Harumi was left speechless. But it was true that as a commoner, she wasn’t at all suitable as the Blue Knight’s wife. That was a problem she had never thought about before. She was fundamentally different from Theia and Clan. Feeling that she’d need to put in some effort to make up for the difference in status, she didn’t object to Elfaria’s methods, even if she did feel like they were heavy-handed.
“How about it, Harumi-san?” Elfaria asked.
“I... It’s not like I’m against it...” Considering the future, Harumi, who only had the title of a member of Koutarou’s band of knights, realized that having a proper status in Forthorthe was very welcome. While she did feel apologetic, she couldn’t ignore the attractive proposal.
“I am glad to hear it.” Elfaria smiled in satisfaction.
That solves the issue with Harumi-san. Now if we can just do something about Sanae-san and Shizuka-san...
Elfaria’s scheme was steadily progressing. She would do anything in her power to get Koutarou to stay in Forthorthe. By establishing Harumi’s position there, she was giving Koutarou another reason to become a Forthorthian. Being as responsible as he was, he couldn’t leave Harumi behind and go home. Getting Koutarou to stay in Forthorthe would have a big effect on Elfaria’s future as well.
“And so the shipyards have grown and gotten bigger,” Elfaria continued as if nothing had happened. “And that’s why they seem closer.”
Her sudden shift was partially because Theia was walking up to them but also because she didn’t want to corner Harumi.
“I-I see... It’s so big, I can’t really understand it.” Harumi was somewhat shaken, so the change of topic was a blessing to her. She managed to calm herself down as she spoke.
Elfaria winked at her and continued speaking. “I am actually quite surprised too. It’s not unusual for transports to be this big, but a battleship this large hasn’t been built in a few hundred years.”
If one searched for it, they could quickly find a spaceship of the same scale, like a large-scale transport ship that was unable to land on planets. There were tankers that were larger than aircraft carriers on Earth as well, so it was an easy example for Harumi to understand. But when it came to battleships, there were next to no examples of ships of the same size being built. Only a few dating back hundreds of years could be found, such as experimental ships in the early days before warp technology had been miniaturized or special purpose ships that had been assigned on research missions in remote regions.
“Mother, it’s about time to head to the docks. But what are you talking about?” Theia came over and asked.
“Oh, I was talking with Harumi-san about how the new Blue Knight is too big,” Elfaria answered.
“Yes, that!” Harumi nodded along.
“Oh? Well, it certainly doesn’t look like it’s very maneuverable.” Theia looked a little confused but agreed.
“We’ll have to put our hope in the engineers for that,” Elfaria said.
“Yes. Anyway, it’s time to go, you two!” Theia urged them along.
It was clear why ships of this size hadn’t been built. They were so big that they were inconvenient. Large transport ships could carry a lot but lacked maneuverability and couldn’t enter the atmosphere. Battleships needed both, so they couldn’t be made so large that they lost those abilities. Yet the new Blue Knight was being built beyond that size, and behind the hull lay the blood, sweat, and tears of the engineers. For example, the ability of the individual parts to move was a trick to help it enter the atmosphere.
After passing the main gate of the dock, they reached a vast landing site. Shipbuilding required a large amount of materials, so a place for transport craft to land was necessary. That was where the launching ceremony would be held. The venue had already been prepared and all that was left was to wait for the main participants to join.
“I see not all of the parts have been put together,” Koutarou said.
Theia nodded. “Yes, it’s just the head and torso for now.”
The two were looking up as they walked side by side. In front of them was a structure over a thousand and several hundred meters tall. It was like a mountain, but shockingly enough, it was man-made. The vivid blue structure was part of the new Blue Knight. The torso was over a kilometer, and the head was several hundred meters. The ship was looking down at the people who had come to the launching ceremony from far above.
“When will the other parts be added?” Koutarou asked.
“The rest will be done in space after it has launched,” Theia answered.
“I guess it would be dangerous to do it on the surface.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
The torso was the part that had been built at the shipyard they were now using as the venue for the ceremony, so it hadn’t yet moved from its original location. But since having only the torso would look bad, the head had been attached the day before. It had been built next to the torso, and cranes, rails, and frames had been used to support the head and put it in place. Merging the other parts was impractical for various reasons such as cost and safety, so that would be done in orbit after the launching ceremony. That was why the new Blue Knight was being launched as just a head and torso.
Camera shutters sounded constantly as reporters took pictures of the two from behind as they looked up at the new Blue Knight. The Blue Knight and Golden Princess looking up at it together was a sight the news reporters couldn’t pass up. But a moment later came something that they’d been waiting even more for.
“I understand the surprise, you two, but everyone is waiting,” Elfaria announced.
With the appearance of the empress, the sound of the cameras became several times louder. The sight of the real Blue Knight, with Theia and Elfaria on either side looking up at the ship, was strangely moving. The sound of the cameras never stopped.
“That’s right,” Theia started. “Let’s go, Koutarou!”
“Okay, okay,” he answered.
“Don’t repeat yourself!” Theia said.
“Okay.” Koutarou nodded.
Elfaria laughed, and Theia took the lead with light steps. Koutarou jogged after her while saying something, and Elfaria elegantly held up the hem of her dress and calmly walked after the two with a smile.
“Hey, over there...” a reporter said.
“Wow...” another one gasped.