Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 197

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ED: LonelyMatter

Chapter 197 – The Reason Why Ain Came Part 2

“But the meeting is not over yet…”

What Sylvird said was that they would take a short break.

He didn’t say that the meeting was over and that it would continue after a short while.

In other words, Ain had no time to visit the shipyard.

“Martha.”

When Martha was called, she came out from behind a shadow.

“Yes, Laralua-sama.”

“Will you tell that person I’m borrowing Ain-kun…?”

“Yes, I understand. When will you return?”

“Tell him it’s yet to be decided. Also, is it okay if I borrow your child?”

“Of course. Please feel free to use him.”

Laralua seemed satisfied with her answer and continued to speak happily.

“Yes, thank you. Oh, and… if that person asks you why, just tell him we’re going to see the ship.”

“G-grandmother… shouldn’t you go and tell him directly?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. I asked that person why he’s being so rough, but he’s a little too selfish. So this is good medicine for that.”

＊＊＊

It was about half an hour by water train from the royal capital to the place where Leviathan was being built.

Ain and Laralua took Dill and boarded the water train―not the royal train, but a so-called civilian train.

The passengers were understandably surprised, but there seemed to be a lot of confusion about what was going on with Laralua there.

Ain and Laralua didn’t even know where the entrance was.

Then, the two, who had never been in a shipyard before, asked a passing craftsman about the state of the ship.

“O-oooh, please wait! I’ll call my boss… no, he’s coming!”

“Ara, ara, what’s gotten into him to be so nervous?”

“Grandmother, it’s only natural for him to be like that when the queen comes for a sudden visit.”

“Ain-sama? With all due respect, you say it like it’s someone else’s problem, but it’s the same for you, right?”

As Dill calmly commented, Ain and Laralua looked at the back of the craftsman who had run off in a hurry.

Ain and the others approached the side of the shipyard, but they didn’t know which side was the front, so they could only stare at the high wall in a daze.

“But still, this shipyard… is huge, isn’t it?”

Even if this was to be expected, Laralua had a very elegant and graceful air.

Her unique standing posture drew the attention of the craftsmen without exception, and in the next moment, she surprised them.

“Ara ara, hello.”

When Laralua’s eyes met theirs, she waved with a friendly smile and spoke to them.

For these craftsmen, this will surely be a memory that will last a lifetime.

“Oh, by the way, Ain-kun. Can I ask you something?”

“…Yes. What is it, Grandmother?”

Suddenly, Laralua stops smiling and looks at Ain with a serious expression.

“There are many things to be done as a member of the royal family. Things like making the country prosperous, dedicating yourself to the future, and… protecting the country. There are many other things as well, but you understand what I mean, right?”

“Yes. I think I understand in my own way.”

“That’s good. However, what you are trying to do, Ain-kun, will have a great impact on the future of Ishtalika if it fails. Even if it means mutual destruction, that will not change. Is that right?”

If Crown Prince Ain dies, it will have a considerable impact on Ishtalika.

Laralua’s words make Ain nod quietly.

“But only you can do it. Or you are better suited than anyone else. If that is the case, then it is certainly something you should do. There is no doubt that doing nothing and waiting is the worst possible course of action.”

“Yes.”

“Therefore, I agree. Queen Laralua will allow the departure of Crown Prince Ain―in other words, I am asking you to risk your life for the sake of Ishtalika.”

Dill overheard their conversation from a step behind.

He listened in silence, but the frustration he felt was hard to describe.

“Do you resent me for saying such things, Ain-kun?”

“Haha… I don’t resent you at all.”

“Ara ara… Ain-kun is such a good boy.”

Then Laralua patted Ain’s head for the first time in a long time.

She hugged him to her chest and held her beloved grandson.

“G-grandmother… it’s a little embarrassing…”

“Fufufu, it’s a grandmother’s special privilege.”

After stroking him for a while, she let go of Ain, looking satisfied.

“But if I’m not speaking as the queen, but as Laralua, the individual, I want to die after seeing the Ishtalika that you, Ain-kun, will rule over. I want to take care of your children and have a tea party with everyone in the courtyard. Oh, and I’d also like to take a family trip. I’ve been avoiding that because we’re royalty, but…”

Laralua, who couldn’t stop thinking about her wishes, goes on.

