Chapter 109

The World in Motion (1)
Dolm Kingdom's Perspective

King Gazet Baras Dolm of the Dolm Kingdom quietly gazed outside with his subordinate from a room aboard the airship they had purchased from Arland.

The airship was brand new, still carrying the pleasant scent of fresh wood. In terms of design and construction, there were no complaints. However, this is what puzzled King Gazet.

A ship doesn’t advance unless it’s used. That applies to all technology. No country can build an airship, let alone a proper seafaring vessel. Yet this ship was said to be capable of withstanding the open sea.

"Why does Arland possess such technology?"

"It’s unclear. Additionally, it seems they have no prior experience in designing seafaring ships. On top of that, the airship itself just suddenly appeared, and no one knows where or who conducted the research."

King Gazet didn’t believe Arland’s claim that Alicetia had resurrected the airship. If a child could do it, adults would have done it long ago. It’s not a simple mechanism.

"We’ve investigated the Capital, but the only story that comes up is that the princess built it. There was some disturbance when suspicious individuals attacked, though..."

"What do you mean?"

"It appears that the princess’s reputation in the Capital is absolute. It’s dangerous to probe any further."

It seems they were attacked by the usual group of eccentric gentlemen. Several groups of Alicetia’s followers have organized in the Capital. They’re generally peaceful, engaged in activities like cleaning the city and creating flowerbeds, subtly encouraging Alicetia to adopt more ladylike traits. Arland can’t regulate them because they operate as an external group.

"So, you’re saying a child made this? I can’t imagine what kind of education would result in someone building something like this."

"That princess is an exception. Of course, I’m not belittling your majesty’s abilities."

In short, they knew nothing.

King Gazet also had another reason for seeing Arland as a giant enigma.

Why would they sell airships? Airships are a form of military power, offering efficient troop and resource transport. Even in peacetime, their transportation capabilities are invaluable. It’s not something that should be sold to other countries.

After a while, a knock echoed through the room. King Gazet allowed entry, and a man in robes holding a staff entered. He was the Chief Court Mage of the Dolm Kingdom. The kingdom lacked many magicians, so he was the top magic user.

"Excuse me."

"It’s fine. What did you find?"

King Gazet had ordered him to analyze the engine room, hoping to steal some of the technology.

"It’s no use. The airship’s engine employs even stricter concealment techniques than our own.

The result of our analysis was just: ‘you are not permitted to analyze this technique.’"

"So, they’ve encrypted it."

King Gazet clicked his tongue. The airship was embedded with secretive magic that prevented theft. In ancient times, there were strict regulations against magic plagiarism. Naturally, with magic technology inferior to that era, modern attempts to analyze it were futile. This airship seemed to have an even stronger anti-copy mechanism.

"However, we were able to determine the amount of magic being used. It consumes about 30% less magic than existing airships. We have no idea how it flies with such little power.

Also, instead of magic stones, it uses magic gems, which are much easier to handle."

The Chief Mage looked like he was itching to go to Arland.

It’s understandable. Magicians tend to be self-centered and lack national loyalty. Their priority is research. That’s just the nature of magicians. However, this one wasn’t foolish enough to betray them outright. He was simply envious of Arland to the point of tears.

"Magic gems, huh... We’re out of options. It’s best to avoid antagonizing Arland."

"It appears so.”

King Gazet had once considered making peace with the Empire by returning the old count's territory, but now it seemed that turning Arland into an enemy was not an option.

"Still, confronting the Empire would be..." muttered another subordinate. It wasn’t an act of rebellion. He merely understood the Empire’s overwhelming strength, and King Gazet didn’t blame him.

"That woman was watching us.”

King Gazet suddenly said.

"She doesn’t trust us. Her only goal is minerals and gold. I can sense that she’s up to something, but I can’t figure out what. It makes me sick. She was appraising me."

"Is that so? Then, this airship too..."

"She probably considers it something so insignificant that it doesn’t matter to hand it over. She’ll use the profits for something else. And that country already has far stronger airships than this one. You saw it too, didn’t you? That iron ship."

"It’s terrifying. Where did they even get the knowledge to produce such a thing... I’m just glad they didn’t demand Your Majesty’s hand in marriage in return.”

"Even I wouldn’t be able to handle someone like that. Besides, I’m not interested in a woman I can’t control. Send me a better beauty."

—-------

Country of Tranquility’s Perspective

"It went well, didn’t it, Emperor?"

"Arland is so unambitious. Or perhaps they have no interest in the central lands. We’re the same, but that’s due to our geographical location. But Arland doesn’t seize what it can. What are they plotting? More importantly, have they been found?"

The Emperor had initially approached Arland with a specific purpose—recovering the bloodline of a branch family priestess. The target was a half-beastman born from an elf cousin of the imperial family and a nine-tailed fox beastman. It was known that they had entered Arland, but they were cleverly hiding, and nothing had been uncovered.

