Chapter 038 – Magic Stone Princess – First PartThe Dragonian Kingdom that governs the Dragon Continent.
Among the 5 races, the dragon race is the one and only race that lives here.
Completely contrary to the demon race; there are absolutely no other races.
It’s because they’re so proud of their own race that they’re known as the one race with the highest pride among the 5 races.
And in that Dragon Continent, there is an extremely famous person: the magic tool inventor, Meiya Dragoon.
At 3 years old, Meiya could speak and write in multiple languages, as well as learned all sorts of mathematical binary functions.
She also had talent as a magician, having reached B-minus rank at the age of 15.
When she entered the magic tool department in a magic university, she skipped grades and graduated within a year.
At that time, she invented the Rainbow Sword.
In those days, it was believed to be impossible for one weapon to switch between multiple types of magic stones.
However, by combining various metals and magical inscriptions, she made it possible.
Due to this invention, this discovery, her name spread worldwide.
Since then, she had become known as the “Magic Stone Princess” to many.
Meiya’s pride was, even among the dragon race, exceptionally high.
Nevertheless, the extent of her resourcefulness, beauty, status, prestige and wealth garnered looks of admiration from the populace of the Dragon Continent.
If limited to within the Dragon Continent she is as famous as the King himself.
There are even rumors of Meiya being in a relationship with the Dragonian Kingdom’s first prince.
Speaking of the prince, his ability as a magician is certain and he wears a well-mannered, skillful mask. However, there is a facet of him that tends to somewhat go out of control. Nevertheless, he is popular with the people.
Since Meiya’s parents were influential n.o.bles, the two were actually childhood friends who’ve known each other since they were very young.
But the truth about the rumors is that it’s simply the first prince’s unrequited feelings.
One day, the publicly acknowledged genius Meiya, came across a curious item.
The S&W M10 revolver and a box of .38 Special rounds.
Meiya was in her estate’s parlour listening to the merchant who brought it.
According to the merchant — it would seem that it was a “a miraculous magic tool seemingly created by a heavenly G.o.d”.
Even dexterous craftsmen from the dwarves couldn’t manufacture such an elaborate thing, or so the merchant a.s.serted.
And exactly because it’s such a magnificent magic tool, he first and foremost brought it to the world’s best magic tool inventor: Meiya — the merchant flattered as such.
(You only brought it to me, a known magic tool dilettante, since you thought you could rip me off, anyways… since you would only get a paltry sum from those n.o.bles in the magic schools who strikes a hard bargain.)
However, though she was a dilettante, she’s no mere amateur.
She’s a publicly acknowledged genius in magic tool development.
Did he really think herself willing to buy inferior magic tools?
Meiya scoffed at the merchant’s sales pitch and crossed her legs.
However, without noticing the scornful look in Meiya’s eyes, the merchant moved to the garden to demonstrate the ability of the S&W M10 revolver.
With a memo with its name and usage instructions in one hand, the merchant started explaining its functions.
The merchant shot a previously prepared brick from about 5 meters away.
Splendidly, the bullet smashed the brick.
The merchant continuously destroyed bricks one brick after another.
Arms crossed and being waited upon by a guard-c.u.m-servant, Meiya who was watching in an arrogant att.i.tude was surprised by the S&W M10’s power, performance, rapid-fire capability, and so on, becoming unable to stand up on the spot due to collapsing from the shock.
All the maids on the scene rushed to her.
Though Meiya was still frozen on the spot, unable to stand for such a magnificent magic tool, she immediately made the purchase without questioning the merchant’s unreasonable price.
Furthermore, she wanted to buy any other goods of the same series that the merchant has for sale, as well as any information on its creator.
According to the merchant, there is one other similar magic tool, but he couldn’t come to an agreement with the person who brought it about the price, so it seems it was brought to some other merchant.
Meiya was–
“Money isn’t an issue. Find the other similar magic tool and gather information on its creator at once!”
The merchant received payment for the revolver and rushed out of the Meiya estate in a hurry.
While Meiya was waiting for the similar magic tool and information on its creator, she immediately researched the revolver in her workshop.
