Published: January 17, 2026
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For now, I’ve built the keel, the hull, and the ribs. From here on, it’s just a matter of fitting the walls, floors, and stairs according to the shape. Watching the ship come together bit by bit is really enjoyable.
“This area will have several rooms of about this size… Ah, the storeroom should be made spacious. Windows will brighten up the interior nicely.”
I was happily building the ship when I suddenly realized the deck was already complete. By the way, I had prepared five masts for the sails. The five masts extending from the floor of the second deck were quite thick.
“Next is the bridge, huh? I could just build it like a normal house, but I want to add some creativity.”
Leaning back against a mast, tilting my head, I mused. Just then, Tran, who was inspecting the shape of the ship on the deck, came walking over.
“Viscount Van, have you run out of mana already?”
Hearing that made me suddenly remember my original plan. Right, I was supposed to take small breaks during shipbuilding. I was having so much fun building the ship energetically as usual, but would taking a break now help cover it up?
“Y-yes. Maybe I rushed a bit too much. For now, it would be great if you could advise me about the ship even while I take a break.”
“Oh, I see. It’s still midday, so it’s better to rest properly. We can’t have you collapsing now, can we?”
Relieved, I used the delivered materials to quickly build a simple rest area. I strung up a basic tarp so everyone could rest, and lined up chairs underneath it. I sat in one of the chairs arranged in a circle and exhaled. It was a chair with a small table attached, perfect for camping.
“Lord Van, thank you for your hard work.”
“Thanks, Til.”
Young knights including Til and Rosso’s attendants brought drinks to everyone. As I accepted some fruit water and relaxed in my chair, Tran, who sat in the chair across from me, looked over with a somewhat exasperated expression.
“…I thought you were about to run out of mana, but was I mistaken?”
His words startled me again. Looking to the side, Panamera was also looking at me with disbelief, while Rosso sipped his tea with a wry smile. Espada, standing behind me, let out a short sigh.
Nearly crushed by the pressure, I gave Tran a vague smile.
“I-I’m pretty exhausted, you know? But I wanted everyone to get some rest as well…”
“That’s appreciated, but…”
It seemed they didn’t really believe me.
“B-by the way, how about the ship? So far, I think I’ve fixed all the points you pointed out…”
I quickly changed the subject to avoid the awkwardness. Tran crossed his arms and shook his head lightly.
“Well, how should I say… If the rudder, pulleys, spindle, and other mechanisms are built exactly as I explained, this should be a completely different ship from yesterday’s…”
After saying that, Tran gave a slightly intimidating, confident smile.
“...If Viscount Van is willing to speak frankly, I might just offer advice in return for your trust.”
“W-what do you mean by that…?”
Trying to avoid Tran’s gaze, I turned my face away and played dumb. But it was no use. Tran let out a short breath and turned to Rosso.
“…Marquis Rosso?”
When Tran called his name, Rosso let out a soft laugh.
“...It can’t be helped. Sir Van, would you show us the ballista again? I was just thinking I’d like to see it once more.”
Hearing that, I stood up with a smile, glad to hear it.
“Understood! Then I’ll make one right away!”
Now that I had permission to stop worrying about other things, I could freely build the ship as I pleased. I was going to build the strongest battleship!
Excited, I made a ballista. It wasn’t rapid-fire type but a single-shot model with a shield for easier handling. Its range was about one kilometer. It could move not just left and right but up and down with a wide range of motion.
“This is from yesterday…”