Still, they hadn’t left empty-handed. The alliance with Arland was a valuable asset. The Empire wouldn’t be able to focus on the Country of Tranquility for a while.

“It’s no good. It seems they haven’t been active in Arland, and we couldn’t even catch their tail.”

"Beastfolk will kill you if you grab their tail recklessly. Make sure Arland doesn't catch wind of this. The seal is nearing its limit. No matter how distant the lineage, we cannot leave the priestess unchecked. We must retrieve her… or the tragedy from tens of thousands of years ago will repeat."

"Our country's gate is already broken. Once we destroy that cursed Yamata no Orochi… we’ll be able to weather this dark era without much difficulty."

The Country of Tranquility is difficult to invade due to its geography. Even if the world enters the Dark Ages, the connected [Gate] has already been destroyed.

"We must also deal with the remaining seals somehow… but we have no clue where the remaining Gates are. Stay on high alert."

"Yes, sir."

They had their own objectives.

—-------

Farfull Knight’s Nation’s Perspective

"Finally… finally, our long and painful life is coming to an end… Perhaps we can restore the country that was built by our ancestors and stolen from us."

Schildred Nai Farfull, the King of the Farfull Knights’ Nation, rode on horseback to Arland, avoiding the use of carriages. Now, they were returning by horseback.

"At last. The Empire, too, isn’t finished with us yet. We will reclaim our lands no matter what."

"But… isn’t the princess still just a child? Why would a country as large as Arland send that princess to the battlefield? That’s the one thing I cannot understand! Protecting women and children is the duty of knights, the duty of men!"

"Indeed. However, perhaps the princess is… the second coming of Queen Cynthiana."

That was a taboo in the Farfull Knights' Nation. Their shameful history. With the death of one woman, they were able to reclaim their country. When the Emperor and the major nobles died, his father rose up.

Their country was destroyed, and their former comrades, to whom they had entrusted their souls, were scattered. After a long time of gathering allies, tragedy struck when they reunited with their former comrades.

They would never forget that their country stood on the sacrifice of Cynthiana.

They knew that without such an irregular event, the Empire would have dealt with them as a rebellion.

That’s why they always disciplined themselves. They vowed never to live a life of shame. This was why they couldn’t accept Alicetia. If she truly was the second coming, she had to live a happy life.

"So be it! We must act with all our might. We must build a world where we will never again be robbed."

"Yes, sir. I will immediately gather the army. This time, we must stop the Empire’s rampage."

They had a somewhat peculiar way of thinking. And they knew far too little about Alicetia. Just like Cynthiana, she was not a woman who would quietly wait… but it would be some time before they realized that.

—-------

In a room at the Ostland Castle:

"This is bad… this is really bad. What do I do?"

The fifth prince, Marcus, was in a panic. He had lived a life of indulgence, and the King’s patience had finally run out. It wouldn’t be surprising if he were stripped of his Royal status at any moment.

He didn’t feel any remorse. With his good looks, he had been flirting with and making advances on young noblewomen, and playing around. He had also formed a faction to rival his brother’s, and that faction had been acting a little recklessly, causing a bit of trouble in the castle (at least in his view, it was just a little trouble).

He was known as the "Headache of Ostland."

He had no political ability. While he was good at gathering people, he lacked the ability to lead them, and his reputation was poor—he was essentially treated as an unnecessary child.

"What the hell, Father? Just because I flirted with a princess from another country, he’s going to exile me? I’m Royalty! He should let it slide a little! This is ridiculous. That princess ignored me so blatantly too… Damn it, what Saintess? She’s just the daughter of barbarians. I’m superior!"

Marcus kicked his desk furiously. Ostland understood that if something happened to Alicetia, offering up this man’s head wouldn’t even begin to atone for it. They knew they couldn’t afford to provoke Arland, whose military strength far surpassed their own. If war broke out, the difference in power was so great that Ostland would likely be destroyed within a few months. Marcus, however, could only see his country’s capabilities through the lens of history. He underestimated Arland, and as a result, he was deemed unfit for Royalty.

Ostland’s military power was pitifully weak. For years, they had survived by not provoking other countries. Despite their lack of military strength, their survival was proof of Ostland’s competence. In a country that relied on diplomacy to survive, there was no place for fools.

"Your Highness, perhaps expanding your power base is one strategy. We could gather commoners with promising abilities."

"Y-yeah. I should have soldiers that suit me. You’ve got a good idea there."

Marcus’s earlier bad mood disappeared at the flattering words of the young nobleman under his control.

If he had a force worthy of him, the country wouldn’t be able to interfere with him so easily. And if he could get that fake Saintess under his control, his father would have no choice but to acknowledge him. The fame of the fake Saintess was hard to ignore. She would make the perfect pawn. If he could make her his, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think he could become the next king.

However, Marcus didn’t notice that the nobleman under his control was bowing while grinning behind his back.