Chapter 72: The Tin Knight and The Land of Deep Green (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 72: The Tin Knight and The Land of Deep Green (2)
The carriage carrying Dorothea's party was a luxury item of the highest quality.
Its ride was exceptionally smooth, thanks to the liberal use of leaf spring technology. The insulation was so superb that the cargo hold could serve as a mobile base, and it stood strong against wind and rain.
This was because Lorentz Halder, the head of the Halder Company, had given them his finest model to curry favor with the group.
But no matter how luxurious the carriage, it had no function that allowed it to operate properly inside a lake.
It was the limitation of a land-based vehicle, not an aquatic one.
As the carriage sank deeper into the water, Dorothea quickly pulled herself out of the cargo hold.
She held her staff in her right hand and clutched the scruff of Adelaide's neck with her left.
Adelaide, who apparently didn't know how to swim, was flailing her arms and legs, her beloved cape tangling around her and hindering her movements.
Dorothea swam upward, somehow managing despite carrying the dead weight, which was more of a penalty than a help. But then, ominous shadows swarmed in, surrounding her.
Their bodies were about the size of an adult's palm, their teeth were sharp, sharp spines protruded from all over their bodies, and they were garishly colored.
They had the kind of look that, if you were to pose a yes-or-no quiz asking, “Will this fish bite people?”, nine out of ten would answer yes.
What's more, their numbers—no, their fish head count—was staggering.
Dorothea's experience, honed from being knocked around by a foul-tempered master, sounded an alarm in her mind, warning her to prepare for battle.
Faithfully following that advice, Dorothea was about to activate the defensive magic engraved on her staff.
Splash!!
Near the surface, something like a heavy shockwave spread through the water.
Dorothea judged it to be the impact of something heavy falling in.
Her judgment was correct.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ gladly accepts the forced event battle!]
The Tin Knight.
He, the only one who had remained outside, had dived into the lake.
His ghostly blue eyes met Dorothea's.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ tells them to get to the surface so they won't get caught up in it!]
Dorothea faithfully obeyed.
Whatever their usual dynamic, in a combat situation, Dorothea had unwavering faith in the Tin Knight's abilities.
After confirming that Dorothea and Adelaide were heading upward, the Tin Knight confronted the school of fish.
Or rather, he confronted them as he sank.
This was, in fact, unavoidable.
Just as even the finest carriage couldn't perform to its full potential in water instead of on land, it was impossible for the Tin Knight, made entirely of metal, to swim freely.
But that didn't mean he was powerless in the water.
Sinking, after all, was just another way of saying he hadn't hit the bottom yet.
Silver mana began to swirl around the Tin Knight's sword.
The mana, at first a mere shimmer, gradually took on a distinct shape, eventually forming something like a propeller.
It was a feat made possible by the detailed mana circuits, like human blood vessels, that he had used to defeat the bees.
The change was comparable to giving an artist who could only use the thick brush tool in a simple paint program a new set of tools capable of pixel-perfect control.
Whoooosh!
With the straight sword at its center, five propellers made of silver mana began to spin violently.
With a terrifying vortex, the Tin Knight's body shot forward.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ proclaims that his drill is the drill that will pierce the lake!]
The line was playful, but the result was far from it.
Krrrrrunch!
The fish caught in the vortex created by the Tin Knight were torn to pieces, scattering bits of their flesh.
He didn't even need to swing his sword to hit them.
The vortex-wielding sword itself possessed a power that sucked in everything around it.
After instantly staining the center of the blue lake crimson, the Tin Knight deactivated the sword energy drill—no, the propeller.
Even with his improved mana efficiency, performing such a feat right after fighting a swarm of bees had brought his remaining mana dangerously low.
It wasn't so low that he couldn't fight, but he had to save enough mana to return to the surface.
The Tin Knight looked around underwater.
The bottom of the lake.
He could see the wrecked carriage lying there.
Surprisingly, the horses were nowhere to be seen.
It wasn't that they had become fish food in that short time; it seemed they hadn't fallen into the lake in the first place.
Considering the carriage and horses were connected by various tools, it was truly astonishing.
If you were to ask what was so astonishing, it was Sophia's driving skills.
In automotive terms, it was like dismantling the wheels and engine while sitting in the driver's seat at full speed. It was a feat even a professional racer wouldn't dare attempt.
Landing on the ground, the Tin Knight examined the wreckage of the carriage.
Sure enough, he saw Sophia's upper body pinned between the ground and the wreckage.
