The Hungry Fortress Wants to Build a Battleship in Another World – World of Sandbox

It was pure chance that they noticed it at all.

That day had been perfectly clear—nary a cloud in the sky—and the sunlight piercing through the forest canopy was particularly intense. She remembered it well.
The day’s work—territory patrol—was the same routine as always, carried out with the usual team. Their mission was to watch for stray monsters slipping through, abnormal tracks, or irregularities in the vegetation.
If a monster was found, they were required to eliminate it. But the patrol zone was flanked on both sides by other patrols, with a city to the rear and the wilderness connecting to the United Kingdom of Aphracea up ahead. The odds of a stray monster wandering in were practically nil.

Still, protocol demanded vigilance. The sector was considered so relaxed that within the guard division, it was treated almost like a vacation post.
And perhaps because of that laid-back assignment—
She [N O V E L I G H T] happened to look up, casually, through the gaps in the trees, at the sky far above.

There, something glittered.
Just for a moment, it caught a glint of the sun—slightly tilted from its usual axis.
It was in that instant that she realized… something was flying up there.

“It's flying absurdly high. Not even the northern mountain wyverns fly that far up.”
That was the conclusion of their squad’s best spotter.
They couldn’t estimate the altitude. But it was certain: the object was flying, tracing a fixed route through the sky.

“It's not the mythical dragon Tyura. What on earth is keeping it aloft?”
The discovery was immediately reported to the squad commander, then relayed to the Ministry of Crisis Response. Interception by the rapid response unit was deemed impossible, and the matter escalated to the Ministry of Defense. Simultaneously, an emergency summons was issued to the Elder Council.
“It's flying in wide arcs, gradually drawing closer to the homeland. I’m no expert, but I’ve heard that the wyvern riders from the east fly reconnaissance patterns in loops like that.”

“Are you suggesting someone is piloting that thing? That it’s a scouting mission into our territory?”
“Judging from its approach vector, could it be the nomads? Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way they could fly that high.”
“Still, we should consider the possibility, shouldn't we? It could be some western nation. I’ve heard there’s talk they’re after Burnstone—Tone-Mag. Perhaps they traded for some kind of tech in exchange for mining rights.”

“They’re going to all this trouble for that barren wasteland? We’ve always had the nomads dig there. Touching that land is like pouring money into a bottomless swamp.”
“Or maybe they’re just that foolish. Fools beyond imagining.”
“So, this idiotic backwater nation somehow has the tech to send that into the sky? You can’t be serious.”
“Then are you suggesting some force, capable of mining Burnstone in that wasteland profitably, has sent this craft?”

“None of this is confirmed, though. We’re just speculating. We don’t know what it is or if it’s even capable of communication. We need to investigate first.”
“Investigate? How? I’ve received reports that even our most skilled wind mages can’t reach half that height.”
The Elder Council devolved into chaos.

The unidentified flying object continued soaring through the sky, day and night.
And what’s more—further south, above the sea, another object believed to be the same kind was briefly spotted.
“Observation suggests it's likely an artificial object. No similar monster species are known, and its movements aren’t biological. Its flight path is like that of a golem repeating programmed behavior.”

“So what? Can't we just shoot it down or something? If it is artificial, this is a clear violation of our airspace.”
“Even if we fire arrows, they’ll never reach that altitude. Isn't there any kind of magic that could deal with it?”
“Magic has its limits too. No matter how powerful the mage, that height is unreachable.”

Whatever it was, it was some kind of artificial object—probably golem-like.
Nothing useful could likely be seen from such heights, but still, being watched constantly was... unsettling.
Naturally, discussion turned toward how to bring it down.

“Direct spells won’t work, but maybe if we combined something…”
“The security captain who uses far-sight spells—maybe they could…”
“What about invoking Sojidalas, the Divine Bow?”

“If this continues, it’ll damage the nation’s dignity—”
In the end, a decision was made. The moderate faction narrowly won the vote, and orders were issued to the guard unit: they would fire a message arrow.
 

****
“Begin observation!”
“Observation underway!”

Once the plan was set, the squad moved into action immediately.
Their captain, a specialist in Unerring One-Shot magic, was selected. A specially prepared longbow and arrow—etched with complex magical runes—were brought out.
The target was too far. The bow would surely break upon activation. The bow had been crafted for this single mission, with magic inscriptions for boosting launch speed and extended range.

“Target in sight.”
Unerring One-Shot magic could strike any perceived target within awareness. However, the further and faster the target, the more mana it consumed.
A quick estimation revealed that one person’s mana wouldn’t suffice. They opted for a ritual spell powered by multiple casters.

They inscribed a pentagram—a magic circle—placing the archer at its apex and four mana providers at the remaining points.
External visual enhancement spells were layered over the ritual, enabling the archer to see the golem in the sky.
Even so, to the keenest eyes in the squad, it appeared no larger than a speck of dust.

But seeing was all that Unerring One-Shot required.
The mana-infused bow gleamed. The spell-etched arrow began to glow in resonance with the magic.
The bow creaked under strain.

“Unerring One-Shot.”
The arrow was loosed, slicing the air. The recoil shattered the bow to pieces.
Injecting this much mana into a single arrow had likely never been done in Levresta’s long history.

Draining the mana channels connected to the archer and casters, the arrow maintained its speed as it flew.
By rewriting reality, the spell ensured the arrow would hit. Feeding on the casters’ energy, the arrow climbed higher—
“Ugh…”

About five minutes later, the mana ran out. Several support casters collapsed from sudden depletion.
The archer, as the ritual’s anchor, retained a trace of mana.
He felt the mana tether connecting him to the arrow sever—normally.

“Direct hit confirmed.”
Even so, the mana drain brought on vertigo. He dropped to one knee, and the waiting medics rushed over.
“Confirmed impact!”

“Rear observation reports successful spell resolution—target hit!”
With both the caster’s and observation team’s confirmations, the squad commander nodded.
“Signal HQ. Message has been delivered to the guest. Operation complete. No issues. That is all.”

“Understood!”
It had been a live-fire test, but the plan to deliver a message arrow to the aerial golem had succeeded.
Had the target possessed any magical barrier, the arrow would have failed, its mana exhausted before piercing through.

Even combining the mana of five elite guards barely sufficed to make contact. The commander hadn’t been confident in success, despite all the calculations.
And then there was the matter of cost. The custom bow and arrow had been crafted by a master magitech artisan. The ritual required rare catalysts, and elite high-tier magicians had constructed the circle.
It had been an operation backed by funds enough to make one’s spine go cold.

“Alright. Continue monitoring the target’s condition. Observation team stays on alert. Report any change immediately.”
“Understood! Observation team will maintain surveillance!”
About one hour after the message arrow hit—

The golem in the sky gently veered off course and shifted its trajectory toward the United Kingdom of Aphracea.
And from that point on, the golem never again entered the airspace of the Forest Kingdom of Levresta.