First, with the memo that came with it in one hand, she confirmed its name.
The small metal pipes in the S&W M10 revolver seems to called .38 Special cartridges.
The 6 cartridge rounds are loaded in holes in the part called a cylinder.
Below that is a part called a trigger; it seems bullets fly out when it is pulled.
It seems to be made of magic liquid metal that’s harvested by killing metal slimes.
“To be able to create such a divine magic tool using that good-for-nothing magic tool…..”
Knowing the material its made from surprised her even more.
Continuing her research — there were too many astonishing points: the cylinder that internally shifts whenever the trigger is pulled, small parts that cannot possibly be made with our present level of metallurgy, the means in which grooves were carved into the interiors, etc.
“This cartridge is a splendid item, as well.”
She examined the empty cartridge in detail.
It appears that explosion magic is sealed within these small pipes, activated by the trigger and hammer operating together conferring a strong impetus to its rim.
Then, the mechanism is such that the small piece of metal inside the pipe would be propelled out — she determined as such.
To produce such a magic tool that uses so little to achieve maximum efficacy… the person who made this is a genius above even me!
Meiya Dragoon, who was exceptionally prideful even amongst the prideful dragon race, recognized the creator of the S&W M10 as a genius without a hint of hesitation.
If someone who knew her were there, they would probably faint while foaming at the mouth at the overwhelmingly shocking scene.
She was that prideful.
Without delay, Meiya ordered some magic liquid metal and tried to reproduce an S&W M10 herself.
However…
“… … this isn’t going well at all. Was the S&W M10 really made of this stuff, I wonder?”
On the very same day that Meiya got her hands on the magic liquid metal, she started shutting herself in one of her home’s workshops to try and begin production, but she was completely unable to make progress.
In the first place, ‘magic liquid metal’ is an item obtained by defeating the monster known as metal slime.
Magic liquid metal is a special metal with a unique characteristic that if one touches it while imagining a weapon and pumps magic into it it will take the shape of said weapon.
It has the merit of being easy to carry around in small quant.i.ties.
For that reason, it’s a magic tool favored by a.s.sa.s.sins.
Its demerit is that once it’s fixed into a certain form, it cannot revert back into its liquid form.
Without a clear image if you made a sword, it would be blunt; armor would have uneven thickness, and even its size would be wrong.
It is only situationally useful; difficult to handle; being a magic tool, expensive.
An item that has become synonymous with the words ‘unpopular commodity’.
Meiya’s judgment is that it’s something that she can’t help but hesitate to even call it a magic tool.
Magic liquid metal is so unpopular that n.o.body conducts research on it. As such, using magic liquid metal, how such strength was achieved; how such elaborate parts were produced; and how grooves were engraved in the tube’s interior… she was frankly unable to comprehend.
Meiya temporarily paused production using magic liquid metal.
With a different approach, she was going to once again try producing an S&W M10.
She requested a skilled dwarf engineer, whom she is the patron of, to make the iron tubes.
She decided to try using a rod to forcibly shave off interior grooves in the pipes in post-production.
The S&W M10’s structure is complex, but the underlying concept is simple.
It was simply explosion magic propelling a piece of metal inside a tube.
Although she couldn’t really understand how the cartridges’ explosion magic could be activated just from getting struck by the hammer… … …
Even though she couldn’t find traces of any special magic being applied on the hammer…
Prototype #1 was completed before long.
It had the appearance of a short metal tube. Wood was attached beneath it for support.
Given that she didn’t know how the hammer activated the explosion magic in the cartridge, the b.u.t.t of the tube was made to be openable courtesy of a metal lid.
A small piece of magic stone was installed and magical inscriptions were engraved in this breech.
It’s set up so that if one were to chant the preset incantation while touching the breech, the explosion magic charged into the magic stone would activate.
A metal ball loaded through the muzzle is used as ammunition.
It was properly made to be the same shape as the bullets used for the S&W M10.
Meiya had thought of the possibility of an accident happening, so she fixed Prototype #1 onto an apparatus she prepared on the courtyard.
About 2 meters ahead, a brick had been placed as a target.
Without delay, she crammed a bullet into the muzzle.
