In Another World With My Smartphone: Volume 11 Premium

by Patora Fuyuhara

  Geez, you dummy. That’s dangerous. If the cockpit ended up superheated, she’d bake in there like an oven-cooked chicken!

  “Also, I could barely hear the radio in there, it was such a racket...”

  “Hmm... So we should soundproof it too, gotcha. I’ll set it so you can toggle it on and off based on the situation.” The cockpit was right next to the twin chest Gatlings, so it was no wonder she hated the noise.

  This Frame Gear was definitely our greatest work as far as large-scale damage went, but it had the disadvantage of catching friendly units up in its fire as well. It wouldn’t really be good for group deployments, so we’d probably want to only use it for cases where it was one versus many.

  “This is certainly the best Frame Gear I’ve ever piloted. But it’s still pretty slow to handle...”

  That’s because it’s almost as heavy as Sue’s Ortlinde! It has to be, in order to withstand the shock of firing so much.

  Whoooooosh...!

  “Hm?” I looked up into the air and saw a blue fighter jet flying overhead.

  It began to slow down and descend, transforming into a more humanoid form as it landed.

  It was Linze’s Frame Gear, Helmwige.

  The chest hatch opened, and out popped Linze. Helmwige was a Frame Gear with sharp angles to it. This allowed it to easily shift and convert into a jet plane. The idea was inspired by a mecha anime I’d seen.

  “How was it? Are you used to flying it yet?”

  “I believe so, at least a little... I didn’t get too fast with it, though.” Linze flashed me a stiff smile. If she got used to piloting Helmwige, then she wouldn’t be able to complain about me bringing her along with [Fly].

  “Well, sir! Ma’am Leen and ma’am Linze are effectively equipped with their Frame Gears, sir! What about the Frame Gears still needed for ma’am Lu, ma’am Sakura, and ma’am Yumina?” Rosetta flashed me a salute as she listed off the names.

  “Doc Babylon didn’t decide on which one to make next?”

  “I suppose Sakura would be the next one if I was to decide. I’d like to make it a support-type Frame Gear that transmits sound. Magic is ineffective against the Phrase, but using sound-based support magic on allied Frame Gears? That would be valuable. We’d be able to increase Frame Gear speed and durability that way. We’ll make a Frame Gear that can project her voice to the entire battlefield.”

  “A support-type Frame Gear with a focus on area-of-effect, sir!”

  Hmm, it’s kind of like my [Multiple] spell, only more broad. Well, back in the olden days they used to raise the morale of soldiers by playing war music, right? I guess it’s the same principle this time, just with vocal magic.

  “Alright, then get to work on Sakura’s Frame Gear.”

  “Copy that.” I sent Grimgerde and Helmwige back through to Babylon with the Doctor and Rosetta. I, on the other hand, went through a portal back to the castle with Linze and Leen.

  The day’s testing was over.

  But I completely forgot about Paula...

  After I returned to the castle, I passed by the training field and saw a bunch of exhausted newbies on the ground. They’d been training to their limit.

  Moroha’s intensive boot camp had ended a little while ago, but they were still dedicated to their morning and evening training.

  Most of them were still being put through the wringer by Moroha herself every morning and evening. They passed the exam, though, so naturally, they were all prepared to give it their all.

  “[Mega Heal], [Refresh].” I healed all their wounds and got rid of their fatigue, too.

  They all noticed me as soon as their fatigue vanished, and every one of the newbies bowed in my direction.

  “Good work, twerps! Morning training’s over and done! Get showered, get fed, and take up your posts!”

  “Yes, ma’am!” The knights all filed away from Moroha and headed toward their gender-separated shower rooms.

  They had showers and an enclosed bath that I’d created by magically transporting water from a natural hot spring in one of Belfast’s mountain ranges.

  I was granted permission by the royal family, of course. I even installed a bath in the Belfast royal castle as thanks.

  That reminded me, I wanted to talk to Kousaka about building a proper public bathhouse.

