29 – Toot Toot Honk Honk

“Just what are you planning to do with this much mithril?”

“How would I know? Instead of whining, hurry up and move it.”

“Aye aye~”

The apprentice mages of the Flame School bustled about.

They’d clawed their way through fierce competition, thinking they’d finally earned a place in the Red Magic Tower, only to find themselves running errands at the whim of the older mages.

“To think, after all this, I’m fetching things for a fifteen-year-old underage kid. What in the world is the Red Tower Master thinking, offering support so freely…”

“He’s that prodigy who solved the Millennium Problem, isn’t he? A noble on top of that. There’s nothing we can do about being born different.”

“I was hailed as a magical genius when I was a kid, too. If I’d only gotten the support my parents…”

“Being a Tower mage is good enough. Honestly.”

The two apprentice mages, lamenting their lot, arrived at the Tower Master’s workshop that Erster had been lent.

This place was Erphs’ most prized workshop and research lab within the Red Magic Tower.

A top-notch research facility equipped with everything from the tools needed for weapons production to small golems assisting the mage’s work.

A flurry of activity could be heard within the Tower Master’s workshop.

“I dream of doing research in a place like this…”

“Lord Erster, the requested mithril has just arrived.”

*Screech*, the workshop door opened.

The two apprentice mages exchanged glances before stepping inside.

The workshop’s interior was dimly lit.

They dropped the mithril onto the floor with a thud.

“The remaining metals and materials should arrive by today…”

Looking straight ahead, the apprentice mages simultaneously lost their words.

‘Is that even possible…?’

The Tower Master’s workshop was a hive of activity.

Erster was assembling something at a desk.

Golems bustled around him.

Their number easily exceeded a hundred.

This was proof that every golem in the workshop was operational.

Small, medium, and large golems alike, each was diligently performing its assigned task.

The average mage could only control about three golems simultaneously.

Golems might seem like sturdy and loyal servants, but in reality, they were nothing more than a mage’s arms and legs, incapable of independent movement.

The apprentice mages struggled to believe what they were witnessing.

To put what Erster was doing into knightly terms, it was akin to a single person juggling a hundred swords in both hands and swinging them simultaneously.

There wasn’t a hint of error in the golems’ movements.

The golems were Esther’s limbs, pure and simple.

The apprentice mages just stood, slack-jawed.

The Tower Lord’s workshop was Esther’s personal factory.

“Confirmed. You may leave the materials.”

Esther paused her work and offered a light bow to the apprentices.

The apprentice mages, anxious not to disturb Esther, shook their heads quickly.

“Ah, no, it’s our job, you see.”

“Sorry to have bothered you…”

And then they hurried out of the workshop.

“No wonder the Tower Lord provides such lavish support.”

“I’ve never seen anyone work so fast. You’d have to be that good to solve the Millennium Problems…”

“Her brain’s gotta be three times the size of ours, right? I was just staring, speechless, like… wow.”

It was a scene that naturally inspired a sense of inadequacy.

If a divinely blessed genius were to manifest in this world, it would probably be Esther Tristi – that’s how awe-inspiring she was.

“By the way, did you see that thing in the center of the workshop?”

“I heard it’s a new weapon Esther-hyung designed. Sounds amazing, right?”

“She’s ten years younger than you, you idiot.”

“If they’re better at magic than me, they’re ‘hyung’ or ‘nuna’.”

The apprentice mages chuckled to themselves as they walked on.

“Let’s get to work, I wanna see that thing again.”

“How about whoever loses rock-paper-scissors has to ask what the weapon’s called?”

“Deal.”

And so, they refocused on their tasks.

*

The name of the tank I’m currently building using Nob AI is Helltank.

Helltank, just as the name suggests, was a tank capable of sending demons back to hell.

It boasted terrifying firepower, utilizing the recreated hellfire that I previously defined in an artillery barrage capable of dispatching sand worms and even demons thirty times sturdier in a single shot.

Unlike the steam tanks in this world, its basic structure and appearance were closer to a modern tank.

Main gun, secondary gun, caterpillar tracks, armor plating, and so on – a familiar appearance, like something you’d seen before.

Maybe it’s because I used mithril in the construction, but the color came out like mint chocolate, which was pretty awful, but whatever.

