Oran Knight is out (1/3 chapters for today)
Frank’s Proposal
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*Today’s diary*
Today, Frank said something interesting.
It’s a typical idea from Frank, the engineer (Tech).
If used well, it could give us an advantage in the upcoming competition.
I’m looking forward to how we will use it.
—
“Hey, do you think we can use this?” (Frank)
That was how the conversation started from Frank’s words.
In Frank’s hand was a cylindrical object, about the thickness that could be held with one hand, and about two fist-lengths long.
“What is that?” (Sonia)
Sonia, who was drawing illustrations for the school newspaper in the clubroom, looked up and stared at Frank’s hand, and tilted her head. At the moment, there were just five of us in the clubroom, me (Lux), Sonia, Frank, Lev, and Rick. Originally, the four of us, excluding Frank, were working on an article, when Frank suddenly showed up.
“What do you think it is?” (Frank)
At Frank’s words, we, who were working, gathered around to stare at the cylindrical object. At least, I had no idea what it could be.
“…Is it a bomb?” (Lev)
Lev’s guess made Frank respond.
“Close.” (Frank)
“Come on, don’t tease us. Just tell us.” (Sonia)
Sonia said, and Frank, acting as if he were tired of the teasing, said.
“It’s a smoke grenade.” (Frank)
“A smoke grenade?” (Sonia)
“Yeah, I made it. When it’s ignited, a huge amount of smoke comes out.” (Frank)
“Wow, let’s try it out.” (Rick)
Rick-san said, but Frank replied.
“It’s better not to. The whole room would be full of smoke, and the instructor would come running.” (Frank)
“So, it’s a grenade… Can it be fired?” (Sonia)
Sonia asked again.
“This one can’t. It actually needs to be smaller to be a real bullet.” (Frank)
“Then, it’s not a smoke grenade but a smoke tube, right?” (Sonia)
Sonia pointed out, and Frank replied, “Quiet, okay?”
“I read about it in a book, and I’ve wanted to make one for a while, but it’s not as easy as it sounds. So, I made a bigger one to make it easier. But I got to thinking, could we use this in the upcoming competition?” (Frank)
Saying this, Frank looked over at me and asked.
Hmm. It might be interesting.
“But, is it okay to use that?” (Lev)
Lev asked.
“We didn’t have you in the first competition, but remember, Lux used something even more intense in the previous competition, so it should be fine.” (Frank)
“That’s true, but we should probably ask Fol-sensei just to be sure, but I think it’ll be fine. But how should we test this?” (Lux)
I asked, and Frank frowned slightly.
“Well, there’s the problem. If we do it too openly, the other teams might find out. And since it’s a dangerous item, it would be a problem to take it out without permission. I guess it will have to be a one-shot deal in the actual competition.” (Frank)
“Is that safe? I mean, what if it suddenly explodes or something?” (Sonia)
Sonia asked with a worried expression.
“That’s rude. The proportions and structure are exactly as described in the book, so it should be fine. Probably.” (Frank)
“Well, anyway, it’s an interesting idea. I’ll talk to Heinz and Maria about it.” (Rick)
Rick concluded, and Frank carefully stored the smoke grenade (tube?).
—
The other day, Frank brought in the smoke grenade. I didn’t think we’d be able to test it, but an unexpected solution was found.
The turning point came from Fol-sensei. When Frank and I went to Fol-sensei to ask if we could use it in the competition, we got permission easily. However, just like with landmines, it was required that we file a request with the instructor in charge before using it. That wasn’t a problem.
“Self-made smoke grenades, huh? You two sure think up strange things.” (Fol)
As usual, when we brought up an interesting plan, Fol-sensei was in a good mood.
“By the way, have you tested that grenade yet?” (Fol)
When Fol-sensei asked, we explained the difficulties in testing it, and he smiled slightly.
