It was just before the collapse of the former Siel-Teira.
A small group of countries south of the former Siel-Teira (although some are larger than Siel-Teira) split into enemies and fought a great war for nearly a decade.
Behind both factions are Noaculio and Gilleschhatar, who are targeting mineral and magical resources, essentially a surrogate war.
At one point, the Noaculio faction prevailed, but as the war approached the national territory, King Elbert of the former Siel-Teira decided to join the fight with repeated requests from Gilleschhatar.
Lawrence Reinhardt, one of the thousand horsemen who initially was only a knight of the Imperial Palace, made a remarkable success in this battle. And he was Bertiel Lagerbeck, an intelligent warrior who was good at manoeuvring.
The war was reversed and the parties ended without exhaustion. As a result, the two royal chiefs of the palace were praised as "heroes of the patriotic nation", without allowing the enemy soldiers to take a step forward.
Everyone who holds a sword in that country will have yearned for Lawrence and Bertil once.
"Ho... I wonder if you're from the old Sierra Teila?
Wilfred's hero smiled bitterly.
It gives the impression of being uncommonly carefree.
"I'm Wilfred Bryce.
My father was Ewing Bryce, a knight who served the Marquis of Edelfeld. "
"Ewing...? I see, because then you were..."
Behind Bertil's words, a horrible horn passes behind him.
A steam truck on one side of a two-lane rim bridge is blocking Bertil's ride. The following car protested while avoiding it.
"Oops, I'm sorry. You can't park a steam truck here.
Catherine, are you in custody? Otherwise, it's just fine. I want you to come with me. "
"Um...."
The invited Catherine glanced at Wilfred carefree.
Wilfred invited me here, so I didn't think I could leave on my own.
- No, no, no, no! No matter how important I think I am, I'm not even close to what Bertiel Lagerbeck wants!
Wilfred instantly shakes his neck with the impetus that his blood vessels are about to burst.
So, let's go.
Mr. Wilfred, would you like to ride with me to the bridge exit?
"Hmm... are you okay? I'm here."
"This steam truck has a capacity of four. Is there a problem?
Bertiel opens the door to the steam truck and suggests Wilfred take a seat. It was awesome. I felt like I was out of place, and Wilfred was about to shrink and disappear.
However, it was fearful to make his courtesy unhindered, and the desire to stay with the longing knight who happened to run into him in such a place was stronger even for one second.
Looking into the interior of the car, characterized by its glossy wood and brass colors, the driver's seat was filled with her sister in a suit with blue hair.
Oh, Sophia too!
"Good evening, Catherine. I'm just a driver tonight."
A driver called Sofia laughs with Catherine.
"Are you a friend of the administrator?
"My name is Sofia Gilberta Vera von Hoover. I'm a worthy soldier."
"I used to say I couldn't help it, Shelly.
You're a spy under the surveillance of the old Count Kelly family. "
Wilfred was surprised when Bertiel pointed out that it was too noisy.
But the three people except Wilfred were flat.
"I'm your friend."
Catherine smiled elegantly and whispered to Wilfred.
The steam truck runs the rim bridge next to the tree of light.
Bertil sat in the passenger seat and Catherine and Wilfred sat in the rear seat.
In short, while sitting side by side with Catherine, Wilfred almost stopped breathing whenever Catherine's lateral face appeared at the edge of his vision.
--But you know a wonderful person.....
Wilfred is reminded that Catherine is a former countess.
The Adventurers Guild's office is by no means everything in Catherine's world. It was a strange mood to applaud it.
"Hello... oh, actually, I picked up Catherine in a strange place... hmm. It would be helpful if you could wait there. I'll be right there... yeah, nice to meet you."
Bertil was talking to someone on the phone in the steam truck.
When he finishes talking and puts the phone back in place, he sighs like steam.
"The Federation is as bad as ever. Without magic."
"Yeah, I was surprised at first, too.
I thought that the old Siel-Teira had a deep relationship with the Federation and that Federation goods would come in... but when I actually started living in the Federation, everything was so different... "
"Well, steam products can't move without a steam generator.
Like the Federation, you can't make a city-level steam generator unless you're ready to steam all the ground pulse energy.