  The newbies had already been assigned to their duties. Those in the castle guard would deal with entertaining visitors and would also be expected to fight or detain intruders. Those assigned to the town watch were expected to patrol the castle town and help out any citizens. The ones assigned to our intelligence corps were to train their social skills and focus on data-gathering.

  Those more suited for clerical work and agricultural reclamation had already been sent over to their positions.

  On top of those duties, we decided to have most of them train in the Frame Units, just in case.

  We had over two-hundred knights, and the vast majority of them knew at least the fundamentals of piloting a Frame Gear. We exempted Samsa the ogre and the lamia sisters from this training, though. They couldn’t reasonably fit into the cockpit. Also, the non-combatants, such as the office workers and farmers, didn’t have to do Frame Gear training either.

  We had no idea when the Phrase would appear next, so preparing for the future was the wisest choice. All we had to do was keep on working.

  ◇　◇　◇

  “A fishery, huh?”

  “Yup, a fishery.” I sat in my office, mulling over Kousaka’s most recent idea.

  By fishery, he meant a way to catch a bunch of fish. I don’t know when he got the idea, but it was true that there wasn’t much in the way of seafood in our country.

  “Do you plan on catching fish from the river?” Brunhild was landlocked and had no seas bordering it. We did, however, have a big river running through our territory.

  “Not the river, no. My idea was to have the fishermen collect large hauls from the sea, and then sell them for high profit.”

  “Huh? But we don’t have any sea access...”

  “Hm? Of course we do. On the other side of those dungeon portals.”

  “Oh!” He was right. The dungeons on the other side of the portals in Brunhild were beneath a nexus of islands. That was Brunhild territory, too.

  We’d be able to harvest plenty of fish over there. There was no access to salt water in Brunhild’s main living area, so it’d probably sell well. I wouldn’t mind getting me some sashimi, either.

  “I see, I see. Good idea, then. So you wanna build a harbor on one of the islands?”

  “Quite. The islands are small, so we likely won’t be able to create anything huge, though. Plus, there are magical beasts on some of the islands, which could pose an issue.”

  Hmph... I guess I could go chase them all down until there aren’t any left, and then sell their raw materials... But I’d feel a little bad taking away opportunities for adventurers. Then again, I don’t think there are any fishermen who would work under such dangerous conditions.

  “What if I erect a barrier that repels magical beasts?”

  “That would do nicely. We’d need to do further investigation, though. There could well be aquatic menaces to deal with as well.” That was a fair point as well. We didn’t want any of our fishing boats getting trashed by sea-based monsters.

  In the end, I decided to summon a Kraken or a Sea Dragon, and give it the order to hunt down any potentially dangerous monsters or beasts in the area.

  “What about the fishermen themselves?”

  “I’ll handle all of that. I can’t say for sure just how rich in fish the seas around those islands are, anyway. I’ll need to run preliminary checks.” I decided to permit it, provisionally, at least.

  I guess I’ll summon a Kraken or a Sea Dragon or something tomorrow, then. I’ll summon a Sea Serpent, actually. One like the Dragon who helped me out near the Kingdom of Egret. Then, he can stay around the islands and act as their protector. If it’s one of Luli’s subo
rdinates, then it’ll be just fine.

  While I’m at it, I’ll have him keep any weird looking ships at bay, too. I don’t want another case of slavers coming in. It was bad enough the first time.

  I checked over the various reports on my desk after Kousaka left. The voice of the people was pretty important when you were ruling over them, so they needed to be heard.

  Guildmaster Relisha would also send me information on current events around the world through the smartphone I’d given her.

  “Man, if this was back on Earth, then I could’ve just browsed the world news online...” Each national ruler had a smartphone, and often they would send me their own information as well. The emperor of Regulus sent me formal information about the engagement between his daughter and the king of Felsen, and the king of Belfast sent me information about how Prince Yamato was finally walking. He’d attached a little photo of the kid, too.

