CH 140

Chapter 140 – Predictable And Unavoidable

I was setting up the golem workbench and experimenting with item creations when I heard a scream in the distance.

“What are you making? I don’t think a saddle is going to help with a body that small.”

“I’m not making a saddle. It’s something much better.”

I said, wondering what to do with the design.

What I’m trying to make is something like a portable gondola. It could be something like a ski lift with a flying seat, or it could be a basket or a birdcage, or it could be a gondola that literally looks like a flying carriage… The seat type is the easiest and lightest to make. So, let’s try to make the seat type first.

The frame should be made of steel and sturdy, with footings at the four corners so that it can be placed on the ground when it lands, the seat should be upholstered and filled with cotton for comfort, and there should be a seat belt and a handle at the top so that Grande can hold it easily…

・Gondola for Grande ― Materials: Steel Leaf Springs x 6, Cloth x 4, Fiber x 20, Leather x 3

Okay, item creation was successful. I’ll make a crafting reservation for the golem workbench as soon as possible.

Since the new golem workbench, the crafting time for items has become much shorter. It depends on the item, but the crafting time is usually less than half to a tenth of the time at best. I guess it was worth the effort to upgrade.

A little while later, the finished product was a steel frame and a couch with a seat belt.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a gondola to be carried by Grande. Sylphy and I will sit here and use this seatbelt to secure our bodies, and Grande will hold the handle on top of it and fly.

“I see… but for safety’s sake, wouldn’t it be better to use a box shape?”

“I thought about that, but I thought it would create too much air resistance.”

“Yeah… that’s true, too.”

The box-shaped gondola is expected to have much greater air resistance from the front. I thought it would be hard to fly because the hand and arm holding the gondola would be swept back.

“It’s just that it’s going to take some time for Grande to get used to it… Let’s make some different shapes.”

“Yes, the more options, the better.”

Using the first gondola for Grande as a reference, I discussed with Sylphy to increase the variations of the gondola. I made the box-shaped one that Sylphy proposed, a basket-shaped one like a balloon gondola, a birdcage-shaped one surrounded by iron bars, and a swing-shaped one with a seat suspended by chains from a metal frame… I made the second, third, fourth, and fifth gondolas, respectively.

“I’ve made a whole bunch of them… Which one do you think is the best?”

“I think it’s best to prioritize the ones that are easy for Grande to fly, don’t you think so?”

“Well… let’s just have her fly with it for now. Grandeeeeeee!”

When I called out loudly, Grande passed over our heads at great speed. There was a cracking sound of rocks behind us and a scream.

When we turned around, we saw that Grande had been stuck head first into a rock. It was very painful to see her limp tail swaying and flapping.

“Gnunu… it’s hard to control.”

Grande pulled her head out of the rock and shook her head to shake off the pebbles and stuff. If it were a normal human, the damage would have been instantaneous. That’s how strong a dragon can be.

“Are you calling me, Kosuke…? What’s that?”

“I was thinking that we could sit down here and have Grande carry it for us.”

“Oh, I see. I just have to grab the top handle and fly, right?”

Grande looked at the gondolas lined up with interest.

“Yes. Can you try to see which one is easier to fly?”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

Then Grande spreads her wings, floats up, and flies away with the basket-shaped No. 3, which looks like a balloon gondola. Perhaps it’s because there’s nothing inside, it’s too light, and it’s quite difficult to fly. I called Grande once and asked her to fly again after adding some weight.

After adding the weights, it looks easier to fly than before. I make weights for the other gondolas, put them on the seats, and fasten them with seat belts. Each weight weighed 80kg. Both Sylphy and I are lighter than this, but there’s a possibility that we’ll have Danan and Sir Leonard on board in the future.

It seems that Grande’s flight is becoming more stable as she gets used to the gondola and practices flying.

“The ones that are easy to fly are this one, this one, and this one.”

After about an hour of test flights, it was determined that the seat-shaped No. 1, the birdcage-shaped No. 4, and the swing-shaped No. 5 were the easiest for Grande to carry. The box and basket types seemed to have too much air resistance and were difficult to hold.

“Is the flight going to be okay?”

“Yes, it should be fine. It’s nothing once I get used to it. I don’t think there will be any problem flying normally.”

“Normally?”

