Sword, Magic and Academic Society

Vol. 1 - Ch. 121 - Elvert Workshop (2)

"Weehoooo! That's the spirit of the wind~!"

The location was the track course behind the workshop which offered simulations of various driving environments. It wasn't that big, but it was big enough for me to run the two-wheeler however I wanted as Furi-senpai stared at my actions with a wry expression.

But oh boy, was I surprised when I saw that they even had a track course behind their small-scale workshop. The workshop itself was located in the northern part of 9th avenue, which put it far from the central area, but still. I guess it showed the passion of the father and daughter duo, and why they were the face of the kingdom.

I had no luck with motorcycles in my previous world, but hey, I had at least pedaled a bicycle, so how to maneuver the handle for balance was ingrained in me on a reflexive level— though not that impressive, admittedly.

Well, it wasn't that comfortable to ride compared to the bicycle of Earth, and the handle was also a bit stiff, requiring delicate operation, though it only lasted for a moment before I became used to it and now, I could run this magical two-wheeler baby effortlessly.

"Allen-kun seems to be having so much fun~."

Elder sister muttered as she watched me with a smile.

As for me, the longer I rode, the more inspiration started to flood my mind.

???

"I'm serious, you totally surprised me. We found it so difficult to make simple turns, but you made riding it look so easy. I guess I should have expected this from Rose's brother...... no, the brother Rose is so proud of, whom she would begin praising no matter the place."

As Furi-senpai said so with a wry expression, my elder sister puffed out her chest as if bragging about it.

"Fufufu. It was worth bringing him here if he had fun! Allen-kun has always had a knack for magic tool utilization since childhood. He also often accompanies me to test out the magic tools I create~."

Well, I would call it “dragging me for the trial” rather than accompanying her. But otherwise, yeah, I was good at using those tools even before awakening. I didn't have any interest in delving into their intricacies though......

However, I would say a big reason why I could drive this two-wheeler magic car was due to my experience with bicycles in my previous world.

"You only need to maintain a certain speed for balance, or otherwise it would be hard to handle. It's something that takes skill, but otherwise anyone with enough familiarity can ride it for sure.

It can travel in small or cramped alleyways, and most of all, the 'speed' it provides is enough to ignore other shortcomings. Its usefulness is undeniable. If you ask me, I can't recommend it enough to focus on pursuing the dream of two-wheelers."

Hearing my words, Furi-senpai giggled in curiosity.

"Oh? I guess I now know why Fey-chan labeled you the 'imagination freak'. Your talent in imagining tools isn't your only talent; you also understand its necessity or use. To not be so engrossed in the development of them that you completely miss the demand of the market after all. For reference, can you brief me about the aspects that need improvement?"

Damn that Fey. She was even in touch with Furi-senpai since that BBQ? Well, I had been in her debt for developing tools, and it seemed like they were mostly exchanging their ideas over them… so I guess it should be fine either way.

"Reference, huh?… I guess first is to split the design concept of a model for the common populace and one that can be used with the wind magic that I’m researching......

Speaking of wind magic-based design, the first point should be that it’s lightweight and prioritizes speed. I believe the front part, particularly the front wheel, is currently too heavy, and the rear part is too separated from it.

Improving this to enhance maneuverability, and reducing the thickness of the tires to about three-quarters of their current size, should still allow for sufficient performance. This will significantly reduce the weight as well."

A strained smile appeared on Furi-san's face as she listened to my suggestions.

"Hmm, there's no tuning better than the ones that reduce the weight, so I approve of that. However, there's a reason why the front is heavy, and the wheelbase is long. We were initially leaning on a compact design, but because it’s a rear-wheel drive, a lightweight front end would easily lift off and do a wheelie. This is one of the woes of a two-wheeler.

A tire of that size would have no trouble on paved roads, but I don't think it would be able to keep a sufficient grip on dirt roads due to the low friction coefficient. The current tires are made from Amber Slime resin, the best material available on the market."