  Conflicts across the continent had slowed down considerably since the founding of the alliance. Everyone was starting to find common ground. Whenever two countries had a dispute, they’d often turn to me to find the middle ground, too.

  Belfast and Mismede were quickly growing their relationship, and Regulus and Roadmare had never been on better terms. Even Ramissh was ending its anti-immigration policy, and Lihnea was establishing friendly relations with Palouf to the north. Things were looking up.

  I looked over these letters and noticed a distinct pattern, however. Phrase activity was on the rise in almost every nation. It was mostly just Lesser Constructs, so they were taken care of by parties of red-rank adventurers.

  Hm... What rank was I when I killed my first Phrase, anyway... Huh... Wait a sec...

  Something suddenly came to mind, so I opened up my smartphone and projected my photo gallery into the air. I scrolled back to a photo I’d taken long ago. Sure enough, the writing on the wall that I’d been unable to understand was still there, preserved in the shot.

  It only just occurred to me that I could decipher this with [Reading]. I’d need to know what kind of language it was, though. It was possible that Fam would know more. I decided to hop up and head to the library for more information.

  Still, if the language didn’t exist five-thousand years ago, she could be in the dark about it. But it was true that the language wasn’t known to any native Belfastian, and the ruins didn’t have their origins in Belfast either. It was worth a shot.

  But still, that only raised more questions... Who made those ruins? Why build such a place? How did the Phrase get sealed down there to begin with?

  It was no good, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

  I headed straight toward the library in search of Fam.

  ◇　◇　◇

  “I have never seen any language resembling this in my life.” I spoke with Fam about it, but she gave me a pretty curt reply.

  “They vaguely resemble the Hidden Letters of Arthema. It’s certainly not Parthenese... These letters definitely didn’t exist before the collapse of Doctor Babylon’s civilization.”

  “So the language must’ve been invented after civilization collapsed back then?” Leen, who was reading a book, suddenly chimed in from across the room. Paula wasn’t around, for some reason.

  “The issue is that this language is a blind spot, an anomaly in the understanding of my library, and your world. I hypothesize that such letters were used only by a small group who died out relatively quickly.” We’d found the ruins in the former capital of Belfast. But the letters weren’t Belfastian at all. It was possible that this small group had created the underground ruins, but for what purpose? And what did it have to do with that sealed Phrase? “What were you saying about the Hidden Letters of Arthema?”

  “It is a language I cannot read. The language was used by a small culture that didn’t leave behind any written evidence. I have only come across parts of their writing in tangentially related works.” That was a bother. It was possible that the culture’s descendants were the ones who made the ruins, though. So it was worth a shot. I decided to try deciphering it.

  “[Reading]: Hidden Letters of Arthema.” The letters slowly became recognizable after I cast the spell. I could understand them at least partially.

  It kind of felt like vaguely understanding Chinese through knowledge of Japanese kanji because of the shared lettering.

  Though it was possible that the letters used here would have different meanings to the letters used in the original Arthema language.

  For example, the kanji 可憐, pronounced ka-ren, meant something akin to “lovely.” It could be used to describe a pretty girl. But if you read the same lettering in Chinese, it would be interpreted as 可憐, pronounced kho-lien, and would mean something more like “pitiful.” That’s what my grandpa told me, at least.

  The writing here felt like a similar kind of discrepancy. I could make out bits and pieces of the words, but not whole sentences.

  “Our red... The glimmering monster... Sacrificed... City... Uh... Tiny? Black, and... Knight? Black Knight...? Time and space... Repaired... Returned... Er, no... Left... Repeating... Corpses...? Spilling...?”

  “Red and black? What’s that all about?”

  Hmph. This is a bit difficult. The glimmering monster is probably the Phrase. The city is probably the former capital. But what’s the Black Knight? A Frame Gear? Sounds like a Knight Baron... But what about the small part?

  Given that it says our, I guess the guy was writing on behalf of all the people at the time, but that doesn’t answer much. No idea what the red part after our is all about... Maybe they meant to identify the group? Like our red-haired clan, or something...?