“You’ve made it at the right time.” (Fol)
“Right time?” (Lux)
“Yeah. You know the southern fields where you helped with the harvest, right? Do you know that there are a few charcoal-making huts at the edge of the field?” (Fol-sensei)
“No, I didn’t know that.” (Lux)
“Hmm. Well, it’s just about the peak season for charcoal burning as we head into winter. The whole area will be filled with smoke. If you get permission from the people at the charcoal huts, it should be fine to test it there without drawing attention. I’ll give you the permission to take it out. What do you think?” (Fol)
“Really? Thank you!” (Lux)
“Eh, if an accident happens because of an untested weapon, it’s just more trouble for me.” (Fol)
Fol-sensei said with his usual tired expression, but his mouth was still smiling.
—
Leaving the southern gate of the city, the once fertile fields full of vegetables and grains were gone, and all that remained was a flat expanse of land. In the distance beyond that flat land, several white streaks of smoke rose into the air. That must be the location of the charcoal making huts.
“You know, after experiencing the excitement of the harvest festival, this feels kind of lonely.” (Ratt)
Ratt-kun, who had been chosen as one of the top five in the harvest festival eating competition, said quietly, unusually reflecting on the scene.
“Yeah, the atmosphere is totally different.” (Lite)
Lite, who unfortunately lost in the eating competition, placed his hand on his forehead and looked out into the distance, surveying the surroundings.
“It looks close, but it’s actually quite far, so let’s hurry.” (Frank)
Frank urged us forward. It was clear he was eager to try it out. He’d made three more copies of the same grenade just for this test, and he was highly motivated.
“I made a slightly smaller one this time. Eventually, I plan to make one small enough to be used as a bullet.” (Frank)
Frank had started to make bullets now, in addition to the grenade.
If we were actually on the battlefield, magic bullets would likely be the main weapon, but I wonder if there’s actually a demand for firearms craftsmanship?
As we walked leisurely, Heinz looked up at the sky and said, “This is definitely winter’s sky”. The sky was so clear. It was a sky I hadn’t seen much before.
So, this is what the northern winter sky looks like.
When we arrived at one of the charcoal huts, an old man came out when we called out to him. We explained the situation and asked if we could use a nearby field for our test.
“Well, military school students sure do strange things. I don’t mind. Just make sure you don’t start a fire!” (??)
He gave us permission easily, so we thanked him and headed to the field. Following his advice, we cleared away the dry grass and used the small shovel we brought to dig a small hole. We placed the smoke grenade (tube?) there.
“How do you activate this?” (Maria)
Maria asked, and Frank nodded as if pleased by the question.
“You give a strong impact to the bottom, and smoke will come out. Since this size, any impact on the bottom will probably trigger the smoke to start.” (Frank)
“So, should we aim for it, like planned?” (Lite)
Lite asked, and I took out the slingshot and rubber bullets.
“Wait a minute, Lux. I want to see how much force it takes for the smoke to come out, so could you apply the force gradually? Is that possible?” (Frank)
“Yeah. With this distance, I can make fine adjustments. Alright, let’s begin.” (Lux)
After ensuring a safe distance from the smoke grenade, I pulled back the slingshot. First, I used a small magic bullet, reducing the power to the minimum. It was almost like hitting it with a small stone. There was a small sound, “Clink,” but the smoke grenade didn’t budge.
Next, I threw a stone that was slightly larger, with a little more force. There was a louder “Clank,” but still no change. Then, I tried a regular shot, with half the usual strength. There was a stronger sound, “Bang,” and the smoke grenade rolled into the hole, but no smoke came out.
“Frank, is it okay if I use the full strength?” (Lux)
“Yeah, it seems like it needs a pretty strong impact. You should be good now. Go ahead and try it at normal strength.” (Frank)
After getting Frank’s approval, I used my usual power with the rubber bullet. The impact should be about the same as a small handgun.
There was a loud “Bang,” followed by a sound like “Whoosh!” as the air released, and then, in an instant, white smoke began to billow up! It was even more intense and fast than I expected! We quickly backed up further and watched the smoke rise.
“It’s more amazing than I thought, degozaru.” (Hana)
Hana said, impressed, as she watched the smoke. Frank, on the other hand, looked at it curiously.
“This is strange. How could it have this much power? Did I mess up the proportions?” (Frank)
He muttered ominously under his breath.
…Hearing those words next to me, I couldn’t help but feel relieved that we had managed to test it.
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