Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 78: The Threat a Mechanic Poses

Daniel is sitting alone on the back of the tank's turret where he has been assembling the firing mechanism for the larger shells, which Xyreko is producing using magic for now as the additional MDMs are being assembled. Golems can work 24/7, or rather, 29/9 for Zenkon, so parts are constantly being assembled by both means.

However, he's sitting idle, holding the enlarged striker mechanism and one of the parts of the trigger linkage. He's been deep in thought, distracted away from his work early in the morning after getting an early start.

Just the evening prior, two goblin girls were born, one each to Shek and Skloe. Daniel got to hold them both, surrounded by the enlarged family he could only have after coming to another world. And, his presence is an uncertainty. It was not according to plan.

Until he saw them, looked into the eyes of his first two daughters, he was speaking platitudes. He cares deeply for everyone in the Citadel, as well as the citizens of the Fievegal. But, he's personally connected to his companions, and they make him happy to be alive, when once, he was fine simply having a pulse and going home after work to drink and browse the internet.

Then, he ended up in a world that seems like something that could only exist in fantasy. He didn't have magic of his own, and he didn't have a specific role until he took his troubleshooting experience from his roughly fifteen years of troubleshooting various kinds of machinery, including unfamiliar mechanism, to be able to work in a limited capacity on magical equipment, substituting magic for electricity in many various applications. From there, he ended up apparently entangled in a conspiracy, sent to the edge of the 'civilized' world, only to find out that, much like Earth, there are two sides to the same coin, and he determined a goal for himself. Something to work towards to try to achieve the reason he and Rikuto were summoned, or at least contribute if nothing else.

Now, after doing some even more extreme things, he is an Emperor...

... and a father. It didn't feel real, and only now has it really become something tangible. He had given up on Earth. He was prepared to work until he could retire or ended up dying, whichever came first.

Now, he's in several different roles that he's struggling just to keep up appearances of, let alone actually suited to hold.

He is snapped out of his trance by a presence suddenly appearing behind him, a large, semi-hard, rounded bulge presses against his back as dainty arms wrap around his shoulders. It's not difficult for him to guess who it is, though he recognizes the soft hint of the scent of cinnamon that a certain dragon seems partial to in the snacks she eats.

Reignleif lays her chin on his left shoulder, murmuring gently, "Everything alright, Mukori?"

"Yeah. Just especially deep in thought."

There's a soft pause, and he pets her arms with his hands after setting the parts down. She asks, "Do... Do you mind if I ask what about?"

Daniel smiles. "Not at all. I wasn't trying to be cryptic, sorry. Just thinking about..." He sighs. "Just how unbelievable it all is." He looks to his shoulder to make eye contact with her, though it's mostly his peripheral vision from his left side. She cocks her head curiously, and he explains his thinking. "I'm a mechanic. Did some time in a military on Earth, but I'm not a heroic warrior or anything."

She scoffs with her soft voice, and he chuckles. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. But, that's what I mean, actually." He shifts to turn himself towards her, at least half way so he can make better eye contact with her, as well as touch her own very pregnant belly. "I didn't have much to protect on Earth. Nothing to really strive for or drive me. Here... I don't entirely know how I made it to Fort Peony, but I eventually had something to accomplish when that first dragon showed up. Fast forward to now, where..." He chuckles. "I'm an emperor, a dad, a knight, a... I don't really know."