In the early afternoon, a hot air balloon from the capital, Loizart, arrived.
Aboard were Prime Minister Jung Fowles Von Kebsler and the Minister of Magical Technology, Degauss Furt Von Manishlas, the key figure responsible for the construction of the new ship this time.
They left Loizart before 6 a.m., evidently in a rush. It seems they managed a quick meal in the sky, indicating a rather demanding schedule.
“Well, this is the new ship. Quite impressive, isn’t it?”
The Prime Minister shared his impression. As soon as they arrived, the two of them took a tour around the ship.
“The name is Bernstein, amber, huh? Naming it based on its appearance. It’s modest and quite fitting, don’t you think?”
The Minister of Magi Technology was also impressed.
“With this, the launch ceremony can proceed without any issues. Is the order of the ceremony as we discussed before?”
“Yes, it follows the order we agreed upon earlier.”
“Well then, as this will become the standard for the future, let’s carry it out meticulously.”＊ ＊ ＊
As scheduled, at 2:00 in the afternoon, the launch ceremony finally commenced.
In attendance were the Prime Minister, Minister of Magi Technology, individuals involved in production, the hired craftsmen, knight guards, soldiers, the hotel’s manager and assistant manager who provided accommodations, and Simos Town’s mayor, totaling 51 people. Additionally, numerous spectators gathered to witness the event.
Dressed in a luxurious gown, Elsa is the first to ascend the gangway, taking her place at the bow of the ship. With a resolute voice, she declares,
“As of this moment today, I hereby name this ship Bernstein!”
She proceeds to cut a rope with a silver dagger in her hand. This rope is hanging from the side of the ship, attached to a banner.
As the cut rope and banner descend, the letters ‘BERNSTEIN’ are revealed.
Amidst applause from all participants, the Prime Minister, Minister of Magi Technology, Mayor, Reinhardt, Generos, Clea, and Kubalt, a total of seven individuals, board the ship.
On-site supervisor Christoph, Jin, and Rodrigo refrain from boarding the ship. With the exception of Christoph, essentially only individuals from the Shouro Empire are on board.
Moreover, Christoph holds another crucial role.
“Now, let’s proceed with the launch ceremony!”
Amid the continuous applause, the fixed ropes supporting the ship are being removed one by one.
As the final rope is detached, Christoph issues a command to the working golems.
“Push the ship!”
Bernstein, assembled on a sturdy cart, was meant to be pushed along the gently sloping path from the construction dock to Lake Wass.
However, an unexpected turn of events occurred.
Due to Bernstein’s weight, the sled part of the cart sinks into the ground, and it doesn’t budge.
“Push!”
Christoph issues the command again, but the ship remains stuck.
The working golems pushing are three-meter-tall mass-produced types based on Schwarz Ritter.
Evidently, they lack the necessary strength.
Although the giant golem Gorias might have the power to move it, its imprecise movements could pose a risk of potential damage to the ship.
Cold sweat forms on Christoph’s forehead, and his face pales. If the launch ceremony were to fail at this critical moment, it could have repercussions on the country’s prestige.
(Reiko, please help.)
(Yes, Father.)
Observing the situation, Jin quietly instructs Reiko.
Fortunately, most of the ceremony attendees are focused on watching the figures waving from the ship, unaware of the unfolding issue.
However, if the ship doesn’t start moving soon, people will begin to notice that something is wrong within a few seconds.
Jin gave instructions to Reiko at this critical moment.
<div class="code-block code-block-5" style="margin: 8px auto; text-align: center; display: block; clear: both;">Reiko activated ‘Invisible,’ rendering herself invisible, and stealthily approached Bernstein.
Desperately, she slipped between the three golems pushing the cart and crawled beneath it.
“Force Generator, activate.”
She generated force in the direction of lifting the cart.
Bernstein’s displacement is about 300 tons. Reiko took on half of that weight.
“Oh, it moved!”
With the weight halved, the sled that had sunk in started to slide. Simultaneously, cheers erupted.
Gradually, it gained momentum. However, the speed was only about 4 to 5 kilometers per hour, equivalent to a person walking.
Reiko slowly decreased the output of the force generator.
The momentum slightly diminished, but the slope leading to Lake Wass increased in incline. It seemed like the ship wouldn’t stop now.
As evidence, the three golems that were pushing it had already let go and were watching.
“Okay, 40 meters, 30 meters, 20 meters…”
On either side of the slope, local residents, tourists, and onlookers stood, observing the newly constructed ship.
Bernstein glided through the spectators and gracefully entered Lake Wass.
As a large spray of water rose, the detached cart floated up, and ahead of it, Bernstein floated on the blue surface of Lake Wass, with its amber-colored hull.
Loud cheers and applause erupted from the audience.
(Father, was that okay?)
In the midst of this, Reiko quietly returned to Jin’s side.
(Oh, splendid. Well done, Reiko. Thank you.)
Jin gently patted Reiko’s head.
“No leaks.”
“No abnormal deformation in the hull.”
Kubalt checked for leaks, and Clea confirmed the absence of any abnormalities in the hull.
Inside Bernstein, floating on the surface of Lake Wass, the temporary crew was busy checking each part.
“All right, power check. Slow forward.”
“Understood.”
In response to the Prime Minister, who had assumed the role of temporary captain, Reinhardt took on the role of temporary engineer and activated the jet thrusters.
“Oh, it’s moving!”
“Continue forward, maintaining a distance of approximately 100 meters from the shore.”
“Understood.”
Taking hold of the steering lever, Generos assumed the role of temporary navigator.
Bernstein drew a large arc and slowly moved away from the shore.
“It’s easy to maneuver!”
The incorporation of golem technology facilitated power-assisted steering, simplifying the navigation process.
“All right, we’ve moved far enough from the shore. Gradually increase the engine output.”
“Understood.”
These instructions were transmitted to various locations through the sound transmission pipes installed throughout the ship.
Reinhardt managed the mana tank, the magical power storage located in the central part of the ship, and monitored the flow of mana, the magical energy, sent to the jet thrusters attached to both sides of the ship.
“As expected of Jin, everything is normal.”
Unless in emergency situations, the jet thrusters on both sides of the ship are operated using the ‘throttle lever’ located beside the navigator’s steering lever.
Temporary navigator Generos slowly raised the output of the jet thrusters.
“…It’s fast. Almost reaching the speed of golem boats.”
Elsa, positioned at the bow, gauged the current speed based on the intensity of the wind brushing against her cheeks.
“Oh!”
Cheers erupted from the spectators on the shore. Bernstein had gradually started to pick up speed.
“Yeah, it’s operating as planned.”
Jin also looked satisfied.
And Bernstein continued to increase its speed.
“Wow, this is amazing!”
“Well done, Lord Jin!”
Christoph leaned over the safety railing set up on the shore to observe the wake of the new ship.
Excited, Rodrigo slapped Jin’s shoulder.
In the midst of this, considerable waves generated by Bernstein were crashing onto the shore.
“Hmm, this… it’s a good thing we had other ships pulled ashore.”
Given the instability of small boats, there was a possibility of them sinking under the impact of the waves.
Currently, Bernstein was sailing at nearly 20 kilometers per hour.
“A great success!”
Christoph exclaimed with overwhelming emotion.
Jin, too, felt a warmth in his chest, thinking that everyone’s efforts had paid off.
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