Chapter 52

After receiving a message from Lazzette, Sania and the others immediately headed to the secret meeting place.

The izakaya (Japanese pub) designated by Sora was a hidden gem in the capital, run by a bearded old man with a cheerful smile.

Luly was deeply engrossed in reading a textbook on the properties of trees given to her by Sora, while Zuzu was cheerfully drinking with the owner's son.

Sania was trying out a simple spell taught to her by a mage she had met in the capital.

When she activated the magic circle with a radius of about thirty centimeters, a weak light, fainter than a candle, lit up. It would only last for about ten minutes and could not be reused without a five-hour break, making it practically useless.

It was just the right kind of spell to teach a young girl who wasn't going to become a disciple.

Sania confirmed the activation of the magic circle and struck a victory pose.

The magic circle would not activate if the shapes were distorted or the calculations were wrong. After four days of aiming to write this magic circle accurately, she finally succeeded today.

Looking at her fingertips stained black from the charcoal used to draw it, she felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

Luly, who had raised her head from the textbook, pointed to the ball of light floating in the center of the magic circle.

"Can you improve this spell to last a whole night?"

"It's impossible. The mage who taught me said thirty minutes was the limit."

Incidentally, the improved version was a secret technique and was not taught to her.

"I see. It's useless then."

Luly dismissed it bluntly, and Sania pouted.

Before Sania could argue, Sora, Lazzette, and科尔 appeared, slipping through the door. Behind them was Gorge, who was serving as a guard.

"Is everyone here?"

Sora checked with Zuzu and the others and sat down in the same seat. Lazzette sat next to him, and Gorge stood behind Sora.

"There's a beautiful woman here."

Gorge's gravelly voice made Sania and Zuzu turn with stern faces. Luly completely ignored him.

"Sir Sora, is that person okay... Who is he?"

Sania even doubted if he was human, and Gorge scratched his red hair.

"He's one of the capital guard and my ally in this duel. He can use magic to some extent, and we've confirmed he has no ties to the church."

"Alright, if he's an ally."

Soria easily accepted Sora's words.

Gorge was surprised by how easily he was accepted and even more surprised when he learned Sania was a bear beastkin.

"Does Sir Sora have no prejudice against beastkin?"

"Such petty things don't matter."

Sania mimicked Sora's tone with a chuckle.

"Very much like Sir Sora."

Gorge responded with a laugh.

"So, what's the purpose of this sudden gathering?"

Luly closed her textbook, and everyone turned to Sora.

Sora borrowed Luly's textbook, opened a certain page, and placed it in the center of the table.

"The purpose of calling you here is to manufacture weapons for the duel."

Everyone nodded at Sora's straightforward statement.

Gorge tilted his head, puzzled by the casual way Sora talked about manufacturing weapons and the others' lack of reaction, but no one paid attention.

"The concept of the weapon is that it should be lightweight, easy to handle, and a longsword that Gorge and the others are familiar with. It must also be strong enough for practical use. Most importantly, it should make the opponent underestimate us."

"Underestimate Sir Sora?"

Luly interjected, clearly not understanding why they would want to boost the opponent's morale.

"Chaf aside, the morale of the royal guards won't rise. In fact, it will fall."

Sora chuckled.

The royal guards already looked down on Sora. If the guards, who were less skilled and had inferior weapons, were to face Sora, they would lose motivation.

At the same time, they would think:

"This is pointless; let's end it quickly. If we waste time on such weak opponents, the Trynens will look down on us."

At seven years old, Sora, of course, and Gorge and the others, who were less enduring than Chaf, couldn't afford to waste time. The key was to bring the battle to a quick conclusion.

"That's why we need to provoke them."

Zuzu slapped his knee and offered Gorge a drink, but retracted his hand after being hit on the head by Lazzette.

"Here, I've decided to use wooden swords with iron blades embedded in them as weapons."

Sora demonstrated by placing a dining knife between two pieces of wood.

This method, which could reduce the weight to about one-seventh, had a drawback. Gorge, who had experience using wooden swords in training, pointed out the flaw.

"Wooden swords won't last five strikes against iron swords."

"Ordinary wood, yes."

Sora tapped the textbook in the center of the table.

"Luly, explain the physical structure of wood."

"The cells, which are called small rooms filled with liquid, are separated by cell walls and form layers. Inside the cells—"

"That's enough. ...You have an incredible understanding."

Sora coughed, unsure if he was praising her.

"Wood, as Luly said, has a structure like a stack of empty boxes. So, we crush it."

Sora clasped his hands together like a flower bud and then pressed them together without any gaps.

"Which would be stronger, a pile of empty boxes or a pile of crushed boxes of the same volume? I think it's obvious. Similarly, we compress the wood to increase its strength and then harden the surface by burning it."

Sora described a process called compression molding.

This method involves compressing the wood to increase its density, making even soft wood species more versatile. Recently, it has gained attention as a technique to create plastic alternatives from wood.

It can achieve the same strength as plastic used in helmets and household appliances while retaining the wood's aroma and flexibility. The compression process also reduces warping by making the structure more compact.

"The problem was that we couldn't ensure the heat and pressure needed, but we can solve this with magic. Lazzette, give Sania the magic circle."

Sora showed Sania the modified magic circle he had created for paperweights and cooking.

Sania, as expected, looked puzzled at the magic circle, which now looked like a completely different object.

Sora helpfully placed the original magic circle next to it, but it only added to her confusion.

"Using this magic circle, we can stably provide the pressure and heat needed for compression molding. However, to achieve the necessary effect, we need to redraw it as a fifty-meter diameter magic circle."

This was the limit of Sora's mathematical knowledge. To draw a magic circle with the same effect in this world would require a radius of several hundred meters, but it was already significantly simplified. However, it was still too large to use secretly.

"So, Sania and the others need to leave the capital, draw this magic circle, and reduce the sent logs to less than half their size. Can you do it?"

Sora asked seriously.

Sania and the others exchanged glances, showing a difficult expression, but soon burst out laughing.

"If Sir Sora thinks it's possible, then it is."

Luly leaned on the table, her words filled with trust.

"Besides, if we can't do it, Sir Sora will be in trouble, right?"

So, I'll do it. Sania said, puffing out her chest to show her determination to live up to Sora's trust.

"Since we're going along with Sir Sora's dream, we'll definitely help."

Zuzu took on the task with a sense of honor and drank his beer with a smile.

"Alright, then I'll leave it to you."

Sora raised his fist, and Luly, Sania, and Zuzu followed suit. Lazzette joined in with a wry smile, and Kor, who was late, frantically raised his hand in a different shape.

Gorge looked at the trust Sora received with a dazzled expression, wishing he could be part of that circle.

He noticed Sora looking at him when his envy swelled to the brim.

"W-What is it?"

His words came out quickly as he tried to compose himself, but Sora didn't seem to mind and spoke.

"Gorge, do this pose—why are you crying, man!?"

Sora and the others were taken aback by Gorge's sudden tears.