“Yeah. If I try to fight in the air, I’ll overexert myself and go too fast.”

“I see. Well, you won’t be fighting in the air while carrying us, so it should be okay.”

“I hope so. Well, the speed will be faster than before. If it comes down to it, we can just fly straight up and out of the way.”

“I’m afraid that would be dangerous for us…”

Sylphy smiled bitterly. It’s true that if she’s accelerating too fast, the sudden change in G-force could cause me to faint. It’s like a blackout or redout. Also, the wind pressure might be bad. The only thing I can rely on for wind pressure is the magic of Grande and Sylphy to protect me.

“Which one should we go with…?”

“I would recommend the safest one, No. 4…”

“Then let’s go with No. 4.”

The No. 4 is a birdcage-shaped, steel-latticed version of the No. 1 with enhanced defensive capabilities. It is a measure against bird strikes. If you were getting attacked, you could certainly avoid a direct hit, but you will also be exposed to blood and contents. I think it’s safe to say that the wind magic will protect you from that in the first place.

“Okay, we’re ready.”

Sylphy and I climbed into the No. 4 gondola, ensured our bodies were secured with seat belts and called out to Grande.

“Umu, let’s go. Be careful not to bite your tongue.”

Grande floated up, grabbed the handle on the top of Gondola No. 4, and flew up into the sky. The flowing scenery, the blowing wind, and the strong G’s that push your body into the seat, what is at the end of it is…!

“U-uoh…”

“Orororo…”

As soon as we landed in the square in front of the gates of the Elven village, Sylphy’s face went pale, and I threw up.

You know, I can’t do this. The speed, the exquisite swaying, and the ups and downs are just too much. Sylphy, who had cured herself of motion sickness with light spirit magic, cast a recovery spell on me as well. This feels so good… I manage to feel better.

“I-I’m sorry about that…”

“N-no, it’s not Grande’s fault.”

“It’s the seat. Yeah, this was a bad seat; maybe the fifth one with the suspended seat would have been better.”

The fourth seat is firmly fixed to the frame, so the swaying of Grande’s body directly hits us. It might have been a little better if the seat had been like a swing in the fifth. Or perhaps there is room for improvement in No. 5 as well. I think it would be better to make the swing chains more elastic to prevent vertical swaying.

Now that I’m feeling better, I use the shovel to bury my puke. I feel like I haven’t thrown up in a long time… Ugh, I think I’m going to throw up again.

“After resting for a while, let’s go to an elf craftsman to ask about making a limiter for Grande. We don’t have a lot of time to spare, after all.”

Today is the fourth day of our vacation. The vacation is supposed to last for a week, so there are only about three days left, including today. It is best to consult with the craftsman as soon as possible.

“Yes, the sooner, the better. It would be better if it could be completed while we are here.”

“If it can’t be done in time, we’ll have to have it made over there. I think Isla and the others can make it too.”

I took out a plastic bottle of drinking water from my inventory and rinsed my mouth. I also gave a bottle of drinking water to Sylphy.

“Do you want some water too, Grande?”

“Yes, I’ll have some!”

The bottle’s cap would be impossible to remove with Grande’s hands, so I removed the cap and handed it to her. I’m not sure if her hands are as dexterous as I thought they would be, but she seems to be able to grip the bottle and drink from it without any problem.

“Hmm, even with this body and this much water, it seems like quite a lot.”

“Haha, I guess so. The size of the body has been reduced by a factor of ten, or even a factor of a hundred or so? You’ll have to get used to it.”

“I guess so. For now, let’s add a bed in the living room and let her sleep.”

“Hmm? I don’t mind sleeping on the ground, you know.”

“If you want to live as a person, you have to change your way of life. A soft, warm bed is good for you, you know.”

“Fumu, that kind of thing… Enjoying the life of a person may indeed be a good thing.”

Grande tilted her head and thought about it, then nodded repeatedly as if she was convinced. Yeah, yeah, keep it up and get into human life. To be honest, letting her sleep on the ground with her appearance looks like abuse or something from a visual standpoint. I can’t help but feel painful or even ashamed when I see it.

“You’re feeling better by now? Then let’s head to the craftsmen.”

“Aye aye, ma’am.”

“Yes, I’ll follow you.”

And so, the three of us once again set foot in the Elven village together.