Crossbow (3)
The vehicle boasted a massive, sturdy, straight-line design! Finished in glossy black metal panels that radiated an unmistakable air of opulence!
At the front sat an archaic grille adorned with the Bladewyn family crest, its intimidating seal carved in deep relief!
Four headlights powered by mana crystals bathed the front in a luminous blue glow!
At the rear, polished straight exhaust pipes added a final touch of aerodynamic flair!
*Perfect. Absolutely perfect.*
The design perfectly captured the refined charm of medieval aesthetics.
I had to admit it myself. It was brilliant.
*Thud. Clap. Clap clap.*
Applause echoed through the courtyard.
Struggling to keep my lips from twitching into a smile, I scanned the crowd.
Every family member had fallen under the Black Terrahole R1’s spell, eyes glued to the car in wonder.
*Heh.*
I had expected exactly this reaction. It was hardly surprising.
I had pulled off this kind of showcase countless times, and the response never failed to deliver.
I became the seasoned host, coaxing one more enthusiastic round from the crowd.
After spending time with them, I realized the Bladewyn family tended toward a calm, measured style overall.
As a result, their reactions were a bit subdued compared to what I was used to.
“What do you think, Brother Gain? I’d love to hear your honest impression.”
Gain’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected me to single him out.
*Brat, was the interview nerve-racking? Adorable.*
“*Ahem*… It’s impressive. It shows the true splendor of the Bladewyn name.”
“That’s right! Father will probably ride in it. How does it compare to the Lovell family’s?”
The servants’ eyes sparkled with sudden energy.
“Exactly! It’s even better than Lovell’s!”
“Now that I think about it… yeah!”
“Haha! The Lovell idiots are going to have their morale crushed by this!”
The atmosphere turned electric. As expected, nothing stirred men’s competitive spirits like a direct challenge.
I stole a glance at my father.
His lips curved upward in a hidden smile, though he kept his face carefully neutral.
*Mission accomplished. One more point added to the approval stack.*
“Alright, let’s move on to the main topic. This is just a bonus result.”
I opened the driver’s door and showed the interior to the group.
Seats upholstered in Bladewyn blue leather, dyed using extracts from Epiphany flower leaves and filled with hay and wool for the perfect cushion!
Advanced headrest angle perfectly suited to the driver, plus a metal frame with chains for easy lever adjustments!
“Please take a seat, Father.”
“Fine.”
I had crammed every possible upgrade into the original Black Terrahole.
With his usual blank expression, my father lowered himself into the seat.
*Whoosh!*
It enveloped his hips and back with unbelievable comfort.
*Heh heh. He can’t stop being satisfied.*
Father’s eyes grew wide.
“It’s… incredibly comfortable.”
“Would you like to take it for a spin?”
“Alright.”
I immediately climbed into the passenger seat and explained the controls to him.
Push the lever beside the steering wheel, and the blue lights will illuminate ahead in the dark.
*Click.*
“—Ooooooh!”
A collective gasp rose from the crowd outside.
The four headlights mounted on the front.
Technically pointless, but the wow factor was undeniable.
*Mana efficiency is terrible.*
It was only worth using in true emergencies. Of course, these humans didn’t seem to care about efficiency.
“Ready when you are.”
“Fine.”
I floored the accelerator.
*BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!*
I had swapped the muffler and widened the exhaust, pushing the roar to new heights.
It exuded an overwhelming presence that left the listener breathless.
“Whew… That’s insane.”
Father’s lips curled into a satisfied grin as he drove.
*Success.*
I didn’t usually like cars that screamed for attention, but this one had clearly worked wonders on these people.
*Creak.*
Father and I stepped out after the test drive.
The servants broke into thunderous applause.
“You said it was light, but you’ve done something tremendous.”
“Not at all. I had to do it right.”
“A council of the four great families is scheduled in a few days. There we’ll announce that Vulkan’s prototype will be given to the Bladewyn family first, and we’ll discuss several projects with His Grace. Is there anything you’d like?”
