Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei - Volume 03 - Nine Schools Competition (I) (16 page)

"Ah, young master!"

Even though everyone was buried in work, someone greeted Tatsuya the moment he stepped into the observation room.

Which was quite rare — this was probably the only place — since everyone's greeting was extended towards Tatsuya and not Miyuki.

The name "young master" was initially applied to Tatsuya because he was the son of one of the corporate higher ups with the ability to enter as he pleased, but was now the respected title directed towards their future leader.

Tatsuya was slightly embarrassed by this moniker and wished that they would stop referring to him as such, but he knew that everyone called him that out of genuine friendship, so he didn't force the issue.

"Sorry for the bother, where's Director Ushiyama?"

The respectful gazes directed towards her brother made Miyuki glow with pleasure, causing no end of people — there were very few males capable of resisting Miyuki's smile — to get distracted from their work.
Tatsuya allowed Miyuki to accompany him as he interrogated the first researcher in the white lab coat who greeted him.

The voice that answered this question came from far behind the crowd.

"Looking for me, Master?"

A tall but hardly fragile-looking engineer wearing gray work clothes threaded through the crowd.

"Director, my apologies for visiting when you're so busy."

"Wait, Master, please don't say that."

Tatsuya's respectful greeting caused the engineer named Ushiyama to color and shake his head.

"It is your right to act casual, but these men are your subordinates, so there's no need to be overly humble like this."

"Not so, everyone here was recruited by our father, so they hardly answer to me.
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"What are you saying.
You are the far famed 'Mr.
Silver' himself and we are honored to serve beneath you."

Every engineer and researcher who heard Ushiyama's voice nodded in agreement.

This was Four Leaves Technology's CAD Development 3rd Division.

The development team that created what the world called the "Silver Series".

Currently, it is publicly acknowledged that the "Silver Series" is the defining work of FLT's technical abilities.
Once seen as rebels and renegades, the surplus employees from the technical department that made up the 3rd Division now held considerable sway in FLT after the advent of the Silver Series.

Thus, the engineers and researchers here swore eternal loyalty to one of the core developers — Tatsuya, who was "half" of Taurus Silver.

"Seriously though, I think that you, 'Mr.
Taurus', are the actual leader of this group, right?
It's because you were always reluctant to accept the directorship that 3rd Division still doesn't have managers and group leaders."

"Please don't say that, I'm not capable of being 'Mr.'
or 'Taurus', I'm just an ordinary engineer who does the grunt work so that your ingenious theories can be facilitated.
I'm the one who cannot stand the fact that my name is placed alongside the original developer.
I'm not that brazen.
It's just that the young master is still an underage student, so your patent would be a difficult issue, hence why I had to throw my name into the ring."

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Without Ushiyama-san's skills, the 'Loop System' would be impossible to realize.
I am not nearly as capable in terms of hardware knowledge, performance, and creativity, so regardless of whether its skills or theory, the only thing that matters is that we are able to complete a model capable of mass consumption, correct?"

"Ah~ Stop, just stop.
There's no way I can beat the young master in a debate, so let's get down to business.
You didn't just pop in to see us, did you?"

As Ushiyama scratched his head in surrender, Tatsuya relaxed his solemn expression and let out a deliberate smile.

"OK, Ushiyama-san, today's test subject is this."

Tatsuya intentionally kept his tone and motions casual as he pulled out a CAD shaped like a smart phone.
Ushiyama stared at it for more than 10 seconds without blinking at all.

This was the T-7 model CAD that Ushiyama prepared for Tatsuya for a specific reason.

To upload software into the test model meant that.
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"Is that.
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the Flight Calculation Device?"

Ushiyama's hands shook as he took the CAD from Tatsuya's hands.

"Yes, the testing hardware that I had Ushiyama-san make is already loaded with the Activation Sequence for Sustained Gravity-Control Type Magic.
With this test model it was easy to access and manipulate the system, making it very easy to use."

"Then the test.
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"As usual, only Miyuki and I have tested it, but we don't rate as normal Magicians."

Everyone present, and it wasn't just one or two either, who overheard them sucked in a breath and tensely stared at Ushiyama's hands.

".
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Akira, how many T-7 Models do we have in the lab?"

Finally, Ushiyama used a fairly calm tone to ask his subordinate.

Upon getting the answer "ten", his half closed eyes abruptly sprang open.

"Damn!
Only ten?
Why weren't they replaced!

What?
Order them later, grab every model we currently have plugged into the maintenance machines and copy the system the young master wrote!

