Although she considered herself a shut in with few friends, Momoi was not hindered in the slightest when it came to having broad connections and wide ranging contacts, her sources of information were fairly abundant.
Besides, the friendly relationship between me and the Engineering Club was not exactly a secret.
"Engineering Club…?"
"Experts in manufacturing and repairing machinery were called Masters in the Millennium era. The Engineering Club is a group that brings those Masters together, focusing specifically on hardware research."
The one answering Aris's question was Midori, who had rushed back at lightning speed.
Momoi could not help exclaiming, "Wow, Midori, how did you finish so fast?"
Midori frowned. "What do you mean by that, onee-chan! I washed up properly, you know!"
"That's not what I meant."
Momoi hurriedly changed the subject. "Anyway, their mastery of all kinds of machines goes without saying, and since they are also responsible for weapon maintenance and modification, I figure there must be a lot of unused weapons over there. So let's hurry up and take a look!"
As she spoke, she pulled Aris along. Midori and I followed after them.
A short while later, at the Engineering Club.
"…I see, I roughly understand now."
After pondering for a moment, Utaha summarized, "You want to pick out a good weapon as a gift for a new companion, is that right?"
"That's exactly it."
"In that case, coming to the Engineering Club was a very wise choice!"
Perhaps feeling that the soul of a craftsman had been acknowledged, Utaha pointed enthusiastically and generously toward a room in the corner. "For Millennium, victory and defeat often depend on whether you have excellent technicians. Over there are various samples we have made so far. Anything placed there, you are free to take whichever one you like."
"That's great! Thank you, senpai!"
Momoi thanked Utaha sweetly.
Just then, a beautiful girl with dog ears, large wavy hair, aviator goggles, and a slightly punk look stepped forward to greet us.
"Hi… I'm Hibiki, a first year. If you don't mind, I can help you look for something good… Oh right, since we have the chance, sensei, would you like to equip a new weapon too?"
I shook my head. "Thank you, but there's no need."
Under normal circumstances, without a halo, even if I used firearms, I could not pose any threat to students or even the citizens of Kivotos.
And if real danger ever arose, requiring me to shorten my lifespan to release a divine name, I would probably prioritize avoiding combat.
Of course, if it truly came down to it, the handgun Rin gave me when I first took office in Kivotos, which I carry with me, would be enough.
"I see, then follow me."
Hibiki led us into a room piled with all sorts of strangely shaped guns. After thinking for a moment, she took down a delicate little pistol.
"How about this one, Aris?"
Before Aris could give her opinion, Momoi asked curiously, "A handgun?"
Hibiki nodded. "I'm not entirely sure, but from what I can tell… Aris probably doesn't have much combat experience, right?"
I nodded in agreement at the side. Aris had lost almost all of her memories, so it was fair to say she had virtually no experience.
However, Aris corrected her seriously. "That statement needs to be denied. Up to now, Aris has saved humanity thirty two times, experienced fifty three battles against the Demon King's army, and conducted over one hundred dungeon explorations. My experience value is quite abundant."
…Weren't all of those things that happened in games?
I suddenly began to wonder whether letting Aris learn through games had been a bit careless.
Because she was too pure, did she take everything that happened in games as real?
Hibiki was left speechless and stammered, "T-that's really amazing…"
Momoi and Midori both wore awkward expressions.
"In any case, experience using firearms… is almost nonexistent."
Hibiki changed her phrasing and seriously advised, "In that case, a handgun really is more suitable… This one is made of plastic so it's very light, the recoil is also very small… In every sense it's very friendly to beginners… And more importantly…"
After a brief pause, Hibiki said mysteriously,
"This gun is equipped with a function that has never existed in Millennium history!"
"Th-then what is it?"
"Just hearing that makes it sound incredible… What kind of function is it exactly?"
After successfully whetting the appetite of the Game Development Department members, Hibiki solemnly announced, facing everyone's eager curiosity,
"That is… Bluetooth functionality!"
A handgun… Bluetooth…?
Momoi froze for a moment. "Eh?"
"A handgun that can listen to music or transfer files via Bluetooth, according to my research, has never existed."
That was obvious! Instead of adding such a function to a handgun, wouldn't it be more convenient and practical to just use a phone!
"Of course, it's also equipped with sensing functionality. Just tap it on the IC panel at a boarding area and you can get on. It also has NFC, so you can even use it at convenience stores…"
Hibiki went on and on listing the various functions installed on the handgun, but the more I listened, the more something felt off.
Even Momoi could not help showing a troubled expression.
"If we're talking about being impressive… it is pretty impressive… but… pulling out a handgun at a convenience store and saying 'please help me check out' would scare the clerk, right!"
Wait a second…
Originally I thought this was useless, but after hearing Momoi's description, a new idea came to mind.
What if it was used to scare, no, tease the clerk?
I could not help thinking of Sora, my thoughts immediately becoming lively, and I also felt that the handgun Rin gave me was indeed not flashy enough.
