moment I could not help but think.
……
……
……
To Lloyd, Mars—treated as Yamudochi—quietly waited inside the Vessel of Soul.
“—Hahaha, idiot. You will die soon.”
Two Vessels of Soul were prepared in the magician’s workshop.
If I could prepare a human-shaped Vessel of Soul, why would I prepare a clumsy lump of meat as the Vessel of Soul?
It was to prepare in case the homunculus had a problem.
“Soon, you bastard.”
When the soul was transferred to the lump of meat, movement would become impossible.
Then there had to be someone who would carry him instead.
Mars was waiting for the arrival of that being.
“This horo bastard.”
Mars believed that Lloyd could communicate bidirectionally through telepathy magic.
It was common sense.
“Khehehe, khahaha!”
Mars laughed.
He could only laugh.
After all, he had become a lump of meat, so he could do nothing but laugh.
“Hurry up, Aida!”
I had lost because I was complacent.
Thinking that way, Mars eagerly waited for the arrival of Aida, the infamous Knight Hunter.
“I only have to hold on for one month…!”
That every piece of information was being transmitted in real time to Lloyd was something Mars had not even dreamed of.