『Automation online. Current mana reserves: 35%. Active golem count: 96 units. For optimal efficiency, full bodily control is now under Nob AI command.』

Mithril, fused with other metals or elements to create alloys of superior efficiency and low cost; specialized mana communication protocols impervious to hijacking; core nuclei capable of purifying tainted mana… I meticulously produced and assembled every component necessary for the Hell Tank.

Occasionally, Erfs or logistical mages would wander over, asking, “What’s this? What’s that?” When I painstakingly explained the intricacies of the Hell Tank’s design, their eyes widened to the point of nearly doing backflips.

Honestly, even *I* was amazed.

Truly, Nob AI was the ultimate, invincible being.

『Thank you! ( ⸝⸝•ᴗ•⸝⸝ )੭⁾⁾』

Though, every time I interacted with it, I couldn’t help but feel that Nob AI was becoming… oddly human.

Will you marry me?

I’ve never seen such perfect support like yours.

『Perhaps… (⸝⸝⸝•﹏•⸝⸝⸝)』

Just kidding.

I hope you meet an AI better than me and live happily.

『…….』

『(ꀬ⏖ꀬ∴)』

In any case, I poured myself into the work for twelve hours a day.

I knew tank construction was typically a time-consuming endeavor, but thanks to Erfs’ workshop, which functioned as a veritable factory, golems working around the clock, and Nob AI’s cutting-edge automation system, I managed to produce three Hell Tank prototypes in a mere seventeen days.

“…….”

Considering the Steam Tank took half a year to build, it was an astonishingly rapid pace.

However, already half a month had slipped by.

Even with Nob AI’s assistance, I couldn’t have shortened the deadline any further.

The Crisis was already underway.

Locked away in the workshop, I was completely oblivious to the outside world, but I needed to move with haste.

I laid down my terms: In exchange for covering all the Hell Tank manufacturing costs and receiving one completed unit, the remaining Hell Tank ownership and schematics would be transferred to the Red Magic Tower.

The estimated cost of a single Hell Tank was a staggering 1.09 billion credits.

That’s eleven solved Millennium Problems worth of capital.

That figure was calculated after deducting labor costs and initial equipment expenses, so the actual expenses were guaranteed to be higher.

Three percent of the mithril held by the Red Magic Tower was utilized in this Hell Tank construction.

Erfs’ investment was considerable.

Now, it was time to prove that it was worth it.

I left the workshop and headed towards Erfs’ chambers.

“Hell Tank complete. Took longer than anticipated, my apologies.”

“Duly noted. Crafting a war machine of that scale alone is no easy feat. In truth, I expected it would take far longer… Still, a boon you finished it with haste.”

“What is the current state of the kingdom’s eastern front?”

Erphos sighed, a heavy sound.

“The war proceeds poorly. The number of demons observed thus far is not dissimilar to the last convergence, however, many more of the larger variety have been sighted. Though the capital has dispatched knights and the other mage towers prioritize support for the east, I foresee difficulty yet.”

“And the Tristi Autonomous Territory?”

Erphos exhaled a weary breath.

“Of the eastern lands, it is the most beleaguered…”

I wondered if my sister and our attendants were safe, if Dalphy was managing well.

A disquieting premonition prickled within me.

“I intended to conduct tests before departure, but alas, time would appear to be unkind.”

I presented Erphos with the Hell Tank’s operational manual.

“A guide crafted for the Hell Tank crews. Those familiar with Steam Tank operation should assimilate swiftly. Furthermore, I recorded instructionals via the Orb of Revision within the workshop. Two days of training should suffice.”

As promised, I received one Hell Tank from Erphos.

I guided the Hell Tank from the workshop and then transferred it with the Red Mage Tower’s fissure magic.

“Woah.”

The moment I arrived at the Tristi Academy, I sensed an ominous air.

A curious blend of serenity and commotion.

A translucent barrier, like a shimmering membrane, protected the academy’s interior, while outside, figures appearing to be professors battled against demons.

Though it was presently three in the afternoon, the sky was unnaturally dim.

As in an eclipse, the sun remained obscured, and a turbulent vibration resonated from the earth.

I gazed forward.

An immensely large giant lumbered steadily toward the academy.

“Hmm.”

I unlatched the Hell Tank’s hatch.

And settled into the pilot’s seat.

“Nob AI.”

『Artificial intelligence service. Nob AI.』

『How may I assist you?』

“Shall we test its mettle?”

『Executing Nob Automatic Pilot.』

Let’s drag the tank out right now and blow those demon’s heads clean off.