What if you could play BGM while fighting…
"Ah, speaking of which, where did Aris go…? Aris-chan, Aris-chan?"
Noticing that Aris had disappeared at some point, Midori looked around and called out her name.
More familiar with the room's layout and sharper eyed, Hibiki spotted Aris's location first. "Ah, over there… that is…"
Following the direction Hibiki pointed, we saw Aris standing in front of a mechanical construct larger than her entire body, seemingly observing it with curiosity.[1]
"Hehehe, you really have a good eye, dear customer!"
At that moment, a figure quietly flashed to Aris's side. "If you need an explanation, I can provide answers anytime, anywhere! I am the Master of the Engineering Club, Kotori! You must be Aris, right. The fourth member of the Game Development Department!"
When I walked over, I happened to hear this and looked at Momoi in surprise.
It had only been a day. Just how far had she spread the news about Aris?
"Ah, Kotori-chan, long time no see," Midori greeted Kotori, then asked, "By the way, what is this big thing Aris-chan is staring at? It's almost like… a cannon."
"Excellent question, Midori."
Kotori introduced it proudly. "This was created using nearly seventy percent of the Engineering Club's budget for the second half of the year, plus fifty percent of the sponsorship provided by Schale… the ambitious masterpiece of the Engineering Club, the Electromagnetic Cannon for Space Battleship Mounting!"
…What?
First I was stunned, then suspicious, and finally my face darkened.
You used the money I gave you to make something this huge, and you kept it hidden from me until now?!
You didn't even invite me to watch the test firing!
"Ah, sensei, because the adjustments were only just completed these past two days, the club president said they wanted to make it a surprise and tell you in person when they went on duty at Schale in a few days."
Hibiki said regretfully.
At the side, Momoi looked puzzled. "Space battleship… what kind of outrageous thing did you build again…"
"There was something like that before too, right, I think they said they wanted to do artificial hibernation," Midori recalled. "So while saying 'see you in the future,' they built a hibernation device, and ended up making everyone catch colds from the freezing, didn't they?"
That fit perfectly with my stereotype of the Engineering Club.
Seeming to notice everyone had gathered there, Utaha also came over.
"…If you're talking about the direct to the future express, it's used quite often now. It's just used as a freezer though. Since it can still send food to a more distant future, it can't really be called a failure."
Isn't that just a refrigerator?!
Momoi could not help complaining. "It only has that kind of use, yet the name is still so exaggerated!"
"Anyway, after helicopters and general purpose work robots, the Engineering Club is now aiming to develop space battleships!"
Kotori explained excitedly. "And this electromagnetic cannon is the first step of that plan. A solid projectile weapon developed for combat outside the atmosphere! This is an unprecedented attempt in Millennium history!"
"So cool… Just hearing about it makes my blood boil!"
"As expected of Millennium's Engineering Club! So is everything going smoothly now?"
Facing the praise and questions from the Saiba sisters, Kotori wore a confident smile.
But from the earlier description of how the budget was used, I felt that the answer to that question was already obvious.
"Heh heh heh, of course it is!" Kotori's expression changed in an instant, her face falling. "I really wish I could say that, but the plan has been suspended now…"
Momoi cried out, "Ehh!? Why! I was really looking forward to it!"
I cut in, "Budget, right?"
Kotori sighed. "Just as sensei said. From ancient times to the present, no matter the era, what hinders us engineers has never been imagination or passion, but the budget… To build a space battleship, the cost might need to be thousands of times higher… sneaking glance."
Why are you looking at me!
I suddenly felt something was off.
Utaha said she wanted to tell me about the electromagnetic cannon in person. Was that really meant to be a surprise, or was there some other motive? Thinking about it now, it felt quite suspicious…
"This should have been foreseeable at the planning stage, right! Then why did you still make this electromagnetic cannon!?" Momoi shouted.
"What a foolish question, Momoi."
Utaha scoffed and said decisively, "Obviously because beam cannons are romance!"
Hibiki stepped up beside Utaha and nodded silently.
Kotori took the other side of Utaha and chimed in, "Exactly! To not understand the charm of beam cannons, Momoi, you still have a long way to go!"
I stood shoulder to shoulder with the girls. "Heh, well, it is just Momoi after all."
The four of us exchanged looks and shook our heads in tacit unison, sighing.
"Idiots! You're all idiots despite being so smart!" Momoi shouted. "Sensei too!"
The foolish opinion of a mere Momoi was hardly worth mentioning.
I beckoned Utaha closer and whispered, "I'll invest a bit more later. Next time you've got something this good, let me know in advance."
Utaha froze for a moment, then burst into joy. "Understood! As expected, sensei, you truly are our soulmate!"
So when are you going to let me actually take part? Don't you know words alone mean nothing?
Hibiki took a deep breath and spoke with utmost solemnity.
"The official name of this weapon, into which the Engineering Club has poured all of its passion and more than half of its budget, is —
[Sword of Light: Supernova]!"