Hiroshi, summon all the testers!
What?
Someone is on break?

I don't give a damn!

Drag them here by the neck if you have to!

Everyone else, stop whatever you're doing and prepare for precise measurement!

Do you guys understand?
This is Flying-Type Magic!
This will change the history of magic itself!"

He was probably using the internal broadcast.

Not just in this room, even the testing room on the opposite side burst into action as even the researchers on break started working.

This indoor CAD testing facility rivals a large gym in terms of area and height.
The communication line hung down from the ceiling and was attached to the back of the testing personnel.

The line also doubled as a lifeline if needed.

Floating-Type Magic has already become widespread and this facility had also tested that before, but Flying-Type Magic was on a whole different level than Floating-Type Magic, to the extent that their actual designs were fundamentally different.
It was also different from leaping and slow-motion descent, a hitherto unknown magic.

The tester's face was pale with anxiety.

New magics were usually created from already familiar magics, but no one knows where danger may be lurking.

There have been precedents where Magicians lost their lives due to tiny bugs in the Activation Sequence.

If they were using a brand new and (until now) unprecedented magic, no amount of caution was enough.

The surface changed to a shock-absorbing material and, once the suspension test was cleared, the preparations were finally complete.

"Start the test."

After evacuating to the observation room — not just for the safety of the observers, but for the testers as well — Ushiyama gave the order to begin.

From below, it was impossible to see what kind of expression the tester wore as he put on his safety helmet.

However, the tester, who had amassed extensive experience as the primary tester before reaching age 30, visibly clenched his teeth.

Even so, he thumbed the CAD's power switch without any hesitation.

"Confirm lift off."

"According to the measurements, there is no reverse force putting pressure on the ground."

Before the naked eye could make any confirmation, the personnel at the various measuring devices were already reporting in.

"Errors in upward acceleration within acceptable parameters."

"CAD performance is stable."

The tester's body was gradually rising.

Now, they could clearly see that his feet had left the ground.

The line was sagging, proving that the tester was not hanging from the suspension device.

Inside the observation room, excluding the sounds of the machines processing data and reporting back, there wasn't even the sound of clothes rustling.

Everyone forgot to move as they stared at either the scene before their eyes or the values displayed on the measuring devices.

"Upward acceleration still dropping.
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and zero, now maintaining rising velocity."

The tester gradually rose until he was level with the 3 meter high observation room.

"Upward acceleration entering negatives.
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Upward velocity has reached zero, confirmed immobile."

Up until this moment, this was still within the boundaries of what Floating-Type Magic could accomplish.

"Testing parallel acceleration."

Someone.
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More like everyone held their breath.

"Halt acceleration, begin 1 meter/second parallel movement."

Without waiting for the measurement reports, it was obvious to the naked eye that the tester was currently moving in the air.

"It's moving.
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"He can fly.
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The incredulous words only served to confirm that the sight before everyone's eyes was reality.

"This is Tester #1 to observation deck, I'm currently walking in the air.
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Belay that.
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I'm flying, I'm free.
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The surprising transmission from the speakers released the emotions suspended by everyone's amazement.

"Awesome!"

"We did it!"

"Congratulations, young master!"

The observers shouted in joy.

The tester was freely tracing flight paths in the sky.

Only Tatsuya remained immune to the fiery emotions of the people around him as he calmly observed the expressions around him and accepted their delirious well wishes.

"Are you all morons.
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Ushiyama gestured helplessly at the testers that sprawled on the ground due to magic overuse.

This test ran massively over schedule and continued until all 9 testers were down and out for the count.

It wasn't that there was a problem with the process, it was because the testers didn't want to stop.

At their request, the communications line that also served as a life line was swapped for wireless communications so they could go completely off script and play hide and seek.

"How can you use Sustained-Type Magic for so long!"

Modern magic is almost always activated in an instant or over a short period of time.

Generally, magics with sustained effects are only valid within a specific time, so there are very few Magicians who can use magics that require constant activation.
For example, "Sonic Blade" belongs to the Sustained-Type Magic category, but in reality, most users refresh the activation after each strike.

Until recently, magic that requires repetitive activation was seen as unique abilities for select Magicians and it wasn't until the introduction of the "Loop Cast" system that the automatic replication of Activation Sequences in the Magic Calculation Area became available to the general public.

"You are responsible for your own actions, I'm not handing out worker's comp."

Thankfully, no tester exhibited symptoms of magic deprivation.

Since this remained within the boundaries of hilarity, Ushiyama snorted at the protests and walked towards Tatsuya, who was staring intently at the test results.