Luca clicked his tongue as he looked at the phone.
He wasn't sure whether it had seen this far or if it had just taken out insurance in case sothing like this happened, but anyway, it had found a way.
― The drive magic of the era I lived in was magic that converted magic power into life force. It seems a bit different in this era, though.
― Then, you an it has to be an engine infused with the drive magic from what we call the ancient era?
― Yeah. If it's that, that thing will recover on its own.
Normally, Whistle's mories would be hard to trust. There were just too many gaps and, at tis, her distinctive birdbrained monts.
But given the circumstances now, it seed her words were reliable.
'Yeah. Even if Whistle can't be trusted, I can trust the hints.'
[Notification: There has been a change in the hint]
[White Plague, Albino]
-(Special conditions t; this step has been skipped.)
-(Special conditions t; this step has been skipped.)
-(Special conditions t; this step has been skipped.)
― Contact Ravinia Way. (○)
― Make Ravinia Way and Albino face their own sins. (Special conditions t; this step has been skipped.)
― Help Ravinia Way and Albino break free from the shackles of fate. (○)
*Although conditions are t, since the story is not concluded, an additional condition has been generated. eting the additional condition will increase the reward.
Additional condition: Reconfigure White Noise using an engine that has ancient drive magic installed.
A newly generated extra condition.
Since the reward will increase if he completes it, Luca couldn't pass it up.
'If I just burn the cocoon of White Noise and cut Ravinia's throat, the hint would probably be completed. But that would be a pity.'
After all the trouble he'd gone through.
He wanted to finish this with the best possible reward.
'If the reward isn't satisfactory... I won't just let it go.'
Luca gazed at the phone quietly before clicking his tongue and looking at Ottbo.
Ottbo was scratching his head.
"You said sothing about an engine a while ago, so I guess I have to make one with drive magic... But even I can't just whip one up from nothing, you know."
"Ottbo. I'm not that shaless."
"Right?"
"I just expect soone who's been driving for less than a month to beat lifelong racing veterans who've put their life on the line behind the wheel."
"...?"
At Luca's words, Ottbo blinked for a mont and tilted his head.
"Racers?"
* * *
"I never thought I'd co back here."
Luca's group arrived at Bizen, the mining city now in ruins.
Of course, the reason for coming here was the 'illegal workshop'.
Without hesitation, they headed straight for the workshop.
"Who goes there?"
"Hey, wait. That hair color and those eyes..."
"!"
Unlike the last ti, the guards stopped them but this ti, Ravinia was present.
The guards widened their eyes at Ravinia and let them in for now.
"It's convenient at tis like these."
"Haha..."
Ravinia gave a complicated smile.
"I'll go into the workshop alone."
"Why?"
Having arrived on the workshop street, Ottbo declared he would go in alone.
When Luca gave him a puzzled look, Ottbo replied calmly.
"I'm going to talk about the auto-carriage specs, but Luca, you wouldn't understand anyway. It's better for you to rest sowhere else in the anti."
"Hmm. That's a reasonable explanation. I'll wait at the place where we ate last ti."
"Alright!"
Luca accepted right away and let him go.
Ottbo headed straight for the Draw Workshop where he'd bought the auto-carriage.
The workshop owner, guy, looked at him with slightly surprised eyes.
"I figured I'd see you again soday, but to see you back so soon... You didn't manage to break my creation already, did you, master?"
"No! Wait, or did I...?"
"?"
Guy blinked at his confusing response.
Ottbo took out the auto-carriage.
"Ts, look at this. This thing's barely at the level of undamaged."
"Ahaha. Sorry..."
The exterior of Ottbo's auto-carriage, Carivik, had changed considerably, becoming rougher.
After all, there had been impacts strong enough to break both the protective magic and the automatic repair magic.
Guy clicked his tongue as he inspected Carivik.
"This will cost quite a bit to repair."
"Um... repairs are one thing, but could you also do so modifications?"
"Modifications?"
At Ottbo's words, guy looked at him curiously.
Ottbo scratched his cheek in response.
"I'd like to do so mods for racing."
"... Hmm."
Guy looked at Carivik, his expression unreadable.
"The ones I make are quite well-known for their appearance. Anyone even remotely interested in auto-carriages would recognize them instantly."
"Really?"
"But lately, I heard that one of my recent models raced on the road in spectacular fashion—at speeds people couldn't even follow with their eyes."
Guy turned his gaze back to Ottbo.
"That was you, wasn't it, master?"
"Uh... probably?"
Ottbo answered ambiguously, and Guy chuckled.
"How long have you been driving an auto-carriage?"
"About a month?"
"... A month?"
Guy looked at Ottbo with a complex expression, then turned his attention back to Carivik.
"... Hmm."
Again, the inscrutable look on Guy's face.
After pondering for a bit, he spoke to Ottbo.
"So, how do you want to modify it?"
"Um... first, I'd like the back seat to be detachable, if possible."
"You want to use it as an ordinary auto-carriage most of the ti, but as a racer's car when necessary?"
"Exactly!"
"Haha. You're pretty greedy, aren't you."
Guy laughed, making a circle with his fingers.
"It'll cost a pretty penny, you know."
"Um... how much?"
"How much do you have?"
At Guy's question, Ottbo checked his wallet and scratched his cheek.
