Chapter 4: The Connection Between Him and Me
It was a name I didn’t want to hear. I wanted to forget everything.
Regardless of my feelings, Kuroa continued his story.
“When research and inventions compete, most of the time, the goal is to monopolize profits, and they compete to see who can complete their work first. However, when multiple unknown technologies or theories are required, making completion difficult, and when immense wealth can be anticipated from the completion, there are cases where the competing parties agree to share their discoveries with each other, assigning mutually acceptable evaluations to expedite the process.”
Anon nodded along, even with their hood on, clearly engaged in Kuroa’s explanation.
“In such cases, both parties utilize each other’s discovered theories, diving into research for the next necessary components, aiming for development. When the desired item is completed, they determine the distribution of profits based on the evaluations made up to that point.”
Our eyes met as I glanced away, locking onto Sensei’s gaze, which was filled with concern.
“In the case of Crane’s Guidance, it was the same.”
Ah, I see. Kuroa’s rival was—
“Princess Puffy was my competitor in research.”
“Now that you mention it, it’s true that the princess of this country is said to be exceptionally talented,” Anon added. “She was skilled in politics and had achieved success in the field of magical research, so I’ve heard about her accomplishments many times.”
When I first met her, she had mentioned researching the ‘Global Stagnation of Magical Development.’
“Embarrassingly, at that time, I thought I was the most brilliant in this field, so Princess Puffy dealt me a painful blow.”
In the image, Kuroa appeared with the face of a young girl, reflecting on his past with a hint of embarrassment, wearing a strangely mature expression. It was an oddly sophisticated yet unbalanced look.
“Thus, for a brief period, we collaborated almost as co-developers. She was incredibly kind and intelligent.”
Whenever I asked her to teach me something, she would gladly oblige. Despite my ignorance of this world, she patiently explained things to me until I understood, often puffing out her chest proudly and blushing when I praised her, giggling shyly. Indeed, she was exceptional both as a princess and a researcher. Yet, the Puffy I knew was a compassionate girl, full of warmth and empathy.
“I respected her. Truly, she was as noble as the rumors among the citizens suggested, always caring for the people.”
“Such a thing—”
I blurted out without thinking. Yes, I knew that. She was always considering the citizens. How to improve everyone’s lives, how to solve problems when they arose—she was always—
“Such a thing?”
Kuroa asked me curiously, as Anon, Kuroa, and Sensei turned their eyes toward me.
“No, it’s nothing.”
I couldn’t bring myself to say any more.
Regaining my composure, Kuroa continued.
“I’ve talked a lot about her, but the period I worked with Princess Puffy wasn’t actually that long. It was about two weeks, give or take.”
What was Kuroa trying to say? I had already expressed my gratitude; surely, this conversation could end here.
“Surprisingly, before our collaboration, Princess Puffy obtained my previously submitted papers from the Magic Guild and grasped their contents. In just about a week, she discovered the method to unlock the most challenging aspect of developing Crane’s Guidance, the area safety.”
I couldn’t help but recall her gentle, cheerful smile. Back then, I was feeling anxious every day, and her presence had encouraged me countless times. Kuroa’s story took place right after the hero summoning. So, while she smiled at me, was she gritting her teeth and pushing through her own struggles?
“It’s shocking, isn’t it? To accomplish what had troubled me for so long in just a week. Even if I had managed to complete it alone from that point, I couldn’t claim half of the credit for her achievements.”
Kuroa spoke in one breath, as if he were recalling his emotions from that time.
“Yet, despite that, Princess Puffy said that when Crane’s Guidance was completed, she would be satisfied with just twenty percent of the patent royalties.”
I had no idea how much that would amount to, but if Kuroa was satisfied, it must have been a modest and humble offer.
“Princess Puffy said, ‘I know how many lives have been saved by your Clan, the Old Capital. Your advancements will surely benefit this country—and the citizens.’ When I heard that, my heart swelled—indeed, there were feelings that couldn’t be put into words.”
Anon responded with a thoughtful, “Oh, really now?” Their intentions were unclear.
“However, she presented one condition.”
“A condition?”
I asked, sounding foolish as I echoed him.
“The condition she proposed was the name of the Instantaneous Teleportation Device. She wanted it to be named as she suggested.”
So, the name given to this device was—
“Crane’s Guidance—this name was the condition she proposed.”
No more—
“At that time, there was no visual magic device, so it was just an audio conversation. When I asked her about the origin of the name—”
No more—
“It was inspired by the crane, an animal that left a lasting impression from a fable of another world, and the ‘plane,’ a vehicle that flies through the skies of that world.”
Please, stop—