As the head of a wealthy family, rewards were guaranteed.
*What should I ask for?*
A few ideas had crossed my mind, but nothing felt *just right* yet.
“Can I tell you later?”
“Very well. If you think of something, come to the manor house.”
“Understood.”
The family members dispersed back to their duties.
My first showcase had been an overwhelming success.
***
The next day, the Pacific Merchant Guild arrived at the manor.
They had stopped at the Helrek family territory in the north and were only now making their way here.
“Ah, Master Robon. My apologies for the delay. Here are the ores.”
“You’ve worked hard. You’re planning to inspect the four great families’ territories, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Crossing the Valces Mountains requires carriage repairs, and if we’re not properly prepared we might lose everything along the way.”
Thinking about crossing the mountains, Hector let out a heavy sigh.
It was no wonder. The average height of the Valces Mountain Range surrounding the Mardin Principality was over 1,000 meters.
At least a road had been laid on the southeast route, but crossing it was still a grueling task.
*The Pacific Merchant Guild had no choice but to be pushed here by competition. It made sense that other guilds didn’t come.*
I had never visited the Arken Empire or Hyber Kingdom in the central continent, but they were said to be culturally quite different from Mardin.
Apparently, magitech development there was almost nonexistent.
Given the mountains, it made sense.
“Pay up first. Wait.”
“Ah, Master Robon, actually I heard a rumor.”
“What rumor?”
“I heard you created a tool called ‘Robon-001’ that turns dirty water into clean water. Is it true?”
Hector’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
He had been fidgeting like a puppy desperate for a treat all this time.
“Yeah. Want to see it?”
“Could something like that really exist?”
“I’ll show you.”
I led Hector to the workshop and handed him one of the two portable purifiers.
“Go on, try it yourself.”
“Alright.”
Hector scooped a handful of water from the nearby stream and poured it into the purifier. Clean water dripped out within seconds.
“…Can I drink this?”
“Yeah.”
Hector brought the water to his tongue, then suddenly jumped up and grabbed both my hands.
“Sell it to me! Sell it right now!!”
I gave him a kind smile and snatched the Robon-001 away.
“Name your price.”
***
“So, we need to secure materials for mass-producing Robon-001. I hope the family can assist.”
Financial Officer Samuel adjusted his round glasses with a monotone voice.
“Yeah. Selling this externally will bring in a fortune.”
“I’ve seen the effect of Robon-001. It’s excellent. Let’s have the family help.”
*Perfect. I can dump all the annoying tasks on Samuel now. Heh heh.*
“Have you discussed payment?”
“Not yet. The negotiation isn’t finished.”
That rat Hector—now I understood why the guild had kicked him out.
It was intolerable. Even during the brief negotiation my head was starting to ache. So I stepped out and came to Samuel.
“Then may I handle the remaining negotiations?”
“*Ooh*! If you do, I’ll be happy!”
What would happen if that robotic accountant and that slimy merchant negotiated together?
Suddenly, I was curious.
“Understood. In exchange for the family supplying materials, let’s raise the sales commission slightly. Since the Pacific Merchant Guild claims it will cover the entire principality first, how about we sell Robon-001 directly throughout the principality in the first stage, and export the rest externally?”
“Good idea.”
“Then we’ll adjust the price after the first sales phase, and we need to decide on the first shipment volume.”
Dealing with Samuel made everything move smoothly.
I thought I had handled a lot of this kind of work, but it turned out specialists were unbeatable.
*I should just focus on research. That’s the way to keep my mind at peace.*
Thinking back now, being reincarnated as the third son was truly a wonderful situation.
If I had become the first son, Gain, I would have been forced to swing a sword and fight for the family inheritance.
Being the third was ideal. With just enough responsibility, I could use the family’s support to indulge in research without any real pressure.
*Heh heh…*
“Why are you smiling?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“Then summon Hector. I’ll finish the remaining negotiations.”
“Alright. Oh, and there’s one more thing I want to discuss.”
“Go ahead.”
“I’m planning to collaborate with Vulkan to create a weapon. I’ll provide the core technology.”
