第１９３５堀：想定よりも (Part2)
Well, those who hold magic in holy reverence would surely raise a ruckus, but since there’s nobody of that sort in Weed, I suppose it doesn’t matter.
"And so, it’s precisely because we’re operating at full capacity that we can manage it in twelve days. Ah, that’s assuming we have the pre-manufactured materials on hand, of course."
"Pre-manufactured?"
"Yes. Even the armor you see now requires a specific process to create. We’ve been running various experiments, you see. It’s composite armor. I believe I wrote about it in the documentation?"
At that, I recalled the materials I’d been given earlier regarding the armor for our land battleships and naval vessels.
"If I recall correctly, you said it wasn’t just several types of metal, but that you were sandwiching other things in between as well?"
"Exactly. By bonding metal plates with different properties, we achieve both rigidity and flexibility. Naturally, it also possesses the ability to repair itself when damaged."
"…Eh? I followed the first part, but what do you mean by the second? Repair? You mean it fixes itself?"
I couldn't help but ask for clarification after hearing such a bizarre explanation. What on earth did it mean for broken armor to fix itself?
"That’s exactly what I mean~! I mean, there are enchantments that allow swords to naturally recover when they wear down, lose their edge, or get chipped, right? This is just an advanced version of that~."
"Ah, I see."
That explanation made a certain amount of sense. Indeed, maintenance is surprisingly important for swords, and it’s common for them to break or chip. Well, blades known as masterworks can resist such wear thanks to superior materials and the skill of the blacksmith, but eventually, they still break. That’s just the nature of things.
However, swords imbued with regeneration or maintenance enchantments can sometimes heal naturally if the damage is minor. They can’t do much if the blade actually snaps, though.
Incidentally, the weapons Narjia-san develops come with automatic repair as a standard feature. Thanks to Yuki, they have access to an endless supply of materials and rare resources, which is why they end up with such insane performance. Using that same technology for the armor of a land battleship is... well, it’s rational, but still...
"You actually managed to pull it off? I would have thought that was incredibly difficult."
Everyone desires such a thing. It’s no exaggeration to say that what Narjia-san is describing is a house or a carriage that fixes itself. It’s the realization of a dream.
"Ahaha, it’s limited, of course. We’re talking about land battleship armor, not a sword. The scale is massive. Besides, interiors have to be renovated depending on the era and the purpose, so the function is limited to the armor and vital areas like the engine. And even then, 'repair' doesn't mean it happens instantly."
"That makes sense, I suppose."
Instant recovery from damage would be far too absurd.
"It depends on the scale of the damage, but to fully repair a ten-meter-square section of the planned armor takes about a day~."
"..."
We were left speechless by that explanation.
"Oh? Is that too slow?"
"The opposite. I’m shocked that something made of such luxurious materials can repair itself in just a day without any intervention... Doesn't that mean you could intentionally carve out pieces of the armor and effectively 'produce' more of it?"
If that were possible, it would be the birth of a dream resource that could generate infinite materials. It would be an incredible feat that would eliminate the need to order anything via DP.
"Ahaha, it doesn't work quite that well~. This repair function requires a significant amount of magical power and a special potion made from refined medicinal herbs~."
"I’m relieved, actually. So there are proper limitations."
In that case, we wouldn't have to worry about other nations begging for it, or demanding it if they found out. Just as I was thinking that:
"Regarding the magical power, it requires a vast amount—specifically about 10,000 DP, or roughly 1,000,000 in magical energy conversion—plus the special potion. In other words, if we push ourselves, we *could* produce it. Though, I wouldn't recommend it, as it would leave us completely drained~."
"The cost is low, technically, but 1,000,000 in magical power would leave two of us completely empty. It’s tricky, because if something were to happen, we wouldn't be able to sortie," Comet added.
"..."
Just by consuming the energy of two people and some specific chemicals, this armor material can be restored—or rather, a ten-meter-square slab of steel can be harvested? ...It’s a complicated situation.
Narjia and her team might realize they’ve created an out-of-this-world artifact that exceeds all expectations, but they seem uninterested because it doesn't look particularly flashy. Meanwhile, Seraria and the others were turning pale for entirely different reasons.