Loading Up the Secret Weapons
It was around the time Souma and the others had gone ahead to the Nine-Headed Dragon Archipelago and were gathering information on Kishun’s island.
On this day, four women were visiting the Kingdom’s secret arsenal on an island near Lagoon City: Overscientist Genia of the Kingdom, Merula the high elf of the Spirit Kingdom, Third Imperial Princess Trill, and Taru the blacksmith from the Republic. These four were, without question, at the forefront of the Kingdom’s technological development now. The reason they had come to the island was to deliver Mechadra, which had been stored (more like abandoned) in Genia’s dungeon laboratory.
In order to slay Ooyamizuchi, the kaiju currently devastating the Nine-Head Dragon Archipelago, the Kingdom had decided to go all-out and deploy Mechadra into the fray. That was why, despite many of the marines not hearing of the reason they were being dispatched, these four had been informed of the situation.
“Who would have thought this thing would be used for something so important?” Merula murmured, her voice half-filled with awe and half with dismay. “I figured it would just keep taking up space in the lab forever.”
Even its creator, Genia, was laughing. “Ah ha ha, I never expected it to be deployed in a real battle either.”
“Why would you make something you have no plan to use?” Merula asked with dismay.
“You sure are strange, Genia...” Taru agreed.
Merula and Taru believed it was important to focus on developing things that were feasible and actually useful to others. Meanwhile...
“Wow, Big Sister Genia! You come up with ideas that ordinary people never could without batting an eye! What a genius!” Trill squealed, wrapping herself around Genia’s arm.
Genia seemed a little weirded out over the way Trill, who was taller and shapelier than her, was touching her. After a sideways glance at the two of them, Taru looked up at Mechadra.
“But His Majesty had us make additional equipment because he thought he could use it.”
“Oh, geez... Well, it does have the power to go up against large animals,” Genia replied as she tried to peel Trill off of her. “When they were shooting an episode of Overman Silvan, it was able to throw that massive rhinosaurus, even if they were just acting. He must have thought that with the right equipment it could go up against the kaiju in question.”
“I’m...not so keen on the idea,” Merula said, crossing her arms.
Genia cocked her head to the side. “You’re opposed to Mechadra being used as a weapon? I hear we got permission from the Star Dragon Mountain Range, though.”
“It’s not that. I’m worried about deploying an untested weapon into a battle where people’s lives hang in the balance. People are relying on our technology, so when I think about what might happen if anything were to go wrong... Well, you know?”
“I totally get that.” Taru nodded in agreement. “We were given ample funding for development. I think that shows just how much the king is counting on this. You can’t help but worry whether our baby will be able to live up to expectations.”
“GJeez, you’re too easily dispirited! Lady Merula! Lady Taru!” Trill triedsaid, trying to encourage them. “An engineer has to trust in her own abilities! That’s why we spent so long talking things over, checking to make sure there were no malfunctions! This new Mechadra is what we have as a result of all that! I believe in it!”
“She’s right, you know?” Genia said, placing a hand on Trill’s shoulder. “We’ve built the best thing we can with the technology available to us. Both hands are loaded with gunpowder-fired pile drivers, and improvements were made to even the finer details like its claw blades. Then there’s the additional equipment on top of that.”
“Like the drill, big sister!”
“Ah ha ha, that’s right. It can carry the drill that Trill’s so obsessed with now too.” Genia removed her hand from Trill’s shoulder and looked up at Mechadra. “We’ve done our best. Now we just have to believe in the people...the soldiers who’ll be using it. If they have honest hearts, the technology will definitely respond to that.”
“Hee hee, you’re right.”
“Yeah...I think so too.”
“Indeed!”
Merula, Taru, and Trill nodded in agreement.
“But I’ll miss having Mechadra’s heroic form towering over us,” Trill said. “Maybe I should sneak aboard a warship; smuggle myself inside the luggage...”
“Enough! No stowing away!” Merula scolded her and Trill hurriedly shook her head.
“I-It was only a joke! I’m Empress Maria’s younger sister! If I did that, it would cause her no end of trouble!”
“Oh, right...Trill’s a princess.” Taru said, clapping her hands as if she’d just remembered.
“A princess, smuggling herself? You can’t pull that kind of mischievous prank.”
At that time, someone far away may or may not have sneezed. No one can say for certain.
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