Chapter 72

#72 Chapter: The Tin Knight and the Land of Deep Green (2)

Dorothea’s carriage was of exceptionally high quality.

Thanks to the active use of pan-spring technology, the riding comfort was outstanding, and the cargo compartment was so well-insulated that it could serve as a mobile base. It was also resistant to rain and wind.

Lorenz Halder, the resident of Halder Trading Company, handed over the top-notch carriage to win the favor of the group.

However, no matter how luxurious the carriage was, it had no functioning capabilities once submerged in the lake.

That was the limitation of its earth attribute—it couldn’t handle water.

Inside the sinking cargo hold, Dorothea quickly extricated herself.

With her right hand gripping a staff and her left hand clutching Adel’s nape, she was determined to get to safety.

Adel, flailing her limbs like a fish out of water, couldn’t swim, and her favorite cloak was dragging her down, hindering her movements.

Even though Dorothea was swimming upward while weighed down by her cumbersome burdens, ominous shadows began to encircle her.

The creatures were about the size of an adult’s palm, with sharp teeth and spiky bodies covered in colorful patterns.

If one were to pose a quiz about whether that fish would bite or not, nine out of ten people would say yes, based solely on its looks.

There were even more of them, teeming like an infestation.

Dorothea’s training under her temperamental master rang alarm bells in her mind to prepare for battle.

Just as she was about to activate the defensive magic inscribed on her staff, a loud splash echoed nearby.

Something heavy created a shockwave at the water’s surface.

Dorothea concluded it was the impact of something heavy dropping into the water.

Her judgment was correct.

[“The Tin Knight” welcomes a forced event battle!]

The Tin Knight, the only one left outside of the group, dove into the lake.

His eerie blue glow met Dorothea’s gaze.

[The Tin Knight tells you to swim up and avoid being caught in the chaos!]

Dorothea obediently followed the command.

No matter the circumstances, she had unwavering faith in the Tin Knight’s abilities during battle.

Once she and Adel confirmed they were heading upward, the Tin Knight faced off against the school of fish.

Or rather, he was sinking while facing them.

In reality, it was inevitable.

No matter how high-end the carriage was, it wouldn’t function well underwater, just as a knight made of metal couldn’t swim freely in the lake.

But that didn’t mean the Tin Knight was powerless in the water.

While sinking, it also meant he hadn’t completely sunk yet.

Silver magical power began to swirl around the Tin Knight’s sword.

What started as a simple shimmer of magic gradually took shape until it transformed into the form of a propeller.

It was a feat made possible by the finely detailed magical circuits that resembled human blood vessels, similar to what he used when taking down bees.

The transformation was comparable to giving a painter who could only use thick brushes a new tool capable of precise dot control.

Whoosh!

Five propellers made of silver magic began rotating violently around his extended sword.

With a tremendous vortex, the Tin Knight shot forward.

[The Tin Knight announces that his drill is capable of piercing through the lake!]

Though the line was playful, the outcome was far from a joke.

Splish-splash!

Fish caught in the whirlpool created by the Tin Knight were torn apart, scattering bits of fish meat everywhere.

He didn’t even have to swing his sword to hit the fish.

The whirlpool housing his sword had the power to devour everything in its vicinity.

In an instant, the center of the blue lake turned into a red paint splatter, and the Tin Knight released his sword drill, or rather, the propeller.

Even with enhanced magic efficiency, after performing such feats right after battling a swarm of bees, his magical reserves were nearing depletion.

While he wasn’t completely out of combat power, he still had to save some magic for returning to the surface.

The Tin Knight scanned the water around him.

He spotted the remnants of the carriage at the bottom of the lake.

Surprisingly, there was no sight of the horses.

It was astonishing considering that they had seemingly not fallen into the lake at all.

Considering how the carriage and the horses were connected with various tools, it was truly astonishing.

What was surprising? Sophia’s driving skills, of course.

It was akin to someone driving a car at full speed while disassembling the wheels and engine—something a professional racer wouldn’t even dare attempt.

Having landed on the lake bed, the Tin Knight inspected the wreckage of the carriage.

Sure enough, he saw Sophia’s upper body wedged between the ground and the debris.

If she had been a mere human, it could have been a scene of disaster, but Sophia seemed remarkably unfazed, blinking with a tranquil expression.