“What kind of weapon?”
“A mechanical crossbow. I’m thinking of two versions—one with rapid fire and one that maximizes destructive power per shot.”
He tilted his head, clearly unable to imagine.
“I’ll show it to you soon. Anyway, think about the trade with Vulkan as well.”
“Understood. Since the young master is making it, it must be reliable.”
“When did you start trusting me so much?”
“If this fails, you’ll disappear again.”
“*Tch*… You’re ruthless. But that means even more work, right?”
“It’s fine.”
“Alright. I’ll bring Hector in.”
I called the Hector waiting outside. His lips were firmly pressed together, as if he had steeled his resolve.
*How much more is he going to try to eat me alive… Sigh.*
That disgusting man.
After sending Hector away, I returned to my room. I still needed to study magitech a little more.
**[Monaark’s Memory]**
It felt like the thick reference books I used to carry during school days.
When I first discovered and read it, I thought Monaark was a human name.
But after reading for a while, I quickly realized it wasn’t.
“His arm broke. He was trying to lift Dektoral’s giant rock and the connection gave out. Dektoral had no engineers capable of repairing it. So he just waited for the owner to come.”
Monaark was the name of a Titan built by an engineer. Like an AI, it thought and moved on its own.
This text was written from the Titan’s perspective.
It could have been fiction, but reading it felt strangely plausible. Scattered technical terms and names slipped in naturally.
The decisive difference was that magic powered by mana had become the mainstream, but instinctively I knew it wasn’t fake.
And that I might actually be able to realize the Gundam… no, the Titan I was designing here.
*Thud.*
I had been absorbed in the book so long that a significant amount of time had passed.
I stepped outside. When I asked Rachel, she said the conversation between Hector and Samuel still hadn’t ended.
*Still?*
I looked at the wind-up clock in the first-floor lobby. Nearly three hours had passed.
*I really should fix that thing.*
It used a heavy pendulum, so the longer it ran the less accurate it became, and it needed regular winding. Annoying.
The car had been invented, yet so many things still remained stuck in the early stages of science. This imbalance must be the influence of the ancient Tesreia Empire.
“I’ll take a walk outside for a bit.”
“Enjoy your walk.”
That Robon brat has abysmal stamina.
That was why, since last time, I had been steadily increasing the laps around the manor, inching up the wheel count.
Now I could barely make two full circles before collapsing.
“*Hah… Hah… Hah…*”
My head spun. The world turned white.
I noticed the knights and Brother Gain could do twenty laps without issue.
*I wish I had some of that aura thing too.*
Just as I thought that…
Hector emerged from Samuel’s office, muttering to himself.
“This must be the Bladewyn family’s financial officer? He’s completely expressionless!”
His face was the perfect picture of a man whose deal had gone sour.
I walked straight over and asked.
“Hector.”
“Huh? Master Robon. You’re here. Why are you sweating so much?”
“I went for a walk. How did the negotiation go? It took a long time?”
“Hahaha… Yes. We concluded it successfully. I have to go, I’m busy.”
Looking at Hector’s slumped shoulders as he walked away, I couldn’t help smiling.
*Clank.*
I immediately entered Samuel’s office.
“Samuel! What happened?”
“We reached the highest price within the expected range.”
After three hours of negotiation, his face hadn’t changed a bit.
“You’re definitely a robot.”
“…Huh?”
“Haha, no.”
Whether Samuel was a robot or human, what mattered? The fact that research funding was now secured was the important part.
*Heh heh.*
I stepped outside in a good mood, only for the servants to be in chaos. I asked the butler, Lefry, who was standing in the lobby.
“What’s going on?”
“Lord Lovell sent someone in a hurry.”
“Lovell?”
“Yes. They’re looking for Master Robon.”
“…Me?”
Robon Bladewyn of the Bladewyn family. Wanted for the mysterious disappearance of his own father, the head of the family.
The reward for my own father’s mysterious disappearance? I stared at the wanted poster on the lobby wall, my mind reeling.