Isekai Nonbiri Nouka

Tracking Cargo Carts.

Since they are meant to track targets, they move automatically.

Their power source is a golem.

And the source of that power is magic stones.

Magic stones.

Stones infused with magic power, obtained from defeated demon beasts and monsters.

The stronger the demon beast or monster, the larger the magic stone becomes, the greater the magic power stored within it, and the higher its quality.

In other words, large magic stones are valuable.

That is why the Tracking Cargo Cart was originally designed to run on small magic stones.

However, making it operate using small magic stones required many complicated adjustments. Those kinds of refinements are exactly where the mountain elves excel, but unfortunately, those same refinements became obstacles to mass production.

In short, it required craftsmanship that only a limited number of people could manage.

The mountain elves thought about it.

At this rate, they would become completely occupied with mass-producing Tracking Cargo Carts and would not be able to make anything else.

So the mountain elves threw away all those complicated refinements.

More specifically, instead of using small magic stones, they decided to use large ones.

Their new approach was to brute-force things with the power of larger magic stones.

And in practice, this simplified the structure of the Tracking Cargo Cart and made mass production feasible.

The problem was securing enough large magic stones.

As I mentioned earlier, large magic stones are valuable.

The small magic stones originally used were about half the size of a watermelon seed.

The large magic stones the mountain elves wanted were about the size of a pinky fingernail.

It sounds like gathering enough magic stones even that size would be difficult.

Incidentally, there is already a stockpile of magic stones in the village warehouse.

Whenever Kuro and the others go hunting, they secure and store them.

In the past, Kuro and Zabuton’s groups liked eating them, but recently they have started saying things like 「They are a bit too hard…」 and seem tired of them.

Apparently, they prefer meat and potatoes now.

So, the stockpile just keeps growing.

Naturally, I wondered whether those magic stones could be used for the Tracking Cargo Carts…

But the magic stones in the village warehouse range from thumbnail-sized to as large as basketballs.

Apparently, they are too large.

Even oversized stones can technically be used, but their value becomes far too high, making them unsuitable for commercial sales.

So I thought maybe they could simply be crushed into smaller pieces and used that way, but the mountain elves stopped me, saying that would be too wasteful even for them.

Loo and Tier nodded in agreement as well.

Hmm.

It seems large magic stones really are precious.

And yet, for the vending golems, we used plenty of magic stones around ten centimeters in size.

Also, before, Yoru said she wanted magic stones as materials for ammunition, so I gave her several baseball-sized ones. She crushed them into powder without the slightest hesitation.

……

Yeah.

It is probably better not to mention that.

I will keep quiet about it.

-0-

In any case, well, gathering magic stones around the size of a pinky fingernail became the top priority.

I put in requests with the Goroun Company and the Dalfon Company.

As payment, we agreed to give them magic stones equal in total weight to the ones they gathered for us.

I wondered if that was really acceptable, but both the Goroun Company and the Dalfon Company were delighted, saying the terms were exceptionally generous, so I suppose there is no problem.

We have already completed two exchanges with the Goroun Company and three with the Dalfon Company.

Though the magic stones we gave away amounted to only five ping-pong-ball-sized stones in total.

I even offered to provide larger ones as a bonus service, but they refused with all their strength.

-0-

Domaim came to the village.

As a souvenir, he gave us many giant pale green rocks about one meter in diameter.

And by many, I mean enough to form a small hill.

I appreciate it, but what are these supposed to be used for?

「Umm, I do not know. Rananon-sama said you would be pleased if I brought them here」

Rananon?

Ah, Rana-san.

When both share the same name, my daughter always comes to mind first.

How confusing.

Anyway, if Rana-san said this rock would benefit the village, then it probably has some value to us.

Since I have no idea what that value is, I asked someone who might know.

Loo… is busy making parts for the Tracking Cargo Carts.

Tier is working with her.

In that case, maybe Dors?

I asked Dors, but apparently he did not know either.

「Ah, no, wait」

Something seemed to catch in his memory.

「This rock… I saw it in Gigrant-sama’s treasure vault！」

Ohhh.

The key to Rana-san’s husband’s treasure vault that she gave us before.

Dors knew where the vault was located, but apparently it is currently underwater, and he refused to take us there until safety could be guaranteed.