“Hmmm, looks like the size doesn’t fit. Bring me a different one.”
As per Meiya’s instructions, a maid brought out several bullets spread out on a tray.
On top of the tray was a cushion, and the bullets were placed on top of that so as to not let them roll around.
Eventually, after the third prototype, she used a rod to cram a bullet in.
The magic stone was already charged with explosion magic.
Meiya attached a metal thread which could transmit magical power onto the breech, and took a distance of approximately 5 meters.
By forcing magical power through the metal thread, it would be as if she was touching the metal lid directly.
Once everything was set up, Meiya gleefully chanted the incantation.
“Explode!”
BOOM!
“Kyaa!?”
Prototype #1’s body literally exploded.
“Meiya-sama! Are you safe!?”
“Uh, yes, I’m all right”
For the second time, the maids gathered around Meiya who was on her behind, unable to stand due to surprise.
Meiya borrowed their hand to stand up, and approached the spot where the now-exploded Prototype #1 was placed.
The tube’s body exploded from its base.
The metal bits were torn into long thin slices.
The magic stone affixed onto the lid was also smashed.
Somehow or other, the explosion magic was released in an airtight condition. The magic stone couldn’t handle the shock and became damaged, causing the stockpiled magical power within it to be released.
As a result of the explosion magic combined with the magic stone’s power running wild; the tube’s body couldn’t handle the strain, became damaged, and things went to s.h.i.t.
“For me of all people to… … even though it’s something so obvious if I had just given it some thought.”
Furthermore, adding insult to injury, the fired bullet was found in a completely different direction from the target.
The brick target wasn’t even grazed in the slightest.
The rifling marks on the bullet were distorted halfway.
It’s probably because the internal grooves were crooked.
As a result, the bullet did not fly straight.
With regard to the grooves… “in adding rotation to the bullet, it would stabilize its flight”. Meiya raised such a hypothesis.
It followed the same principles as fletchings on arrows.
She had thought that it was an important part which was needed to gyroscopically stabilize the bullet, so she made it carefully. But the result was this sad sight.
However, she had no intention of blaming the dwarf who she had requested to produce it.
After all, for a first prototype, she had made rash demands such as digging out grooves inside the metal pipe…
“What I understood from actually trying to make prototype models…… the only I understood is that this S&W M10 is truly an extraordinary magic tool.”
For argument’s sake, let’s a.s.sume that the Prototype #1 Meiya made was put to practical use.
Even supposing the main body could withstand the explosion magic, the damage to the magic stone couldn’t be prevented.
For a magic stone of that size, depending on quality, it would cost about 1 – 5 silver coins (10,000 – 50,000 j.a.panese Yen) per stone.
To use magic stones as disposables on a magic tool that can’t even accurately hit a target from 2 meters away is insane.
And yet, without using magic stones, the S&W M10 could fire multiple shots in succession, and with excellent accuracy, to boot.
Completely unable to understand how it was made, Meiya was at her wits’ end for a while.
Several months after purchasing the S&W M10, and after failing in researching on reproducing it, the merchant who sold the revolver came bringing a similar magic tool and information on the creator.
Same as last time, they were in the parlour.
The merchant respectfully places a tube that was bigger and longer than the revolver.
Apparently, this magic tool was called an “AK-47”.
Meiya didn’t even bother haggling and bought the AK-47 and the information on its creator with at the merchant’s asking price.
The first thing she did after the merchant left was look at the papers holding information on the creator.
The S&W M10 and AK-47’s creator’s name is Lute.
Raised in an orphanage in Hod of the Aljio region in the Fairy Human Continent.
It seems the merchant got lucky and came across and asked a former resident of Hod.
Lute had been a genius since he was in the orphanage, having learned to speak, read & write as well as basic arithmetic at the age of 3.
At 5 years old, he developed toys such as Reversi and sold the rights to it to a merchant. With the funds procured from that, he set aside a part of it to buy magic liquid metal for the development of the S&W M10 and AK-47.
At 10 years old, he graduated from the orphanage.
After taking a Level II quest as an adventurer, it is likely that he died fighting against a monster.