The only steam items used elsewhere are "Ese Steam," which has been modified to work with magic stones, or small items that can be moved with household steam generators and steam storage cartridges. "
They say it stings. Wilfred agrees.
There are many technologies used in the Federation that can only be considered magical.
The capitals of the five great Powers are located on powerful magical reservoirs (hotspots) that serve as nodes in numerous local veins. A city is built by choosing such a place.
The magical resources that can be drawn from the ground veins are enormous. And Sactamburg, like most cities in the Federation of Gilleschhatar, used steam generators to steam most of its magical resources and fuel steam-powered engines.
Brass can be used in containers (tanks) and conduits (pipes) that can handle steam extremely efficiently, simply by performing simple magical processing.
The Gilleschhatar Federation has developed steam control technology using this brass, and machines powered by steam, such as steam generators, are being used from the military to homes.
The steam truck in which we are riding is also accumulating the steam generated by the generator in the compressed steam tank, using it as fuel to power the steam engine and gain drive power.
The Gilleschhatar Federation boasts a different dimension of technology than other countries that rely on magic, but it also has a weakness that makes it difficult to take these items out of the country.
Therefore, in fact, the Federation's proud Golem Corps is more powered by magic stones than by steam, which is more powered by civilian labor golems.
Still, the fact that the exaggerated steam discharge pipe is attached to most large golems is probably symbolic.
"West Ayursa is steaming here and there. The dependence on the Federation is even higher, but I'm surprised you've taken the Gracelum mine to the east.
Fortunately, we can still harvest a lot of mythrills, so if steam power spreads, it will grow in industry. Our king's house is famous for its snow roses, so you're also familiar with it. Intensive farming is on the rise. "
"How does the former Earl of Keeley look...."
"Peace is peace. It's going to be tough, Mr. Berger.
I don't complain publicly, but I compare it to someone every time the people are behind it. "
"Well...."
Catherine's face was blurred with a delicate look, whether she could laugh or not.
Catherine seems to care about the people, even though she is no longer the Countess.
Wilfred sometimes wondered at the first moment what was going on with the new (...) Siel-Teira, which became the power zone of Diletta, on the east side where he lived, but he still didn't want to know.
I didn't want to remember much about that place.
What Wilfred realized was that he was too small and powerless.
The dark feeling of helplessness my father felt when he was executed... every time I remember that feeling, I thought I'd get stronger.
I don't know how much I can protect my sword arm, but that's all Wilfred can do. If you do, you'll only be able to do it.
"That said, congratulations on the birth of your son.
Please give my regards to your wife. "
"Nh, you know what?
Thank you. Kaya wanted to see you, too.
I would love for you to come if you had the chance, but I may not have the Federation's permission to go to Western Ayursa yet.... "
Kaya Runner?
With all the information in his head, Wilfred misses a celebration.
Kaya Runner, formerly the Royal Palace Knight of Siel-Teira, was one of the few female Royal Palace Knights, the only female captain, and a little celebrity.
I didn't know Wilfred was married to Bertil now.
"... actually, there's someone who wants me to introduce you to Catherine Margareta Keeley."
Bertiel suddenly switched the conversation and Wilfred swallowed another word of congratulation.
The tone of Bertiel's voice is completely different from what we talked about earlier.
The steam truck runs to the exit of the Rim Bridge and enters block (section) 2-2.
Soon after it got on the plate.
The steam truck slides in front of the entrance of a luxury hotel. In the center of the rotary, a brightly lit fountain of gold gear sat in place of a sign, and an old man waited under the hotel's glamorous lighting.
--It's eastern-style.... Is this the official service of the Kenneth Empire?
He was a gray-haired and white man with the impression of a grandfather.
There are a number of clothes in the Far East that can be worn along with each other, but Wilfred, who was practicing Samurai, can see that the old man's clothes are somewhat different from those of the Samurai Empire.
He put his loose sleeves together in front of his body and thanked Catherine.
"I'll see you at first. I am called Winter Lee.
In the Kenneth Empire, I am the director of the research institute under the General's command, the "Princess of the Prison of Grievances" countermeasure office. "
Catherine's face changed as if the sword in her sheath had been thrown out.