If Dors says it is difficult, then it probably truly is difficult.

I did not insist on going.

So, Dors took custody of the key, and his subordinates were supposed to bring the contents of the treasure vault here instead.

However, although he said it should be fine, Dors explained that the contents needed to be checked before handing them over to me. So, he went to open the vault and returned, but its contents still have not arrived at the village yet.

Still, if these pale green rocks were seen inside that treasure vault, then the possibility that they are related to the Multipurpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Machinery (Arti-Horse) has increased.

If they are related to the Multipurpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Machinery, then it makes sense that Rana-san believed the village would be pleased.

Though I have no idea how they are related…

Apparently, Dors does not know either.

Maybe Yoru would understand if she saw them?

「That will not be necessary」

Bell, who happened to be in Big Tree Village, said that and stopped me from calling Yoru.

Instead, she suggested calling Loo and Tier.

But both of them are busy.

「Even if their work is delayed, you should tell them」

Really?

I called for Loo and Tier.

-0-

When Loo and Tier arrived and saw the small mountain of giant pale green rocks, their expressions stiffened.

Are they something rare?

「Rare, or perhaps… somet…」

Loo tried to explain, but Tier quietly stopped her.

Then she brought out a baseball-sized magic stone from the village warehouse…

And using one of the giant pale green rocks as material, she created a golem.

This is different from the usual golems?

Is this a Multipurpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Machinery?

Unit One before it was absorbed by Klim?

「I reproduced it to make things easier to understand. Only the exterior, the inside is hollow」

Huh.

「These giant pale green rocks… have been called by many names, but I call them Magic Iron Alloy」

Its characteristics are obvious from the fact that it could be shaped into something identical to Unit One so easily. It is extremely easy to process.

Even the color changed.

And then there is its expansion property.

A one-meter-diameter piece of Magic Iron Alloy was enough to reproduce the outer shell of a ten-meter-class Multipurpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Machinery.

That means it expanded tremendously.

And yet, its weight remained unchanged.

In other words, it is light.

But also extremely hard.

「With this, we can repair the outer armor of the Multipurpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Machinery, and reproducing parts will become much easier」

I see.

So the Multipurpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Machinery will now be able to handle minor damage repairs.

It truly is related technology.

Still, nothing in this world is only convenient.

Does it have any weaknesses?

Weak against heat, perhaps?

Easily flammable?

「No. Magic Iron Alloy and objects made from it have no real weaknesses to speak of. However, handling it requires considerable skill and a massive amount of magic power」

Enough that even Tier needed to use a magic stone?

「Yes. And there is also the price. Apparently, large amounts could be obtained long ago, but nowadays it is extremely valuable, and there are very few people capable of working with it」

Apparently, a one-meter-diameter piece of Magic Iron Alloy is worth about the same as the baseball-sized magic stone Tier brought from the warehouse.

But there is a whole hill of Magic Iron Alloy here?

「We should store it in the warehouse… no, we should ask Ria and the others to expand the warehouse」

Yeah, that sounds right.

「Wait a second, Tier. This thing does have a proper weakness, does it not?」

Loo said that while looking at the replicated Unit One, but Tier tilted her head as if she did not understand.

「It is too hard to reprocess」

「Yeah, that is true」

Apparently, once it is expanded and shaped, reprocessing it becomes almost impossible.

「But I think that is more of an advantage than a weakness?」

That is true.

I also think not being easily reprocessed is an advantage.

「Really? Then what are we supposed to do with this Unit One afterward? You did not make it so it could move, right?」

…………

Unlike a normal golem, it cannot be returned to its original state.

Because it cannot be reprocessed.

But it is hard.

I looked at Tier.

After thinking for a moment, Tier turned toward me with a troubled expression.

Umm.

Everyone has been busy lately, so she simply overlooked it.

Yeah.

I covered for her.

The imitation Unit One made from Magic Iron Alloy stood proudly in the village for a while until the mountain elves eventually dismantled it.

At least it was easy to move because it was light.

-0-

Domaim: 「It was my first appearance in a long while, and I could not keep up with the conversation」

Hakuren: 「You will get some follow-up next time, so it is fine」

-0-

Bell: 「I thought this was finally my moment to appear…」

Yoru: 「That is because you ruined my moment instead」