There was no corpse, not even bones. Suspected that it was already eaten by a monster.
“This can’t be… To think the creator is already dead.”
Meiya was dejected.
For the holder of such talent to die at the age of 10… for such a thing to have happened…
How could the G.o.ds do such a cruel thing?
Next, she performed some test firing with the newly bought AK-47.
Same as last time, she went to the courtyard.
The maids placed down some bricks to be targets.
Meanwhile, Meiya looked over the instructions for the AK-47.
It would seem that it was a magic tool made to be able to shoot more bullets than the revolver.
“Certainly, it makes sense…”
After shooting six shots with the revolver, one would have to take out the cartridges from the cylinder and reload it.
However, the AK-47 had something called a “magazine” which was loaded with 30 shots. Also, it seems that reloading could be done simply by replacing the magazine.
Meiya understood that, with this, one could fire a lot of bullets like those from the revolver; but with a much higher capacity.
Since preparations for the brick targets were done, test firing was about to begin.
”Full automatic”, which according to the memo was for firing a large number of bullets
“Here goes nothing.”
She grasped the grip without pressing the stock against her shoulder, and fired while just holding onto the checker ring.
“Kyaaa!?”
Surprised by the recoil from the 7.62mm x Russian shots, she was once again on her behind due the full automatic’s rapid-fire.
She lost her grip on the AK-47 and it tumbled onto the ground.
Meiya turned pale.
Because she imagined that the bullets would shoot out the same way as with the revolver, the AK-47’s full auto completely took her by surprise.
She was, once again, clueless as to its structure that allowed it to fire so quickly in succession.
It was even less comprehensible than the S&W M10’s structure.
In the first place, the concept of such a magic tool didn’t exist in this world.
That’s why she was all the more confused.
(This alien-like magic tool design orientation was created by a mere 5-year-old child!? Th.. That’s impossible!)
However, the real thing was right before her eyes.
Meiya looked at the AK-47 as if it were a cursed magic tool created by a devil king.
But even more than the unpleasant thought, the realization that her talents could never match up to Lute, the genius who created this magic tool, was painfully clear.
Ever since the day when she test-fired the AK-47, Meiya’s was greatly wounded and she drowned herself in alcohol in order to escape from reality.
Scattered around the bed in her room was a large quant.i.ty of wines, spirits, liqueur, and the like.
“There’s no more alcohol… Quick, bring me more alcohol…”
“Me, Meiya-sama… any more than is bad for your health.”
“Tsu! Me, to that inventor! Are you saying I’m inferior to Lute!?”
”Hii!”
Meiya threw an empty alcohol bottle at the servant.
Since she was drunk, her aim was a mess and the bottle smashed into the wall.
The maid ran out of the room with a pale face.
“Ri, right away ma’am!”
“… hmph.”
While waiting for the maid to bring back some alcohol, Meiya collapsed onto the bed.
When the maid came back with alcohol, she s.n.a.t.c.hed it away.
“Gulp, gulp”
With alcohol in hand, she forced practically all of it down her throat, some of it spilling.
And thus, she continued spending her days mostly drinking alcohol.
Not just the maids, but also people from outside the mansion were despondent for Meiya.
She was no longer the genius magic tool inventor that they knew.
“Past the age of 20, you are just another person”. While this parallel world didn’t have such a saying, but n.o.body doubted that her talent had withered.
One morning, such as she was, a revelation came… she came to realize the reason she was born into this world.
She realized that with the limited talent she was endowed with, her role was to make sure that the name and great exploits of the true genius who created the S&W M10 and AK-47 would be known by future generations.
Once she realized that, she was quick to act.
She ordered a maid to clean up her room and prepare a hot bath.
Dipping her body in steaming hot bath water washed away any alcohol left in her body.
She brought the S&W M10 and AK-47 to her workshop and immediately started her research.
She started her a.n.a.lysis of the S&W M10 and AK-47’s structure anew.
Since the revolver’s basic structure is quite simple, making a replica shouldn’t be impossible.
The problem is the AK-47.
Even now, she couldn’t understand the principle behind its ability to fire so many bullets so quickly.