Midori sighed. "Another exaggerated name…"
However, to Aris, whose current worldview was almost entirely shaped by retro RPG games…
That name hit her squarely in the strike zone!
Aris's small body trembled, her eyes shining brilliantly, her voice brimming with barely contained excitement. "Li-light sword…!"
And it was literally shining.
"A-Aris's eyes are sparkling…!?" Momoi exclaimed in surprise.
Aris was like a child who had found her favorite toy… no, she completely was one.
In any case, she circled the Sword of Light, looking it over again and again, letting out excited cries. "Wow, wow…!"
Midori could not help saying, "This is the first time I've ever seen Aris-chan this excited."
Aris turned to look at me, pointing at the Sword of Light, her face filled with pure desire.
"Sensei, sensei, Aris wants this!"
Alright! Buy it!
I really wanted to say that, but…
Aris then turned to Hibiki and pleaded, "O great steel artisan, please bestow upon me this dragon's breath."
The three members of the Engineering Club looked at one another, all wearing troubled expressions.
"Um, hearing you say that does move me…" Utaha began.
Kotori immediately finished the thought. "But I'm sorry, this one really isn't negotiable!"
"Why!? Didn't you say anything in this room could be taken freely!?" Momoi protested.
"Momoi."
I called her name in a low voice.
"Ah, s-sorry…" Momoi realized her mistake, apologizing with a reddened face.
Hibiki waved her hand. "It's fine. We did make that promise first… but there's a reason for it."
"A reason?" Aris blinked. "Could it be that my level is not high enough… Please tell me the required level to equip it!"
Utaha replied vaguely, "Uh, that's not the issue. It's a more realistic problem."
"Is it money…" Momoi clenched her teeth. "Don't worry, Aris. Even if I have to sell Midori's PrayStation, I'll—"
Why sell Midori's!? Look at Midori, she's already wearing an existential crisis expression!
Utaha interrupted, "It's not a money issue either."
Momoi argued fiercely, "There's no bigger problem in reality than money, is there!?"
Somehow, when she talks like this, she feels oddly realistic.
"…Although in terms of budget, I can agree to that to a certain extent…" Utaha finally pointed out the real issue. "But this weapon is simply too large and too heavy for personal use."
Indeed, just by volume alone, the Sword of Light was larger than Aris herself. And since it was designed for use in space combat, it was naturally made of special alloys, its weight being self evident.
The Sword of Light could not simply grow or shrink at will.
Kotori provided the detailed figures. "Just its base weight alone exceeds one hundred forty kilograms! And if you add the optical sight and fire it with the battery installed, the instantaneous recoil force will exceed two hundred kilograms!"
In other words, even for the students of Kivotos, who were not naturally frail and could sprint around with weapons weighing dozens of kilograms, using the Sword of Light as a standard weapon was nearly impossible.
Even if one somehow managed to lift it, even with the protection of a halo, the wrist would likely fracture at the moment of firing due to the unbearable recoil.
Utaha said regretfully to Aris, "We're very happy you think it's cool. Thank you. If it were possible to take it away, I would really like to give it to you…"
However, the moment she said this, Aris, who had been hanging her head in disappointment, suddenly frowned as if she had found a blind spot.
After a brief calculation, Aris's expression brightened, and she asked Utaha,
"Can you swear that there is not the slightest shadow within your words?"
Utaha looked puzzled. "Huh? This way of speaking again…"
I felt that if this continued, Aris might be taken for a strange person.
"I-I think she means 'is that true'," Midori hurriedly explained.
Utaha stopped worrying about the wording. "Of course I'm not lying… So, you want to take it with you, right?"
Aris nodded.
Utaha shrugged and gestured for Aris to go ahead.
Aris then walked up to the heavy Sword of Light and solemnly recited a line she had learned from games.
"Whoso pulleth out this sword… shall be crowned king!"
For some reason, I suddenly recalled the scene from the day I rescued Hoshino from the laboratory.
That girl above the water, whose face I could not clearly see, had once made a similar request of me.
If what Aris said was true, even if I burned my life to release a divine name, I probably would not be able to wield this Sword of Light with ease.
But if it meant obtaining a new divine name… although I still did not know how to do it, last time it truly had been a fluke.
If it was for the sake of gaining more power, perhaps I should find some time to proactively contact that person who seemed to understand these matters?
As I weighed these thoughts, Aris had already grasped the Sword of Light with both hands.
Because it lacked a handle, finding leverage was even more difficult.
Kotori laughed. "Hehehe, I see. Having motivation is a good thing!"
"Haah!" Aris let out a sharp cry.
"It's better not to force yourself…" Hibiki muttered. "Without a crane, how could you possibly lift—"
Her words cut off abruptly.
Before everyone's eyes, the petite, slender girl raised the enormous Sword of Light high into the air.
"Oh."
Watching the scene, I let out a soft laugh. "Not bad at all."
[1] https://bluearchive.fandom.com/wiki/Tendou_Alice/Gallery?file=Alice_UE.png