Chapter 120
“Woooo-”
An Emergency Summon Mount License was issued. There's just something kind of moving about a physical license, you know? I've never even gotten a driver's license, so this was my first time receiving one in card form.
Of course, I did have a resident registration card, but that's a bit different. Besides, I don't have that anymore.
“Did Ophelia get one too?”
“Yes, I have one as well.”
“Wow, I see.”
Comparing the two licenses, there wasn't much difference besides the name, the unique number, and the photo. On one side was a line of detailed information, and at the end it said 'Class 1.' Then I guess there must be Class 2 and Class 3 too?
“Those that don't fully carry out orders, or have poor actual flight performance—turning ability, speed, and so on—are assigned a corresponding grade.”
“Aha, so that's how it works. Did you hear that, Suri? You're a state-certified, top-notch mount summon!”
ㅡKiiit
While we were chatting about this and that, the grandfather with his neck bent halfway backward opened his mouth while staring at the red traffic light.
“Ugh.... Why isn't that thing changing?”
“Grandpa, this must be uncomfortable. Is it very cramped?”
“It's a little stifling, yes....”
“You'll need a big car if you want to ride comfortably, Grandpa.”
“I shall consider it. The vehicle we are currently riding is indeed a luxury item, but I do find certain shortcomings in several areas, including fuel efficiency.”
Still, Grandpa really is pretty huge.
* * * * *
A few days later.
ㅡKang-kang-kang
“Grandpa must be having a hard time.”
ㅡPibibit....
“Kahahat! Not at all!”
“Really? But Grandpa's sweating like crazy.”
It's still early spring, and the wide, shaded factory interior is fairly cool. But Grandpa, standing in front of the anvil, is working up a full sweat, so saying it's not hard at all...
“Because it's enjoyable to see metal I've hammered with my own hands take on the shape I want!”
“Oooo..!”
Grandpa Galahad was working in the forge and said he needed some help, so I came by to lend a hand. Daengdaeng came along because it had nothing else to do. We came here on Suri with Ophelia, but she said she had more work to do, so she left first.
ㅡMuuuu!
ㅡMuu!
The house sprites around us were all busily scurrying about, and the furnace and automatic hammer were working nonstop without a moment's rest. Among them, Grandpa Galahad's presence was the strongest of all.
“Princess, from here on out it looks like it'll be a difficult task. Can you lend a hand?”
“Ah, you mean that thing? Supplying mana.”
“Exactly.”
At Grandpa Galahad's nod, I nodded too. The house sprite golems that had been darting around busily all over the place gathered around as well, and started bringing over parts that looked like they might already be finished.
“Now, Princess!”
“Ah, yes!”
I climbed onto a chair lying around in the factory, placed my hand on Grandpa Galahad's back, and poured mana into him. His back was so wide that, even though I wanted a better look, all I could see was Grandpa's back in black clothes.
Daengdaeng was watching the assembly up close from the side.
ㅡPaaaat..!
Kkigeek, kkigeegeek....
In front of Grandpa, an incredibly bright blue light flashed and sparkled. Wearing safety goggles, Grandpa Galahad moved his hands busily and began crafting the piece. Of course, I couldn't actually see what he was making.
ㅡWuuung....
“This should do it. Success, Princess!!”
“Woooo!”
I climbed down from the chair I'd been standing on and went over to Grandpa, where I saw a huge weapon on a low metal table surrounded by ten house sprite golems.
“T-this is..?!”
“A lance.”
“A lance!”
It wasn't a spear with a thin shaft and a sharp blade, but the kind of spear I'd only ever seen in games—thick, heavy, and widening toward the back. To put it simply, it looked like an umbrella folded up and left untied. If I had to compare the size, maybe a parasol.
“I've always wondered when I saw these—do things like this actually work?”
“Hm? What do you mean?”
“Well... it's kind of cool, but you know. It feels like it'd be hard to use properly?”
The grip is all the way at the back, and the pointy part of the spear is only at the very front end, so—this is a little rude to say, but doesn't it feel a bit like all style and no substance?
“If you hold it like this and go chack! forward, it seems like it'd be super heavy.”
“Kahahah! That's because this isn't a weapon you thrust out with your arms.”
“Huh? But it's a spear.”
“Now then, watch closely.”
Grandpa snatched up the finished lance with one hand, then firmly wedged the thick bar attached to the back of the short grip between his arm and chest.
“Now, this should lock it in place nice and firmly.”
“Ooo-”
ㅡPibit!
“And then, like this..!”
Then Grandpa just charged straight ahead. Racing forward at tremendous speed, he drove the acceleration his body had gained together with the lance straight into a metal freight container sitting off to one side of the factory.
ㅡKwang!!
“Hooeek!!”
ㅡPibibit!!
“Kahahah! That's the feeling of it! Well? Do you understand now?”
“I see!”
ㅡPibit!
But now that Grandpa had demonstrated it, it felt kind of awkward. With Grandpa's build, I felt like he could just grab that spear and swing it around like a club, smashing everything to pieces.