Hearing that, I couldn't help but break into a grin.

"Yes, that's why I would like to suggest a change in the design that's common. I believe this problem can be solved with 'aerodynamics' from wind magic that I’m researching.

What I mean is the problem can be tackled by adding a pair of inverse 'wings' to the front part. We only need to do that while the wind force would do the work to generate the downward force that’ll keep it on the ground.

Ah, but that's just my armchair advice. I can't guarantee anything unless we try it out."

Basically, it was the concept of aerodynamic automobile parts that they called wings on the automobiles of Earth. My knowledge about them was limited, but I think motorcycles should have that as well.

Furi-senpai was taken aback when I confidently prattled off.

"Aerodynamics...... I don’t think the power of the air would be able to generate that much force, but on the hypothesis that it manages to keep front on the ground, wouldn't it negatively affect the ease of handling the turns?"

"No, we can freely manipulate it since the downforce is generated by the wind from wind magic hitting the wing part, or in simpler terms, by adjusting the angle of attack. Basically letting the wind disperse when you're about to make a turn should suffice."

Adjusting the angle of the incoming wind shouldn't be too difficult with sufficient training, even at relatively high speeds.

There was also the fact of generating dynamic force with wind force, like with boats, but I didn't bring this topic up for now since I wasn't sure if I could explain it in this world's terms.

In any case, I wouldn't be bringing up wind by myself either, so there should be enough room for maneuverability.

"Oh, that sounds fun! But phew, I'm now relieved that Allen-kun wasn't learning wind magic so desperately to learn how to flip skirts.

Fu-chan, I don't know if the idea is feasible but Allen-kun seems to be enjoying this, so can I help as well? I can handle some parts."

Furi-senpai giggled at what my elder sister said and tapped her chest.

"Of course. I promised lil bro that I'd help with any question related to engines. Besides, I never thought of using the unconventional idea of… 'aerodynamics', was it?... air force suddenly.

Frankly, there are too many variables on paper without testing it out first, but if things work out, then I think it might become my research subject as well.

Anyway, the plan is to… err, add 'reverse wings' on the front part, right? Do you have a concrete image in mind? And do tell me if there's anything else you want."

"Hmm… First, the wings aren't like that of a bird's, but a solid shape with the lower surface being rounded… kind of like this. I'd like to start with something around 20 cm in size and test five different sizes. The materials should be as light and strong as possible."

I illustrated the design of the wings for the front part on the ground.

"And the rest is… hmm, I think it would be good if it had room left for 'remodeling'."

"......Modifications? We haven't even finalized the design yet. If there are features you want to include, why not incorporate them into the design from the start?"

Ugh! Except that wasn’t what I meant.

The picture I had in mind was taken from the outlaw genre manga which had emphasis on motorcycles from my previous world, though I couldn't explain my exact reasoning, so I slightly twisted my words.

"You're mistaken. I’m not looking for interior additions. What I’m looking forward to is the 'base model' design, which we can later customize according to our preferences and have a showdown of design with my comrades of wind magic learners. Kind of like ‘Whistle, a silencer and a rocket cowl? That's slick' and 'Isn't your darling rocking three horns at the back? Boss move!' banter..."

Of course, my fantasy didn't translate well to Furi-senpai, who asked 'Horn? So you want to ride around making loud noises for some reason?' with a straight face.

"No, not at all. I hate loud things. Something calming, like a piece of melody, is my go-to preference."

"???...... What about the silencer and rocket(?) cowl? What's the reason behind adding that?"

Honestly, I was stumped on how to reply when Furi-senpai was asking so seriously, so I illustrated another image following the idea in my mind. Maybe my words alone weren't enough to give the correct idea about the 'Silencer' and 'Rocket Cowl' from my previous world’s mangas.

"The rocket cowl is… it's a kind of customization to make a 2-wheeler fly. Just kidding, ahahaha."

At the end of my words, I tried to put it as a joke and laughed it off. However, Furi-senpai’s eyes were gleaming with a shine.