Ain listened to her with a happy expression on his face and nodded.

“I can’t tell you any more wishes. If I did, they’d all spill out of my little cup.”

“I’ll go and make sure they don’t spill.”

“Oh, you’re so reliable―you’re a hero after all.”

As the two continued their conversation, two men approached them, looking busy.

The wall seemed to go on forever… They came running from a distance, urging each other on.

“Hey, could those two be…?”

“Oh, are they acquaintances of yours, Ain-kun?”

“Y-yeah… It’s been a while since I’ve seen them, but I’m pretty sure it’s them.”

“Ara, that’s nice. It looks like you’ll be easy to talk to… So, where did you meet them?”

When the lady―no, the queen, who was out of place in a shipyard―asked Ain, he looked a bit surprised when he answered.

“Well, it’s a former classmate and a former teacher…”

As soon as Ain answered, they stop in front of them.

“Her Majesty the Queen, it is a pleasure to see you. And Ain―no, Your Highness the Crown Prince, it has been a long time.”

“Y-Your Majesty the Queen! It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Roland, and, um, I am currently working on the construction of the Leviathan at this shipyard…”

The two people who had arrived were Kyle and Roland.

It had been a long time since the three of them, including Ain, had spoken since they had graduated from the Academy.

Kyle bowed to Laralua in a familiar manner, but Roland showed his uneasiness.

“It’s you, Kyle, isn’t it? It’s been a while. How’s work here?”

“I wish the day was twice as long. I don’t have time to think about it.”

“Ara ara, that’s so like Kyle.”

Kyle wanted to say something to her about her behavior, but he held it back in front of Laralua.

He knew he would probably be punished severely later, but for Laralua, it would be a valuable experience.

Then Laralua looked away from Kyle and smiled at Roland.

“Yes, nice to meet you. As you may know, my name is Laralua. Laralua of Ishtalika. I remember you from the documents I’ve read about you. Ain-kun was also indebted to you at school.”

She introduced herself without worrying about Roland’s lack of courtesy.

Roland, who regretted what he had done, wanted to cry because of Laralua’s kindness.

“Ah, u-um, I mean, I, or rather, I’m the one who is always indebted to His Highness…”

He was used to talking to Ain.

Thanks to his six years at the Academy, he had gotten used to it after only a few months.

But when the other person was Laralua, as in this case, it’s a different story.

Laralua, the wife of the current king, Sylvird, and a popular figure among the people, stood right in front of him, and for a boy like Roland, it was too much to bear.

He looked at Ain with eyes that seemed to say, “Help me,” and Ain finally offered to help.

“Roland, it’s been a long time. Grandmother. It seems Roland is a bit nervous.”

“Fufu… it’s fine, that much. I’m not worried about it, so you can relax a little more, okay?”

“Grandmother. I think that’s too much… would it be okay if I talk to Roland instead?”

“Ara, is that so? I wanted to talk to him too, but well… it would be a shame to make him nervous.”

Laralua stepped back from Roland’s position as she agreed with her grandson’s words.

“Your Majesty. What is the purpose of your visit this time? Since you are here with the Crown Prince and Guard Officer Dill, I assume it is something important.”

“Yes, I have a purpose. But for now, I think I’ll have you show me around.”

“Oh, when you say ‘show you around’… are you referring to the Leviathan that is currently under construction here?”

“Yes, that’s right. By the way, how far along is it at the moment?”

“Ha. At the moment, the basic equipment and the exterior… and even the interior are complete, and all that remains is some fine-tuning here and there.”

――Is that a problem?

Looking at Laralua’s expression, Kyle asks for an explanation of the purpose of this visit.

“Oh, that’s wonderful! It’s exactly what I wanted. Will you show me around then?”

＊＊＊

When the Leviathan project first began, the shipyard was littered with materials for the sea dragon, and workers were busy assembling and working on it.

Now, however, such a sight was no longer visible, and the huge battleship, which had already received several supports, sat there.

“…I didn’t think something so magnificent could be made.”

The finished battleship.

Seeing it, Dill let out a gasp of admiration.