Even though she would like to disa.s.semble the AK-47, it would be troubling if it turns out she couldn’t rea.s.semble it.
Now that G.o.d Lute, the true genius, is dead; another AK-47 will never appear again in this world.
Before starting on the actual thing, she decided to start off her research on the cartridges.
If she could only understand how the explosion magic charged inside the cartridge was activated by the hammer, the need to use magic stones as disposables would disappear.
Thus, she restarted her observations on an empty cartridge.
Explosion magic is sealed up inside a small pipe; when its b.u.t.t is stimulated, a small piece of metal flies out.
A concept that didn’t exist until now.
Furthermore, its power was at a level where it could easily kill.
For example, if it comes to be that ma.s.s-production of AK-47s and cartridges is possible, even non-magicians could overthrow a country if they got hold of it.
The existence of the magic tool created by G.o.d Lute once again sent shivers down her spine.
“It seems that this sealed s.p.a.ce is an important part of the cartridge, huh…”
By causing an explosion within the sealed s.p.a.ce, it maintains the impact’s directivity and thus, it attains its propulsive force.
It’s by maintaining that directivity that the piece of metal can sublimate to a level where it can kill creatures.
It’s a new concept where one maintains directivity on scattered energy.
She still didn’t know the method in which the hammer activated the explosion magic within the cartridge, but…
“… … I wonder if this concept can’t be applied using magic stones.”
Truly a train of thought befitting the Magic Stone Princess.
As a result, she started dedicating half her research time trying to establish a means to incorporate magical power through magic stones… she called it the [Focused Mana Charging Method].
Putting a magic stone inside the metal tube, she held up both hands.
The mouth of the tube was widened, and it became narrower to its b.u.t.t. It looked like a funnel.
The interior’s surface was smeared with a special chemical that perfectly reflects magical power.
Thanks to that, when magical power is transmitted, the amount that leaks without being absorbed by the magic stone is drastically reduced.
Magical tool inventors everywhere praised Meiya for this innovation that overshadowed the rainbow sword that she invented in the magic university.
The people who propagated the rumor that “Meiya’s talents had withered” all quieted down.
And people lionized her, saying “Meiya Dragoon is the greatest magic tool inventor in history”.
However, it was impossible for Meiya to be sincerely pleased with that evaluation.
She had simply stolen the idea from the true genius, the G.o.d, Lute.
Also, at the same time she was conducting a.n.a.lysis on the S&W M10 and AK-47, she was collecting information.
She had asked the merchant who brought her the S&W M10 and AK-47, as well as other merchants, to search for similar items in the world.
She recruited help in collecting information without minding the costs.
However, having caught hold of such talk, sly merchants and vice individuals swarmed toward Meiya as ants toward sugar.
Needless to say, the information and goods they brought were all fake.
Though they were counterfeits that simply imitated outward appearance, the resemblance was disgustingly uncanny, so she had her hopes up. However, she was able to immediately tell they were fakes as soon as she picked them up.
Such days of parsing through a large amount of jumbled information continued, until one day a plausible piece of information came.
Someone who grew up in the same orphanage as Lute… of the Beast race’s White Wolf tribe, a girl named Snow apparently owned a magic tool similar to the S&W M10 revolver.
It was said that she was studying in a magic school in the Fairy Human Continent at the moment.
According to the merchant who brought in the information, he approached her to try and buy the magic tool, but he wasn’t even given the time of day.
So he visited Meiya in the hopes that she would at least buy this information for a high price.
Naturally, she only paid the merchant as much the price for the information.
Meiya instantly made up her mind to go to the Fairy Human Continent to visit the aforementioned magic school.
However, a one-way trip from the Dragon Continent to the Fairy Human Continent would take at least half a year by ship.
A round-trip would take approximately one year.
But she was one of the few people in the world who owned a private airship.
Her private airship looked visually like a regular ship, but it used a large quant.i.ty of magic stones to float.
With this, even a trip that would usually take half a year could be completed in approximately one short month.
Without delay, in order for her to meet and directly negotiate with Snow, Meiya set her sights on a certain magic school in the Fairy Human Continent.
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(￣^￣)ゞ
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