第８６５堀：ある転生者の経緯 (Part2)
"So, to survive in this brutal warring period, I've been making full use of my modern knowledge to get this far. As for firearms, I found some documents when I attended the Haiden Magic Academy, so I tried to recreate them. Aren't you, the ambassador, a student at the Magic Academy?"
Menou said, looking at Kagura and the others.
Kagura and the others, despite being ambassadors, were wearing the student uniforms of the Haiden Magic Academy.
So, the origin of the firearms was now clear.
"You found the blueprints for firearms at the academy?"
"Yes. I'd heard that there was a sage from another world who came to Haiden long ago, and fortunately, I had high aptitude for magic, so I was allowed to attend. While investigating, I found several blueprints and brought them back here."
"How long ago was that?"
"Let's see. I was still in my teens... well, I'm still in my teens. Anyway, it was from back then."
Alright, age is another sensitive topic with Menou.
It was good I didn't say anything carelessly.
"Well, it was quite a while ago, then."
"Yes. However, in the end, knowledge learned superficially is useless. Since coming to this world, I've realized how much I've lived by just surface-level knowledge. Even with something as simple as soap, I don't know the proportions of the ingredients. As for firearms, I tried to make them, but they lacked complete strength. I never imagined that the quality of iron was so important before I made them. Now that I think about it, it's obvious. Back on Earth, I was particular about the materials of my clothes. I truly realized how much the accumulation of knowledge from so many people went into creating the Earth."
I see.
This transmigration person, Menou, was a typical ordinary person.
Ordinary people don't need to worry about the material of iron in their daily lives.
What principles things are made by is something only experts need to know.
Consumers don't need to know all that. They just use things, and when they're gone, they buy more.
"As a result, the development of firearms stalled. Then, I thought, why not just shoot magic? That's how it became. We don't even have cannons. If you say that the resources could be used to make weapons for soldiers instead of wasting them on useless things..."
"That's true. If they had the performance of modern weapons, maybe. But with performance that can only shoot a small iron ball..."
The logic that magic was prioritized and iron was used for other weapons made sense.
"So, when I changed to a magic-shooting system, it was somewhat better, but then the appearance of sea monsters disrupted the import of magic stones to be used as ammunition, and it's just too troublesome. It should be called turbulent. Well, now that I think about it, perhaps Japan also had things like this happening behind the scenes. Because there were often violations of territorial waters and airspace. Maintaining a country isn't easy."
Menou's wry smile exuded a sense of having gone through a lot of hardship.
"So, that's the general outline. If you want to hear more heroic tales, ask Queen Emerald. She'll tell them with much more exaggeration and humor than I can, so you won't get bored listening. The content is just that I, a failure, made a gun and led a unit to rout the enemy army."
"No, isn't that amazing in this patriarchal world?"
"Well, people often say that, but at the time, if I didn't step in, the territory would have been finished. I was desperate then and didn't have the luxury to think about such things. Well, due to that, I was promoted, and after some events with Queen Emerald, we became friends, and that's how I am now."
Menou concluded her story and happily drank her juice.
"Ah, this is delicious. Now it's my turn. Since I've told you this much, you should properly tell me about your side. Why are there Japanese people here in the first place? And what is that aircraft carrier? Did we connect with Earth? Can I return to Japan again?"
"..."
At Menou's words, we were speechless.
We couldn't give her false hope, nor could we outright deny it.
There was a flicker of hope and joy in Menou's eyes.
However, we couldn't *not* say anything.
Or rather, she probably sensed it immediately from our reactions.
"...I see. There's no such convenient thing, is there? Don't worry about it. It's just that I'm a little concerned about my parents, whom I left behind without doing anything to repay them."
"..."
She's clearly worried about them!
But I shouldn't blurt that out, right?
"Well, I'm sorry I can't meet your expectations. For now, let me explain our circumstances."
However, I still don't intend to reveal the crucial details.
This was the story of Menou, who, thinking it was a typical transmigration story, struggled greatly due to a lack of basic knowledge.
The protagonists in transmigration stories who succeed like in light novels have an abundance of such knowledge, which is why they can do it. Ordinary people are like this.
Thus, the conversation with Menou progressed, and it was now Yuki and the others' turn to share their stories.