“Hmm. Is this bigger than the White King…?”

Ain also let out a surprised voice and looked at Roland.

Perhaps because they were in a huge shipyard, it was difficult to judge the difference in size.

“Yes, that’s right. This sea dragon ship Leviathan belongs to Ain’s―um, Your Highness’s.”

“It’s not really okay, but for now, it’s okay to call me Ain. My grandmother is listening to Professor Kyle’s explanation, and there’s only Dill here.”

Seeing that Roland was having trouble speaking, Ain opened his mouth with a wry smile.

He wondered if it was really all right. When Roland looked at Dill’s expression, Dill nodded without saying a word.

“All right. Then I’ll talk like I did at the academy―the Leviathan is 35% bigger than the White King, and it’s the biggest battleship in the history of Ishtalika. It’s equipped with all the latest technology, and as you can see from the exterior… look.”

――The Leviathan, the Sea Dragon Battleship.

This was built as a next-generation battleship for the king, and it was constructed using the materials from the sea dragon that Ain defeated.

The crystal that seems transparent to the very end is all the scales of the sea dragon.

The entire body of this ship, including the bottom, is covered with the scales of the sea dragon, and the shape of the main body is like a long cylinder.

As he approached the head, the huge power units that spread out on both wings were robust and tickled Ain’s masculine heart.

At the top of the main body, a huge shield made of sea dragon scales was attached, covering the top of the battleship from head to toe.

It had a unique design and an intimidating presence, unlike anything the Ishtalika had seen before.

“It is a monster that can go head-to-head with the White King and have no problems with its simple toughness or attack power. Thanks to the use of the sea dragon’s materials, it has a power that the existing battleships would have been judged incapable of, so in terms of speed… it might be two hundred years ahead of the rest. Or perhaps, without the materials of the sea dragon, it would be impossible to build a better battleship.”

After listening to Roland’s very talkative explanation, Ain understood that this ship was ridiculously strong.

On the other hand, Laralua seemed to have heard a similar explanation, and her eyes widened in surprise.

“A treasure sword floating on the sea―or perhaps it would be better to call it a holy sword. This is the sea dragon ship Leviathan.”

“…You’ve made something amazing.”

“Haha… even I will be proud for the rest of my life to have been involved in such an amazing battleship.”

Roland’s face looked much more mature as he spoke than it had in his school days.

His body had also become more muscular and masculine, and his voice seemed to have become a little deeper.

“I thought it wasn’t finished yet?”

“Well, it’s almost finished, but there are still some minor adjustments to be made. Even if it’s not a big problem, it’s still the ship that the next king―Ain will board, so I don’t want to compromise on that.”

“Hmm, I see…”

Then, it looks like it can be moved.

Ain is happy that it looks like it can be moved, even though it seems like he’s picking on Roland’s craftsmanship.

“By the way, why did Professor Kyle and Roland come to show us around? Was it by chance?”

“Ah, that’s because Professor Kyle is one of the overall supervisors of the Leviathan construction project, and I was chosen to assist him…”

“…I’m surprised that Roland got an unexpected promotion.”

Even being selected for a role on a national scale is an indication of his excellence, but to hear that he was selected to assist the overall supervisor is nothing but astonishment at Roland’s abilities.

…Then, Laralua’s explanation seemed to be finished as well, and she turned to Ain.

“Ain-kun. That’s good news.”

“Yes. I’m relieved that it seems to be going well.”

Hearing their conversation, not only Roland but also Kyle wore a surprised look on their faces.

Laralua, noticing their expressions, gave them an order before they could speak.

“In the name of Queen Laralua, I order you to take the sea dragon battleship Leviathan to the water’s edge at full speed. Bring it to the harbor of the royal capital.”

“Yo-Your Majesty? If you suddenly say something like that, we don’t know what to do…”

The sudden order made them nervous.

Of course, they were. They had no idea what was going on when they were suddenly told to move this huge battleship.

But when Laralua told them the reason, their expressions changed completely.

“Ain-kun… no, Crown Prince Ain is going to use this battleship to support our brave men who have already crossed the sea. This must be done quickly and… with a large number of troops. That is why I have ordered the Leviathan to be launched in my name.”

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