Chapter 324: Van-kun's Outrageous Ship Building Part 3

For now, I have built the keel, the ship’s bottom, and the ribs. Once I’ve gotten this far, the rest is just installing the walls, floors, and stairs to match the shape. It is fun to watch the ship rapidly taking form.

“Here, I’ll make several rooms about this size… Ah, it’s better to make the material storage large. Having windows makes the interior bright, which is nice.”

As I was building the ship happily, I realized the deck was already completed. By the way, I have prepared five masts for hoisting sails. The five masts extending from the floor of the second level are quite thick.

“Next is the bridge, I suppose. I could just build it like a normal house, but I want to do something creative.”

Saying that, I leaned back against a mast and tilted my head. Then, Tran, who had been checking the shape of the ship on the deck, walked over.

“Viscount Van, are you finally running low on magical power?”

Being asked that, I suddenly remembered the original plan. Come to think of it, I was supposed to build the ship while taking frequent short breaks. I had been building the ship vigorously as usual because it was fun, but can I manage to smooth it over by taking a break this late in the game?

“Y-Yes, that’s right. I might have rushed a bit too much. For now, it would be helpful if you could give me advice on the ship even while we rest.”

“Ooh, is that so? Since it is still noon, it would be better to rest leisurely. It would be terrible if you collapsed.”

Since he said that, feeling relieved, I used the materials that had been transported to create a simple rest area. I set up a simple tarp so everyone could rest, and lined up chairs underneath it. I sat on one of the chairs arranged in a circle and exhaled. It was a chair with a small side table attached. Perfect for camping.

“Lord Van, good work.”

“Thank you, Till.”

Young knights including Till and Rosso’s attendants brought drinks to everyone. As I accepted the fruit water and was relaxing in the chair, Tran, who sat in the chair opposite me, was looking at me with an exasperated expression.

“…I thought your magical power was about to run out, but was I mistaken?”

Being told that, I was startled again. Looking to the side, Panamera was sipping tea with an exasperated look, and Rosso was doing the same with a wry smile. And standing behind me, Esparda let out a short sigh.

Feeling like I was about to be crushed by that pressure, I directed a vague smile at Tran.

“I-I am already exhausted, you know? I just thought, so that everyone could rest…”

“That is appreciated, but…”

It seems he didn’t really believe me.

“B-By the way, how is the ship? So far, I feel like I’ve been able to correct all the parts you pointed out…”

I asked, trying to quickly move to questions and haze over the issue. At that, Tran crossed his arms and shook his head lightly.

“Well, let’s see. If the mechanisms for the steering wheel, pulleys, and core rods are made exactly as we discussed, it should be a completely different vessel from yesterday’s ship, but…”

After saying that, Tran smiled with a slightly intimidating, powerful force.

“…If Viscount Van would speak openly with me, perhaps there might be advice offered in response to that trust.”

“Wh-wh-wh-what do you mean…?”

I averted my face to escape Tran’s gaze and feigned ignorance. However, it was meaningless. Tran sighed shortly and turned his face to Rosso.

“…Marquis Rosso?”

When Tran called his name, Rosso laughed as if leaking a breath.

“…It can’t be helped. Lord Van, won’t you show him by making a ballista? I was just thinking I wanted to see it again myself.”

Being told that, I stood up with a smile, thinking ‘good, good.’

“Understood! Then I’ll make one!”

I received permission not to worry about various things anymore. Now I can do whatever I like with the ship without hesitation. I’ll make the strongest warship!

I excitedly made one ballista. It wasn’t a rapid-fire type, but a single-shot ballista with a shield attached for easier handling. The range is about one kilometer. It has a wide range of motion not only horizontally but also vertically.

“This is the one from yesterday…”

Turning to the surprised Tran, I opened my mouth while gesturing towards the ballista with one hand.

“This is a ballista designed to make aiming easy even amidst the ship’s rocking. Since it has a shield, it can defend against some attacks. If we install about fifty of these on the sides, it will provide considerable offensive power.”

“Fi-Fifty!? Fifty of these things…!?”

Tran was surprised by my words. Good, good, that’s a nice reaction. This is getting fun.

“Next is the bridge! Alright, let’s build it! Khamsin, can you get the materials?”

“Yes!”

Since the ship had become large and the swaying had decreased, Khamsin became quite energetic. He replied in a loud voice and ran across the deck. Since the Chivalric Order was waiting on the pier, the transport of materials was carried out immediately.

According to what I heard from Tran, it would be fine to make the bridge flat like a one-story house, but since I’m at it, I made it two stories so we could see far into the distance, and I even installed a ballista on the roof. Since I made the weight light, it shouldn’t affect the ship’s center of gravity or draft depth.

Once I get used to shipbuilding, maybe a strongest battleship or an aircraft carrier isn’t just a dream. Well, I don’t have cannons or fighter planes, though.