  The repaired part has my attention, though. Did they fix the world’s boundary somehow?

  From what I could vaguely conclude, this red tribe might have had the ability to repair the world boundary. It might’ve even been an artifact or something.

  “I didn’t really learn anything.”

  “You did not.” The Phrase had definitely appeared a thousand years ago and destroyed the former capital. That much was certain. Someone must have defeated them back then or at least held them back enough to repair the boundary protecting the world.

  I wanted to know what the deal was.

  “How about you, Leen? Know anything about Belfast’s situation a thousand years ago?”

  “I’m afraid I’ve got nothing. We Fairies didn’t venture out from our own home territory for quite a long time. I doubt even the current elders would know. Belfast’s history isn’t recorded up to that point, as far as I’m aware.” It was no good. I was hoping there’d be some really ancient fairies. Sure, five-thousand years would be unreasonable, but I’d thought maybe some of them could’ve lived for a couple thousand years.

  It seemed like species with longevity mostly kept to themselves in this world, so they were useless to learn global history from. They were the kinds who simply didn’t get involved with others.

  The Demon Kingdom of Xenoahs was a prime example. They didn’t ask, they didn’t tell.

  It was just one of those things. I couldn’t do anything about it.

  All I could do right now was continue doing what I was doing. Doctor Babylon and the gynoids were working on the Frame Gears, while Lain and Moroha were working on whipping our knights into shape. All I could do for the time being was... Well, negotiate trade with Olba and try to increase funds. That was a little depressing, I thought I was more valuable.

  As I pondered such things, my phone began to vibrate. It was Guildmaster Relisha.

  “Hey, ’sup?”

  “Sorry to bother you, I know you must be busy... But there’s an emergency!”

  “Hm? What is it?”

  “A Behemoth has emerged.”

  A Behemoth. Also known as a mutated beast. Magical beasts that very rarely appeared, but they were always monstrously huge. I faced off against Scorpinas, a twin-tailed scorpion Behemoth a while ago. Naturally, I defeated it in a Frame Gear.

>   “It’s in the Elfrau Kingdom, more specifically in the Snorra ice plains. The creature appears to be a mutated Snorra Wolf.” Behemoths often gained special abilities alongside their massive size. I didn’t know if the ability caused them to gigantify in the first place, or if it was a byproduct of gigantification.

  When I fought against Scorpinas, it could shoot fierce, biting acid from its tail. Regular scorpions could only muster up a weak venom.

  From what I understood, this Snorra Wolf possessed a strange power as well...

  “The queen of Elfrau has called for aid against the Snorra Wolf, but the situation is dire. It’s already caused massive casualties to the Elfrau military. The guild has also lost several red-rank adventurers and one silver-rank. It destroyed a village two days ago, and shows no sign of stopping.”

  “It beat a silver-rank? Seriously?” There were only a few people in the world on that level. I only got there after achieving the titles Dragon Slayer, Golem Buster, and Demon Killer.

  I got to gold-rank after killing Scorpinas, but that was mostly thanks to my Frame Gear.

  I wondered if the silver-rank guy was hoping he could kill it and become the next gold.

  “This request comes directly from the queen of Elfrau. How should I respond?”

  “It’s a quest to me as a gold-rank adventurer, right?”

  “That’s right! Any gold-ranked adventurer can take it, since it’s a formal guild quest. The reward is vast, a hundred royal gold coins. They also say you can have anything from the royal treasury! But at this rate, there won’t be anything left in Elfrau to save.”

  Hrmph... It’s not like I have an obligation to save them or anything. I’m not the only gold-rank in this world, either. There’s that old retired perv, so he could take it...

  Damn it, if I don’t do it, then innocent people are gonna get hurt.

  If I’m thinking practically here, I should send two or three Frame Gears to take care of it. Then I wouldn’t have to go. Ah, but if I do that it won’t be me acting as an adventurer, it’ll be me acting as a grand duke... People will assume I ordered my knights to intrude on Elfrau and take it out.