"I can pay about the sa as I did when I bought this."
"Excuse ?"
Guy looked at him incredulously.
"You really think that'll be enough for a racing spec mod with a detachable seat function?"
"Guess not, huh...?"
At Guy's words, Ottbo made a troubled face.
'My wallet was about the only thing I could boast about...'
Ottbo felt dejected.
Seeing this, guy clicked his tongue.
"So why are you suddenly switching to a racing spec? Are you thinking of joining illegal races due to lack of money?"
"Huh? No, not really. It's just, there's sothing I want to get."
"Sothing you want?"
At Guy's question, Ottbo scratched his cheek again.
"Can I say this? I heard I need to win sowhere to get an engine with ancient drive magic."
"!"
At Ottbo's words, guy's eyes widened.
Then he chuckled.
"You're thinking of challenging the Minota League, aren't you?"
"Minota League?"
"Haha. Alright. I'll do the mods for free, just co back tomorrow."
Suddenly, guy moved Carivik into the workshop looking quite pleased.
Ottbo was startled.
"Really?!"
"If you succeed, the fa of my creations will soar. If you fail, I'll consider it a condolence offering for a master I've grown fond of."
"Condolence offering?!"
Without answering Ottbo, guy disappeared into the workshop.
"I've done this much for you—if you're a man, don't run away! Hahaha!"
"..."
Ottbo swallowed nervously.
It seed he'd gotten himself into sothing serious.
'... I'll manage sohow.'
Since standing around wringing his hands wouldn't help, Ottbo headed straight back to Luca.
"I'm back."
"Good job. How much did he say the modifications would cost?"
Luca looked a bit concerned as he asked Ottbo, who had just returned.
Even Luca knew these things could cost a lot.
Ottbo scratched his cheek as he replied.
"He said he'd do it for free."
"... Free? Why?"
"He called it a condolence offering?"
"Condolence offering?"
At this, Luca made the sa face Ottbo had made back at the Draw Workshop.
Ottbo nodded.
"Yeah. And when I ntioned the engine with ancient drive magic, he asked if I was going to challenge the Minota League."
"So the league we need to enter is called the Minota League."
"If you succeed, he said the fa of his auto-carriages would go up. If I fail, he'll consider it my condolence."
Luca shrugged.
"Well, no matter how dangerous it is, I'm sure you'll manage."
"Y-you think so...?"
"Sure. Trust in your monstrous talent."
Luca rembered Ottbo's driving and smiled faintly.
At least, he believed Ottbo's driving skill was the best on the continent.
* * *
"Ho, that's pretty cool."
The next day, Carivik ca back after its urgent modifications.
It wasn't completely a racing car.
It was just smaller and sleeker than before.
It looked like sothing between a sports car and a sedan.
The only downside was that it didn't have a back seat or trunk.
"So do the two of us have to ride on top now?"
Luca asked, sounding sowhat disappointed, and Ottbo scratched his cheek.
"Well... I didn't think he'd go this far."
"?"
When Ottbo fiddled with sothing resembling a smart key, magic power circuits appeared on Carivik's body.
Viiing! Click! Clack!
"?!"
At the sa ti, parts erged from subspace and replaced Carivik's current parts.
In an instant, Carivik transford back into sothing much like its previous sedan form.
Ottbo smacked his lips.
"People who can do this are really rare. That workshop owner must be pretty amazing."
"... Huh."
Luca couldn't believe the craftsmanship.
But seeing this, he felt a little uneasy.
'If the Minota League is so amazing that even soone who could build this says its fa will go up...'
Since it didn't appear in the original, even Luca didn't know what kind of event it would be.
He was starting to get nervous.
"Haaa. Guess we have to go, anyway."
"... Well, if it gets dangerous, I'll protect you, so don't worry."
"Haha. I'll trust you."
At Luca's words, Ottbo gave a wry smile and got into the auto-carriage.
The modified Carivik's improved performance was imdiately noticeable.
It was faster and much more stable inside.
After making good ti, they soon arrived at Tka territory, where the illegal racing tournant was being held.
It didn't produce anything special, it wasn't in a particularly good location, but for so reason, the roads were unusually well-connected.
"Ho."
"Wow! What is this?!"
Arriving at the hidden location in Tka territory, the group was impressed.
There was an open area with hundreds of modified auto-carriages parked.
Ottbo was so excited that he almost started convulsing in delight.
"How'd they make this auto-carriage? It's amazing!"
"Springs? They installed springs like this? Incredible!"
"Which alchemy workshop produced the body materials for this one? I wish I could apply this to the armored soldiers in our family."
Ottbo was muttering to himself as he inspected the various auto-carriages.
Watching him, Luca felt like an older brother who had brought his little brother to an arcade, and smiled faintly.
"... Master."
"What is it, Bella?"
Bella, who had gone to gather information nearby, approached Luca.
After hesitating for a mont with a troubled expression, Bella handed sothing to him.
"Maybe we should give up on challenging the Minota League."
"Why?"
Luca took it and asked back.
Bella just shook her head without saying a word, and Luca looked at what she had given him.
"Hm..."
Luca groaned softly and then called to the excited Ottbo, who was bouncing around like a puppy on a snowy field.
"Ottbo. Let's withdraw."
"... Huh?!"
It seed that giving up was the right choice here.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
It's a death race!
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】
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