If she had been human, it would have been the scene of a catastrophe, but Sophia blinked with a remarkably composed expression.
No words could be heard, but she seemed to be saying, ‘Ah, you’re here sooner than I expected.’
The Tin Knight paused for a moment in thought.
To get her out safely, he would have to either lift the wreckage or cut away the part pinning her down with sword energy, but he didn't have enough mana for either.
Therefore, the Tin Knight decided to take the easy way out.
He grabbed both of Sophia's arms and began to pull.
It was a brutish rescue method that would have made an expert turn pale.
A distinct grinding sensation was transmitted through his hands, but the Tin Knight had no sense of touch to feel it.
A moment later, Sophia popped out as if she were a radish being plucked from the earth.
Amazingly, even after this horrendous treatment, there was no particular anger or resentment in Sophia's eyes.
On the contrary, she gave a silent wink, as if to thank him for saving her.
The Tin Knight scratched the back of his head.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ acts bashful, saying it was nothing!]
It was a sight that would have made Dorothea clutch her head.
As expected of non-humans, human common sense didn't seem to apply.
The Tin Knight began to walk, one step at a time.
Since he couldn't use the propeller, this was the best way to escape with his heavy metal body.
Then, a thought occurred to the Tin Knight.
If he had enough mana, he could get out immediately. What if he borrowed Sophia's power?
[The ‘Tin Knight’ requests a mana supply from Sophia!]
Sophia tilted her head but soon seemed to understand his intention and placed a hand on his back.
Blood-red mana shimmered around Sophia's body.
While not on the same level as Dorothea, who was literally in a different class, it was a decent amount of mana compared to their first meeting when she struggled to squeeze out even a single drop.
The Tin Knight's half-empty mana tank began to fill up slowly.
It was then.
The Tin Knight felt his vision distort strangely.
The dark, blue bottom of the lake. He could see something like a blood-red mist floating about.
Staring blankly at the mist, the Tin Knight realized that what he had thought was just mist was flowing out from somewhere.
The Tin Knight moved toward its source.
The source was something like a crimson fissure.
In a space that should have been filled only with water, there was a large fissure, and from within it, a red mist flowed out and spread in all directions.
The Tin Knight reached out to the crimson fissure.
However, his hand merely passed through the empty space/water.
The Tin Knight briefly glanced away to examine the mana within his body.
He then channeled Dorothea's original mana into his left eye and the new mana from Sophia into his right.
His vision split in two.
The vision imbued with Sophia’s mana insisted the crimson fissure was there, while the vision imbued with Dorothea’s mana detected nothing at all.
The Tin Knight felt a surge of curiosity.
He was certain this phenomenon wasn't a simple mistake or coincidence, but some new function.
Special phenomena required special methods.
With his hand still on the fissure, the Tin Knight tried fiddling with the mana it contained, just as he would manipulate the mana in his own body.
The reaction was immediate.
Crack! The fissure widened, and he felt his consciousness being sucked inside.
A moment later, the Tin Knight was standing not on the bottom of the lake, but somewhere else entirely.
It was a swamp, thick with mud.
Kneeling on one knee, the Tin Knight was stroking someone's head.
"...Don't you worry. No matter what the others may say, I have no intention of abandoning you."
Words flowed from the Tin Knight's mouth.
But the Tin Knight himself hadn't said a thing.
Only then did he realize he was inside someone else's body.
Two small hands carefully took hold of the hand stroking its head.
It was a young child, perhaps five or six years old at most.
But its skin was green, and sprouts dotted its body.
"This forest is wonderful. It has plenty of mana, and the soil is excellent. With the right preparations, it will become a very good environment for you to live in."
The man's voice was gentle. It was also filled with a strong will.
The Tin Knight sensed that the man must have an incredibly resolute look in his eyes.
"Rest easy. I will build a home for you. A home that will protect you, even after I am gone."
The child's hands, holding the man's, trembled.
Just as the child was about to open its mouth to say something.
Zap!
As if thrown back by something, the Tin Knight's vision returned to normal.
The swamp and the green child were gone.
The bottom of the lake was silent.
The Tin Knight checked his surroundings again, but the crimson fissure had already vanished.
The Tin Knight's and Sophia's eyes met.
Seeing the look in Sophia's eyes, the Tin Knight realized.
She had seen the same scene.
The Tin Knight spoke.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ marvels, "So it even has interactive dungeons!"]
[The ‘Tin Knight’ expresses his wish, "I hope I can take direct control or even jump in midway next time!"]