Though the sound of horses was absent, she appeared to say, “Ah, you arrived faster than I expected.”

The Tin Knight was briefly lost in thought.

If he wanted to safely extract her, he would have to either lift the carriage debris or carve away the part pinning her down, but either option required more magic than he had.

So, he chose the simpler method.

He grabbed Sophia’s arms and started tugging.

Any expert watching would have been mortified by such a foolish rescue attempt.

Numerous awkward sensations were transmitted, but the Tin Knight felt no such sensitivity.

Moments later, as if uprooted, Sophia was freed.

Astonishingly, even after such a frightening ordeal, there was no sign of anger or resentment in Sophia’s eyes.

Instead, she seemed to convey gratitude, silently giving him a wink.

The Tin Knight scratched his head sheepishly.

[The Tin Knight awkwardly claims it was no big deal!]

If Dorothea had seen this, she would have grabbed her head in despair.

Was it because they were non-humans that their logic didn’t align with that of mere mortals?

The Tin Knight began to take one step at a time.

With no propeller to help him, moving his heavy metallic body out was the best option.

Then a thought suddenly struck him.

If only he had enough magic, he could get out immediately, so why not borrow some of Sophia’s strength?

[The Tin Knight requests Sophia for a magic boost!]

Sophia tilted her head in confusion but quickly seemed to grasp his intentions and placed her hand on his back.

Blood-red magical power rippled around Sophia’s body.

While it wasn’t as copious as Dorothea’s superior magic, it was significantly more than that first encounter when extracting even a single drop had been tough.

The Tin Knight’s previously empty magic tank began to fill up gradually.

Just then, the Tin Knight felt a bizarre distortion in his vision.

At the bottom of the dark, blue lake, something that resembled a blood-red mist floated around.

As he stared blankly at the mist, the Tin Knight realized it was emanating from somewhere rather than being just ordinary mist.

He swam towards its source.

The source turned out to be something resembling a bloody crack.

In a space that should’ve been filled with water, there was a large crack, and red mist flowed from within, spreading all around.

The Tin Knight touched the red crack.

However, his hand merely sliced through the air/water.

The Tin Knight briefly averted his gaze and examined his internal magic.

He stored Dorothea’s magic in his left eye and the newly supplied magic from Sophia in his right eye.

Suddenly, his vision split into two.

The sight infused with Sophia’s magic indicated the presence of the red crack, while the view filled with Dorothea’s magic revealed nothing at all.

Curiosity sparked in the Tin Knight’s mind.

He realized this wasn’t a mere error or coincidence, but likely a new functionality.

Special phenomena necessitate special responses.

With his hand still on the crack, the Tin Knight began to manipulate the magic flowing within it.

The response was instantaneous.

Crack!

The gap in the crack widened, and he felt his consciousness being sucked into it.

Moments later, the Tin Knight found himself standing somewhere other than the lake bed.

It was a marshland filled with mud.

Kneeling on one knee, the Tin Knight found himself patting someone’s head.

“…Don’t worry. No matter what the others say, I have no intention of abandoning you.”

Words slipped from the Tin Knight’s mouth.

Yet, he was saying nothing at all.

In that moment, he realized he was in someone else’s body.

Two small hands gently gripped the hand that was petting its head.

It was a little child, probably around five or six years old.

But the skin was green, and sprouts were growing all over its body.

“The forest is wonderful. There’s plenty of magic, and the soil is excellent. If you prepare well, this will be a great environment for you to live in.”

The man’s voice was kind, filled with strong determination.

The Tin Knight instinctively sensed that the man had a resolute gaze.

“Don’t worry. I will build you a home. A place that will protect you even after I’m gone.”

The child’s hand clutched the man’s hand, trembling.

Just as the child seemed about to speak…

Crack!

With a jolt, the Tin Knight’s vision returned to normal.

The marshland and the green child were nowhere to be seen.

The bottom of the lake lay still.

The Tin Knight looked around again, but the red crack had already vanished.

His eyes met Sophia’s.

From Sophia’s gaze, the Tin Knight realized she had also seen the scene unfolding before them.

The Tin Knight exclaimed.

[The Tin Knight marvels at whether it’s actually an experiential dungeon!]

[The Tin Knight hopes to be able to operate or even suddenly intervene!]