“You wedge the spear under your armpit, brace it tightly, then drive the power of your running body straight into the opponent. This is called the 'couched' style.”
“Could I do it too?!”
“Kahahah! Hmm....”
ㅡPibit....
“Grandpa?”
“Hmm....”
“I hate you, Grandpa. Daengdaeng, you get lost too.”
“Y-you can! If it's the Princess, of course!”
ㅡPibibibyu-pit!!
Well, honestly, I don't think I could lift that thing either. Of course I can't do it now, and even after I grow up, honestly? If I get steroid shots 500 times and work out like crazy, maybe I could at least lift it.
ㅡThunk!
“Ah, looks like Ophelia's here.”
I heard a small thunk outside the factory, probably the sound of Ophelia landing after flying in on Suri. Ophelia's also been riding Suri a lot these days and handling an insanely busy schedule.
I do sometimes wonder if our company is really that busy, but well, I don't know everything Ophelia does.
“Ophelia! Did you take care of your work well?”
“Yes, I did. How are things at the forge?”
“A true masterpiece, Ophelia! A masterpiece!”
After setting the briefcase she was carrying down in a clean spot on one side of the factory, Ophelia carefully studied the huge, absurdly sturdy lance Grandpa Galahad had made. Then she nodded.
“You've worked hard, Sir Galahad. And Princess, you've worked hard as well.”
“This much is nothing!”
“Yeah. I want something delicious.”
“What kind of meal would you like?”
Hmm, something delicious. Now that I said it, I don't really have anything specific in mind? The food Ophelia usually makes is all delicious enough to be like eating out, and the menu changes every time, too.
Still, if we're talking about a meal for a special day, it's chicken.
“Chicken? If we're going to... eat together with Grandpa, we'd need about ten chickens.”
“Understood. Today, then, we'll have a meal together with Sir Galahad.”
“Ooo!”
After shifting into an eagle form and flying into the factory, Suri stared blankly at the lance on the metal table, pecked at it with its beak, and even rubbed its head against it.
“You like it too, Suri?”
ㅡKiiit....
“Hehe. Yeah, yeah.”
Ophelia, standing beside me, watched the scene and then, unusually, patted Suri's head.
“Three days from now, the advance investigation team for Silence Laboratory will be deployed. We should prepare.”
“Has it already been that long..!”
Now it's really time to prepare. Unlike before, I don't have information like what's here and what's over there. The materials from the previous investigation team that did the preliminary survey were really terrible, so sloppy that I couldn't even tell what was what.
Even the people who were the Order's Guild's main raiding party seem to have trouble talking about what happened there. PTSD, was it? It's a word I usually use casually, but people who actually have the symptoms have it really rough, apparently.
“Hmm! Then we'd better prepare hard!”
* * * * *
“Princess. Are you nervous?”
“A-a little..? Not too much.”
On the day the Silence Laboratory advance recon team goes in. There are even more people than I expected. They've blocked things off with trucks and police tape to keep civilians from getting in, but there are still a ton of people inside.
They all have huge telephoto-camera-like things, and they seem like a bunch of big shots, so I guess it's a little scary.
As I busied myself with various preparations inside the white tent Nova had set up for hunter protection, my feelings got complicated. Could I really go there and do well? Honestly, all I've done so far is gather the materials prepared for me by others and make a powerful golem.
And then I kept forgetting about Dujjonku and played games like crazy....
“Eek..! I've become a useless princess..!”
“That's not true, Princess. You're doing perfectly well.”
“Sniff, Ophelia. Thanks, even if it's just empty words....”
“It's not empty words. If it weren't for you, Princess, nothing would have been possible.”
Ophelia slowly combed my hair back. Minyum seemed to be warming up outside, since I could see it moving energetically in the shadows.
ㅡPibit! Pibibit!
“Hm? What? Are you comforting me?”
ㅡPibit..!
“Heh, got it. I won't lose my nerve.”
According to Ophelia's research, there are specific reasons why people enter dungeon-type structures, tower-type structures, or places like gates in groups of four or twelve.
A life response, maybe? The more people there are, the more violent the monsters become, apparently. Anyway, four or twelve is the most suitable number.
“Also, it seems there aren't any major problems if a hunter with a normal summoner class performs a summoning ritual inside the dungeon. In our case, though, the situation is a little different since we're calling in golems that were already formed outside.”
“Ooo....”
“If need be, it also says it's okay to summon Suri and Sir Galahad, who aren't participating this time.”
Right, if something comes up, we can just bring Grandpa Galahad and Suri in too and smash everything flat. No need to overthink it.
“And, Princess, you have the most important role. Simply infusing them with mana at the proper time will be a great help.”
“Ugh, hearing Ophelia say I was important suddenly made my stomach hurt.”
“...Maybe you aren't that important after all.”
“O-Ophelia..?”
“...You are important after all. In the right measure.”