Chapter 323: [Another Perspective] Van-kun's Outrageous Ship Building Part 2

[Tran]

What is this boy saying? Does he not realize just how preposterous it is to build a ship on the sea?

Thinking that, my distrust began to reignite all at once, but that distrust was blown away along with my surprise.

“Thank you for the materials! Alright then, starting with the ship’s bottom!”

The moment after those words were spoken in such a laid-back voice, something happened right before my eyes that made me doubt them. Just as I thought some strange blocks were being brought over, Van used some odd magic to transform them into boards. No, that’s not it. It is shallow, but it has taken the shape of a ship. The length is over three meters. The width is about two meters, perhaps? It is small, but something that is certainly ship-like is suddenly floating on the sea.

“…What on earth was that just now…”

Unable to believe what had happened right before my eyes, I muttered to myself. Around me, my subordinates were also raising voices of surprise. Flashing a wry smile in my direction, Van picked up the next block.

“Ideally, I would want to build the keel properly, but since I have to float it on the sea first… this is a desperate measure.”

While laughing, Van continued to process more and more materials. Before I knew it, a magnificent keel tracing an arc had been formed on top of the small ship-like object. It is thicker than the keel supporting my Fleetwood, and the angle is steeper. It is a structure vulnerable to lateral waves.

“If it is a large ship, I believe it would be better to make the angle a little gentler…”

I had voiced such a thing unconsciously. At that, Van smiled happily and nodded repeatedly, saying, “I see.”

“Is it to lower the center of gravity? I see, I’m learning a lot!”

Saying that, Van exercised his mysterious magic using the blocks again. While I was still surprised by the transformation, a section that could be called the bottom of a large ship had been completed on the sea. As I stood astonished at this, Van turned back to everyone and pointed to the ship’s bottom where the keel protruded.

“Now then, I will go inside and continue shipbuilding. I think there is enough buoyancy now, so those who want to observe, please come aboard.”

While saying such things in a casual manner, Van looked at the knight named Dee. The owner of outrageous superhuman strength who had pulled up a giant anchor by himself, despite using equipment that couldn’t be called sufficient.

“Leave it to me!”

That Dee held a strangely shaped staircase in both hands and leaned it against the wall of the ship’s bottom. There were hooks at the top, and I could tell it was designed to be fixed to the wall, but there was a series of hexagons with uneven vertical lengths on the left and right. As I watched wondering what he would do, Dee pulled the bottom of that strange staircase toward the floor of the pier.

As a result, the stairs extended, settling into place as Dee stepped on the bottom part to secure it. Apparently, it is an extendable ladder that can change height. This is an item I would want to take back to my country if possible.

“Huh? Aren’t you and your men going to board, Mr. Tran?”

I was startled by Van’s voice coming from overhead. Apparently, the main members, including Van, had already boarded the unfinished ship.

“No, we will board as well…!”

I hurriedly climbed the stairs Dee was supporting and managed to board. My subordinates followed, boarding with fearful expressions. While glancing at them, I checked the bottom part of the ship.

“…Despite lacking ballast or anything, the center of gravity is well balanced.”

In the first place, I have never seen a ship consisting only of a keel and a bottom floating on the sea. However, I still could not believe that a ship bottom with the keel protruding from the top was floating on a sea that, while moderate, still had waves.

“I made the center part of the keel slightly heavier on purpose. Besides, the length is already nearly thirty meters.”

Van said another unbelievable thing while chuckling quietly. Surprised by that, I turned around to find Van rapidly assembling the ship while answering questions from others.

“Hmm. Are these rib-like things the ship’s pillars? In your case, Boy, you could probably just build it straight from the walls.”

“That’s true. Since I’m still feeling my way through, I feel like I won’t be able to do it well if I make the pillars and walls all at once…”

“Lord Van. Can windows not be installed in these walls?”

“I could install them, but I feel the structural integrity would drop. Besides, since the first and second levels will be mostly submerged in the sea, I thought it would be better to install windows on the third level.”

While having such exchanges, Van completed the pillars from bow to stern in one go. As I stood there unable to voice my surprise, Van approached me with a troubled smile.

“Mr. Tran, what do you think? It’s still just the skeleton, but does the shape look okay?”

“Eh? Ah, yes… let’s see… The bow should be a little thinner, and for the stern, you could widen it and add more of an angle…”

“Like this?”

As I gave advice while bewildered, Van made corrections on the spot one after another. Before I realized it, the first and second levels of the ship were complete, and he was building the walls of the third level. And, as if it were a mere afterthought, windows were installed in the walls. Quantities of materials were brought in from the pier, and the knights delivered them to Van. Astonishingly, every time Van received them, he processed them in the blink of an eye.

By this time, I had come to understand that Van had an aptitude for Production Magic and possessed an overwhelming amount of magical power.